LEGENDS: Fifteen Tales of Sword and Sorcery

by Colt, K. J.

  ‘Wait, isn’t that the wife of that murderer you hanged?’

  Captain Festral looked at me and shuffled nervously. ‘Er, yes, Your Majesty.’

  ‘My father was more than a murderer,’ I said.

  Everyone in the room froze. Some of the attending nobles and ladies gasped.

  ‘You will remember your manners in my court!’ the king boomed.

  I hung my head.

  ‘The girl is distressed, Your Majesty, and young,’ Morrog said and shot me a warning glance.

  ‘That does not excuse her lack of respect. Do you hear me, young healer?’

  I forced myself to meet the king’s angry gaze, but found only warmth and gentleness there. He was a loving father disciplining his child.

  ‘Forgive me. I only meant that my father protected me from Uncle Garrad, who forced himself on me to try and cure his Weeping Pox.’

  There were more gasps. Hands flew to mouths as people whispered to each other.

  ‘Father loved his brother, and only attacked Uncle

  Garrad to protect me. He didn’t deserve to die.’

  The king shook his head. ‘One bad turn deserves another. He received just punishment for his crime. All men have evilness in their hearts, and it is up to each man to control that part of his spirit. None of us must ever indulge in such impetuous compulsions. Your uncle deserved his fate, too. You are blameless.’

  Jemely shook off her captor, came to my side, and pulled me against her. A soldier chased her, but the king raised his hand and the man halted. Something about her affection made tears fall from my eyes, and I felt less scared. But Klawdia had told me that crying was weakness, and I feared my crying would make the king’s decisions harsher.

  ‘Klawdia, continue with your account,’ the king said.

  ‘As you desire, Your Majesty. Healer Euka and

  Mayor Vawdon harassed Adenine for many months.

  Over the last year, the ambassador conspired to take Adenine back to Meligna without her signing your healer registry. Capacia, Adenine’s mother, hired me to keep watch over her. Unfortunately, my father, the chieftain of Ruxdor, was on his death bed. I had to leave. There was a matter of politics within our country.’

  The king raised an eyebrow and leaned forward. ‘I heard of your father’s passing. I am sorry for your loss.

  Tell me, what was your intention in going back to

  Ruxdor?’

  A darkness flashed across her face. ‘I challenged Skelkra to his right to rule Ruxdor, and the elders agreed that I, or my son, may challenge his leadership one day, but for now he remains chieftain.’

  ‘When can you challenge him?’ the king asked.

  ‘I believe my son should be the one to challenge him, Your Majesty, I am yet to converse with him about it since the Queens hold him prisoner.’

  ‘And how old is Nallael now?’

  It surprised me that the king remembered Klawdia’s son’s name.

  ‘Nineteen.’

  ‘I’ve always been fond of you, Klawdia, and I hope you can get your chance at justice.’

  Healer Euka sniffed derisively. ‘The Queens will never approve the boy’s leaving the city. Especially in light of Klawdia’s aggressive attacks on me. I will not be lenient. If she comes within one mile of Meligna, we will imprison her and her son. That is, if you do not punish her first, Your Majesty.’ She bowed her head, but she seemed to be mocking him.

  A rosy colour appeared on the king’s face.

  ‘We believe strength of mind and body shows strength of heart, and the heart is how a man should rule,’ Klawdia added, ignoring Healer Euka.

  The king’s eyes flicked to hers. ‘Well, let’s not philosophise over the ways of sovereignty, shall we? Our countries place importance on different strengths, though I am interested, Klawdia, in how this… challenge is carried out.’

  The Ruxdorian’s eyes flashed with excitement. ‘That is up for the chieftain to decide, but tradition calls for them to seek out the Death Peaks, and at the beginning of winter’s sleep, they will kill a boar using only a dagger and their bare hands. The first of them to bring back the boar’s head is the victor.’ Her blue eyes steeled.

  ‘And by boar you mean an adult male bear.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Interesting,’ the king said.

  ‘Savage,’ Healer Euka hissed.

  The king continued, ‘Skelkra works closely with the Queens, so I imagine it won’t be long before we meet.’

  ‘His heart is blacker and fouler than you can imagine, Sire,’ Klawdia said, and looked at Healer Euka.

