Chapter 13
After hours of contemplating ways to kill Ambassador Lyklor, I finally came to the realization that in my current situation I was powerless to do anything. If I was even seen speaking with him, the other alfar would assume I was being unfaithful to Gaelin and have me killed. The alfar’s senses were too adept to use poisons. I would never be able to get close enough to kill him. I was powerless and I hated it.
That night I dreamt of Lyklor. I saw flashes of him and a light alfar who looked vaguely familiar speaking in the corner of the castle. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but I recognized the alfar’s face. He was a young representative of one of the high houses. I had seen him at dinner and speaking with the king and also in Princess Daealla’s room the day she had summoned for me. I watched as the two of them conspired and plotted against Gaelin. This light alfar had joined forces with Lyklor and the ambassador was using his naivety to his advantage. I jolted awake with the new information.
This had to be a power, not just a coincidence. Gaelin was already up, getting ready for the day. I dressed quickly, eager to seek out the alfar I had seen in my premonition. Gaelin came to kiss me on my head before collecting his jacket.
“What’s on the agenda for today?” I asked.
“More arguments with the dark representatives. Trying to keep my own people on my side in the process,” he said, sounding irritated.
“Why wouldn’t your people back you?” I asked.
“As I said, Lyklor is very convincing. Either he has someone on our side working with him or my court has very little faith in me, which doesn’t reflect well on the crown.”
That was all the confirmation I needed to be certain I wasn’t going crazy. My premonition was of Erendrial’s inside informant, it had to be. But how was I going to oust him? Gods forbid if I was wrong, they would take my head for interfering. I had to plan this one out on my own before I brought it to Gaelin. I didn’t want to add more stress to his plate. Plus, if this was just another dream, I didn’t want to seem like a desperate fool. I had to confirm this for myself first.
“You have nothing to worry about. The alfar love you,” I said.
He leaned in to kiss me on the mouth with a small smile. “Only the alfar?” he asked playfully.
I smiled, trying to hide my discomfort. Looking back at that moment, I may have said those three little words too hastily.
“Stay in crowds today or find Levos and stay with him. I will see you at dinner.”
“Of course,” I said, gathering the laundry and heading out of his chambers.
I dropped the clothing at the wash station and headed towards the debriefing room I knew Gaelin and the others would be in. The members of the council were out in the halls, huddled in small groups, talking amongst themselves. I stationed myself near a large cupboard, pretending to dust the monstrosity as I scoped out the players, searching for the face in my vision.
Filo turned the corner with two other alfar males trailing him. A pair of hands settled on top of my shoulders and startled me. I turned to see Levos staring back at me.
“What are you doing up here and why are you dusting this hunk of crap?”
“Chores and all. Who is that?” I asked, gesturing to the blonde man.
“Uh, that is Lord Filo Uytum, son of Lord Freg Uytum. Why do you ask?”
“Just trying to learn about the court is all,” I turned to leave the hall.
Levos caught up to me with one long stride. “You’ve been here for almost four months, and you are just now asking questions about the houses? Sweet Genevieve, do us both a favor and never enter into politics. Do you take me as a fool? What was that inquiry about?” Levos asked.
Erendrial Lyklor and five of his court members turned the corner heading straight towards us. His eyes locked on mine, and he grinned. I glared at him before dropping my eyes to the floor. As he passed by, I heard a faint laugh deep in his throat.
Levos looked from me to Lyklor and then back to me. “And what in the heavens was that about?”
“Nothing, you’re just seeing things, Levos.”
“Uh, no sweetheart. You better start talking, or we are going to have an altercation and fair warning, you will lose.”
I turned to him, pulling us out of the way of oncoming traffic. “Don’t ask me how, but I think Lord Filo is working with Lyklor as his inside man. That is why Gaelin is having so many problems trying to persuade the other light members to his side. Because Filo is working against him and using his influence to do Lyklor’s bidding.”
Levos looked shocked, trying to process the accusation. “Alright, I am going to pretend I don’t want to know how you got this information. Gen, do you realize what you are saying? If this information is wrong, you will be signing your own death warrant. Not even Gaelin will be able to save you. On top of all that, Filo is a favorite of Princess Daealla. They have an… interesting relationship if you get my meaning.”
“I know. That’s why I was doing a bit of snooping before I said anything.”
“But if you’re right, the king will execute Filo on the spot. If he truly is a traitor, we need to eliminate the spy before any more of our information is leaked to the dark court.”
“Does that mean you’ll help me?” I asked eagerly.
“You know I have nothing better to do, why not? Let’s just try not to get ourselves killed. Now, about the Lyklor situation back in the hall there?”
