Okay, wow...this chapter turned out way longer than I expected. It was way overdue, though, and I didn't think anyone wanted me to split it apart and wait another three or four chapters to find out how it was going to shake out. So here it is...all of it.
1/Terreille
After last night, Ettia wasn't sure whether Bethaeny would be in her room or not. But it was well past eight and she'd seen no sign of her cousin. She decided the fastest way would be using a psychic thread. If she was lucky she wouldn't be interrupting anything.
*Bethaeny- you up?*
No answer. Reluctantly, Ettia tried again.
*I know it's early, but I think we're expected in the meeting room at nine and…*
*I'm not going* Bethaeny's reply cut her short.
*What do you mean you're not going? We're going back to Draega, need I might remind you. So you're coming to this meeting*
*I'm not feeling well. You can manage without me*
Oh hell no. That was not happening. She was not going by herself just so Bethaeny could enjoy a few extra hours with Shaede. And that's just what she was going to tell her cousin, too.
*We're here to do something important, remember? You accused me of wasting our opportunity here just a few days ago. Now you want to do the same thing just because that Warlord dropped his pants?*
*Ettia, please. It's not like that at all. I really don't feel well*
Something in the tone of her reply struck Ettia as peculiar. Her cousin certainly didn't sound like herself. Definitely didn't sound like a witch who'd spent the night in the throes of ecstasy, either. So she checked her temper before she made an assumption that she might regret later.
*Where are you?* she asked.
*My room*
*Alone?*
Again, no answer.
*Did you hear me? I asked…*
*Yes, I'm alone, Ettia. Can we please drop it?*
Now Ettia was worried. Bethaeny sounded near tears in that last message. Just what the hell had happened last night?
If Shaede damaged her in any way, I will rip him apart, she vowed. I knew I shouldn't have let her go with him.
Standing here wasn't going to get her any answers, though. If she was going to get to the bottom of what upset her cousin, they should talk in person. With a sigh, Ettia crossed the suite to knock on Bethaeny's door.
"Go away."
"I don't think so, cousin. If you're so sick, I want to see for myself."
"I told you, no one is in here."
"Prove it."
"Ettia…"
"I can wait all day."
She heard movement from within. Finally, the lock clicked and her cousin cracked opened the door. Fat lot of good that did her; Ettia could barely see more than a sliver inside.
"I wouldn't lie, you know."
"Then what is the big deal?"
"I just need to be alone, okay?"
"Fine," she answered after a moment to think. "I'll leave you alone for the morning-"
"Thank you," Bethaeny interrupted her as she quickly pulled the door closed again.
Ettia anticipated that move and stuck her foot in the opening. She tried not to wince as her foot was pinched between it and the frame. That was going to leave a mark, no question. But she ignored the pain to finish her sentence.
"-after you let me in."
Her cousin muttered something intelligible.
The door opened again, wide enough to allow Ettia to slip inside. As expected, the place was a disaster. Even for Bethaeny. This wasn't the time for another argument about personal habits, so she ignored the disaster littering every available surface. Instead, she studied her cousin.
Bethaeny's face was blotchy; her eyes and nose were puffy and red. Combined with a roughened voice this morning, one might believe she'd caught a cold. But Ettia knew her cousin better, and thought of a more likely reason. Immediately, her temper flared back to life. This time for a different reason altogether.
"What did that bastard do to you," she demanded angrily.
Bethaeny's eyes widened, but not in surprise. She drew the woolen wrapper close around her and sniffed.
"Nothing."
"Wouldn't lie, huh? I suggest you try again, then."
"Really, Ettia. He didn't…do anything."
That answer could be interpreted a few different ways. A lie to cover for the Warlord? Or maybe the truth, albeit not an obvious one. Ettia narrowed her eyes and considered which one Bethaeny might have meant. In the end, she opted for truth.
"Why not?"
"What?"
"Don't be stupid. You came back alone last night after Willem and I left, didn't you?"
"So what?"
"So I want to know what happened, since whatever it was upset you enough to cry over it all night." Bethaeny didn't deny it, so she continued. "Not only that, now you're skipping out on meetings I know you want to attend."
"I really don't want to talk about it," her cousin replied tearfully as she turned away.
"Tough."
"Ettia, it's between me and…" she paused before continuing shakily. "…Shaede."
Like hell it is, cousin, Ettia said to herself. I don't care if I have to pry it out of you one bit at a time, but you're going to tell me what that prick said to you.
But how did she do that? Bethaeny looked fiercely determined, despite her emotional state. And without sufficient motivation, getting answers would take forever. Then suddenly, inspiration struck. Ettia knew what might loosen her cousin's tongue.
"Either you can explain it to me, or I'll take my concerns to Lady Claudia and you'll have to explain it to her instead."
That threat achieved the desired effect. Bethaeny spun around, shaking her head in horror and disbelief.
"You wouldn't- Ettia, you can't do that!"
"I can and I will if that's what it takes. Now, are you going to start talking or should I start walking?"
Her cousin chewed her bottom lip a minute, obviously thinking. Ettia merely waited. At last, she dipped her head in capitulation.
"All right, we'll talk. Have a seat, then."
Clothes draped over both available chairs, and Ettia forced herself not to comment. They didn't have time to waste this morning. So she kept silent and moved the clothes aside. Bethaeny seemed not to notice the state of her chair and collapsed right on top of several cast off blouses. Minutes passed before she said anything.
"After you guys left, the whole thing became very real very fast. That's when I realized that the life I've had up to now didn't really prepare me for spending a night with someone like Shaede."
"What does that mean?"
"Well, at first, I just thought about how we never learned about…I mean, what did we ever know about pleasing them? Not a damn thing."
A deep blush stained the rest of Bethaeny's already red face. Ettia felt her cheeks warm a little at the thought of it, too. Her cousin wasn't wrong. Neither of them really knew anything about that aspect of sex. So she supposed it might be a little awkward to bring up.
But that didn't seem enough to warrant how upset Bethaeny was now. At least not without some additional information. Bravely, she forged ahead to find out what that might be.
"So what did he have to say about that?"
"Nothing."
"He didn't say anything?"
"No, I never got that far. Because while I was trying to think of a way to bring it up, it dawned on me that I needed to talk to him about something more important."
"Which was?"
"I couldn't go through with it until I told him about Hayll, and…Meredith's court."
"Meaning…"
"Meaning I told him about using the Rings and safframate, and that I…that I've…" she couldn't finish, covering her face with her hands.
Ettia knew exactly what Bethaeny was unable to say, although she hadn't expected it. She'd never seen her cousin as being the same as the others in Meredith's coven. The witch was too…nice…to really fit in with the rest of them. But apparently, Bethaeny saw herself differently.
"Cousin, of anyone in the coven, trust me, you were far from the worst."
"But I still did all that stuff. Before we lost the Rings and had to think about what we'd been doing to them- I did those things."
"We all did."
Her cousin nodded. "And that's what I had to tell him. He had to know what I was."
"I'm guessing Lord Shaede was not as understanding as you'd hoped he'd be," Ettia prompted.
"No," Bethaeny replied brokenly. "He wasn't."
Suddenly, she was feeling very fortunate that Willem had been understanding when she'd voiced her own fears to him yesterday. Ettia wasn't sure she would have cried if he'd turned his back on her, but she was certain it would have been painful to hear. And they were just friends. Her eyes blazed with fury when she imagined how much more she'd have been hurt if they were more than friends- or trying to be. Like Bethaeny with Shaede.
