“I see,” she says softly, studying me quietly. “In your culture…the War Lord…he is equal with the monarchy?”
I struggle with how to explain our government, and again, how much I should say, and then sigh, answering, “I suppose. The king and queen handle all of the legislation. They are the figureheads of our society, but more like…advisers and law-makers. The king is normally responsible for the finances and the laws. The queen normally runs the castle and oversees all of the servants, as well as personally meeting with her people to meet their needs. I have noticed that here, most of your people do not live in the castle or around it. Most have their own homes further out, scattered in villages or towns.”
The queen nods, and I continue, “It is not so in Inferno. The forest is our protection, our refuge, and the Den is our strength. None go far from her walls. The first floor of the castle is a market, filled with all sorts of carts and shops. Most of our people sleep by their supplies, but those who pay for a shop on the first floor also normally have a second or third room adjoined with it for sleeping. There are a few vendors who work on the outside of the castle, in the streets and town that surrounds our castle, but they normally sleep by their supplies as well, or in one of the many rooms on the outside of the castle.”
The queen frowns then and asks, “But are your numbers not almost four to one of ours?”
I nodded. “They are. But our castle is several miles around and…it is not like this. It is not merely a place for sleeping and living and dining. It is much, much larger than this structure. Our home is a place for rest, but it is also a place for trade and for festivals and work. There is a market inside of the castle and homes set up around it. About a mile around the actual structure, a great wall is constructed around the entire fortress to protect all of our people. It is very thick and also houses many people.”
I notice then that I had completely strayed from the original question, and I smile a bit, excusing myself with, “But you were asking about the government.” She just smiles. “The War Lord rules the people. My country is very military run. My father decides what is in the best interest for our country as far as how defenses are made and whether we seek to control another area. There have been times when the War Lord has taken away the power of the monarchy when they passed unfair laws or taxes. There have been times when our country has been run by a War Lord alone, but never without one. A king and queen cannot rule without a War Lord.”
“How interesting…” she says quietly, then takes a moment to think as she drinks her tea. When she sets it down again and looks back at me, she then asks, “And so what are you? Will you become War Lord when your father dies?”
I shake my head. “The monarchy is normally passed on to the oldest son or daughter, but the next War Lord is the strongest Knight Protector with the best leadership abilities. Many times, the others simply decide who it is. Occasionally, the War Lord will name him before he dies. A few times, there have been battles over it. Each Knight Protector will fight until there is only one left. It is decided beforehand whether the fights are to the death or until another gives up or is immobile or otherwise unable to continue fighting.”
“You said ‘he’,” the queen observes. “Are women never War Lord?”
I sigh. “There are not laws against it, but it has never happened. Women are usually only archers. Archers normally do not leave the castle. They are the castle’s protection. There are Knight Protectors among them, but they are men, because the requirements of becoming a Knight Protector are very strenuous on the body, and no woman has been able to complete them for the last three hundred years.”
“Has that ever caused an issue?” she asks.
I shrug. “A few women cried that it was unfair. But I would rather be unfair and have a strong military to protect my people than to appease the few to sacrifice the many.”
The queen nods. “So a woman cannot be a War Lord.”
I shake my head. “A woman can, but the only other way for a War Lord to be replaced is if he is challenged by another. It can be anyone, man or woman. Most people have too much respect for the War Lord to challenge him, but it has happened.”
She nods. “And what about the monarchy? How does the War Lord remove their power and control?”
I shrug. “Very simply. The monarchy is mostly to take care of the irritating things so that the War Lord does not have to. But the War Lord has only to announce publicly that the monarchy is being removed, and it is done. The former king and queen still normally live within the palace and become advisors or stewards, but they are void of power.”
The queen frowns, watching me for a very long moment before saying, “It sounds like the path for tyranny is far too easy.”
I just smile gently and shake my head. “Anyone can remove the War Lord and one of our most sacred and well-kept laws is that anyone can remove him if they are strong enough. Even the War Lord cannot change that. And in the case of a cruel War Lord the people can choose not to follow him, and he will be overthrown by the whole. It is considered less honorable for many men to take out the War Lord instead of a duel, but it is not unheard of. It has happened a few times that War Lords have become too greedy with power and were too hard on the people.
“It is said that was how this war was started. The War Lord before my father’s predecessor controlled Cerulean and taxed them harshly, establishing unfair laws to suppress them to keep Inferno dominant. But when your people rose up and started the war, my father’s predecessor, a Knight Protector at the time, took control over him. But the war had already begun, and your people were far too angry with the Inferno to listen to any reason my father had.”
The room falls quiet, Petara and Dena talking quietly among themselves while the queen studies the bottom of her tea glass. She sighs a bit and looks back to me. “And what of you, Lady Scarlet? What were you while you were there?”
I smile softly. “Before I took my brother’s place as a Knight Protector, when I was still Scarlet, I was an archer, of Le’sar. I was posted on the outermost part of the wall to defend against attacks. I was raised among the soldiers since my father was the War Lord. Even though I could not fight in the war, I would occasionally go with them, to protect the injured and help them. I killed a few times to protect fallen soldiers, but it was an ugly thing.”
