The Shadow Throne (9 page)

T
obias was supposed to have been released early the next morning, but when I dragged myself out of a deep sleep, he was at the end of a whispered conversation with Commander Kippenger. After the commander left, I asked Tobias what they had been discussing.

“I’m a regent of your court,” Tobias said. “That gives me some value as a prisoner.”

This was not the time for vanity. “You have more value to Carthya alive,” I said. “You should be on your way there already.”

“I agreed to stay, in exchange for some real food and a blanket for you. As part of my terms, they’re also giving you today to rest.”

I wished I were strong enough to refuse the offer and force him to leave, but I wasn’t. I desperately needed the food by then and I was almost constantly numb with cold. So I nodded back at him. Even if I disagreed with his decision, I was grateful for it.

The food was brought soon after, but it was done as a mockery to me. A thick cut of meat and large chunk of bread were offered on a heavy silver bowl fit for a king. For as little as I’d eaten over the past few days, I knew the meat would be too much for my stomach. I tried nibbling on the bread, but it felt just as uneasy inside me.

I kicked the bowl over to Tobias. “You should have this.”

“No,” he said, kicking it back to me. “Jaron, that’s for you.”

“I can’t eat it, and they know that.” I sent the bowl to him again. “It takes a lot of effort to push this over to you, so just take it, please.”

He reached for the bowl, but only stared at it. “I made a deal with them. This isn’t what I wanted.”

“I have the blanket, and that’s enough. Now eat. At least one of us needs our strength.” The food smelled so good that it renewed all the hunger pangs within me. So I wrapped myself in the blanket and lay down to sleep.

I remained that way until late in the day when Kippenger came into the dungeon and announced that King Vargan had returned to speak with me. “You promised to answer the rest of our questions,” he said. “The king wishes to ask them himself.”

I didn’t even open my eyes to reply. “That agreement was only if Tobias left safely.”

“He is still here because of the agreement he made on your behalf! Now get to your feet. King Vargan is extending a hand of friendship to you. He invites you to share tea with him.”

The tea appealed to me, but I had no interest in the kind of friendship he was offering.

Terrowic returned, and this time he was carrying a black livery coat crossed in red, similar to his own uniform. I eyed it, but remained silent. I slowly rose to my feet, mostly to avoid the kicks he was so generous in giving me.

With a nasty glare on his face, Terrowic began unlocking the irons that had bound me to the wall. Then he tossed the coat my way. “Put that on.”

“Wear Avenian colors on my back? You must be joking. Get me something else.”

He pointed to Tobias, who sat silently in his corner of the dungeon. “If you won’t, I can break his arm.”

“Or you could say please. Have you no thought other than cruelty?” I reached for the coat, and then held it out to him. “I’m a king and you’re a servant. You should dress me.”

Terrowic nearly hit me again, but Kippenger grabbed his arm first. “You’re nothing but stinkrot to us. Put that on.”

With a sigh, I slipped the coat over my shoulders. I didn’t bother with belting it closed, but Kippenger cinched it tight for me, then ordered my wrists to be chained again. I held them together without fighting. Once I was bound, Terrowic ordered me to follow him.

“I can’t walk,” I said. “You should know that. You beat me the worst.”

If they hadn’t liked me when I was unresponsive, I certainly wasn’t gaining any friends now. Kippenger huffed and ordered his soldier to carry me to Vargan.

“I’ll do no such thing. He can walk just fine.”

“I watched how you treated him yesterday. Even if he can walk, with those bruises it’ll take an hour to get him there. Pick him up.”

With the gentle manners one might expect from a rabid bulldog, Terrowic threw me over his shoulder. That’s when I finally saw my opportunity. We weren’t even out of the prison before I had the keys from around his waist slipped down the sleeve of my coat.

The king was housed in a hastily assembled but elegantly decorated brick building with three steps leading to the entrance. The soldier dropped me on the ground in front of them and told me I’d walk from here or get dragged in by my feet. I got up, but immediately collapsed forward onto the middle step. That was my moment to let the keys fall inside the coat, held up by the tight belt. Before he had the chance to kick me properly, I stood again and limped to the top. That part was not an act. Walking was genuinely painful.

