Chapter 34.
Lutin stood at the door of the scribe's rooms looking as if he'd been expecting the lady who was not walking as if she owned the palace. He mused to himself how very regal the girl was, standing there dressed in the simple gown. He bowed to her, "Greetings, Tagaan, how may I be of service to you?"
Sarah looked at him and accepted his respect for her, "I need some clarifications on the Laws of Escheats," she spoke to him with returned respect.
"Of course," he motioned her and her guards to follow him into the inner sanctum of the Library. "Is there a specific point of law you wish to seek?"
"Is there something in the laws about a Kiss being freely given?" she asked trying not to seem more than mildly interested.
"Indeed there is," he held a chair for her to be seat in. "I shall get the scroll you need." He looked over at Daisy and gave her a knowing look.
Daisy stood looking at the young woman, "A kiss freely given?"
Sarah composed herself as she placed her hands on the table before her and clasped them together. "That was the price the King requested for a favor."
"A favor," The guard poked further.
"A truce actually," Sarah tried not to look at the guard.
Della snorted, "Truce?"
The Tagaan ignored the Harpy altogether, but could not ignore the cocked brow of the Goblin woman. "What?" she demanded.
"You asked for this truce?" she questioned quietly, reflecting a deeper meaning.
Sarah nodded and kept her focus; "For Toby's sake."
"I see," Daisy leaned on the table, before she looked at the woman. "I don't recall you making a truce before you left this realm, I recall you telling the king he could not call you by the title Tagaan, so when and where was this truce struck?"
Sarah didn't like the way Della was glaring and nearly gloating about something, but it was Dasiy's questions that had her really worried; "In Toby's room, why?"
"And the King demanded a kiss?"
"No," Sarah said trying to stay calm. "I asked what the truce would cost me and he said one kiss freely given. However I can't say he demanded, more that he suggested the price."
At this point, Della began to choke on her laughter.
Sarah took a deep breath, "I take it I did something stupid."
Daisy glared over at Della who quieted down. "Not exactly stupid, my lady. But you were more or less waltzed yourself into a situation." She motioned toward the scribe who was now headed back toward them with several scrolls in his arms. "Lutin would be better at explaining the finer details of such a… arrangement."
Lutin dropped the scrolls down on the broad table and looked at Daisy. "Fine details to what situation?" His eyes shifted from the Goblin Guard to the mortal woman.
"To a kiss freely given," Daisy crossed her arms. "From a mortal to a Fae."
Lutin nodded and began to unroll a scroll. "This is very old law, and seldom is it evoked. However it still stands." He smoothed the old parchment that looked to be in good condition and then pointed to the strange scratching. "You don't read Goblin, do you?" he asked. Sarah shook her head no. "I don't suppose you read Runes or Elven or any of the Fae languages either." His voice was full of something like pity. "I shall have to see that you are tutored," he sighed. "It will serve you well… I understand that you are learning a few useful goblin phrases…"
"The master felt it would be good for me to understand the goblins, yes." Sarah admitted.
Lutin nodded, "We are a proud race," he pointed to the parchment. "We, the higher ranking goblins, are renowned for keeping meticulous records. Some of our records go back to the forming of the Seelie courts, before the division and rift which resulted in the UnSeelie courts forming." He explained with great pride in his race.
"Long ago, the worlds, yours and that of the Fae were much closer, Fae walked freely among you. However the Fae are a lusty breed, and they tarried often where they should not have tarried. Even the Seelie were a bit rakish among the mortals they… amused themselves with. The High King, seeing trouble ahead instituted the laws."
"The Escheats?" Sarah asked softly.
"Yes, and they did a help, however there were loopholes." Lutin moved one long graceful finger down the scroll looking for the passage he knew would clarify the situation to Sarah. "Ah, here we are. A kiss, freely given in exchange for a favor from a Fae, seals the giver to the Fae."
"Seals the giver? What does that mean?" Sarah demanded quietly.
"It means he owns your soul," Della scoffed loudly.
"He already owns my body… the spoils of war…" Sarah protested, she looked at Lutin, his face told her that Della didn't have it clear either. "There's more to it, isn't there?"
"Did anything happen when you exchanged this kiss? Say a change in the temperature of the room… or a sudden wind… or even perhaps a bright light?" Lutin inquired as he began to take notes with a long feathered quill.
Sarah, uncomfortable about discussing this private matter, began to squirm. "Why? Is that important?"
"Tagaan," Lutin addressed her by the title she hated. "I am a scribe, not a gossip. If I ask for information, it is much like a doctor asking for symptoms… I cannot give you a complete picture without all the information."
Sarah folded her hands on the table and took a deep breath. "I was a bit preoccupied at that moment, but yes, there was a change in the room… it seemed to be bathed in a strange radiant light, and it felt very warm for a moment."
Lutin dropped the quill, as well as his lower jaw. "The room was bated in… what color would you say the light was?" His eyes were nearly popping out of their sockets.
"Golden…" she said hesitantly. "Does that mean something?"
Lutin nodded, "It means he's fasted your soul to his," Lutin looked at the woman who was the slave of his King, and yet so much more. "And because the kiss was freely given, your soul was in agreement."
Sarah was still unclear, and asked carefully. "What does it all mean?"
Della laughed maliciously, "Twit," she cackled; "It means the King now owns you, body and soul!"
