A/N: And we're back to the Isles! A little time has passed here, let's say a couple weeks.
Chapter Nine
Why the Bullseye
"It arrived?" Harald practically lunged to rip the package from his brother's hands.
Horatio grimaced, relinquishing the package without much fuss. "So it says on the package address. But it's not a piece of meat for your inner hyena to ravage, you know."
Harald regained a little composure, tearing open the outer wrapping and untying the strings binding it together to let it fall away, flipping the cover and sliding his hand over the pages. "I was starting to get impatient."
"Well, it wasn't easy to contact him in the first place, much less acquire it. Would it be too much trouble to let your big brother see what he managed to get for you?" Horatio pressed, leaning over to see the pages better.
"Sorry." Harald passed the book to his brother to examine. "So this is… what are they calling it?"
"Braille," Horatio confirmed, scanning the pages with interest. "Supposedly the raised dots coordinate with letters, and once you memorize the letters, you can read books translated into it." He handed off a few bound pieces of parchment to his brother. "Here's your guide. It will take some doing to memorize. They're saying it won't catch on, but I think it's worth investigating for her."
"Lily will love it," Harald confirmed, swiping the book back and running his fingers over the bumps. "How did you come upon the idea?"
"Well, in my research of texts I happen to have heard of this method being suggested as a possible future teaching tool for the visually impaired. I wrote to inquire if one of their primers could be sent, and requested that they include it with a book of classic literature for Lily. I told them that if we found it suitable, the historian of the Isles would invest into the idea should it become popularized after testing."
"In other words, you bribed them," Harald stated.
"I did not fabricate anything," Horatio responded, "I will be happy to donate a portion of my personal savings to the promotion of academics for the visually impaired, if it proves to be a valid route."
"Oh, you will, will you?" Harald replied, a hint of an amused expression on his face.
"There you are!" a feminine voice rang out.
Harald slapped the book shut and stiffened, hiding it behind his back, looking to the entrance of the library as Lily entered; her brunette hair was bound in a bun, with two strands curling on either side of her face, tucked behind her ears. "Where have you been all morning?"
"Meeting with interested recruits," Harald replied as she sauntered up to him.
"In the library… is that right? And what really brought him here, Horatio?" she pressed, turning to face his brother, who was trying to sidle out of the room.
Horatio fumbled briefly. It was difficult to keep things from Lily. She had an inexplicable way of knowing exactly which brother she was around, and she refused to give away her secrets. "I was helping him- that is, he was asking me if I had knowledge of any reference materials for a lecture on the history of the modern bow, because of the archery tournament…. He wanted to make a speech…" his voice trailed off weakly.
Harald shot his brother daggers, grunting an affirmative to the poorly-prepared lie.
"You'll have to practice it on me before this afternoon, then," Lily affirmed.
"He can't do that, you see, he never got the materials I promised," Horatio continued, floundering through the fib. "Because of my sorting through the invitations for the party we sent."
"Are there that many people coming?" Lily asked, sounding suddenly less concerned with Harald's speech.
Horatio elaborated, glancing to the desk in the library where a list of attendees awaited his attention. Though his brother Hugo was the party planner and social master of the Isles, Horatio often was chosen to help with the technical and less fun parts of the planning. "I estimate roughly eighty or so in attendance, though less invitations were sent. You see, whenever there's a party being held, it's common procedure for father to invite neighboring countries to rub elbows and maintain good standing. Word tends to spread and the Isles have notoriety on pleasant parties. It promotes peace among us but I think particularly in this case it's an opportunity to remind other kingdoms of our size and militia capabilities."
"Well, we don't have to worry about that," Lily complimented, smiling and moving towards Harald, extending her hand.
Harald fumbled with the book in his hands, motioning to his brother for a pass and throwing it towards him, offering Lily his hand as she sank against his chest in a hug.
Horatio caught the book awkwardly, never one of the brothers to be athletically talented, hugging it to his chest. Lily turned to look in his direction, her acute hearing picking up on the noise. "What was that?"
"Clearing some old books off the shelf," Horatio replied quickly.
