CHAPTER XIX
—Naergon—
"Your Grace, a letter from Eryn Galen," Naergon said, offering the paper to Gil-galad.
The High King of the Noldor rose from his seat and unfolded the message, a dour expression on his face. His sullen countenance only worsened as he scanned through the contents then looked up.
"You have read it?"
"Yes." Naergon shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
Gil-galad turned away, shaking his head, and let the paper flutter onto his desk. "Where has that Númenórean Lieutenant gone?"
"They say he died in prison, Your Grace," Naergon told him. "He died the day before his execution."
"Huh!" Gil-galad made a sound of exasperation. "It would have been helpful if his brother had not framed him. We need the Númenóreans aid in this fight. If the orcs were audacious enough to attack Eryn Galen. . .who knows where they will strike next? Eregion? Lindon?"
Naergon did not answer.
"Call Lord Glorfindel back from Eregion," Gil-galad said. "We need him."
"Your Grace," Naergon began, "Lord Glorfindel left Ost-in-Edhil before he could speak with Lord Celebrimbor, who was in Rhaendach. It seems he found something urgent he had to fathom so as to leave so early."
Gil-galad sighed. "Damn it. Give me a subject that will obey my orders for once."
"Lord Elrond is still acting as your lieutenant in Ost-in-Edhil. It seems that at this time, Lord Celebrimbor would be just returning to the capital. He had business to take care of in Rhaendach."
"Send provisions and supplies to Eryn Galen. I want a full report. And I expect the Númenóreans would know by now also. . .I will begin drafting a letter to the King, and it is only to be seen by the eyes of the King."
Naergon bowed. "It will be done, Your Grace."
—The Dead Girl—
Her leg was starting to mend, enough that it did not send spasms of pain shooting up her body every time she put weight on it. Athaeben left food for her in the cave, but she was gone most of the time, leaving the dead girl, Yressë before Norkáwen, once Taeloth in solitude. Thus she was taken by surprise when Athaeben returned one night with words to say.
"Come," Athaeben beckoned her to sit by the fire. She did, cross-legged, and stared at the elleth before her, her face seeming ghastly in the orange light. She had never truly looked at Athaeben before, and all she knew as of now was that her silver eyes and dyed hair contained a thousand mysteries untold. She felt an oddly warm feeling to have another Sinda near, her own kind. It was like how, if she was ever walking around the streets of Lindon, it would be more comfortable for her to inquire one of her own. They were connected from the start and intimately.
"Have you ever met the princess?" Athaeben said. Though the words were a question, it scarcely seemed like one. Athaeben had that manner of speech.
"No," the girl twice dead told her. "But I know Her Highness's name is Hrysívë and she is the daughter of Lord Mairon, sister of Lord Atharys. I have met the latter two both, but not Her Highness."
Athaeben scarcely moved when she spoke. "Would you be surprised if I said you have met her?"
She shook her head. "Things are often not what I expect."
"Her Highness Hrysívë once had the name of Híthriel," Athaeben said. "I assume you know the name."
The girl twice dead lifted her head even as the revelation shocked through her. She opened her mouth as if to whisper the name again—the name that had given her hope when she was lost, then lowered her eyes to the ground.
"I wish to speak to her," she said.
Athaeben had been watching her carefully. "You mean to return?"
"Only for one night," the girl twice dead told her. "I will be Norkáwen for one more night."
—Hrysívë—
"We should hope he lasts the night," Eressë said, not looking at me. Atharys had not woken since his fall, his countenance deathly pale. I stood about a yard away from the sickbed in detachment, glancing back every few moments to ensure his fëa was still pulsing, surviving. To Eressë's statement I gave no answer.
"Your Highness," Eressë began, the courtesan and ex-healer. "May I ask how His Highness was wounded? So that I may properly treat His Highness, of course. The wound is quite deep."
"No." I turned away, my arms crossed and my body taut.
Eressë bowed her head in submission, and I was glad for one that would not object to every word I said for once.
"Assign a handmaid or squire to be with him at all times," I said. "He is not to be left alone."
"As you command, Your Highness." Eressë slipped out of the room.
I was about to take the chair next to Atharys when a guard rushed into the room, his brow beaded with sweat. His eyes widened all the more when he saw Atharys even as he thudden to his knees, bowing.
Stepping forward, I spoke sharply. "What is it now?"
"Your Highness. Lord Khamûl wishes to speak to you."
"Does he now?" I glanced back at Atharys. "Tell him his matter can wait."
The guard only sweat more, his eyes darting all over the room. "Your Highness, Lord Khamûl deems his matter urgent—very urgent."
"I told you. His matter can wait."
He wavered. "Your Highness. . ."
"Speak!"
"Lord Khamûl has instructed us to bring you by force if you do not comply."
That surprised me. Let us hope Eressë will return soon. When one drop of poison enters a basin, the entirety of it becomes contaminated. "Oh?"
"I hope it does not have to come to that, Your Highness."
"Ah." I smiled, every inch of the mask saccharine. "I hope so too." I looped my arm around the guard's and made to walk out of the room. Making a noise of indignance, the guard tried to pull out but I held fast, twisting the arm at the elbow and smashing it into the wall. He howled in pain and clutched at his arm, the bone jutting out of the skin. I glanced at the blood it had left on the wall and hoped Eressë would understand my message, then dragged the guard outside to where his company was waiting. They started and drew their swords when they saw, but their form was quickly dispersed as I threw the guard into their lines.
"I can find my own way, thank you," I said, and stalked off.
They were in the throne room, transformed into a court. Khamûl was standing there in front of them all, an assembly before him.
"Come to accuse me of some unspeakable crime, Lord Khamûl?" I drawled.
