The Jewel of Kamara (The Delthenon Chronicles) (12 page)

Around
her there was chaos. Small fires crackled, voices shouted, swords clashed. It
was death to any commoner who carried a weapon, and the blows of the Guard were
swift if they were lucky to catch an armed man. For every man that was caught,
ten more swarmed at the Guard, allowing the armed assailants a chance to flee.

Tempani’s
eyes were wide as she watched a man writhing on the ground, clutching at his
sides as the boots of a Guard pounded into him. This was her chance to help
someone. She moved swiftly from where she was hidden behind the rubble of the
old blacksmith’s home. She brought her leg up, kicking the man’s feet from
under him. It wasn’t enough to force him to the ground, but he did stumble. She
landed a fist in his belly and brought a hand up to his throat, crushing his
windpipe the way Nika had taught her. She helped the beaten man to his feet,
and they took off. Behind them she heard the Guard spluttering as he tried to
run after them.

She
let the man lead the way as they ran down alleys, turning and changing
direction constantly. When they could no longer hear the sounds of fighting, he
slowed to a walk, and she followed him towards a house that was in one of the
poorer parts of the city. He pushed open the door and ushered her in. He collapsed
into his kitchen chair, his body sagging as he panted.

She
knelt down in front of him, and with the sleeve of her shirt, she wiped away
the mix of mud and blood that caked his face. Only when he was clean did she
finally see who he was.

“Keane?”
She gasped as she recognized the young stable hand from the city stables.

He
narrowed his eyes and then frowned, pushing her away from him. “You be crazy,
my lady. What’re you doing?”

“I
wanted to help. I know how to fight.”

“I
saw that.” He shook his head. “You
coulda
’ been
killed. The Guard would love to see you dead.”

“Because
I’m Kalaowin?”

He
nodded as he rose and moved slowly to the door. “You got to go.” He motioned
for her to follow. “I’ll take you to someone. He’ll get you home safe.” He
looked at her. “Fix your cap. Your hair’s coming loose.”

She
did as she was told and then followed him back out into the night. They moved
slowly, sticking close to the shadows and avoiding any voices they heard. They
came across another home, this one more alive than the one they’d just left.

There
was light coming through the windows and the sounds of rushed whispers. She
followed him through the door.

“Wait
here,” he whispered as he left her in the hall.

Within
moments he reappeared, Lindow at his heels.

“If
your father knew...”

“And
what of your ma? She’d have your head for this.”

“You
don’t sneak out and join the fighting again. You hear me?”

“I’m
fighting for the same reason as you. I want change in this kingdom.” She glared
at him and crossed her arms. “Besides I can help.”

“You’re
a noble lady with a father who had a Kalaowin wife and a prince chasing you. If
you’re spotted, they’ll kill you. And your family. You will be a traitor to the
crown.”

“Then
I won’t get spotted.”

He
closed his eyes and took a breath, his patience waning. He opened his eyes, and
she saw the fear swimming in them. “Please. Just promise you’ll stay away.”

“I
can’t make that promise. But I do promise that I will be careful,” she said and
reached out to take his hand. “Let’s go home.”

Lindow
peered over her head at Keane, and the stable hand gave a small nod of his
head. And an understanding was reached between the two men. If she tried to
help again, one of them would be there to drag her back home.

—

Wimarc
frowned as his son stood before him, arms crossed firmly against his chest. He
normally admired Nic’s stubbornness. Was beyond proud that he had taken after
him in that way. But on this matter it was giving him nothing but daily
headaches that pounded his temples incessantly. He had drilled into his son
from the day he could talk that his duties to the crown were to come before all
else. Yet here he was, demanding his own choice in bride instead of a match
that would benefit the kingdom. What was so special about this girl that he would
jeopardize everything his ancestors had worked for?”

“You
need to marry for the good of Kamara, Nicolass. You can’t bind yourself to the
first girl who turns your head.”

“I
love her!”

“Love?”
He scoffed. “Kings don’t marry for love.”

“You
love mother.”

“Now
I do. Something changes when you see a woman bearing your child. A respect for
her grows and love forms. You will see that with your bride.”

“But
I already love someone. Marrying Tempani will be good for the kingdom. It could
be an end to the unrest between us and the Kalaowins.”

“That’s
just what she wants you to think. The moment she bears you a son, you will be
insignificant. She will slit your throat, and a Kalaowin will lead our people.”

“She
is Otto’s daughter! Do you really think her capable of such things?”

“It’s
because she’s Otto’s daughter that I know her to be capable. He is a ruthless
knight. The best I’ve seen. His children will have inherited that along with
the savageness of their mother.”

“He
is your friend.”

“Yes,
he is, but I don’t fool myself into believing he wasn’t bewitched by Hamalia.”

“Why
send us to Amarill when we were younger? Why allow us to befriend them?”

“Your
mother adored Hamalia. She can be very insistent when she wants to be. And Otto
is a loyal servant to me. He would have died before letting harm come to my
boys.” He sighed and rubbed his temples. “Look, your friendship with Chae is
fine. I have no qualms with him. He is a fine man and has pledged his sword to
the kingdom. But we don’t know what type of woman Tempani has become. Who is to
say that she hasn’t adopted the ways of the Kalaowins during her absence?”

“She
hasn’t!”

He
shook his head. “I can’t allow it. It’s too risky. Marry Princess
Naleeni
. If you still want Tempani then take her to your
bed as you please. But do not get her pregnant.”

Anger
flashed through Nic’s eyes. “You mean for me to keep her as my whore?”

“We
both get what we want that way.”

“That
is not what I want,” he hissed.

