Shrouded Sky (The Veils of Lore Book 1)

by A. Akers, Tracy

  “You mean as political prisoners?” Edrea said, clearly appalled at the thought.

  “Why would she want that?” Gage asked. “It would cause an all-out war, that’s fer sure. And with Tearia’s Guard, the militia of Oonayei, and the Basyl clan armin’ against her, she wouldn’t stand a chance.”

  “I fear you underestimate her,” Jhon said. “Her thirst for blood is unquenchable.”

  “But surely after so many years of fighting the Taubastets, her forces are in need of some rebuilding,” Edrea said.

  “I wish that were true.”

  “So we could have it all wrong then.” Edrea said, frowning.

  “What do you mean?” Dar asked.

  “All this time the Three realms have believed she wishes to avoid another war with them. But if she relishes bloodshed as much as Master Seth says, and I have no reason to doubt him, then all-out war could very well be her goal.”

  “Are ye suggestin’ this is a trap?” Gage asked. He shifted his attention to Jhon. “Could the nullification of the Pax have been a means t’ get us here?”

  “I don’t know,” Jhon said. “But it is a possibility. As I said, give the Sovereign no reason to question your purpose here. It might be all the excuse she needs.”

  “Why are ye tellin’ us this?” Gage asked suspiciously. “I’d think a Councilman would want t’ keep that sorta information quiet.”

  “Not all of us share her taste for brutality,” Jhon said. “While I respect the tenets Syddia was founded on, the Sovereign does not. The Council, while still powerful in its own rite, is not the final say in most matters. Though created by the Founders to give balance to the governing body, over time the system has been eroded. The Council still exists, but the Sovereign Lady keeps us in our seats, so to speak.”

  “Are you soliciting our aid?” Dar asked.

  “Let’s just say I’m willing to offer some of mine.”

  The carriage came to a halt outside the gates to the royal compound. The driver conversed briefly with the guard, and they were allowed to pass through without incident.

  “I will leave you now,” Jhon said when they arrived at the guest house. “To come in with you would only invite the attention of the walls. If discussion must be made, take to the gardens. It is likely the only privacy you will find.”

  “That’s comforting to know,” Dar said with little enthusiasm.

  The door to the carriage swung open. The driver waited on the other side of it.

  “I will not be staying,” Jhon said, remaining in his seat. “Driver, you will be taking me on to my estate.”

  “Very well, sir,” the man said.

  “Thank you for the tour, Master Seth,” Edrea said. “Will we meet again soon?”

  The driver helped her out.

  “Of course,” Jhon replied. “I will arrange for the Council to meet with you by high sun tomorrow if the Sovereign doesn’t summon you before then.”

  Dar and Gage climbed out of the carriage and turned to face him. “Until then, Master Seth,” Dar said.

  “Until then,” Jhon echoed, and pulled the door closed.

  CHAPTER 27

  Jhon had barely arrived at his door when a written announcement was received stating a Pitch game had been scheduled for the following day. All citizens, councilmen, and visiting emissaries were expected to attend, as were Pedants and Shield members, and the players assigned to represent them on the field. The entire population of Syddia took the game very seriously. There was no form of organized violence they loved more, other than a battlefield. And in that, Pitch was not much different.

  The announcement that had arrived at the Seth estate also included official notification of Orryn’s reinstatement as Pedant. How his worthiness had been determined since the last time the Sovereign saw him was unknown, but the fact that Orryn was one of her finest players was likely the reason for it. Though his reinstatement was welcome on a number of levels, knowing he would be pitted against Pey and his team of Shield was a concern, at least to Jhon.

  Pitch may have been a game, but it was a deadly one.

  Orryn had reacted to his reinstatement with a Pedant’s typical lack of emotion. “I am grateful,” was all he’d said upon hearing of it, though later he had voiced concern as to the state of his blade, which the staff assured him was polished and sharpened and ready for use. As for Chandra, he now treated her with cool professionalism. The Pedant may have died in her arms, but Orryn clearly had no memory of it.