Vargan was seated beside a simple wood table that looked completely out of place for someone dressed in so much royal finery. The spectacles were gone this time, but he had two red marks on either side of his nose, indicating he had recently been wearing them. And he wore his gray hair straight down today, which made him look even older than usual. A good decade past death, at least.

The entire back of the room was masked by a heavy embroidered curtain that draped onto the floor. I briefly wondered what was behind it, and then decided I didn’t much care. Vargan was surrounded by at least twenty highly decorated soldiers, each of them a human armory. I wanted to believe so many men were needed as protection from my tricks, but I had no tricks left. Both my strength and will to fight were failing. A kitten could’ve guarded Vargan from me.

When I entered, he motioned to a chair across the table, inviting me to join him. I stood in place until the soldiers at my heels pushed me forward. I shuffled to the table and, without looking at him, dropped heavily onto the chair.

Vargan studied me with an expression of disgust and finally offered me a plate of bread and sliced cheese that had been set between us. He waited for me to look at him, and I gave him the finest acknowledgment I could, which mostly consisted of me gathering spit in my mouth in case he happened to lean in closer.

Instead, Vargan sat back in his chair. “Tonight, Avenia will begin a march into Carthya. Thanks to the information you provided my commander yesterday, I know exactly where to attack, and how. I have a hundred men for each of yours. Everyone who stands against me will die.”

My eyes darted up to him, then back to the table. Nothing more.

That angered him, and he got louder. “Don’t you care what’s happening out there? To your country, your people?”

Of course I cared. If he looked at me and saw only the scars of my flesh and callous tone of my words, then he knew nothing of who I really was. Who I’d always been.

“You made a bargain with my commander, and you owe me some information. However, we both know that once you give it to me, there won’t be any reason to keep you alive.” Vargan did lean forward then, but it was too late. I had swallowed the spit. “So I’m making you an offer instead. Work with me to end this war. Together, we’ll save thousands of lives, including your own.”

He paused so I could give him some response. I declined to so much as blink.

So he continued, “Carthya will become a tributary to Avenia. I will become emperor of these lands. You will still be a king, although subject to my rule. We can negotiate terms for the tributes, in exchange for peace between us.” Another pause, then he said, “I know you don’t want to hear any of this, but I warned you on the night of your family’s funeral. You could’ve had peace from me then — I wasn’t asking for much. But you ignored my warnings, you played games with the loyalty of my pirates. You had to make it worse.”

Despite everything, I smiled a little. Making things worse was one of my few talents.

“I have shown my ability to take whatever I want from you, and I’ll take Carthya as well, if I have to. But I’d much rather we came to an agreement. With your signature on a treaty, there can never be any question of the arrangement between our countries.”

This time when I failed to answer, Vargan leaned forward enough to reach me. I turned my face away, but he pinched my cheeks with his meaty fingers and forced me to look at him. “I’m offering you peace, and a chance to live. This is the only way you’ll leave this camp alive.”

He was close enough now that when I spit, it hit him directly in the eye. I had aimed for his cheek, but this was better.

“If I care nothing for my own life,” I said bitterly, “just imagine how I feel about yours.”

He cursed and backhanded me hard enough to nearly knock me off my chair, but I didn’t care. I had insulted him worse.

“I told you to humble him,” Vargan said to his men. “Does he look humble?”

In all fairness to his soldiers, until the moment I spit on their king, I probably had looked pretty humble. But this also meant I had more punishment coming my way. The spitting was still worth it.

Vargan started to say something else, but Kippenger had been waiting outside the building and burst inside. He gave a hurried bow to Vargan, then said, “Pardon me, Your Excellency, but a diplomat has come from Carthya inquiring about King Jaron’s death. He begs to see you at once.”

My head whipped around. What diplomat?

Terrowic was immediately beside my chair and put a knife to my throat.

“Take him behind the curtain and keep him quiet there,” Vargan ordered. “I want this boy king to understand exactly what’s at stake if he doesn’t cooperate.”

