Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
ALINA
My insides were still burning as I cleared my throat and picked up a glass from the polished silver tray that was stationed on a table close to the wall and adorned with fresh cut flowers from the garden.
I took a large sip and almost choked, sparkling wine immediately went up my nose, making me cough more.
Shortly after I woke up, Sally stood in front of me with the vile concoction.
I did not want to make her suspicious, I had to drink the medicine.
She did not move about the room and would not stop talking about the garden party I was expected to attend.
Not finding a way out of it, I took the poison.
Then she prepared a bath and placed a beautiful cream colored dress on my freshly made bed and only after all that was done, did she finally leave.
I sprung to my feet and rushed to the washroom.
It was disgusting, but I had to empty my stomach.
Then I splashed myself with water, and rinsed my mouth more than a dozen times.
The poison was gradually leaving my body, and I could finally think straight.
Parts of memories started coming back to me.
I knew that Railand was never my home. I was born in a castle in the middle of wild fields and I had an older brother.
Every day some new details came back, but not all of my past memories were peaceful.
Along with some bitter sweet moments, I started remembering something else.
Dark shadows and screams in the night. The suffocating feeling of being trapped.
The horror of knowing someone beside you was taking their last breath, tortured and murdered.
And yet, deep down, a twisted sense of relief that it was not your turn.
I had recalled so much, but it was still not enough.
I glanced at the tall figure of my guard standing by the palace’s gates.
His hand was resting on the hilt of his sword, but for some reason I was sure that it was not his weapon of choice.
A row of knives with polished, black steel handles adorned his belt, safely nestled in the skillfully crafted leather.
I could close my eyes and almost see him, effortlessly throwing the meticulously sharpened blades and never missing the target.
At this point I had so many questions that demanded to be answered and no opportunity to ask them.
“Lady Alina?” a vaguely familiar voice broke into my thoughts.
I turned to see Lord Rutterford standing beside me. His ivory colored robe covered his flying suit almost completely. His long hair was tied in the back, making him appear much older.
“Lord Rutterford.”
“I came earlier in the morning to inquire after you, but I was told that you were resting.”
“That was very kind of you.” I forced a weak smile. “Last night was shocking. I confess, I was not in good spirits.” I hesitated.
“Your guard carried you away before I could offer you my assistance. I hope you are feeling better.”
“Yes. Thank you. Do you know what happened?” I asked, and my mind immediately returned to the image of the torn arm on top of the table, screams, and the splashes of scarlet wine on the crisp white tablecloth.
“Someone’s sick joke.”
“But . . . the hand?”
“It was not real. Do you recall how unnaturally blue it was? I was told, after careful examination by the palace physician, that it was fake.”
I lowered my gaze. By ‘physician', he probably meant Mr. Payton, the one who was all too comfortable administering poison to me.
“And what was the intent of playing this joke?”
Lord Rutherford shook his head and glanced around the garden, carefully scrutinizing the other guests promenading around. I thought he would never respond when he suddenly looked straight at me.
“This place is not what it seems. There are many players with different agendas. You must know by now that it is not only about establishing a new heiress on the throne.” Lord Rutterford moved closer, nearly invading my space. “The stakes are very high, milady.”
There was something in his voice that finally broke through the haze and made me pay attention to every word.
“What are you saying?”
“I am going to trust you and drop the act. This is not about you or me, or any clan. A war is upon us. Slowly, this disease, this plague, is killing us, one by one, and there is nothing the council is willing to do to stop it. The clans have to unite to face this challenge. No more games, no more politics. We have to survive. I have not been in the capital for the last two years, but I can see that nothing ever changes, and I suspect that the prosperity of the lucky few is all that matters here. As long as those families have their luxuries, and the walls between them and the plague, the situation will never change. There are others who are less lucky. There are others who struggle every day to find food and fresh water, who are killing themselves by doing hard labor to ensure that their kids can have a hot meal. I am sorry for being direct with you, but yes . . . I suggest you and I form an alliance and work together before it’s too late. I guarantee, we do not have much time.”
“Those are dangerous words.”
“I trust you.”
I looked him straight in the eye. No more games, no more deceptions and polite, meaningless words. He spoke well, he sounded sincere, and for the first time in a while, I felt like I was not being taken advantage of.
“What do you suggest?”
“If you accept my hand, together we could dissolve the council and create a new order, enforce the forgotten law that would be fair for everybody. Help the cities and above all, work on finding the cure.”
The cure. The cure that could save the lives of thousands of people now, and possibly millions in the future.
I searched his face, finding no trace of double meaning or deception.
“I know that you and I just met. That you have no reason to trust me, but I swear that everything I say is the truth.”
“What about marriage?”
“I am not arrogant enough to think that I can convince you to accept me as a man. But, I promise you that you will always be free to live the way you want.”
“In other words you seek a political union?”
“That is too simplified, but yes. It is what I am offering you, along with my hand.”
Involuntarily, I glanced at Kent and caught myself just in time, lowering my gaze.
His arms were folded over his chest, his piercing dark eyes followed every move I made.
“I need to think about it.” I cleared my throat.
“Milady, I hope I can trust your discretion.”
“You shouldn’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.”
Instead of answering, Lord Rutterford took my hand and placed it to his lips, not taking his eyes off me, even for a moment.
When he moved away, it only took a minute before Lady Corliss took his spot.
“My dear child, I see you had some time chatting up with Lord Rutterford. Did he say something interesting?”
