Dagger

Never in Kai's life had he seen his father so angry.

Sure, there had been that time when he's burnt a hole through the carpet in the lounge with a fire poker as a child. But that had been an accident, and he had been forgiven quickly enough.

And there was that other time that he'd carved a picture of a cow into one of his mother's rare ornamental trees.

And on yet another occasion when he was maybe eight winters old he'd dropped a "secret note" into one of his father's narrow-necked porcelain vases. Days later, Kai had broken the vase to get the paper free. He'd hidden the shards of glass inside of the garden fountain, which only resulted in wounding- and killing- many of his mother's fish.

Hmm. Kai began to realize that he hadn't exactly been a star child growing up.

Cole sat with his cane between his legs, hands folded on his lap. He looked to be almost asleep. The bastard. He wasn't helping defend Kai, even though he probably could have.

"You fool," Kaytake said, not for the first time. He leaned across his ornate writing desk and glared into Kai's eyes. "Coming back, lying to me- telling me that Besai is nothing more than a servant- and then going behind my back and sleeping with her?"

Kai wanted to defend himself. He wanted to say that he loved Besai, but that seemed too cliche. It wouldn't make his situation any better, anyway.

"And of all the women you could have chosen," Kaytake said, "it had to be a whore. Why, Kai? Do you have no concept of morality? Nobility?"

Kai had plenty of responses to that question. Not all of them were pretty. He wisely said nothing.

"Things around here are hard enough as it is with Malian gone," Kaytake said. "But this? The Dark Knight and my son coming into my home, conspiring together. It-"

"Father," Kai said. "You know as well as I do that Cole is one of the four-"

"Hold that thought," Kaytake said. "No. I don't want to hear excuses."

"What would you have us do?" Cole asked.

"The King may have pardoned you, Sir Cole," Kaytake said, "but I cannot afford to lose any more respect. I don't know what to do with you."

A flicker of surprise crossed Cole's face. "Why did King Garmadon pardon me?" he asked.

Kaytake looked at the two guards, then at Cole. "Just because we're friends, doesn't mean he tells me everything." Something about his voice... The ways that his eyes shifted around the room, constantly flitting to the guards before returning to Kai's face...it was wrong. Not anything like the father Kai knew.

"And you," Kaytake turned to Kai. "Get rid of Besai."

Kai gripped the arms of his chair. "...What?" he nearly squeaked. "Father, she's foreign. Doesn't know the nuances of our society, or even how to read. And her grasp of our language is shaky at best. How will she get a job?"

"It is none of my concern," Kaytake said. "I just need her gone."

Kai wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He wanted to reach out and wring his father's neck until-

No. Kai dropped his head into his hands. All of these...urges. He felt dangerously unstable. Like if someone pushed him too far he'd snap and destroy everything that threatened him. Him or Besai.

"I can't leave her, father," he whispered through his fingers.

"Then leave," Kaytake said.

Kai raised his head. "Excuse me?"

"Leave!" Kaytake said more forcefully. "Go with Sir Cole and your wife. If you cannot repent, I see no reason why you should be my heir, Una-cursed fool!"

His voice was deafening. Kai blinked, ears ringing. His father's face flew out of focus as the tears... No...

Kaytake slumped in his chair. "Guards. Get out."

The uniformed men at the door left wordlessly.

Kai didn't know what to do or say. He had just thrown away his future. His family. All for that...that woman. Was it worth it? he wondered. Is that slave worth losing everything I have- everything I am?

He felt a hand on his shoulder. It was probably Cole.

Was it worth everything he had gone through? He had fought so hard. Defended his father's honor against the Overlord's accusations.

"I'm so, so sorry, son." Kaytake's voice was suddenly soft and wavering. "But...those guards needed to hear that."

...Hear what?

Kai looked up, surprised to see that it was Kaytake's hand on his shoulder, not Cole's.

"Ever since Malian left," Kaytake said, "the men haven't worked the way they should. They're less respectful. And they gossip, too. So I needed them to see me shouting at the two of you, just so there wouldn't be any questions."

"What are you talking about?" Kai said bitterly. He hiccuped, then cleared his throat.

"Kai, look at me." Kaytake grabbed Kai's chin and forced his head up. "Look- no, Kai. Make eye contact. What I'm about to say is very important."

Kai did as he was told. Cole looked on, neither engaged or impassive. Just...hovering between, if such a thing were possible.