"I see."
Her cousin must have read her expression, and shook her head.
"I don't blame him for being angry. I should have told him from the beginning. It was wrong to pretend to be something I wasn't."
"That has to be one of the most idiotic…" Ettia stopped short and sucked in a calming breath. "You haven't pretended to be anything, Bethaeny."
"Yes I did. I've been saying all along that I want to fix Hayll and make it a place like Dhemlan. But I've never once admitted the things I did to help Meredith destroy it."
She flung herself down on the armrest and bawled noisily. Nothing Ettia could say at this point was going to help her. Before they'd left Draega, she might have just let this go- chalk it up to Bethaeny overreacting when a man rejected her.
But since her conversation with Willem yesterday, Ettia was beginning to see things a little differently. Her cousin truly cared about that Warlord- for some reason she couldn't fathom. Beside the point. What matter was that at the first sign that she might not be as perfect as he dreamed she'd be, he'd broken her heart.
That was not okay.
"I'll take care of things, Bethaeny," Ettia promised as she stood.
Her cousin looked up, eyes filled with tears.
"What?"
"You stay here and try to pull yourself together. I'll go to this morning's meeting and deal with everything."
"Don't say anything to Shaede. Please don't. I just want it all to be over. We're leaving soon, anyway, so there's no point in stirring up trouble."
She paused at the doorway as if considering Bethaeny's plea.
"I won't talk to Shaede about this, if that's what you want."
"That's what I want."
"I won't, then."
"Thank you, Ettia. I promise, I'll be fine by this afternoon."
Ettia merely nodded in grim determination, and then left their suite. She was absolutely furious.
Don't talk to Shaede, you say? Fine. I don't have to talk to him to deal with this. But I won't stand by and do nothing, cousin. Not this time. Mark my words.
Still fuming, she marched into the meeting room and grabbed a chair furthest from Lord Shaede as she could manage. If she was going to keep her promise, she'd have to keep away from him. Far away. Fortunately, he seemed to be in agreement with her plans, refusing to even look in her direction. The prick actually had the nerve to be upset with her? Then the hell with him.
Willem seemed to be the only one confused. He looked first to her, then to Shaede, and back again. Ettia thought he'd ask what their issue was, but then Prince Vaerill and Kholt arrived. They began talking almost immediately, and the opportunity was lost. Ettia listened to their advice, asking questions where she needed clarification. The whole time, she envisioned shooting arrows at an invisible target in place of Lord Shaede's head.
"You'll need a way to network with the other witches in Draega- the ones serving in other courts," Vaerill instructed as they neared the end.
"You mean witches in Lady Jaemie and Lady Julaene's courts?"
"Not just them. You'll need to find ways to get into the courts of Queens Lady Raenel was helping, too."
Over the last day and a half, she'd heard plenty of interesting things about those places. Vaerill claimed that they had been following the same Protocol as Dhemlan for the past twenty years or more. Fully established courts and everything. How Meredith didn't know about them, Ettia wasn't certain.
One thing they didn't tell her much of, though. Ettia had asked a few times about the names and locations of those courts. Neither Master of the Guard nor Steward had an answer. Might as well try again, and maybe she'd get lucky.
"And you still can't tell me which districts she helped or the names of those Queens?"
"She was always careful to avoid names. But two of them are somewhere near Lady Jaemie's court. That's the best I can do," he replied regretfully.
It would have to be enough, although the Darkness knew how she was going to find them with so little to go on. As Ettia tried not to let her doubts show, she saw Shaede's dark expression. Almost as if he resented that Vaerill had told her anything. The Warlord didn't dare voice his opinion, but anyone looking at him would see it plain as day.
So now we're not good enough to deserve any help, she seethed inwardly. I pray you and I never see each other alone again, Warlord, or I may say to hell with my promise to Bethaeny.
Brushing those thoughts aside, she returned a game smile to the Queen's Master of the Guard.
"We'll take what help we can, Prince. It's more than what we've had the past few months."
He nodded and continued the discussion, showing her ways to develop a web of communication without alerting Meredith or Valinna. The first half would be easy, but Ettia worried about that last part. How were they ever going to keep all this secret? Prince Vaerill assured her that the techniques he spoke of had worked for others, though. She had to believe they'd work again.
The sun cast long shadows across the table by the time the meeting closed. Only then did their advisors comment on her cousin's absence.
"Forgive our oversight, Lady Ettia- we were wondering where your cousin was this morning."
"She was feeling unwell," she replied in clipped tones. "And asked me to come alone rather than cancel the meeting."
They exchanged a brief, questioning look. Ettia worried that they might see through her white lie and press her further. But they didn't, thank the Darkness.
"I hope she's well enough later today," Prince Kholt said. "Our Queen told us that you would be leaving soon, and it may be our last opportunity to discuss any last-minute ideas."
"I hope so, too, Prince."
"Please convey our best wishes on her recovery."
"I'll do that."
The meeting adjourned shortly after that. The Princes left first, followed closely by Lord Shaede. He and Willem seemed to have a bit of a disagreement at the door before he stalked out of the room. That left only the two of them behind, exactly as she'd anticipated.
Ettia made no move to leave, and walked over to the courtyard window instead. She stared out over the gardens and lawn, trying to maintain a sense of calm. Willem joined her moments later, leaning against the window frame while gazing at the discussion table.
"Care to fill me in on why everyone is so angry today, Lady Ettia?"
At first, she said nothing. Couldn't. If she answered him now- feeling the way she did- she'd explode. It wouldn't be right; she wasn't angry with Willem. But as the seconds ticked by, Ettia reconsidered. Maybe she was. When she finally felt in control enough to answer, the words held more than a slight chill.
"You promised she'd be safe with him," Ettia reminded him, her voice deadly soft. "On your honor. You lied to me, Prince."
A moment ago, Willem had been merely grim; now thunderous rage swept over his features. She didn't care if he was upset with her. Not when he had a chance to prevent this and didn't take it. But out of the corner of her eye she saw something mixed into that rage. Fear.
"I warned him to be careful," Willem swore. "I told him that he was taking a risk and he'd better be sure of what he was doing."
He ran a hand through his hair and glanced sideways at her.
"How bad is it? I hope…" he cut short and began again. "Please tell me he didn't break Bethaeny."
Unmoved by his show of concern, Ettia focused her anger in another direction. She pushed away from the window and headed to the door.
"Only her heart, Prince," she remarked nastily over her shoulder. "But don't worry, her Jewels are just fine."
He caught her just as she'd reached the hallway, hand gripping her arm firmly. With the other, he held the door closed.
"Hold on, Ettia. Just wait a damned minute and talk to me."
"I don't feel much like talking right now. Your friend labeled my cousin a monster just because she's not some perfect Dhemlan witch who's never done anything wrong in her life. Never mind that she regrets doing any of those things and didn't have a choice at the time. Talk to me? You go talk to him!"
With that, she wrenched her arm out of his grasp and stormed out of the room. She needed to go find some place where she could thing. Somewhere far away from anyone male.
2/Terreille
Bethaeny hoped just this once, Ettia would do as she asked. She just wanted to survive the next few days with as little humiliation as possible. Then they'd go back to Draega and she'd never have to see Shaede again. She sniffed once, and used her sleeve to dry her eyes.
