Chapter 43

 

This chapter has been copied from the original and may contain typos and grammatical errors.

~*~

“What do you mean we can’t go after her?!” Anwyn shouted at the council.

“Mrs. Reed, it’s one of our strongest rules that people don’t leave the Islands. Our secrets are too valuable and we are too vulnerable to allow our exact location to slip into the wrong hands. Yes, our spellcasters do their best, but they would not be able to hold off a fleet of ships if they would come and try to conquer us.” the man spoke.

“I’m sure we don’t need to remind you of how the king of the Mainland himself circled us for weeks before we had to tell him to leave. If he brought back more ships- we don’t have enough spellcasters to hold a defense!” the younger woman said frustratedly. “And now that your daughter has left we are down one.”

“That’s exactly why we have to go after them!” Anwyn urged. “Aubade is the son of a duchess who is the king’s strongest supporter. If we let them get too far away, he will tell the king that I am still alive and then he will send that fleet of ships you’re worried about. The king thinks that Gloria is his daughter, and I don’t want to think about what he would do to make her accept that she is his heir. Not to mention that from what we’ve heard about the Mainland over the past few years, they’re in a civil war. What if the Church captures her and finds out that she is the believed heir? They will kill her for sure!” Anwyn wished she had a table to slam her fist down on.

“Those are good points, but you’re forgetting a few details. Mrs. Reed, For one, you are a mother to three other children, all of which need you at home. And you are a teacher to numerous other children as well. Your loss on the community would be too great, even if we allowed anyone to leave the Islands.” The other man spoke up.

Anwyn couldn’t come up with any more counter arguments. Liam stepped up. “Aubade has shown that he is highly intelligent, very charismatic, and knowing that he has gone with Gloria to the Mainland means that he is dangerous. Is anyone going to go after him to minimize the information he could spread about us? About the Islands?”

“We haven't had anyone leave the Islands for generations, so the verdict is unclear. We’re not ready to make a judgment yet.” The younger woman spoke again.

Anwyn looked at the head councilwoman. She seemed shook. Having been looking into the distance, she blinked and looked at Anwyn. “Mrs. Reed, I am so sorry for your loss. I apologize if my actions may have encouraged the chain of events. But we can’t allow you to chase after your daughter.” she looked at her hands. “Not if it means that your other three children would be left without a mother, father, or be left orphans.”

Anwyn felt fury building up in her, and she let out a screech and turned and ran from the room. Liam bowed politely, then walked after her slowly.

He found her on the beach, staring at the horizon, sand clenched in her fist. Her jaw was set, her eyes were stealy and her frame was so sharp that a shark teeth were no comparison.

“There was a time when I was afraid of the sea, of living so close to it. I felt like we would be found and taken, or-” she choked on the word she meant to say, and decided that she didn’t need to say it. “Over the years, I became more at peace. I felt safe. You returned and we raised our family in bliss. I never thought that the king would be clever enough to send just one person to take Gloria from me. I wasn’t ready for that.”

She turned to her husband. “I’m going to go after her if it kills me. I cannot let my baby fall into the hands of that monster. I cannot let her be a puppet for the rest of that foul thing’s life. I’m going to go after her, and no council will stop me.”

“We better get everyone together then. There are plans that have to be made. I just hope you can still fit into those clothes.”

~*~

Gloria hadn’t been able to release her pent up energy, and it was starting to wear on her. She would go to reach for something in her pack and her fingers would spark against some of the objects. Sometimes she would feel jolts going up and down her arms like painful spasms, but there was nothing she could do. She still hadn’t told Aubade that she had these abilities after all these years, and there were three other men besides him that also didn’t know. Aubade had spent 3 years among a few spellcaster, but who knew how these men would act if they saw she was one?

So she kept it hidden. She also tried to keep her arms and hands hidden so that they didn’t see her tattoos and the orange tint that had grown over the years. It was rather simple to do, as long as she wore gloves, and in the chilly temperature no one asked why she never parted from them.

“How is the king?” Aubade asked as they walked. “I heard he was in poor health?”

“Reports say he’s gaining strength while he rests at the palace, but he still is in rough shape. He’s up there in age, as you know. He could have several years left, but he could also go by winter’s end. It can be hard to tell.” Marco analyzed.

