February 17,
The day we have been waiting for
finally came, along with the long anticipated letter from the Mallawi nation.
It was filled with exultations of delight at the prospect of our nation paying
a visit. Well not the whole nation but the royal family, at least. Once again I tried to convince Ardythe that I
would better serve the nation here with the castle rather than sailing to
foreign lands. His response surprised me.
“No, ol’ friend. I need you along
with me, for my sanity sake if nothing else. You provide some stability amongst
all this frivolity,” he added, waving towards the young people who were
dutifully dancing under the watchful gaze of Oswyn. They looked anything but
exuberant or frivolous. If anything they looked sad. I kept expecting a sudden
thunder head to appear within the great hall and begin to pour down upon the
heads of these miserable people. But I refrained from saying this to Ardythe.
Still, his statement made me feel as though he wanted my company.
Since I didn’t respond, Ardythe
called a stop to the dance lesson and waved the letter over his head. The
others stopped dancing and obediently circled around him to hear his news.
“I have finally heard from Mallawi,
our neighbors across the great ocean. They are happy to receive us as soon as
we can journey to them. We set sail tomorrow. I know Oswyn has plenty to do to
prepare for our early departure, so do all you can to help her.”
“Why are we going there?” said a
voice softly from within the crowd.
“What? Who said that?” demanded the
king.
Whoever it was was clearly too
frightened to repeat themselves. After a short pause Forlaith spoke up on
behalf of her fellow siblings. “We were wondering, sire, uh… father, why we
were going to Mallawi. They don’t even speak our language.”
“We have no other source for allies
other than Mallawi. They are a rich and prosperous nation. It will be your goal
to attract a spouse among their eligible and wealthy offspring—preferably one
with royal blood. This will aid your country by bringing to our shores gold and
soldiers. Without these aids, Odrar will surely reconquer us within another
couple of years. I know it’s a lot to ask of you, but your nation depends upon
it.”
“You mean, your control over the
Islanders depend on it,” snapped Aedan.
I cringed. Unlike the young prince,
I knew what Ardythe was capable of. If he didn’t control his hot tongue he
would end up with a dagger in his stomach.
I’m sad to say that is exactly what
happened. They argued for a few minutes, Aedan continually growing more
aggressive until finally the king snapped and buried his dagger in the young
man’s side. Aedan dropped to the ground and lay there gasping. The women
screamed, some running away.
Forlaith, though, did the opposite
of what I had expected from the youngest amongst us. She dropped to Aedan’s
side and, using the long flowing sleeve of her dress, began to apply pressure
to the wound. Without easing off the wound she looked up at Ardythe and myself
with such accusation in her eyes I nearly burst into tears myself, and this
isn’t the first time I’ve seen Ardythe kill.
Ardythe tried to meet her eyes and
stare her down, but to my complete shock, he couldn’t. He glanced around, the
bloody dagger still in his hand. Finally he looked up to see the others who had
massed a few feet away.
“Let this be a warning to you.
Cross me, argue with me, or do anything to hinder this mission and you, and
your family, will die just like Aedan.” With this final statement he flung the
offending dagger to the ground and marched out of the great hall.
We were all silent for a long moment.
Finally I cleared my throat and spoke. “We sail with the morning tide. We all
have plenty to do. Let’s get it done. Forlaith, leave him. He’s dead. You
there, take care of the body.”
In the end I had to pull Forlaith
away from the body and Oswyn had to give her a sleeping decoction.
I cannot even begin to describe my
shock. I knew Ardythe was treading a dangerous path, but I never suspected him
capable of killing someone he had taken into his home and promised to care for.
The scribes were strangers, but Aedan was a young man I was sure Ardythe liked.
They had been quickly becoming close friends. Their mutual like in all things
military was bringing the king closer to him than anyone else, save perhaps
Kaplan. And yet, Ardythe skewered him without a moment’s hesitation.
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