by D. E. Morris
“Thank you, Mairead. My wife has fine ladies at her side.”
The young woman said nothing in reply, but gave a small bow to her king before he hastened out of the room. He hurried down the hallways, thankful that it was late enough for most everyone within the castle to be asleep in their quarters. Those few he did meet must have seen the focus on his face and did not stop him, only bowed until he had passed. The two guards that followed him paused outside the door to his library and Jaryn turned to them. “See that we are not interrupted.”
Cavalon was leaning against a large carved desk when Jaryn entered, his golden eyes taking in the vast collection of books lining the walls. Before the younger man could say anything, the Badarian straightened and asked, “How is she?”
“I wish I knew.” The men clasped forearms and Jaryn grimaced. “It's good to see you again, Cavalon. Though I wish it were under different circumstances.”
“Lilia told me about the nightmares and the fyre. How's your arm?”
“I'll live.”
Leaning back against the desk again, Cavalon crossed his arms. “How long have the nightmares been going on?”
Jaryn shook his head, thinking. “I couldn't say. Since we came back from Mirasean, at least six, seven weeks?” His brow furrowed. “I haven't told anyone else this, not even her ladies, but she thinks she saw Tadhg after the wedding.”
“What?”
“She said he attacked her the night she went into labor, that it was because he had reached inside her and tried to kill Lochlainn.” He waited for Cavalon to remark on the madness of the story, but when the older man stayed silent, Jaryn fixed him with a concerned gaze. “You almost look like you believe her.”
“Something didn't feel right that night. I couldn't put my finger on it then because nothing really seemed out of place.”
Jaryn frowned. “You cannot possibly believe Tadhg is alive, least of all on Mirasean.”
Cavalon shrugged. “Stranger things have happened.” Before Jaryn could rebuke him, the older man held up a hand in defense. “I'm not saying what Ashlynn says happened actually happened, but whatever she saw or experienced was real enough to have a lasting effect on her. If it's getting worse as time goes on, who are we to discredit her? You know your wife, Jaryn. She doesn't make something from nothing.”
“That's why I'm so baffled by all of this.” With a tired sigh, Jaryn sat at his desk. “If it was anyone else she'd be explaining every nightmare and moment of dread away.” He looked up at his friend. “I've never seen her look so terrified, Cavalon. Not in the days leading up to the war, not in the midst of it. There was such a terror in her eyes that night...it still haunts me.”
“Let me go talk to her.”
“She's in the eastern tower. I'll have one of my men take you there.”
~*~*~*~
Moonlight streamed in shafts of cold light through the barred window of the cell Ashlynn occupied. Though Altaine was in the final weeks of its warm summer, the higher altitude air became quite chilly at night. In an effort to keep herself warm, Ashlynn sat on her stone bed with her back against the wall and her knees tucked up to her chest, her nightclothes forming a sort of cocoon around her body. She refused blankets because they only burned, and lighting the torches would simply make a blaze more likely.
With her eyes fixed on something far away in the night sky, she sang the lullaby she'd grown accustomed to singing every night. It was the only thing to really soothe her now. Sometimes she would pretend she was singing to her child, sometimes she would sing it and replay memories of her sister when they were but small children. Occasionally she'd sing it and pretend her mother, Siobhán, was there beside her, singing as well. Tonight she sang simply to feel less alone.
“I don't think I've ever heard you sing before.”
Ashlynn hushed and turned her head. Cavalon stood at her door, peering in at her with an unreadable expression. She hadn't heard him coming, though knew from experience that he could be nearly silent when he wanted to be, despite his size. “Pretty small cell. Got room for one more?” Without invitation, blue and gold flames swirled up and consumed him, transporting him inside.
With a weak smile Ashlynn said, “You came.”
“Did you doubt I would?”
She rose and crossed the few feet between them to embrace him. Cavalon wasn't one for showing outward affection if he could help it, so when she felt his arms wrap around her she nearly cried. They stayed together long enough for Ashlynn to feel warmth creeping back into her body.
