Chapter Thirteen
TEN PASSES OF THE SUN HAD ROLLED OVER Celear to bring us to this monumental moment.
Fate, or what would come down to the decisions of a monarch, could be fickle.
Standing at the king’s right as he sat upon the Ivory Throne, his hair free, the crown of Melowynn upon his head, Aelir looked as kingly as any elf had before him.
His queen sat to his left, his consorts in artfully carved seats on either side of Raewyn and Aelir.
The queen was dressed plainly, for a queen, in a simple blue gown with her dark hair loose, a smaller crown seated among the chestnut curls.
She had not patted any makeup on the scars upon her face nor had she for at least a season.
Let the people look upon me as I am, she had decreed one spring day past, and so it had been ever since.
She was not one for falsehoods or fuckery, as Tezen liked to say.
Today, the throne room was filled with nobility.
I stood with the king, my cousin with the queen, as Jaska was tugged into the throne room.
He looked paler than he had when he had entered the dungeons.
Lack of sunlight and possible impending death did tend to leech the color from a man.
Even in chains, he entered the magnificent room with his head held high.
The nobles hissed at him, his chains rattling along the white stone floor.
The sun streamed in, bright and pure, through tall, ornate windows.
Women in the crowd cooled themselves with small fans while the men simply sweltered in their fancy furs and velvets, most dressed to match their wives’ attire.
A new trend in court that I prayed would die off soon.
Hands behind my back, sword at my side, bronze armor weighing me down.
This was an important day, so Rolim and I were both in plate mail.
My undergarments were already damp with sweat.
Le’ral Fylson was seated on a small stool off to the side.
He was the only advisor on the raised dais this day as Umeris was rumored to be inching closer to joining Ihdos by the hour.
I glanced at the windows, wishing they were open to allow the sea breeze to filter in, when a gasp from the nobles pulled my attention from the plate glass.
Striding in behind Jaska were his wife and son as well as Teryn.
I heard Aelir whispering to V’alor but could not make out what was being said as the ambassador walked in as if he were strolling the gardens.
A placid expression on his handsome face, his goatee was patchy but growing in, I had noticed.
To be honest, I had noticed everything about him over the past ten days.
I’d been at Aelir’s side throughout the negotiations that had resumed.
Teryn, as always, was possessed of great insight and helped to negotiate a treaty that should please all who sailed the Silvura Sea.
Or most that sailed. Many would still be up in arms about the port fees, but money to build bigger and better docks had to be raised somehow.
I’d not spoken to Teryn other than polite nods or official questions such as where he wished to sit, would he require an escort to his suite, or if he desired to have his secretary brought some red tea.
Today, he looked quite beautiful. Black hair combed back and oiled, his charms dangling from his ear, bouncing softly, his green and white robes rich.
His sandals were polished with black leather straps that hugged his feet like a lover.
How I wished to hold him but dared not. Knowing his time here was limited, and to save my heart from being torn asunder, I had distanced myself from the man.
It was for the best, I told myself and Tezen, who was constantly berating me for being a pigheaded coward afraid of a few tender feelings.
I’d threatened her with latrine duty if she brought it up again, but she seemed unafraid.
Probably because she spoke the truth. Teryn walked along with Jaska until they reached the bottom of the steps leading up to the thrones, where four people were about to pass judgment.
Aelir leaned forward, gold locks sliding over his regally clad shoulder to pool on his lap. “Mahouk Nouradi,” he said as the nobles quieted, fans flapping steadily. “I find myself more than mildly surprised to see you down there with the prisoner.”
Teryn bowed deeply then righted, his golden eyes darting to me for a fraction of a moment before addressing the king. I glimpsed a myriad of emotions in that quick glance that set my guts to twisting as if I were back on the sea.
“Your Highness, I am here at the behest of the prisoner’s wife to request that she and their son be turned over to my care for the foreseeable future.”