I smile sadly, remembering, and my eyes take on a glassy look. I remember how the sight of battle turned my stomach and how I had cried and trembled in my tent. When had death become so normal to me? “But I was also a Ka’Rose…a dancer. Dance is highly revered among my people. All young men are taught how to fight, and all young women are taught how to dance.”
I shake my head. “It is not the kind of dances I see here. To be a dancer in Inferno, you must have great skill and practice. There are four levels of dancers. Only a handful make it to the final level, Ka’Rose, and they are as close to royalty as a woman can get outside of marriage. They are highly esteemed and loved by all people. I and my three dance-sisters were well loved by all of our people.”
I look out the window then; I cannot see the thin stretch of red at the horizon. I sigh, smiling softly, sadly, agonized by the memory. “You see, my lady…I was well loved by my people…because I served them. When I was an archer, I protected the castle. When I went with the men, I protected their husbands and their sons and their fathers. When I was at home and training to dance, I would dance to bless their newborns and to heal their sick and to give rest to the dead. I took time to train the younger dancers, to help them become stronger.
“And sometimes that…is the hardest thing…to have title and privilege is to have responsibility. The more power you have, the more indebted you become to serve others. I learned the hard way the cost of arrogance and pride… I learned that lesson and tried never to stray…The key to being loved by the people is to use the power and wealth and ability Chelyah has given you to serve them, not yourself, whether you are the queen of a country or only a mother of a
household…use your power to serve, not control, and you will be blessed. I…threw that all away…”
I look up at her then, and I watch tears rolling down her face, alarming me. She draws in a shuddering breath and closes her eyes, bowing her head. “All my years…and to hear that from an Inferno…” she whispers, then raises her head to look up at me, violet eyes glossy with tears. She smiles and says to me, “My son has come to me on your behalf. Gabriel has petitioned for you to be pardoned for fighting against our country, to live among us. Did you know this?”
I watch her for a long moment, and then I shake my head, saying quietly, “Last night…Gabriel he protected me…offered to…give me a new life…I had thought to have dreamed it.”
“Oh?” she asks, raising her brows at me. Then, she smiles softly and answers, “I understand, dearest. Tell me…do you think that you could ever come to take a husband among us?”
I tense in surprise, suppressing a growl, and then shake my head. “No, my lady…I do not think that I could ever love a Crystalice.” I sigh, wrapping my arms around myself, remembering my Dai’lyn. “When a woman lays with her Dai’lyn…she relishes in the feel of fire in her veins…the feel of his arms, warm with life, with smoldering embers, wrapped around her. And when she is with child, she can feel the little flame inside of her womb, eager to greet her.”
The queen watches me for a very long moment, and it takes a while before I can meet her gaze. She does not speak, but I know the question that she asks with her violet eyes. I try to smile, but I cannot, and I say, “It is the cruelest thing in the world when you wake up one morning and that little fire inside of you is gone.”
The queen sighs and nods her head. “Very well then, my dearest. Gabriel has chosen to take you in. You will be his ward. Do you understand?”
I nod slowly. “He will be responsible for me, my guardian.”
“Yes,” she says, “He has taken on the responsibility to provide you with all of your needs, a home, food, and if you desire one day, to give you to a suitable husband. As such, you will carry his name. Do you understand your part in this?” And now I am convinced that whatever sanity Gabriel had left is now gone. When I do not answer her, she continues, “When people see you, they will know that you belong to Gabriel. Anything you do or say will now reflect on him. Keep in mind, dearest, that Gabriel will one day be king. You could ruin him or you could be of great use to him in helping the country and hopefully ending this war.”
My heart is suddenly pounding, and my head is spinning. I have no desire for that responsibility! “But why!” I cry, much too loudly. “Madame, I killed your son.” She flinches, and the guard behind her moves a slight hair, but the queen continues looking at me. “I have raised armies against your people, killed them! You have no reason to trust me, no reason to give me anything but a swift and merciful death!”
I am breathing hard, trying to understand. The queen considers me and sighs, her age-old eyes watching me keenly. “I do not know all that Gabriel intends, child. But I know that he is a wise man. If he was Mit’an’av, I would have refused. But Gabriel does not think with his heart or his loins. He is wise, although he may not always seem so. I trust his judgment.”
I stare at her for a long time, feeling myself tremble. I look down at my lap, at my thumb rubbing the back of my other hand. I bite my lip, thinking quietly for a long moment before looking up at her. “Why would Gabriel do this for me? Why? I have shown him nothing but spite and hatred. He has given me the power to destroy him politically or physically…I do not understand…” I don’t trust him.
She smiles softly and sighs, shaking her head. “I do not know, child…but take comfort. You will be safe here. You are not part of the monarchy, but you are now family in some senses. You will be protected here.”