"I see." Lily chuckled, releasing Harald from her grip. "Keep your secrets, then. But they're waiting for you in the yard so the contest can begin. Everyone's very hopeful to try to win admission tonight. Are the parties here really that exciting?"
"So they say," Harald replied, nonplussed by the idea.
"I'm afraid my younger brother is not so much the social butterfly as some of the rest of our family," Horatio elaborated with an amused sardonic expression.
"You'll have to be tonight," Lily replied, taking Harald's chiseled arm. "It's my first party with royalty and I'm determined to make a good impression."
"I wouldn't worry…" Horatio paused, smiling at the enthusiasm and innocence of the girl. He could not recall his first party, but he did remember being fascinated in the bright lights and noise of it all as a child. "You could not possibly do worse than you did with us, supposing you're planning on wearing more than your undergarments this time."
Lily laughed, long since having let go of her anger at the incident. "If I could see you, I would slap you for that."
"I'll slap him for you," Harald replied, slugging his brother in the arm with a smack.
"Owww," Horatio exaggerated through teeth, his brother's bony knuckles digging into his weak frame.
"Go on, go to the yard and let Will know I'll be there in a few minutes to see to the troops and supervise the contest," Harald encouraged Lily, gently giving her a push in the direction of the door.
"Alright, I'll see you down there." Lily leaned back, giving him a kiss on the cheek before disappearing out the door.
Horatio rubbed his arm, trying to ignore the lingering throb as the two waited until her footsteps disappeared. "You know she can't see; you didn't have to hit me that hard."
"Yes, well, I didn't have to hide the book behind my back to keep her from seeing it, either. It's instinct," Harald replied, retrieving the bound copy of braille.
"You just wanted to show off. You're a terrible liar," Horatio quipped, handing it over remorsefully.
"Almost as bad as you," responded Harald, glancing at his brother's arm briefly. "Didn't even bruise. Stop complaining."
"I suppose it's the best apology I can hope for."
"Just be glad I'm not Harken." Harald lifted his hand and patted his brother's shoulder. "Your arm would be more than bruised. It would be broken."
"You're going to keep the present a surprise until tonight, aren't you? When you ask her to stay?" Horatio ventured, still looking a bit glum that he hadn't had more time to examine the book for himself.
"Of course." Harald replied, heading for the door. Lily would start to suspect again if he took much longer. "I may not be the best liar in the family, but I know how to keep a secret."
He closed the door behind him, exiting into the gallery hall and surveying pictures as he walked. His parents had always insisted on having portraits done of each of his brothers at special times in their lives. His feet slowed to a pause near the end of the hallway, looking at a picture of himself. It was a painting of him when he'd first sworn himself to his father's service, in his training uniform, holding a sword as tall as he was. He must have been no more than twelve. His eyes swept over the remainder of the paintings in the hallway, and he realized, with a thickening in his throat, that he had not smiled in a portrait since. Yes, he must have been twelve then. Right before the accident… right before the secret that changed everyone's lives.
Yes, you're very good at keeping secrets, aren't you?
The little voice at the back of his head whispered, silent to all the world but him. He grunted to himself, clearing the lump at the back of his mouth. "Yes. I am." Silencing the voice, Harald buried the feelings bubbling to the surface back down into the depths of his mind, focusing on the present. The contest awaited.
#
Harald's brows furrowed as he studied the arrows and their marks. He bade the next elimination match continue with a wave, and the remaining contestants, three men, took their spots. He had watched the competition with waning interest in the beginning, as he was familiar with his own men's skills, but then he was surprised. He hoped Lily was enjoying the sport from the crowd below as well, at least with Hugo for company, who seemed, like the other brothers, to have taken a shining to Lily.
"Have you ever seen him before?" Will murmured out of the corner of his mouth, standing rigidly beside his captain.
"I don't think so." Harald stared at the one in the middle. To call him masculine was actually generous, as he'd barely entered manhood. He was at least a foot shorter than the soldiers on either side of him, and his sides were heaving from the effort of his previous shots, but each one had been accurate. Even from the top of the wall surrounding the training yard, Harald could see his bangs sticking to his sweaty forehead, what appeared to be muscle spasms shaking his arms. "He's struggling."