I rolled my eyes. “He approached me last night and gave me an update on Lily. Don’t ask me why or how he knew about my connection to her, because I really have no clue. He’s a clever bastard, I’ll give him that.”
“He must be trying to gain favor with you to get to Gaelin somehow. Did you tell Gaelin?”
“No, he was asleep when I got back to the room. Plus, I think he would flip if he knew he talked to me alone.”
“You’re right about that. And please don’t make me remind you what happens if anyone else sees you two alone together. I’d rather not have to find a new best friend.”
I couldn’t stop myself from grinning. “Awe, a human, your best friend? I am touched.”
“You’re not completely human so there’s that, but that’s not the point. Don’t be stupid. Stay away from him. He’s after something.” Levos stood for a moment in silence, thinking to himself.
I thought back to the comment about my father. I wanted to tell him, but I couldn’t. Not yet. Not when I didn’t even know if it was true or not.
“If Filo did make a deal with the dark court,” said Levos, “there would be a contract. He isn’t stupid. He wouldn’t trust them out of the kindness of his heart. A blood bond would have been made, which means there must be a paper contract hidden somewhere in his chambers. We’ll have to find a way to get in. Maybe at dinner I’d have time, but I’d need a distraction. Something that would hold everyone’s attention.”
I thought for a moment of a way I could help the plan. I was limited, but I still had a card to play. Alfar loved nothing more than to see humans in pain, right?
“What is the punishment for looking at Gaelin in public in Princess Daealla’s presence?” I asked.
Levos cocked his head to the side, probably trying to figure out if I was serious.
I walked into the throne room for dinner and took my normal place against the wall, keeping my head down and eyes to the floor. The lords and ladies of the light court entered, followed by our dark alfar guests. Erendrial sat at the table closest to the royals. He faced the wall of humans but didn’t glance at any of us. The royals came in last, including Gaelin.
Pitchers and food trays were brought out for us to serve the alfar. I took a ceramic jug of wine and held it close to my chest. My breath trembled and my heart raced. As soon as everyone took their seats, we were signaled to begin making our rounds. The alfar chattered among themselves quietly, making small talk as their dinner and wine were placed in front of them.
I moved to the royal table even though that wasn’t the table I had been assigned to serve. I pushed past the other human girl who was headed their way and began filling the king’s goblet first. I moved to the queen and then Princess Daealla. She stared directly at me with the fire of jealousy I had come to recognize behind her eyes. I took a deep breath and moved to Gaelin’s goblet.
My hand was trembling as I felt his eyes on me. I allowed the wine to trickle from my pitcher to his cup. I felt sick, but this had to be done. I slowly raised my head to his, locking our eyes across the table. His eyes widened in terror as he searched my face to figure out what in the hell I was doing. I locked my eyes on him, pulling the pitcher away from his glass. My head was held high, my shoulders were taunt, and my back was straight.
Gaelin angrily mouthed for me to bow my head, but I did no such thing. Princess Daealla turned to me slowly, baffled by my direct insult. I saw a small smile stretch across her lips. Gaelin tensed, dropping his head in panic.
“Father,” said Daealla proudly to the king, “it looks like we are going to have another form of entertainment this evening.” I waited a moment, long enough in hopes that the king would notice me before finally releasing my gaze, allowing it to fall to the ground.
“Lord Atros, your concubine knows the expectations of her station, does she not?” asked King Lysanthier.
Gaelin glanced up to me, still scowling. “She does,” he muttered.
“Well then, it looks like we are going to have to reprimand her for her direct disobedience and disrespect. Guards, please restrain Lord Atros’s mistress,” barked the king.
Daealla leaned over to her father, whispering something into his ear. He nodded as she took her leave from the table. Two guards grabbed each of my arms, turning me to face the court. The king stood from his seat as the room quieted.
“Tonight, we will have a demonstration of what happens when you disobey even the simplest law. No matter your station, no matter your responsibilities, humans are not and will never be our equal.” He turned to the wall where the humans stood in a line. “Your race is beneath us. You are here only to serve us as we command it. This human has dared to disrespect the future queen of the light. For that, she will be punished.”
I looked around the room. No one seemed to care that I was about to be punished for a simple glance. Some of the light alfar even smiled and gawked at me as if I deserved what was coming. I looked to the dark alfar. Erendrial and his companions sat stone-faced and gave no reaction to the situation.
Filo appeared from the back of the room carrying an iron hammer. I inhaled deeply, anticipating the pain I was about to endure. The king sat as the other two guards turned me back to face Gaelin. One of them pulled my left hand from my side, spreading my fingers across the white tablecloth directly in front of Gaelin. I was shaking in terror, trying to pull back only out of instinct, but I was trapped.
