New Old Hell
Part 1
by Rondabunny
People's palace again. How I hate this place, these stones, people, servants, silver plates, intrigues, cheating and scheming. There is no light here. There is no love here. Greed, will to power, dirty looks, anger and cruelty – this is the world I live in. This is the People's place. Damn place with damned Lord and his damn array. What am I doing here? Why am I here in this room? Three months has passed since my little girl died. For three months I've been here in this dump land. Lord Rahl is still in Aydindril. I like it that way. I'm here only to take care of Nicci no more no less. I don't involve in the palace intrigues and scheming. Nicci does. She is like a venomous snake who can suddenly attack but with this child she's bearing she becomes more and more vulnerable day after day. It is like this unborn baby eats her from the inside. I know that feeling. I had it too many years ago. The difference is that she is overwhelmed with this child and I wasn't. It was a burden for me and now I want her back, my little curly girl. Do I miss her? No, I don't. I just want her to be in my arms, to hear her pronounce that stupid word "mommy", to see her smile. Creator, I would love to see her as chimera only to see her again, one more time, please…
"Mistress Cara, Lady Nicci wants you in her room."
"Yes, Linda. I'm coming." Cara left her room for Nicci's chamber. She was wearing her usual red Mord'Sith's uniform. Two agiels were in the holsters on her left thigh. Everything was as usual with one slight exception. She wasn't living. Each day for her was like a torture. It began in the morning and lasted to the night. Even at night she couldn't sleep properly. She asked a palace magician to make her strong potion which prevented her to see dreams, because when she closed her eyes the woman saw her little girl playing in a field full of golden dandelions. It was a sunny day and Aisha in blue dress was the prettiest child in the world, but then the girl noticed that her mother isn't with her. She started to call for her but nobody answered. Cara heard her crying and pleading but she couldn't answer. So, the Mord'Sith tried to forget about it by using magical potions.
Cara entered the chamber.
"Cara, please, help me with this letters. General Almond says they defeated the army in the north but there is no food there and soldiers die. He asks to give them provision." Nicci said to the Mord'Sith.
"So?"
"People die from hunger and we cannot help them. We have to ask somebody to provide them with meal. I could have sent them food from D'Hara but it'll take weeks when it reaches the recipients."
"There is a teleport in Angul Bray castle in the north. Ask your sisters to bring food there and you save the men." Cara responded simply.
"How do you know about it?" Nicci asked curiously.
"If you were trained as a Mord'Sith you would know such things. Our education includes geography and geography of magical places, because we are trained in the way that no enemy would escape our agiels." Cara smirked evilly.
"Why then Gillian couldn't help me? She is a Mord'Sith." Nicci pouted and looked at Gillian, who was standing near the table.
"I… I.." Gillian was taken aback.
"She is too young to know these things, besides each Mord'Sith's castle has its own educational program. Maybe at her castle they only trained her strength and endurance. Besides it also depends on the girl's abilities to learn and absorb information. Some are smarter than others, though I wouldn't have chosen her to guard you if I weren't sure that she could do this properly. Right, Gillian?" The Mord'Sith asked the poor woman.
"Yes, Mistress Cara." She answered.
"She is your guard not your advisor." Cara concluded. "You may go, Gill. I'll take care of Lady Rahl."
The Mord'Sith nodded and left the room.
"Why did you send for me?" Cara asked Nicci.
"Just wanted to see somebody who can give me a piece of advice but not sit and stare at me as if I'm a statue." The sister of dark responded.
"You have magician Brandon as your advisor." Cara retorted.
"Cara, I'm alone here and you know it." Nicci replied and looked at the window.
"You look paler today. How are you?"
"This baby is tearing me apart but don't worry I'm fine, just a little bit tired. Darken wrote today that he'll be in the People's palace in a month. I think it will be the time when the baby will come to light." Nicci smiled and touched her big round belly.
"Everything will be all right. Don't worry about that."
"Cara, promise me one thing."