  ‘Blacker than even the healers’.’

  The king’s eyes darted to the healer and back again. ‘Continue with your story, Klawdia.’

  ‘I knew that it would not be long before Healer Euka brought Ruxdorian warriors to steal Adenine away. My informants kept watch of her, and I ordered one of my men to threaten her, but she didn’t listen, and when she attempted to return to Borrelia with her brutes, my men attacked. There weren’t meant to be casualties.’ ‘You see? She killed my men without reason. I have right to an escort during my ambassadorial journeys. It was my intention to reveal the concealment of the healer girl, but Mayor Vawdon ignored my advice and then made the request of a hundred gold in exchange for the girl.’

  ‘That is a falsehood,’ Mayor Vawdon interrupted.

  The king held up his hand. ‘Klawdia of Ruxdor, you interfered with Senya’s fragile diplomatic proceedings.

  You should have notified me immediately.’

  I wondered if anyone else noticed the king hadn’t addressed the mayor’s part in Healer Euka’s story. If the king believed the mayor to be corrupt, wouldn’t he have said something? Maybe the king didn’t trust the healer ambassador. In the corner of the room, a scribe scribbled at a furious rate. His eyes were wide, and his sleeve jiggled from his enthusiasm.

  ‘I considered that, but I didn’t have enough time,’ Klawdia replied. ‘It was only yesterday that Healer Euka offered Capacia gold for her and Adenine to live in Meligna. If you believe me, then you’ll also believe that the healers don’t want the healer girls on the register.

  Have you given that consideration, Your Majesty?’

  Klawdia had already worked for the Queens, hunting down healer girls and stealing them from their homes. The king already knew that the Queens were trading the girls in secret, so why did Klawdia bother raising the issue again?

  ‘It’s not true,’ Healer Euka said. ‘Out of sympathy for the mother, I not only offered her a generous compensation for the loss of her daughter, I also offered her a large home among the wealthier parts of our city. The girl would have been on the register this very day if they hadn’t taken me captive.’

  ‘Did this Capacia accept the money?’ the king asked.

  Klawdia shook her head. ‘Never. Money cannot buy her daughter’s life.’

  ‘I find that an interesting statement coming from a Ruxdorian,’ Morrog said.

  ‘When I returned from Ruxdor, Healer Euka attacked Adenine in broad daylight. If Capacia had not hired me to protect her daughter, Adenine would be in

  Meligna by now.’

  ‘Wait, you did this for money?’ the king asked.

  ‘The assignment required gold. Charity doesn’t pay my taxes.’

  ‘Perhaps not, but this casts doubt on your credibility,’ the king said.

  ‘Captains have honour, and are also handsomely rewarded for that honour, Your Majesty. I don’t see the difference.’

  The king’s mouth twitched, and he tapped his jewelled fingers on the arm of his throne. ‘The girl should have been registered as soon as she was born.’

  ‘Agreed,’ Klawdia said. ‘But in doing so, her mother would have sealed her fate to go live in Meligna.’

  ‘But that is the law!’ The other advisor exclaimed. ‘And the law stipulates that as soon as a healer girl is born, the king should be notified, and when she is three, she must be brought to the city and pla
ced on the register. This Capacia has acted illegally. Is she here today?’ He glanced around the court.

  My stomach twisted. I looked at Healer Euka, whose smile stretched the width of her face.

  ‘No, she is lame and cannot walk,’ Klawdia answered.

  Captain Festral said, ‘I wasn’t aware of this information until now.’

  King Erageo leaned forward. ‘A cripple is not exempt from the law.’

  ‘Any judgement you pass on the mother can still be administered afterwards,’ the captain assured him.

  My heart skipped a beat at the thought of them punishing Mother.

  ‘Next time, captain, make sure all witnesses are present,’ the king said irritably, and Captain Festral bowed. The king turned his attention back on Klawdia. ‘From what I’ve been told, you attacked Healer Euka, you killed her men, you threatened her, and you took the mayor and his daughter hostage. You might be royalty in Ruxdor, but here you have made yourself a nuisance and acted like my enemy.’

  Klawdia lowered her head. ‘Forgive me. I did what I thought was best.’

