Kingdom Born

Chapter 25: Assassination

Three days in the women's quarters was intolerable.

They did nothing but gossip about individuals I knew nothing about and they made no attempt to answer my questions except when the Ladies Sander were around. The guards had taken all of my weapons and anything else that might have been used as one. I had nothing to do. I have never been so idle willingly in my life. I didn't want to cross stitch family histories on cloth. I had no patience with knitting. The children were kept away quite blatantly. She's a killer...the whispers were not as loud and unheard as they had thought. I had walked around the women's quarters for the fifth time that day encountering sudden silences when they noticed I was among them.

I found Merric was sitting in the atrium working on an elaborate crest that would no doubt sit on Lord Matthais's surcoat, chatting with several of the lead gossipers. Their words died out when they saw my entrance. Merric twisted around in her chair and offered me a genuine smile.

"Come here and join us."

I propped myself against the arch and folded my arms across my chest. "Stories are hard to appreciate when you don't know the players." Merric's companions ducked their faces back to their work as my barb dug into them. I let my satisfaction mold my face, "Actually, there is something else you can do for me."

Merric set her work aside, "What?"

"Could you get me some books to read. Preferably something on the Kingdom's history. Karl told me all kinds of little things but to be honest, I was asleep half of the time."

A grey haired woman stared at me with a shocked expression on her face, "You know how to read?"

I returned her stunned expression, "You don't?"

"Witch!" She grabbed her sewing and fled past me The other little goslings wobbled after her.

"What is it now?" I rubbed at the ache beginning in my temples. "Women are forbidden to read?"

Merric bit her lip, "Well, not forbidden, it's just...not encouraged."

I felt a headache begin in the front of my skull. I pinched the bridge of my nose, "Aside from bearing children and sewing, what else can the cherished women of the kingdom do?"

"Well, aren't you just nasty today." Merric shoved her work into a bag at her side. She was dressed in long flowing gown of sapphire blue that clung to her figure as if it were painted to her. I didn't understand why she would wear those dresses, when Matthais wasn't even in the Stronghold. She had admitted that she only wore them because he liked them. Still, why would one wear something cumbersome if you were only going to sit and sew? There was something about the Kingdom women I just didn't understand.

Out of all the women I had met in my prison, Merric was the only one I had any tolerance for.
"I am going insane." I pushed myself away from the door and crossed over to a vacant chair. I dropped myself down and was rewarded with a loud ominous crack. "For the sake of the Goddess!" I rose quickly back to my feet before the chair collapsed underneath me.

Merric took one look at my stormy face and broke up into gales of laughter. She covered her mouth with her hand when she saw my thunderous expression. A chuckle rose up from my chest. Soon we were both laughing up a storm.

"You should have seen the look on your face!" Merric held a hand to her side.

"Nothing is built for larger women around here. My feet hang over the bed. Chairs break..."

"There's a tidal wave that comes out of the baths when you get into one!"

"No!" I looked at her aghast.

She nodded, her face tinged with her good humour. We chuckled some more then Merric leaned back in her chair as I settled on the stone sill of the window. "Life is such a trial for you here isn't it?"

I turned and looked out of the window. The spring sun bathed me in her warmth. "I don't know the rules here and the rules I do know take away everything that I am."

Merric's voice had dropped into a serious tone, "Phara...did you attack Karl's father?" I looked at her carefully. She blushed and turned her face away. "The women here are truly terrified of you. Can't you feel it?"

"To fear something unknown is not unwarranted, but I have proved that I mean no harm to any woman. If they want me to sign in my own blood to give them security they will have to wait."
Merric rose to her feet. She walked toward me and leaned on the window looking out into a walled garden. "They are not bad women. Its just that, don't take this the wrong way, you are so manlike. Karl wears skirts. They think...they think you prefer women and dressed Karl up like one."

I was stunned. "Is that what this whole ostracism is about? They're thinking that I might pounce on one of them when their backs are turned?"

