It turns out I didn't change my password after all. I thought I had, when it wouldn't let me on, but it turned out all that had happened was *cough* I had misspelled the password. Gods, do I feel stupid…

Chapter Six: Maggur

The day of King Maggur's arrival, the whole palace was busy. Warnings had been sent to all Tortallans that they not kill Maggur, no matter how tempting the thought may be. Queen Thayet had been busy all the three days ("Curse you for such short time to decorate, Jonathan!"), trying to fix the palace up.

All of Kel's friends had gone of secretly together. She suspected they were off planning a way to get her fear gene back.

She didn't care if she did or not. She figured that when Maggur left, her hide would be hanging from the palace gates so the world could see how the fearless knight got herself killed when she attacked Maggur.

That was her plan. If she could not get her fear gene back, then why not put it to her advantage? She might as well kill Maggur while she could.

~*~

King Maggur walked in the mess hall, which had been polished and decorated until it shined and look nothing like the mess hall before. About ten blond, blue-eyed Scanrans, all clad in poorly made armor and swords flanked him. Shivers went up every spine (except Kel's, of course) at the sight of Maggur and his ugly face. No denying they were scared (except Kel), scared of the maggot and what he has done and could do to their country.

He was not the prettiest seashell on the beach shore; if anything he was one of those cracked ones that you'd never take a second glance at. Had he not been king, Neal suspected he would have screamed and run from the room. Maggur's blond hair was thinning, and it looked bad, as his hair was long, as though he was trying to conceal the fact that his hair was lessening. He had squinty eyes more silver than gray. His build was thin, though he was at a towering height. How the hell did someone that ugly get to be king? It was something for the much more handsome, green-eyed knight to ponder on a rainy day.

"Hello, King Jonathan," King Maggur said smoothly, glancing around the room.

His roaming gaze around the room fell on Kel, and he raised his eyebrows.

"Well, well, well," he said. "If it isn't the little fearless knight herself. How are you doing?"

Kel remained silent, staring at him with impassive eyes. His cold smile disappeared and he stopped walking. "Answer me, you worthless Tortallan." Angry murmurs around the room broke through the quiet. Quickly Maggur smiled. "Ah, forgive me."

"What do you want, Maggur?" Jonathan asked coldly.

A smile un-graced his thin lips. "Why don't we talk, in private?" he said.

After a second Jonathan nodded, and motioned for his fellow king to follow him and his queen. As soon as they disappeared, the ten Scanrans relaxed and started talking gibberish among themselves. The Tortallans did likewise.

"Wonder what he wants," Alanna murmured thoughtfully, her purple-eyed gaze fixed on the door the three monarchs disappeared behind.

"Probably to discuss my little dilemma," Kel replied tersely. She flexed her fingers.

Alanna forced her gaze to leave the door and instead fix on Kel. "You have a plan," she said sternly. "What is it?"

"I will not tell you," Kel answered with the same kind of brusqueness.

Knowing that no matter how hard she begged, her friend would not tell, Alanna sighed. "Just don't do anything stupid," was all she said.

Kel took a deep breath and watched the door with an almost eager look. One of the Scanrans glanced at her and called to her in his language. She answered back coolly and the man scowled at her as the other nine burst into laughter.

"You should treat me with respect," the Scanran said hesitantly, letting the foreign words of Tortallan roll off his tongue in a heavy accent. "You will die, today."

Rolling her eyes, Kel leaned back against the table and once again stared at the doorway.

"Hey," he shouted. "You dirty little whore, speak to me when I'm talking to you."

She yawned. The veins in his neck and forehead strained against his pockmarked skin. At time like these she was most happy that she was fearless. Had she not been so genuinely indifferent, she would have been hacked in half long ago. Like dogs and horses, these soldiers could sense the fear radiating off of you.  

"Listen to me!" he shrieked, stamping his foot.

Kel examined her fingernails disinterestedly. When he stomped over toward her she looked up in mild surprise, as though she had just realized he was there.

"Yano," one of the Scanrans called cautiously. "Don't give anything away."

Yano. The name sounded familiar. She watched his face carefully as he came nearer.

It clicked.

Yano was Maggur's right-hand man, his most trusted advisor. This man was the one who would have her bottled fear gene. And as he marched closer, she glimpsed a swinging bottle tied with a thong around his neck. Of course the Scanran king would not be foolish enough to carry it himself. He would give it to one of his subjects.

"Yes, Yano, we'd not want you to lose your lover-king's trust," she said sweetly. His face turned red, and he opened his mouth to retort. But before he could the door slammed open and the Scanran king stomped out.

"That deal is unfair and you know it," he fumed.

"Actually, Maggur, it's quite fair," King Jonathan said calmly. "But you, being a horrible person and a bad king at that, cannot see that."

Maggur's rheumy eyes bulged. Then, he did something quite unexpected. He reached behind Jonathan and grabbed Queen Thayet by the neck. The room gasped and screamed as he pulled a knife to her throat.

"No sudden movements, Tortallans, or the lady dies," he hissed.

"No sudden movements, Scanrans, or the king's 'mistress' gets it."

Horrified, the king wheeled around to see his green-eyed experiment holding his Yano by the throat, her dagger to his eye and the bottle of fear in her hand.

"Release Thayet, dear, or your boyfriend gets it," Kel said icily, her pale eyes gleaming.

Reluctantly, he let go of Thayet. In return she let go of Yano and smiled crookedly at him as she uncorked the bottle.

The vial glowed as silver light streamed out of the little opening. Reaching the top of the ceiling it curved downward and made a beeline for Kel. It dove into every opening, every pore of her body and illuminated her features, making her clear green eyes into a green-gray and her light brown hair into a strange pale blonde. Her mouth opened slightly into a silent cry and a streak of silver dashed into there. The whole room was deeply reminded of some kind of savage ice princess.

As quick as the light came it vanished, and Kel collapsed on the floor. Nobody in the room moved. Then Kel looked up.

Tears clouded her green-hazel eyes.

"I feel," she whispered. "I feel the fear."