  ‘There is no greater act of treason than for a man to set himself higher than the king.’ He was pointing his finger at her now. ‘I believe I should control North and South Senya. I believe I should be six feet tall, built with the muscle of ten men, and rule an army a hundred times the size of any rival army, but that doesn’t make it so.’ The king waited for Klawdia to speak, but she stayed silent. ‘Step aside then. Healer

  Euka, it’s your turn to give testimony. Come forward.’

  Healer Euka glided across the room and bowed low before the king.

  ‘Do you swear to tell only the truth to me and to this court?’

  She placed a hand on her chest. ‘I swear.’

  ‘I wish to hear your side of the story… and don’t ramble on, it irritates me.’

  Healer Euka drew a breath. ‘Your Majesty, first, I suspected the girl was a healer. One time, long ago, another mother sewed the eyes of her daughter shut. It is a rare practice, but it allows the girls to live normally. Of course, it is a temporary fix. Once their monthly blood starts, their hair turns gold, as you can see with Adenine, whose hair merely hints of the raven black stain her mother had been using. They cannot hide their true natures.’

  ‘As you could not hide yours,’ he snapped.

  ‘Yes,’ she said simply, and I wondered what they were referring to.

  ‘This sewing of the eyes—’

  ‘With a needle and thread,’ the ambassador said.

  His eyes darted to me. ‘Your mother, the cripple, did this to you, Adenine?’

  ‘Yes, but—’

  ‘This is intolerable,’ he yelled.

  ‘She did it to protect me!’ I shouted back, knowing that if I didn’t defend mother now, the king would punish her. ‘Even my own uncle tried to force himself on me to take a healing, and I know he loved me.

  Imagine what strangers would do. And with Papa dead, what was Mama to do?’

  King Erageo’s face softened. He covered his mouth and closed his eyes. Something in what I’d said troubled him. ‘This is a travesty, and I sympathise with your mother. I must admit that I am partly to blame for what has happened to you, for it was my decision to establish the laws about healer girls in the first place.

  Perhaps that law needs revisiting.’

  My heart skipped a beat. What did he mean by that? I clung to the possibility that I might return to Borrelia after all. ‘It’s bad to take children from parents who love them, isn’t it?’ I asked.

  The king’s advisors gave me reproachful looks. I lowered my head, knowing I had spoken out of turn again.

  The king nodded. ‘You’re right. But these are not normal circumstances, and you are no common girl.’

  Healer Euka stepped forward. ‘I was deeply shocked that her mother had done this to her. Such a crime for a parent to commit on their own flesh and blood.’

  ‘Stop pretending you care about this girl,’ he said.

  ‘I only wanted to save her from being abused by the people who supposedly loved her.’

  I couldn’t believe it. The ambassador had painted everyone except herself as some sort of monster.

  ‘Did you offer money to Capacia or Mayor Vawdon?’ he asked.

  ‘No,’ the healer said.

  ‘It’s a lie,’ Emala cut in.

  ‘Your Majesty,’ said the other advisor.

  ‘What is it Sellend?’

  ‘We must keep order in the court.’

  ‘True, but the girl obviously has something to add.’ The king gestured for Emala to step forward. ‘What do you have to add?’

  Emala’s face was like a startled rabbit’s. Her nose twitched, and she fiddled with her clothes. ‘Well, umm I have—’

  ‘Before you speak,’ the king said gently, ‘Do you swear to tell only the truth to me and to this court?’

  She gulped. ‘I swear.’

  ‘Just to clarify, Emala, you’re the daughter of Mayor Vawdon. Correct?’

  ‘Yes, Your Majesty.’

  ‘Speak.’

  ‘Last spring, I heard Father talking to Healer Euka. She offered him a hundred gold for a blind girl.’ She looked over at me.

  The king raised his hand. ‘Go on.’

  ‘I thought I heard Father say yes and—’

  The ambassador snorted. ‘Lies. I never made the offer of—’

  ‘Silence,’ the king said. ‘One more outburst and you will be removed from this court.’ King Erageo gestured to Emala. ‘Your father accepted the money?’

  ‘He says he didn’t, but I heard him accept.’ She looked at her father, then back at King Erageo. ‘Father is a good man, but I want to be honest.’

