by CJ Embers
“Why are you helping me?” I asked. “Why am I under your protection?”
The dark god’s red eyes slowly looked me over. “You… interest me.”
I snorted. “Why? You had no issue mocking me in the Trial, but now I interest you?”
“There have been other women in your country who have rebelled… But none had the mettle to do what you did and challenge the Trial. They simply became shunned or Iunis and faded from existence.” Helis reached forward and trailed his cold metal thumb down my jaw. “I find that… interesting.”
Despite the fluttering in my belly, I jerked away from his grasp. “I’m not your personal entertainment.”
The dark deity chuckled again and stepped back. When he faded away, I let out a big breath and looked at Kain. “Next time, bite him, hey?”
My wolf nuzzled my hand, and we continued our journey back home. During the trek, I talked to Kain about the pros and cons of accepting. When we got home, I was exhausted, but we both needed to eat.
Over the next few days, I heavily considered the Tehji’s offer. The thought of living not only in a village again, but in a village surrounded by people who betrayed and tried to kill me made me want to scoff and turn down their offer.
But having the chance to get revenge by becoming the first female leader was almost too hard to resist. As leader of Shekri, I would be able to break apart the patriarchy piece by piece and grind them into dust.
Helis never showed himself again while I puttered around my little camp, and although I was angry at him, it was still habit to have my one-sided conversations with him.
When I finally decided on my answer, I felt unusually nervous for some reason. Maybe it was because my life kept twisting and turning, or maybe it was because I was concerned I would make the wrong choice.
Kain walked silently beside me as my thoughts wandered. My knife was sheathed on my hip, and my spear was on my back, just in case things went sour when we got there.
The sun beat down through the leafy trees as we trekked. Overheating underneath the thick furs, I removed my shirt and tied it around my waist.
In Shekri, it was always frowned upon for a woman to go without a shirt. Even though the chest was covered, it was shamed for us to show our abdomen.
When the village came into view a week later, the sun was just touching the horizon. I inhaled and let it out slowly. Turning to Kain, I said, “Well, here goes nothing, buddy. Let’s see what they think of my decision.”
When I stepped out of the cover of the trees, the guards noticed me, but they did nothing; they perked up, but didn’t shout at me to stop or threaten me. As I got closer, they both knelt on one knee and lowered their heads.
“Greetings, Adeptus. The Tehji are awaiting your return in the palace.”
I was about to thank them before I clamped my mouth shut and strode past them. After so many years of being forced to live under the patriarchy’s thumb, they didn’t deserve thanks in any form.
Every time I passed villagers or more guards, they bowed just as the others had. I ignored every one and continued on my way to the palace.
Once there, I looked up the lengthy steps and paused for a moment. As far as I knew, no woman had ever set foot up there. Not even the steps which I now stood before.
When I got to the top, I looked back. Up here, I could see the entire village. A small crowd had gathered down below to watch my ascent, and I found myself wondering what they were thinking. Were they hoping I would accept, or were they fine with the patriarchy? Or were they simply watching to see the first woman enter the palace?
Turning away, I walked up to the huge doors. Two guards were posted beside it, one on each side. After bowing, one led me through the doors.
Inside took my breath away, and my eyes were immediately drawn to the three beautiful golden thrones sat near the center of the back of the room. Resting my gaze upon them, I could imagine large groups of people meeting in this room with the leaders as the Tehji sat, listened, and talked. Despite women never being allowed to enter the palace, I had occasionally seen men climb the steps and disappear behind the doors.
Huge stained-glass windows, accented by red silk curtains, lined each wall to the sides and shed colourful lights on the mosaic floor tiles. Behind me, on each side of the large front door hung a thick tapestry depicting the artist’s rendition of Helis.
The guard speaking broke me from my reverie. “Please wait here and I will retrieve the Tehji.”
I gave him a nod, and he left. As Kain explored the throne room, his claws clicking on the floor, I continued looking around the room in awe. While the village was picturesque, the palace was gorgeous.
When the Tehji arrived, I called Kain back to my side. The wolf obeyed my command and sat beside me as the leaders came forward and bowed.
They straightened, and one man spoke. “We were concerned you weren’t returning, as it’s been a couple of weeks.”
“Yes, well, I was under order as an Iuni to move very far away, so…”
He cleared his throat. “Right. So, have you come to a decision?”
“Yes. I accept your offer.”
The men looked pleased at my decision, although I wasn’t sure why. Sure, I was under the protection of our god, but wouldn’t that make them worried rather than happy?
“I’m glad you have decided to accept. If you would follow me, I will bring you to your chambers, and you can freshen up. My brother will prepare a meal for you.”
Kain and I silently followed the man while the other Tehjin left. Seeing those red, silk robes flowing as he walked made me angry. All my life, those robes had been a sign of oppression.
When the man opened up a door, I stepped inside and my eyes widened in surprise. The room— my room— was huge. The king-sized bed caught my attention first, followed shortly by the large, gold marble statue of a wolf sitting in a corner.
Hm, that’s fitting, I thought, admiring the way the wolf proudly held its head.
