The Broken Kingdom

by Sarah Chapman

  Later that afternoon, Ellis was summoned. He found Riley waiting outside her tent for him.

  ‘You tried to undermine Vann.’ she stated coldly.

  Ellis looked momentarily shocked, then confused, then a little scared. It was just enough to move Riley from anger into slight guilt at frightening him. ‘No, no, I’m sorry. I went to watch, you know I like to watch, I-I thought that was ok. I disagreed, that’s all.’

  ‘Ellis, I want the council to have the confidence to make their own decisions. You just tore all that up, and you made them think that somehow, you know what I want better than he does.’

  ‘I… you want the council to decide things without you?’ He said in consternation. ‘I’m sorry, it’s just not done that way where I’m from. The lords who have councils… they’re just there to agree. You mean you actually don’t want that?’

  ‘No,’ Riley sighed.

  ‘I… I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I mean, everyone knows how it’s been…’ Ellis suddenly went a little pink, ‘I guess I thought I was protecting you.’

  ‘What? How what’s been?’

  ‘You’ve been fighting with Vann.’

  ‘We haven’t been fighting.’ she said angrily. ‘Is that what people are saying?!’

  Ellis nodded.

  Riley’s expression suddenly stilled. Though she worked hard on presenting a certain face to the tribe, perhaps she had to be more careful. But then, maybe it didn’t matter. The tribe would see things had not been perfectly perfect for a brief moment, but that nothing changed between them, that Vann’s position didn’t change.

  This needed to be discussed with Vann. Riley made her excuses and was about to leave when Ellis said, ‘wait, are you mad at me?’

  ‘Huh? No, it’s fine.’ she paused. ‘Maybe stay away from the council for a while. And Vann’s word is as good as mine. He has my full support. Always.’

  ‘Got it.’

  Ellis brushed from her mind, Riley wandered off to find Vann.

  Vann didn’t necessarily believe Ellis’s apology. But he wasn’t going to let dislike interfere with a possible friendship for Riley. So he kept quiet, and merely watched. He didn’t know whether Ellis was trying to take over, or whether he had some sort of interest in Riley, but he would deal with it. Without involving her. He could get Karesh’s help if he needed it.

  Vann arrived at the collection of human tents. He saw a few of the Mixed children already there, playing with the human children and smiled. Meguk and his two older sisters were teaching the children R-Ball. He smiled seeing them. Riley had told him many of the children had lost one, or both parents in the collapse of the mountain. It was good to see them laughing and playing outside. It was also a relief for him that they’d started using proper names, instead of Firstboy, or Bulag’s son. Remembering names was easier for him than remembering everyone’s parents and birth order!

  He looked away from the children to the sour-faced adults watching. The adults were more of a challenge, but he was working on it. They were slowly starting to feel safe here, but it would take more than a couple of weeks to erase what must have been a lifetime of misery.

  His smile faded when he spotted Catariah. She had picked up Astarian extremely quickly, but she spent a lot of time pretending she didn’t speak it. Especially when Riley was around.

  ‘Hello.’ he greeted her. He had to put his hands out to forestall a hug that would never end. ‘Cata, you have to stop doing that.’

  ‘What?’ she demanded.

  ‘You’re an adult. You can’t hold on to me like that.’

  ‘Why not?’

  He frowned, tried to say something. Did adults in her society really do that to each other? ‘Because… it’s not what’s done here, not among friends.’

  ‘It’s her, isn’t it.’ she stated darkly.

  ‘Riley? She’s my lover, so yes, she’s part of it.’ He smiled as he spoke. It still sent a tingle through him to say those words.

  ‘She’s a monster.’

  ‘Hold on, Riley is not a monster. Why would you say that?’ he demanded angrily.

  ‘She’s one of them, one of those non humans. Like those creatures that attack us from the ocean.’

  ‘She’s not human, Cata, but that doesn’t make her a monster. She’s never done you any harm.’

  Cata gazed at him darkly, but she didn’t say anything to that.

  ‘Do the rest of your people think that?’

  ‘Not all… they’ve been taken in by the richness here.’