"They have brought up the possibility." Merric returned craning her head to look me in the eyes.

"And you went along with it?" I felt anger rushing through my veins.

"I am a Sander, even if it is by marriage. It is my duty to oversee the women's complaints and try to resolve them."

"What about Lady Sander?"

"Lady Margaret does what she wishes. When I first came into the household, she handed the chattering ninnies over to me and told me that she didn't want to hear anything more from them."

"I am sorry that I am a cause of your trouble." My voice was sarcastic. I pivoted and stalked toward the hall. Merric's strong voice brought me to a halt.

"Lady Longsword, I ask you as Head of the women's quarters what your intensions are while here."

Gone was the airy, cheerful child, who had gossiped about noble women as they filed by in parade before the head table at that hellish banquet, and in her place was a strong, authoritative woman who would one day sit at the side of the Lord of the Southern Stronghold.
Carefully I bowed to my hostess, "You may assure the women that they need not fear anything from me. I will be on my best behaviour."

"I will pass it on." A few heartbeats past between us then the familiar Merric returned. "Good, now that that is settled maybe these old bitties will leave me alone. They make me feel so old. Your face just turned sad. What are you thinking about?"

"My son,. Kyle. He'll be turning eleven in the fall."

"What will he think of the baby?"

"He might find her a nuisance but he watches out for the younger children. I think he'll like her." I offered her a wan smile. I was still restless.

"You miss Karl?"

"We'd never been apart except for that time in Coveport. When we were first married the Council of Elders recommended that I should move into the Garrison, I refused. I married Karl to stay with him. I was only a rookie guardswoman but I was the best swordswoman in the Garrison. I would have gladly given up my position to be with him and the Captain knew it. As a compromise, Karl and I bought a house next to the Garrison."

"What did you do in Sandshore?"

"As Captain, I made sure that the streets were relatively safe to walk at night. I arrested criminals. I broke up fights. I burnt down brothels. I swore an Oath of Protection when I became a guard and oath that no man nor women should have to live in fear within their own city walls."

"You must have made a lot of enemies."

"I made a few."

"They ever threaten your family?"

"It was just talk and bravado. If there was more to it than that I showed no mercy."

"No mercy?"

"The cardinal rule of the Goddess is to show no mercy to the disbeliever. Any woman who would prey on the weakness of man was not worthy to walk under the Goddess's light."

"You killed them?"

"What should I have done? Let them take a knife to my son, beat my husband? I won't stand idly by when one of my family is in danger."

"I wish I were more like you." Merric sighed and twisted some straw coloured hair around her finger. "I don't know if I would have the courage to stand up for my family."

I laid a comforting hand on Merric's shoulder, "You will find more courage than you think you have when the threat is real and present."

"Have you the Gift?"

"I have eyes. You might not have the strength of the Gift of Lady Margaret but you will have the presence and the authority as Lady Sander."

"You think so?" I nodded. She beamed at me, then leaned toward me, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "You want to see Karl?"

"I promised Lord Sander..."

"Those gardens down there belong to Lady Margaret. Officially they are part of the Women's Quarters. There is a small balcony that opens out into it. Matthais said that he and Karl will be in the gardens at four. Would you like to see Karl?"

"Thank you."

Merric hiked up her long skirts and darted toward the doorway and open hall. She had the grace of a highland pony as it ran the cliffs, picking out her path, yet not looking as if she were watching her footing. Together we raced toward the small balcony that overlooked a smaller garden in the west wing.

Karl was standing down in the gardens talking earnestly with Matthais when we stepped out onto the terrace. He suddenly stopped and pivoted on his heel, drawing his attention to me. My breath caught in my throat as his eyes bore into me. It had only been three days and the grey that I had imprinted into my heart was a mere shadow of the brilliance of his eyes. Heat rushed through me.

"Hello!" Matthais shouted and waved in my peripheral vision but my attention was on my beloved.

