Tortured: An Epic Dragons and Immortals Romantic Fantasy (Fallen Emrys Chronicles Book 3)

Chapter 8

I leave the High Emrys in her grove of trees and wander back into the palace. I don’t know where I’m headed, but Aneirin finds me soon enough.

“Follow me.” He jerks his head. “This way.”

I hurry after him. I marvel at the peacefulness in the hallways. No busyness like in my father’s palace. Here, as we pass others, they quietly bow. No words are exchanged. There is no loud ruckus coming from the great hall from training men. As we near a room down a lone corridor, a soft murmur of voices reaches me.

The council.

“So they are ready to attack me,” I say.

“Easy, princeling.” Aneirin pauses with his hand on the knob. “They just want to know. They won’t strip you of your dignity or toss you out.”

This can’t be any worse than one of Father’s lectures. I can do this.

We step through the doorway, and immediately the voices hush. About a dozen men and women sitting around a table stand from their seats and bow. Are they honoring my position as royalty or Aneirin’s presence?

A single man stands at the table’s head. He’s dressed from head to toe in silver. A silver circlet graces his brow. This man has an air of maturity that I can’t sense in the others around the room. His grace rivals that of the High Emrys. He reminds me of Aneirin, if he were to have ages of wisdom behind his eyes. The similarity in features is striking.

Aneirin’s father, perhaps?

So he would be a king—his people’s ruler—though I know they don’t use such titles. Even so, he deserves respect. I turn toward him and bow. I’m not sure how to address him though, so I simply say, “It’s an honor.”

“Welcome, Prince Kenrik. It is my honor.” He inclines his head. “I am Lord Ithel. Welcome to Gorlassar. The council is most eager to learn about the mortal world. Please, come, sit.” Lord Ithel gestures to a vacant chair next to him, also at the head of the table.

I join him, not sitting since everyone else still stands. At the head of the table, I’m in an unwanted spotlight.

“Aneirin.” From halfway down the table, Caledu speaks. “You may be excused. This is council business.”

Aneirin stiffens. His face darkens slightly, and he makes a move to leave.

“No.” I extend my hand toward him. “I wish for him to stay. He should hear about Niawen.”

Aneirin turns to Lord Ithel, who nods. Aneirin joins us at the head of the table to Lord Ithel’s right.

Everyone sits in a jarring rustle of chairs that stirs my nerves. We are all nice and cozy, relatively.

I begin to sweat.

Relax. This isn’t about you,Seren says.

Oh, thank the Creator. I sink into my seat. I was beginning to think you’d abandoned me.

I’m not about to miss this. I want to hear what you have to say too.

Lord Ithel addresses the group. “I want to remind the council that today’s sole purpose is to learn about Lord Caedryn and Niawen’s current state. We’ve only heard what Seren was able to tell us so far.”

You’ve told them things already? I ask.

They held council with me, Seren says.

What else could I possibly tell them that you don’t know?

Just start from the beginning.

From the beginning. Not easy, I say.

Lord Ithel continues. “Think of Prince Kenrik as an ambassador from Bryn. We are not here to pass judgment. We are here to learn from him. So I ask that you listen with open hearts.”

Members of the council nod.

I take a deep breath. “I’m not sure what else I can tell you that Seren hasn’t. She told me to start from the beginning, so I will start from meeting Niawen.”

“This is before she was exiled, correct?” This is from a woman with startlingly long lashes.

“Yes. Uh . . .”

“Lady Jenna.”

“Lady Jenna,” I begin. “When Niawen showed up in our kingdom, uh, Talfryn, she healed an injured man. My mother, Queen Sorfrona, was sick and dying, so we asked that she come to the palace and heal her.”

“And she came willingly?” another lady asks.

Lady Ffion,Seren supplies.

I nod as if Seren can see me. I have no idea if she somehow catches my acknowledgment. “She was most eager,” I say to Lady Ffion. “For which I was most grateful. My mother has returned to complete health.”

Lady Ffion turns to the room. “She willingly showed the mortals her powers. How could she have such blatant disregard? She clearly didn’t care that the mortals might use her.”

“She was more than willing to serve.” I look at Aneirin. He seems to think I am doing well because he inclines his head with encouragement. “We never asked any more than what she freely gave.”

“We know all about her time at the palace,” Caledu says. “Seren filled us in. Niawen recklessly fought in a battle with your people. She saved your brother’s life and, in the process, damaged her light when she killed those men.”

I sit up straight. “For which we can never repay her. Prince Kelyn is forever in her debt. I am forever in her debt.”

“Tell us how you found her after she fled to the northern country,” a man with long, braided hair asks.

“Please, Lord . . .”

“Tegau.”

“Lord Tegau, from my understanding, after Niawen was exiled”—I glare at Caledu—“Seren flew her north, where she met Lord Caedryn, and an attachment formed between them.”

“Attachment,” Caledu snarls. “That’s a polite way of putting it. Seren has told us that this Caedryn connived her into exchanging light with him. And then she conceived his child.”

“That was a shock to me as well,” I say.

Shock. Stab.The pain will never get any better.

“Tell us, Prince Kenrik,” Lord Ithel says. “How did you come to find Niawen?”

“The day Niawen flew away from Cynwrig, I watched her. I knew where she was headed. I was concerned about her safety. She’d been through a lot. I wasn’t about to let her go off by herself.”

“She had her dragon,” Lady Ffion says.

“She did,” I reply. “But she was still so new to our world, and her heart had taken a blow, as you all know. So I vowed to follow her, to find her, and bring her back to my father’s palace where she could be around people who cared about her and where she could heal.”