“And my mother?” Aubade asked.

“She’s planning things the way she always has. Having parties to sway more of the lords and elites to join them in subduing any rebellion that may face the king, taxing the population to fund the war. She seems content to always be one step ahead of everyone else.” Angus listed.

“Careful, Angus, you sound like you have a crush on the Duchess.” Rufus teased. “You wouldn’t want Blake to beat you into next week, would you? I’m sure he would.”

“Don’t be childish; I could go down to the capitol and find any bar wench I liked. I’m not after the Duchess.” Rufus and Marco cat-called him, laughing. Angus continued, “I’m simply in awe of how she can balance everything. She has ties in every group, every room. She strikes fear without raising a hand, but also makes you want to follow her with her charm. It’s a great skill.”

“She certainly has her ways.” Aubade agreed.

“I thought your mother was a kind woman… That’s what you told me? Firm but kind?” Gloria piped up.

“I’m not sure we’re talking about the same person,” Angus scoffed.

“No, she’s kind if you do what she says. Or if you have something she wants. Otherwise she’s a bit of a harpie.” Rufus smiled.

Aubade turned to him, staring daggers, but he didn’t say anything, as if he were waiting for Rufus to continue, to give him a reason to throw a punch.

Gloria put a hand on his arm. “Aubade, is this true?” she asked.

The other men looked a bit confused, but she didn't notice. She was too focused looking at him.

“No. My mother is firm, but she’ll love you. She’ll be so kind you won’t miss your own mother.” he assured, face turning soft as he looked at her.

“Ok, it’s been a few days, and I still don’t know why she calls you Aubade. What’s up with that?” Angus asked pointedly.

“It’s his name.” Gloria said plainly. “He had the Rebirth ceremony where you cut yourself from the past you knew and become a new person. It’s his new given name, Aubade. Why do you let them call you Blake, it’s not your name anymore?”

He looked anxious, as if he had wished to silence her with every word she spoke. “It was a long time ago, I-”

“You did what?” laughed Rufus. “You cut yourself from the past life you had? You reformed yourself? Goodness, boy, what did you get up to on those Islands? Should I be surprised you haven’t plaited your hair like a barbarian?”

“It was a different life, and if you insult me again, I will-” he stopped himself. What he was going to say would have alarmed Gloria, so he reigned it in. “do something you will regret. So put an end to this discussion.”

“What does, if I may, what does Aubade mean?” asked Marco.

“It means ‘song at dawn’.” Gloria filled in, and Rufus and Angus couldn't help but snicker.

~*~

They set up camp about 30 paces from a river for the night, and Gloria went with Aubade down to the river to wash up from the day’s walk and to fill their flasks. The company doesn't let anyone go anywhere alone since Angus says that there are still patrols in the area.

“Aubade, earlier today, why didn’t you tell them that you’re a different person now? You’re no longer Blake, you’re Aubade of the Islands.”

He sat on a rock for a moment, and he took a breath. “To them, I am Blake, the son of a Duchess. They don’t know me the way you do, they know me as I was before. We’re not here for very long, I don’t think it will pay to make them change their minds on who I am. We’re here for such a short time, I may as well let them remember me as how I was and not battle to change their minds. It will all be better when we see my father.”

“‘Not battle to change their minds?’” exclaimed Gloria. “Aubade, it’s who you are! Make them know who you are to obey it. You have some sort of authority over them, make them follow your rules!”

“No!” he shouted back at her, making her flinch. “We will do as I say. I have decided that they may call me Blake, and you should do the same. It is my name here, it’s who I am. On the Islands I can afford to be Aubade, but here if I’m not Blake I am no one! I need my position to get any respect. Do you understand?” he asked firmly.

She stared at her, alarm on her face. “Why are you talking to me like this?”

“Finish up, I’m done.” he turned his back to her, throwing on his shirt again and walking back to the camp. Gloria’s knees shook, and she missed home even more than she did before.

She returned back to camp in her shift and sat down across from Blake with the fire between them. Rufus and Angus went down to the river next, and Marco didn’t say anything while Blake and Gloria said nothing to each other. He had heard Blake shout, and while he didn’t want to tell the couple how to deal with their problems, he didn’t want them to draw attention from the possible patrols. As it was, it was a risk having the fire lit.

