EPIC: Fourteen Books of Fantasy (70 page)

‘Interesting.’

‘Savage,’ Healer Euka hissed.

The king glared at her. ‘You will keep quiet until spoken to.’

Healer Euka bowed her head again.

‘I have heard Skelkra works closely with the Queens. I am sure it will not be too long before I meet him,’ the king continued.

‘I would not trust him,’ Klawdia said and looked at Healer Euka. ‘Or the healers, for that matter. ‘

The king’s eyes darted to the healer and back again. ‘That is your opinion. Continue with the relevant story.’

Klawdia licked her lips. ‘I knew that it would not be long before Healer Euka brought Ruxdor fighters to kidnap Adenine and take her back to Meligna. I have informants that kept watch on this woman, and I had one of my men threaten her, but she didn’t listen. When she tried to return to Borrelia with her guards, I had my men attack them. If there were casualties, it would not have been without reason.’

‘You see? She killed my men! She merely speculates on my real intentions. I only wished to uphold the law so I could follow the king’s procedures in these matters. Mayor Vawdon resisted my advice and then asked me for a hundred gold to sell me the girl.’

‘I-It’s not true,’ Mayor Vawdon stammered.

The king held up his hand. ‘Klawdia of Ruxdor, it was not your place to interfere with the diplomacy between a healer ambassador and the Borrelia council. You should have spoken to the mayor directly and most especially to me.’

I wondered if anyone else noticed the king hadn’t addressed the mayor’s part in Healer Euka’s story. If the king believed the mayor to be corrupt, wouldn’t he have said something? Maybe the king didn’t trust the healer ambassador. In the corner of the room, a scribe scribbled at a furious rate. His eyes were wide, and his sleeve jiggled from his enthusiasm.

‘It would have been too late,’ Klawdia replied. ‘It was only yesterday that Healer Euka offered Capacia gold for her and Adenine to live in Meligna. Why do you think the healers don’t want these girls on the register, Your Majesty?’

‘It’s not true.’ Healer Euka said. ‘I offered an incentive for them to come to Meligna. I would have certainly made sure the register was recorded with Adenine’s name beforehand.’

‘Did this Capacia accept the money?’ the king asked.

Klawdia shook her head. ‘No, your Majesty. She never would. What mother would send her daughter off to live with rebels? That’s what the healers are; they have no good intentions to anyone. Some time ago, when I returned from Ruxdor, Healer Euka attacked Adenine in broad daylight. I believe if Capacia had not hired me to help her protect Adenine, Mayor Vawdon and Healer Euka would have forced Adenine to Meligna by now.’

‘Hire? You did this for money?’

Klawdia raised her head. ‘Yes. The mission required a lot of gold.’

‘This casts doubt on your credibility.’

‘Honour can be costly, Your Majesty.’

The king’s mouth twitched, and he tapped his jewelled fingers on the arm of his throne. ‘Why was she not registered when she was born?’

Klawdia shook her head. ‘Because her mother did not want her taken away.’

The king frowned. ‘But it is the law. And the law stipulates that all healer girls be registered and brought to Juxon City as soon as they turn three. They require adequate protection. This Capacia has acted illegally. Is she here today?’ He glanced around the court.

My stomach twisted. I looked at Healer Euka, whose smile stretched the width of her face.

‘No, she is lame and cannot walk,’ Klawdia answered.

‘We saw no reason to bring her,’ Captain Festral said. ‘We weren’t aware of this information until now.’

King Erageo leaned forward. ‘A cripple is not exempt from the law.’

‘Any judgement you pass on the mother can still be administered afterwards,’ the captain assured him.

My heart skipped a beat.

‘Hm, very well. Though next time, I want all witnesses here,’ the king said irritably, and Captain Festral bowed. The king turned back to Klawdia. ‘From what I’ve been told, you attacked Healer Euka, you killed her men, you threatened her, and you took the mayor and his daughter hostage. You might be royalty in Ruxdor, but here you have made yourself a nuisance and acted like my enemy.’

‘I was afraid that Adenine would be taken illegally,’ Klawdia said.

‘Don’t lie to me, Ruxdorian! The girl’s crippled mother paid you to protect her, didn’t she? Your son is in the custody of the Meligna Queens. This is a personal vendetta. Indeed, it is
you
who have acted illegally.’

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I acted for what I thought to be best.’