Filo brought the hammer to the table, hovering it over my left hand. “This is going to hurt,” Filo whispered in my ear.
I looked up at him and saw his sadistic smile. I focused on it, knowing he was the reason I was in this position. I looked to Gaelin, expecting him to do something, anything, but he just sat there with his face turned away from me as his whole body tensed. How could someone watch the person they claimed to love suffer? A small tear escaped my eye as I bent my head, no longer able to look at him.
Filo brought the hammer into the air, then barreled it down until it crashed into my hand. I screamed in immense agony as I heard the bones in my hand crack and break. He brought the hammer up a second, then a third time, flattening my hand until I could no longer move a single finger. My screams seemed to land on deaf ears. No one came to help me. No one moved a single inch to stop what was happening to me.
Filo finally stepped away from the table. The others let go of me as I fell helplessly to the floor, cradling my limp, numb hand. I looked at the tablecloth, now covered in my blood. Gaelin refused to look at me. I was trembling as I peered down at my bloodied and bruised hand. I could see spurs of bone poking out from the skin. My nails were shattered, and my wrist bent in an unnatural way.
My vision blurred from the shock and tears as I curled my legs under myself, trying to conjure whatever dignity I had left to stand on my own. I heard footsteps coming from behind me and turned to see Princess Daealla walking towards me with a wrought-iron poker in her hand. The tip had a vibrant red glow. She grabbed the right side of my dress, ripping the fabric to reveal my chest before jabbing the red-hot poker into my skin right underneath my collar bone.
I opened my mouth to scream in pain, but nothing came out. She pushed deeper, allowing my skin to blister from the heat of the metal. She bent down slowly, placing her lips near my ear.
“Now, every time he looks at you, every time he touches you, he will think of me,” whispered Daealla. She withdrew the poker from my chest.
I could feel my skin ripping and tearing as parts of my melted flesh went with the iron poker. I doubled over, feeling sick to my stomach. Tears saturated my face as I forced myself to remain conscious.
“You are dismissed,” said King Lysanthier.
I slowly got to my feet, cradling my hand to my chest. I didn’t dare look at the other alfar. Some of them laughed quietly to themselves as I passed their tables, heading for the exit. I barely made it back to Gaelin’s chambers. I closed the door behind me, sliding down the wall, unsure of what to do now. Hopefully, my sacrifice wasn’t in vain.
Ten minutes passed before Levos entered the room holding a yellow scroll. I was still shaking from the trauma of my punishment. He took one look at me, and his face fell. He rushed to me, taking my warm face in his hands. I began to cry again as I looked at my hand, trying to figure out how my bones would ever heal.
“Gen, sweetheart, look at me. You’re going to be okay. Remember, you will heal. This is only momentary. Your hand will be fine,” he said.
“You need…you need to find a piece of ulyrium,” I forced out.
“What? Why?” he asked.
I pulled my ripped dress to the side, revealing my brand. His eyes widened as he looked at my burnt flesh. “I need you to go over the brand with a ulyrium stone, or it will fade, and they will find out what I am,” I said.
“Gen, I can’t. I can’t hurt you in that way,” he said, holding onto me.
“You have to. To save my life. Please, Levos,” I whispered. He his eyes darkened in pain as he nodded, leaving the room.
He returned with a small ulyrium dagger. The stone was a mix of red and orange swirled together to create a fluid design. He held the dagger over a flame, heating the stone, then gently placed a rolled piece of cloth in my mouth before removing the edge of my torn dress. I pressed my head against the wall, breathing deeply. I nodded for him to begin.
The smell of my burning flesh was all I could focus on. This branding was slower and much more painful. I yelled through the cloth as my whole body shook. It took everything I had to stay seated and not move away from the dagger. Levos steadied me with his other hand as he traced over the already fading mark.
Just as he finished the last lines of the design, the door flew open and Gaelin stepped into the room, his face horrified. He charged at his cousin, picking Levos up by his shirt and slamming him into the wall next to me. My vision was still blurry as I fought to stay awake.
“What in the god's names are you doing?” Gaelin yelled.
“Cousin, I had to. If the mark faded and they saw, then they would know what she is. It had to be done. I didn’t want to. Believe me.” Levos said heavy-heartedly.
Gaelin let him down slowly as they both turned their attention to me.
I looked directly at Levos, not able to stomach the sight of Gaelin. “Was it worth it? Is it what we thought?” I whispered.
“You were right and now we have the proof,” Levos said, picking up the piece of yellow parchment.
I smiled, knowing I could at least destroy one evil in my life.
“What are you two talking about? Tell me, now,” Gaelin growled.