  Vann felt a moment of relief. ‘I think you need to spend more time around her, and the other Mixed. You’ll see they aren’t monsters.’

  Cata made a noise of derision and crossed her arms.

  Vann walked past her then, to speak to the other humans. Clearly, allowing them to stay apart from the rest of the tribe had been a bad idea. Was it going to be this bad with the Astarians? He’d never been to Astar. But, he supposed, if things went as planned, their objections would mean nothing.

  Cata came up to him and tugged on his shirt. He turned, ‘what is it?’

  ‘I’m sorry.’

  ‘Alright-’

  ‘It must be so hard for you.’

  His original words trailed off, ‘what do you mean?’ he asked.

  ‘You have to pretend, keep her happy so she doesn’t hurt you. We should escape, Vann. We can run away, let her have that other man.’

  ‘Cata, I’m not pretending anything. I’m with her because I love her and I believe in what she’s trying to do. I’m not leaving her, Cata, though you are free to go where you want.’ he paused. ‘And what other man?’

  ‘The other non-human, the golden one who is always around her. Her other lover.’

  ‘Yes, I’ve heard that too.’ Karesh finally said after Vann stopped his whispered shouting. They were by Karesh’s tent. The campsite was crowded, and other gemengs went about their business within ear-shot of the tent.

  ‘Not quite like that though, I’ve heard some say they think he’d be a better mate, but not that he is yet.’

  ‘That ass started this, Karesh, you know he did.’

  Karesh hesitated and then slowly nodded. ‘Maybe. I haven’t done anything because it seems so…’ he hesitated. ‘Silly.’

  ‘Silly.’ Vann stated.

  Karesh nodded. ‘You have only to look at her to know she is devoted to you. And besides, you are a better mate. You show the Mixed how they can be honourable and powerful without physical strength, and without violence. You are integral to the Master’s plan. Ellis is,’ Karesh shrugged, ‘he is nothing. He couldn’t fulfil your role even if he could understand it.’

  Mollified Vann replied, ‘well, thank you.’ he fell silent. ‘I think I made a mistake suggesting she trust him. He’s going to betray her again, Karesh, in some way.’

  Karesh hesitated. ‘Maybe. I doubt his intentions, but he hasn’t done anything yet. I don’t know if he started the rumour or someone else did. I can’t trace it back to the source.’ he waited. ‘What do you want to do?’

  ‘If I tell Riley this rumour she’ll-’

  ‘Be very scary.’ Karesh finished.

  ‘Yeah.’ Vann ran his fingers through his hair. ‘I don’t want to hurt her. I need to think about this.’

  Karesh nodded. ‘The human girl too.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I haven’t heard anyone say it quite like that yet..’

  Vann nodded slowly. ‘The humans think Riley’s a monster. Not all of them, but at least some. Karesh, I may be a good example of a human, but you’re an even better example of a Mixed. I think you and I together need to spend time with them. And some of the better Mixed too, some of the adults. I’ve mostly kept Galis away so far, but she’s turned out to be good with the children, even the weaker ones.’

  ‘Like the Master said.’ Karesh agreed. ‘I’ll think of some others.’ He said, his mind immediately going to Shiressa or Kalgen, when they were around, or Muress or Lakenda, wh
o had proven themselves while teaching the other gemengs Astarian reading and writing. He hesitated, then he said, ‘if Ellis is deceiving the Master, we can keep it from her. We can send him away without telling her, the Master doesn’t have to be hurt.’

  ‘I’ll think about it. I’d like to know exactly what he’s planning. Besides, he’s her friend now. She’s going to wonder if he just disappears.’

  ‘And you have to win the game.’

  ‘What game?’

  ‘The next V-Ball match, Ellis will be on the opposing team. You can’t lose, Vann.’

  ‘I-wait, V-Ball?’

  Karesh nodded. ‘The Master decided V-Ball was a better name. She was… quite clear, in fact, that it was not to be called R-Ball. Quite clear.’

  Vann wasn’t sure what to make of this.

