76Yes I know, I've been off the radar for more than a month, but the back to school for A levels is torture. Besides, I had no idea what to write, I had no idea what Mel would do. I still don't as a matter of fact. I'm making it up as I go along. That's why it's so short. I was going to post it up after I had another brainstorm, but then I thought, better a short chappie than nothing. All honour for the lack of mistakes goes to my wonderful checker Meneldur…
Chapter 9: Curse you Merindars!
'…The lord and lady managed to escape unscathed, he accompanied her back to her chambers and then cleaned up the scene. I did not get a chance to approach but I perceived them to be Sartorian arrows. Lord Flauvic is now in his study alone while Lady Meliara is having dinner with King Galdran.'
'Are you sure they did not get hurt Bolstoi?'
'I cannot be sure, my lord. Lord Flauvic is a very observant person. I could not approach, but I must say, magic might have been involved, for the arrows travelled double the distance ever possible. And Lord Flauvic did not move, he just threw his cloak over the lady.'
'Thank you Bolstoi, you can stop tagging tonight, send a message to our contact in Sartor, I need to know more about Lord Flauvic and the court's sorcerers.'
I turned around to Russav's laughing eyes as my informant exited silently.
'So?'
'So What?'
'Russav, this is not a laughing matter. Someone is trying to murder Lady Meliara, the second time if not third according to reports. This could affect everything.'
'How so, my dear cousin? She seems to have an effective bodyguard in Flauvic. And it might still be a sham. You'll have to get in line to get your turn; I wonder what she said to the other foolish fellow trying to kill her.'
'You don't believe that. You can't believe that. No one would attack Galdran's daughter without a solid reason. I am sure King Galdran has heard about this. I wonder why nothing is being done.'
I paced wildly around the room, an unexplainable panic at the thought of Meliara getting hurt. I could still not figure her out. The part my father had raised told me not to trust anything about her from her innocent beauty to her seeming feelings of justice. But she was so different from anything I had encountered before. I needed to get a hold of myself; I had no time for this.
'Danric, maybe this is exactly what it is, a ploy to distract you. Besides, whatever happens to her is not your problem. What are you going to do about the count? You heard about the execution tomorrow midday I expect?' I appreciated Russav's attempt to focus my mind.
'I- I feel I can't let him pay for my mistake, I should have found another way to ingratiate myself with Galdran.'
'Vidanric, I understand your need to help him but he can't sabotage everything now, you cannot fix everything.'
'I cannot let him die. He is so… pure.'
I didn't tell him how he reminded me of a certain red headed princess in character. I had heard his impassioned speeches and I could not doubt his sincerity.
'You can't do anything now, there has to be some sacrifices. Bran will die helping the cause he believes in. Come let us take a walk, you need to clear your mind.' He got up, pulling me with him.
'Russav, I don't want to go for walks, there is no time, we need to act now otherwise-' I stopped short at the slight form that had frozen in the middle of the corridor at our sight. Lady Meliara vi Remalna. She was dressed for formal dinner.
'Lady Meliara…what a surprise.'
Savona as usual saved my incapability at speech when I came into her presence. Her eyes had flashed angrily at my sight and I wondered at her hostility towards me.
'A nice surprise I hope.'
As usual Russav had to milk the moment kissing her small freckled hand.
'What else could you ever be?'
I examined her flushed face. Loose curls had escaped her tight coiffure and her eyes seemed over bright, and then I noticed her lip, cut open viciously. I wondered how I had not seen it immediately, her eyes had distracted me.
'Your lip is cut, m'lady, you must have it looked at.'
I remarked while inside a boiling feeling was growing, a feeling I could not explain, a surge of protectiveness. I tried to concentrate on her voice.
'Ah yes, I had –'
she stopped short, her eyes narrowing as if she just realized who she was speaking to and changed it to:
'meant to go to the infirmary soon.'
Russav's lips quirked, she didn't seem to realize how easily spotted her lies were, especially as the infirmary was the other way.
