The lips did not respond.
"Your Majesty, you must drink!" Juer shook the bottle, and a few drops of the medicine splashed onto the King's lower lip.
King Konig's face had gone slack and still. His teal eyes were half-closed and his lips open, the black medicine glistening on them. There was no breath left in him.
Juer let out a long, low moan and dropped his forehead into his free hand.
Darber stood a few feet from the bed, taking in the scene with a somber expression. He crossed to the grandfather clock, opened the glass door and reached in. He stopped the pendulum and the room fell silent.
***
"I witnessed it with my own eyes!" Juer cried, his eyes flashing and his face rigid with anger. "You must recognize them. It was King Konig's will—–"
"I believe you," replied Darber, but his expression was thick with the very opposite. "But I cannot take the word of the king's doctor and a couple of kids who appeared out of thin air with a claim to the throne."
"We haven't made any claims," argued Jordan.
In fact, she and Ashley had hardly spoken since they'd been ushered from King Konig's chamber. They'd been made to wait in a stuffy room full of dim paintings and musty furniture, while Darber consulted with the royal lawyers. Jordan wanted nothing more than to go home to Sol, Eohne and Allan, and forget everything that had just happened.
Instead, since Darber had returned, she and Ashley had been watching the two old Arpak men argue, the twins’ heads vaulting back and forth like they were at a tennis match. Jordan almost wished she had popcorn, but she didn’t have her appetite anymore.
"I'm telling you," Juer lifted his finger, and on it was the black ring the king had used to communicate his dying wishes. "He spelled the words 'they are my children'. We all saw them."
Darber let out an impatient sigh. "And maybe they are, but we are bound by Rodanian law, doctor. Your speciality is medicine, mine is upholding the legal tenets that keep Rodania from sinking into the abyss of corruption and chaos. I have consulted with no less than four lawyers in the last hour, Arpaks who know our edicts inside and out. As long as a child is formally recognized by the king, regardless of whether they are of the queen or not," Darber's voice tightened, and his lip curled ever so slightly. "They have legitimacy and a claim to the throne."
"Yes!" Juer was nodding his head vigorously, his jowls quivering. "And he did recognize them. His intention was to do so legally, which is why he summoned you," he poked a twisted finger into Darber's chest with not inconsiderable force.
"But the recognition didn't happen," Darber hissed, knocking Juer's finger aside. "Not formally. I was not there when this so-called message was scrawled into the air." His voice was now taking on a heavy tone of sarcasm. He raised his own finger into the doctor's face. "And if you think that I'll take the word of Solomon Donda's uncle…"
Juer's eyes widened, and he blustered, "Wh-what does Sol have to do with anything?"
"He's the dragon woman's lover!" Darber barked, shooting Jordan a look of loathing. "For all I know, this is a scheme the three of you cooked up to unseat Prince Diruk. Mighty clever of you, but it won't work. You have no proof!"
"This is outrageous," Juer whispered, his eyes bulging. "I have been the king's loyal servant and personal physician for five years." His voice seethed with barely controlled anger. "How dare you insinuate this treason. It is not to be borne!"
"What else am I to think?" Darber clipped the words off like he was cutting hair.
Juer spun away from him in a huff, rolling his eyes and throwing up his hands in frustration. "This is a disgrace!"
"I'll say it is," boomed Darber.
Ashley leaned over and whispered to Jordan, "It's going well, don't you think?"
"Might I be of some assistance here?" A calm voice made every head swivel to the door. A broad, short Arpak with blue wings and an open expression entered the room. He nodded to Juer and Darber.
"That's Balroc," whispered Jordan to Ashley as she nodded at the Councilman. "He's one of the Council of Ten."
"Doctor, Councilman." Balroc crossed the room and extended a hand to Jordan, which she took. He didn't shake it, just held it in both of his. His hands were warm and dry. "Nice to see you again, Jordan."
Jordan nodded. "You too."
The Councilman's eyes turned to Ashley, overflowing with curiosity. "You must be the brother?"
"Ashley." The young Arpak stood and took the proffered hand.