  I stared at my friend, wanting to hug and thank her. She’d risked her father’s life for my sake and I knew I had to repay her.

  ‘I appreciate your loyalty to your king,’ the king said, smiling. ‘Do you have anything else to say?’

  Emala smiled back at him, and then regarded me. ‘I hope you can forgive me for this, Adenine.’ She inhaled deeply and took a moment to compose herself before staring up at the monarch. ‘Adenine said she’s spent her entire life indoors. Capacia, her mother, never let her outside. She’d never been to school, and she’d never played with other kids, and her mother and father took long merchant trips. I remember because upon their return, the townspeople would all get excited. They left her alone with her uncle, who was very sick, and her uncle knew she was a healer.’

  ‘Make your point,’ the king said gently.

  ‘I just don’t think her mother is a good mother. I don’t want Adenine to go to Meligna, but she shouldn’t go home, either. Maybe she could live with us?’ She threw a pleading look at Mayor Vawdon, but he frowned and shook his head.

  The king sat back in his chair. ‘That’s a very astute statement, and one I can’t disagree with.’ He stared at me, his expression thoughtful. ‘Your parents’ actions trouble me greatly.’ He looked at the ambassador. ‘Healer Euka, is there anything else you would like to add?’

  ‘Yes.’ She pointed at Jemely. ‘I want to bring a charge against her. She assaulted me twice.’

  The king rolled his eyes. ‘We can deal with that later. Mayor Vawdon, step forward. Do you swear to tell only the truth to me and to this court?’

  Mayor Vawdon responded, ‘I swear.’

  ‘How long have you been mayor of Borrelia?’

  ‘Thirty-five years, Your Majesty.’

  ‘Is this your first dealing with a healer girl?’

  ‘No. We’ve had one long ago before I was mayor.’

  ‘Were her eyes stitched?’

  ‘No. She was sent to Juxon City as all healer children are.’

  ‘Did Healer Euka offer you one hundred gold for

  Adenine?’

  ‘Yes, but my daughter is incorrect. I never accepted the coin. In fact, I tried many times to get Capacia to sign the register.’

  ‘Strange that
your own child’s story contradicts yours,’ the king said to the mayor.

  Mayor Vawdon’s eyes widened. ‘Adenine is Emala’s beloved friend. I think her feelings affected her judgement.’

  ‘Is that true, Emala?’ the king asked.

  Emala looked torn.

  Mayor Vawdon made a sort of growling noise. ‘Fine. Here is the truth. She threatened me. Healer Euka threatened my family. She threatened my town. She swore when the war began that Borrelia would be taken first, and—’

  ‘War?’ Healer Euka scoffed. ‘This is ridiculous, and I won’t be subjected to it.’ Her eyes glowed more gold than ever, and her cheeks were flushed.

  The king perched on the edge of his chair. ‘I will hear all sides.’

  ‘If you entertain these petty falsehoods, then mark my words, it will lead to political discord.’ She squinted at him.

  ‘Political discord.’ The king was obviously upset now. ‘Your Queens have taken a city from me and my father. I have tried to meet their demands so that our countries might remain peaceful. Alas, if you, their trusted ambassador, feel it permissible to go behind my back and threaten good men like the mayor here, then that is a clear indication that the Queens do not want peace after all.’

  Healer Euka folded her arms and said nothing more.

  ‘Go on, Mayor Vawdon.’

  ‘The ambassador threatened me and I felt compelled to assist her, because when it comes to healers, they all end up in Meligna anyway. Adenine became blind just to stay here, and then there’s the matter of Derkal trying to rape—’

  ‘What?’ the king said.

  Captain Festral said, ‘A small matter I dealt with back in Borrelia.’

  King Erageo threw me a look that spoke of his concern for my wellbeing. ‘Do you know who did the blinding?’

  I nodded.

  ‘Varago, our town doctor,’ Mayor Vawdon said for me.

  ‘My first ruling is that this Varago is henceforth prohibited from practising again and is stripped of his membership with the Doctors Guild.’

  The mayor bowed. ‘Yes, Your Majesty.’

  I looked at Jemely. Her hands were in taut little balls. Being a doctor was everything to Varago.

  The king stood. ‘Before we can proceed further, I desire a private audience with Healer Euka. Please rest on the benches until I return.’