Isle of Wysteria: The Monolith Crumbles (37 page)

* * *

Akar sat calmly in the darkness of the cell, the only light a small ray that shone through the keyhole, illuminating the brand of ii’ainta on his cheek. A fly landed on his broken nose, but he made no effort to shoo it away. He quietly sang to himself in the old tongue, praising Milia and her daughters, praying for their health and reign. As Queen Sotol had trained him to, he filled his mind with such a constant stream of love and esteem for the women of Wysteria, that when they deeply probed his heart, that is all they could find there.

The songs of praise in his mind were so loud, the Treesingers had long since tired of looking, and spent most of their time interrogating the other men.

There was a crack of metal, and the door was opened, revealing the woman charged with him, and a face he had not seen for some time, Lady Buckthorn.

“As you can see, he is being cared for.”

Lady Buckthorn rested her armored hand atop her staff. “You have misunderstood. I came here to retrieve my property. He is one of my best housemen.”

“It’s not like you to become so attached.”

“That is none of your concern. You have already probed his mind dozens of times, what more can you hope to glean?”

“Until the investigation is complete, all branded men are to remain in custody. I’m sorry, but my orders are quite specific.”

Lady Buckthorn bristled, the raw power of her presence evident to everyone nearby. Giving a quick glance over to Akar, she turned around.

“This is not over,” she threatened, her armor jingling as she walked away.

The Treesinger moved to close the door again, but a man approached carrying a tray with a bowl of spoiled rice and a peach. “Food for the prisoner.”

“Wait,” she said, snatching up the peach. “Go ahead.”

The man kept his eyes lowered as he walked into the cell.

As he set down the bowl of rice, he leaned forward, his lips nearly touching Akar’s ear. In a whisper as quiet as a shadow, he spoke to him. “The men of the Boronia and Balsam families are with you.”

Akar’s eyes flicked over to the guard, who was busy wolfing down his peach. “And the Cypress?”

“We speak to them tonight.”

Akar grinned wickedly and picked up the steaming bowl. “Tell everyone, we attack in two weeks.”

The men nodded to one another as they parted. As the cell door slammed home, Akar took some of the spoiled rice and placed it in his mouth. He could not recall anything ever tasting so delicious, and began to sing, thanking the women of Wysteria for blessing him with such generosity.

* * *

As Hanner lay sleeping in his hospital bed, he didn’t even stir as the window was slid open from the outside, and a hooded figure crept within.

Little Strenner’s breathing was calm and steady as the figure stood over him.

Her eyes red from weeping, Ellie pulled back the hood and looked over the child mournfully.

“I’m sorry.”

* * *

“Now presenting High Priestess Oleander,” Dahoon announced, irked that Nikki was standing in his spot.

The High Priestess became suspicious when she entered the court. None of the usual dignitaries or courtiers were present. It was almost vacant, save for a few guards.

“Summoning me privately in closed court. I can see where this is going.”

“I assure you, it is not as bad as you suspect,” Queen Forsythia began. “While it is clear to me that you had nothing but the best intentions for the forest, declaring a state of emergency and stripping the Lotebush family of their status clearly overstepped the authority of your post. I have smoothed things over with them and the Greenbriers, but I wanted to speak to you as well.”

Through the trees, the Queen could feel the High Priestess’ thoughts. She was thinking that the church was the word of Milia, therefore it had no limits.

The Queen corrected the thought before it found voice. “Milia created the division of power between the throne and the cloth, and we will not dispute her wisdom in doing so.”

Oleander pursed her lips. “No, we will not,” she said reluctantly.

“The new archway discovered near the inner sanctum contains many scriptures which were previously unknown to us. Our best scholars have been working on translating them and comparing them to our current cannon. I would like you to oversee that process.”

“Is that a command?”

“It is a request. If they are genuine, they will need to be interpreted and integrated into our scriptural cannon. It could even shed new light and understanding on many of our current passages which are only partially understood.”

“Such as the existence of men with magic.”

“I cannot think of a more suitable party to do so than the head of the church.”

