by Matt Gilbert
Narelki shrugged. “They didn’t.”
“This time! They will be back. She was targeted, Mother.”
Narelki waved the notion aside. “Now you’re being paranoid. What proof do you have of that? She’s a commoner. Random violence is a fact of life for them. It’s one of the many reasons I counseled against this whole affair.”
Aiul shook his head. “In commoner areas, perhaps that is true, but not in the gardens of the Cradle! Mei--!”
“Do not speak so in the Library of Amrath”
Aiul shook his head, frustrated. He ran a hand over his face, trying to master his anger. After a moment, he continued, calmer but still aggressive. “This is what irks me with you, Mother, this retooling of history. Amrath was a Meite! They all were! I’m sure this chamber has heard that name from the Great Father’s own lips many a time. It must be written at least a thousand times in his book.” He turned toward the statue of Amrath and clenched his hands into fists several times. “We’re all degenerates by his way of thinking, you know. Weaklings and wretches. He would have despised us as children, that we have words we dare not speak.”
Narelki tightened her grip behind her back, struggling to maintain her composure. This was not the sort of conversation she could ever have with anyone, much less Aiul. He couldn’t possibly understand. Better he think her a silly prude than know the truth about her. “Be that as it may, it is offensive to modern ears and I will not have it here. If you want to discuss philosophy, I’ll have Slat fetch us drinks, but I believe you have more pressing issues on your mind.”
Aiul ran a hand over his head, still frustrated, then nodded, and he seemed to relax a bit, his scowl softening into worry. “Aye. But I am certain of it, Mother. Someone specifically targeted Lara.”
Narelki pursed her lips. He was a bit too close to the truth for her liking. “I do not like indulging paranoia, but for sake of argument, we’ll follow that line of reasoning. Who would do such a thing?”
Aiul eyed her gravely. ”There are several people who would prefer my marriage to Lara remain without issue.” He held her gaze for a moment, then turned aside, as if something had caught his eye. He walked quickly toward the trash and bent over to examine it.
Narelki bristled with outrage. “Are you accusing me?”
Aiul reached into the bin and pulled at a scrap of cloth. He raised it slowly, a look of horror on his face, then leapt toward her, fury in his eyes. Almost too quickly to follow, he took a handful of her blouse and pulled her against him, then pushed the stained piece of cloth into her face.
“No, Mother,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “I hadn’t suspected you until just this very moment!”
Narelki felt a chill run down her spine. This was a dangerous situation. Aiul had always had a temper, but this was no tantrum. He was, at least for the moment, quite capable or murder. She cursed herself for making such a foolish mistake. How the hell had she let that stupid whore leave incriminating evidence? And how did Aiul even know what it was? She dismissed the question. It was irrelevant. He knew, and it would have to be dealt with.
It galled her that she should actually be afraid of him. There had been a time not so long ago when she feared no one…. No! You will not go down that road! That is the way to madness!
She was determined not to let her fear show. She chuckled slightly, the told him in an icy tone, “If Matricide is your intent, child, then get on with it, or release me.” Mei! Even now, when I should beg for mercy or forgiveness, I can’t let go of the arrogance!
Aiul stared at her in hatred for long moments, then shoved her away roughly, sending her sprawling on the floor. “That would be just you, wouldn’t it? ‘Go ahead! Kill your mother and rule House Amrath! Forget those silly feelings and seize the opportunity!’” He spat upon the floor. “If I were that sort of man, I’d have married Kariana and we’d not be having this discussion, would we?”
Narelki rose slowly to her feet, feeling her years weighing upon her like stones. “It’s not what you think.”
“No? Then tell me, Mother, what is it? That wretched bitch promised me last night she would kill Lara, just after she tore this from my shirt.” He waved the filthy scrap of cloth like a flag. “So she came here and the two of you cooked up some scheme, one that I foiled. How is it not ‘that’?”