"Phara!" Merric nudged my arm and pointed toward a rope ladder extending down into the gardens.

I looked over that the rope, wanting to scamper down it, but not sure that I should. "What would Lady Sander say about this?"

"She's the one who suggested it. You are not breaking your word. Karl and Matthias can't come up here, but we can go down to them. You go first, that way I'll know the rope is safe."

I grinned widely then swung a leg over the carved railing, feeling the bite of the rope in the palms of my hands. We were only twelve feet above the gardens but my slow descent made it seem even longer. Hands caught me around the knees as I lowered myself the final few feet. Muscled forearms stained the deep colour of the sun wrapped tightly around me and pulled me away from the rope. I twisted my head around to see Karl's intense stare baring into me. He was as heated as I was.

"Hey, none of that!" Matthais pushed Karl on the back to clear the way for Merric's descent.

"I missed you." Karl whispered as he let me slide down his front until we were standing face to face. Gently, as if he were kissing a newborn, he touched my chin and pressed his lips to mine. The sensation seared its way into my heart.

"Grey eyes..." I felt his forearms, and took in the belt dagger at his waist. "Who's been training you?" I took a step backwards to drink in his essence. I was a desert dweller who came to a mirage, only to find it to be a true oasis.

"I can't keep secrets from you can I? Uncle Mitchell." Karl caught my hand and tugged me after him like an excited boy. We settled on a carved stone bench still in view of Matthais and Merric but closer than my captivity should have allowed. Uncle Mitchell gets me up before the sun and we train until breakfast then I have to hold a short court...you don't want to hear this?"

"What makes you think that? Go on."

"It appears that my father has been in possession of this holding for over a year and hasn't even been there once. Granted its a small agricultural area, still, there are disputes to be solved, men to train, laws to enforce, taxes to collect. From the reports I'm getting from plaintiffs, bandits have moved into the area thinking it's lordless and lawless. There's so much to think about and do."

"You've been busy."

"Goddess, Phara. There were so many times I'd look up from a scroll and turn to ask you a question and you weren't there." His fingertips trailed along my jaw line back over my ear into the my short hair.

"I'm here now. Ask away."

"How do I go about enforcing the king's Laws? Do I take on the role of Captain? Do I get someone else to do it? I need fortifications of the main hold, and I need to make it large enough to shelter all our farmers incase we are attacked. I can't do it without taxes and I don't have anybody to collect them." I could see the confusion and bewilderment in his eyes. This was something that he couldn't find in his precious books.

"Is that all?" I asked with an amused grin.

"It's not funny." Karl swung his leg around me, pulling me back to rest against his chest. He brought his arms up and rested them lightly across my stomach.

I leaned back into him and rested my head on his offered shoulder, "I have vague memories of asking a certain scholarly gentlemen his advice not so long ago."

"And what did that man say?"

"Break it up. Look at the little picture." I held up my fingers and began counting points, "You can't collect taxes from these people because you haven't done anything for them yet. Without tax money you can't fortify your stronghold. And why do you need a fortified stronghold?"

Excitement raised his voice, "The bandits. I should concentrate on the bandits first."

"Your father was the War Thane. He must have loyal followers who would rather go with him than remain in service with the new War Thane. Make his first lieutenant your Captain of the Guard and set him out after these thieves. He is battle skilled and should have no trouble. Once the bandits are driven back, you can collect the taxes."

"How do we pay the Guard?"

"We have gold."

"Phara, that's yours."

"Ours. We have more than we could ever spend in our lifetime. Put it to good use." We sat in silence listening to the falling water in the fountain not far from the bench, and the chirping of exotic birds in the heavy late afternoon. I tried to ignore the thoughts in my mind and just savour the feel of my husband but they pushed at me. "How is your father?"

"The surgeon says that the swelling is down. He could wake any day. How have you been doing?"

"I've been terrorizing the women here and basically being bored."