  ‘Anyway, you have to win the next match. Ellis is on the opposing team and it would not look good to the rest of the tribe if you lose to him.’

  Vann didn’t win every game, and he always played with different Mixed. But he won most of them. And he was just as good a loser as he was a winner. They saw that he lost a game, and he wasn’t immediately discarded by Riley, his position didn’t change. And then he’d win again. And so the uncertainty and fear they had, the need to always be the best to protect themselves from others, slowly it was being eroded away.

  A determination Karesh had never seen before settled onto Vann. It was a look never seen in the context of a mere game.

  ‘Don’t worry, Karesh, I won’t lose to him.’

  Chapter 64

  Riley made her way to the front of the crowd with ease. Her eyes went straight to Vann. The two teams had only just begun playing. Vann may have lacked the physical strength of the Mixed, but he was an excellent leader. He could motivate his team, get them to work together in a coordinated fashion far better than any of the other Mixed.

  She smiled as she watched him, ignoring the rest of the world. The game was played within the shield. The tents had been moved back to the edge of the shield, leaving an open space around the Suntree. Two goals had been marked at either edge of the field, and the spectators made sure not to stand behind them lest they get hit. The rules of the game had been fixed some time ago by Adlak, when he set up his championships in the caves, though the game played now was a little different. The Suntree had become the centre of the field, and players had to circle it to cross to the other half of the field. If the ball hit the Suntree it was an automatic penalty.

  As there were no stands, it took some organizing to get the spectators settled. Shorter people stood in front, and the bigger Mixed went to the back. It was all accomplished in a far less orderly fashion than at the Children’s Theatre of Astar.

  The game started just before midday and stretched throughout the hottest part of the day. At least, under the forest canopy it was not too warm, though it was quite humid. The teams took a break after five points were scored by one team, and the game continued until a team scored eleven points. Some games were concluded within half an hour, while others could go on for hours. If night fell before a team scored eleven points the game would continue under the lights of torches and the Suntree. In the caves, the setting sun had not been an issue.

  It took Riley a while to realize Ellis was on the other team. She had never seen him play before. He wasn’t much of a team player. V-Ball wasn’t a game that rewarded lone stars.

  Her eyes returned to Vann. Her smile faded. She caught sight of Karesh and made her way over to him.

  ‘Hello, Master.’ he greeted her. ‘Do you know the score?’

  ‘Six-Seven, Vann’s team.’ She replied absently. She noted and remembered these things, but wasn’t particularly interested in the game itself. She’d had few opportunities to play it, due to her position in the tribe, and found sitting still and watching other people play painfully boring. At least when Vann played, she could focus on him.

  ‘Karesh, do you know why Vann’s so… determined?’

  ‘He wants to win?’

  Vann’s steely gaze would have been better on a leaking submarine trapped far beneath the surface of the ocean. ‘I think that’s an understatement.’ she replied.

  ‘I don’t know, Master.’

  Riley, troubled, spent the rest of the game as she spent most games, with her eyes on Vann.

  The game ended suddenly, and the crowd erupted in cheers. The players headed to the centre of the field to shake hands. Vann’s demeanour had suddenly changed; he was laughing and smiling easily.

  Riley’s eyes flicked to Ellis. He looked almost sulky. When Vann shook his hand they talked for a bit before moving on.

  The game over, Riley waited for Vann to make his way to her through the Mixed congratulating him.

  ‘Did you have fun?’ he asked, putting an arm around her.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘What was the score?’

  ‘It was eleven-eight.’ she replied haughtily.

  Vann laughed, well aware of her opinion on being a spectator.

  ‘Why was this game so important?’

  ‘They’re all important.’

  ‘Vann.’

  ‘I wanted to win, that’s all. And when did you have time to change the name, hmm?’

  ‘What, you don’t like it?’ Riley teased, deciding not to press the issue. She knew him well enough to know there had to be reason behind it. She’d ask again later. But if it was something he wanted to keep to himself, she could live with it.

  ‘No more than you liked R-Ball.’

  ‘Well… I suppose we could call it A-Ball, after Adlak.’ She said, a note of sadness in her voice.

