A Demon's Wrath (4 page)

“He has done naught but promise. I do not
trust him.” Brian turned to look at her, his hands clutching the
book.

“You are wise,” she said. “The last I heard,
the king has ordered the rebuilding of Rosevalley Castle. But why
he didn’t allow me to go and see to its progress, no matter that
I’ve asked him many times, I do not know. He said I am a woman and
do not know these things. He has a lord there working for him. I
wonder, I just wonder if he was ever going to let us return to our
homeland.” Cecelia sighed after she had said that.

Perhaps, she thought, her suspicion of the
king trying to imprison them here had gotten to her imaginative
mind. Why would he want to keep them away from their home anyway?
Sure, Rosevalley was a very rich island. Could that be the reason?
Because the king wanted to control their vast wealth? By
controlling them here?

“I only wish we didn’t have to live here.
The place is big and nice, but the people…”

Cecelia turned her attention to her brother
then. “I know,” she said, knowing those other youths who were sons
of the princes, lords, and ministers living in the palace had
bullied him, as had both Lady Rosanna and Lady Juliet who had
always been bullying her. Not to mention Queen Eliza herself.

“Brian?” she started.

“Hmm?” The youth turned to her, his brown
eyes very much like their father’s, large and warm.

She swallowed hard because she was afraid to
tell him what she was going to do, afraid he would suffer without
her here.

“I must leave for a time,” she began.

“Why? What for?” Brian frowned.

“Will you promise not to tell anyone?” She
touched him, her hands clutching onto his shoulders.

“What’s this, Celia? Why are you being so
secretive? Why are you leaving?”

“Just promise me, please?”

Brian stared and then nodded. “Aye, I
promise.”

She took a deep breath and said, “I am going
to the Demon Kingdom.”

He just stared at her as if she were
mad.

“What? That’s suicide!”

“To fetch the Pearl of Life,” she explained
quickly.

“But, Celia, ’tis dangerous!”

“I know, but Mother’s life… The king, I have
pleaded with him. He would not agree.”

“Don’t go. You will die and Mother will die.
I will have no one,” he said in anguish.

“Do not speak of such, brother. I will not
die. Mother will not die. And you, Brian, will not be alone. That
much I promise you.” She touched her fingers to his face and looked
deep into his eyes. They stared at each other as they read each
other’s thoughts and feelings.

“When will you leave?” he said at last.

“Tomorrow, at dawn.”

“So soon?”

“Promise me you will look after Mother.”

“I… I promise.”

“Study hard. You are going to be the next
Earl of Rosevalley. I love you, Brian.” She hugged him tight.

“And I you.”

“Now go.” She pushed him away. “I must get
some sleep before the sunrise.”

Brian stiffly got up, clutching the book in
one hand and the other still holding on to hers.

“You must go,” she said.

He nodded and lowered himself to kiss her
forehead. “Good night, Celia,” he said and left her.

Cecelia went to her wardrobe and took out
her packing. Her satchel wasn’t large. It contained only the
essentials. She laid out the man’s garments on her bed, the set she
had asked her elderly maid Agnes to steal from a stable boy the
other night. A commoner’s clothing was what she needed for this
journey.

“My lady, I know I shouldn’t speak,” the
maid said at the door as Cecelia was brushing out her long
tresses.

“Then don’t, Agnes,” Cecelia said, putting
down the brush.

“But…”

“Help me off with this gown,” Cecelia
instructed. “I must rest before the journey.”

The maid sighed and then said meekly, “Aye,
my lady.”

Agnes helped Cecelia take of her sack-back
gown. Once the heavy fabric was off her body, she felt light and
airy. A feeling she wished she could experience more often. But it
was impossible with these types of gown and the many petticoats,
not to mention the corset she had to wear while at the palace. If
she were back home at Rosevalley Island, she’d wear breeches. She
smiled a little then. Aye, she’d wear breeches again soon
enough.

“Don’t forget, if anyone asks,” Cecelia
began, “tell them I’m with Mother, looking after her. I am sure
none would visit her, for her condition is getting worse.”

