Broken World Book Four - The Staff of Law (6 page)

“
Tyrander -”

“
Kieran.”

“
Changing your name doesn’t convince me of anything, but you
spin a good yarn.” Merina turned to leave.

“
Princess.” Kieran sat up.

She paused in
the doorway. “Yes?”

“
Please tell me if Talsy gets any worse. I worry about
her.”

“
How touching.” Merina vanished through the door, which slammed
in her wake.

Kieran lay
back with a sigh. “Of course, you don’t believe that either.”

Merina handed
Urlik to his nanny and marched to Talsy’s room, finding her picking
at a plate of roast fowl and steamed vegetables smothered with
gravy.

Merina settled
on the bed beside her. “How are you feeling?”

Talsy
shrugged. “Rotten.”

“
Which is Tyrander’s pack?”

“
Tyrander’s dead, but Kieran’s is over there in the
corner.”

Merina went
over to the three satchels and found two dark bottles in the first
one she opened. Taking one back to the bed, she uncorked it and
sniffed the contents, her eyes watering at the powerful metallic
scent. It certainly smelt like a tonic.

She handed it
to a hovering maid. “Take this to the doctor and ask him what it
is.”

The maid
bobbed and departed, and Talsy eyed the Princess. “What was
that?”

“
Tyrander says that he bought you a tonic.”

“
Have you been talking to the dead?” Talsy said, becoming fed
up with the situation. “Kieran’s got a cheek. Does he think I look
so dreadful?”

“
You are a little pale.”

“
I feel a little pale. If he was here, I’d make him drink the
foul stuff himself.”

Merina
frowned. “You don’t respect him?”

“
Sure I do, when he doesn’t trample on my toes.”

“
He has hit you!” The Princess looked triumphant.

“
Did I say that?” Talsy laughed. “He’s a pushover! I’ve given
him one or two black eyes myself. Kieran would never hurt me. I
must admit, to begin with I was a little afraid of him. After all,
he’s rather large. He was very quiet until I got to know him
better. Then he kept trying to rescue me, and usually ended up
making things worse. I gave him a pretty hard time, poor man. I
still do. We’ve had a few fights, and I usually win, because he
doesn’t want to hurt me.” She snorted. “The moron.”

Merina shook
her head in disbelief. “Tyrander beat me. He... he locked me in a
room and came to me... when the urge took him. If I tried to fight,
he would get more violent. I have scars...”

Talsy took the
Princess’ trembling hand. “That was Tyrander, not Kieran.”

“
They’re the same person!”

“
They’re not! I saw them together.”

Merina covered
her mouth to stifle a sob, and Talsy squeezed the fragile hand she
held. “I’m sorry. How did you escape?”

“
My father. I sent a message to him with one of the servants I
had brought with me. Two died trying to get out, the third
succeeded. My father came and demanded that Tyrander release me,
but he refused. My father was afraid that if he went to war with
Tyrander, he might kill me, so he sent assassins. Twice Tyrander
was wounded, and in the end he... he put me on an old horse and
sent me into the desert. I think he wanted me to die, but my
father’s men found me.”

Talsy put
aside her plate. “It’s okay, he’s dead now; he can’t hurt you
anymore.”

“
He’s in the dungeon. You’ve got to believe me. I don’t want
you to be upset. He’s fooled you by being nice to you, but that’s
Tyrander down there, I’d stake my life on it.”

“
Well, let’s hope you don’t have to,” Talsy muttered with a
sigh.

“
I know you love him.”

“
You do? I mean, of course I do.”

Merina leant
forward. “That’s why he’s been able to fool you. Love is
blind!”

“
It may be blind, but it’s not completely stupid.”

“
He fooled me too, when he courted me. I thought he was
wonderful, so dashing, charming, and utterly handsome.”

Talsy snorted.
“I suppose he’s not bad, if you like his type.”

Merina did not
seem to hear. “Every time I go down to the dungeon, and he’s so
pleasant and kind, I remember how much I loved him. I want to throw
myself into his arms...”