"He's too young to be one of ours." Will replied, signaling for release.
Harald knew his soldiers well, and tried to attend recruiting events when he could, but even if he'd missed one, he had to agree something felt off. True, the contest was not really limited to his soldiers, but this boy was trembling violently now, as if it took every ounce of his concentration to keep up with the other two. The shots were fired, and two of the three arrows hit their marks. It was clear the boy and one of the men would be moving on. Harald turned to Will. "Give the boy a moment."
"Sir?" Will asked, stunned by the request.
"Give him a moment to rest. He's working himself too hard," Harald replied, watching the young man lean over to take a breather. "The contest will wait a moment or two. Let him gather his strength and have his best shot."
"Alright." Will whistled to catch the attention of those below and relayed the commands, and all the yard took a moment to rest. The boy looked stunned and almost reluctant to take a break, but agreed, his gaze drifting to Harald briefly, then dropping to face the ground, communicating with no one. When they returned to their stances and marks, the captain watched as the final two lifted their bows, the boy shaking as he did so. Harald felt his body tense slightly, an uncomfortable tingling at the back of his mind, lingering in the silence of the two competitors aiming.
Then, suddenly, the boy turned to face him. William shoved him to the side, and something thudded into his arm just above his bicep, sending him sprawling on the stone floor beneath him. For a moment, the shock of what had happened numbed him to the full effect of the pain, but his hand instinctively flew to his arm, where he could see the shaft of an arrow sticking out. Cries erupted below in the yard as pandemonium broke out among the spectators.
"The captain's hit! Arrest that boy! Don't let him get away!" William fell to his knees beside Harald, covering the wound with shaking fingers around the shaft and pressing down hard, causing Harald to cry out in pain. "Someone get the doctor! You, help me move him inside!"
Time slowed for Harald as he was hastily carried inside the castle, being bumped and jostled as little as possible. Inside the doctor's office, he was gently lowered onto a table fitted with a sheet. The other soldiers were hastily dispatched to track down the attacker's whereabouts, but Will would not leave his captain's side. He firmly pressed down on the wound. Harald was vaguely aware of how wet his hand felt, casting a cautious glance only to see it covered in blood.
"Oh my heavens!" Helen exclaimed as she entered the room and went straight to the fireplace, starting a fire to boil water, using the bellows to encourage it. "They said there was an accident, but they didn't say- what on earth happened? Move aside!" She wiped at the wound carefully between Harald's clenched fingers with a cloth to clean it up and assess the bleeding while applying her own pressure.
"Will he be alright?" William pressed, his own hands stained with red. "What can I do?"
"See to the fire, stoke it quickly as you can!" Helen saw the blood loss was steady, but not life-threatening, and took a breather as her heart began to slow. "I believe so, thank goodness. Doesn't look too deep at first glance, didn't go through. You're lucky."
"Don't feel like it," Harald ground out as she forcibly pried his hand away.
"Move your hand, you stubborn man! Who's the doctor here? You, soldier boy," she flicked a hand at William, "fetch me that water over the fire and dip one of those white cloths into it."
William did as he was told, flinching back as he touched it. "That's hot!"
"Of course it's hot; it's sterilized!" Helen mentally sighed and wished for a brief moment her son Johan had followed in her footsteps, as he was an excellent assistant. "Give me that rag." She dabbed carefully around the wound, wincing. "Well, it's a clean hit, at least, and you're still young and strong. Recovery shouldn't be too extensive, if it missed the bone. It's the pulling it out that's not going to be a picnic. Soldier boy, fetch me that tool, the one that resembles a spoon, hanging on the wall by the bonesaw." Harald's eyes widened in horror, which made Helen chuckle. "Don't worry; I said by the bonesaw, not fetch the bonesaw; you won't lose an arm, I promise."
She dipped the instrument into the boiling water and examined the entry point of the wound again. She'd have to dig it in deeper than she thought, but she could make it fast. As long as she could pry it out without ripping any further muscle, she could cauterize the wound and the healing could get underway. But Harald was a stubborn son among the other sons of the Isles. He didn't like people touching him, and was never cooperative with her cleaning his scrapes and cuts as a child, much less now when she was digging into the wound and working out an arrow. "Soldier boy, come hold your captain down."
