The gaoler kept his hand on Kaia’s back, pushing her forward. The others inquisitively peered through the railings of their cages, faces scrunched in confusion.
By the dungeon door, the guard with the black stole, accompanied by a pair of armed men, was waiting; Insee was nowhere to be seen. “Your presence is requested in the throne room,” he said sternly. “Come.”
Turning on his heels, the head guard walked in front of Kaia; the other two kept behind her. Kaia felt knots form in her stomach. She tried to extract meaning. Was her being summoned good or bad? Her escorts moved at a brisk pace, their bodies were tense. Something was amiss, she thought.
Inside the throne room, the parallel lines of guardsmen remained; each of which was capped by members of the king’s court. Kaia was made to stand next to an unfamiliar man who was also tailed by two.
King Sol rose from his seat. “You say that King Robert’s sons are here to seize the throne. And you say that they are not. Both statements cannot be true. Soon, we shall know what is what. I have devised a way to determine the veracity of your claims. Both of you shall repeat your assertions to me until the liar is marked…unless one of you would prefer to confess. No? Very well. Let us proceed.” King Sol pointed with his hand to the Iostonan.
“King Robert’s sons…came…for the throne,” said the man, stopping intermittingly to swallow.
“King Robert’s sons did not come for the throne,” said Kaia.
“King Robert’s sons came for the throne.”
“King Robert’s sons did not come for the throne.”
“King Robert’s sons came for the throne.”
“King Robert’s sons did not come for the throne.”
Kaia and the Iostonan continued for some time, with the latter repeatedly wiping his sweating brow. At last, a sign…
“King Robert’s s-sons—”
“Stop!” ordered the king. “Show me your tongue, Pioul.”
The Iostonan contracted his face and fidgeted with his fingers. “King Robert’s s-sons—”
“Pioul! Show me. Now!”
Though the Iostonan man refused to open his mouth, King Sol knew of the malady that beset him. Descending from his platform, the king inhaled deeply. He came to rest less than an arm’s length from Pioul.
“Save yourself,” said King Sol. “Tell me the truth.”
“King Robert’s s-s-sons—”
“Did they come for the throne: yes or no?”
“Yes-s-s.”
“I will ask only once more. Did they come for the throne: yes or no?”
“No,” heaved Pioul.
“Take him to the dungeon!” shouted King Sol, provoking a squawk from Pioul. “Take the other Iostonans, too,” he continued, turning his back on the supplicating Pioul. “I will go later tonight should they desire to confess. Release the princes, the kingsman, the Speaker, and the pet immediately. Have them brought here to me. I want my court waiting for me in the great hall.”
All within the throne room scrambled. Only a handful of guards remained.
The king scratched his beard. Clasping his hands behind his back, he inspected the floor as if looking for something—an imperfection, something lost, something hidden. His eyes moved frenziedly.
Afraid that she should fade into obscurity, Kaia sniffed and rocked from one side to the other, hoping to disturb the king.
“Do accept my apology,” said the sovereign solemnly, as he—with a small hop—tossed to one side.
Kaia bowed her head.
“Is there anything else that you must disclose?”
“No.”
“You were not told of how we need right the wrongs?”
“No, Your Highness.”
“Very well,” said King Sol, averting his glance. “I know that you and your friends are very far from home. It is my hope that you will all consider making Enbeck your permanent place of residence whilst you are in Mar; I can assure you, you will be set up comfortably. You will be free to enter and exit as you please.”
“You are extremely gracious and generous, Your Highness. I should be most grateful.”
“After I address myself to your friends, I’ll have you all shown to the dining hall.”
“When I arrived, King Sol,” said Kaia, taking a step forward, “my sister was taken to the physician.”
“You are sisters? You must be eager to see her.”
“Very.”
“Keeping you from her any longer would be cruel. Guard! Please escort—. We have yet to be properly acquainted. Ms. Kaia Stone? Please take Ms. Stone to the infirmary.”