"Bored?" Karl twisted around until he was looming over me. Gently he pressed me back, flat, on the bench and settled himself carefully along my side. His hand touching my stomach protectively. "Being bored will never do. Can you think of anything else you would like to do?"

"If we were in a more private place, I could think of lots of things we could do?"

"Wanton."

"Yes, I am." The hair on the back of my neck stood on end suddenly. The effect was as if someone had poured icy water down my back. I grabbed Karl and twisted both our bodies off the bench. We landed hard on the ground. There was a clink scrape sound of an arrow scoring the stone were we had lain. Karl grunted and rolled off me, "Goddess...are you are right? The baby?"

"I'm fine. Get under the bench."

"You get under the bench."

"Karl, don't argue with me."

"You're pregnant!"

Another arrow ripped greenery around our heads. We both shimmied under the stone bench. It came from over by the partly hidden entrance. I pointed toward the darkness and our attacker, "Where's Merric and Matthais?"

Karl glanced around, "Back behind the fountain. They don't even know what's going on."
"You crawl over to the fountain and tell them." I pulled his dagger from his belt.

He caught my arm. "I should go."

"How many hours of training have you had?"

"Twelve...I think."

"This assassin has more than a bow and arrow. He'll know how to use this. You know as well as I who's better at it."

"I don't want you risking yourself. Wait here. I'll get Matty and he can get him." I opened my mouth to protest then snapped it shut again. Arguing with Karl would only give the unseen bowman more time to get closer to us or to get away. I nodded and watched as Karl quickly rolled out from the bench and crawled into the thicker greenery around us

Slowly, I took the blade between my teeth and slid out from under the bench in the opposite direction. I crouched behind a miniature tree and picked the first arrow off the ground were it had fallen. A dull sheen coated the metal head. Poison. Whoever this person was after, they wanted to make sure that they would die. Slowly, moving between crouching and crawling I made it toward the stone wall that held the entrance. The hairs on the back of my neck were still dancing. This assassin was still there. Slowly I edged forward, trying to keep my weight from cracking branches and shifting stones. I sounded like a oxen trying to walk on eggshells. In the shadows of the doorway, I could see the point of the next poisoned arrow start to pull back. I glanced over toward the fountain and saw Merric's terrified face clearly through the underbrush. Where were Karl and Matthais? I didn't have time. I flipped the dagger to it's point and hurled it at the attacker. He screamed as the blade bit deep into his bow hand. The arrow shot harmlessly into the cobbled path.

I kicked at him, knocking him against the wall but he came back with a fist to my head. I saw it coming but didn't have time to duck. I clenched my teeth together to keep from biting my tongue and took the full brunt of it on my cheek. I felt my head snap around, then I fell.

"PHARA!" Karl ran into the man full tilt with his shoulder folding the assassin in half. Matthais was directly behind him, his sword gleaming in the afternoon sun. Matthais pulled Karl away from the attacker and set his point to the man's exposed throat.

I sat up slowly, the world around me was spinning but even that was slowing to a stop. Matthais hissed at me, "What were you thinking of?"

"He was aiming for Merric. The arrows are poisoned don't touch the heads." Karl helped me to my feet. The man was still laying on the ground, Karl's dagger extending from his hand on the back side and continuing through to the front. Red rivulets ran down his wrist and arm.

"Who are you? What were you doing?" Matthais emphasized his questions with jabs from his sword point. Soon the attacker's neck was mottled with his own blood.

"I demand a trial as my right as a citizen." The wounded man rasped out, his eyes were filmed with the sheen of his pain and triumph.

"Gods!" Matthais's face turned purple with anger.

"What?" I demanded feeling my face throb with reaction to the blow I had taken.

"We can't touch him." Karl returned quietly.

"He attacked us!" I was livid.

"He is a citizen of the Kingdom. He is within his rights. No Kingdom man can touch him. The only way we can find out what he was doing here is in court."