At knifepoint, two other soldiers dragged me to the head of the room and behind the curtain where there was nothing but stacked crates of supplies for the war. Terrowic whispered again what he’d do if I breathed a word, and it didn’t sound very pleasant. But there’d be no trouble from me. More than anyone in this room, I wanted to know who had come.

As it turned out, I’d have recognized the voice from any distance, and I wished it could’ve been almost anyone else.

“King Vargan, I bring you sad greetings from the kingdom of Carthya, where our people are in mourning. As is my duty at this time, I have come to inquire about the body of our monarch, King Jaron.” That was Harlowe’s voice.

I wanted to cry out, to tell him I was this close and a lot more alive than I was being given credit for. But I knew what would happen to both of us if I so much as cleared my throat.

For reasons I couldn’t fathom, Harlowe had willingly walked into Avenian hands. And now, if I didn’t cooperate, Vargan would take him from me too.

V
argan seized on this new opportunity the way a snake might snatch a mouse. He would force me to act, but I didn’t know how to fix this. It would have been hard enough to get both Tobias and myself out of here. Now Harlowe too? How many others from my kingdom would collect in that dungeon? I didn’t want their company, not here, and no matter how hard they tried to help me, it didn’t make anything easier.

The key to my chains was still hidden inside my coat, but I’d have no chance at freedom before one of the many vigils here killed me, and then Harlowe next. So I stood silently and in full cooperation. For now.

“You wish to have Jaron’s body?” Vargan said to Harlowe. “For what purpose?”

“His title is
King
Jaron,” Harlowe replied calmly. “And naturally, we wish to bury him, according to Carthyan traditions.”

Vargan let a long silence pass, probably in some attempt to intimidate my prime regent. Well, he could stare at Harlowe for as long as he wanted, but I knew Harlowe wouldn’t blink. Eventually, Vargan gave up and said, “It’s a pity Jaron’s dead. Otherwise, I’d have offered you the chance to trade places with him, to give your life for his.”

“And I’d have accepted,” Harlowe said.

“Yes, but would Jaron allow you to do that?” Vargan’s laugh was dark and coarse. He was speaking to Harlowe, but his message was for my ears. “Would he let you die to save himself?”

“I would insist on it,” Harlowe said. “If Jaron were here, I would beg him to find a way to remain alive, even at my expense.”

“And
if
he were here,” Vargan said, “I would offer him a way to save you both. Bring him out!”

The vigils at my sides shoved me back through the curtain and into the main room. I hadn’t been prepared to move so suddenly, and so although I was in bad shape, stumbling into the room probably made my condition look worse. Harlowe sat up straighter when he saw me, but the expression on his face was one of deep sadness, not surprise. I tried to understand that. Obviously, he must have known all along that I was alive, but how? Harlowe immediately left his chair and bowed at my feet, a move that infuriated Vargan.

“You will bow to me before this is finished!” Vargan growled. “Both of you will.”

Harlowe rose again and in his anger seemed to have grown in size, towering over Vargan. He gestured at me with his hand. “Look at him, the suffering he’s clearly endured here! If you allowed such treatment of a royal, then you are not worthy to demand anything of him!”

“He illegally entered Avenia and attacked this camp,” Vargan countered. “Are those the actions of a king or a mercenary? Jaron is my prisoner, and believe me, he has received far more kindness than he deserved.”

Harlowe stepped forward to further the argument, but I mumbled his name to get his attention. Shaking my head, I said, “Go home,
now
, while you can, and let me handle things here. Tell the people I’m well.”

“But you’re not,” Harlowe said. “I will not leave your side.”

Vargan chuckled. “Noble words from both of you, but about choices neither of you have.” He tilted his head in an order for his vigils to advance on Harlowe. They pulled his arms behind him and almost instantly had him in chains similar to mine.

“King Jaron, just before your regent arrived, I was about to give orders concerning you. Can you guess what for?”

“You want to set me free, to save yourself any embarrassment after I escape.”

His eyes narrowed. “I was about to order your execution. But I suggest we start with your prime regent instead. Your younger regent will follow.”

