Five Poisoned Apples

by Skye Hoffert et al.

  He began to rise, but Livna, seeing the sickly yellow tint beneath his pale skin, pressed her fingers into his shoulder. “No, please don’t get up! Let me help you, or you’ll only bleed more!”

  Oren sank back to his knees as Livna rushed to the water basin along the wall and carried it back. Afraid to touch any of the fine fabrics belonging to Nava, she began untying her own sash to use her outer robe instead. She carefully set her fine sash to the side, her only memento from her cherished mother. Then she removed her outer robe and began pulling away the Dwarven’s tattered blue cloak. He hissed as she poured water over the wounds, using another empty basin to catch the bloody water.

  “Sorry!”

  “It matters little, Your Highness.”

  Water nearly sloshed from the basin. “You know who I am?”

  A pained grin stole across Oren’s face. “Of course, little princess. You’re more noticeable than you realize.” He raised one of his white brows at her. “What I don’t know is why you’re in Queen Nava’s rooms, or why you’re helping me. I’m nothing but a Dwarven, a slave. Here to serve Her Majesty and never to be served.”

  Livna cringed, a flush stealing up her cheeks. Hadn’t she come here so the Dwarven could serve her, too? Shaking her head, she pressed her robe firmly against his cuts.

  Oren winced at the pressure but wasn’t so easily put off. “Well, little princess? Why are you here?”

  Tears filled her eyes. Livna bit her lip and shook her head.

  “Come now,” the Dwarven urged. “If you’re going paw at my back like that, you can at least distract me with a little conversation.”

  “Oh, did I hurt you?” One of the tears spilled onto Livna’s cheek.

  “Good heavens, princess, you’re not what I expected! Stop those tears now. What are they for?”

  “I . . .”—sniff—“hurt . . .” She drew a deep breath then let the words spill out all in a rush. “I hurt you, and you’re already so hurt, and I didn’t do anything to help you, and I came here so you could make me beautiful like Nava, and you shouldn’t have to help someone like me, and you’re hurt, and—”

  “Whoa there, hush now, little princess! It’s either drought or flood with you, isn’t it?” With a cautious hand, Oren awkwardly patted her shoulder. “There now, no need for such wailing! I’ll be as good as new in a couple days. A little healing magic shouldn’t exert me too much. After I saw you in that chest, I tried to rein in my temper. But the queen knows how to make my blood boil. She was eager to work out some of her frustration on me. I’m sorry. No child should have to witness her cruelty.”

  “But I’m no better than she is! I wanted you to serve me too. And I didn’t stop her!”

  Those silver eyes observed her closely, so she tried to stifle her tears. Despite his pain, the corner of the Dwarven’s mouth twitched in a half-smile. “From what I see, you do not resemble the queen in the slightest.” He snatched an end of Livna’s torn outer robe and struggled to wrap it around his torso.

  With a sigh, Livna took the fabric from his hand to stretch it across his back. “I know I’m not beautiful like her.”

  “Beautiful?” Oren chuckled. “I tend to forget how obsessed you humans can be with outward appearances. From what I see, you may be a child, but you will grow to be pleasant on the eyes without any magical assistance. More importantly, though, you have already demonstrated a beauty far beyond Queen Nava’s.”

  “Me?” Livna nearly dropped the fabric she was tying over Oren’s wounds. “How?”

  “By your kindness.” Oren tugged at her knots and nodded, satisfied. “You could have left me to take care of myself, but you showed empathy—a quality fairer than any the queen possesses.” He gingerly rose and watched as Livna soaked the rest of her robe and rubbed at the stained floor. “You will be good for your people, I think. And perhaps mine as well, someday.”

  “Oh, no! Not me!”

  “And why not? I thought all the girls of the Tribes dream of being the Fairest One who will bring rescue and safety.”

  “Oh, I could never be the Fairest One. I was too scared even to let Nava see me!”

  Oren rolled his arms slowly, grimacing at his wounds. “I hardly blame you. But you will grow, and I’m sure your boldness will grow with you.”