“You're stick thin,” Cavalon said quietly. It wasn't a condemnation or a complaint but an observation filled with concern.
“I haven't had much of an appetite.”
She pulled away, but Cavalon didn't let her go completely. He took her small hands in his large ones and turned them over, looking for the marks Lilia had surely mentioned. As soon as he saw them he frowned, and Ashlynn pulled her hands away. She tucked them up into the singed sleeves of her nightshirt and took a step back in embarrassment.
“What are you doing to yourself, Ashlynn?”
“It isn't intentional. I do it in my sleep.” She shook her head looking lost. “I think it's to try to keep myself from setting anything on fyre, but...” Trailing off, she looked around the cell at the various blackened places on the walls and the floor. “Clearly it isn't working.”
“It's a good thing you haven't shifted.”
Her smile was quick and fleeting. “That was one of the reasons I decided to be put here and not in the dungeons. Altaine could suffer the loss of a tower. She could not withstand it if I turned into a dragon in my sleep and destroyed her foundation. Even if she is built into a mountain.”
“Come here.” Cavalon sat on the stone bed and pulled her down beside him, rubbing her arms to try to warm her. A thought from him had the torches ablaze and generating heat for the small cell. Ashlynn flinched at the sight, but Cavalon gave her shoulder a squeeze of assurance. “I won't let anything happen.”
She let herself be pulled to his side and sighed quietly. “Thank you for coming.”
“When family needs you, you don't hesitate.”
“I was never one to want an older brother when I was growing up...younger either, for that matter. The crown would have fallen to him simply because of his gender, but I am thankful for you.”
Cavalon smirked. “I don't know if anyone has told you this before, but you're not exactly normal, Ashlynn; for a royal or for a woman. You didn't need that older brother to stick up for you as one would because you were tough as nails. You were the protector. From what I hear you always have been.” His voice quieted some. “I think that's why it's so hard to see you like this.”
“It's hard to be like this.” She sat up and brushed knotted hair away from her face. “The night I was brought here I was shaking so badly that I thought my bones might rattle to pieces. After seeing what I had done to Jaryn...” She looked down in shame. “As soon as the guards were gone from my sight I had a complete breakdown.”
“Any normal person would.”
“But as you said, I am not normal.” Her smile for Cavalon was an ironic one. “I have heard of people being tortured by way of drowning, being brought back to life and drowned again. That is how I have felt. Over and over I fall asleep, and over and over I am woken by water being thrown at me because no one can get through the fyre to shake me from my dreams.” Her eyes were large and full of fear. “Please tell me you know what's happening to me and how to stop it.”
He was silent for a moment, his lips pursed into a thin line. “Much as I hate to say this, you probably should have sent for Tasarin. I'm not the biggest fan of elves, but they know a lot more about magic and things like this than I do.”
“But you've been alive a lot longer than he has.”
“I also kept to myself for most of my life.”
Ashlynn looked down in disappointment. “Then I will send for Tasarin and stay here until he arrives.”
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“I'll go to Caedia and tell him what's happening. I know it won't make anything better, but it will at least cut the time you have to wait in half.” He shook his head. “I wish I could fix this for you. You have no idea how much I wish I could.”
She smiled weakly and put a hand on his. “I know.”
“Why don't you try to get some rest now? I'll stay here. I'll make sure nothing happens while you sleep.”
“No...” The idea of Cavalon watching over her just so she could get a few hours of sleep was more than touching. Pressure behind her eyes threatened tears, but Ashlynn worked to push the emotions down. “He is there every single time I close my eyes and I just...can't.”
There was nothing more either of them could say. At a loss, Cavalon pulled her back to his side in a protective manner. She knew he would do anything to help her now. He was so different from the man she'd met not even a year ago, the caustic, sarcastic, and sometimes aggressive man he'd been. Of course he still had his moments and she'd seen that during the week that led up to the wedding when they'd all been together again, but the man he had been before would not be there with her now, doing all he could to help her. Whether it was Nuala's influence or the Giver working on his heart, Ashlynn didn't know, but she was so thankful.