"What?"
"Promise me that whatever happens to me you'll take care of this child." Nicci casted an inquiring look over Cara.
"Don't be silly. You'll be fine. You'll give birth to the prettiest baby and you'll take care of him or her."
"No, I feel like my magical power flees from me. I know that this child will be the greatest wizard the world ever seen but I won't survive the childbirth." A silent tear escaped her eye and she pressed her head to the standing form of the Mord'Sith as a child looking for her mother to soothe her.
Cara remembered the time when she was in such a situation and there was nobody to soothe her, to take care of her, to say her right words. She was guarded by the Sisters of the Agiel. They watched her every move but she had nobody to ease her conscience. Now Nicci felt the same. The man who rewarded the woman with this child was fighting the rest of Dracul's army. He was too involved in the only field he liked so much – in politics. He was a leader and now his dream little by little became true. Poor people too tired of years of war and slavery saw him as a liberator. He fought together with the Resistance fighters and many common people came to the army to fight for the freedom of their houses, their families. They were fighting for themselves and Rahl used them for his own purposes. Cara knew it but she was indifferent. Now she was existing day after day. Her only responsibility was this woman-sorcerer who previously was fighting for the dark forces and now she was a vulnerable woman in a certain condition. Maybe her motherly instincts led her to the light. She has changed. She took care of the poor, built houses for orphans but still she was a former butcher. Lady Death as many called her. She was merciless and cold but now she wanted somebody to lull her and tell her that she was the best and kindest lady.
Cara stood there silently hushing her mistress. She remembered the days she was with the Wizard of the First Order, Seeker and Mother Confessor. The woman knew that she would never see them again. The magical wall dividing two worlds now was permanent. Even for a night wisp it was impossible to get through it. Cara was alone here. Her sisters Mord'Sith died. These new women guards she barely knew but she made sure that they were professionals and she could trust them Lady Rahl. It was her duty and always had been to serve the master. She fulfilled it excellently because her life ended the same time she saw dead body of her child on the floor of that Creator's forsaken castle.
"Lord Rahl, have we pleased you well?" one of the naked women asked gently touching his bare chest with her finger.
"It was pleasurable, Cintia, but still you cannot be compared to any of Mord'Siths. They know two sides of the coin, you two just one. Leave me, I need to think." He stretched on the bed watching two angry women disappear in the corridor. They shut the door and now he was alone in the chamber.
Finally I defeated the army of beasts in the west. General Almond reported that he freed the north. I'm the winner at last! Common people joined my army and I'm the savior for them. This is adorable like taking a candy from a kid. Once they killed me and now they are eager to die for me. Stupid grey worms. The more they die the easier it will be for me to bend them to my will. I will be the Lord of new and old worlds and that wall, let it be there. I don't need no Seeker, no Confessor and that old wizard. I'm the wizard now and maybe the most powerful in my lands. The Resistance joined my army and it is a matter of time when I seize Warren, Verna and other Sister's of Light. I'm the power and they will obey my orders. The only thing I need more Mord'Siths. That fool Dracul damaged my most loyal guards. I have to do my best to restore their kind. But I know how to do that. People believe me I need to give them hope. Nicci will give me a heir and I'll look like a good family man which will serve my purpose, though Nicci is not an example of a lady they want to see on the throne of D'Hara. She has ill fame and if I want to create my own empire I need a gorgeous, strong woman. Besides Nicci is a sorcerer I can't allow myself to be scared of my own woman. I'll make her disappear. That is the best decision. What woman can I trust breeding of my son? I cannot trust anyone… Anyone… Except… Cara… Yes, Cara is the one that I want. She always was the one for me and that howling blond creature had to be my girl not the girl of that monster. It's not important now. That idiot gave me power to defeat him. I was smart enough to lay Cara under him and to beat him with his own child. I'm a genius. I'll do whatever it takes to make Cara be mine and only mine…
He grinned…
To be continued, maybe…