Balroc nodded. "The mysterious twin." He chuckled as he shook and then released Ashley's hand. He opened his palms out. "Quite a situation we find ourselves in. Not to worry. Even now the couriers are delivering their messages to the Council, calling the ones who are abroad right now back to Rodania. The death of the king sets in motion many things; this hearing will be just one of many meetings that now must take place."
"We cannot begin until Prince Diruk arrives," Darber said, his voice sharp.
"Actually, the prince is not permitted at these proceedings," Balroc contradicted Darber. "And it will be at least a few days before we can hold a proper hearing."
Darber began to protest, his chest puffing up and his jaw working with indignation.
Balroc continued before his councilmate could form words. "Being a man of the law, surely you'll recall that, when there are multiple claims to the throne, neither the heir apparent nor the claimant—–in this case, claimants—–once their arguments have been heard, are permitted at the hearing. I understand the royal doctor was there when King Konig used his ring to communicate that these," he gestured to Ashley and Jordan, "Arpaks are his children?"
"Surely you don't believe this rubbish," Darber scoffed, his gray feathers rustling like those of an upset hen.
"Doesn't matter what I believe," said Balroc, rocking on his heels and clasping his hands behind his back with confidence. “What matters is what is true. We have a duty to unearth the truth, no matter our personal feelings or political position."
Balroc turned to Jordan and Ashley and held a polite hand out toward the door. "You may as well go home. The hearing cannot commence until all of the Council members are in attendance, and several of them own businesses abroad and aren't home right now. There is no use in waiting around here. A courier will come to retrieve you, if your claim is supported."
"We didn't make any claim," Jordan repeated, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears.
"And if they are not?" Ashley asked the Councilman as he escorted them to the door.
"If they are not…" Balroc hesitated. "I don't know. This is very unorthodox, as you can imagine. But I think there would be an investigation."
Jordan's mouth went dry. "Of us? An investigation of us? I haven't done anything. I got pulled into this mess when I went to fetch medicine for the king and ran into him." She jerked a thumb toward Ashley. Her heart was sprinting around in her chest like a frightened rabbit. The last thing she wanted was the eyes of Rodanian government on her, even though she'd done nothing she needed to hide.
"Try not to overreact," Balroc advised gently. "We don't know anything at this point."
"What do you need, to ensure a claim is upheld?" Ashley asked.
"Normally, a king will give a public and formal recognition for the heir, irrefutable proof for all to witness. If he truly wants to pass the throne to a beloved offspring, he will do it far earlier than this. This is actually not uncommon. Kings often have many illegitimate children whom they are fond of." Balroc said all this impassively, without any display of personal feeling or emotion.
"But King Konig didn't know where we were, our mother has been keeping me hidden," Ashley's voice grew more insistent. Evidence of an idea crossed his face. "What about the word of our mother? Would that be enough?"
"I'm afraid not," Balroc said patiently, although two pink spots had appeared on his cheekbones. "You can imagine what a mess we would have, if every royal lover who’d had a child was able to make a legitimate claim for her offspring." Bal
roc chuckled. "No, that would be absurd."
"The proof has to have come from King Konig himself to be ironclad. Do you have anything other than the word of Doctor Juer? A document with a signature and seal, perhaps?"
Ashley shook his head. "Surely a paternity test would do?" he suggested.
Balroc was shaking his head now. "Proof of paternity is not what is in question here, only your recognition as legitimate heirs. Now go home. Nothing can be done until after the hearing." He ushered them from the room, their hearts and minds reeling.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Jordan's knuckles rapped on the wooden door of Allan and Eohne's apartment.
"No lights," Ashley murmured.
Jordan opened the door and went inside. "Eohne? Dad?"
"They don't lock the place?" Ashley asked as they wandered into the ground floor apartment. It was neat and tidy except for Eohne's worktable, scattered as it was with all manner of strange things. The little white butterflies still fluttered tirelessly in a cluster over the table, reminding Jordan of Sohne's message to Eohne.
"The border magic has the ability to track people. If anyone misbehaves, they can easily be found and kicked out permanently," Jordan explained. "Rodania is very safe."