Talsy smiled.
“Maybe you should try it sometime. He’ll probably faint from
shock.”

“
I wish you’d believe me,” Merina mourned.

“
I wish that was Tyrander down there, waiting for the chop. But
it’s not, it’s Kieran. I only wish I could prove it. Unfortunately,
I can’t, because they’re identical. If I showed you Kieran’s scars,
you’d just say they were new. The only difference was that lock of
white hair, which Kieran doesn’t have.”

“
Yes,” Merina agreed. “When it grows back, you’ll see that I’m
right.”

“
When it doesn’t, you’ll feel rather silly, I
think.”

“
If that’s not Tyrander, I’ll... I’ll...”

“
Careful,” Talsy warned, “don’t promise something you wouldn’t
like to do.”

“
I’ll kiss him. On the mouth.”

“
He might like that.” Talsy giggled, imagining Kieran’s
embarrassment, then lay back with a sigh.

Merina rose to
her feet. “You’re tired. I’ll leave you to sleep now. Don’t worry;
I won’t have him executed until you believe me.”

“
Oh good,” Talsy murmured, “then he’s safe.”

The following
morning, a maid approached Merina in her morning room, where she
was busy with her embroidery, to inform her that Princess Talsy was
far sicker, with a high fever, headache, palsy and chills, and had
already vomited upon waking. Merina hurried to Talsy’s bedchamber,
the frightened maid trotting behind her, and raked the Princess’
pale features with a worried glance before ordering the maid to
fetch the doctor. By the time he arrived, Talsy tossed in a
restless sleep, trying to push away the covers. Merina chewed her
lip while the doctor examined Talsy, shaking his head in confusion
and pessimism. He mixed a foul smelling concoction in a cup and
trickled it into the Princess’ mouth, his brow furrowed. When he
finished, Merina confronted him.

“
What’s wrong with her?”

“
I have to say I’m not sure, Highness. She has a fever, and
I’ve given her something for it, but I don’t know what’s causing
it.”

“
What was in that bottle I sent to you?”

“
A strong tonic, very good, I should think. If she recovers,
she should take it. It will build her strength.”

“
If?” she demanded, alarmed.

“
She’s gravely ill, Highness.”

“
She might die?” Merina’s heart quailed at the thought. “She’s
pregnant!”

“
I can’t help that, I’m afraid.”

Merina gazed
at the sweating girl in the bed as the doctor left, her brow
wrinkled with worry. Two maids tended Talsy, wiped her face with
damp cloths and covered her when she threw off the sheets. After a
few minutes of indecision, Merina hurried out.

The rattle of
keys in his cell door roused Kieran from his doze, and he sat up as
Merina came to stand at the foot of his bed. She looked worried and
upset, but he waited for her to speak.

“
Talsy’s very sick,” she blurted at last.

He jumped up
and reached for her without thinking. “Take me to her!”

“
No!” Merina jerked from his hold. “What can you do? You’re not
a doctor.”

“
Is she being treated?”

“
Of course!”

He swung away,
muttering, “It’s that damned child.”

“
I beg your pardon?”

“
The baby! It’s making her sick.”

“
Don’t be ridiculous. She has a fever; she’s ill!”

“
He’d better come,” he said.

“
Who?”

“
I must see her, Princess.”

Merina shook
her head. “You can’t help her, and you’re a prisoner. I only told
you because you asked me to.”

“
Thank you.” Kieran strived to remain calm. “Would you do
something else for me, please?”

“
What?”

He hesitated.
“I know this is going to sound bad, but try to understand. I want
you to leave her alone, get everyone out of the room. Will you do
that?”

“
You want her to die,” she said. “She needs care!”

“
No!” Kieran lowered his voice when she stepped back. “Listen
to me. I love her. I would never harm her, I swear! I promise you,
if you leave her alone in her room, with the window open and the
door locked, just for a few hours, she’ll recover.”

“
How’s that possible?”