I should really straighten things up in here, she mused dully. At least it would be something productive to do.
Before she could get up, a knock interrupted her thoughts. Bethaeny frowned, wondering if Ettia were back already. She had no idea how long she'd been crying, so the meeting might already be over. Maybe her cousin would relate what they'd gone over this morning. That could help take her mind off Shaede.
Definitely preferable to facing the mess in here, so she wouldn't argue about her coming in this time.
"It's open," she called out hoarsely.
To her surprise, it wasn't Ettia who entered the room. Instead, Willem edged his way inside. Horrified that he'd seen her- not to mention the room- in this state, she scrambled to her feet.
"Prince…I, uh…" She couldn't think of a damned thing to say.
"You're fine, Lady," he assured her. "I didn't come here to upset you."
Or comment on her lack of organization, it seemed. Willem hardly noticed the room at all.
"Please, sit."
Bethaeny sank back to the cushion and cleared her throat.
"Why did you come here?" She was afraid to find out.
"You missed this morning's meeting. Ettia said you weren't feeling well and I wanted to see that you were all right."
"Oh."
"Your cousin was right to be concerned, from what I can see."
"Yeah, I suppose I look a bit of a mess," Bethaeny agreed with a weak laugh. She plucked at the sleeves of her wrap and sniffed loudly. "It all hit me so suddenly. And this morning I wasn't any better, so I just asked Ettia to…"
She trailed off as his expression shifted. Oh she wasn't going to like this at all.
"Bethaeny, there's no need to keep up the pretense. I know why you weren't there today."
Dammit, Ettia, you promised.
"I'm sick," she repeated stubbornly. If she kept saying it, maybe it would become the truth.
Willem crossed the room and settled in the chair across from her. He believed her about as much as she did. Bethaeny sighed.
"What did my cousin tell you," she asked finally.
"Ettia didn't tell me much of anything. But she did mention something about Lord Shaede acting like a jerk when she was yelling at me."
"Yelled at you? Ettia?"
"You heard me right. Yelled."
Bethaeny couldn't picture her cousin yelling at anyone over something that happened to her. Sure, she got angry all the time back in Draega. But usually Ettia was yelling at her, not about her. As upset as she was that she'd told him when Bethaeny had asked her not to, she couldn't help being touched that her cousin cared that much.
Willem interrupted her thoughts with a question.
"So, Bethaeny, was he a jerk?"
She shrugged, unwilling to answer. It was one thing to talk to Ettia about what happened. She couldn't bring herself to do the same with him. After all, he was Shaede's friend. How could she tell Willem what he'd said?
"Bethaeny? Please, I really need to know what happened."
"Why?"
"Because I'm worried about you."
Oh hell, now she was going to start crying again. Bethaeny dropped her gaze to her lap, hoping Willem didn't notice.
"Don't be," she murmured softly.
"Beg pardon?"
"I said don't be," Bethaeny repeated a little more loudly. "I don't deserve it."
"Why not?"
"You shouldn't waste your time on a witch who's used Rings and safframate. Much less one who has participated in games you don't want to imagine- all to belong to a coven that's doing its best to destroy what's left of Hayll. I had this coming."
The silence in her room was absolute.
She figured Willem left, but didn't dare look up. That had been her mistake last night with Shaede and she wasn't likely to make it again. As the minutes passed, a tear leaked out, followed by another. They soaked into the sleeve of her wrap, turning the material a darker shade of green.
A hand closed over hers, and another lifted her chin. The urge to squeeze her eyes closed was tempting, but Bethaeny was too late. She and Willem were practically nose to nose, and she had nowhere to hide.
His expression was serious, but she didn't see the revulsion or hatred she'd expected. Nothing like the way Shaede had looked at her. Willem brushed her tears away gently with his thumb.
"Bethaeny, listen to me," he said at last. "You are not a monster."
"How can you say that after you just heard…"
"You made mistakes. We all make them. That doesn't make you a monster."
"A mistake is calling someone by the wrong name or taking a wrong turn on the way to the market. Torturing somebody isn't a mistake."
"Consider it a wrong turn on the way to becoming the witch you're meant to be. You got lost for a while, Bethaeny, but you found yourself again. That's all."
His forgiveness and acceptance was too much to take in. Tears fell in earnest now, and Bethaeny broke eye contact to draw in a watery breath. It came back out as a sob. Then another. Willem put his arms around her and let her cry.
So she did. Cried for the years where she'd been 'lost' as he'd said, and for the men who'd been every 'wrong turn' on that dark journey.
Eventually the emotional stormed passed. Bethaeny took a last shuddering breath, and shifted. Willem let her go. His eyes never left her face as she sat back in her seat, making her acutely aware that she probably looked absolutely awful. Since her sleeve was the closest thing, Bethaeny used it to mop up her face as best she could. He was still watching her.
Now what?
"Thank you," was all she could think to say.
"No need for thanks, Bethaeny. I meant every word."
"I know."
Her thoughts drifted to last night. How she wished Shaede would have reacted this way. Even if he couldn't have come this far to accepting her past, Bethaeny would have settled for anything kinder than what he'd had to say about her. She thought she knew him; Shaede had seemed liked a caring person. Never would she have believed he could be that cruel.
Willem must have guessed the direction of her thoughts.
"He's young yet," he offered gently. "I'm not excusing whatever Shaede said to you last night. And I'm not asking you to tell me what that was, either. But despite his years, the boy hasn't had much experience and he doesn't always react well when he gets overwhelmed."
She wanted to say that she hadn't been prepared to deal with the direction their conversation had taken last night, either. But that wouldn't change anything, and just sounded petulant and childish. Something she would have said half a year ago.
"I wish I hadn't had to tell him," Bethaeny said instead. "But he had to know. I couldn't live with myself if we'd…" she blushed "…and I didn't say something."
He looked sad and shook his head.
"I'm sorry it turned out so badly, Bethaeny. You did the right thing, though."
"I know. For once I did the right thing."
He stood and dusted himself off. Bethaeny wondered what his peculiar expression could mean.
"So will you be joining us this afternoon? I think Vaerill is more than ready to be cross-examined by someone other than Ettia."
"No…I can't. He'll be there and I just don't think I could…" Bethaeny shook her head. "No, I can't."
"It won't be so bad, I promise."
"I can't. Please, Willem, don't make me endure that look again."
Another strange emotion played in his eyes. He didn't ask her to explain what she'd said, thankfully.
"Okay, okay," he soothed. "I don't want to make you do anything you can't do."
"I'm sorry. I know I should be tougher like Ettia, but I'm not."
"Don't sell yourself short, Bethaeny. You're tougher than you give yourself credit for."
She couldn't answer him, afraid that she might cry again. Willem bowed slightly.
"I'm afraid I must leave you, my Lady. But try to keep your spirits up, and maybe I'll be able to look in on you later today."
"Thank you for the visit, Prince…and for what you said."
He nodded grimly, and then he was gone.
Bethaeny didn't move or do much of anything for some time. She sat in the chair, thinking about what Willem had said. And what Shaede had said. Gradually, she began to realize how angry she was about the way Shaede had treated her.
It hadn't been at all fair. One minute, he'd been all talk about how wonderful she was, and telling her that she was better than Meredith or the rest of her coven. Even when she'd tried to explain her doubts to her. And then when she finally managed to tell him what life was like in Hayll, he'd immediately changed his attitude. She'd been vulnerable- opening up to him in a way she never had to anyone before in her life- and he'd crushed her. Vilified her without any attempt to hear her side.