“No!”

“Then do as I say! Sign the papers making Carthya a tribute to Avenia.”

I glanced at Harlowe, but read nothing from his expression. He had to know I couldn’t sign them.

At Vargan’s gesture, the man holding Harlowe withdrew a knife and placed it at his neck. Harlowe cocked his head away, but his eyes were on me. They were calm, or at least, more at peace than I felt.

Then Vargan said, “You will watch him die, Jaron, here and now. And you will know that all of this could have been prevented if you would only bow to me!”

Still, I did not respond. Finally, Vargan said, “Kill him.”

“I need time!” I shouted. “King Vargan, you ask everything of me. The least you could do is give me an hour of privacy with my two regents to discuss your proposal. I need their advice.” Vargan looked unconvinced, but I added, “I promise to make the best possible use of that time.”

Vargan waved us away, back to the same prison where I’d been held before. Vigils led me away first, with Harlowe not far behind. Terrowic, the man from whom I’d stolen the keys, suddenly began patting around for them.

“I’ve lost my keys,” he said to the other vigil with me.

“Again? The king will have your head if he finds out.”

“My vigils never lose their keys,” I muttered. “In Carthya, we’re not that stupid.”

He dug his fingers deeper into my arm and picked up his pace. I nearly lost my footing with the increased speed, but managed to keep up. I didn’t want to stumble again and worry Harlowe. He already seemed concerned enough.

There had only been two sets of chains attached to the wall. Tobias was still bound to one, and when I walked in with Harlowe, he sat up in surprise but said nothing. They returned me to the other chains. With no other alternative, Harlowe was taken to a corner and ordered to sit and not move. Quite pleased with themselves for having taken an additional member of my court, the vigils folded their arms and stood back against the wall.

“We won’t speak a word until you’re gone,” I said. “Your king promised us an hour of privacy to discuss his proposal. Do you want to explain the delay, or shall I?”

The vigils looked at each other, then exited. When I was sure they had gone, I immediately asked Harlowe, “How did you know I was alive?”

“Mott has stayed hidden close to the camp all this time, but he couldn’t get anywhere near you. We didn’t know about Tobias, but I’m glad he’s been here to help you.”

“I’d have done more for him, if I could have,” Tobias said.

Harlowe smiled at him. “And for that, you have an entire kingdom’s gratitude.” Then he turned back to me. “We couldn’t rescue you, so we decided to force you to rescue yourself.”

“If I could escape, I’d have done it already. You sacrificed yourself for nothing!”

“I’ve made no sacrifice, Your Majesty. We will all escape here safely. I know you well enough to see when your mind is working. Now, tell me your plan.”

My last plan had ended with Imogen’s death. I didn’t trust that I could do any better for Harlowe and Tobias this time. However, doing nothing had a very definite outcome for us all. Something had to happen.

Although it required a bit of maneuvering, I was able to withdraw the key from my coat and free myself. Then I freed Tobias, who crept over to Harlowe and set to work at his chains.

“Can either of you fight?” I asked. “I’m afraid I won’t be much help to you here.”

“You know how I am at fighting,” Tobias said. “But I’ll do what I can.”

“Then I’ll be strong enough for all of us,” Harlowe said.

When the guards returned an hour later, we were back in our places, chained to the wall. Or rather, the chains were around our wrists, but not locked.

As soon as they entered, I asked Terrowic, “Did you find your keys?”

He scrunched up one side of his face and moved farther into the cell. “Why?”

“Because if a prisoner found them, you’d be in a lot of trouble.”

Then he understood. He lunged for me, but I rolled away and he hit the wall. From where he had been hiding behind the door, Tobias leapt forward and swung the chains he had worn at the vigil’s head. With a large cracking sound, Terrowic tumbled to the ground, unconscious.

“Did you see that?” Tobias asked. “I did that!”

Harlowe quickly helped Tobias remove the man’s livery, and Tobias slipped it on over his clothes.

We started for the door, but footsteps pounded down toward us from other vigils who had heard the commotion. We were trapped.