Will hesitated, looking to her and then to Harald; the orders sounding odd. Harald nodded his approval, feeling the loss of blood affect him, and losing track of why he was there in the first place. Will braced himself over his captain and pushed on his shoulders, pinning the arm down with his weight. Helen clenched and unclenched her hands, carefully wedging the spoon slightly into the wound. She would have to distract him. "Say ahhh."
Harald's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he questioned, "Ahhh? AUUGHHH!" he screamed as she plunged the tool into the wound, wedging it underneath the arrow's head and protectively cupping it. Harald moaned, willing his body to stay still though it writhed regardless. Will leaned further upon him and Harald choked out a series of pained cries while she worked the arrow back, slipping it out of the wound and tossing it aside, quickly applying pressure.
"Here, put pressure here, hold on, Harald, we're almost done!" She quickly moved to his side and began unraveling some thread, her needle stitching his wound up among strangled whimpers and subdued groans. "Count to ten… now I'm going to bind it pretty tightly at first…" She swiped the area with more boiling water and wrapped it in clean cloth.
"Lily…" Harald managed to say, looking woozy from the loss of blood, trying to sit up and look out the door. "Where's Lily?"
"Oh no you don't…" Helen pushed him gently back down. "You need rest; you were just shot with an arrow and went through surgery. I'll make sure she sees you as soon as you wake. Now get some sleep."
Harald wanted to argue with her, but he felt himself slipping away as adrenaline abandoned him and left exhaustion in its wake. He felt his eyes grow heavier and heavier until they were weights he could not hold.
"I understand he's not the easiest man to get along with… but why was he shot?" Helen asked quietly, fitting a pillow underneath Harald's head and looking to Will, guiding him to a basin where he could wash his hands clean.
Will rinsed his hands, watching the water turn from clear to murky red, and shook his head. "I don't know… I have no idea."
#
"Can I get you some more soup? A book? An éclair! Another pillow?" Heins hovered over his brother like an excitable hummingbird, flitting from one side of the chaise to another.
"You've already given me three," Harald growled, his arm propped up under a layer of soft, velvety throw pillows, his countenance that of a bear awoken early from hibernation.
"So you want four? I can get you four!" Heins exclaimed, looking wildly around the room. "Elevation! Elevation is key to preventing blood loss!"
"Heins," Helena gently interrupted, taking her husband's arm and leading him to one of the other chairs in the room, "I think he means he's alright for now."
"I agree," agreed Horatio, pointing out a picture in a medical journal, "since the arrow quite miraculously missed his bone, it says here you should be back up on your feet in a ludicrously short time."
"Is that soon?" Heins asked, concerned.
Horatio chuckled. "Very."
"Has the boy who shot him been interrogated?" King George asked Harken darkly as he entered the door.
Harken sighed a heavy sigh and shook his head, shrugging his shoulders. "Sadly no. It's hard to question someone when they're unconscious."
Allowyn, who was sitting next to her husband, instantly rose. "Harken!"
"Oh, sit down, mother." Harken waved a hand nonchalantly at her. "No, I didn't beat him… he was already unconscious upon arrival. Fainted like a dead man in the training yard, they say." He walked over to survey Harald and wrinkled his nose. "Bad shot. Even if Will hadn't pushed you out of the way, wouldn't have killed you. May have hit an organ, but wouldn't have killed you."
"You're so encouraging," Harald mumbled, closing his eyes. Family gatherings wore him out enough without being wounded in the process. Having half his brood hovering over him did not help him relax, but it would be bad taste for a sibling to ignore the injury, so they remained and made small talk with him, trying his waning patience.
"Excuse me," Harry peeked into the room. "I have some news."
"Come in, Harry," George encouraged with a side wave, eyes focused only on his injured son.
"Only for a moment." Harry folded his hands behind his back. "I just wanted to inform everyone that Helm and I are putting a hold on any ships leaving port until the attacker can be questioned. We've the latest docking reports here to show which ships are currently berthed."