Agnes nodded as she untied the strings of
the corset around Cecelia’s back. “I am sure they will not visit
her, my lady, for I have heard the maids have rumored that the
poison is contagious and will spread to others within a foot
away.”

“And you, Agnes? Do you fear the poison?”
Cecelia turned to look at the fifty-summers-old woman who had been
looking after her since she was a wee baby.

Cecelia lifted her hands and Agnes removed
the corset from her body.

Agnes said, “Nay, my lady, I’ve known of the
Westwick’s poison. It will kill the person it has infected but will
not spread to others.”

Cecelia had to smile then. “You are not
dimwitted like they are,” she said.

The maid grinned at the compliment.

Once Cecelia was in her nightgown, she
turned to the older woman and said, “Do you think I am dimwitted,
Agnes?”

Agnes looked at her beautiful lady long and
hard. She sighed, her heart heavy in her chest. Then she shook her
head and said, “You are not dimwitted, just too brave for your own
good and for loving your family too much.”

“Thanks, Agnes.” Cecelia smiled.

“Sleep well, my lady. I will pray to God for
you every night. May you return unharmed.”

“Thank you, Agnes,” Cecelia said as she
climbed into bed.

CECELIA WOKE UP JUST BEFORE dawn and dressed
herself in her male garments. The tight breeches fit her just
right, though the shirt and coat was a bit loose on her small
frame. The tall boots and hat completed her attire. She inspected
herself in the mirror. She widened her eyes as she gazed at a young
lad staring back at her.

I’ll fit in as a young man just fine,
she thought proudly, thankful for her small breasts.

She inserted the dagger and then the
smallsword beneath her belt at her waist and then turned to grab
for her belongings.
All set,
she thought as she took a deep
breath. She walked to the door and slipped out. She tiptoed across
the corridor and then down the grand stairs. All were in quietness,
and she was pleased the guards were fast asleep at their post.

The sun was starting to rise when she was
standing just outside the palace gate, looking up at her mother’s
window from the north side.

“I will bring back the Pearl of Life,
Mother. Stay alive,” she murmured and turned toward the sleepy
street of
Zakynthus
City, the
capital city of Dardania Kingdom.

It didn’t take her long to get to the
harbor. There were people everywhere, all of different color and
dressed in different styles of garments. There were many ships
ready for sailing that morning—all to different cities and
kingdoms. She was thankful she had found a ship boarded to
Kingsbridge City of Meridianus Kingdom, a route to the Demon
Kingdom.

She bought herself a passage, and not long
afterward, found herself in a small cabin with nothing more than a
bunk. The bed itself was hard on her back, which was uncommon to
her since her bed both back home and at the Van Zandt Palace were
made of goose feathers. She sighed and closed her eyes for some
sleep. It wasn’t long before she was swayed off and landed hard on
the floor. She looked about her, her mind in a muddle of confusion.
Where am I?
Then her memory rushed back. She was about to
get up when the ship swayed again and she was thrown on her
backside.

Outside, she heard the ruffling of sea
washing up on the floorboards and thunder booming. They were in the
middle of a sea storm, she realized.
Great, just what I
needed.
She hoped she wasn’t going to die before she reached
her destination.

Staggering to stand, she went back to the
bunk and lay still, trying very hard to ignore the motion of the
ship rocking and the storm unleashing its anger on them.

It was bright and sunny after the night of
horrible tornados. Cecelia found herself out and about, offering
her fair and flawless cheeks to the sun to kiss.

On her fifth day, she was on the deck,
looking down at the deep-blue ocean, when she heard a group of men
talking behind her.

“It’ll have ta be done tanight.”

She glanced over her shoulder and saw five
men talking. They were all dressed like commoners: boots, breeches,
coat, and hats. Their clothing, however, was well worn, which
indicated they had spent much time in the streets and seas. Their
very stance was suspicious to her. It looked like they were
conspiring.

“I dunno. What if t’ey found out?”

Ah, that certainly confirmed her suspicion.
She moved closer to the corner so she could hear better.

“They’ll not find out. They’re dumb beasts,”
one said, presumably the leader of the bunch.