  The family was seated around a large, rectangular table located on the sprawling back portico of the Seth estate. The evening meal had been served, and based on the amount of food on the plates now being cleared, only Orryn had expressed any appetite for it.

  “Would you like me to bring after-dinner cordials, Master Seth?” a servant asked.

  “Yes, thank you, Mim,” Jhon said to him. He rose from his chair. “I think we’ll take them in the drawing room.”

  The servant bowed and left.

  ~~~

  Chandra rose with the others to head into the drawing room across the hall. As she walked at Orryn’s back, she could not help but feel strangely awkward toward him. He had barely said three words to her since she’d awoken that morning to find herself in a guest bed, bathed and dressed in yet another of Tiersa’s gowns, blue this time rather than yellow. It worried her, not only due to the wide gaps in her memory, but because of Orryn’s aloof treatment toward her ever since. Though the details of what had happened the previous day were, for the most part, a mystery to her, there was no denying something intimate had occurred. And she felt sure it had occurred with Orryn. Her body ached in all the right places, and she had to clench her hands to stop them from reaching for him every time he was near.

  They arrived in the drawing room and a selection of liqueurs was soon offered to them by Mim, a kindly looking old servant who shuffled when he walked. Chandra thanked him as she selected a small crystal glass containing a rich red liquid from the tray. As she sipped its contents, she realized the creamy liqueur tasted familiar. It reminded her of the Christmases of her childhood, when every year her grandmother, then living, would bring her a box of Queen Anne chocolate covered cherries. They were the discount store variety, not Godivas or anything as expensive as that, but still the candies had always been Chandra’s alone, to share if she wished, or eat until her belly ached. Chandra stared into the glass, her eyes blurring with tears. She remembered so little, yet now it was as if her grandmother were there with her, reminding her of who she was and where she came from.

  “Chandra?” Mayra asked, stepping to her side.

  “Chocolate covered cherries,” Chandra said, nodding to the glass. “My grandmother used to bring them to me.”

  “I’m sorry for all you’re going through,” Mayra said kindly. “I know this can’t be easy for you.”

  Chandra forced a laugh. “Which part?”

  “Being away from home; finding yourself amongst strangers. It must be very frightening.”

  “I don’t feel amongst strangers. At least not here with your family. It’s the people outside that scare me.”

  “Well you cannot stay with us, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Orryn said, moving in on the conversation.

  “Orryn,” Mayra said. “Don’t be so harsh.”

  “I’m not being harsh,” he said matter-of-factly. “She must know the truth of things if she has any hope of accepting what is ahead.”

  “Enough,” Mayra scolded.

  “No, please continue, Orryn,” Chandra said, turning on him. “Tell me more of the truth of things.”

  He shrugged. “I’m only saying you should harbor no false hopes. If you think to stay within the protective arms of my family, you may find yourself sorely disappointed. You are the property of our Sovereign Lady now, and she will house you where she wishes.”

  “Such as?”

  “I can only say that she will not likely allow you to live permanently in this home or tha
t of any private citizen. You are an Imela, and a Taubastet one at that. That puts your current status beneath that of the horses in her stables. So you see—”

  “Are you saying I’m nothing more than an animal,” Chandra asked angrily, “a slave to your master’s whims?”

  “Oh there are no slaves here,” Orryn said. “All citizens are paid; all work freely. Even the servant who brought you that cordial is equal. He may work for who he wishes, live where he wishes. We all have an equal place in the workings of our society, and for that reason there are no poor or homeless, no lesser citizens, you might say. It’s a perfect system really. And it’s one our citizenry will do anything to keep.”

  “Where does that leave me?”

  “Nowhere if the Sovereign does not grant you citizenship. And the only way she’ll do that is if you have something to offer.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  “Well, as you cannot turn yourself into a horse, execution is a possibility.”