“You
cannot marry her. I will not hear of it.”

Nic
tried to calm himself down. His father would not listen to him if he threatened
or got angry. It would only make him more determined to win. He closed his eyes
and took a deep breath. When he opened them he hoped to find his father staring
back and not his ruler. “I have given my all to this kingdom, and all I ask is
for this one thing in return. Give her a chance to prove that she is dedicated
to Kamara. Please. A chance is not too much to ask.”

Wimarc
watched his son and frowned. Nic wouldn’t budge on this until he saw for
himself that Tempani wasn’t fit to be his wife. “One chance,” he said. “But the
moment she steps out of line you will be betrothed to Princess
Naleeni
.”

“Agreed,”
he said. “But you needn’t bother. She will prove herself.”

Wimarc
ushered his son out of the room and then returned to his desk and picked up his
quill. He would make sure she didn’t succeed.

—

Tempani,
with
Tilaw
at her feet, picked her way through the
deserted streets. The stench of burnt flesh was overwhelming. Rando walked beside
her, offering a hand when she needed to climb over rubble.

Her
knock on the
Proite’s
door was answered by an
exhausted Leandra, a streak of soot smeared across her cheek. Tempani squeezed
her arm and then followed her down the narrow corridor. The back two rooms of
their home had been transformed into makeshift healer’s quarters.

“He
hasn’t stopped,” Leandra whispered as they entered one of the rooms and found
Colbert leaning over a young man whose shoulder had a deep gash. “He’ll over
extend himself. He doesn’t have enough training to do much more. The crown saw
to that,” she spat.

Tempani
crept over and rested her hand on Colbert’s arm. “Take a nap. Let me help.”

He
jerked at her words, his eyes widening in fright. “No,” he whispered. “You
can’t heal outside the convent.”

“I
won’t use magic. I know how to mend without it.”

She
pushed him towards Leandra, who practically had to drag him from the room.
Tempani looked down at the man, who could not have been more than fifteen. The
panic in his eyes tore at her heart. She smoothed his dark hair off his face.

“Just
relax. I’ll make this better.”

“They
was
goin
’ to hurt me ma,” he croaked. “
Didn
’ see the sword come at me.”

“It’s
all right,” she breathed. “You were very brave.”

She
grabbed a clean cloth and soaked it under water before dabbing away at the
blood that had dried at the wound opening.

“Needle
and thread,” she said to Rando. “Find me some.”

While
he rummaged around, she opened a bottle of brandy and poured it through the
man’s dry lips. “Trust me,” she said when he tried to push her hand away. “What
I’m about to do will hurt.” She took the bottle from his lips and tipped a
little over his wound to fight any infection. His screams rang through the
house. She brought the bottle back to his lips and this time he accepted it
without hesitation.

Rando
thrust the needle and thread in her hands, and she set to work, stitching the
wound closed. The man flinched each time the needle pierced his skin, and she
kept apologizing, wishing there was more she could do. Her hands itched to take
the pain away, but she couldn’t. It would be her life if she did.

“Colbert
can heal you once you’re rested,” she whispered. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do more
for you.”

Rando
gripped her shoulder. “You did what you could,” he said. “It was enough.”

Tempani
wiped away her tears, not caring that her hands were covered in blood. She had
stitched up another three wounds by the time Colbert woke up.

“These
people are hurt because of me.”

“You
helped four good men,” Colbert said and offered her a seat, but she shook her
head. “Remember that.”

“We’d
best get back. I told papa I was just going for a ride.”

But
she didn’t want to go home. She was angry, and she wanted answers, She needed to
understand why she was helpless. Why Colbert could only do so much.

“The
Reign of Fear,” Darby said when they were seated in his library. “The days of
Queen
Letish
and King
Hulion
.”

“They’re
the ones that stripped the commoners of all their rights, aren’t they?”

Darby
nodded. “They were banned from attending the University and from holding down
important professions. They were not allowed to be priests or nuns, and they
forbid them from being healers. No commoner was allowed to use magic. If any of
them spoke out against the crown, they were arrested and hung without trial. It
was a terrifying time. Curfews were invoked, and meetings of more than five
commoners were forbidden. Any disobedience and they too were hung.”

“Why
didn’t any of the nobles speak out against it? Surely they saw what was being
done?” Tempani shuddered at the thought of what it would have been like in that
time.

“It
wasn’t only commoners who were hung for speaking out against the crown. Nobles
met the same fate,” he said. “Lord Elian of
Shanda
accused King
Hulion
of being weak in allowing Queen
Letish
to terrorize the kingdom. He warned
Hulion
that she would be the undoing of their kingdom. The
nobles woke the next morning to find him hanging from the queen’s balcony.”

“Did
Lord Elian know what she was plotting?”

“I
doubt it. It was just thought that she was power hungry. They never imagined
she was a traitor also.”

“Thank
you, Yuta,” Tempani said when the young man poured her and Darby a cup of tea.

“She
sold Kamara’s secrets to Euphemia and intercepted warnings of their armies
pouring in over the border because they promised her she would be queen of the
combined kingdoms once she married their King
Allois
.
Euphemia invaded us in little over a week.”

“What
happened to
Hulion
and
Letish
?”

“She
murdered
Hulion
while he slept at night and then
claimed a Euphemian knight had done it. King
Allois
saw this as betrayal and had her hanged.”

“People
say she was a sorceress, don’t they?”

“During
Euphemia’s
rule there were stories that she had used
her magic to convince
Hulion
to marry her and to
control him during their reign. Whether it’s true or not, I don’t know, but
people believe it.”