A short row of bookshelves filled one wall, packed with all sorts of tomes bound in leather. Nearby in a corner, a quaint desk sat, adorned with a few books, scrolls, and a neat stack of parchment.
There were two doors besides the one leading into the room, and I had to assume one was a closet and the other was an attached bathroom.
A plush rug sat nestled at the end of the bed on the floor, and just as I thought about how my wolf would enjoy lying on it, he trotted into the room and went straight for it.
Smiling, my gaze moved to the small, glass double doors that were casting evening sunlight into the room. They led out onto a balcony that held a single chair with a small table. From where I stood, it seemed like the view outside was overlooking the village.
“You will find clothes in the closet there,” the Tehjin said, pointing it out. “I will await nearby to bring you to your meal when you are done.”
As the door closed behind him, I went to the closet while Kain remained lying on the rug.
Inside the closet were racks and racks full of gorgeous clothes. As I sorted through them, I realized they must have anticipated me saying yes, because none of them were men’s clothing.
While they were all beautiful, it pricked at my nerves to think how the Tehji assumed all I would want was flowy gowns and sheer scarves.
I’ll have to ask them to bring in some normal clothing as well, I thought.
I picked out a gorgeous, purple silk dress and it sat on the bed while I showered. The strong scent of shampoo made my nose burn; I was used to bathing in the river with no soaps.
When I was done, I toweled off and dried my hair before getting dressed. I found a small desk mirror inside one of the drawers, and as I sat combing and styling my hair, my eyes were locked on my reflection.
I looked… beautiful. And I hated it.
Being so clean and wrapped in the fabrics of Shekri, it was like I was trying to bury the past few months. Everything that happened… I wanted to remember all of it. I wan
ted to remember having no freedoms and being branded and cast out. I wanted to remember Syida. I wanted to remember Mazi.
May we be together in the afterlife, my sweet girl…
Taking a deep breath, my gaze drifted to my upper arm. I had usually kept my shoulders covered while living as an Iuni so the bugs and elements were kept away. Seeing the blue mark resting upon my skin was a powerful feeling, but it was smothered by memories of my cat.
My eyes shifted to the branding mark covering half my forehead and part of my cheek. It was big, noticeable, and the scar would never go away. It would be a constant reminder of what I went through and a constant signal to others of what I used to be. But I didn’t mind it. In my eyes, the large scar was not a blemish, but something that made me stronger.
Trying to shake off the grief and memories, I stood. “Helis, if you can hear me, please do not show yourself today. I want to ensure the people respect me, and not me through you. If they don’t and try to kill me, then I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t let me die…”
I left the room with my wolf on my heels. The Tehjin was waiting nearby, and he smiled widely when he saw me.
“You look absolutely lovely, miss.”
Once again, I refused to give my thanks. The man motioned for me to follow, and I was brought to another room. He opened the door, bringing a huge dining area into view. It had a large mahogany table with ten chairs, granite flooring, and a lit fireplace crackling cozily on one side of the room. The Tehjin requested for me to sit, and I chose the chair on one of the ends.
Dish after dish was brought out, each one somehow more delicious than the next. I didn’t recognize any of them but did not want to make small talk with the Tehji to ask what they were.
With each one, I ordered the men to taste it first; I wouldn’t have put it past them to try to poison me. When they realized why I was asking them to do that, they were shocked and claimed they would never do such a thing, but I still requested them to test each dish before I would touch it.
Having such plain game, fruit, and vegetables out in the wilderness meant that my stomach was not used to such rich foods, and I told the men to stop after the fifth plate. Each one only held a small portion, but I was filling up fast, and the intense flavours were making my stomach a little uncomfortable.
“It is nearing nighttime, miss. Might I suggest you let the village know what you decided?”
I agreed and told the Tehji I wanted them there with me. One sounded the horn to let the village know to gather. I gathered bunches of my dress in my hands as I walked down the stairs so I wouldn’t trip.
At the village stage, I told the Tehji to stand off to one side. While we waited for the remaining villagers to arrive, I silently stared out at the crowd as Kain stood beside me, trying to keep the spark of anger dampened. Being leader of Shekri, I would have time to turn things around and therefore didn’t need to spill any anger right now. When the last of the citizens arrived, I spoke.
“Thank you for coming. As I’m sure you can guess by my attire, I have accepted the Tehji’s offer. I, Kena, Adeptus and first woman to defeat the Trial, am now the sole leader of Shekri.”
The crowd sank to their knees in respect, acknowledging my words.
“As for the first decision in my role as leader, I am ordering the remaining Tehji to be taken into custody.”
Chapter 11
S hock tore through the crowd, and the former leaders of the village looked like they wanted to protest, but they didn’t dare. Guards immediately swarmed and encircled them, moving them in the direction of the jailhouse.
The crowd looked visibly nervous now.
“I know it must come as quite a shock to have your old leaders jailed, but they must be punished for their years of oppression. Now, as for my second request…”
The villagers tensed.
“I summon Oren to be my second in command.”