  The glass dropped from Chandra’s hand, sending glass and cherry liqueur splattering across the floor. Mim rushed to clean it up.

  Jhon, who had been quietly watching the conversation, approached. He rested a hand on Orryn’s arm. “Son,” he said. “You’ve upset the girl.”

  Orryn looked puzzled. “Have I? That was certainly not my intent.”

  “Then what was your intent?” Chandra asked.

  “To help you understand that if you wish to live you must be on your best behavior tomorrow. The Sovereign will be studying you, Chandra. You had best not disappoint.”

  Chandra leaned toward him. “From what I understand, she’ll be studying you, too. I suggest you perform to her liking as well.”

  “I’ve never disappointed her before,” he said.

  “There’s a first time for everything,” Chandra retorted.

  “Come, let’s sit, shall we?” Jhon said, directing them toward the sitting area near the fireplace. Tiersa, who had been sitting there since they first arrived, watched as they approach, her eyes dark and tongue strangely still.

  “Something you wish to say, Tiersa?” Orryn asked, noting her murderous expression. He took a seat across from her.

  “Oh there’s plenty I’d like to say,” she said. “But you won’t want to hear it.”

  “Then let’s keep it to ourselves, shall we?” Mayra suggested.

  “Of course, Mother,” Tiersa replied. “Why should any of us start telling truths now? After all, we’ve gotten so good at lying.”

  “You don’t have to lie on my account,” Orryn said.

  “Oh really?” Tiersa set her glass aside. “Very well. Here’s a truth for you, Orryn: We lie because of you.”

  Orryn frowned, though it seemed more reflexive than emotional. “What do you mean?”

  “Just ask Father. Oh wait.” She laughed. “Never mind.”

  “Father?” Orryn said, turning to him.

  Jhon, standing by the hearth, shot Tiersa a look. “Your sister teases, is all,” he said.

  “Not this time.” Tiersa rose to her feet. “You’re my brother, Orryn, and I love you. Every time I’ve ever teased you is to bring some semblance of normalcy to our relationship, some sense of reality to the lie we’ve all become. But now you’re gone, and even teasing won’t bring you back.”

  “Enough!” Jhon snapped.

  Chandra jumped at the anger in his voice. Since first meeting Jhon, he’d been for the most part calm and collected. Admittedly there were lapses in her memory, but based on the expressions of everyone in the room, Jhon’s outburst had been an unexpected one. But Tiersa refused to be deterred. “I’ll never forgive you for what you did, Father,” she said, glaring at him. “Never.” She turned and stormed from the room.

  “It’s just nerves. Nothing to worry about,” Jhon said, trying to diffuse the situation.

  “What’s going to happen?” Chandra asked. “Tomorrow, I mean.”

  “The Pitch tournament, of course,” Jhon said.

  “Will Tygg be there?” she asked, though she wasn’t sure why she was asking.

  “Our Sovereign Lady will have the cat there, no doubt to show him off. Afterward she will likely call you and Orryn to her receiving room. She has yet to question you, Chandra, and Orryn still must prove himself to her. I suspect she’ll have Tygg on hand during your questioning as well. With him there, the Sovereign will learn once and for all whether either of you have loyalty to him, for if you do, she’ll know you do not have full loyalty to her.”

  “I’ve nothing to fear,” Orryn said, “though I cannot speak for Chandra.”

  Chandra wondered if she had any loyalty left at all, other than to herself. Tygg was a blur to her, and Orryn seemed more like a stranger than a friend. He no longer called her Chandria, a nickname that had at one time annoyed her, but now a small part of her missed. As for his family, they had been kind enough, but what had Tiersa meant when she accused them all of being liars? Everything about this world seemed false, and yet Chandra knew it was as real as anyplace, certainly as real as the world she had left, where everyone donned different personas, from those at home and school, to those at work and social networking sites. Would it do any good to ask Jhon or the others what happened last night? Probably not. If they wanted her to know the events that had transpired from the time she left the palace until the moment she awoke in a strange bed, they surely would have told her by now.

  “I’m tired,” she said, too weary to pursue the conversation further. “I think I’ll turn in.”

  The others agreed it was getting late and headed in various directions to their bed chambers.