"What you've gone through with the Overlord...it's unforgivable," Kaytake said. "I'm proud of you." He nodded to Cole and said, "of both of you."

This was the last thing Kai expected to hear.

"I can't condone what you've done here, though," Kaytake continued. "The entire kingdom is falling apart at the seams, and I cannot afford to lose the trust of the Southern citizens. Word of you and Besai will get around."

"So that's what this is?" Kai said. "You're forcing Besai onto the streets because you want more control?"

"I'm not forcing anyone onto the streets," Kaytake said. He looked at Cole. "I know a man. When I called him last night to inform him that you had arrived, he offered to keep you safe. I'm sure he wouldn't mind taking the rest of your companions as well."

"Who?" Cole asked, frowning slightly.

"Borg," Kaytake said. "He's got a place up North-"

"I know where he lives," Cole said, leaning forward in his chair. He coughed into his sleeve. "Why him? Is there no other place? Perhaps a spare dungeon in the King's keep, equipped with extra mold and irascible guards?"

Kaytake seemed surprised by this outburst. "Cyrus had told me you weren't on the best terms but... Is it that bad?"

Cole laughed dryly.

"Hmm. Can't do much about that, I'm afraid." Kaytake rubbed his forehead. Face no longer contorted with wrath, he looked old again; like he could benefit from a solid day of uninterrupted sleep.

"So let me get this straight," Kai said. His mind was still spinning. "Malian is gone, so your soldiers are misbehaving. That's why you pretended to be so livid about Besai and me."

"Yes."

"So...are you really that upset?"

"Yes."

"Does Mother know?"

"Yes. She's...on the fence, but leaning toward my side in the matter, I think, despite her affections for Besai."

"...Oh." Kai sighed. "Well, I'm...sorry. I had no idea that doing this would cause you so much trouble."

"I forgive you," Kaytake said. "But this mercy comes at a price. I cannot allow things to continue in the way they have."

"So..." Kai's throat closed, and he swallowed. "You're going to take Besai away?"

Kaytake's expression was one of raw agony. He walked a sharp knife's edge between father and Lord, and clearly not enjoying the decisions he was being forced to make. "I haven't decided," he said. "I don't know anything about her character. About her past. She-"

Cole butted in. "She's a daughter of the Keith mansion's head cook," he said. "She has an older sister, who is still a slave on the Dark Island. Both their parents died on the night of the fire while helping John Keith and his friend escape."

Kaytake regarded Cole with a look that was teetering between extremely vexed and sort of curious. "How would you know this?" he asked. "And who was the young Lord's 'friend'?"

Cole pretended to inspect his fingernails. "I'm the dreaded Dark Knight," he said. "I know everything. His friend is Besai's sister. Her name is Merv."

"You're speaking in the present tense," Kaytake said. "She is still alive?"

"Alive, yes," Cole said. "But not well. She's got the same job Besai had back in the compound."

Kai felt his stomach lurch. "Besai and...this 'Merv' were the Overlord's personal slaves?"

Cole's eyes went to Kai's chest- he was probably thinking of the mark concealed there- and he set his hand on his lap. "It's the Overlord's retribution," he said. "Because their parents helped Keith escape, both sisters have the worst job in the compound."

"So...Besai and Merv are sisters?" Kai asked. "How has she never said anything?"

"You don't even know her," Kaytake said as if Kai had just proven his point. "What in Mena's name... You don't even know your own woman, Kai."

"It's been fifteen years," Cole said, ignoring Kaytake's interruption. "And in that time, Overlord has taught all the women to distance themselves from their friends. From their own children. For all I know, Besai does not remember that she has a sister or a brother. She may think that she's alone; that you're the only family she's ever had."

Kai began to feel as though he was in the wrong for what he had done last night. Regardless of what he had thought, he had pressured her into doing what they had. She had not been ready.

"Kai," Kaytake said, voice quiet. "You love her. And...I can accept that. Just please be more patient. Don't do anything as brash as what you did last night. Being a politician is hard enough as it without the added trouble of-"

"I get it," Kai said. "I was an idiot. I'm sorry. We'll leave after lunch. Cole, Varasach, Jay, Besai and I. We'll hide with Borg until this blows over."

"Good." Kaytake lifted Kai to his feet, then took him into his arms. "I love you, son," he said. "I wish there was another way to do this. I'm sorry."