I tried to get up but was too weak. Gaelin reached for me but stopped hesitantly when I turned away from his touch. Levos made his way over to me, helping me stand to my feet. I looked between the two of them, still having trouble breathing.
“You tell him. I’d like to bathe. If you permit me to, that is,” I said sharply to Gaelin.
His eyes filled with pain, and he turned away from me. I walked into the bathroom and closed the door. The water burned my brand and my broken hand. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off and my nerves were screaming in pain. I could feel the wounds of my hand beginning to mend, but I didn’t know how long it would take to fully heal. I would have to fake the injury for some time, acting as if I was healing at a normal human rate.
I curled my legs into my chest, still cradling my hand. I was shaking, replaying the punishment over in my head. Tears poured from my eyes as I sobbed heavily, letting it all go. I brought my fingers to my chest, hesitant to touch the raised raw skin. The brand was oozing as the skin began to turn different shades of green and purple. It’s just a body, Gen, I thought. It’s only skin. This doesn’t define you.
The door of the bathroom opened slowly. Gaelin stepped inside, keeping his eyes to the floor. I curled my knees as high as I could into my chest, trying to cover myself. He walked over to me and knelt beside the tub. He couldn’t look at me.
“Why didn’t you come to me? Why didn’t you just tell me what you had discovered? This all could have been avoided,” he said softly.
“There wasn’t time, and would you really have believed me? You would have wanted to know how I found the information, and that is something I can’t explain to you because I don’t even understand it fully myself,” I said.
“I would have at least listened to what you had to say.”
“And what, taken the word of a half-breed over one of your own? Filo is the one that has been turning your own people against you. He is the one that has been working with the dark alfar and now you have the proof you need to take back control of the council.”
“Why? Why involve yourself in this at all?”
I stopped, biting my lip as I thought of Lilian. “Ambassador Lyklor, he approached me yesterday evening…alone.”
Galen looked at my face finally, trying to connect the dots.
“He knows about my affections for Lilian and that you asked about her when you were in his court. He was testing me, trying to get a rise out of me by pushing my buttons and he succeeded. I figure he’s priming me to influence you for whatever he has up his sleeve, but he’s a threat to Lilian and to you, so I wanted him gone. I discovered his connection with Filo and moved as quickly as I could to eliminate the threat.”
“This isn’t your fight, Gen.”
“No, it’s not, but he has my sister locked in his house of horror. He told me things about her that I can’t even repeat out loud. I’m powerless, unable to save her, so I struck the only way I knew how. I saw an opportunity and I took it.”
Gaelin reached for my shoulder, but I recoiled away from him.
“Please, don’t push me away. Let me help,” he whispered.
“Like you helped at dinner,” I spat out. I looked at him for the first time with disgust. He pulled his hand from me, gripping the edge of the large tub. “How could you just sit there and do nothing? How could you watch as my blood splattered across your table? As the sounds of my bones breaking and my screams of pain filled the air. How can you sit there and say you love me, yet you did nothing?”
“I couldn’t have done a thing, you know this. You knew the laws and you used them to create a distraction for Levos. How is this my fault?” he said.
I took a breath, calming my head and my temper. “You’re right, I did choose this. I knew what I was doing and what had to be done. The point is that you sat there without emotion and watched as they mutilated me. You sat there and you heard me cry out in pain and you did nothing to even try to prevent this from happening. Outside of these walls, I am nothing more than another human body bag that can be used and abused and then thrown to the wolves if it would please the other alfar.”
“That is not true. You know how I feel about you. You know I love you.”
“Do you, Gaelin? Are you even capable of love?”
His face went somber.
“If Ambassador Lyklor wanted to take me from you, would you even lift a finger to prevent it?”
“Of course, I would. You are bound to me. You are mine,” he said angrily.
“Yes, I am your property, but I am also the property of the king. If the king allowed Lyklor to take me there’d be nothing you could do, is there? Because I am just another disposable human, here for your pleasure and your convenience.” I held my head as small tears ran down my face.
“You mean more to me than you know,” he whispered.
A few moments passed before I cleared my throat enough to speak again. “What does the brand mean?” I asked, indicating the mark on my chest. He hung his head in shame.
“It’s the sigil for house Lysanthier.”
I nodded, realizing how clever that little bitch was.
After my bath, Gaelin tended to my hand. Because of my alfar blood we couldn’t call in a healer to quicken the healing process. He reassured me that it would heal in a few days. I curled into bed, facing the balcony. He kissed me gently on the top of my head before turning out the lights. My hand wasn’t the only thing that had been completely shattered. Filo might as well have taken the hammer to my heart and any hope that Gaelin could truly love me.