Once Rufus and Angus returned, Angus went down with Marco. They returned shortly after, and they sat down on some rocks they had rolled over to the fire.

“Have any of you noticed, but the young miss here doesn’t look like the king that much?” Rufus asked. Aubade looked daggers at him. If they broke the veil of their plans, who knew how Gloria would react.

“I’ve thought of that too. I mean, she has none of his features. And red hair, where did she get that?” Marco asked.

“Her grandfather has reddish hair. I met him a few times.” Blake said through barred teeth. “Not she needs to look like the king.”

“I got my red hair from my father.” Gloria looked at Blake confused. There was no way he had forgotten that her father had the same red hair. It was how she looked like him, otherwise she looked just like her mother.

Rufus snorted. “Yeah, ok.”

“I’m sorry, but why would I look like the king? And you’ve never even met my father, you can hardly argue that I didn’t get my red hair from him.” Gloria squinted at him.

“Oh, I’ve personally met your father,” he looked at the group in a ‘this girl, right?’ way.

They heard a rustling in the woods beyond the range of the light, and they all went silent, holding their breath and listening.

When they heard nothing else, Angus said “Must have been a dear. They run around at night sometimes.”

“We should turn the fire over, we don’t want any attention.” Gloria stood and bent to turn over the fire with the nearby shovel, when a bolt shot out of her hand and into the fire, making it flare.

The company, including Blake, jumped from their places in surprise. “What the creator was that?” one of them muttered.

A sudden clang of armor was heard and in the near distance, and faster than seemed possible there were five figures in white armor cornering them against the rock face they had made their camp against.

The central figure sauntered up to the group, all of which were unprepared to fight and thus not holding their swords.

“A witch amongst men? Am I witnessing a cult meeting?” a man’s voice came from the figure and his tone was dripping with a sneer. “Tell me, what do we do with witches?” he asked one of the other figures with him.

“We put them on trial, and if found guilty, they’re executed.” one of the other figures said. It was hard to tell who had said it, they all had helmets on.

Blake went to shield Gloria. “It was a simple flare of the fire, she’s not a witch. I swear, she goes by the teachings of the creator, prays every hour, I swear it!”

“Silence boy! You do yourself no service to beg. It makes you weak.” The man took off his helmet. A wrinkled man with a pointy nose wore a grin of malice. “We overheard that this is the king’s heir, returned after many years away. I happen to have been acquainted with the king and his bride. If this is indeed her daughter, this is vengeance served. Tied up the men!” he ordered the other knights.

At sword point, they had their wrists bound behind their back. Gloria was plucked from behind Blake and brought over to Sir Rhayde.

“You’ve got it all wrong! We aren’t who you think we are at all! We’re on a pilgrimage to the coast, we wanted to see the holy ruins or the old temple!” Blake pleaded, looking more frantic the further Gloria was away from him.

“Young man, your lies will not sway me.” he turned towards Blake, giving him his full attention. “Though, please, I love to hear how creative you can be, you poet. What you don’t realize, is that I know exactly who your mother is. Your family is at the heart of this war, and I’m aware that this-” he jabbed a finger towards Gloria, ‘- is the piece to the puzzle that you’ve been looking for. Your blessed king thinks that as soon as he has an heir that everything is going to fall into place, and that the war will solve itself. Well, what if I take away that piece?”

Blake’s eyes went wide. “No! If she were a witch, she deserves a trial, with a defence and a jury!”

Sir Rhayde pretended to look around him. “I don’t see any of her peers, but you know, I do see a senior Templar!” he pointed at himself. “And I just saw a witch shoot a bolt of fire into a campfire. Lieutenant Moss, did you see the woman fire into the campfire?”

“I did, sir.” answered one of the other armoured figures.

“What about the rest of you?” he asked. They all responded with their agreement.

“See, now not only do we have a senior Templar, we also have four other witnesses who happen to be Templars who have taken an oath to not tell falsehoods. That’s plenty of people to convict your prodigal princess of witchcraft. Girl!” he rubbed his chin, realizing that he couldn’t charge her without her name. “What’s your name, girl?”

“Will you kill me if I tell you?” she asked defiantly.