“She was here,” Narelki conceded. “She was a wreck, blubbering like a child. I took her in because I thought she had been raped, and for a bit, I thought you might have been the one responsible for it.”
“Ah, now I’m a rapist in your eyes?”
Narelki folder her arms across her chest and inclined her chin. “You may have others fooled, but I know you well, Aiul. I know just what you are capable of when your blood is up. Even I am not safe from it.”
Aiul snorted. “Go on, then. You’re spinning quite a tale. Let’s hear the end of it.”
Narelki slapped him with all her might. Aiul staggered back, a look of shock on his face along with the bright red imprint of her palm. “There, now we are even. And I will not tolerate that tone from you any more this night! If you will not respect me as your mother, I command that you respect me as Elder of House Amrath!”
Aiul stiffened and rubbed at his face, then lowered his eyes and nodded. “You have that right.”
“And I have responsibilities, as you well know. Advising House Tasinal has always been one of the highest duties of House Amrath. It was my duty to hear her and give her counsel as best I could.” She shook her head in annoyance and muttered, “And for this, I am manhandled and accused of treachery by my own son.”
Aiul sighed and looked abashed. “Please, go on.”
Narelki was not fond of lying. It left a foul taste in her mouth for any number of reasons, but it was simply necessary this time. “She begged me to help her, to use my influence to change your mind. I told her I had already tried, and could do nothing. She blubbered a bit more, cursed, and said something about having her own means of changing things. Then she left.”
Aiul’s face was lit with anger once again. “And you told me nothing?”
Narelki sighed in exasperation. “I had no idea what she intended.”
“Oh, please, Mother, you must have suspected. If nothing else, you could put two and two together when I told you of the attack! And instead you’ve tried to convince me I am paranoid!”
“Of course. I knew the moment you mentioned it. That doesn’t mean I thought you should know.” She shook her head sadly. “Look at you. You’re half mad with rage. She’s the empress, damn you! If you move against her she will kill you, and I won’t be part of you throwing your life away. Now calm down and use your head!”
She could see the walls going up in his mind, the darkness of black hate in his eyes. She wasn’t getting through to him. “Aiul!”
“There is no calming down, Mother,” he said in a dull, quiet voice. “Kariana tried to kill my wife. I can’t just let that pass.” He turned and began walking toward the door.
Narelki grabbed at his arm as he passed. “Think about what you’re doing! Don’t throw your life away over this!” But Aiul paid her no heed. He shrugged off her grip and kept walking. He was strong, and she was weak. If only she were still strong. If only….
“Aiul!” But he was gone.
For long moments, she was paralyzed with fear. She’d made a terrible miscalculation! Aiul would be killed!
Calm yourself, girl, her father’s voice seemed to say. Think.
“Damn you! Damn all Meites!” Yet, now, that way was all she had to fall back on, even if it were no longer hers. Her father’s voice softened, became her own, hard, cold, clear. Stop this pathetic weakness.
She answered in her own voice, a warbling whisper no one outside the order had ever heard, and even then only at the end. I can’t! It’s why I fell from grace! Mei, it’s a thread unraveling! It’s a slow, bleeding death!
And again, what was left of her old self, her powerful, Meite self, answered, Then
admit your pathetic nature. Call Maranath. He will know what to do.
Narelki tore at her hair, furious at the very thought. Fire seemed to ignite within her once again, a cold flame she had not felt in many years. It would not last, she knew, but it was enough for now.
Aiul will calm. He is furious, not insane. And if worst case, he does the unthinkable and chokes the life out of an unsuspecting Kariana? The pathetic wretch driving Nihlos into ruin? I have the political clout to smooth it over. There are many who would be glad to see her dead.
Narelki felt a cruel smile spread across her face. Things had a way of working out, in the end, if one had the will to let events run their course.
For the moment, she had will aplenty.
The palace of Nihlos served both as a living space for House Tasinal and seat of the government. As such, it was located not in the hills of the city, but in the very center, a huge spire towering over the others. Bridges and spans along it’s height connected it to the rest of the city like a spider in the center of its web, lights glittering from the stone walls like sunlight on dewdrops.