'Well let us accompany you, we might need to check Vidanric's head for some damage.'
Oh no, the conversation should not come to me…
'Like a cruel ego?'
And there we went again, her frankness completely confusing me. Russav gave a choked little laugh as we turned towards the infirmary. Ignoring Russav she gave me her full attention and squarely said in that lilting voice of hers:
'We never really finished the conversation we had started, do you still support the same views? Do not be concerned, I did not take my fan with me.'
I gave a start of surprise, I couldn't help it. She was actually admitting to nearly attacking me. No courtier in their right mind would admit to such! Was she alright in the head? Perhaps her mother had dropped her at birth.
'The same views? Which ones would that be?' I answered cautiously, not wanting to be attacked again.
'Well, you gave the impression my father was just and always right, that Count Branaric was a vile traitor and that you considered yourself a hero.'
I cringed inside, Savona would tease me for ages about this one.
I saw Savona biting his lips to keep from laughing, a little warmth entered her eyes as she looked at my cousin and I felt a shard of jealousy pierce me with surprise.
'Was that sarcasm m'lady?' he asked.
She smiled, 'Lord Russav, I know as well as you do how dangerous it is to argue with my dear father, but to spout such lies just makes my blood boil. I would encourage your friend to find a cure of honesty and remorse at the infirmary. Being my father's pet does not assuage a conscience and is a very dangerous spot to be. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll have my lip seen to. '
As she turned around, Russav clapped me on the back trying to hide his laughter. I stood shock still. She must have been switched at birth. There was no other way. She had insulted her father. I stored all the shock into a slot I would need to examine later, I had not time to assess it now as I realized something was wrong, more wrong than usual in the infirmary. I took deep strides to where the healers were bustling right behind Meliara. Suddenly a healer moved, I saw Lady Nimiar if I recognized her correctly. A shrill cry rose up from the princess in front of me and she started running towards her. I had only taken one look at Lady Nimiar but I could recognize poisoning when I saw it, and Meliara was running towards her. I flew behind her, my arms enclosing her before she could touch her lady in waiting.
'Let me go.' She struggled desperately against my arms.
'Lady Meliara, we don't know what caused this you should not be next to this body.'
I tried to reason with the wriggling body against my chest. But she was no match for my years of training and strength.
'LET ME GO!'
She screamed ad I wondered what to do when she broke down in tears. I had not known she had such a strong attachment to Lady Nimiar, but the poisoner seemed to have known. I had been careless.
'I'm sorry m'lady I can't do that.'
She seemed to recognize my voice as she started shivering uncontrollably. An apologetic healer was in front of us, trying to reassure her:
'M'lady, she is not dead yet, we believe she has been poisoned, there is still hope yet.
Meliara suddenly stopped struggling, and she said quietly and coldly:
'Get your hands off me.'
'Only if you promise-'
I did not get to finish my warning, with her elbow she jabbed me sharply in the chest. She had not put a lot of force in the elbow but I loosened my hold for a second with surprise and twisting around so fluidly that for a second it could have been a lover's embrace, she raised her hand and punched me right in the face. With a small 'oomph' I fell to the floor. For a second I saw black and I heard her say:
'I did ask nicely,'
I got up slowly, while Russav laughing hysterically did nothing to assist me, I winced, not because of the pain, she must have had a lot of experience for that did hurt, but because, again, Russav would never let me forget this. Then my attention turned to the offender and I saw her speaking hurriedly to Mora, I hushed Russav with a hand as I heard the end of a whispered conversation:
'… fetch Flauvic, tell him to use any means necessary to save her, any means. I wouldn't be able to, I never studied- I mean, he can save her. And tell him…tell him I was never good at following orders. Now go.'
As soon as her maid left exited, she surveyed the room; courtiers were starting to mill around. She seemed to be making a decision, already having forgotten about me. Her face set, she slipped out of the infirmary. I looked at Russav, he looked at me and we both hurried out after her.