His arms were warm. Kai wavered for a moment, then leaned into the embrace. "Thank you," he said. "I love you too."

Undeserved forgiveness. Kai felt that he was...well, undeserving of such a gift. Of such love.

Being a father, he decided, must be the hardest job in the world.

But feeling the strong arms of his father around him, he decided it was the most rewarding.

"Should we grab those herbs for Besai now?" Cole asked Kai, who walked beside him. "What should we get? Perleaf? Limmeroot? What kind of 'ill' is she feeling?"

"She was just feeling queasy," Kai answered.

"Limmeroot, then. It'll help keep her last night's meal down."

Kai grunted his agreement.

They entered the huge white kitchen. Servants chattered as they busied themselves with their chores. Washing breakfast dishes, wiping counters, mopping, etcetera. Kai felt a twinge of loathing when he saw them. Paid slaves. After what he had seen, this was nothing short of detestable. They shouldn't be spending their days serving stuck-up noblemen. They should be out in the world, starting their own businesses and families.

"I need limmeroot," Cole said, drawing Kai from his brooding thoughts. "Is there any in here?"

All eyes fell on them, and a hushed silence replaced all of the chaotic noises Kai had heard moments before.

Hastily, a young man with dark eyes reached into a cupboard and pulled out a jar. "Milord," he said, approaching Kai with a smile fake enough to wither flowers.

"Thanks," Kai said. He tok the jar of dried leaves from the man's hands and turned on his heel.

A puddle of water from a nearby mop caught Kai off guard. He slipped with a stunned grunt.

Cole bent to help him. "Are you all right?" He took the herbs from Kai's hand and dropped them into his pocket. "Should I get a guard to carry you to your room?"

Kai shook his head. "I'm...fine," he said. His hands dripped with water.

Plink.

Kai trembled.

"Good to hear," Cole said. He lifted Kai from the floor and straightened his wet clothing. "Let's get to your room."

"Yeah," Kai said numbly.

They hurried out under the curious eye of every servant in the kitchen. When they were up the flight of carpeted stairs that went to the second floor, Kai and Cole stopped for a moment.

"You have hot water in your room?" Cole asked, trying to hide the fact that he was breathing heavily. His breathing was starting to sound rough again; his lungs were still healing.

"Yeah," Kai replied. "I asked one of the servants to bring it up earlier."

"Excellent." Cole patted his back. "Listen...I..." His face took on a foreign expression. Soft, slightly pensive.

"Yes?" Kai said.

Cole blinked, drawing his face into a more familiar mode. "I'm sorry," he said. "For everything."

"What's 'everything'?"

"Everything." Cole sounded slightly annoyed. He began walking again, pulling Kai down the hall. "For...dragging you to the Dark Island. For not standing up for you when those stone warriors surrounded us that night. For subjecting you to all the horrible stuff that the Overlord does to people. For letting him burn his mark on your chest... I haven't seen it, but I assume it's there. And it's not fair."

He was apologizing.

He was...what again?

Kai's knees buckled, and he fell again. Cole didn't move fast enough to catch him. Again.

"It's...all right," Kai said, trying to get his arms under him so he could get upright. His wet, cold clothing stuck to his skin, and his head spun with fear.

"No, it isn't." Cole knelt over him, wincing: the scars on his back were probably hurting. "I was so...scared. For Hagar. For my family. I knew Overlord would kill them if I did anything wrong. So...I let all sorts of stuff happen to you and Zane."

Kai didn't know what to say. He stared at Cole, wondering why he wasn't fighting to get away. Something held him in place. Or...someone, actually. Cole's hands held his shoulders down. What is he doing?

"So...I was trying to find a good way to say this," Cole said. "But I guess that's not possible. Could we maybe...start over? Be teammates?"

"Hey!" an aggressive voice shouted down the hall. "What are you doing to Kai?"

Cole looked over his shoulder at the two guards who were running toward them, then gave Kai a crazed smile. "Perfect timing," he said. "Oh, yes. Wonderful. Play along, all right?"

Numbly, Kai nodded.

"Dark Knight," one guard said, "back away from Sir Kai. Milord, did he hurt you?"

Before Kai could answer, Cole pressed a hand over his mouth. "Shh," he said. "Fight me. Scream a bit."