“Lord Rutterford complimented my dress.” I turned taking in her pleasant face with fine lines below her almost artificially still eyes.
“Is that so? Men usually pay little attention to trivial things like that. May I recommend Lord Edsel Adger as your dance partner?” She made a gesture and the young man immediately stepped closer.
I only had enough time to erase the annoyance off my face before the youngest son of Lord Adger took my hand. We barely spoke when he pulled me toward the dancing couples.
“Lady Alina, let me tell you how much your presence . . . your grace . . .” he mumbled, wetting his lips and swallowing hard, “ . . . is overfilling me with joy.”
“Thank you,” I said, looking anywhere but at the young man.
“Your beauty knows no limits.”
I stared at him confused.
“Every word you say is music to my ears.”
“Are you . . . Why do you want to marry?”
“Excuse me?”
“Well, I thought . . . You are very young.”
“I am only four years younger than you.”
Four years younger? That meant that he was sixteen years old.
“I am in line to get the position of councilor next year.”
“Councilor?”
This time I did a poor job concealing my disbelief, and the boy immediately turned his face.
“The Queen is old and sickly. She doesn’t come out much. The last time we saw her was the beginning of the spring celebrations. The councilors are the ones who have real power. In many ways, the council is more important than any descendant of the red dragon.” He stared at me without blinking.
Oh gods, I really irritated him.
“No doubt.”
We tried several more topics and ended up following the dancing routine in complete silence for the rest of the song.
"Thank you for this dance. It was a magical experience. One I will cherish until the end of time," Lord Edsel said, surprising me when he spoke.
"Likewise." I curtsied and looked away.
Next came the suitors from the blue clan, and soon, I stopped remembering the faces and names of all the men who dreamed of becoming the king of the dragon lands.
The bright, flickering light of a lamp cast ornate patterns on the surface of the simple wooden table.
My fingers tightened around the porcelain handle of the hairbrush, and slowly, I removed the decorative pins from my hair.
Tracing the lines of gemstones with my fingertips, I thought about Lord Rutherford’s words, trying to make sense of every thread of the web that was slowly tightening around me.
As my memories slowly returned, I could see things more clearly.
I knew that this place, this palace, was not my home.
I knew I was being held against my will, and I knew Kent.
My eyes snapped wide open. Something was wrong with that name; it did not fit him at all.
That was not his real name. He was not even from the blue clan.
His dragon was black. I was sure of it, as sure as I was that we had once been together.
While my body remembered him intimately, my feelings toward him remained a mystery.
I glanced up at my reflection in the mirror.
I had not been outside for so long that the freckles on my nose and cheeks had faded, barely distinguishable in the weak light of the lamp.
For some reason, I knew he loved them. I shook my head and ran the brush through my hair, working through the tangles.
Out of nowhere, I imagined him in my room, slowly picking up my hairbrush.
His calloused fingers grazed the back of my hand as he traced the bristles along my long locks, just like he used to.
My cheeks flushed, and I quickly, carelessly braided my hair before climbing into bed.
Several drops of rain landed on the windowsill, and moments later, the heavy downpour filled every inch of the room with its sound.
I sighed and pulled the blanket up over me.
A muffled sound from somewhere close by woke me.
My eyes opened to see a raw, stone wall, stained with wet, moist spots.
Clusters of black mold stretched all the way up to the corner.
My body shook in cold discomfort, my limbs ached and the throbbing behind my eyes made me nearly blind with pain.
I moaned, propping myself up. Almost immediately, my head spun and the weight of thousands of pounds landed on my shoulders.
But above all, a sickly, unbearable fear had entered my mind and settled deep down into my soul.
I was imprisoned, captured; lost to the whole world and alone, all alone.
A weak whimper escaped my lips. A nagging, uncomfortable sound came from outside and I inched closer to the metal door, knowing deep in my heart that I should stay away, that I should not look.
But, as if pulled by multiple invisible ropes, my body moved upward.
The palms of my hands landed on the surface and I looked in between the bars.
At first, all I could see was the darkness of the empty hall.
Then an almost indistinct movement disturbed the monotone shapes of the shadows.
A half-naked man, gorged on the flesh of a soldier who was still moving under him.
Splashes of blood covered both bodies, the wall, the floor.
I realized that what I was hearing was the man struggling under the monster, and the sounds of teeth tearing off skin and flesh.
My legs gave way, and I fell back on the hard stone floor.
The noises stopped and a loud, piercing screech overpowered my senses.
My eyes flickered toward the door, praying that whatever it was it could not get through to me.
Then the rusty, old handle started to move downward, agonizingly slowly.
Click.
Click.
Click.
I screamed.
“It’s alright. You’re safe. You’re safe.” Kent whispered in my ear.
His strong arms wrapped around my shoulders and pressed my back against the hard, warmth of his chest.
“I’m here. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
Tears soaked my pillow as I covered my face, my shoulders shaking, my throat raw from screaming. I needed him, needed him so badly that I was ready to beg him to stay, because only his presence kept my demons at bay.
“What are you doing here?” I managed to say.
“Don’t worry about it.”
I closed my eyes and let my body relax in his arms, savoring the comfort of his touch.
His closeness was exactly what I needed, and for a brief moment, I allowed myself to simply exist, without concerns or regrets, without the need to remember.
Just a woman, held by a man in an endless world of pain and injustice, finding peace in his arms, if only for a couple of hours.