The nobles whispered to each other as Masha went to her knees before the king, her boy doing the same.
“She is due to give birth soon, Your Majesty.” His sight moved to the queen, amber eyes soft with concern.
“As a woman who has lived through the ordeal, I ask that you and the king look upon her with compassion until her child is born.”
Raewyn spoke up at Aelir’s surprised silence. “When is the child due?” she asked. “Please tell her and the boy to rise. Someone bring her a seat.”
Teryn translated, and within a blink, the stool that would have held Umeris was now under the very pregnant wife of a kidnapper.
Truly, the day was starting off bizarrely.
The boy, Kinya, hung onto his mother like a prickly burdock to a sheep’s wool.
Raewyn pulled Aelir’s glower from Jaska to whisper in his sleek, pointed ear.
“I see no reason to not allow the woman to be surrounded with her people as her time is nigh,” Aelir flatly replied.
Teryn bowed slightly. “I would tell you to keep a close eye on her, for if she disappears in the night, my displeasure shall fall on you, Mahouk. She took part in this abduction of the royal heirs, and if not for the kindness of the queen, she would be giving birth outside the door of her husband’s cell. ”
“The queen is a kind and compassionate woman,” Teryn said, placing a hand on Masha’s drooped shoulders.
She was pale as well. Sadness flowed from her.
“I shall ensure she stays in my suites. After she has given birth, I would ask that she be allowed to linger with my staff as a helper to the undersecretary, who is bedridden with a severe case of shadow whispers.”
Every mainlander looked befuddled. “Mahouk, you push your luck,” Aelir warned, his tone tense. “She too is to stand before me for sentencing. Are you asking that she go back to the Black Sands to be judged by your vahasi?”
“No, Your Majesty, I simply seek to keep a woman with two children out of the dungeons below this mighty keep. I would ask that the king consider a punishment that would allow her to visit her husband periodically while keeping her children close. Perhaps an indentured servitude?”
Aelir sat back with a huff, his back slapping the stone throne. “You ask to keep this woman as a slave?”
That was a shocking request as we on the mainland did not own other elves, or humans, or any other sentient beings. I did not think the Sandrayans did either, but there were no laws about such things, just a general dislike of the practice.
“No, Your Majesty, not a slave but a servant bound to my house under the ruling of the law. She will be under my watchful eye. I would ensure the children are raised properly with no hint of rebellion taught to them. My house is an admired and noble house that sits above reproach. If you wish, I would gladly ask the vahasi to send a recommendation to Your Majesty?”
“No, that is not necessary. Fine, the woman will stay with you through the birthing. As long as she is here in Celear, she will follow our laws. Her son will be taught our ways as well as yours, and if word of any trickery or rebellious verbiage from the boy or her reaches my ears, she will find herself in her own cell and her children handed over to a noble house to be raised. Explain that to her, Mahouk.” Aelir waited for the translations to be made.
Masha bowed as deeply as she could seated with such a large abdomen. She whispered to Teryn.
“She is agreeable to the terms of her servitude in my house. She says that the king of the mainland is just, kind, and handsome.”
“The king of the mainland has a kind queen who would see no woman give birth in squalor,” Aelir replied.
Along the far wall, kneeling royal secretaries were busy writing down what was said, the scratch of quill to vellum barely heard over the fans of the nobles and the discussion between king and ambassador.
“Does she wish to remain for the final judgment of her husband?”
“She does, Your Majesty, and thank you for your intelligent verdict for her. Truly, your god of wisdom speaks through you at all times.” Aelir cocked a gold brow. “I would like to stay with the good wife Ashwish if that pleases you?”
Aelir waved a hand. Teryn moved behind Masha as she lifted her son to her knee to hold him close. The nobles all grew quiet, even the fans stilling, as Aelir looked down on Jaska.
A round man in dark red robes stepped forward, the high justiciar of the royal court, by the name of Dellyn Mothanna.