Aiul charged up the marble steps of the main entrance two at a time. The palace gates, two huge, rune-graven iron doors, stood open to reveal a well tended courtyard, and beyond, the main reception hall of the palace proper, glutted with commoners and slaves handling government business.
There were guards at the gates and throughout the public areas, but anyone could come and go freely. It was only as he was nearing the actual entrance to the private sections that he found himself chest to chest with Caelwen Luvox. The burly soldier interposed himself bodily, hand on his sheathed blade, his cold, steel gray eyes boring into Aiul, searching his soul. “Stop.” He said the word like another might swing an axe.
Had Aiul not been so angry, he might have had second thoughts, but after confronting Narelki, even Caelwen was less intimidating. “Out of my way. I have no quarrel with you.”
Caelwen glared back, his usual calm, cool manner missing for some reason. “Aye, is that so? I think you might, after all, House Amrath. I think you fucking well might.”
“What are you talking about?”
By now, several onlookers had gathered to witness their conflict. Caelwen glanced at them, hatred and disgust on his face, and gestured for Aiul to follow him into a side room.
“Oh, we don’t need privacy,” Aiul declared. “I’m happy for the whole world to hear what I have to say!”
“I am not.” Caelwen’s hard eyes were adamant and commanding. At last, Aiul nodded and entered.
Caelwen closed the door behind them gently, then, without warning, grabbed two hands full of Aiul’s shirt and slammed him against the wall. The impact was enough to knock the breath from Aiul’s lungs. Caelwen moved closer, his eyes brimming with cold fire and madness. “Did you know?” he asked, his voice soft and menacing.
Aiul stammered unintelligibly, still struggling to breathe. Caelwen slammed him against the wall again, then clamped one gauntleted hand around Aiul’s jaw, and the other about his throat like a vise. “Did you know she was going to kill my men?”
Aiul struggled against Caelwen’s grasp, but it was useless. The man was strong, a trained killer from birth. Struggling against light headedness and black spots swarming in his vision, Aiul tried to convey that only Mei knew what Caelwen was talking about, and that in short order, Aiul would be too dead to be of any use.
The message seemed at last to get through to Caelwen. He relaxed his death grip on Aiul’s throat slightly. “You don’t know a fucking thing, do you?”
Aiul, eyes wide, shook his head as he struggled for breath. Caelwen released him in disgust, then turned and slammed a mailed fist into one of the walls with enough force to crack the stone tiling. Aiul slid slowly to a sitting position, still wheezing.
“Why are you here, House Amrath?”
“Fuck you, House Luvox.”
Caelwen chuckled to himself without humor. “Just wondered if you would say. I already know. I just couldn’t put it together. I thought maybe you had been the target instead of Lara.”
Aiul rubbed at his aching neck. “Stop being cryptic. You’ve had your fun choking me, so I don’t see the point of this guessing game. Get to the point or Elgar take you!”
Caelwen stared at the ground, his jaw working, for long moments before speaking. “She killed them. All of them that knew about the Southlanders.” He looked up at the ceiling and ran a hand over his face in frustration. “You and I are the only ones left who know her secret.”
Aiul felt suddenly and deeply ill. He stammered unintelligibly for a moment, unable to find words. Somehow, the news of the guards' deaths seemed even more horrible due to his heroic efforts to save several of them recently. I put them back together, and Kariana tore them to pieces again, as if they were nothing more than paper dolls. “Mei!”
“Mei, indeed,” Caelwen said with a sigh and a nod. He looked back at Aiul, his eyes now watery and tired. “Are you sure she tried to kill your wife and not you?”
Aiul tried to speak, coughed, and nodded, still rubbing at his throat. “She said she was going to last night. Promised it, actually.”
“It could have been a mistake.”
“They went directly for her. I heard her cries and came running with my mace. They didn't go easy, either. I damned near killed one of them before they broke and ran.”