Maybe Willem was right, and he was young and that's why Shaede was capable of changing his mind so fast. But he'd deliberately hurt her feelings. Bethaeny wouldn't ever forget him calling her a hypocrite, or any of the other hateful things he'd said to her.
Maybe I'm lucky this happened before we slept together, she thought.
As badly as her heart hurt now, Bethaeny was certain it was nothing compared to how she would feel if he'd said those things after going to bed with him. It would have been shattered into tiny pieces, and she wasn't sure she could have put them back together again.
Only blind luck had saved her that pain this time. What would save her next time? Until she brought up her past, she'd had no idea how cruel Shaede could be under that friendly mask. Bethaeny didn't want to start out every friendship with a litany of her past sins.
Am I so certain it's worth all that to put myself through a 'next time'? What if I choose wrong again?
3/Terreille
Now he understood why Ettia had been so angry. If anyone had made Caroline feel the way Shaede had made Bethaeny feel…he would have been yelling, too. Didn't matter that his younger sister was twice Bethaeny's age and was perfectly capable of running her own life. No- he would done more than just yell at the Warlord who dared crush her feelings for no good reason.
As it was, Willem was still furious. Even after years of training, the Warlord didn't understand what Hayllians faced. And because he didn't- or wouldn't- take the time to understand, he'd acted like a complete ass towards Bethaeny.
I should have ordered him to keep away from her, he thought with a sigh. I knew he wasn't equipped to deal with Bethaeny's past.
Obviously, neither witch had an easy time living in Hayll. Hell's fire, they were sucked into Meredith's court. Since they'd arrived in Amdarh, Willem had only seen the briefest of glimpses of what that must be like, and what scars that leaves on a witch. Ettia had only begun shedding light on them yesterday. And now he'd heard an equally troubling account from Bethaeny.
In the past two days, Willem had seen more pain than he had in a very long time. Despite working with the Hayllian refugees on a daily basis, it wasn't the same as dealing with these two. The refugees were usually escaping persecution and oppression. A few might have seen torture. Nothing like the twisted games Ettia and Bethaeny endured.
Or, as both of them had pointed out, had been expected to participate in them.
Perhaps the closest he saw to them in the Hayllian quarter were the Blood males. He'd heard their horrifying stories of life in the covens loyal to Meredith. Even seen their scars- physical and emotional. Willem understood what Ettia and Bethaeny had done to survive.
Now they were finally coming to terms- shining a mirror on some of their darkest moments. Not many witches could face it, or would even try. The last thing they needed was someone else telling them how wrong they'd been. Bethaeny certainly hadn't deserved the emotional beating Shaede had given her.
Speaking of his errant junior guardsman…Willem caught sight of him in the common room. From the look of him, he was brooding. He had things to explain to the young Warlord. But not in this place. A quick glance told him several large groups were socializing not too far away. Willem wasn't about to feed any gossip in court by delivering a lecture in front of them.
That didn't mean he couldn't start with a lesson in humiliation.
Without so much as a word, Willem strode over to him, grabbed Shaede by the collar, and hauled him out of his seat. The Warlord tried to resist and failed miserably. All eyes turned towards them as he dragged the boyo out of the room. The whole time, Shaede protested loudly that he hadn't done anything. Willem ignored him.
When they reached his private office, he shoved the man inside and slammed the door behind them. Shaede glared at him, livid.
"What in the name of Hell was that for!?"
"You know what it was for."
"Damned sure that I don't."
"Bethaeny," Willem replied succinctly.
The moment he said her name, the boyo's face hardened into an ugly mask of contempt. Shaede crossed his arms and flung himself into a chair. Typical temper tantrum, and something Willem had seen him do many times before. No doubt he'd be just as difficult to shake out of it this time, too.
"Conniving, lying little bitch," he sneered. "What? Is she pouting that she didn't get her way?"
Rage thrummed through him, and Willem barely kept it leashed. But the room developed a definite chill.
"How dare you. She didn't ask you to notice her or coerce you into inviting her to your bed. Until yesterday, she didn't even realize you had any interest in her. And the second she tries to be honest with you about her past, you condemned her for it without any attempt to understand."
Shaede tried to stand, but Willem shoved him back into the seat. The Warlord crossed his arms and snarled.
"Understand? What's there to understand? She used Rings- used safframate, even. She admitted herself that she'd tortured Blood males in Draega. Now she wants to pretend it never happened? The fuck it didn't. I'm not going to pollute my bed for someone like that."
"If Bethaeny wanted to pretend it never happened, she wouldn't have said anything," he pointed out.
"Doesn't change the fact that she was involved in the worst kinds of abuse Terreille has ever seen."
Willem stared at him incredulously. How could such an normally intelligent man be so stupid sometimes? He just couldn't fathom how Shaede didn't see where he went wrong thinking that way. When he found his voice again, it held as much confusion as anger.
"What did you expect, Shaede? She was sent to Meredith's coven. I repeat- sent, not that she volunteered for it. What do you think would have happened to her if she hadn't done those things?"
"Exile, like the others."
He refrained from the overwhelming need to rub his temples in frustration. A monster of a headache was building already. Hopefully it wouldn't get too much worse before this was over. Willem passed in front of the window and leaned against the half-bookcase holding his records and personal set of Protocol books.
"Meredith doesn't exile witches when they don't meet her expectations. She would have had Bethaeny broken for sport- likely at the hands of that pet Prince of hers- Alexander DeSade. And if the witch was lucky, that's the worst that would have happened."
The young Warlord hesitated a minute, but it wasn't long before that stubborn look returned.
"Ettia would have protected her," he argued.
"Ettia can barely protect herself," Willem countered bitterly. "She's trapped just as much as Bethaeny. No, she would have done nothing, since speaking up against Meredith would've earned her the same punishment. They both would have been destroyed, and that bitch calling herself a Queen wouldn't have batted an eyelash."
"But they're important witches in her coven."
"They're pawns. Meredith and Valinna sent them here with the hopes they'd die- all to spark a war between our territory and Hayll. It would have been no difference to them to send someone else."
"There's no way you can know that."
Sadly, Willem did know. First hand. Shortly after he'd been tasked with the Hayllian refugee project, he'd gone to Draega in order to understand what they were running from. He'd stayed in Lady Jaemie's district for three months. A short time in the span of a long-lived race, but an interminable visit for anyone to witness the horrors he found there. Truly the stuff of nightmares- things he tried to forget.
Perhaps some of this disaster was his own fault. He'd never discussed any of that time with Shaede or the other Warlords under his command. Hell's fire, none of the even knew he'd been to Hayll. If he had told them, maybe Shaede would have understood what witches like Ettia and Bethaeny faced when cornered into serving a coven.
Willem supposed now was as good a time as any to fix that oversight.
"I've been to Draega," he admitted quietly. "Lady Raenel took me with her once nearly twenty years ago. To see Lady Jaemie's district."
Shaede hadn't expected that answer, if the shock on his face was any indication. It certainly knocked most of that obstinate attitude from his face. He swallowed once before responding.
"I had no idea…"
"No one knows aside from the Queen and her Triangle. Vaerill was the one who brought my request to her attention, and helped arrange it with Lady Raenel. But I kept it quiet from the rest of the guard. They were told I was serving as an envoy to Lady Phaedrian's court in Askavi."
