Chapter Two
As they moved along the narrow streets of outer Kartan, Seth tried to convince himself that he was not avoiding looking at his wife.
Eirika walked between himself and Gustav, the three of them surrounded by a troop of armed soldiers, the princess's escort from Renais. Even so, Seth kept his hand close to his hilt, his eyes scanning their surroundings. The streets of Kartan that lead from the main gate as well as all the inner areas surrounding city hall, were broad and well maintained, with nary a loose paving stone. They were cleaned regularly and patrolled by city guards. But the poorer quarters of the city were another matter altogether. The stench wafting from the tanneries on the outskirts of the city was worse than anything Seth had come across in all his years as a soldier. Gustav breathed through a handkerchief and had offered one to Eirika. She had refused, though Seth had noticed her swallow hard several times, and even now she was slightly pale. Most of those who walked the streets were armed and those who were not, travelled in groups. He kept a careful eye on the narrow-eyed youths who leered at them from alleyways, for even the youngest ones could be a threat and he did not care for the way the older ones' gazes lingered on his wife.
Yet Seth dared not glance at her face as she looked on the craftsmen in their threadbare tunics and trousers, who skittered away from their group as they passed them on the street, and the hollow-cheeked children who eyed them hopefully, their hands held out for coins or food. He dared not look at her for he knew her gentle heart ached to see the poor of Kartan, and there was nothing he could do to take away her sadness. He could only do his best to protect her from those who would abuse of that kindness. With that in mind he also kept his eyes on the man who had joined them shortly before they'd set out and who walked a pace behind them.
Councilman Guernic had arrived in Kartan late last night, it seemed, and when he'd appeared at city hall just as they were about to depart, he'd offered to join them on their excursion. With his angular features and aquiline nose, which gave him the appearance of a bird of prey, Guernic looked very much like a younger version of his father. He was soft spoken and unerringly polite, but this only served to remind Seth of some of the fops of the Renais court before the war, the ones who had fawned over Princess Eirika in the hopes of gaining her favour, or even her hand in the case of the more ambitious ones.
"Has it always been like this?" asked Eirika, gesturing vaguely to indicate the squalor that surrounded them.
"It's gotten worse since the war," Gustav explained, speaking through the handkerchief pressed over his mouth and nose. "Trade has suffered these past years and there's been greater poverty in the cities because of it."
"The poor harvests of the past two years have done little to alleviate the situation; with the increase in the price of grain, it's all most people can do to keep food in their mouths these days," Guernic added mournfully, though in Seth's mind it was a hangdog look upon Guernic's face rather than an air of true regret. The contrast could not be more clear than when his wife spoke a moment later.
"Isn't there anything the Council can do?" Eirika's voice was thick with emotion and Seth longed to reach out to her. But in the company of others it was their duty to act only as princess and knight, for anything else could suggest weakness on her part. Yet he allowed his hand to brush against hers as if by accident. She cast him a sideways glance and a hint of a smile flitted across her features and was gone again in an instant.
Gustav, still breathing through his handkerchief, sighed. "We've tried to help where we can– placing limits on the grain prices, selling from our own stocks, setting up orphanages for the children who lost their parents in the war, and other such projects. However there's a limit to what we can accomplish and there's resistance in the Council."
"Resistance?" Eirika cocked her head, appearing puzzled as she turned to Gustav. "Why would anyone be resistant to helping their own people?"
Taking a sudden interest in the muck on his boots, Gustav cleared his throat. "Well you see, princess, there's a belief among some members that it's not the place of the Council to regulate prices, that such things are best left to themselves, that prices are determined by the amount of goods available and how much is desired. They believe that to interfere is detrimental to the country as a whole."
"And what of their responsibility to the citizenry of Carcino?" Eirika asked icily.
"They would say," Gustav replied, still intent upon his boots, "that their responsibility is to the health of the state, not to any individual, and that the condition of the poor and unfortunate cannot be rectified with breadcrumbs, but that restoring Carcino will be to the benefit of all in the long run."
To the surprise of her entire escort, Eirika stopped dead in the middle of the street, hands on her hips, and glared at Gustav. "How dare they! The common people are the ones who put bread on our tables and wine in our cups; we know this in Renais. I was brought up knowing that the role of the nobility is one of stewardship and that we are meant to watch over and protect the land that the peasants farm as well as the people who farm it. Do your fellow councilmen care nothing at all for their own people?"
It was only now that Gustav, his cheeks burning, looked up to meet Eirika's steely gaze. "Princess, I can only tell you that I'm not one of their ilk and that I do all I can to help those who've suffered due to the war."