  Chandra walked down the hall to her room, or rather the room she had found herself in that morning. Mayra was at her side, no doubt to make sure she didn’t try to escape. But where would she go if she entertained such a notion? She hadn’t forgotten the massive stone walls that surrounded the city, nor Pey’s men who would likely capture her and do their worst to her in the catacombs. But even without those concerns there was still no place to run. All she could do was follow the advice she had been given.

  They reached the door to the guest room. “If you need anything,” Mayra said, “just ring the bell by the bed. Florie will see to it. And if you require a sleeping draught, she can fetch that, too.”

  Chandra turned to face her. “Like I was given last night?” she asked. Maybe Mayra would take the bait and tell her something.

  Mayra blinked with surprise. “You were given no draught,” she said, then gathered her composure. “Why would you think such a thing?”

  “Because I feel strange, like I was drugged and . . . maybe something else.”

  “I’m sure it’s only fatigue,” Mayra said, waving away her concerns, but there was something in her voice.

  “Fine. Keep your secrets,” Chandra said with annoyance. “But I know something happened.” Then she turned and walked into the room, dismissing Mayra with her back.

  CHAPTER 28

  The Pitch field was located in the center of a massive coliseum, its oval-shaped, tiered rows filled to capacity by the tens of thousands of cheering spectators who had come to enjoy the game. Along the topmost perimeter of the coliseum, flags in alternating colors of black and white were displayed, as well as banners and streamers and other signs of team spirit. The spectators in the stands were also dressed in black or white, though never a combination of both, a clear indicator of which team they would be rooting for. Chandra assumed the Pedant team color was white, as that was the color she and the rest of Orryn’s family were currently wearing, but the Council members and their families, seated in the same elite section of the stands, were decidedly mixed. No doubt this section of the stands would have opposing reactions to the game once it began.

  The Sovereign’s throne was located to their right, and on either side of it two sentinels stood awaiting her arrival. To the left of the throne the two identical handmaidens Chandra had seen at the Council hearing were seated, heads bowed, t
heir long black hair once again hiding their faces from view. They were dressed in neither black nor white, but in a dark rich red, as were hundreds of young men and woman perched on the benches behind the throne, clearly the Sovereign’s servants and staff. They were all clothed in matching robes, and their hair was arranged in similar long, straight styles. Most were fair-haired and pale-skinned, though many with darker features were scattered amongst them, and all seemed happy and festive as they waited for their Lady to arrive.

  As Chandra watched the young spectators in red, she wondered if she would one day be seated amongst them. Orryn had said she need only please the Sovereign to be granted citizenship. Maybe she, too, would one day live in the palace, though she couldn’t imagine where she could have gotten such an idea. She looked down at herself and the white robe-like dress she was wearing. It really wasn’t so different from the outfits the reds had on. It may not have looked like the Cinderella dress she’d worn to the Council meeting, but Princess Leia would have felt right at home in it.

  On the other side of the throne three seemingly important people sat. One was a blond-haired young man dressed in a forest green tunic and brown trousers. Next to him sat an attractive woman, her auburn hair pulled from her face to cascade in ringlets down her back, her harvest gold gown cinched at the waist, accentuating a curvaceous figure. The third was a large, gruff-looking man with dark hair that hung to his shoulders, and a wiry beard that rested atop his barreled chest. He was dressed in brown, but a wide wool scarf woven in red plaids was draped across one shoulder, making him look like a character straight out of Braveheart.

  “Who are those people there?” Chandra asked Tiersa, nodding in their direction.

  Tiersa, who was seated next to her, leaned around to take a look. “They are emissaries from the Three,” she said, leaning back.

  “The three what?”

  “The Three realms: Tearia, Oonayei, and the Basyl clan lands.” Tiersa glanced at her. “Why?”