  “Do you truly think so? Do you—” Livna looked down at her hands and squeezed the wet sash into the basin. The stream of water ran red. “Do you think my father would be proud of me then?”

  “Ah, so that’s what this is about.” Oren took the basin from her hands and, despite the pain in his back, carried it across the room and poured it out the window into the shaded garden below. Then, setting the basin aside, he returned to Livna and placed a hand on her shoulder. “A king can be a busy man. That doesn’t mean he does not care. Don’t be troubled. Why, the Prince of the Dwarven is the greatest ruler I know, and even he cannot spread his attention as evenly as he would like. I know his heart aches for each of his subjects, like me, who have been taken from our brethren. But he cannot save us all. We are left alone.” He shook his head, and his white hair danced in the sunlight from the window. “No, don’t start crying for me again. This is my lot, and I must live with it. And in my opinion, if you care to know, your father would be a fool if he failed to see your worth.”

  Livna felt a smile tug at her lips. “You are very kind.”

  “As are you, little princess. Now let’s get you back to the right part of this palace before someone finds you and reports you to the queen!”

  Oren stepped toward the door, and Livna reached to take his arm, on a level with her own. “You know, you don’t have to live like this.”

  “Hmm?” He cast her a sideward glance as they crept back through the halls.

  They neared the entrance to the courtyard, but Livna paused in the shadows and faced him, her eyes serious. “You don’t have to be alone. I’ll be your friend.”

  So saying, she planted a kiss on his cheek then slid into the crowd of servants and guests for the royal wedding, never seeing the tears that glistened in Oren’s eyes as he watched her leave.

  Chapter Two

  Ten Years Later

  The sun glared overhead as Livna stood silently behind the queen’s throne on the dais. She rarely stood outside because, as she was often told, “a princess’s place is indoors,” but she ignored the heat that could scorch her creamy skin. Nava, of course, had a canopy above her throne, but it was hardly large enough to extend to her neglected stepdaughter.

  Livna’s eyes fixed on Father instead as he rose from his own throne to address the assembled crowd. Sunlight gleamed on his oiled beard and golden crown, and his long purple robes waved in a faint breeze. He raised his arms to the people, leaving him more exposed than Livna felt was safe. While Father had shown her no more affection over the years since his marriage, Livna still loved him deeply and could not bear to see harm befall him, especially at the hands of his own people. How his heart would break!

  Livna’s eyes flicked back to Oren where he stood among Nava’s attendants, his black collar harsh against his pale skin. He had scarcely grown since the day she met him, with only a broadening of his shoulders, a firmer jaw, and a line between his brows to show the passing of years. He met her gaze just for a moment, but Livna felt a wave of sympathy reaching out from him. He understood her anxiety for her father after the recent riots. He knew of the fears which clung to her.

  The death of Emperor Terminus and the uneasy succession of his son, Vandrus, had re-ignited both the tribespeople’s desire for freedom and their willingness to fight. Livna knew her father and stepmother were still not accepted as the rightful rulers of all the Tribes, and she understood how precarious their rule was. Most of the people gathered below saw them as traitors who sold their people’s freedom for the chance at power. They did not comprehend how much Father, and even Stepmother, had sacrificed for peace and the people’s security.

  Seeing the king’s raised arms, the crowd gradually
quieted. What would his announcement be? He had been ensconced with couriers from the new emperor all morning. Livna clasped her hands tightly, her face demure but every muscle tense with curiosity and apprehension.

  “Good people of the United Tribes.” Several boos echoed from the gathering, but King Ehud ignored their dissent and continued in a booming voice, “I am sure you have heard of the unrest in the capital at the coronation of Emperor Vandrus.” More complaints ricocheted across the crowd at mention of the reviled Empire. “He has sent messengers to every region of the Empire to inform us that he desires nothing more than peace among the peoples. He hopes to give a voice to all people, even the most widespread. To this end, he intends to select a bride, not from the capital or from among the daughters of his nobles and generals. Instead, he is traveling across his lands to select suitable women to be brought to his palace where he will decide which one shall be his bride and rule with him as Empress of all the lands.”