Cecelia flicked her eyes to the five men
again.

“What abou’ ta ‘reasure?”

“Nay, not talk ‘ere. Dangerous ‘ere. My
cabin tonight…” the leader said.

Cecelia turned and saw they had already
parted ways.
The treasure?
Were they intending to go to the
Demon Kingdom to steal the Pearl of Life? The object was a rare
piece indeed and would fetch a high price.

Cecelia returned to her room, deep in
thought. She must find out more about the men. If they were
intending to go to the Demon Kingdom, then she would be able to
journey with them.

It didn’t take her long to learn of the
men’s intentions. Two days later, she found them talking again, in
a very secluded spot. Their talk concluded her suspicions. They did
intend to go to the Demon Kingdom to steal the Pearl of Life.
Knowing this was her only chance to have travel companions, she
worked quickly in finding a plan to join them.

The next day, she pretended to bump into one
of the five men. She introduced herself as a young lad in the
process, traveling to different kingdoms to learn the art of exotic
plants and such like. She explained she was particularly intrigued
with the Demon Kingdom where various and unknown plants were
located. She said she didn’t know how to get there, and she
certainly didn’t know any ship that was going there anytime soon,
which was true enough.

The man with the thick black beard looked at
her, his large ears going quite red and his gray eyes sparked with
interest when she mentioned she was quite rich and would offer any
amount of gold coins, a universal currency in the nine kingdoms, in
order to get there.

“Oh, aye, I do know of some who intended to
go there.”

“Do you?” Cecelia smiled. “I would offer any
amount as long as I get there and do some study of the plants.
Surely you find them interesting, too? Such a mysterious place,
don’t you think?” she said further.

“I will ask my people and give you the
answer on the morrow.”

“Marvelous, my friend,” Cecelia said and
turned to go. “Until the morrow, then,” she said over her
shoulder.

It was midafternoon the next day that she
saw the man she had approached the other day coming toward her.

“They agreed,” he said.

Cecelia smiled. “Good indeed. How much have
they agreed on?”

“Ten gold coins.”

Cecelia raised her brows. The price was
expensive indeed. But she wasn’t one to argue when her chance of
getting to the island was more important.

“’Tis expensive.”

“The voyage is dangerous and long. Looking
after a wee lad like ye would cost us much.”

“Indeed,” Cecelia said, nodding. “I will pay
half when you get me to this ship that is to go to the island, and
I will pay the rest once I land there, safe and sound.”

“I dunno.”

“I can always find another. How do I know to
trust you? For all I know, you could be tricking me to steal my
gold.” Cecelia narrowed her eyes at him.

“What cabin do you stay in?”

“I will not tell you. What is the answer?”
She stared at him sharply.

“’Tis a deal,” he said. “The ship arrives at
Kingsbridge City on the morrow. Meet me at the port, and I will
take you. We sail then.” He turned to go.

Cecelia sighed with relief. She returned to
her cabin and packed her belongings she had unpacked when she’d
arrived.

The next day, the ship arrived at
Kingsbridge City. She waited at the port. People were everywhere,
shouting and cursing, jostling and running, shoving and pushing
each other to get to their destination. There were carts loaded
with stacks of hay, family’s bags, vegetables, and animals like
pigs, chickens, and goats zigzagging hazardously along the
so-called roads. There were men on horses making their way toward
the city streets. Never mind that they might step on beggars with
their begging bowls. There were drunken sailors singing and
shouting to whores who happily yelled back with their rusty voice,
luring these poor, stupid sailors of their money. Cecelia felt, for
the first ten minutes, very confused and dizzy. When she got her
bearings back, she looked for the man she’d talked to on the ship
the previous day.

“Come this way. The ship’s not far,” he
said, leading her through the massive crowd.

He took her for a great long walk, away from
the main port, until there was no noise of any kind made by human,
except for the waves of the ocean water lapping onto shore. Then
she saw a ship. It was small, very easily hidden in the dark and
behind cliffs or cave. As she came closer, she saw men at work.
They were in the process of packing and setting sail.