“How very noble of you, Prince Kenrik,” Lady Jenna says softly.

I squeeze my eyes shut for the briefest second and take another huge breath. “At the height of winter, it took me weeks to cross the mountains and reach Lord Caedryn’s realm. Almost as soon as I set foot on his land, it was as if he had been waiting for me. His men apprehended me and took me straight to his citadel where I was promptly thrown into his dungeon.”

“Disgraceful treatment!” Lady Jenna exclaims.

Several members of the council pound on the table. Are they outraged for me? Is this a show of solidarity?

Yes,Seren says.

A feeling of warmth fills me. At least some of these emrys care about me, this once human. “I soon learned that Lord Caedryn had a jealous rage. I suffered at his hand for weeks as he tortured me. Never once did I see Niawen, but I knew she had to be close. I somehow sensed her. During my time in the dungeon, I did not know of her wellbeing.

“When I had all but given up hope, when I had been beaten and left for dead from one of Caedryn’s jealous furies, she found me. And then Caedryn found us together.”

“This Caedryn,” Lord Tegau asks, “from what Seren said, he’s a half-emrys. Have you ever seen him use his powers? Can you tell us what abilities he has?”

“I cannot,” I say. “Every time he beat me, he took pleasure in using his fists. I saw no abilities from him as I did from Niawen.”

“He was careful not to reveal himself to you?”

“Maybe.”

“Does he have power or not?” Lady Ffion asks.

“He has something,” I say. “I think he is like Niawen, but I don’t know to what extent. He is certainly no noble man, and ever since Niawen has given me her light, he has hunted me to no end.”

“Seren assured us he is part emrys,” Lord Tegau says.

“So his ancestry is most definitely from Siana,” Lady Jenna says.

“That is what Seren has told me as well,” I say.

Siana being the one immortal to come through our realm eons ago—way before my birth.

And Niawen being the second to enter our world.

“But how can this man be so evil if he is emrys?” Aneirin asks.

“Part,” Caledu says. “As I’ve always said, the humans bring corruption. He is impure. Unholy. Not worthy of the light he does possess.”

Caedryn would have mortal ancestry, Seren says. Siana would have wed a mortal, so the corruption came through the bloodlines.

“Well, it’s a good thing you don’t ever have to grace his presence,” I say. “But Niawen is out there all on her own. She has no one. She’s not safe from him.”

“And she is with child,” Caledu says. “Seren has told us this much. She carries an abomination in her womb!”

“Because he is not pure emrys!” another man far down the table exclaims.

“Council, we are getting off track.” Lord Ithel turns to me. “You can tell us nothing else about Lord Caedryn?”

“I can tell you that we are bound. When Niawen transferred her light to me, she transferred her bonds with him.”

“All of them?”

“He can hear your thoughts?” Lady Ffion asks.

“Is he aware of this very council?” Lord Tegau asks.

I hold my hands up to calm them. “I’ve done a decent job at blocking him, except when I’m injured, it would seem. In my weakened condition, he doesn’t let the opportunity to torment me pass him by.”

The council members murmur among themselves. I see no good outcome from me being here. They haven’t learned any new information. Caedryn tortured me for weeks, and I learned nothing of his true nature and abilities except for how vile and evil he is.

I stand. “If you will excuse me. I’ve said all I can.” I bow to Lord Ithel and Aneirin. “It’s time I go.”

“But what will you do?” Lady Jenna asks.

“I will do the best I can to keep those I love safe. Most especially Niawen.”

“Which will include you staying away from her so Lord Caedryn cannot find her,” Caledu growls.

I scowl. “I fully intend to stay away from your daughter as long as I have these bonds. You need not worry. Although I do believe she would be safest here.”

Caledu jumps to his feet. “I cannot—”

Aneirin rises. “Caledu, thank you.”

“Aneirin. Once again you stick your business in where it doesn’t belong.”

“Gentlemen, ladies.” I sigh in frustration. “I can leave you with one assurance. I feel Niawen. I can tell she is safe. For now. You need not fear for her.” I step away from my chair. “It’s time I return home.” Without waiting for another response, I sweep out of the council room.

My stomach turns. I have little care for these emrys after seeing how they exiled and left one of their own alone.

Aneirin jogs after me. “You’re sure she’s safe?”

I don’t slow my pace. “Without a doubt.”

Aneirin grabs my arm and halts me. “You swear it.”

I glare at his hand touching me and then lock eyes with him. “She will be safe as long as I’m not with her.”

Aneirin nods.

A timid throat clearing has us both looking to the side. The High Emrys stands beside us, with a folded paper in her hands.

“What’s this?” I ask.

“It’s for your brother,” she says. “For his eyes only. Make sure he destroys it after reading it.”

I take the paper.

“Don’t be tempted to read it. Caedryn will see.”

I tuck the paper into my breast pocket. “I understand.”

Aneirin snorts. “Are you meddling this once, Mother?”

“No. Not really. Prince Kelyn already knows how special Niawen is. These are just some words of hope.”

“Yeah, right,” Aneirin says.

“And her whereabouts.” The High Emrys grins at her son and then turns to me. “Don’t dare peek, Kenrik.” To my surprise, she leans in and kisses my cheek.

I pull away, with wide eyes. “I promise.”

Aneirin bugs his eyes at me, probably amazed by his mother’s audacity.

I stiffen and bow to them. “It’s time I was off. Thank you, both.”

With that, I stride away. Seren, take me home.

I’m in the square waiting for you.