"But why?"
"Working as a spy is a risky business. The less people who knew about a mission, the better."
"Well, yeah….but after you came back, you never said anything."
Willem crossed the room to sit on the corner of his desk. He stared at his hands, folded in his lap. This would not be easy, but he felt he owed it. Not so much to the Warlord, but rather to Bethaeny.
"For years, all I wanted to do was forget, Shaede. Forget the haunted and vacant looks on the faces of broken Warlords and witches that seemed to be everywhere. Forget the screams when Lady Jaemie held one of her 'parties' for her coven.
"I didn't want to think about the witches- good, strong witches- brought to her who wouldn't submit to her way of ruling. Forget seeing their broken shells stumble through the gutter just days later. Or that some were never seen again. It was too much to live with for the longest time, and so I didn't."
Neither of them spoke for a long time. Twenty years had passed, and it still hit him hard whenever he thought of those days. If he'd hoped to come back with a better understanding of the suffering in Hayll, he had gotten more than he bargained for.
Willem hadn't shared what he'd seen with anyone aside from Claudia and Raenel. The latter had been the one to encourage him move past the trauma. She'd helped him find purpose in making lives better for the witches who managed to escape to Dhemlan. At least some good had come of it in the end.
"Is it really that bad?"
"It is. It really is. And I only saw one of the pet Queens. Lady Raenel refused to take me near Meredith's court because even she said it was too dangerous. And honestly, I'm not sure I would have been able to handle seeing what happened in that court. I may have given up in the face of such hopelessness.
"So I'm not surprised what witches like Ettia and Bethaeny do in order to survive it. They have to become what terrify and disgust them, burying those feelings deep enough to live with the decisions they have no choice but to make.
And now that they've chosen to stand against Meredith, they have to face the knowledge of what they did without the protection of that emotional anesthetic. The guilt and self-doubt is devastating. It's a miracle that they've been able to come back this far without tearing themselves in two."
During his speech, Willem paid attention to the boyo's attitude. Little by little, that self-righteous air faded from Shaede's face. By the end, the boyo looked ill. He let those words sink in and waited for him to say something.
"How are you sure they're not acting? That this isn't some elaborate game set up by Meredith to trick us?"
The words of a desperate man, clutching onto a final hope that he hadn't made a huge mistake. Willem didn't feel any remorse in snatching that hope away from him.
"Because I saw the reports from Draega that arrived a few days ago. Our inside contact in Meredith's district confirmed that they're suspected as traitors. A former pleasure slave passed her the information, which he got from one of the servant witches in Meredith's court. Apparently, that witch also happens to be part of Ettia and Bethaeny's underground group."
"Oh."
"But I didn't need the report to know it," Willem continued. "I've seen the witches who gravitate towards that bitch's ideas. If you'd been there to see them first hand, you'd never mistake someone like Bethaeny for a witch like that."
Shaede had sunk low in the seat, eyes finding their way to the small window rather than to look directly at him. He blinked several times.
"I accused her of being no better than Meredith," he said at last.
"And given that she is already struggling with self-accusations on that score, it wasn't hard for you to convince her you were right."
"I wasn't; I was just angry."
"That wasn't the way to deal with your anger, Boyo."
"I know…you're always telling me I act first and think later."
Always was an understatement. Willem must have given Shaede that lecture twice a week since he joined the guard. Hopefully after this, the Warlord would finally work on that particular flaw. It was one thing when Shaede was the only one hurt by it, but now he was affecting other people. Unacceptable what had happened with Bethaeny. He said so.
"And this time you caused a kind-hearted witch a great deal of pain."
4/Terreille
Shaede winced at the hard edge in Willem's voice.
"You saw her?"
"Yes, I did."
"How…" he couldn't finish his question.
"You broke her heart, Shaede."
He closed his eyes against the accusation, wishing he could convince himself it wasn't true. His captain continued, only adding to the guilt.
"I suspect you were the first person Bethaeny cared about, aside from her cousin. And when she thought she could share something with you that left her vulnerable, you plunged a knife in her."
"I was so angry and I wanted to retaliate- wanted to make her cry."
"Congratulations. You succeeded."
"You're not going to cut me any slack on this, are you?"
"No, I'm not."
Not like I deserve any.
Shaede felt lower than low for what he'd done to Bethaeny. Even as he'd left her there last night, he'd known he'd made a mistake. But his pride wouldn't let him admit it. Not then, and not this morning when he'd woken up feeling hollowed out and alone. He'd held onto his anger so he wouldn't have to deal with either of those emotions. Should have known that Willem wasn't going to let him get away with it.
Hardly the biggest of his concerns right now.
"Will she be okay?"
Willem's shoulders lifted and fell as he sighed. Something told him he wasn't going to hear a reassuring 'yes' in his answer.
"Only time will tell, Shaede. I did my best to convince Bethaeny that she wasn't a monster. And maybe one day she'll believe it. That's half the battle, anyway- one Ettia can help her with, since she's struggling on the same battlefield."
Another stab of guilt flashed through him at the word 'monster'. He hadn't used it during the argument last night, so Bethaeny must have said it when Willem talked to her this morning. An ugly word. One Shaede wished he could take back. But apparently, things were worse than that.
"What's the other half," he asked reluctantly.
"You really don't understand what you've done, do you?"
Obviously not. None of his previous romantic interests had ever been this complicated. They began and ended spur of the moment, rarely producing anything more than mild irritation on either side when they were over. As he stared blankly at Willem, his captain sighed.
"Bethaeny may be crying now but the tears won't last. And once they're gone, she's going to be angry. Primarily at you, Boyo, so you'd better be prepared to forget her."
Shaede started to protest, but Willem continued.
"But what I fear is that she'll stay angry and won't ever heal enough to trust someone else. If she doesn't, Bethaeny's first attempt at a normal relationship with a man may be her last."
The thought of Bethaeny with someone else didn't sit well. Not at all. Then again, neither did the idea that if she spent the rest of her life alone, it was all his fault. There had to be a way for him to fix it.
"What do I do?"
"Leave her alone."
"But…"
"I mean it, Shaede," Willem repeated, deadly serious. "I know you want to fix this, but if you go anywhere near her, you'll only make it worse."
"I should at least apologize, don't you think?"
"No. Not now. She won't be ready to hear it."
"When, though? They leave tomorrow, and who knows if either of them will be back."
"Boyo, I wasn't exaggerating when I said you may just have to forget Bethaeny. Some things, when broken, may never be mended."
Shaede didn't argue, but inwardly he refused to accept what Willem was telling him. He'd figure out some way to work things out with her. The man must have read his thoughts. His serious look turned downright severe.
"Do I need to order you to stay away from her?"
You can try, he muttered to himself.
"I'll take that as a yes. Hear me, Shaede: You are not to go anywhere near Bethaeny or her cousin so long as they're in Dhemlan. I expect you to obey your orders. Are we clear?"
"I understand."
"All right, so long as you understand. I have a meeting with the Queen this afternoon."
Before he could ask, Willem nodded.
"Yes, she will be informed- briefly- about what happened. I will do my best to convince her that you shouldn't be released from your contract. But I may change my recommendation if I hear that you disobeyed my instructions regarding Bethaeny."
Well that put a wrinkle in things. He had to be extra careful not to get caught if he tried to see her. Shaede knew his captain was not making an idle threat.