Caelwen nodded, his expression sour and unconvinced, but seeming to have no better theory. “Still, we two are loose threads that should be burned off. No doubt, she’ll slay the Southlanders too, and then we are all doomed.”
Aiul boggled at this. “What are you saying?”
“You’ve seen the wounds they gave my men at five to one odds, and these are just scouts. How do you think we will fare when they will send armies to have their revenge on us for this villainy?” He shook his head and pounded a fist into a palm. “They will crush Nihlos under their boots, and they will have the right of things. This is how it all ends, and it is out of our hands.” Caelwen heaved a great sigh and reached toward Aiul, offering him a hand up. “So now we talk about you, and what you came here to do.”
Aiul accepted his help and rose to his feet. His throat still hurt, but this was no time to cry like a child about it. “And?”
“Go home, Aiul. I can’t let you do this.”
“What? Are you mad? Now more than ever--!”
Caelwen hammered a fist against his breast plate. “I have my duty! I cannot simply let you walk in and stick a knife in her!”
“Elgar take your duty!”
“It serves Nihlos well, wretch. I might dance a jig to see you had stabbed her in her black heart, but I will kill you to prevent it.”
Aiul shook his head in disgust. “I say you’re just weak.”
“If I were weak, I’d kill you for your insults, and her for her crimes. Then I would have a go at seizing the crown myself. Who do you think would stop me?”
Aiul had no answer. Caelwen nodded. “So you understand, now. It would seem neither of us can do anything but accept our fate.”
Aiul searched his mind for the right words to change Caelwen’s mind, but it was pointless. He was a rigid fool. He knew Nihlos might well be crushed by enemies if Kariana lived, and yet he would not move against her. Aiul would have to find another way.
As he neared the door, Caelwen spoke once more. “It’s best that I stopped you here, or else you would have interrupted the Empress’s preparations for her orgy. She would have been most displeased.”
Aiul looked at Caelwen in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“Why, just making conversation.”
“Idiot!” Aiul turned to leave again.
“I hear the orgy is to be a large affair, but I won’t see it. Ordinarily I would be guarding the doors, but I have a more pressing duty tonight. I must bury my Lieutenant.”
Aiul paused, sensing this was suddenly something more then idle conversation. “Oh?”
/> “Yes. His name was Kelthas. He was a good man, a father with three children.” Caelwen clenched his jaw and ground his teeth a moment. “My duty to see him off supersedes all else, you understand?”
Aiul nodded slowly, and Caelwen snapped him a salute, then turned to leave.
Tonight or never. That was the best Caelwen could offer. Aiul intended to take full advantage of the deal.
Kariana woke to what she felt certain was the impact of a sledgehammer against her skull. It was an event worthy of a prodigious scream, but the best she could manage was a slight moan.
She slowly rose to a sitting position, raised her hands to her head with difficulty, and squeezed as if she were trying to hold back an explosion. For a few moments, there was nothing but pain and confusion. She wasn’t even certain who she was, much less where. Then the memories, blurred and hazy, began to trickle in.
Mei! What did I do?
The sledgehammer struck again, and her wounded brain finally processed the fact that someone was pounding on the door. Her head seemed to swell and contract rhythmically with each blow. She opened her mouth to scream a curse, but thought the better of it as her stomach threatened to rebel.
“Kariana! Open this door at once!”
She knew that voice, one that always made her feel like a stupid little girl. She had first heard it chastising her for entering the palace covered in mud. At the time, she had barely been old enough to understand words at all, and he, an adult, had been quite a terrifying figure. Some things never changed.
Since then, her cousin Sadrik had been her personal critic, a nettling demon who took sadistic pleasure in pointing out her mistakes. He was as bad as Caelwen, though at least he didn’t bother with saccharine pleasantries. Sadrik was and always had been a sour, mean, frightening person. He had probably sprang from the womb with a frown on his face. He was the last person she wanted to see right now.