  Full silence claimed the crowd below the dais. Even the birds and cattle scattered among the people seemed to halt their sound. A bride from outside the capital would mean influence from one of the conquered lands. If Emperor Vandrus chose to marry a girl from the United Tribes . . . Livna’s heavy heart lifted with sudden hope. Could the unrest among her people finally settle? A bride from the Tribes would give her people a voice and respect throughout the Empire. She would hold the emperor’s ear, and any son she bore would be half-tribesman and the next emperor. She could bring peace and relief.

  She could be the Fairest One.

  “He’s clever; I’ll give him that.” Oren propped his sandaled feet on a tiled bench as he lay on his back beside it.

  Following the king’s proclamation, Oren had seized the first opportunity to slip away to the garden where he knew Princess Livna would be waiting. Normally, it was just neglected enough to avoid notice but still attractive with its old fountain and half-wild almond, grape, and fig plants. Oren met Livna here often, and he had known he would find her beside the marble fountain today, eager to discuss the day’s revelations.

  He glanced at Livna, waiting for her reply to his comment, but she only made a face and pulled the trailing sleeve of her robe back to gesture at the water beside them. “Here, Oren, clean your feet in the fountain. They’re filthy from walking to the announcement and back. You can dip your feet, and I will pound the dirt from your sandals.”

  Oren glanced between Livna and the bench where his feet rested. “You’re only concerned about the mess I’ll make on these fancy benches.” He felt his teeth clench as he stared at a lone white cloud in the deep blue skies above. “A Dwarven’s small feet are hardly big enough to make a noticeable mark.”

  “I would not want to cause trouble—,” Livna began in an anxious voice.

  “No, of course not. Not you.” He sighed dramatically but winked as he rose to his feet and complied with her request. She took his sandals and clapped them together over a nearby garden path, sending clouds of sand dancing across the sunlight. Guilt tugged at Oren’s chest as he watched the princess acting like his servant yet again. He should have offered to do it himself, but he could not bring himself to care whether his sandals left a little dirt anywhere in the palace of his captivity.

  “I was commenting about the new emperor,” Oren remarked sourly from his perch on the fountain’s edge, knowing Livna would see through the bluster of gruffness in his voice. Out of everyone in this palace, she alone knew and understood him. He grunted as she set his sandals on the stone lip beside him and casually splashed him with a handful of water. “Now that was uncalled for, little princess!”

  Livna certainly was no longer “little” compared to Oren. She towered above him by a good head and more, but he was much stronger and faster than his size suggested and could easily douse her with more than a few handfuls of water, regardless of her rank!

  “Apologies, Oren. Tell me what you wanted to say about the emperor.”

  Oren eyed Livna’s contrite expression and did not miss the grin teasing the corners of her lips. “I said Emperor Vandrus is clever. By selecting a bride from among the countries belonging to him, he is appeasing his counselors and the nations beneath him while lessening the possibility of a takeover by one of his generals. He’s showing respect for his counselors by taking a bride as they advise while still asserting his authority by breaking with tradition to marry an outsider. His generals can’t complain, because he will solidify his control over the nations and strengthen his ties with many people, like the Tribes, who hated his father and the Empire. At the same time he ensures that he is not forced to become a puppet to one of his generals by marrying a general’s daughter. Overall, his announcement is a wise decision to end the unease that reawakened with his succession.”

  Oren watched a frown work its way across Livna’s brow as she sank onto the fountain’s edge beside him. “That all sounds fine for him. I only hope it benefits the Tribes as well.”

  Oren leaned nearer to pat her clasped hands. “I know all this fuss has you worried about your father and your people, but just wait. Everyone loves drama and the chance to improve their status. This is exactly the distraction the people need. I predict that before the week is over, the palace will be crawling with maidens seeking to be presented to the emperor when he arrives.”