"Yes, sir."
The stern look vanished, and he shook his head.
"It's not meant to punish you, Warlord. I'm only giving you this command in your best interest. And hers."
With that, he stood and walked to the door. Shaede followed him mutely, unwilling to admit that the man was probably right. Hope that Willem was wrong spurred him onward with a plan. By tonight, he would find a way to speak with Bethaeny. He'd put things right again.
5/Terreille
Claudia sensed that something wasn't quite right in her court today. The atmosphere in the hall felt…hostile. Vaerill had supplied her with an idea who was causing it, but was unable to provide insight to why Ettia and Shaede were so furious with one another. She hoped Prince Willem would be more enlightening about the matter during their meeting. More than hoped. She expected him to know what was wrong with a Warlord under his command.
A knock on the audience room door heralded Willem's arrival. Punctual as always. Claudia nodded to Aeroth to admit him into the room. Right away, she noticed a lack of his usual cheerfulness.
Well that doesn't bode well.
First things first. She'd open with something easy before delving into the situation with Ettia and Shaede.
"Prince Willem, thank you for your continued support with the witches from Meredith's court."
"My pleasure, Lady."
"I know this is not quite in the scope of your typical assignment with the Hayllian refugees."
The barest of smiles tugged at his mouth, and he bowed.
"Quite unusual, I must agree. I had no idea how the story would unravel when they first were brought to my attention."
"I'm sure. Would you care to sit, Prince?"
"My thanks, Lady," he replied, taking a seat next to Aeroth. "May I ask why you wanted to meet this afternoon?"
His question offered her an opportunity; Claudia took advantage of it.
"I had intended to go over some plans with you regarding arrangements for Ettia and Bethaeny's return to Hayll." She sighed. "But before we get to that I feel I must ask you about one of the men in your troop."
"Lord Shaede."
"Yes. I take it you're aware of the animosity between him and Lady Ettia this morning?"
Willem was genuinely surprised by her question, worrying her even further. He'd obviously expected she wanted to ask him about Shaede, but not about this. What else could be wrong? Claudia supposed she'd find out soon enough.
"Last night after the final meeting, there was a…disagreement," he began carefully. "It caused some hard feelings between Lord Shaede and the Ladies from Hayll."
Aeroth and Vaerill exchanged a look, clearly reading that this situation was more serious than any of them thought.
"What sort of disagreement, Prince?"
"It was of a personal nature, and I've given my word not to say more than what's necessary."
"I understand."
"In any case, the short version goes like this. Lord Shaede is interested in Lady Bethaeny. But he really doesn't understand what it means to live in a Hayllian court. And when Bethaeny tried to explain it…well, he didn't react well."
Claudia was immediately alarmed. So were her Master of the Guard and Consort. The former asked his question before she could phrase hers.
"What do you mean 'didn't react well'? Is he the reason Bethaeny wasn't at the meeting this morning?"
And why didn't I know that she wasn't at the meeting, she wondered sharply. That might have been something to tell me, Vaerill. But she refrained from interrupting Willem.
"Yes."
"Then she's not sick as her cousin said."
"Not physically ill."
Mother Night. She hoped Willem hadn't expected them to be comforted by that response. Physical injury was the least harm Claudia could imagine. She signaled to Vaerill and Aeroth that they should allow her to ask the next question.
"Can you advise as to the seriousness of the witch's injuries, Prince?"
"It's not as bad as you fear, my Lady."
"That doesn't really answer the question."
He tunneled fingers through his hair and nodded.
"All right- it's not exactly good, either. I saw her after the meeting. Her feelings have been sorely bruised and she is heartsick about Shaede's rejection."
A broken heart- not good, but not the worst.
"Anything else?"
Willem paused.
"He brushed a deep scar during that argument. It will take time for that to heal."
A chill crept into the air around them. Claudia wasn't sure if it came from Vaerill or Aeroth. Both of them had become good friends with Bethaeny over the past few days. So had Kholt. Not surprising. The witch reminded them all quite a bit of Raenel. It had eased the hurt of losing their friend to find someone who might carry on in her memory.
"Lord Shaede could use a reminder in how to respect witches, no matter what territory they come from," Vaerill snarled.
"With all due respect, Prince, I have already spoken with him on the matter. He understands that his behavior was wrong, and the damage it inflicted on the witch. I've also ordered him to stay away from her and Lady Ettia."
Her Master of the Guard seemed to want to argue, but Claudia held him back.
"Prince Willem has addressed the situation, and I see no reason to interfere regarding Lord Shade. At this time."
All three males bobbed their heads quickly.
"Yes, Lady. Your will is our command."
They were preparing to move on to the next topic when Kholt burst into the audience room. At first, she almost didn't recognize him. Her Steward was usually so serious, and to see him so highly animated was highly unusual. Claudia hoped he hadn't come to bring her more bad news.
"My Lady," he gasped as soon as he'd stopped at her feet. "My apologies for the interruption, but I had to deliver this to you right away."
Kholt called in an envelope and handed it to her. The seal caught her attention immediately. Draca's. Mother Night and may the Darkness be merciful. She'd gotten several letters from 'Nelle by way of the Keep, but never bearing the seal of its Seneschal. What could have been so important?
She could think of only one reason. Claudia glanced at the others.
"If no one objects, I'd like to open this now."
No one objected. Claudia tore open the envelope and snatched the single page letter inside. At the first line, her eyes prickled with tears. By the end, they had fallen in earnest. She wiped them away with the back of her hand and drew in a shaky breath.
"My Lady, are you all right?" Aeroth asked, obviously worried.
"More than all right," she whispered as she reread the letter.
"Begging your pardon, Claudia, but you don't look all right to me."
She glanced up at her Consort and husband, and saw his brow creased with worry. If the others weren't here, he would have scooped her up in his arms already. Hell's fire, he looked like he might do it anyway.
Okay, I've worried the poor man enough, she admitted. She smiled at him reassuringly.
"Truly, Aeroth, I am perfectly fine."
He relaxed, as did the others.
"May I ask who sent the letter?" Vaerill asked.
"It's from Lady Raenel."
Exclamations of surprise fell on her ears from all sides. Then came a bombardment of questions. Claudia held up a hand until they'd calmed down. Well, none of them were calm, but at least they were quiet.
"She's in Kaeleer with 'Nelle. Arrived there just recently, from the sounds of it."
"But Lady Bethaeny said she saw…"
"A Shadow," Claudia finished for Kholt. "Raenel had the Prince destroy a Shadow to convince Meredith she was dead."
"And he agreed?"
Vaerill had good reason to sound dubious. Every report they'd gotten about Prince DeSade had painted the story of a vicious killer and torturer of witches. Believing that man capable of cooperating with a witch was hard to manage. Or would be, until she explained to them what the reports hadn't told them. Claudia could scarcely believe what Raenel wrote about the Prince. But it had to be true.
"He did."
"And did she say where he disappeared off to?"
"Prince Alexander DeSade is in Kaeleer."
More confused looks.
"She took him with her? But why?"
"That had been part of her plan for this last mission. In addition to destroying the remaining Rings in Hayll, Raenel went into Draega specifically to release him from Meredith's control," she paused. "…and to return him home."
"Home?"
"The Prince wasn't Hayllian. He's actually Dhemlan. Raenel was determined that he should be reunited with his family. They've all mourned him as dead for centuries."