Eirika hung her head, her hands clenched into fists at her side and he knew how she must be reliving the war in that instant, as they all did at times. So many had suffered; so many continued to suffer. And to know that she had played a role in it...
When Guernic reached out to place a hand on Eirika's shoulder, Seth was uncertain whether it was the husband or the knight who snagged the councilman's wrist, his voice like chilled iron as he spoke. "It is not the custom in Renais to lay hand on the princess."
"I apologise," Guernic said, rubbing his wrist, "though coming from you, Sir Seth, that statement is certainly... ironic."
The retort being formulated in his mind vanished as his attention was drawn back to their surroundings. Something had changed. His hand fell to his sword hilt before he could even register what it was, his eyes scanning the streets which seemed more crowded than they had been a few moments ago. "Your highness, I think we should keep moving."
Eirika's head snapped up at his words and he was proud when he noticed her hand wrapped around her own hilt. "Yes of course."
They had not taken more than a few steps when a group of young men, five strong and all wearing short swords, sauntered into the middle of the street and came to a halt in their path. Glancing left and right Seth noticed others had stopped to watch, other young men like these in grubby clothes and worn boots, none more than seventeen or eighteen, but each wearing a sword even though they looked barely able to afford a dagger. When the men failed to move out of the way, the guardsmen drew closer together around Eirika."Please step out of the way," the lead soldier said.
One of the young men took a step forward from the group, and, crossing his arms over his chest, grinned, his front teeth, slightly askew, giving his angular face the air of an overgrown rodent. "Ain't you got no charity?"
"Out of the way please," the guard repeated.
"Lady," the young man said, craning his neck to try to look past the guards towards Eirika, "we ain't got no money. Can't you spare a bit?"
This time the lead soldier put his hand to his sword. "Princess Eirika of Renais does not carry money. On the authority of the kingdom of Renais I order that you remove yourself from our path."
The man snorted. "Renais, huh? My father was a soldier. Got killed during the war fighting the princess's troops." Seth's eyes flitted to Eirika: her face was pale, but her hands were steady.
"I'm a member of the Council of Elders," Gustav announced, taking a step forward. "On the authority of the Council I demand that you let us pass."
"Council?" scoffed the young man. "What've you lot done for us?" He glanced over his shoulder at his compatriots who all nodded their agreement. A wave of murmurs swept the onlookers as the lead soldier of Eirika's escort drew his sword and the others followed suit. "You gonna cut us up like you did our families?" the young man taunted. They were too confident. Something was wrong.
Seth wasn't certain who threw the first rock, a chunk of crumbling cobblestone half as large as his fist. "Move!" he shouted to the soldiers. "We need to get out of here immediately." But no sooner had the soldiers taken a step than the young men drew their swords. And then so did others, the ones standing in the winding side streets and the grimy alleyways. Seth could do little more than pull Eirika against him, shielding her as a hail of stones showered them from all directions. The clatter of blades rang out before the stones even hit the ground.
"You must get out of here," Guernic said, turning to Seth. "If you can break through here you can follow that road." He pointed to a narrow street to their right. No swordsmen lingered there, only a few tradesmen or shopkeepers who were scurrying away from the brawl. "Cut through the butchers' street until you reach the main streets again." Guernic had placed himself close to the princess and when another storm of stones soared towards them, a smaller one caught him on the side of the face, drawing blood. Seth caught sight of a man with deeply tanned skin, blond hair and a pale beard that looked very well trimmed, holding a stone, and their eyes met for a moment. "Go!" Guernic shouted.
Seth didn't like Guernic– what was more, he didn't trust him– but in an instant he made a decision and, gripping Eirika's left wrist, he shouldered past the ring of guards and into the street towards the path Guernic had indicated. A young man holding a sword in trembling hands stepped into his path. In one smooth motion, Seth unsheathed his blade and struck the ruffian across the face with the pommel of his sword before his opponent could so much as raise his weapon to defend himself. Seth barrelled past and no one else moved to stop them. Eirika kept pace with him and he was once again thankful that she had kept up her training these past years; she was no longer the girl who had struggled to draw breath as they had scaled the mountainous path to Caer Pelyn over three years ago.
Together they pelted down the narrow path away from the fighting and then turned down what could only be the butchers' street. Cuts of meat hung in the open air and the butchers seemed little concerned with the flies that hovered near their wares, nor by the distant sounds of the commotion two streets away. Seth's stomach churned as he drew in deep lungfuls of air heavy with the stench of spoiling meat, but he never slowed his pace. Nor did Eirika and his heart, pounding as they sprinted through the streets, ached with pride. He could not have asked for a better princess to serve, nor woman to love.