"Are there many visitors here?" Henning started, glancing to his twin and then Harry.
"From other ports, he means," Hedvil continued, the two sharing another chaise near the window.
"You can't be serious," Hugo replied before Harry had a chance. "With a party scheduled for tonight, pushed back to tomorrow, thrown by the Southern Isles, of course there are other countries attending." He walked over to Harry and took the list from him, examining the scroll of parchment and rattling off names. "Why, on first glance I see Corona, Bevoir, Weselton, Andelasia, All…" he paused, looking stunned for a moment and dropped the parchment a little to look to his father. "Father, didn't you make it quite clear that Princess Orion was not welcome in the Isles?"
George blinked, and Helena looked up at the mention of the unpleasant name. "I believe it was made quite clear during her last visit yes… why do you ask, son? Do I need to speak to King Gregor again?"
"I don't know," Hugo responded, looking a little puzzled. "I only find it odd we have a ship docked from there, but it may be trade matters. At least, I don't remember hearing about her coming, and I'm sure the whole of the Isles would know with her absence of tact."
The thought of seeing the woman and the sound of her voice brought on a premature headache for Harald to go along with the painful throbbing in his arm. He leaned back with a moan, closing his eyes. "Can everyone please stop talking and leave me be?"
Harry's expression drooped, but he nodded complacently. He, among the other brothers, had long gotten used to Harald's hard outer shell. "I'll stay with Helm and guard the ports tonight, making sure no one leaves… could I trouble Hedvil and Henning to come with me? We could use the extra help with all the transport to keep track of and the investigations of the property… but it will mean a late night."
The twins nodded immediately, saying their goodbyes as they joined Harry. "We'll find out who dared to attack one of the princes of the Isles. It's what brothers do."
As they departed the room, Harken started to take his leave. "I think I'll see if the boy's awake yet and can stay conscious long enough to tell me something I want to hear." He paused as he opened the door, and glanced back over his shoulder. "You have a visitor, oh wounded warrior."
Harald groaned loudly, his eyes flitting open. Allowyn could see the exhaustion in her son's expression and stood. "We should go, George."
"No, you might as well just stay," Harald ground out, compliantly waving with his good arm slowly in the air. "Might as well invite everyone in the castle to come and see."
"…Harald?"
The soldier stiffened and tried to sit up, but found the process too painful, crumpling back down. He felt his aggression simmer down from a boil as he adjusted himself to see the doorway. "Lily."
"Oh, Harald…" Lily walked slowly into the room, trying to be dainty and show self-control around the royal family she knew must be around her, but broke once she passed the doorway. Losing her feigned composure, she ran to where she'd heard his voice, kneeling beside the chaise and adjusting until she could take his good hand with her own. "I'm so sorry."
"For what, this?" Harald asked, his tone audibly softer, countenance relaxed, trying to make light of the situation for her. "I've received worse wounds than this. Can't think of any right now, but…"
"How could it have happened… who would want to hurt you?" she murmured, giving his knuckles a kiss and resting her head on his chest.
"I can think of a few people…" muttered Harken, shutting the door with his foot, but remaining inside the room.
"We don't know anything yet," Heins said, feeling sorry for Lily, who looked more shaken than any of the brothers. "But we're going to find out! And Horatio says he'll heal ludicrously fast. That's very fast!"
"If I could only see… I could have helped… I could have known and maybe warned you, or something…" Lily murmured, not seeming to take much comfort in Heins' words.
"Utter nonsense," Harald replied, wiping away a tear escaping from her eyes. "Even I didn't see it coming, and Will only just managed to get me out of the majority of harm's way. You've no need to blame yourself. It's part of the responsibilities I've sworn to." She rested her head against his chest and sniffed. He could tell his words did not seem to have much effect, and shifted a little, wracking his mind for anything to take her mind off it. "Lily… did you by chance learn to play any piano?"
Stunned by the question, Lily faltered a little. "I… I took a few lessons when I was little. My father taught me some… why?"
"I have a headache, and I would find it very soothing to listen to some music just now."