He tilted his head, then socked her in the stomach. She fell to her hands and knees, wheezing.

“What’s your name, girl? Or would you like me to ask again?” he asked.

“Gloria Reed.” she wheezed as she tried to get her breath back.

“Reed, that sounds familiar. Very well, Gloria Reed, you are here by convicted of witchcraft and by the law held by both the King and the Church, any convicted witch is to be executed. As no pyres or gallows are present, your death shall be carried out by drowning.”

He pulled her to her feet, and bound her hands. He pulled her stumbling towards the high point in the river bed, and Gloria grew more and more fearful for her life. She knew she could swim, but the water was freezing when she washed earlier, and if she was plunged into it she would be freezing. And she couldn't swim without her arms…

“Please, sir, I’m not the daughter of the king. I’m not a witch, I haven’t sided with the devil. Please, I’m innocent.” she pleaded.

“Your mother and father laughed at me.” he commented. “They thought I was insignificant. I didn’t have the opportunity to savor a woman for a year after your mother’s sister was able to return home before I could court her. I’d say that this is sweet karma, for I get to execute their daughter.” he whispered in her ear. “And now, when I tell the priest that I have killed the king’s heir, I won’t have to go another patrol for the rest of my life.”

They reached the river, and he turned her to face him. He studied her, and she wondered if he were pleased with the terror in her eyes.. “Too bad, you have a decent face. It’s wasted on fish.”

***

Seneca and Henry reached the brush at the edge of the river. Seneca was walking just fine, but Henry was panting.

“Seneca, I need to sit down for a minute. I- need to catch my breath-” he plopped down on a stump and wheezed for a bit.

Seneca looked down at him, then rolled his eyes. He turned his gaze to the river. They had been looking for Krista for several days, but hadn’t found her. They hadn’t even seen carriage tracks in the dirt, and he was always worried.

He sees a gleam of white armor and a figure at the top of a ledge overhanging the river. “What’s going on there?” he asks aloud.

Henry turns his head to look. “Looks like a witch drowning. We shouldn’t get involved.”

“That doesn’t make sense, are there any villages near here on that side of the river?” Seneca asked.

“Hmmm, not that I know of. Why?”

“Why would a witch trial be held in the middle of the forest in the middle of the night?” Seneca asked. “Something isn’t right.” He stood alert and looked at the events taking place. The Templar turned the woman, dressed in only her shift, towards the river and pushed.

She hit the water with a large splash, water rippling out in its regular circular pattern.

It couldn’t be, it’s impossible… he thought. He tore off his jacket and boots, and jumped into the river, swimming under the surface to make sure that he wasn’t seen. In the darkness, he had to guess where she was, and he grasped around for her hand.

Time was ticking by and he was growing more and more anxious that he wouldn’t be able to find her in time, until he felt hair. He hoped that it was her hair and not some long forgotten corpse that he grabbed, but he got a good handful and yanked with all of his might, pulling the body towards the surface, hoping that the overhang would hide them from the prying eyes of the Templar.

They broke the surface and he looked to make sure that the head he had pulled was the right one. He nearly inhaled water as he suppressed the urge to gasp. It was the girl from his dreams, the one he hadn’t seen in three years. The one who could play the violin and never told him her name.

He waited there until he heard the clamor of armor leaving. He suspected that they wouldn’t be looking towards the river, and as quickly as he could he swam with her over to the other side of the river. Pulling her from the water was a chore, but he was able to accomplish it.

“Seneca, she’s a convicted witch. We don’t need to save her, we should have left her. If you think that I’m slowing you down, imagine having another person to look after.”

“I think she’s breathing, but there’s a bump on her head. She’s very lucky she didn’t drown.”

“Or we’re very cursed.” Henry said.

I did it! It took all day to get the pictures taken because surprise! I'm terrible at building. All the sets that I use are premade, except for the school and the Reed's homestead. So with the river, it was really hard to get good shots because there weren't many good ones . Lesson learned: Always look to sets on the gallery.

I'm already looking forward to writing the next chapter, which I think is going to a bit more of an info dump than anything. Identities WILL be revealed! I Promise! I'm thinking of also making a new signature to match the new characters and point in the plot. I gotta map that out.

As always, I adore hearing from you guys, so if you have any thoughts, please please please comment!