"By that time whoever hired him will have hidden themselves well." Matthais muttered darkly.

"I'm not a Kingdom man or woman. I'll find out what we need." I knelt by the pale man with a hard expression on my face. "Who were you sent to kill?"

"I am a citizen..."

I took a firm hold of the embedded dagger and twisted it. He screamed and jerked. I used my elbow to knock his head back to the stones. Merric choked back a cry. "That is not the answer I want to hear." I pulled the dagger out of his hand and held it before his eyes. They were white rimmed with anxiety and pain.

"Who were you sent to kill?"

"I'm a citizen..."

I knelt on his lower leg and drove the point of my dagger into his ankle. He screamed again. "...Stop her!"

"Who were you sent to kill?"

He gritted his teeth together. I twisted the blade. He fainted. I pulled it free and stood up, "Help me get him to the fountain."

Karl moved forward but Matthais grabbed his shoulder. "You can't touch him. If Karl helps you, nothing can be used in court."

"I'll help you." Merric grabbed for the unwounded ankle. Matthais opened his mouth but Merric shot him a quelling glance, "I'm not a Kingdom man either."

Together, we dragged/carried the unconscious man to the fountain and rolled him in. He spluttered back to life as his life began tinting the water. He saw me and tried to back peddle away. I stepped into the water my dagger red with death. "NO!"

"Who were to supposed to kill!"

"The brown haired man!" Karl paled.

"Who hired you?"

"He'll kill me!" The wounded man splashed around the fountain frantically, trying to escape me.

"He won't get the chance." I stepped behind caught his head with my forearm and pressed the point of the dagger just underneath his eye.

"NO!...for gods sake, I'm a citizen!" He froze. His one good hand clawed uselessly at my arm.

"Who hired you?"

"A man...a man in grey..he gave me a bag of gold..."

"Describe him."

"Grey...we wore grey. It was dark..." I pricked the skin underneath his eye, "He had grey hair. Grey eyes...It was dark!"

"How did you get into the women's quarters?"

He paused. I pressed the point deep enough to prick and bleed. I asked the question again.

"He gave me a key."

"When?"

"Last night, in the Golden Hawk...he gave me arrows and said all I had to do was nick him. He said that the dark haired man would come into this garden at four..."

"Who told you?"

"The grey man....Gods, don't hurt me...I've told you everything I know."

"A grey haired man came to you at the Golden Hawk, gave you some gold and told you to kill a man within the women's quarters of Lord Sander's Stronghold?" I recited, slowly allowing him time to correct me if I made a mistake.

"Yes!"

"Where's the key?"

"My pocket." I kept my point at his eye and fished around in his pocket. I tossed the retrieved key to Merric who was valiantly trying to keep from turning green.

"Do you know who that man is?" I twisted his head so we was staring at Karl and Matthais.

"...no..."

"That is Thane Bezer, he is my husband."

"Gods...no."

"No mercy." I drove the point up into his eye until it broke into the brain. He gurgled once, flopped then laid still in the splashing fountain. I washed Karl's dagger clean then stepped out of the bloodied water and headed to his side.

"I never seen you kill before..." He woodenly took the dagger from my hand then dragged me close into a ferocious hug. "I don't want you to ever do that again, not while you're pregnant."

Matthais clapped me on my shoulder then headed to his pale wife and gently drew her close. He whispered something to her then kissed her on her forehead. "Come on Karl, we have some men to round up before they realize that their trap failed. Especially that grey man, Lord Bridage."

"You had better get Lord Devon as well."

Merric grasped the key tightly in her hand. "I'll find out who gave out a key and threatened the security of the Stronghold." She looked up at the rope ladder and sneered at it. "Come on Phara. We're going the easy way." She hiked her skirts and marched toward the door.

"Be careful." I pulled free from Karl's embrace and followed after Merric. It felt as if we were going into battle. My long stride caught up with hers. Her face was set and cold. I guess in a sense we were.

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