Lily flushed. "I don't know how good I would be… certainly not as talented as anyone in the royal family…"
Allowyn stood and walked over to Lily, taking her hand and helping her to her feet. "I would love to hear you play, my dear. None of my sons were ever particularly interested in their music lessons. Even I never properly learned to play when I was young." She led Lily over to a piano standing near a large window in the room and helped her sit down, positioning her fingers on the key of C.
"Alright… but I only know common songs."
"That doesn't matter," Heins encouraged her. "You're probably better than I am! Play something!"
Lily plinked her fingers along a few keys to familiarize herself, trying to think back to anything she could remember. There was one song she had always liked, and that she could comfortably play without having to think too hard on the notes. She started in on the chord, and played slowly, so she didn't make many mistakes, her voice accompanying the notes in a whispery lilt.
"Lavender's blue, dilly dilly, lavender's green, when you are king, dilly dilly, I'll be your queen, who told you so, dilly dilly, who told me so, t'was my own heart, dilly dilly, that told me so…"
To her surprise, she hardly made any mistakes with the tune, and continued into another verse,
"Call up your men, dilly dilly, set them to work, some to the bow, dilly dilly, some to the sword, all is at peace, dilly dilly, no signs of war, now you and I, dilly dilly, keep ourselves warm…"
Had she been able to see, she would have noted all eyes in the room watching her as she tried to look in Harald's direction. "Lavender's green, dilly dilly, lavender's blue, you must love me, dilly dilly, for I love you, may the birds sing, dilly dilly, and the lambs play, while we are safe, dilly dilly, out of harm's way." She hesitated for a moment as she tried to recall the exact words of the last verse, hoping it was not improper as she repeated some of the first. "I love to dance, dilly dilly, I love to sing, if I be queen, dilly dilly, you'll be my king, who told me so, dilly dilly, who told me so, t'was my own heart, dilly dilly that told me so…" Her fingers trailed to a stop and she let them fall to her sides. "I'm sorry, I couldn't remember all the words properly… I know it's very repetitive."
Harald sighed, his eyes closed and a smile on his face. His headache had not disappeared, but his frustration had subsided. "That was perfect."
Harken stood by the door, noting his brother's smile and grimacing outwardly, but only to save face. He was truly impressed by the calming effect Lily had on Harald. And though he'd never appreciated sweet things, she had a fearlessness about exploring a blind world that captivated him. The door creaked, snapping him from his intense gaze and he leaned in, receiving a message from the soldier who dared not interrupt the family. He cleared his throat. "Seems the boy's regained consciousness. I think I'll go have a talk with him."
"I'll come with you," Lily stated, getting up from the piano.
"No, you won't," Harald grunted, trying to move. A sharp pain ran up his arm and he winced, hissing between his teeth and lying back. Allowyn was quickly at his side, serving him a glare stern enough to still him.
Lily walked to Harken's voice, turning towards the sound of her love's labored breathing on the way. "You stay there and rest. You need rest. I'll be back soon. But I have to see who attacked you…I have to know why."
Harald was still loathe to let her go into the dungeons, knowing even Helena disliked the oppressive atmosphere. "No, Lily, I won't let you go there alone."
"Alone?" Harken snapped, arching his eyebrow. "And what am I, dirt? I'll look over her." Harald locked eyes with his brother and frowned, which only prompted a darker glower from Harken. "If you want to heal, you stay there and sleep. I told you I'd look over her. Are you afraid she'll see something she'll regret? I doubt it." He turned on his heel and left the room, hardly waiting for Lily to follow.
#
During the time spent learning the Southern Isles, Lily had performed remarkably well with navigating, but she had never seen the dungeons.
"Keep up." Harken did not look back as she followed, but he could hear her footsteps not far off. "I would ask you to watch your step, but it seems moot."
"I'm trying," Lily replied, quickening her pace. She estimated them going down several staircases, and the feel of the stone told her they were approaching the unknown, because it was more uneven than usual. They walked on in silence for a while before she dared break the tension. "Do you have something against me coming, or are you just grumpy today?"
There was silence for a moment again, then he spoke, his voice closer, as if he'd staggered a bit to wait for her. "I'm frustrated."
"With me?"