  ‘That sounds like a nice idea.’ Vann replied, softly.

  ‘What did Ellis want?’ she asked briskly, turning her mind from those now long-dead.

  ‘He thinks I should go hunting with the warriors.’

  That afternoon Riley headed over to visit Aerlid for another of their chats.

  ‘How are the students coming along?’ Riley asked.

  He looked up, his eyes narrowed. ‘They’re fine.’

  ‘I have a question.’

  ‘I figured as much. What is it?’

  ‘Can the valkar make something that they can’t undo?’

  Aerlid frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Is there any way a valkar could make like… a shield, that no other valkar would ever be able to undo?’

  ‘Well… the city is a bit like that… but that wasn’t made by just one person, the entire population took part in that. No one valkar could undo it, though if we all tried together I think we could.’

  ‘Is it possible to make something you couldn’t all undo?’

  ‘Well… maybe. That would be… difficult. Why, isn’t resisting the attempts of a small group of valkar enough?’

  ‘Maybe…’ she trailed off for a moment. ‘Well, is there anything else I should know?’

  ‘Maybe. Ellis’s been coming to see me. What are you planning?’

  ‘Why?’ Riley asked in surprise, ignoring his other question.

  ‘He wanted to know why you were keeping a valkar prisoner. I think he expected… disloyalty from me.’

  ‘I see.’

  ‘He also asked how long I thought it would take to teach the Mixed to build a castle.’

  ‘A castle? What… ’ Riley fell silent, a pained and thoughtful look on her face. ‘Tell me what you think.’ she finally said. That seed of doubt was starting to sprout, and it hurt.

  ‘I think a man who comes half way around the world to take over an empire doesn’t give up that easily. I think… I can’t be sure, but he knows he’s going to outlive you and Vann. Judging from the rumours he’s spreading, well I can’t confirm he started them-’

  ‘What rumours?’

  ‘That he’s a better match for you than Vann.’

  ‘What?’ Riley spluttered, outraged. ‘How did you even hear that when I haven’t?’

  ‘I have students.’ Aerlid shrugged. ‘
Karesh comes to visit me sometimes. Do you want to hear my theory or not?’

  ‘Go ahead.’

  ‘I think he’s going to out wait you both and make a power play after you’re gone. He’s popular, he’s made friends with you. He’s going to position himself as the most likely candidate.’ Aerlid paused. ‘But the man may be too impatient for that. And he has poor judgement, and he’s got a very high, and unfounded, opinion of himself. How could he think he could come here and defeat the person who killed Andalla?’

  ‘Aerlid, Ellis has suggested Vann go out hunting. I want you to go with him.’ Riley felt ill. This man was supposed to be her friend.

  ‘A hunting accident is rather… unimaginative. Very well.’

  ‘You can’t send Aerlid, Riley, that’s too obvious he’s there to baby me.’

  ‘Vann, I’m not letting anything happen to you.’ Riley replied in a tone that brooked no argument.

  ‘I know,’ he said more softly and rubbed her arm. He could see the pain in her eyes. He didn’t bother asking what she thought he needed protection from. ‘But maybe not Aerlid.’

  ‘I’ll say he needs to get some exercise, something. I can’t send Karesh, he… he may not be able to protect you. I could go myself, but that’s even more obvious. And I can’t heal you if something happens. Vann, you can take Aerlid or you’re not going at all.’

  Vann thought that over for a moment. And then he kissed her. ‘Alright, Riley, I’ll take Aerlid with me.’

  The hunting trip went off without a hitch. And so did all the ones after that. Not that Vann was ever allowed to go hunting without Aerlid.

  By all reports, Ellis was very nice to Vann while hunting, and had even given him tips. Though considering the rumours going around, maybe that wasn’t a good thing.

  The doubt did not grow, but it did not get smaller either.

  Maybe her fears had not been realized, but she wasn’t going to put her hopes before Vann’s safety.

  Chapter 65

  Riley did not seek Ellis out for some time, and avoided him when he came looking. But eventually, he found her.