They did not slow their pace until they were on one of the main roads again, a well paved street, straight and wide, which lead to city hall at the centre of Kartan. There Seth paused a moment to alert a member of the city guard to what had happened, after which he quickly excused himself, for it was still his duty to get the princess to safety and he would not be satisfied until they were back at Kartan city hall itself.
By the time the brass dome of the Hall was visible they were thoroughly winded. No sooner had they reached the safety of the enclosed grounds than they both collapsed against the inside of the main gate, backs against the stone wall. "Are you... well?" Seth panted.
"I'm... fine," Eirika replied between breaths.
"Good." And with that he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and drew her against him, placing a kiss on the top of her head as he tried to catch his breath.
"Seth," Eirika began after a few minutes.
"Hmm?"
"Is it my imagination," she said, one eyebrow raised, "or does someone try to kill us every time we travel?"
Seth laughed.
When he looked at his wife, she was smiling at him, and somehow, in spite of the danger they'd just faced, and the troubles that seemed certain to come their way, he could only feel blessed. To be able to serve his country and be with the one he loved, to be her protector and her lover, it was all he had wished for but never hoped could be his. It was the life he had imagined the night they had fled together from Renais. I wanted to leave everything behind... to take you far away to someplace where we could be together... Who would have known that he'd not have to give up everything to have the one thing he most wanted?
"Seth, just before we fled, there was a man in the crowd who seemed... out of place. He didn't look like the others." She took a moment to describe him; it was the same man Seth had noticed, the one who had caught Guernic with a stone.
Seth nodded. "I noted him as well. I can't but believe that what we just witnessed was staged somehow."
"I think the young men who confronted us were very much earnest, Seth."
"I agree. But if they're as poor as the others in the area how did they pay for their swords? And how did they happen to be there just as we passed through?"
Eirika closed her eyes. Her hand hovered over her belly for a moment and Seth could not help but worry.
"Are you sure you're–"
"I'm fine." She squeezed his hand. "Shall we go, Seth? We should inform the rest of the Council what just happened."
He nodded and, as he rose to his feet, offered her his hand which she took with a smile on her lips. Yet her smile melted away as her eyes fixed on something over his shoulder. Seth spun around only to see a figure in a dingy brown cloak and hood leaning against the outer gatepost, shoulders heaving as he struggled for breath. Laying a hand on his hilt and motioning to Eirika to stay behind him, he approached the figure.
The cloaked man looked up. "Sir Seth?"
Seth titled his head and tried to see beneath the man's hood. "Yes?"
"I have a message..." He paused to draw another ragged breath and only then did Seth glimpse the blood on his shirt. "For Prince Innes." The man drew back his hood, and though Seth did not recognise the man, his appearance fit the description he'd been given of Innes's missing informant.
Seth reached out to steady the man as he swayed on his feet. He helped him slide down against the gatepost and now Seth could see the crossbow bolt protruding from the man's back. "I'll send for a healer," Eirika said. Seth nodded and she sprinted away towards city hall.
The man reached into his shirt and produced a letter, still sealed, but half soaked with blood. "It's imperative that this information–" He broke off as he was wracked by a fit of coughing. Seth's heart sank as he saw blood spatter the man's fingers when he tried to cover his mouth; the wound was serious. If he'd only been struck in the side a healing staff could have cured the wound with little difficulty but this...
"I'll make certain the message reaches Princes Innes," Seth assured, taking the letter. He only hoped the blood had not washed out the ink.
The man seemed aware of Seth's concern for be began to speak again."It's about Councilman Klimt's illness. He's been poisoned."
His words set Seth's heart racing like a steed into battle. "By whom?"
"Another councilman. I don't know who; I saw only his agent." He coughed again, harder this time and there was a distinctive rattle to his breathing. It would not be long now.
"What did he look like?" prodded Seth. "Quickly!"
"A man. No older than you or I. Blond. A trimmed beard and blue eyes, tanned skin. I didn't catch his name." The man who'd hit Guernic with a stone... Was it possible that it was the same man? "I've been in hiding since I learned. They saw me, were after me since then. I..." He gurgled and spit blood. "Tried to reach you today. They came after me. I ran but..." A wheezing breath escaped his lips. "You must..."
Seth gripped the man's shoulder. "You've done well. I'll make sure Prince Innes hears of this. You may rest easy."
Those words seemed to be all the man needed to hear for he closed his eyes, the tension leaving his body. In a few minutes, Eirika would return with a healer who would announce the obvious. Until then Seth waited in silence by the side of a man who had died to fulfill his duty.