"No, not with you." Another pause. "With myself."
"Why?" she asked, shivering as goosepimples broke out along her skin, her arm straining to feel the wall. She jumped as she ran into him, and he took her hand in his. The leather of his glove was rough, but firm.
"It's colder on the way down than it is when you get there. And dirty. We're going underground. Hold onto me. You shouldn't fall, and it will keep your hands clean."
"But why are you frustrated?" Lily persisted, thankful for the help as they descended slowly into the depths of advanced darkness.
"Because Harald is my brother," Harken remarked with a grunt. "My younger brother... and someone wanted to kill him."
Lily was touched, if somewhat stunned by the confession. She suspected there was more to the frustration, but he dared not press him. "At least you're trying to find out why… and that's the best we can do now."
"Yes, we will find out why." He stopped before the door leading to the dungeons, taking keys from his jacket and opening the lock. He swung open the door and watched Lily's nose wrinkle as it was assaulted by a pungent smell of dank earth and mildew. A wave of stuffy air, permeated in decay and rust, hit her like a wall in the darkness. One hand went to cover her mouth and she stopped in place. He paused complacently. "There's not much in the way of ventilation here. You can go back now if it's too much for you."
Lily swallowed down the traces of bile rising in her throat, shaking her head. It took her a moment to adjust to tasting the foulness in the air, but she would not reconsider. She would do this for Harald, since she could not stop the arrow altogether. "Thank you… for giving me your hand."
"Only given because I don't want you to throw anything else at me… my head still has a bump from the apple when you first arrived… and the things down here are much more dangerous."
"Well, you deserved it." As they moved onwards, and Harken spoke to men Lily assumed were guards, she struggled to hold the contents of her stomach down. She felt a new respect swell within her for Harken's distasteful duties. How could he stand to be in such a dismal, dark place for so much of the day? She spoke her thoughts out loud, her voice soft. "You're very brave."
The contrast of something meek in his normally harsh environment gave Harken pause and made him squeeze her hand. "Keep close." They stopped a few times and Harken would have short exchanges with more people, some prisoners begging to be released, some soldiers asking about Harald. After a period of time, she got more used to the smell, and she was able to drop her hand from her mouth. They were led to one of the last few cells on a row, and Harken kept her back as he opened the cell. The boy was awake now, and he shrank away from Harken as if he expected a beating.
Harken walked inside the cell, leading Lily in as well. The boy looked puzzled at her appearance, but said nothing. Harken shut out his emotion and focused only on what he knew… awakening fear. "You're awake. Good. I prefer my captives awake when they're tortured. However, you can make it much easier on yourself if you simply confess, and we can avoid having to resort to unpleasant methods. I hope you don't, but if you really want to ruin my fun, this is your opportunity to confess. Why did you do it?" The boy again said nothing, but he looked petrified.
Harken sighed, a long, drawn-out heave, shrugging his shoulders. "I've given you a chance." He clapped his hands once, the leather making a sickening smack noise as he rubbed them together. "Now the fun starts."
The boy's face drained of color, his lip trembling. Lily spoke sideways to Harken. "Are you going to hurt him?"
"If he forces me to." Harken waited, eyes boring into the young boy.
"I…I…c…c…can't," the boy stuttered.
Harken had no patience for the wild fear in the boy's eyes. He turned behind him and motioned for one of the guards casually. "Is it cold down here? The boy can barely speak. We must be congenial to our prisoners, mustn't we? Fetch me an iron poker from the fire. Let's warm him up."
It did not take long for his request to be fulfilled. He took the iron girder by the handle from the soldier who returned, watching the smoke rise from its tip, the pointed end burning an angry orange. "Are you still cold, or can you manage to tell me something that might stall me?"
The boy shrank back against the wall, the chains affixed to his wrists rattling wildly as if they too were frightened. Harken's face turned darker, and he moved forward. "You can't talk, but I bet you can scream!" he spat, lifting the girder up, ready to bring it down with force.
"Stop!" Harken turned to look at Lily, who moved forward in the darkness, and switched hands so that he was holding the poker away from her as she put her hand on his shoulder. She could hear the metal of the manacles still rattling, and faced them, her expression forlorn. "What's your name?"