“What was that song you were singing? It sounded familiar.”
“It's a faery lullaby. My mother used to sing it to me, I sang it to Kenayde when she was young, and now I sing it to Lochlainn.”
Cavalon nodded. “That's why. Siobhán used to sing it to Nealie when she was young.”
This surprised Ashlynn. “Really?”
“Before you and Luella came along, Nealie was the youngest Elemental.” He smirked. “Maybe that was why she had such an attitude before the war – she didn't like not being the baby of the family anymore.” Cavalon lifted one shoulder in a lazy shrug. “Anyway, you sounded nice. Just like I remember your mother sounding.”
Now she couldn't help it. Tears leaked slow at first from the corners of Ashlynn's eyes, then it seemed she couldn't stop them. Cavalon said nothing and didn't move his arm from around her, neither did he hold her closer. He just let her cry as his hand moved up and down her arm in a comforting motion. After a moment, however, he spoke to her in a low voice. “Someone's coming.”
She sat up quickly and swiped at the tears on her face, attempting some sort of calm for whoever it was that was coming down the hall. Now that she was listening, she could hear the footsteps as well. If she had to guess it would be two women followed closely by her guards. It only took a few seconds to see she had not been wrong.
“Mairead. Zarra.”
“We have been sent to fetch you,” said Mairead. “Your husband requests your presence.”
Zarra's face split into a grin when she spotted Cavalon and anything she might have been thinking to say was quickly forgotten. Instead she gave an awkward little bow of her head to him. Seemingly embarrassed, she took a step back and bumped directly into one of the waiting guards. “Sorry! So sorry!”
“Did he say what for?” Ashlynn asked, ignoring the younger girl and looking to Mairead.
“No. Only that you were to be brought to the throne room.”
Cavalon fixed Ashlynn with an appraising gaze. “Can you do this?”
But Ashlynn's demeanor had changed. Her shoulders were back and she sat a bit straighter, a look of determination in her eyes. “Whether I can or not matters little. If Jaryn has summoned me, it's for a reason. Whatever personal afflictions I may be dealing with, they must be set aside for now.”
“He has requested your presence as well,” said Mairead to Cavalon.
Ashlynn got to her feet. “Something has happened. Unlock the door.” The two girls stepped back to let one of the guards do as commanded, and Ashlynn stepped into her freedom. “I will need to bathe first.”
“And dress,” added Zarra, finding her voice. “I saw some of the men here from Ibays being led the throne room.”
Mairead nodded. “Whatever it is that Jaryn wants you for, he needs his queen. This is not a simple meeting among friends.”
“We already have a bath ready for you,” Zarra told Ashlynn.
“What about me?”
They all turned to look at Cavalon, but it was Mairead to answer. “The king has asked you to wait outside the throne room. We will join you there shortly.”
In fact it was a short amount of time indeed until Cavalon saw Ashlynn again. As she strode down the hallways toward the throne room and where he waited, he marveled at the difference. Her long blonde hair was no longer in tangles but smooth and brushed out, a crown of jewels upon her head. The white, black, and gold gown she wore boasted her title by rich design alone. Behind her came both Mairead and Zarra, then the two guards. The two men stationed outside the throne room saw the group coming and opened the doors to announce Ashlynn's arrival.
“High Queen Ashlynn!”
Her chin was held high and she barely gave Cavalon a passing glance to beckon him along before entering the room. Men who had been standing before Jaryn, already seated in his throne, split to make a way for her to pass. The girls following her peeled off and went to stand at the side of the room while the guards waited outside. Ashlynn sat in her own appointed place and looked at the men before her with an unreadable expression.
“You may go,” said Jaryn tiredly. The three men bowed before taking their leave. A lift of a finger had the doors closed behind them. Looking at his wife, Jaryn let his concern for her show. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine. Who were those men?”
