Chapter 7: The Victim

Munster District, Ulster, 767

Consciousness returned to Bloom slowly. He became aware of the world again over the course of several days. With great difficulty, he could open his eyes, but his mind was unable to register anything he could see. There was activity around him, a constant ebb and flow of people moving about. Some even talked to him, although he couldn't understand the words at first. Eventually, the haze cleared and things started to make sense.

The first thing he recognised was a balding man with a moustache. "Are you awake, Lord Blume?"

"You," Bloom said, with some confusion. He weakly noted that he was still in his bed chambers. "You're that priest…from Barhara."

The man cracked a smile. "I see you remember me. The names Rodan. Look, it's my turn to show you a holy weapon." He reached down, picked up a wooden case and opened it in front of Bloom to reveal an ornate stave.

"The Valkyrie stave," Bloom whispered. "Did I…die?"

Rodan laughed. "No, not quite. But they were afraid you would. There's no one alive who can use the Valkyrie staff, but I came anyway, to see if I could help. I'm glad I got to show it to you at least. It's also been my pleasure to meet your sister. I'm glad to see she fared better than Lord Claude." Bloom followed Rodan's gaze and noticed Tailtyu sitting on the other side of the bed.

"Tailtyu," he gasped.

She looked down before speaking. "Hello brother," she muttered.

Bloom looked back to Rodan, as if seeking aid. "How long was I unconscious?"

"About two weeks," Rodan said. He closed the box containing the holy Valkyrie staff and got to his feet. "Well, I must be off. Not sure if you've heard, but they've put me in charge of Edda. Always plenty of things to do, as I'm sure you well know. It was good to see you again. I leave you in the capable hands of your own staff."

There were a few guards and clerics in the room, but Bloom took no interest in them. With Rodan gone, the only one he cared about was his sister. He was pleased Tailtyu was there for him, but he had no idea what he was supposed to say. "Is Hilda still here?"

Tailtyu shivered at his wife's name. "Yes."

"And the kids?"

"Yes."

"That's good." Bloom hesitated. "Your daughter…"

"Tinny."

"Yes, I know her name. Tinny…does she get along with Ishtar and Ishtore?"

"When Hilda lets them play."

Tailtyu was so different from how he remembered. She had always been such a cheerful and loving child. He had assumed that when they finally found time to mend things, he would see that side of her again. Now she was cold and detached, without any sign of happiness. "Tailtyu…why did you run off all those years ago?"

She looked to the door Rodan had left through. "Because of Calude. He was taking a trip to the Tower of Blaggi, and I just joined him for fun. Suddenly father was there, declaring Sigurd a traitor, and I had no choice but to go to Sileese. Claude tried to get the matter sorted, but father declared him a traitor too. He didn't know he was condemning his own daughter at the same time."

"You didn't…If you had of just left, then father would have welcomed you back."

"I couldn't leave." There were tears in her eyes. "None of it was true. None of us were traitors. We just wanted to go home."

"I know." Bloom reached out to grab her hand, but she recoiled.

"Tailtyu…please understand…I only wanted to give you your life back. You have to admit, things are better now, better than they would be if you'd stayed in that village. Tinny can play with her cousins and you-"

"Shut up." Tailtyu didn't scream, but the words still pierced through Bloom as if she did. "You don't know anything. My life is a living hell. Hilda spends every moment making sure I suffer." She clutched her right arm with her left. "At first I thought it was because she was jealous, but she just does it because she enjoys it. It takes everything I have to make sure she doesn't hurt Tinny."

"What are you saying?"

"She beats me, Bloom. Beats me and burns me and mocks me and locks me away without food or water. She's so cruel. She doesn't let me sleep. I can't take any more." She still wasn't shouting, that, more than anything, broke Bloom's heart. It was as if there was nothing left in her. She spoke with emotion, but lacked outrage. Lacked any sort of pride or even anger at the indignity.

"I'll talk to Hilda," he promised.

Munster District, Ulster, 767

Hilda visited with the children that evening. She denied everything. That didn't surprise Bloom. He didn't doubt Tailtyu's words. He loved Hilda, but there was something in her that was unrelenting, a selfishness that would drive her to do anything for her own personal gain, with no care for others. He would have shouted at her, had he the energy, but he was still feeling weak and confined to his bed. In the end, all he could do was decide that Tailtyu would stay in with him in Munster.

Cowen visited not long after Hilda left. "What's happened while I've been away?" Bloom asked.

"There was a minor riot in Leinster during the new year," Cowen said. "About a dozen citizens were killed, along with two soldiers."

"Friege soldiers or Leinster soldiers?"

"Leinster soldiers."

Bloom nodded. It was regrettable that anyone had to die, but better Leinster's soldiers than his own. "And what do we know about the bitch that put me in this bed?"

"The assassin? Very little I'm afraid. Your Queen really did a number on her. There wasn't much of a body left to identify."

"Where were the soldiers guarding my door?"

"It seems someone used a sleeping stave on them. We didn't find a stave on her body, which means she wasn't working alone."

"A sleeping stave isn't easy to come by. If she had a benefactor, it must have been someone rich. Probably one of the Leinster nobles." There was a large ball of pressure at the front of Bloom's head. He didn't know if it was from the injuries he sustained, or if it was a natural anger he was still feeling after talking to Tailtyu. "This is an outrage," he muttered. "I'm meant to be their king, yet they attempt to kill me. And they almost succeeded. I won't let it happen again. Tell Muhammad I want the oldest child in every noble family of Leinster killed in retribution."

Cowen hesitated. "Sir, we don't even know is Leinster is to blame."

"Of course it's Leinster," Bloom growled. "They're the only ones who won't play by the rules, won't just accept defeat. That was an order. Carry it out."

Jugdral, 767

Bloom had to learn how to walk again after the attack. It was difficult, painful and took several weeks. Hilda did not go back to Friege. She insisted on staying with him for "moral support," but he rarely saw her. He was thankful it meant the children were still near, but he rarely saw them too. He didn't want to worry them by letting them see what state he was in. Even more than that, he didn't want them to see him as weak. He was their father, he was meant to be a pillar of support, invincible, not some slobbering wreck that can barely stand.

At first, he thought Hilda's choice to stay had something to do with Tailtyu, but eventually he learned she was here to try and open more frequent communications with Thracia. Eventually, after two months, Thracia responded to her saying Prince Areone was already engaged, to a minor noble's daughter from one of the other cities in Ulster. This outraged Hilda. She deemed it as a personal insult, thinking there was no political advantage to the arrangement. Bloom saw beyond this feint, however, noting that the city Travant was trying to marry into was practically on the South Thracian border. If it came under Thracian control, it would be a good location to invade Munster from on the western flank.

Not long after Hilda received this news, Tailtyu hung herself. The body was taken to Friege, where a funeral was held. She was buried amongst her ancestors as a true noble of Friege. Bloom shared a carriage with Hilda throughout the journey back to Grannvale. He didn't say a word to her. He didn't speak with her until the funeral was held, at which point he informed her Ishtar and Ishtore would be living in Ulster with him and Tinny. Hilda did not take kindly to this, but all she could do was scream and shout. Bloom was king, after all.

Alvis also attended the funeral. Bloom didn't say anything to him, either. Instead, he embraced his old friend. The Emperor of the world looked just as haggard, worn and exasperated as Bloom felt. No more, Bloom thought as they lowered Tailtyu into the ground. No one will ever make me feel like this again. No one will ever hurt me like this again.