Maybe it was the sudden change, or the sincerity in her voice, but something prompted him to talk again. The boy's voice was hardly a squeak in fear, but audible. "O-Oliver."
The fear in his voice somehow made her think of her father, and the comfort she felt with him. She thought back on him reading the good book to her, and a stream of words flowed from her memories. A soft answer turneth away wrath… "Oliver, please… the man you shot… I love him. Tell me why…"
Oliver stared at his hands above him, tears falling unabashed down his dirty cheeks. "I… I didn't want to… I just... I let go of the string, and…"
"What do you mean by 'I didn't want to'?" Lily pressed.
"I… a man told me to do it… he p-paid me. And I had to… we needed the money. I'm not s-strong enough to work the shipyards like my fader…" the boy whimpered, sniffing, his voice hoarse. "Please! Please, I'm frightened! I-I'll do anything you want, just don't hurt me!"
Lily turned to Harken and put a hand on his shoulder, who blinked at her in dumb surprise. "Well," she heard him exclaim following a loud hiss as the poker was dunked into a bucket of drinking water for the prisoner, "I'll be damned."
#
That night, the port of the Southern Isles was in an uproar. Boats were forcibly detained, visitors were angered by the searches of their properties, and gossip flew from one group of visiting royal ladies to another regarding the injuries of the captain resulting in the postponement of his welcome back party. One group, led by a princess in a particularly poofy ensemble, crossed the street on their way to the inn where they were staying, rattling away their words at a speed only a woman could comprehend.
"Did you girls hear that he's horribly maimed? I heard he lost the arm entirely."
"Oh my goodness I hope not! He's one of the handsome ones!"
"Millie, they're all handsome!"
"Captain Harald? But he's so serious!" The lead princess pursed her lips at the youngest in the group.
"Don't look at me like that! He'd make a fine husband! He's loyal and strong and oh, to live in that big castle behind those sturdy walls…" Millie clasped her hands together with a long sigh of wistfulness, giggling. "Can you imagine, thirteen to choose from, and I'd be happy with just one!"
"Don't you keep up with your royal history, Millie? Several are married by now… and Heins was among them…" the lead girl trailed off, ending in a little pout.
"That's too bad… he was one of the cuter ones," her friend sympathized.
"And he can sew!" chimed in Millie. "But I still like the strong, rugged, silent soldier type. Do they know who shot the arrow yet?"
"They say he doesn't know who's responsible."
"Oh, you can bet that other son Harken will figure it out; I hear he has a thirst for torture." The girls shared a playful, teasing shudder.
"Did you hear about the blind girl the family has taken in?"
A man approached the gaggle of girls and frowned, bypassing them on his way inside. Already tipsy, he earned a few sparse giggles at his stumble as he passed the cluster of cackling hens, entering the inn and walking to a corner table. There he took a seat with a forcible thump. He grabbed the prepared tankard of beer before him and took a swig, glowering at his associate across the way.
"I wish you wouldn't look at me like that," the man purred.
"Was this part of your brilliant plan?" he snapped.
"You agreed to this long ago," the man soothed as he took a long sip of his own goblet of red wine, the fire popping in the fireplace.
"Yes, but not to kill anyone," he hissed under his breath, taking a sloppy drink. "Now the whole Isles is wary."
"You must learn to take things more in stride, my friend… your heart may give out. As you quoted, it's part of my, what did you call it, brilliant, plan?"
"How so?" the man questioned, setting his beer down for the moment.
"I knew the boy wouldn't kill the captain, only wound him. As you said, the entire Isles is wary. The whole army will be on edge, posted with their finest weaponry at hand. That leaves you the perfect opportunity."
"The perfect opportunity to do what?"
His friend paused, swirling his glass beneath his nose and breathing in the scent, tipping it to sip the drink and looking at his companion with a slow Cheshire grin forming. "To see exactly what we're up against."
And… hope you all had a happy Halloween! We've had some tricks and we've had some treats! Leave a review for my treat? Thank you for reading, guys. I write for the joy of knowing you enjoy.