05.07.2005: Answers to reviews removed. See chapter 3 for details.
DISCLAIMER: It's not mine (except the stuff mentioned in the Chapter-5-Disclaimer), please don't sue!
Current Music: Karissa Noel – Corrupt (Great song, was a flop on the single charts for some reason, and there never was an album. You should check it out anyway, it rules!) AND A-Ha – "Minor Earth Major Sky" (What can I say – I love those guys!)
CHAPTER 14
Ehlana, who had been lying in her bed idly, tried to slip her feet out from under the blankets. Sephrenia had just left, so the physician in charge was gone – that should account for something, shouldn't it?
But she had made her plans without Mirtai in mind. The Atana, who had stood at the window, gave her a stern look, a gaze that didn't encourage any opposition, and said evenly: "You will lie back down immediately, Ehlana."
"But I already feel much better, Mirtai!", the Queen of Elenia insisted and sat up – a little too rapidly, as she should learn right away. Her head spun, and she felt a slight urge to retch. She bravely fought down both ailments and met her guard's gaze.
The Atana and Doma of the western Peloi couldn't supress a smile. "Ehlana, I can see that you're not well – and Sephrenia told you to stay in bed at least all day today. If you want to convince somebody, try it with her – I will follow her instructions until you do, and that means you stay where you are."
The Queen sank back into her pillows, equally annoyed by Mirtai's unrelenting attitude and relieved that she did not have to prove anymore that she was well, since she knew she was not. But she had almost been obliged to give it a try...
She wondered whether Sparhawk had found out anything about their would-be assassin yet. Her expression hardened with anger as she hoped that the person was still alive – so her husband could tear off his skin stripe by thin stripe, peeling him like a fruit. If it hadn't been for their friends gathering here for their annual visit...
... then Sparhawk would be dead now, and she as well.
Just whom had they vexed so much that he wanted their deaths? Who had a desire to get rid of them? Of course, they had enemies – one couldn't avoid making them when working in politics – but none of them she could come up with seemed the type for cold-blooded murder. She hoped that there would be a lead for Sparhawk to follow, for follow it he would. She already knew that her husband would not rest until this attempt was investigated and the perpetrators had been suitably punished.
Her thoughts started wandering... She wished Alean had been able to make it to Cimmura, to be at her side right now, so she would not be so bored, lying here with nothing to do. Mirtai was a dear friend, but she would only talk to you for so long until she ran out of topics... But Alean now lived in a stately manor near Cardos, with Sparhawk's friend Kalten. They had been married almost instantly after their return from Matherion, and Alean, who had taken a while to produce offspring, now was in the final days of pregnancy with their first child and could not risk to travel that far.
However, Sparhawk and Ehlana had been delighted when the Peloi had brought Sephrenia and Vanion along. After the two of them had been rejuvenated by the Bhelliom before its departure from this world, the Styric woman appeared to be almost as young as Ehlana again, although she was at least 300 years old. And Vanion... he seemed to be no older than Sparhawk, although he had been her husband's teacher since his boyhood... She wondered whether those two would sire children, against the will of Styric and Elene religion...
That was how far she got with her thoughts before the door opened and her husband entered. He sat down on one side of the bed and smiled his slightly crooked smile Ehlana had come to love more and more over the years.
"How are you doing, dear?"
"A little drowsy, that's all. I was about to get up..."
His smile widened to a grin as he bowed down to kiss her forehead.
"Oh no, you weren't. I heard what Sephrenia told you – and you will stay in bed for at least one day, and if Mirtai will have to chain you to it."
She pouted at him for that, but when it only managed to raise his eyebrow, she laughed: "Okay, I'll be a good girl, I promise... so, has anybody found a lead to our assassin yet?"
His expression darkened. "We have found the would-be murderer dead in his room. There is a lot of evidence that he has been hired to kill us. That is why I'm here; I am afraid the clues lead us away from Cimmura. There seems to be some international conspiracy going on, and I would like to make sure that something like this doesn't happen again any time soon."
Sparhawk had thought up this story on the way to their bed chamber; he did not want to tell them about the true conclusion of their leads – it just would have upset her, and, more importantly, it would have forced him to explain a lot of things he would rather not talk about, Danae in truth being the Styric Child Goddess Aphrael being the most important one of them.
To his surprise, Ehlana did not ask anything more; her features showed him that she harbored at least as much anger as he did.
"You should do that, Sparhawk. I don't appreciate it when people try to murder you behind our backs... After all, the potion was attached to your throne, not mine. Meet them in an honest duel and show them what messing with the royal couple of Elenia is going to get them into! It might be best if you took our friends with you, in case whoever is behind this resorts to dirty methods of disposing of you again..."
Her husband had to fight to keep a straight face at her suggestion; he couldn't help but assume that Aphrael was tampering with her mother right now, as Ehlana's suggestion was just a tad too convenient... he decided to have a word with Danae after he left the room.
For now, he replied: "That sounds like a good idea to me. I already talked to Domi Kring – he and his men will guard you until I am back. Mirtai offered to resume her bodyguard duties for you for the time being, so you will be as safe as you can possibly get. I promise you, we'll get those people."
"When you run them through with your sword, make sure to tell them that I send them my greetings."
Ehlana's bleak expression showed Sparhawk once more that his wife had no scruples whatsoever to do terrible things to people who tried to cross her. If he didn't punish those people, she would do it, and, if chained to the bed as he had threatened her earlier, she would storm out of the castle, pulling the bed along behind her as she went, a rusty axe in her hand, to achieve her goal.
"Well, I'd better go. I won't be long if I can help it."
He kissed his wife, nodded to Mirtai and left the room.
Here's Chapter 14! Will write one more here in a minute! Please let me know what you think!