***
The infirmary was just as outrageously enormous and impressive as was the rest of Enbeck. Kaia estimated that her house—in terms of height—could fit at least twice or thrice inside of it. Most stunning was a wall comprised almost exclusively of stained glass. Squinting, Kaia tried to discern the images depicted in the artwork—a task which resulted impossible to accomplish due to her distance from the wall and the low visibility in the room. Boarded, she thought.
Near the infirmary’s entrance, there was a red door. The guard approached it and knocked three times. The physician, his mouth full as he hastily chewed, opened. “Yes?” he asked, wiping bread crumbs from his palms.
“Mr. Fihdennel, King Sol sends this lady to—”
“I remember you! How’s that head of yours? Let’s have a look,” he said, removing Kaia’s bandage. “Ah! Much better! You won’t be needing this anymore. Do come inside, though, and I’ll put a bit more of that ointment on it. Thank you, I’ve got her.”
“Actually, I’ve come to see my sister—the one with the arrows,” said Kaia, leaning back.
“Ah! Yes! I’ll show you to her right away. First, come inside. It’ll only take a minute, I can assure you.”
Kaia did not resist.
On the other side of the door was a densely packed room which functioned as the infirmary’s storage space; it was stocked with linens, wooden bunks stacked atop one another, empty jars and vials, saws (some blood-stained), and metal tools of all sorts.
“Come, come,” said Mr. Fihdennel, ascending a staircase that started at just a foot from the base of the red door.
The cozy second level looked nothing like the first; it was a quaint living space filled with knickknacks of all sorts. Mr. Fihdennel sat Kaia down at his two-chaired table; there was an unfinished meal in front of her.
The physician mumbled to himself as he rummaged through his bag. “Not this. Not that. No…no…no. Now where did it—aha! Got it.” Mr. Fihdennel opened a vial and poured a creamy substance onto his fingers.
“You live in the infirmary?” asked Kaia.
“For convenience—mine and the patients’.”
“All alone?”
“I shared this room once—with my wife. She died long ago; there are some wounds that cannot be fixed, no matter how hard one may try. Oh! Don’t be troubled, dear girl. It’s quite alright. Life wounds all. Some succumb to their injuries earlier than do others; there lies the defining difference—the only difference, really. Overall, I’ve been fortunate. Believe me, I have. Though I lost my wife, my family has only grown with time.”
“You have children?”
“In a way,” said the old man, his eyes radiating pride. “There,” he finished, putting the vial back into his bag.
Kaia stood up and took small steps away. “My sister, is she downstairs?”
“Yes, yes. I’ll take you to her now.”
“Not at all. I can find her.”
“I—”
“I insist. I don’t want to take up any more of your time,” said Kaia, gesturing at the just-started plate. “Thank you!”
Kaia bolted from the room and walked towards the infirmary’s beds. She noticed that one of the beds on her left was unlike the rest; it looked lumpier. She moved nearer. The lump stirred and coiled up, hoarsely coughing. Not Elania, she thought. Kaia proceeded further down the aisle. Another lump. This one
was smaller. A nest of dark, curly hair was visible. Found her!
Elania’s left arm was wrapped and laid on her midsection. She was not asleep; her face was too tight. She was only resting. Lowering her chin to the bunk’s surface, Kaia breathed her sister’s name. Elania’s eyes fluttered open in pleasant surprise.
“How are you?” asked Kaia.
“Well,” she returned, happily baring all of her teeth.
“Does it hurt?”
“Not a lot.”
“We did it.”
Elania nodded. “Ani’s kept me updated.” Her voice was weak.
Frowning, Kaia grabbed her sister’s leg.
“I’m fine. I promise. What happened?”
“Hmm?”
“Did you try to ram your way out of the dungeon?”
“Something like that.” Kaia placed her folded arms on the bunk and laid her head down. In that moment, she was in want of nothing.