I just hang my head, trying to breathe deep for a long time. What is he trying to do? Is he trying to coddle me in hopes that I will help him somehow win this war? Or that it will change anything at all between us? He has lost his mind…he has absolutely…I want to go home…I want my husband and my brother and my mother in my arms again…I want…to not be alone anymore…Finally, I put my hands over my face and just lean into my lap as I begin to cry. I feel a hand on my back, although I am unsure of who it was. But they rub my back gently as I cry softly, feeling overwhelmed.
For so long, I have tried to be my brother, to be a soldier. I do not know what made me stop, but I know that I can no longer go back. And I realize for the first time…I do not want to fight. I don’t care any more. It’s not worth it. I do not want to watch another die by my sword. I do not want to carry any more loved ones home. I do not want to fight. I do not want to forget everything that I had and loved so much. I want to remember what it was like to dance for Jay’let and to help Sage care for his little daughters. I want to remember why I used to laugh…because if I take my sword and cut Claque’s throat the way he did my brother’s…then I will watch Dena cry…I will take away her beloved the way Gabriel’s soldiers took mine…and I can’t do it. I can’t…maybe once I could…but now, I am tired. My very soul is tired…and I just want to go home…
Chapter Twenty Seven
Scarlet
I walk numbly out of the apartment. The queen invites me to stay, but my mind is hazy with emotions and information, and I do not enjoy sulking in public. The older woman invites me for tea in the evenings after supper, a thing she usually hosts with her daughters. I agree, just wanting some time to think, to put my mind in order.
My body is still sore. I’m not in so much pain now, just sore. I need to start working. “Dena?” I ask softly.
Petara remains behind to talk with her mother, and Dena escorts me back to my room. I have no idea whether I am still to be escorted by guards everywhere or if I just need any kind of escort, but I am glad not to be left to my own thoughts. “Mm?” She looks at me too innocently, smiling compassionately. I wish she wouldn’t.
I sigh, walking down the hall and rubbing my temples. “What are the odds of Gabriel allowing me to train with the soldiers?”
Dena gives a start and then a surprised little laugh. “About as likely as you getting him to wear a dress and call you ‘sire’.” That does, at least, cause an involuntary smile, and I feel a little lighter for it. “Why do you ask?”
I sigh and shake my head. “My body has grown weak from sleep and wounds. I need to train, to become stronger.”
She watches me, as if trying to understand. “Scarlet, don’t you understand? You don’t have to do that anymore. You can be a lady again, a proper one. Perhaps…perhaps Gabriel would take you hunting with him. It is not uncommon for well-borne ladies to hunt, and you could shoot a bow…but to fight? Scarlet, it is no longer necessary.”
I look over at her and give her a small smile. She cannot possibly understand, and I know that if I try to explain, I will be blue in the face before any of my words made any sense to her. I do not fight because I have to, even when I was an archer, when Jay’let and Sage were still alive. I joined the war for revenge but…that was as much a part of me now as anything else. I can no sooner lay down my sword and take up my life as a docile lady than I can change my tiger stripes into a wolf’s pelt. It is a part of me. I was born a lady. I can walk and talk and act like a lady. And by all rights, I am a lady. But I am a soldier too. And now…I have something that I want to protect…I am going to find a way to make this war stop.
“Here, Scarlet,” Dena calls, for I was about to pass right by Gabriel’s room in pursuit of my old room.
“Ah.” I turn and move into the large double doors. I push open only the right one and move inside. All is quiet and dark, but the windows are drawn open, letting in the golden light of the sun.
“Gabriel must be in,” Dena says, moving without care inside and across the room to a door. She knocks softly.
Sure enough, Gabriel opens the door, and just past him I can see a desk with papers and books strewn all around it, lamps lit inside.
<
br /> “Dena,” Gabriel greets and kisses the top of her head before looking over at me. He stops a bit and then gives an anxious, awkward smile. “Cara,” he greets. Words lodge in my throat, and I am desperate to get them out, but he continues, “Excuse me, ladies, but I have neglected my princely duties for far too long.” He looks back to me, and his eyes soften before he says, “I know you must have questions, Cara. Forgive me. I really must tend to these matters…later, I promise, I will hear you.”
I give a tired, irritable sigh. I have cried too much and too frequently lately, and it has put me in a sour mood. “Very well,” I snip.
He sighs and turns, going back into his office.
Dena looks over at me with an oh-well sort of smile but then grins. “Well, come on then,” she says and heads into the bedroom.
Hesitantly, I follow, and she walks back into Gabriel’s bedroom and then the bedroom I had awoke in this morning. “This door right here,” she says as soon as we go in, “will lead out into the hall as well. So you don’t have to go through Gabriel’s room if you do not wish.”
“Dena, I—”
“And over here,” she says, throwing the sheets off of the vanity, “Is one of the largest looking glasses I’ve ever seen. We’ll get you new pretty combs for your hair.” She looks back at me and grins.
“I really don’t—”
“Oh!” she cries and goes towards the double glass doors, “And the balcony!”
A Heart of Ice Page 17