‘And set yourself higher than myself. There
is
no greater act of treason!’ He slammed his hand on the armrest. His voice became mocking. ‘Why, I believe I should control North
and
South Senya. I believe I should be six-foot tall, built with the muscle of ten men, and rule an army a hundred times the size of any army nearby, but that doesn’t bring it forth.’

The king waved his hand. ‘Move away. Healer Euka, step forward.’

Healer Euka glided across the room and bowed low before the king.

‘Do you swear to tell only the truth to me and to this court?’

She placed a hand on her chest. ‘I swear.’

‘What do you accuse these people of? List them, don’t ramble on as you do.’

Healer Euka looked hurt for a moment and then drew a breath. ‘Your Majesty, first, I suspected the girl was a healer. One time, long ago, another mother sewed the eyes of her daughter shut. It is a rare practice but allows the girls to live normally. Of course, it is a temporary fix. Once their monthly blood starts, their hair turns gold, as you can see with Adenine, whose hair merely hints of the raven black it once was. They cannot hide their nature for long.’

‘As you could not hide yours,’ he said.

‘Yes,’ she said simply, and I wondered what they were referring to.

‘Did you just say they sew the eyes shut?’

‘Yes, Your Majesty. With needle and thread.’

His eyes darted to me. ‘And your mother did this to you, Adenine?’

‘Yes, but—’ I started.

‘By my throne, this can’t be right!’ he interrupted.

‘My own uncle tried to take from me what was not his. He loved me. Imagine what strangers would do. And with Papa dead, what was Mama to do? Lose her daughter as well?’

King Erageo’s face softened. He covered his mouth and closed his eyes. Something in what I’d said troubled him. ‘I am sorry for what has happened to you. I see now why your mother did what she did. The laws are in place for a reason, but perhaps I need to revisit them.’

My heart skipped a beat. What did he mean by that? Would I be allowed to live with Mother? I clung to the possibility that I might return to Borrelia. ‘It’s bad to take children from parents who love them, isn’t it?’

The king’s advisors gave me reproachful looks. I lowered my head, knowing I had spoken out of turn again.

The king nodded. ‘You’re right. But these are not normal circumstances, and you are no common girl.’

Healer Euka stepped forward. ‘I was deeply shocked that her mother had done this to her. Such a crime for a parent to commit on their own flesh and blood.’

‘And yet you tried to buy her?’ he asked angrily.

‘No. I didn’t. But I confess I did want to get her away from the horrible people who’d abused her.’

‘The horrible person being her mother?’

‘Yes.’ Healer Euka answered.

I couldn’t believe it. She’d painted everyone except herself as some sort of monster.

‘Did you offer money to Capacia or Mayor Vawdon?’ he asked.

‘No,’ she said.

‘It’s a lie.’ Emala cut in.

Sellend rolled his eyes and looked at the second advisor, who shrugged. I assumed the court didn’t usually operate that way.

The king gestured for Emala to step forward. ‘You obviously have something to add.’

Emala looked like a frightened rabbit. Her nose twitched, and she fiddled with her clothes. ‘Well, um, yes. I do.’

‘Do you swear to tell only the truth to me and to this court?’

She gulped. ‘I swear.’

‘Emala, you’re the daughter of Mayor Vawdon. Correct?’

‘Yes, Your Majesty.’

‘What do you have to say?’

‘Well, a while back, last spring, I heard Father talking to Healer Euka. She offered him a hundred gold for a blind girl.’ She looked over at me.

The king raised his hand. ‘Go on.’

‘Well, I thought I heard Father say yes.’

‘I never offered gold to the mayor,’ Healer Euka cut in.

The king silenced her. ‘One more outburst and you will be removed from this court.’ The king frowned. ‘You say you heard your father accepted the money?’

Emala raised her chin. ‘I thought so, but he says he didn’t, and I must have gotten it wrong.’ She looked at her father, then back at King Erageo. ‘Father is a good man, but I want to be honest.’

I turned and stared at her. She’d actually told the truth and put her father at risk of punishment. I admired her honesty.

‘Your loyalty to me is to be envied, young lady.’ The king smiled at her. ‘Do you have anything else to say?’