Meliara went directly to her chambers and I wondered if I had gotten the expression on her face wrong, an expression showing the person was desperate. We waited a few moments, Russav yawning behind his hand and I wondered if there was anything he would take seriously. I listened but there was no sound, everything eerily silent. Motioning Russav to keep guard, an order I knew he would not follow, I silently opened the door. Her rooms had been done in forest green and the shadows looked unnatural with the flickering candles. I stepped in cautiously, the last thing I needed was to meet an irate Meliara who thought I was snooping, while I was actually snooping. But as I entered her bedroom I immediately knew there was no human presence in the room. I swore as I noticed the curtains moving in the breeze caused by the open window.
The little minx! Had she known I was following? I looked at the window, should I follow? But Savona's voice held me back.
'Danric, she left a note' he held up a hurriedly stamped parchment.
I snatched it from him. Savona lit a nearby candle as he remarked glibly:
'Well, I doubt it was addressed to you, but read it by all means.'
I did not pay attention as I scanned the hurried words:
'Nee, forgive me for the poison, and for what I am about to do, I cannot explain in a letter, but I will make this all right. Somehow. What I am doing is planned, at least the beginning is. I am not being blackmailed. Whatever happens to me, Nee, you must promise not to do anything rash, I know it's hard to accept coming from me, but I cannot continue the path I swore I would take if you don't take this level headed .Inform my father if anything happens to youor anyone I love, what I am about to do will look like a picnic in the royal gardens. I know this might be found by father dearest's spies so I cannot reveal anything. Tell my knights to do the same thing they did when I stole Flauvic's sword to annoy him. And tell Flauvic to let me handle this, he cannot protect me forever.
With all my love, Meliara
My head reeled with all the information I had just received. Of course she might have planted this to confuse me on her trail, but I immediately refuted the idea, she could not have any idea I would follow. Suddenly reality came crashing down. Now that I knew her intentions were not completely Merindarish, I needed to know how exactly she planned to make this right. Cursing all Merindars to Hell in my head, I vaulted through the open window calling after me,
'Russav replace the letter as if untouched then go back to the healers where all the commotion is, they'll think I am with you.'
I didn't wait to see if he followed as I took off running, I could already hear commotion in the stables and I knew it was not good, whatever it was. I arrived, slightly breathless to a herd of horses milling around in the yard in front of the stables. I tried to weave my way through the ruffled stallions, but I smelled the smoke before I actually saw the raging flames. I gaped as I saw the great stables, the only ones in the royal grounds in a intense fire with golden flames.
She had lit fire to the stables? That was it, there was no doubt, she'd gone off her head.
I felt slightly disappointed, for some reason I had expected something more drastic, while she had gone to stupidly annoy her father and cost overtaxed peasants more money. Guards were starting to mill around in alarm. At that precise moment, the source of the trouble strolled from a nearby hiding place, cool as she pleased. Then addressing the crowd of confused solders, she stated in a prim little voice just in case it was not obvious:
'I caused this fire, you should arrest me now.'
The bewildered soldiers looked to me, and I cursed silently, now they were wondering if I had helped her. There was only one thing left to do. Smoothly approaching her back placed a hand on her shoulder. I noticed her surprised look, it seems she hadn't counted me in her calculations, whatever they were.
'It seems we have an unusual problem, I shall bring this case to the king immediately.'
I saw some men sigh with relief, no one wanted to put royal blood in a dungeon for the night.
Removing my hand I whispered:
'I trust you will not try to escape.'
She gave me a disdainful look that gave me the impression of being a cockroach beneath her notice as she said:
'Come, my father should still be in the sitting room if I am fortunate.'
She led the way as soldiers started to call everyone to stop the fire as some tried to calm the horses.
I was still trying to guess what she was intending when we arrived to the private chambers of the king. She finally stopped, straightening her skirt she took a deep breath, the first signs of nerves I had witnessed the whole night, then setting her shoulders straight she nodded at the two servants in front of the door and without knocking she opened the door…
So what do you think?