Humming, Elania made use of her free hand and ran her fingers through Kaia’s hair. “You did it,” she said, smiling.
“We did it.”
“The unattainable is no longer so.”
“I thought I would understand.”
“Understand what?”
“Why I was named. I thought that, at some point during our travels, sense would be made of this and it would become obvious why it had to be me.”
“I know.”
“Now?”
“We help, however we can.”
Chapter Sixteen
Beginnings
“Kaia, go! You will only grow restless and drive me mad,” said Elania.
“Flirds have been dispatched all over Mar. Everyone knows. So many have answered the call. Remember what the Meadackers told us regarding the march to Tivmica—the one ten years ago? It is to be like that. People will join themselves as he passes.”
“Will the others be going?”
“Yes.”
“Even Pelliab?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.”
“I don’t think that his decision is born of his own good will.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He was placed in a situation where saying no would have been horrid. I’m told that he, Aylin, the princes, and King Sol were gathered. Warrin, Lyon, and Aylin eagerly volunteered, and then all eyes fell to Pelliab. What was he to say? The very king is going!”
“Did anyone ever find out from where came the flird that was sent to him?”
“No. The king didn’t inquire, and Pelliab gives no mind to the princes’ interrogations—or to anyone’s, for that matter. Oh! Speaking of King Sol, the Iostonans confessed to him.”
“Confessed?”
“To firing the arrows at you.”
“Hmm.”
“They disclosed why they did it, too.”
“Tell me.”
“They knew about Pelliab and me. They knew that we had to be the ones to deliver the message. When they saw Ani, it became clear to them that you were a Greylandian; they thought that you were me.”
“Did they?”
“Yes.”
“So I reckon that I saved your life.”
“Yes.”
“And now you are indentured to me.”
“Ha, ha, ha.”
“Did they say from where they learned of our expedition?”
“No. They did confirm our suspicions, though; it was their people who tried to block our ship.”
“When do they leave?” asked Elania, after a brief moment of silence.
“Who?”
“King Sol and the rest.”
“Tomorrow.”
“Go. Truly—eh! No. Listen. Companionship I have in Ani. What are you to do here? Stare at me day after day? How long is the journey to Tivmica?”
“About ten days.” Kaia pulled loose a thread from her sister’s bed sheets. She twirled the strand around her index finger and watched her skin slowly lose its color; it turned pink first and then purple. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. You have Insee, and there are plenty of flirds here in Enbeck. Should anything happen…”
“Elania.”
“When tomorrow do they leave?”
“With the first light of dawn.”
“Then you best get to bed already. Come. Give us a hug goodbye,” said Elania, holding out her right arm; Ani held out both of hers. They held Kaia tightly before finally releasing her.
“Be careful,” said Elania.
“I will.”
Kaia left the infirmary and went to her chamber; excepting that the bedroom had multiple beds instead of one, her quarters were much like King Sol’s. When Kaia entered, she found Aylin sitting on the floor, her back slouched. A sea of small pouches surrounded her.
“What are you doing?” asked Kaia.
“Tying them off.”
“Can I help?”
“That would be lovely.”
Kaia sat down and peered inside one of the pouches. “These aren’t like the ones that were on the ship, are they?”
“Usually, tinlisits are linked—one could say—with the sun’s light; they make a room as bright as it is outside. I’ve modified these tinlisits so that they always illuminate any given area as would the sun when it is at its peak.”
“Individual cases for each?” asked Kaia, pointing to the Speaker’s hands.
“Since nothing aside from these little pieces of cloth can conceal a tinlisit’s light, I figured it best. I don’t anticipate that any inn will be large enough to accommodate the king’s entire company, that’s why I made a hundred of these tinlisits—so that we may sleep outside without fear of attack.”
“Will you take them to King Sol tonight?”
“Tomorrow. He does not know that I am making them. I only just thought of it.”
“I can help you carry them if you’d like.”