"Except for the harpies," Ashley muttered, wandering through the galley kitchen and poking his head into one of the bedrooms. "You sure they won't mind me crashing with them?"
"Better than staying with Sol and me,” said Jordan. "He won't be impressed that I've been fraternizing with the enemy." She smiled at Ashley so he knew she didn't actually see him as the enemy any longer. But it was only fair to warn him that her friends wouldn't be so quick to forgive him, after he had tried to kill her. "I'd steer clear of him and Toth, if I were you."
Ashley's look was sincere. "For what it's worth, I am sorry about that. If I could go back, I would do things differently."
Jordan grunted in response. Somehow, a verbal apology just wasn't quite enough for the terror that Jordan had endured as Ashley had pursued her with murder in his eyes. "Well, I'm alive, at any rate." Jordan slumped into one of the chairs, and watched as Ashley wandered by Eohne's worktable.
He stopped at the butterflies and lifted a finger.
"Don't touch that," said Jordan, her chin in her hand.
She hoped someone would be coming home soon. She was completely exhausted and wanted nothing more than to sleep off the shock of the day’s events, and then help Sol and Toth make preparations for Golpa.
She wished more than ever that she was going with them. Somehow, facing off with harpies was easier than dealing with politicians who thought she was scheming for the throne.
Footsteps could be heard approaching, and the door swung open. Allan entered the apartment, his hair windblown and his cheeks flushed.
"Jordy! You're back. What happened? Did you get the fungus? You were so fa…" Allan stopped midsentence when he saw Ashley standing in front of Eohne's table, staring back at him. Allan's face became ghostly, and his freckles stood out. His lips softened and his face grew long as recognition transformed his features. Allan let out a long sigh of understanding. His eyes devoured the young man standing across the room from him. "I've not seen you since you were a toddler, but I would know you anywhere."
Ashley shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, his eyes going to the floor, to Jordan, to the ceiling, and back to Allan. "I… uh…"
"It's okay." Allan set the book he was holding down on the table and took a few steps toward Ashley. He held out his hand. "I'm Allan. It's amazing to see you again, Ashley." Allan's voice grew tight with emotion. "You've gone and grown up."
Ashley took Allan's hand and the two men shook, eye to eye.
Jordan wondered what was going through Ashley's mind. He was shaking the hand of the man who had started out as his father, before Jaclyn had taken him away. As far as Jordan knew, Ashley never had a father figure after Allan.
Allan turned toward Jordan, and her heart ached for him. His eyes were full of a heavy, breathless pain, in spite of the smile of welcome on his lips. He pulled out a stool and sat down. He gestured to a seat, inviting Ashley to join him.
"How did—–" His voice went hoarse, and Allan coughed to clear it. "How did this happen?" He pointed between the twins and then folded his hands together, but not before both Jordan and Ashley noticed that his fingers were trembling.
"I landed in Maticaw for the night and was on my way to the Silver Pony to wait out the storm when I ran into him."
"Quite literally," Ashley added.
Jordan nodded, giving Ashley a crooked smile. It was surreal, having her twin and her father in the same room. She watched Ashley, scanning his expression for anything hostile. Protectiveness of Allan loomed in her heart suddenly, like a lumbering movie-monster. But her brother's expression was open and soft and, if she wasn't mistaken, a bit embarrassed.
"How is your mother?" Allan asked, his voice gentle.
Ashley let out a laugh that didn't reach his eyes. "Jaclyn and I… we didn't part on the best terms."
"She tried to have him killed," Jordan supplied. "He was a hot mess when I found him."
Allan's face went wooden. "Truly? Jaclyn is far from perfect, but I can hardly believe she would be capable of killing—–" His hazel eyes flashed to Jordan, and she knew what he was thinking; Jaclyn had already tried to have Jordan eliminated. "Her son," Allan amended miserably.
"Believe it." Ashley's words were bitter. "If it weren't for Jordan, I'd probably be dead."
For a moment, Jordan could only see a scared and lost little boy sitting across the room from her. The only person he'd ever trusted, the one he thought would have loved and protected him above all else, had betrayed him in the deepest way possible.
