Heart's Desire
Chapter 5- Delia of Eldorne
Author's Note-
So that's the suprise character, ay? Why is she involved- wait and see!
Disclaimer-
Kelsie of Tirragen, Matthew of Golden Lake, Jazz, Lady Amelia, Lady Jessamyn, Lady Jennifer, Lady Penelope, and Lady Melissa belong to me. Jon, Alanna, Alex, Thom, George, Gary, Raoul, Thayet, Delia, Roger, etc. belong to Tamora Pierce. Heart's Desire magic is mine.
Jonathan sat in his study, thinking. He had just had a very peculiar talk with Kelsie of Tirragen, one of the ladies of the convent. How strange it had been for him to look at her and know that Alex was related to her. Jon remembered a time not all that long ago when Alexander of Tirragen had been one of his closest friends, and then he remembered more recent times, when Alex had assisted his uncle in trying to take the throne, and had many times tried to kill Alanna, who had in the end killed Alex. To get close to another Tirragen..........
Of course it was the right thing. Kelsie was a wonderful person, according to both Matthew and George, and Jonathan got the same feeling around her that he had gotten when he had first met the Golden Lake boys, that feeling of trust and friendship and respect. Though Jon hated to admit it, he had never quite gotten that feeling around Alex.
Jon didn't want to be nosy, but he had a fear that Roger had left behind a plot, Roger knowing that there was a chance he would die trying to kill Jon and ruin Tortall, as he had. Delia of Eldorne was the only known associate of his left living (Ralon of Malven/Claw, Princess Josiane of the Copper Isles, and Alex had all died on the day of the coronation) and she was sentenced to a life of imprisonment. However, knowing Roger there had been others, others that had not been caught and were still out there plotting to destroy. Perhaps Alex had had documnets about these plans that had somehow gotten back to his half-sister......................
I'll ask next time I see her, Jon thought to himself. Then his thoughts shifted to another part of their conversation. Kelsie had said that she had a power called Heart's Desire. Jon had heard of this power, and it was highly useful in some situations. It showed a person's hearts desire, and a very powerful mage would be able to expand the power to mind-reading. Kelsie could easily have that power, and it would uncover many plans that needed his attention.
Lost in his thoughts, Jon finally looked up when there was a harsh knock on the door.
"Come in," the King called once again, just as he had less than an hour ago.
A man in uniform rushed in. Jon recognized the uniform- he was a guard at the Palace Prison.
"Majesty, your presence is requested in the prison," he panted. He seemed as if he had run through the hall.
"And who requests my presence?"
"Delia of Eldorne, Sire. It's urgent."
"Urgent? Unless she is breaking out of jail as we speak, I see nothing urgent that a woman in prison could have to say," he said, but he continued following the guard just the same. The guard looked him in the eye gravely.
"She's dying, Majesty."
"Dying!" Jon raged, "I am supposed to be alerted if someone in my court is dying, whether they are jailed or not. Why was I not told of this before?"
"It never seemed bad, Majesty. But when I came on duty, she was all weak, and she was delirious. Insane, like. Said she'd been dying since before your coronation, just never told anyone."
"Damn!" Jon cursed. Delia had been his last connection to any plans that Roger had left behind.
"Majesty, right back here," he said, leading Jonathan to the back of the prison where the more dangerous prisoners were held. Jon knew that Delia was held in one of the top security vaults.
"Will I be permitted to speak to her alone?" Jon asked.
"I don't see why not, Majesty. She's behind bars- even the strongest warrior couldn't break through her bars, much less a dying woman. And she can't be so dangerous in this state."
"Thank you."
"Here we are- I'll leave you be, Majesty." They came to a stop in front of a cell containing a weak, sickly woman. Had she been healthy, she would have been just as beautiful as she had been years before, but now she looked blah, dressed in her prison uniform and without any make-up. The guard turned around and left.
"Hello, Jonathan," Delia said in an icy voice.
"You don't seem delirous to me, Delia," Jonathan said, his voice equally cold.
"It's called acting, Jonathan. I would think that my past performances would have proven that by now. 'Oh, Jonathan, you're sooooo wonderful'," Delia crooned in the voice that she had used on Jon years before, then she spat, "Fool! I had you wrapped around my finger, just like in Roger's plan, but you let Alanna of Trebond ruin His Grace's plan for a better Tortall- without you."
"I should have known. What was so urgent that you had to fake being delirious and dying so that you could get to me?"
"Urgent? Oh, it's not urgent yet. It will be one day, when you're about to die, like I am. I wasn't lying about that. But unlike me, you won't have another chance to finish off things you needed to do."
"What are you talking about?" he demanded in his most commanding voice.
"That's what you're supposed to figure out, Jonathan. And once I'm dead, which won't be that long, you'll be sorry, because there won't be any slip-ups this time. You will die, Jon. I promise."
"Aren't you scared of death?"
"Scared of death? I'm not dying- just my body. And who need this little weakling body anyway? It certainly was beautiful to live in, but beauty is no longer what I need to succeed. It's power. And I will get it."
"What are you saying, Delia?"
"What I'm saying, Jonathan, is that when you think you're safe, you're not. When you least expect it, from who you least expect it, you will be struck down. And I will be there, laughing."
"What do you mean, Delia?" No response.
"Delia? Delia?" Gently, he shook the woman through the bars. She had been standing there, hanging on to the bars, face to face with Jon. He watched as she fell to her side and lay, motionless and silent, on the cold floor.
"Mithros! I've never witnessed anyone dying like this," he said, and stared at the dead woman, still smiling cruelly even in death, and then he retreated back to his quarters.
Later that night, Jon sat alone in a chair by the fire. He was still unnerved by his meeting with Delia, and he wanted to speak to Kelsie of Tirragen immediately. He had sent a messenger to ask for her to come to his study.
Jonathan let Kelsie in when she knocked, and then he gestured for her to sit down. She sat, and he sat across from her.
"I suppose you've heard about the death of Delia of Eldorne," he said. Kelsie nodded.'
"Have you heard rumors about the conversation I had with her just before she died?"
"Not yet, I've only just returned from Corus, but I spoke to Lady Alanna and she said she's heard at least a dozen different ones."
"She knows what really happened down there. And I need you to know, because you may be able to help." Jon explained to Kelsie about the conversation he had had with Delia, and then he turned to her.
"Do you have anything of Alex's that may help me figure out what she meant?" Kelsie nodded.
"They're in my quarters. I carry them with me, though I've never looked at them. I'm...... I'm afraid to."
"I understand. This is important, though, and I ask you to please look at them. If you'd rather look at them alone first, I understand." Kelsie shook her head.
"I'd rather not, Jonathan. I don't mind letting you see them when I do."
"Thank you, Kelsie. You don't know how much this means to me." Kelsie smiled, and promised Jon that first thing after breakfast she would go through Alex's things with him.
Author's Note-
I know this is sort of short, but it needed to happen on it's own, seperate from other things in the story. Next chapter we see if Alex's things help.