“You would have me validate the existence of a sanctum for men?”

“I would have you discover the truth. Since you have sufficient time to interfere in court politics, it is clear your talents have being under utilized as of late.”

The High Priestess became more defensive. The Queen could feel walls going up inside her mind, attempting to guard her thoughts from her.

“Please do not chafe at this, Kerria. This is the greatest discovery of our generation. If their estimates are correct, these scriptures predate the second age. This is an unparalleled honor the forest is giving you.”

Oleander took a moment to cautiously choose her words. “No, it’s not that. I was just taking a moment to study your intentions. If you had placed anyone else in charge, the church could have disputed their conclusions. By placing me at the head of it, you leave me no choice but to accept what is discovered. It will also occupy my time so fully as to prevent me from intervening in court affairs in the future. And yet, I sense no vindictive emotions behind your decision. No malice. You are simultaneously clever as a viper but gentle as a butterfly. Your mother was like that, too.”

The Queen nodded graciously. “You are no enemy to me, High Priestess. You are a strong and loyal daughter of the forest, and I will treat you as such.”

This surprised Oleander. She took a moment to look over the monarch, this time with fresh eyes. “Thank you. To be honest, I expected a much harsher response from you.”

“You are welcome.”

As the High Priestess turned to leave, the Queen added a bit more. “Circumstances have made us opponents at times, Kerria. But I prefer to think that, in different circumstances, we would have been friends.”

Oleander looked back, gratitude on her creamy wrinkled face. “That is a lovely sentiment. I prefer to think that too, Athel.”

And with that, she departed.

“Now presenting Calla Forsythia,” Dahoon said, stepping in front of Nikki to assert himself.

Calla looked like she was attending her own funeral as she stepped in, the doors closing heavily behind her.

“Hello, Lady Forsythia,” the Queen greeted formally.

Calla bowed, but did not lower her eyes, as if she suspected an attack.

“Recent events have made clear to me that the link is insufficient for rooting out all disloyalty.”

Calla raised a well-sculpted red eyebrow. “Recent events?”

“Yes, the spiking of our trees. Why, what did you think the forest referred to?”

Her eyes darted around to gage the reactions of those present. “Nothing, your Highness.”

“Indeed. The enemy is making contact with members of the forest to conspire against us. The methods used cannot be detected through normal means. As such, new measures are necessary to maintain harmony, so I am creating a new position of Internal Investigations to unearth and scrutinize communications made between our people, so that any disloyalty may be brought to light.”

“And I suppose I will be the first to be investigated?”

The Queen elegantly rested her hands in her lap. “No, I am appointing you to the position.”

Call blinked. “What, me?”

“Yes, of course. Your forest has need of your services. Will you accept?”

Calla looked around, as if suspecting an ambush. “Um…yes, of course. I suppose.”

“Very well, then.”

Nikki walked up and handed Calla her uniform, badge of office, and mission statement. Calla noted with distaste that the uniform was almost identical to an Alliance military uniform.

“So, I will be keeping watch over the…invaders?”

The Queen shook her head. “Your authority will be limited to Wysterian females only. Navy security and the royal guard will continue to handle investigations involving foreigners or men.”

She looked at the clothes over scornfully. “You would have me dress in an Alliance Uniform? I’ll become a pariah.”

“You may decline the honor, of course, but keep in mind, whoever I appoint in your stead will eventually get around to investigating you personally.”

Calla ground her teeth. She clutched the uniform tightly enough to wrinkle it, and stomped out of the court without waiting for leave to be granted.

Nikki was impressed as she made some marks on her slate. “That was merciful. I would have expected you to banish her after what she tried to do to you.”

Alder took the momentary pause as an opportunity to set out some tea for the Queen.

“Banishing her into the territory of our enemies would be a death sentence,” the Queen explained calmly, “and would destroy my standing with the other matrons. I have enough enemies as it is, I cannot afford to have more. Yet, at the same time, I must prevent her from moving against me again in the future.”

This confused Nikki. “So, how does giving her added authority accomplish that?”