Slowly, comprehension dawned on their faces. Aeroth spoke first.
"Claudia, you can't mean that Prince DeSade is…"
"Jaenelle Saetien's brother and Daemon Sadi's son."
"Mother Night and may the Darkness be merciful," Kholt muttered under his breath.
"How is that even possible?"
"Raenel didn't provide too many details, but she says something about Meredith sending a member of her coven to kidnap him. She said she'd explain it better the next time she was back in Dhemlan Terreille."
At first, no one said anything.
"I'd just begun to accept that she was dead," Vaerill whispered softly. "Coming back. In a few days, the world has been undone and rebuilt again."
"Well I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm going to yell at her when she does get back," Aeroth announced. "After I see she's okay, of course."
Looking at her Triangle, Claudia knew Raenel would have to endure a lecture from all of them. Probably from everyone in her First- and Second- Circle.
Not until after I've had my say, though. She owes me for that letter I had to write to 'Nelle and all the days I thought she'd been murdered.
Claudia folded the note and fixed a determined look at the four of them- Prince Willem in particular.
"The letter also contained a message for Lady Ettia and Lady Bethaeny. I'm entrusting you to deliver it to them."
Everyone's attention sharpened with curiosity.
"What's the message, my Lady?"
"In a few months, a new serving witch is going to arrive in Meredith's hall. They'll know which one by a star-shaped scar on her temple. If they truly want to help Hayll become free of Meredith, Ettia and Bethaeny should find a way to contact that witch."
"So Raenel's going to meet with them," Kholt translated aloud.
"Which means she's going back to Meredith's court again."
"I don't like it," Aeroth muttered. "It was dangerous enough once."
"It's their best chance to make a difference," Willem argued.
"I still don't like it."
"Neither do I, but I doubt Lady Raenel is going to give us a choice about it. We're lucky she even told us what she was planning."
A collective sigh escaped them. Truer words were never spoken. If 'Nelle and the High Lord couldn't keep Raenel reined in, none of them stood much chance of it, either. Willem recovered first, rising from his seat.
"With your leave, Lady, I'll bring the message to the Ladies."
"Take Vaerill and Kholt with you," she replied with a nod. "They will fill you in regarding the preparations for their departure."
"Your will is my command."
The three of them left. Claudia turned to Aeroth and shook her head. He came up to put an arm around her.
"Raenel alive and Meredith's pet Warlord Prince is Daemon Sadi's son. Meredith is slaughtering Hayllian witches as Dhemlan spies to start a war, and her own coven is looking for ways to bring her down. Aeroth, whatever is coming for Hayll, I think even Dhemlan is going to feel the storm."
"I know, Claudia," he answered with a kiss to the top of her head. "But I feel like when it's done, we might finally see peace for all of the Realm. If this is what it takes, I think we have a duty to see it through."
She couldn't disagree with his opinion; too long had Hayll lived under an oppressive shadow. What Raenel started a half century ago was finally gaining speed. Maybe they'd all be lucky enough to see the damaged territory emerge healthy and whole.
It was something to hope for.
6/Terreille
"You're serious, aren't you? Leave? Tomorrow morning?"
"I think it's for the best, Bethaeny, don't you?"
Her cousin didn't look as weepy as she did this morning, but Ettia knew she was in no condition to stay here. The best thing for her was getting away from this place. What was the difference if they left a day early? One more meeting wasn't going to save them if they got into trouble back in Draega. But leaving tomorrow might keep Bethaeny from coming completely unglued.
Now I just have to convince her of that fact.
"Cousin?"
"Better for me, maybe, but what about everyone else in the group? Wouldn't it be better if we learned all we could before going back?"
"How are we going to absorb anything if you're either shut up in your suite, or distracted by that idiot Warlord?"
"I can deal with Shaede."
"Look, I'm glad Willem was able to help, but it's not going to be as easy as you think when you actually see him again in person."
Bethaeny shot her a murderous glare.
"Like you'd know what this is like. Unless you've had your heart stomped on lately."
"Hey, I'm trying to help. You don't have to snap at me for it."
"I know," her cousin sighed as she flopped on the bed. A few moments passed while she stared at the ceiling. "I'm sorry."
Just then, Ettia heard the sound of knocking at their door. She had no idea who it could be at this hour, but hoped whoever it was didn't intend to stay long. If they were going to leave tomorrow, she and Bethaeny really needed to start packing. Not to mention get some sleep.
"We'll talk more later," she said, rising. "I'll see who's at the door."
"Sure."
Muttering to herself, Ettia made her way to the common room in their suite. By the time she yanked open the door, she was more than ready to send their unexpected visitor packing. Trouble was, when she saw Willem standing in the hallway, escorted by Prince Vaerill and Prince Kholt, those thoughts fled.
"Oh crap, now what?"
They looked started.
"Beg your pardon, Lady Ettia?" the Steward asked.
"I don't know. I guess I assume if the three of you are all here, it's likely trouble."
Willem couldn't resist a smile.
"Well, we'll see if it's trouble for you…or for us."
She distrusted his jovial mood, especially since she'd been screaming at him the last time they were in a room together. What had made him happy now? Was Lady Claudia upset with them about this thing between Shaede and Bethaeny? Did she order them out of Amdarh?
Ettia knew she had no reason to suspect any of those things, but the questions circled at the back of her mind like vultures. She would not let them win. Would not show panic or start accusing anyone of anything. But she couldn't bring herself to join his attempt at humor, either.
In the end, she managed a flat stare. Willem's grin faded somewhat.
"Are you still angry with me, Ettia?"
Oh she wanted to be. She wanted to stay mad at everyone. It helped keep her mind off the reality that she and Bethaeny had to return to Draega very, very soon. And Ettia found didn't want to go back. As much as it would kill her to admit that Bethaeny might have been right, the people of Dhemlan and their brand of Protocol was growing on her.
Once they went back to Draega, she'd have to pretend she never saw any of this around most of the coven. She'd have to go back to being that witch again- the one she hated. The one she'd confessed might just take over the part of her who wanted to stay like this during her conversation with Willem yesterday. That thought terrified her more than she wanted to admit.
So yes, she wanted to stay mad. But after what he'd done to help her cousin, Ettia couldn't keep the pretense up that she was angry with him. It wasn't even his fault that Shaede was an ass in the first place.
There's no help for it…I'll have to apologize, she thought glumly. Hopefully, Willem doesn't gloat too much.
"I…uh…was a little overwrought this morning," she began. "I just needed to yell at something."
"And I made myself a handy target."
"That didn't make it right…"
He held up his hands.
"No need to apologize. That's not what I came here for."
"Oh." She paused to think. "Are you here to see Bethaeny?"
"Both of you, actually. It's about your trip back to Draega. The Queen asked me to go over the details with you both."
"I wasn't aware that anything special was going to happen. I mean, we thought we would just pack our things and go back the way we came. I'm guessing that's not the plan?"
"Not exactly," he told her kindly. "She wants to be sure you have sufficient protection through Dhemlan, and will arrive in Draega safely without rousing Meredith's suspicions. May we come in?"
Ettia glanced behind her at the suite. As she'd been packing, things were strewn everywhere. Personal things that she didn't really want Willem or the other two to see.
"Uh…" she hesitated.
He looked knowingly at her.
"Need a few minutes to tidy up?"