“
I can’t tell you, but it is. If you care for her at all, if
you have any kindness in you, please do as I ask.”

Merina eyed
him. “I’ll think about it.”

“
Thank you. It’s the only way to save her.”

“
At least your tonic was just that, and not poison.”

His brows
rose. “Of course it was. Why would I wish to harm her?”

“
Why did you beat me?” She swung away.

“
I didn’t!”

The door
slammed in his face and the key grated in the lock. Consumed now
with worry, he paced around, cursing.

Chapter Three

Talsy tossed
and muttered in a delirium all day, burning with fever, her skin
flushed and sweaty. Merina hovered over the two maids who tended to
her, or fidgeted in her room. She liked Talsy, and the thought of
her dying and taking her unborn child with her to the grave filled
the Princess with deep sorrow. Ronos came twice to enquire about
their sick guest, Orland once.

By the time
dusk drew its veil over the land, Merina could not bear the waiting
any longer. The doctor had returned twice to administer medicine,
shaking his head each time. His attitude made it clear that he
expected the girl to die, and his expression was sympathetic but
hopeless.

After he left
the second time, Talsy called a strange, slurred name in a pleading
tone, and Merina came to a decision. She ordered the maids out, and
they looked shocked at her sharp tone as they scurried from the
room. Merina waited for a moment, gazing at the sick girl with
puzzlement and anxiety. Lilac perfume drifted in through the open
window on a cool night breeze, raising goose bumps on the Princess’
arms. She left the bedchamber and locked the door, going into the
adjoining room, where she slid aside a panel that covered a spy
hole in the wall. Why had Tyrander asked that Talsy be left alone?
Curious, she put her eye to the hole and waited.

Talsy tossed
in the bed, groaned and occasionally mumbled the strange word.
Merina’s back grew stiff as an hour passed, but she persisted,
switching eyes occasionally.

A soft flutter
of wings drew her attention to the window. A raven landed on the
ledge and scanned the room, cocking its head. It hopped down onto
the floor. A rush of wind filled the room, ruffling the bed
hangings, and a man stood where the raven had been. Merina gasped,
pressing her eye to the hole. He glanced around, then approached
the bed. The Princess had seen enough. Lifting her skirts, she ran
to her father’s study, bursting in without knocking.

King Ronos
looked up in surprise. “What is it? The Princess?”

“
No! Yes! Father, come quickly! There’s... It’s... He’s...” She
gulped. “A Mujar!”

“
What?” Ronos leapt up. “Are you sure?”

She nodded.
“I’m sure!”

“
Where?”

“
With Talsy!”

Ronos rounded
his desk and yanked open the door, bellowing for the guards.

“
What are you doing?” Merina demanded.

“
We mustn’t let him get away!”

“
But…”

Ronos marched
away down the hall, barking orders at the men who rushed to his
side. She ran after him, wondering why he summoned crossbowmen. By
the time he reached the Princess’ room, four such men flanked
him.

He turned to
them. “No one shoots unless I say so, or I’ll have his head,
understand? If I do tell you to shoot, aim for his arms; I only
want to stop him escaping.”

The men
nodded, clearly intimidated by the King’s daunting expression.
Ronos crept to the door and unlocked it, then flung it open. The
man leapt away from the bed, and the room filled with wind.

“
No!” Ronos shouted. “Wait! We mean you no harm! No
harm!”

The wind died,
and the Mujar stood poised before the window, gazing at the
King.

Ronos stepped
into the room and held out a hand, palm up. “No harm.”

The Mujar
cocked his head, studying the King with expressionless eyes.

Ronos walked a
little closer, fell to one knee and bowed his head. “Mujar. You
honour my humble castle with your presence. Words cannot describe
my happiness.” He looked up. “Please stay here with your friend,
she needs you, and we welcome you. No one in this city will harm a
Mujar, or I shall have them put to death.”

Orland burst
in. “What’s all the commotion?” He stopped dead, staring at the
stranger. “By the gods!” He dropped to one knee and bowed his
head.