Everyone’s tension turned to surprise.
Oren looked most surprised of all. When he hesitated, like he doubted I was being serious, I pointed to the ground beside me, and he obeyed.
“Now, there are many more things I will be changing in Shekri, but it is getting late, and therefore the rest will be done tomorrow.”
I gave the crowd a nod, and they dispersed.
My mother stayed behind, and she walked up the steps of the stage. A couple of guards closed in on me and blocked her path with crossed spears.
I told the men to let her pass, and they pulled back their weapons. When my mother stopped in front of me, I asked, “What is it you want?”
“You look beautiful, Kena,” she said, reaching out to caress a lock of my hair.
I pulled away, causing Kain to growl at her. “Do not make me ask you again.”
She glanced at my wolf, looking unsure, then met my gaze again. “I— Surely you would want your mother with you in the palace?”
I stepped up to her and she flinched as I got an inch away from her ear. “My mother is dead. You are lucky I haven’t cast you out already,” I growled quietly. “Keep your mouth shut, and I may let you continue to live in Shekri.”
When I pulled back, my mother had paled with fright visible in her eyes.
I turned on my heel and ordered Oren and Kain to follow me. We walked up the steps to the palace with some guards following. When I got inside, I went over to the center throne and sat down. It was quite a bit too large for me, but sitting here felt powerful.
I trailed my hands down the golden armrests as a smile tugged at the corner of my lips. I looked up at Oren. “You look like you have questions. Speak.”
“I’m just wondering why… Why did you choose me? Wouldn’t you have rather chosen a woman?”
I chuckled derisively. “The women are weak. They did not have the strength to do what was right and simply followed the cruelty of the Tehji like little lambs. You, on the other hand, helped me. You showed strength despite what it could have cost you.”
“And there were no other men to consider for the position?”
“You’re coming across like you don’t want to be my second. Is that the case?”
“No, no,” he said quickly. “I’m just curious what made you choose me over someone else. I apologize for it coming across like that.”
“Well, Rorik had crossed my mind as an option because of what he did for me, but he made it clear that he wanted to be left out of the things I did; whether that has changed now that the Tehji are no longer in charge, I don’t know, but it made you a more desirable option regardless.”
His brow furrowed. “Rorik? What did he do for you? Oh, wait— If your pregnancy was faked, does that mean he was in on it?”
“Sort of. He was fully planning on following the Tehji’s orders, but I was… well, I was terrified and ended up punching him in the face before we could actually do anything.”
Surprise crossed his face, then he burst out laughing. “Sorry, I’m not laughing because you were scared. Punching him in the face, that definitely sounds like you.”
I couldn’t help an amused smile tugging at my lips.
“So what happened after that, if you don’t mind telling me?”
I gave him the rest of the story and he looked impressed that Rorik did such a thing. “Wow. Well, if he hadn’t done that, I’d suspect you and the village would be in a very different place right now. Anyway, thank you for choosing me, Kena. I will serve you as best as I can.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Thank you, Oren.”
Since I was tired, I said I was going to sleep and got one of the guards to show him to a bedroom. When they were gone, I spoke to the remaining guards. “My wolf is to be given free roam of the palace and is to be let outside whenever he pleases. If he is harmed, there will be severe consequences.”
The men assured me Kain would be well taken care of.
“Good. Also, please find some labourers to remove the two extra thrones. Leave the center one. The blacksmith can find a way to smelt the meta
l and craft it into something worthwhile.”
They complied, so I went off to my room.
After undressing, I slipped under the covers of my new bed. It was soft and had a light scent, like it was infused with flower petals.
I stared up at the ceiling in the dark. “Well Helis, they respected me without your presence. Well… I guess they respect me because of you to begin with. This is all thanks to you. Nothing of what I achieved here was my doing.”
My stomach swirled with a feeling of disgust. “After all this time, and after all this fighting and hating the men who ruled my life… it was a man who gave me the ability to change it.” I sighed. “Pathetic.”
I thought back to Helis’ words about separating the cause for battle and my own hates. The reality was that I knew he was right, but it was unbelievably hard not to hold a deep grudge against men themselves.
“I wish you would appear to me more often. Why do you only show yourself when I’m in danger?”
Thunder shook the walls, making my heart jump. The air in the room swirled with dark energy, and when I realized what was happening, electricity crackled along my skin. When everything stilled, I could make out the hulking form of the Trial deity standing near the side of my bed. His eyes glowed a soft red from beneath his jagged, horned helmet.
“Despite what you might expect, I have matters to attend to that don’t involve you,” he answered.
His deep, sharp voice made me smile. It had become a source of comfort. As the smile lingered on my lips, we silently stared at each other. His ebony armour glistened in the moonlight filtering through the window.
There was a quiet knock at my door, and I called for the person to come in. When it opened, a guard stepped inside and opened his mouth to speak before he noticed Helis’ towering form standing near me.
The man sputtered for a moment, looking shocked and scared. Eventually he managed to get out an apology for disturbing me, then said, “One of the villagers is here for you.”