EPIC: Fourteen Books of Fantasy (69 page)

Later that evening, the door opened, and a well-groomed man entered. He wore a strange shirt with large sleeves and an extraordinarily ruffled collar.

‘Adenine,’ he said, pausing to inspect my eyes.

‘Yes?’

The man cleared his throat. ‘I am Morrog, one of the king’s advisors.’ He closed the door and sat at the room’s small banquet table. He gestured to the opposite seat.

Cautiously, I crossed the room to join him.

He smiled warmly. ‘It has been a while since I met with a healer girl.’

‘I thought the king kept healer girls in the castle.’

The man’s smile remained stuck to his face. ‘True, but they are kept safely away. I never have the pleasure of seeing them.’

I couldn’t help doubting the girls’ safety with any man. Maybe the king’s youth was due to some other source. ‘I have never met a king’s advisor.’

He chuckled. ‘Don’t trust us. Don’t ever trust us.’ He shuffled in his seat, and a lock of hair fell across his forehead. He tucked it back into place. ‘I’m here to discuss the court session tomorrow. Do you know how it works?’

‘Sort of. How are Klawdia and Jemely? How is Emala?’

He frowned. ‘I’m sorry. I’m not allowed to talk about your friends. There are very strict rules here. We can’t have you all conspiring and coming up with even more elaborate lies.’

I put my hand on the table. ‘We’re not lying.’

‘No?’ He smirked.

‘No. Is the king a good man?’

Morrog leaned back in his chair, and lines crinkled at the corners of his eyes. ‘He keeps the wolves from the door.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘It means he does what he can to keep the peace between the Queens and us.’

‘Even if that means doing the wrong thing?’

The man laughed. ‘A moral king is a dead king. A king protects the many, not the few.’

‘What if the king wants a healing, though? Would he use the girls who live here for his own benefit?’

Morrog frowned. ‘You best be careful throwing those kinds of questions around, young lady. But I believe the king to do the best he can.’

‘Fine. So the king doesn’t lay with the healer girls. But what if lots of people in Senya need a healing? Like if the Death Plague broke out again. What happens to
those
people if the only willing healers live in Meligna?’

‘Clever one aren’t you?’ He shrugged. ‘If we’re desperate, the king will send a request to Meligna, and the Queens will send healers to aid us.’

‘Aren’t they our enemies?’

His eyes flicked up to mine. ‘Careful. You’re showing your small town heritage.’ He smiled wryly. ‘It’s a narrow mentality to hate the healers. But it makes sense, given where you are from. Borrelia was in the line of battle when the last war happened. Just remember that the healers loved their country and rebelled for a reason. They’re not our enemies, but they are not our allies either.’

‘But they have all the power.’

He grinned and leaned forward. ‘Mostly, they do.’

My stomach sank, and I was almost certain the king would order me to go with Healer Euka. If healers had all the control, then it was impossible for the king to be fair.

‘Anyway, that’s not why I’m here. Tomorrow, you’ll be called to give a testimony to the events brought up at court. You need to think about what you’re going to say. I suggest telling the truth. But you can make the truth sound good or bad, depending on how you say it.’

I frowned.

‘I’ll give you an example.’ He traced his fingertips along his jaw. ‘Hmm, so let’s imagine you say, “I hate that man.” Simple, right? But when you talk passionately, people doubt that you are telling the truth. Instead of expressing feelings and personal preferences, just give the facts. Instead, you can say, “That man has constantly belittled me, hurt me, and bullied me. It’s difficult to like a person like that.” Can you see how that’s different?’

‘Yes. So I should say what people do, not how I feel about them?’

‘Exactly. That’s the most important thing to remember.’ He scratched his nose. ‘Also, when you’re being questioned, remain calm. Don’t get upset, and don’t show any sign that you are not in control of yourself. A calm person is a sane person.’

‘Will Jemely and Klawdia get this same advice?’