  Chapter Three

  Just as Oren foretold, hopeful families with lovely young daughters flooded the court. Within a fortnight the palace grounds and surrounding city were so full of women, families, servants, and camels that Livna could scarcely find a moment’s peace even in the garden where she and Oren preferred to meet.

  Queen Nava kept Oren closer now too. She seemed determined not to be outshone by any of the new women arriving for the presentation. When Livna did see Oren, he was exhausted from pouring his power into meeting Nava’s demands.

  Finding opportunity amid the increased bustle of palace life, Livna brought a skin of Oren’s favorite mulled wine with her to the garden in case he could sneak away one late afternoon. She hoped the drink would help him relax, but, as she sat beneath a fig tree and watched its shadow lengthen with the sinking sun, she began to doubt he would be able to get away even for a brief respite.

  “Did you hear about the girl from Soria?”

  Livna started, her quiet thoughts interrupted as a pair of ladies approached down the path, just on the other side of the secluded arbor in which she sat. Parting leaves with a gentle hand, Livna peered out at the two of them but chose not to make her presence known.

  “The lovely one with the red robe?” the second lady answered. “I was nervous when I heard everyone talking about her, but my mother said no one had to worry about a brazen girl like her catching the emperor’s eye.”

  “No one need worry about her now,” the first girl responded with a toss of her silky black hair. “She’s been disfigured, just like the sisters from the Carpattan Mountains.”

  Livna drew a sharp breath, and her stomach constricted. Disfigured?

  “That makes four,” the second girl said, shuddering. “Four disfigured and three vanished, all in the few weeks since we’ve arrived.”

  “Yes, and each more beautiful than the last!”

  “It’s as if someone’s aiming to eliminate the competition.”

  “Well, as long as they don’t harm me, I can’t say that I mind. Can you imagine being chosen by the emperor?”

  Their conversation drifted off to the upcoming presentation, what they would wear and who they considered their rivals, as they continued down the path and finally out of earshot. Livna, her heart thudding uncomfortably, slipped from her secluded arbor and made her way across the garden as horrible images flashed through her imagination of women, maidens of her beloved Tribes, disfigured beyond recognition.

  She squeezed her eyes shut in horror at the thought as she neared the palace.

  “Uuumph. Are you walking with your eyes closed?”

  Livna spiraled her arms to catch her bala
nce after colliding with a short, stocky form in the doorway leading out into the garden. “Oh, Oren!” she gasped. “I’m sorry. I came to the garden in search of you, and—” She glanced at the shadowy hall behind him. There were too many places in the palace for hidden ears to overhear even whispered conversation. She gripped one of Oren’s hands and tugged him outside, trying not to trample blossoms along the way.

  Upon reaching a secluded corner from which she could see anyone coming or going well before they came within earshot, Livna spun to face her friend. “Oren, I heard a woman has been disfigured! Several, actually, besides those who have disappeared.” She combed nervous fingers through her hair, pulling her headscarf slightly askew. “I’m so worried. What if this presentation doesn’t help the United Tribes at all? What if it only brings more division?”

  Oren lifted a forefinger and thumb to rub his brow in concentration. “You say a woman’s been disfigured?”

  Livna hastily related what she’d overheard. She expected Oren to pace or at least offer a snide yet reassuring remark, but he merely leaned his back against the palace wall and slid to sit on the ground. His fingers still massaged his forehead, and Livna spied shadows beneath his eyes, as stark against his pale skin as the collar ringing his throat.

  “Oren, I’m so sorry!” she whispered. “I shouldn’t be troubling you with this now. You’re tired; I can see it.” She reached to unloop the ties holding the wineskin on her plain brown sash. “Nava must be working you hard indeed. You look exhausted. Here, I’ve brought you some wine.”

  She held out the skin, and he stared up at her for a moment before accepting the drink. “You know you don’t have to do this,” he muttered gruffly. “I’m a slave; I can do my own fetching.”

  “After you collapse to the ground in a faint, of course.” She sank beside him and nudged his shoulder playfully but added in a more serious tone, “I’m your friend. Let me help you. It’s not as if I can help anyone else in this kingdom.”