Aylin’s fingers stopped tying. “You are coming?”
“Yes.”
The Speaker’s cheeks dimpled.
This was to be the second expedition that Kaia undertook in just under a fortnight. There was something markedly different in the atmosphere surrounding this sequel of a trek. Kaia felt overwhelmingly excited. Perhaps her joy was in part owed to the understanding that progress was at last being made. They had passed from one phase to another. An actual attempt at righting the wrongs was about to occur. Even if it didn’t lift the curse, it was a step in the right direction. Perhaps, too, her glee was brought on by the lack of pressure. This time around, nothing was really being expected of her. The expedition’s success—or failure—was not her responsibility. This time, Kaia felt invincible. She was prepared, she knew what to anticipate, and she would be travelling under the protection of a colossal-sized group.
Chapter Seventeen
Kionar
“Down there. See it?” asked Kaia. “It looks to be the crest of something.”
While Aylin studied her map, Kaia readjusted the five bags of tinlisits that hung from her saddle. King Sol, fearing that only strife would result if he distributed them to the people, had tasked Kaia and Aylin with keeping the tinlisits and setting up a perimeter every evening when the procession settled down for the night. A simple charge, except that the bags kept sliding too close to Kaia’s legs, and the constant rubbing was causing her knees to heat up.
“I think that’s Kionar,” said Aylin.
“Really?”
“It looks to be so.”
“In a depression?”
Kaia brought her horse to a halt. Aylin did likewise.
“Why do you stop?” asked the fire-haired Speaker.
“Let’s go see it.”
“Kionar?”
“Yes.”
“No!”
“Why not?”
“It is forbidden.”
“Was forbidden. No one lives there anymore.”
“We can’t separate ourselves.”
“Of course we can. We know precisely where they are going. L
ook how slowly they move. We will catch up easily. There was a path just a few paces back; I saw it.”
“What is the purpose of such a fruitless excursion?”
“Diversion. The days pass too slowly on the road. Don’t come if it displeases you.”
Aylin twisted her mouth and looked to her side. Warrin, Lyon, and Pelliab were at the head of the procession—travelling at King Sol’s heels.
“And if they notice?” asked the Speaker.
“Do they govern you?”
“That is not what I meant.”
“There is nothing criminal in what I propose.”
“Yet you wait for the procession’s tail to pass so that you may be out of view when you go.”
“For other reasons.” Kaia impatiently bounced in her seat. “I will be back before Eyne is reached,” she said, slackening and pulling the reins to one side whilst squeezing with her legs.
Kaia did not let her black mare fall below a trot. The faster she got there, the more time she’d have to explore. Hearing a second set of hooves, Kaia smirked. The path to Kionar was laden with fallen branches. It had not been trodden on in a long time and the forest had begun to creep up on it, attempting to claim it as its own; where there should have been only dirt, there were weeds and isolated patches of grass. The path had yet to be completely assimilated into the wild, though. The sky above remained visible. Light fell upon the road. It was still safe to travel along.
More of Kionar came into view as the ladies got closer to the bottom of the slope. It was smaller than Kaia had anticipated. Having spotted it from such a considerable distance, she had envisioned a castle that would serve as a formidable rival to Enbeck. Kionar, however, was large only in height. Evidently, the peak that Kaia had seen was not a mere portion of the castle, but the whole of it; Kionar was comprised of a keep with two watchtowers and a moat—nothing more. Its windows weren’t boarded—though planks of wood did hang beneath two of them, suggesting that, at one point, they had been. The forgotten castle was kept safe from solitude’s venomous kiss by an equally neglected well—a pitiful sight, for one of its beams had snapped in half, causing its roof to come down.
As Kaia tethered her horse, Insee flew down, landing on the mare’s saddle. Kaia and Aylin drew near the bridge that led to the main door.
Capering on Glass Bridges (The Hawk of Stone Duology, Book 1) Page 16