He stood. ‘Of course. You should get some sleep.’ He regarded my eyes again, sniffed, and shook his head. ‘I can see why you’ve received so much attention.’ Saying nothing more, he left.

I considered our conversation.
Don’t get upset. Talk about behaviour. Talk about facts.
I could do that. I passed the time reciting exactly what I would say and how I would say it. It seemed to be the only thing left in my control.

Chapter XXXIII

C
OURT
DAY
ARRIVED
. M
Y
NERVOUSNESS
consumed my appetite, so I ate nothing for breakfast and could not still my mind or my body. I paced around my room, stopping only to calculate the position of the sun in the sky. I could not tell if time was slow or quick. It played tricks with my head, and when Anaya entered, I felt grateful for the distraction. She helped me dress, fixed my hair, and gave me words of encouragement that faded soon after she’d left.

At half-two, Morrog showed up at my door with two soldiers wearing short red capes. He sensed my unease and said that in speaking the truth, I should fear nothing.

‘A nervous man is a guilty man,’ he added.

But his words only made me feel worse. I wasn’t guilty of anything and
still
I felt nervous. I knew Klawdia was in trouble. Jemely might be punished severely, as she was only a maid and had no sway with money or power. Emala could give defence for her father saying that Healer Euka had offered
him
gold. But then if the king asked if Mayor Vawdon accepted it, Emala would say yes and condemn her father. Unless she intended to lie, but she had never given the impression she would.

I hardly noticed my surroundings as we walked towards the king’s court. I felt dizzy. The walls seemed to close in on me, and I was relieved when we came to an open vestibule.

‘This is the waiting room. The royal court is beyond those doors,’ Morrog said.

The king’s seal was painted in silver across the width of the doors. Directly above me, paintings on the ceiling depicted men battling beasts and golden-eyed healers standing behind them comforting the injured. Velvet curtains ran the length of the gold-leaf walls. Rich men and women gathered around me, but I stayed focused on the courtroom behind the walls, where I would meet the king. Finally, two royal guards emerged.

‘Adenine of Borrelia,’ Morrog announced to the two men.

They waved us in and Morrog escorted me into an even bigger room.

My resolve failed with each step that brought me closer to the king. I didn’t dare look at him. A large group gathered around stone steps leading to a raised platform where the throne sat. The silence felt thick and suffocating, and I searched for familiar faces. Only three gazed back at me: Klawdia, Jemely, and Healer Euka. Mayor Vawdon and Emala kept their eyes to the floor. Morrog bowed and walked ahead.

Taking his cue, I curtsied, angled myself towards the throne, and curtsied again. My legs trembled, and I prayed they would not buckle. My body felt as if it floated, and intimidated by the strange eyes on me, I stared at my silken slippers. As I reached the throne, two guards stopped me. I curtsied while looking up to the man who sat in the dazzling, gem-encrusted seat. The jewels reflected natural light trickling through a glass dome in the ceiling. A marble gazebo sheltered the throne, adding to the king’s magnificence. Vines crept along the pillars and bloomed with large white flowers.

The king stared down at me, his arms spread wide as if he knew he could crush me with a single thought. When I met his gaze, the hairs on my neck stood on end, and I marvelled at his youth. Although he had taken the throne many years previous, his skin remained smooth and untouched by the elements.

‘Your Majesty,’ I said.

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

I swallowed. ‘I swear.’ I held his stare so firmly that I worried his eyes would burn a hole in my soul.

Finally, he glanced to the side, releasing his hold on me. I took a breath.

‘Stand aside.’ He flicked his fingers at me.

I moved a pace to my left. Morrog and another man stepped forward. The second man had long hair tied at the back of his head, and he stood tall and slender. The king whispered something to him, and he walked forward to address the room.

‘Klawdia of Ruxdor, come forth.’ He swept his hand from left to right.