“They're here from Ibays to do some trading and something has happened which required questioning them.” Shifting in his seat, Jaryn reached over and placed a hand on her arm. “Ashlynn, are you all right?”
“I am fine,” she repeated with a bit more force. “You did not send for me to see how I was.” Finally, she turned her head to look at her husband. “What has happened?”
Sighing heavily, Jaryn's eyes flickered to Cavalon. “There has been an accusation against High King Donnchadh and a request for men to be commissioned against him has been made. Since those men are from his realm I thought it would be best to see what I could learn from them before any rash decisions were made.”
“An accusation?” Ashlynn's brows came together and she, too, looked to Cavalon, only to see her confusion mirrored on his face. “By whom?”
“Badru.”
“What?” Cavalon looked more perplexed than he had before. “Why would Badru want to pick a fight with the king of a nation he's hardly ever been to? Is he here?”
“Aye,” answered Jaryn, a thread of irritation in his voice. “He's here all right, and in a fine temper, too. He got here moments after you did, Cavalon. Burst into the castle in fyre, alerted the guards, sent the maids screaming. He demanded an audience for a formal request which was why I summoned you, love. He's your kin by magic and if he wants to start a battle I thought your words of tempering may have more weight than mine.”
Though she was exhausted, Ashlynn's mind was already working. She pushed aside all longings of rest and comfort, knowing whatever this was about needed to be taken care of first. “Of what has Badru accused Donnchadh?”
Here Jaryn hesitated. Whatever it was that had Badru angered, Ashlynn could see it was not a simple disagreement. Instead of getting an answer, she watched him nod to one of the guards by the door. The armored man slipped out, and she turned her eyes at her husband. “Where is Badru now?”
“I sent him out of the castle, to the courtyard. Ashlynn, he was in a right fit. If he lost control of himself and shifted-”
“He'd never do that,” Cavalon interrupted. “He's been an Elemental too long to ever let that happen.”
Jaryn frowned. “Well I'm glad you trust that about him because I certainly didn't.”
As they waited for Badru to be brought to them, Ashlynn relaxed a bit more into her throne. It was odd to be sitting there as she was, fee
ling like it had been weeks since the last time she'd done so and not simply days. Usually the doors to this room stood open and all within the castle were free to come and go as they pleased when either she or Jaryn were stationed there. It was odd to have it so empty. And then a thought struck her. “What have you told people about my absence?”
“That you were not well.” There was deep concern on Jaryn's face that pained Ashlynn to see when she looked at him. “No one knows anything.”
“You realize what you have done by bringing me here while you still held audience, don't you? Now everyone at court will hear that I am well enough to join you. I will have to be here day after day now.”
“Is that such a bad thing?”
“Jaryn...”
The doors opened and a guard escorted in a tall, lean man with richly colored robes and skin the color of cinnamon. He bowed ceremoniously, a slight look of shame on his face. “My apologies for my earlier actions.”
“No apology necessary,” said Ashlynn. “It is good to see you again, Badru.”
The older man rose with sorrow on his face. “It is with deep regret that I am here.” He noticed Cavalon now and the sorrow seemed to grow. “I tried to find you,” he told the Badarian. “I looked everywhere.”
“I've been in Braemar.” Cavalon stepped forward, clearly unsettled. “Badru, what's going on?”
“Nealie has been killed.”
Ashlynn gasped, a hand going to her mouth, and Cavalon demanded, “What?”
“It happened several weeks ago in Ibays, I believe. It was like nothing I have ever felt.”
Jaryn’s brow furrowed. “You weren’t with her? Then how can you be sure she’s dead?”
Coming out of his shock, Cavalon’s voice was a low rumble. “Remember when Mei Xing died? Ashlynn felt her go and fell to the floor. When something like that happens to our opposite Element, we feel it as though it were happening to us.” He looked at Badru. “How much do you know?”