She felt a small amount of acerbic satisfaction that Jaclyn had treated Ashley the same way she'd treated Jordan.
"What happened?" Allan prompted.
Ashley rubbed a hand over his face, and there was red in the corners of his eyes. "I confronted her about my identity and about some of the things she was doing to position herself for power. I didn't understand why she had set me against Jordan that night," Ashley nodded at his twin, his face lined with regret. "Old habits die hard, and when she commanded me to kill you," Ashley was speaking candidly to Jordan now, "I didn't think, I just acted. The way I’d been acting my whole life. Jaclyn brought me up to do her bidding, treating me more like a soldier than a son. I thought all sons were raised this way, until I got old enough to go out into the world and observe different. Anyway," he shrugged his shoulders, "it is not an excuse. I only hope it can shed some light on the circumstances and my mentality… that night."
It was on the tip of Jordan's tongue to ask Ashley why they should trust him, but the image of him bleeding out in the rain that night in Maticaw silenced her. Her instincts told her he was being truthful.
"Jaclyn has been conspiring with Prince Diruk to weaken the king," Ashley said to Allan. "And kill him when the time is right, once they've got their chess pieces in place."
"Treason," whispered Allan, and his face went pale, his freckles standing out in contrast. "You're sure?"
"I'm sure. The plot has been so tightly managed that even I, Jaclyn's right-hand, was never entirely sure of what was going on. Now I'm certain. Jaclyn exposed herself in a bid to get my trust back." His eyes turned calculating and cold. "It backfired."
Allan and Jordan shared a look. Jordan fought the urge to jump in and tell Allan what Ashley had already told her, back in Maticaw, but she kept her lips sealed. It would be better coming from Ashley.
"Why would Jaclyn conspire to kill the king, though? She wants Diruk on the throne because he can give her security and power?" Allan put forward the same exact reasoning Jordan had back in Maticaw.
"Jaclyn doesn't want Diruk on the throne. She's plotting against him, too. Her goal was always to put me on the throne."
"You?" Allan straightened. "How is that even possible?"
"
We are King Konig's children," Ashley's eyes drifted to Jordan, but she only had eyes for Allan.
Allan's hand covered his mouth, and his eyes lost focus as he went somewhere in his mind, letting this news soak in like liquid soaks into cotton. "Jaclyn and the Rodanian king," he said with awe. Multiple emotions played across the surface of Allan's face, and then he reacted in a way that startled both of the twins.
He laughed.
"Oh, marvelous," he said through belly-shaking, genuine laughter. "That woman! It is beginning to make some sense now. I don't know how she did it, but only Jaclyn—–" He interrupted his own diatribe to slap his knee and laugh heartily again.
"Dad?" Jordan's gut tightened as she wondered whether he had finally snapped under the shock of everything his wife had done.
"I'm fine, Jordy. Your old dad is much heartier than he looks. Jaclyn cannot hurt me now. I know you worry about this. But it has been a long time since Jaclyn had any hold over my heart, sweetheart. Don't worry." His eyes crinkled at his daughter, and she was happy to see that they were calculating and precise, not frail or uncertain. They shifted to Ashley. "How did she do this? Did she tell you? I mean," Allan gestured with his hand, "not the baby-making part, but… a king? She is beautiful, sure, but beauty is not enough for this. This is like magic."
Ashley watched Allan, his mouth slightly open, his expression uncertain. Allan's reaction had startled him. He finally collected himself. "She did tell me some of the story, amending some details. But I'll tell you what I know."
"Did she fall through the portal accidentally, the first time?" Allan shifted forward, his elbows on the table, leaning eagerly into the story.
"Yes. She couldn't get back to Earth, and had come through with nothing—–only the clothes on her back and a locket she'd been wearing."
Allan nodded and glanced at Jordan. "Locket."
"I think this part of her history is something she is very proud of," Ashley continued. "How high she was able to rise, when she’d started with absolutely nothing. She was captured by a band of gypsies and sold to a merchant at a slave auction."
Transcendent: The Revelations of Oriceran (The Kacy Chronicles Book 4) Page 12