Emala regarded me for an instant. ‘I hope you can forgive me for this, Adenine.’ She looked back up at the king. ‘Adenine told me she spent much of her life indoors and her parents didn’t let her out, ever. She’d never been to school, and she’d never played with other kids, and her mother and father used to go on long trips away. I remember seeing them leave sometimes. They left her alone with a man who would eventually die from a sickness. And Adenine has gold eyes. Her uncle knew her gifts. Her mother can’t be a good mother. I don’t think Adenine should go to Meligna, but I don’t think she should go back home either. Maybe she could live with us?’ She looked at her father, and he frowned and shook his head.

The king sat back in his chair. ‘That’s a very astute statement. I agree with you that the mother and the father acted selfishly.’ He stared at me, his expression thoughtful. ‘It troubles me that any mother or father would consider this an option for their child. Healer Euka, is there anything else you would like to add?’

‘Yes.’ She pointed at Jemely. ‘That person assaulted me and locked me in a storeroom.’

‘Well, that’s the least of the accusations here today. We will deal with that last. Mayor Vawdon, step forward. Do you swear to tell only the truth to me and to this court?’

Mayor Vawdon responded, ‘I swear.’

‘How long have you been mayor of Borrelia?’

‘Thirty-five years, Your Majesty.’

‘Is this your first dealing with a healer girl?’

‘No. We’ve had one long ago before I was mayor.’

‘Were her eyes stitched?’

‘No. She was sent to Juxon City as all healer children are.’

‘Did Healer Euka offer you one hundred gold for Adenine?’

‘Yes. But I did not accept. In fact, I tried many times to get Capacia to sign the register.’

‘Strange that your own child’s story contradicts yours,’ the king said to the mayor.

Mayor Vawdon’s eyes widened. ‘Adenine is her best friend. I think her feelings affected her judgement.’

‘Is that true, Emala?’ the king asked.

Emala looked torn.

Mayor Vawdon shouted, ‘All right! I’ll tell the truth.
She
threatened me. Healer Euka
threatened
my family. She threatened my town. She swore when the war began that Borrelia would be taken first and…’

‘He lies!’ Healer Euka yelled. ‘I will not be subjected to this trial if it is to pass in this unfair manner.’ Her eyes glowed more gold than ever, and her cheeks were flushed.

The king perched on the edge of his chair. ‘I must hear all sides.’

She squinted at him. ‘Even if it leads to political unrest between our countries?’

King Erageo smiled. ‘There is only one country that I call Senya. Your Queens have taken a city from me
and
my father. I wish to exist peacefully alongside your Queens, but it will never work if you keep threatening the men I have appointed to uphold my law. How is that in the best interest of our agreement?’

Healer Euka folded her arms. ‘Your laws did nothing to protect Adenine from becoming blind. Where were your laws when that man’s brother tried to rape her? Derkal, I think his name was.’

The king turned to Captain Festral. ‘Someone tried to rape her? Another man?’

‘A matter I dealt with back in Borrelia.’ Captain Festral said.

King Erageo threw me a concerned look. ‘Who conducted the blinding on this girl?’

‘Varago, our town doctor,’ Mayor Vawdon said.

‘I want him banned, stripped of his profession,’ the king ordered.

The mayor bowed. ‘Yes, Your Majesty.’

I looked at Jemely. Her hands were in taut little balls. Being a doctor was everything to Varago.

The king stood. ‘I would like a private audience with Healer Euka now. You may all wait here. Sit on the benches if you like.’

Healer Euka followed him out of the room through a door behind his throne. Everyone shuffled around to take their seats. The soldiers ensured that I sat alone at one end, so I couldn’t talk to my friends. Klawdia was kept apart, also.

When they emerged half an hour later, Healer Euka appeared triumphant, her eyes shining.

The king walked over to the mayor. ‘Mayor Vawdon, will you do me the honour of a private audience?’

The mayor nodded and followed King Erageo back to the door. They were gone for only a short time. Mayor Vawdon frowned as he resumed his place next to Emala. She gave him a questioning look, but the mayor ignored her and looked towards the throne.

The king stood next to his throne. ‘I would now like to speak to my advisors.’

Morrog and Sellend followed the king into the back room, and they were gone a full hour before they returned. The advisors gestured for us all to stand again, and I felt relief as I stretched my legs.

The king resumed his seat. ‘This is what I see before me. Klawdia, you have acted as a law unto yourself. Your loyalty to us was something I valued once upon a time, and now you’ve compromised that. You have committed treason and jeopardised the peace between North Senya and South Senya.’