"Yeah, no…I just…let me vanish some stuff."
Once the mess was dealt with, Ettia stepped aside to let them in. From the door of her bedroom, Bethaeny appeared. She must have gotten curious about what was going on. Alarm flashed across her face when she saw Vaerill and Kholt. Ettia knew her cousin was likely thinking the same thing she had at first.
"They're here to talk about how we're getting back to Draega."
Her cousin nodded, and ventured further into the room. Willem smiled at her and gestured to a chair.
"I promise we won't be long."
After fifteen minutes of discussing escorts and routes and what Winds to take, Ettia had to wonder about his definition of 'long'. She was just about to ask when he came to the end of it.
"Once you leave Dhemlan, you'll be on your own again," Vaerill emphasized. "As much as my Queen would like to send you with an escort the whole way, it's too risky."
"Risky," Ettia repeated.
"More for you, really. If Meredith finds you with Dhemlans in her territory, she'll have more than enough ammunition to brand you both at traitors."
She supposed she should have thought of that. It made sense.
"That is definitely the last thing we'd want to see happen," Kholt said.
"Us, too," Bethaeny chimed in.
"There's one last thing," Willem mentioned, almost as an afterthought. Ettia couldn't tell if it was good or bad from his tone.
"Oh?"
"Lady Raenel."
Ettia wondered why he was bringing that name up. She glanced quickly at Bethaeny, hoping that the subject didn't upset her. But her cousin seemed fine for now.
"What about her?"
"We received a message from her today. Part of it was for the two of you."
"That's not possible. The Prince…"
"Whatever you saw in that suite was nothing but an illusion. What we call a Shadow. Raenel used it to trick Meredith into believing she'd been killed."
Bethaeny shuddered, rubbing her arms vigorously as if she'd gotten a chill.
"It worked," she murmured quietly.
Ettia suspected that Willem had more to tell them.
"Was that it?"
"No," Willem said with a shake of his head.
"She is interested in helping you. If you want it, look for a witch with a star-shaped scar on her temple. She'll appear among the housekeeping staff sometime a few months from now."
So the witch was returning to Draega. Returning to Meredith's court, despite what happened to her last time. Hearing Willem's explanation, Ettia wondered just what did happen. Could the Shadow he mentioned have been what they'd all seen in the audience room?
Instinct told her t couldn't have been. She couldn't believe that Valinna wouldn't have noticed an illusion when it was right under her nose. Irrelevant, really. The point was, the witch survived in Prince DeSade's suite, and that was something no one else had ever done.
How powerful is she, Ettia wondered. Stronger than Meredith? If she is, what does she plan to do with Hayll once Meredith's gone? And what price will we have to pay for her help?
Things to consider. Luckily, it sounded as though they had time to think.
"Thank you, Prince," she said aloud. "We'll be sure to keep an eye out for her."
"I'm so glad…" Bethaeny told them, smiling. "Glad to hear she's well."
"As are we all, Lady."
When no one spoke after that, Vaerill must have recognized it as their cue to be going. He motioned to the others.
"I think it's been a long enough day for all of us," he said. "We'll leave you ladies to the rest of your evening."
Everyone made their goodbyes, and Willem's hand touched the doorknob to pull it open. Before he did, the knob turned. In walked Shaede, who immediately froze when he saw the other males in the room. They were likewise still, and Ettia waited to see what would happen. Willem looked positively irate. He was about to give the Warlord a blistering lecture when she heard movement from behind her.
"What in the hell do you think you're doing here!?"
7/Terreille
Considering that he hadn't expected to run into Willem- or the Queen's Master of the Guard for that matter- Shaede wasn't sure. Not that he ought to worry much about them just now. No, Bethaeny appeared the much greater threat, coming at him with eyes blazing in fury.
Willem tried to warn me, he admitted ruefully.
She pushed past her cousin to stand front and center of the group. Hands planted on her hips, she narrowed her eyes at him.
"Well?"
"Could we talk for a minute- privately?"
"No, Warlord, we can't," Bethaeny replied shortly. "If I recall, you'd said last night you didn't want to hear what I had to say. Today, I'm pretty certain I don't want to hear what you have to say."
Shaede supposed he deserved that. He took the kick to the balls and tried again.
"I get it- but I need to tell you…"
"I said no. We're not doing this. Not tonight and not ever."
"Just one thing," he pleaded.
Despite how pitiful he probably looked, she was not swayed.
"You should leave, Warlord. We have nothing more to say to one another, and I don't want you here."
"Shaede," Willem's voice urged gently from behind him. "Let's honor the Lady's wishes and go."
He glanced at Lady Ettia, hoping futilely that she might help him with her cousin. No luck there; she was just as furious. Shaede looked at Bethaeny one last time, determined to say what he had come here to say. It didn't matter that she didn't want to hear it.
"I'm sorry, Bethaeny. More than you know."
He thought he saw a shimmer of unshed tears, but she was still too angry to acknowledge them- or his apology. With that, he turned away. Willem and the others let him pass, and followed him out to the hall. The door closed behind Kholt, who was the last to leave the room.
Well, I suppose that's over.
"Did I not order you just this afternoon to stay away from Lady Bethaeny," Willem demanded. "What part of my command was unclear, Warlord?"
Okay, maybe not.
"I understood the order, sir."
"And yet here you are."
"You're right. I disobeyed it deliberately," Shaede confessed truthfully. "And I accept whatever punishment awaits me for it. But I'll tell you what I could not accept. The thought of letting Bethaeny leave here without telling her what I needed to say. No matter what she might think of it or me."
His captain had been gearing up to yell at him. So were Vaerill and Kholt. But after he'd finished, all three let out aggravated sighs instead. The Queen's Master of the Guard ran a hand across his forehead several times and darted an exasperated look at Willem.
"He's your man- what do you want done about this?"
Shaede waited nervously. He'd meant what he'd said. Getting to say his piece to Bethaeny had been worth whatever punishment was coming to him, but that didn't mean he wasn't afraid. He'd dreamed of serving Lady Claudia for a long time. Now it might be over.
"One month," his captain said finally. "For the next four weeks, you will be standing extra duty in the Hayllian quarter, Lord Shaede. I will explain to the Queens that you are to do whatever they need done during that time. You will report to me every day for any additional assignments as I see fit. This is not negotiable, Warlord. Understood?"
He was so relieved that Willem wasn't kicking him out of the guard that he would have agreed to two months- hell's fire, a year- of extra duty. As soon as he found his voice, Shaede answered.
"Yes, sir."
Vaerill and Kholt nodded in agreement.
"It's more than fair. We'll emphasize that point to the Queen if it becomes necessary."
"Let's hope it doesn't," the Steward mumbled.
"No kidding. Willem- you need us for anything?"
"No, we'll be fine," the man said while holding his gaze on Shaede. "I'll be sure to arrive early tomorrow to be part of the escort."
"Sounds fine. Good evening, Prince. Warlord."
"Good evening."
When they'd gone, Willem shook his head.
"It's been a rough day, Boyo. Let's go to the Brass Barrel and have a talk over some ale. I think we could both use it."
Shaede couldn't speak. The reality of his situation with Bethaeny was just starting to hit him. He managed to nod, and followed Willem away from her suite. If he was lucky, he could drink enough to numb himself to the ache in his chest. At least for a little while. Shaede knew the ache would be there long after his punishment was over.
He suspected Willem knew that, too.