Without being asked, Alder added cream and sugar to the tea, just the way he knew she preferred it.

“Simple. She will be under too much scrutiny to do anything.”

Nikki tapped her pencil against her chin. “Ohh, I think I understand. If she does nothing in her new post, she will appear incompetent, so etiquette forces her to investigate the other matrons. But, no one likes oversight, so they will become wary of her. She’ll be watched so closely by the other women she won’t be able to move one way or the other. Even if she attempted to plot against you in secret, they would assume it was a trap or a test of loyalty, and refuse her.”

The Queen nodded graciously as Alder took a toothpick, and teased the surface of the tea and cream with the tip, creating the shape of a beautiful rose. “Her post will force her to be completely honest and open in all her affairs from now on,” she explained. “She knows that if she were to move even one inch out of line, the other women will take note and attempt to use it against her.”

Nikki was flabbergasted. “You’ve neutralized her and turned her into an asset in the same move. You are amazing.”

Alder held out the priceless tea cup for the Queen, but she waited before taking it.

“Thank you for your praise, Nikki, but I am not worthy of it. My mother would have seen this coming before it became a problem. She would have made moves to neutralize the dissent months before the idea even occurred to Calla in the first place. She was a real queen…”

Alder’s hand shook as he looked at his wife tenderly. “My Queen. She ruled in a time of peace. You were cursed, cut off from the link. You cannot blame yourself.”

“No, I will not tolerate excuses. The duty was mine and I failed. I must face the truth without looking away or shielding my eyes. That is the path I must follow.”

The Queen daintily reached for the cup, but it slipped from Alder’s shaking fingers, and came crashing to the floor at her feet.

“Oh my.”

Alder was mortified. He pulled out his handkerchief and moved to contain the mess, while the Queen looked on in concern.

“I cannot tell you how sorry I am,” he fretted, trying to pick up one of the fractured shards. “That cup was an heirloom from your grandmother. I cannot begin to express my shame on this.”

He tried to pick up another shard, but it too slipped out of his grip, and broke into even smaller fragments.

“Oh my, now I have made it worse.”

“It’s all right, Alder,” the Queen said uneasily, the tea soaking into the hem of her gown.

With a gesture from her, a pair of men scuttled over and helped clean up the mess while Alder breathed out apology after apology.

“Alder, are you sure you are all right?”

“Hm? Yes, oh yes, I am quite fine, my Queen. I swear to you it shall never happen again.”

“Perhaps you should lie down.”

“Thank you, but that will not be necessary. I have far too many duties to…”

The heavy doors were kicked in, alerting the guards. Even the Queen was surprised. Her attention had been so centered on Alder that she had not sensed the intruder approaching.

“Ii’ilaikara!” Dahlia Buckthorn swore, only getting two steps in the room before being surrounded. “Stand aside and let me pass!”

“Um, Lady Dahlia Buckthorn arriving uninvited,” Dahoon shouted, fretting over his list and the impropriety of it all.

Roots were grown up to bind her, but not before something heavy was tossed from within the melee, landing before the throne.

The Queen looked down at the armored gauntlet that lay there.

“Let her speak.”

The guards reluctantly unbound the furious Treesinger. As they backed away from her, the Queen realized why she had not sensed her sooner. Whilst Wysterians were nearly always barefoot, even in battle, Dahlia was wearing a thick set of leather boots to separate herself from the living wood.

Dahlia yanked a lock of hair away from her face, hate in her eyes. “Please tell me you are not so far gone that you no longer know what this means,” she spat, pointing at the thrown gauntlet.

“Ca’ama Utii. It means that you consider me your enemy,” the Queen said patiently.

Nikki was shocked.

“Yes, how dare you play dice with my family tree!” Dahlia roared. “I should kill you where you sit.”

The guards stayed close, ready to strike her down if she even attempted to make good on her threat. The Queen remained calm.

“I know it was a risk to remove the spikes, Dahlia, but Juniper consented to share that risk for the good of the forest.”

“It doesn’t matter if you asked her first!”

“She would disagree with you.”