"Silence," Daisy ordered the Harpy in the sharpest tone she'd ever used. "It means far more than that and it is nothing to joke about." Daisy looked at the mortal girl. "It means he's taken the first steps to bonding with you."
"Bonding, as in… marriage?"
Lutin smiled softly. "Marriage, as you have known it is a mortal contrivance. Bonding and the taking of a soul mate is an eternal union." He explained patiently. "You are now living in a realm where life is very long lived."
"I'm a slave," she whispered.
"You are far more than a mere slave," Lutin protested making an objection to her simplification of her status. "You are the Tagaan or Rhuukarlaan," He said firmly. "It is a position of honor."
"A love slave," Sarah said pitying herself; "Nothing more than a bed-warmer."
Della snickered, Daisy hissed at the Harpy to silence her. The Goblin woman took a seat beside the girl. "You're roots; they are Celtic are they not? Think back to the oldest of times your tribes are known for, and the women who were bred at that time."
Sarah stared at her for a long moment, slowly rising to her feet. "I declared a war, and was taken captive… and he… oh…" she closed her eyes letting what she was now learning sink in. She was more than just an unpaid whore in the King's bed. Sarah placed a hand to her lips, and opened her eyes. "Does anyone know?"
Lutin shook his head, "I doubt it," he looked at Daisy. "There's more though my lady." Daisy nodded at him, signaling him to tell Sarah more. "You are the Tagaan or Rhuukarlaan, and that is not a Fae state of being, it is Goblin…and you are under Goblin law, not Fae. The Goblins and the goblin laws are very like those of the old Kelts."
Sarah looked at the scrolls that had been placed on the table, "I think you'd better teach me to read Goblin," she said huskily. "I think there's more here than you are able to say."
Daisy took hope, perhaps though this spunky mortal who was robbed of her dreams, perhaps the cycle of destruction could be broken and the souls that were still at unrest could be soothed. "There is a way," she suggested without pressing, "For the girl to learn more quickly."
Lutin looked taken aback. "Captain, are you really suggesting that we…"
"She needs to know," Daisy said calmly.
Della had no idea of what was being discussed, but felt a sudden need to put her two cents in. "And what would the King say?"
"The King gave her to the Master of the Guild to learn her… station… I believe the King would approve." Daisy declared.
"What is this way?" Sarah asked not exactly fearful, but not enthusiastically either.
Lutin looked at her, "It involves a small amount of risk," he warned gently as he moved to a shelf of what looked like ordinary knickknacks. He opened what seemed to be a puzzle box. "This is called the Babel," in his hands was a pendant on a chain. The pendant itself resembled the Labyrinth. "It enables the wearer to understand the languages and nuances of the Goblin races." He extended to her. "However, Tagaan, be warned. If you wear it, you'll become more and more one of us…"
'You have thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth, or your baby brother becomes one of us… forever… such a pity…' even now she could hear his voice echoing in her mind.
Sarah extended her hand and looked at the pendant. "I'm already Goblin by law," she stated forebodingly; "May as well jump in with both feet!" She unclasped the chain, and then fastened it to her neck. "How long does it take?"
"It should work almost instantly, as if you've always known how to read and understand our language." Lutin counseled. "Tell me what you see."
Sarah looked down, and began to see the letters changing. "This is in English," she marveled. "This is the charter for the Kingdom, and the armistice between the Goblin and Fae."
"No, you are seeing it in English, but it is written in Goblin," Lutin sighed. "In time, you'll even be able to distinguish the two, and perhaps even write in both."
"Will I be able to speak it better?" Sarah asked looking at her mentors.
"In time," Daisy said, "If you work at it." Daisy placed the scroll containing the story of Zoltarie and the first Tagaan in front of Sarah.
"This," Sarah looked closer at the scroll. "This is a lineage tree?"
"Read on," Daisy urged. "Read on Tagaan."
"Zoltarie and," Sarah paused before looking up at the Goblin Scribe. "The Tagaan or Rhuukarlaan?"
"It is a history you may find useful in knowing." Lutin said sounding conspiratorial.
Sarah looked from the Scribe to the Guard, and then at the Harpy. "What is this?"
"Call it a tribunal," Daisy stated.
"Haven't I already been judged?" Sarah asked quietly.
"We are not judging you, Tagaan." Lutin stated calmly. "A tribunal does more than just judge and render sentences. In the Goblin world they also guide."
Sarah looked at the parchment, and quickly took off the Babel. "I'm not ready for this," she said dropping it to the table. "I just wanted to know what I had gotten myself into by kissing the King… I don't want to know the rest of this." She stood up and exited alone.
Della hissed. "Don't you think we should follow her?"
Shaking her head, Daisy sighed. "Where can she go?" She looked at the scribe and pointed to the Babel. "Don't put that away, she'll be back. She won't be able to help herself… The one thing I know about humans it their curiosity. Sarah will not be able to resist the need to know."
"You're so sure of her?" Della taunted fingering her purse; "Sure enough to place a little wager?"
"Name it," Daisy said crossing her arms.
"The tab at the pub for the next month," Della challenged; "I say she won't come back here looking for the information, not without being tricked further."
"I say she'll be back before the end of this next fortnight… perhaps even only a week's time." Daisy placed her purse on the table beside the Babel.