He turned, and there was no sly smile on his face. "Indeed. I hope you know of them."
For a moment I doubted myself; truly, there was nothing to accuse me of, but there was a great assortment of things that he could frame me for. With Mairon gone and Atharys wounded, I had no political support, only a sea of opponents. It was almost as if Khamûl knew that Glorfindel would come precisely at that moment and attack Atharys. You have played the game so carefully and yet you did not see this coming.
"In fact I do not, Lord Khamûl," I said. "I do not know what I have done to cause such a large court to assemble. May I ask what you are charging me for?"
"Indeed." He turned to the court, and noticing Insangar, I narrowed my eyes. "The truth shall soon be revealed, but here it is known that Her Highness Princess Hrysívë is guilty of attempted murder, incest, and treason to the throne."
It took all of my strength to not grapple him at this moment and watch the breath choke out of him. The accusation was absolutely insane—implausible. Who would dare believe it?
"What do you have to say, Your Highness?" Khamûl turned a fraction toward me, putting me under him even with my status.
"I would like to hear the entirety of your tale," I said, struggling to keep the anger out of my voice. The result was something uneven, shaking with suppression.
"Certainly." Khamûl began to pace the front of the court as all listened.
Words are poison. It would be better to not let him do this. Kill him and be done with it. But I remained stiff at the edge of the room. If the Wainriders turned against me at his command, there was no escape.
"Her Highness Princess Hrysívë has attempted to kill her brother, His Highness Prince Atharys, as a ploy. She never meant for him to die, but to say that it was my doing and frame me instead. All of us has known that she had hated me ever since her awakening, and even before. It may not be known to all, but during my seventh year, she killed my father, the Grand Chieftain of the Wainriders before me. It hurts my heart dearly to say it, but Her Highness's actions are treason, and a threat to the Wainriders."
Murmurs had erupted in the gathered crowd, yet I held my head tall and said nothing of it. "Have you more to say, Lord Khamûl?"
He nodded once, an audacious, hounding gesture. "Your second crime. I know my father's death does not count so much as a crime, does it?" His eyes were fierce. "No, not so much. Your second crime—your plans to kill your husband, Insangar."
This time I could not stop my anger. I rushed forward. "You son of a bitch—"
Khamûl was prepared. Immediately half a dozen of his guards seized my arms and pulled me back. My own royal guards were blocked.
"I would never—never try to kill my lord husband. Careful of your words. They are dangerous, Lord Khamûl. False accusations are treason."
"That I do know, Your Highness," he said. "Therefore I do not lie. My people know that of me."
I spit on the ground before his feet. He went on.
"After her husband's death, her plans are to seduce her own father and make a child, so the kingdom's heir would be a pureblood prince. When her father, the High Lord of Morinórë Mairon, is eliminated, she would be the ruler of the kingdom behind that prince. This, evidently, is treason. Do you deny this, Your Highness?"
"I do," I hissed. "I deny it all. Where is your evidence?"
It was then he smiled and put a finger to his lips. "Those are coming, Your Highness." He turned to the crowd. "Do we doubt these accusations?"
There came a mixture of indignant shouts. I noticed that Insangar stood silent, his face expressionless.
"May our first witness come forth," Khamûl said, gesturing for Khalentharia to come forward.
She stepped to the front, pale with exertion. Conflicted eyes flicked at me then back to the crowd. "My name is Khalentharia," she began, "daughter of Yeneghei, the late Grand Chieftain of the Wainriders, and sister of Lord Khamûl, Grand Chieftain of the Wainriders. I have seen Her Highness Princess Hrysívë tear apart our people from the inside out, murdering our own in the name of treason." She glanced at one of the guards that was holding me. "Two months ago, after she had successfully conquered the people of Adlannaith and bent them to her will, a rebellion stirred. She killed them, all fourteen before her, men, women, children. And there is something more that most do not know." Khalentharia paused and drew in a breath. "We all know Her Highness conquered Adlannaith by disease. Some of our own Wainriders fell ill from it, more than was good. Yet she paid no heed to them—as a Maia, there is no way for her to fall ill. But those that died where those against her, as if she had planned it. They were our own commanders. She wishes to take over my brother's position."
"Thank you very much for testifying, Lady Khalentharia," Khamûl said. "If you may step down, Lord Insangar may now come forward."
Insangar did not look at me when he approached. "My name is Insangar son of Huylud, Grand Chieftain of the Wainriders, and I am lord husband of Her Highness Princess Hrysívë." Slowly, he began to pace the room. "It was only recently revealed to me that Her Highness's blood is laced with ungolócë, a deadly poison that would kill a mortal such as I." Murmurs wafted across the room. "She has tried to give this poison to me—she has tried to kill me, her own husband, she has tried to kill the Grand Chieftain of the Wainriders."
I had never. "You lie." Though I would gladly see my blood glistening on your lips right now and your mouth gasping for air as the life is sucked out of you.
He opened his mouth as if to say more, then inclined his head to Khamûl and retreated.
Khamûl took no notice. "May the last witness come forward."
Eressë emerged from the door, her expression indifferent, and halted before the crowd.
"Traitor," I hissed.
She paid me no heed.
"My name is Eressë." She paused, as if contemplating what she should label herself as. "Handmaid of Her Highness Princess Hrysívë. I can testify of her notions of treason."
They must have promised her freedom. I stayed silent.
"Her Highness has told me of her plans—I have seen them. All of what Lady Khalentharia and Lord Insangar have said are true." Eressë went on, reiterating what those before her had said. Nothing new. They only needed another witness, more evidence.
When she was finished, she bowed and went away. Khamûl turned to me. "Your Highness. Have you anything to say?"
I raised my head. "No."