I watched my friend take several steps forward and stop before the throne. Her hair frayed in their plaits, and her clothes were ripped. A fresh cut above her eye still oozed, and I wondered if she’d tried to escape. Dirt smudged her face, yet her eyes sparkled with her spirit. The true Klawdia could never be beaten.

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

‘I swear,’ she said through gritted teeth.

The king regarded her for a moment. ‘I have been told by Captain Festral that you threatened the mayor and his daughter’s life. You also attacked Healer Euka twice and killed some of her men. You requested an audience with me, and here we are. State your reasons.’ The king narrowed his eyes. ‘They had better be convincing.’

Klawdia straightened. ‘Your Majesty, you know my history with the Meligna Healers. You knew the nature of my contract with them. This girl’s mother—’ She looked over at me, ‘—asked me to protect her daughter.’

‘And where did you meet her mother?’

‘In Borrelia. The girl lived with her. I once told you I went to Borrelia to retrieve a healer baby and that I could not carry out my mission. That is the girl.’

The king glanced at me for a moment before returning his eyes to the Ruxdorian warrior. ‘I thought this girl lived with her aunt.’

‘I apologise, Your Majesty,’ Capatain Festral said. ‘I should have updated you with the new information. Apparently, the healer girl, Adenine—’ He nodded my way ‘—has always lived with her mother, Capacia.’

‘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 not a murderer!’ I shouted.

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. ‘Sorry,’ I said, covering my face with my hands.

‘The girl is distressed, Your Majesty. She is young,’ Morrog said.

‘Yes. But I do not take kindly to being spoken to in that tone. Do you hear me, young lady?’

I removed my hands, and when I braved to meet the king’s gaze, I realised his expression had warmth and gentleness. He was a father scolding his child. ‘Yes, sir. My father protected me, though. My Uncle Garrad, he was dying. He tried to… force himself on me because he wanted to cure the Weeping Pox.’

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

‘Father and Mother came home in time, and Father attacked Uncle Garrad to protect me. Father didn’t deserve to die for that.’

The king shook his head.

‘A man must control his passions. Your father received a just punishment. Murder is murder and shows a lack of control a man has over his spirit. It is something we must all face and not indulge ourselves in. Your uncle deserved his fate, too. You are not to blame.’

Jemely shook off her captor, ran to my side, and pulled me into a hug. A soldier chased her, but the king raised his hand, and the man halted. I tried to control my tears as Klawdia had once told me to do. Would she be ashamed of me for crying before the king and everyone important?

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

‘Yes, Your Majesty. Healer Euka and Mayor Vawdon have been harassing Adenine for many months. Over the last year, Healer Euka conspired to take Adenine back to Meligna without her signing the 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?’

Klawdia looked at the floor and sighed. ‘I wanted to make sure Skelkra was challenged on his right to rule Ruxdor. It was agreed that I may challenge his leadership. For now though, he remains in charge.’

‘Tell me more about this agreement you made with your people. When can you challenge him?’

‘On my son’s sixteenth birthday, I must travel with him back to Vilseek and formally challenge the chieftain. As he is not of bear blood as my son is, he is considered a temporary chieftain. But the bear that challenges him must win.’

‘That seems the primitive attitude I’m used to from Ruxdorians,’ the king said with a smirk. ‘Tell me, how old is your son?’

‘Fifteen.’

‘Ah, so you will have your chance soon.’

Healer Euka snorted. ‘Not if the Queens do not approve the boy’s leaving, and given Klawdia’s aggressive attacks on us, we will not be lenient. If she even sets foot in Meligna, we will punish her
and
her son for her crimes. 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? We’ve known for some time our countries believe in very different things. I am interested, however, in how this… challenge is carried out.’

Klawdia lifted her gaze to the ceiling. ‘We must seek out the Death Peaks, and high up the mountain are snow bears that walk on two legs. We must kill one using only a dagger. The first man to bring back the head wins.’ Klawdia’s expression hardened with determination.