Kai did so. Did it feel awkward? Yes, a little bit. Especially since he couldn't even budge Cole's arm.

"H-hey!" The guards doubled their speed.

Cole roughly dragged Kai to his feet, then wrapped an arm around his neck. "Stay back!" he said to the guards. He dug into his pocket and found the jar of limmeroot. "Don't make me use this."

The guards stood perfectly still, alarm painted in their eyes. Kai almost laughed; they had no idea that what was being brandished was nothing more than an herb to settle an upset stomach.

"Good," Cole said, placing the jar in his pocket as tentatively as one would treat an explosive. He picked up his cane, then backed down the hall until he reached Kai's door.

"Unhand me, fiend!" Kai croaked dramatically, hands wrestling Cole's "chokehold".

"Help!" One of the guards shouted. "Someone get General Peran! We-..." The rest was muted because Cole had slammed the door shut, then slid the bolt into place.

Cole released Kai, then laughed softly, ear pressed to the door. "Okay," he said, fishing out the herb again. "Start making Besai's tea. And when I say so, make a bunch of noise."

Kai went to the nightstand, then dropped a few leaves into a cup of hot water.

"What's going on?" Besai asked. She sat on the bed in her nightgown, looking paler than when he'd gone downstairs twenty minutes ago and been accosted by his father.

"Hey." Kai planted a kiss on her cold forehead. "It's just a prank. Don't be alarmed."

Besai nodded, then accepted the steaming mug. "Prank," she said. "I...am not familiar with that word."

"Yeah, well you're about to become very familiar with it," Cole said from his position next to the door. "Kai. Ready?"

Kai nodded.

Cole slammed his cane onto the floor once, producing a concussive sound that Kai assumed was intended to mimic that of a body being thrown. "Oh," he said loudly, "there's a woman in here too. Isn't this a pleasant surprise?" He shot Kai a look, then gestured to Besai.

"Don't...you dare touch her!" Kai said. He cringed. He wasn't a good actor.

Cole elicited a long, harsh laugh that gave Kai goosebumps. "Fight me, then," he said. He stomped a foot on the floor- rattling the walls, making Besai gasp- and clapped his hands together, producing a sound like someone being slapped. He gestured to Besai again.

Ohh...

"Scream," Kai whispered.

"What?" Besai held her mug close to her chest.

"I've been punched, so now you've got to scream."

Besai spent a long second putting this together, then nodded. She let out a scream that, all things considered, was pretty realistic.

Cole looked pleased. He gave Kai a thumbs-up, then hit the floor again with his cane. "Again," he said, voice a wicked and loud purr. "Make that noise again, wench."

Besai was confused, but she obeyed.

When Cole raised his fists, indicating that he was about to do another false punch, Kai made a motion for her to stop.

The effect was instantaneous. Outside, the guards were throwing their weight against the door, still crying for reinforcements.

Besai set down her mug and moaned softly, hugging her stomach. Right, he thought. She's not feeling well. I'd better cover for her.

"What are you going to do about it, coward?" Cole asked, raising an eyebrow at Kai.

"Sir Kai!" one voice called. "Just hang on, we're going to break the door down!"

Kai shook his head, indicating that he didn't want his door to get ruined. That would only make Father angrier...

Cole turned to face the door. "I've got a knife," he said. "If I hear so much as a peep out of you bastards, I'll kill him too."

Everything fell silent. Kai clasped a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing.

The expression on Cole's face suggested that he was having similar troubles. "Having fun yet, Kai?" he asked in that deep, disturbing voice. "Looks like she was having fun. Pity she's gone now."

Mustering as much emotion as he could, Kai clenched his teeth. "You puss-filled tart," he said. "How could you? She's..." He allowed himself to trail off.

Besai looked more unscrewed than ever. "I'm...right here," she said. "Kai...pranks are not any logical."

Kai dropped to the carpet and covered his mouth with his sleeve. He was doing his best to make the chortles sound like sobs, but he feared his efforts were in vain.

"Quit your sniveling," Cole said. "You'll be joining her soon, anyway. Ugh. Guards, get in here and clean up the mess." He undid the bolt, then threw the door open, revealing a half-dozen terrified guards and... Kaytake. And Jay. And Zane.

Oh, sweet mother of mercy. Kai keeled over and planted both hands on the floor, unable to keep his laughter contained. The closest thing he could liken the sound to was that of a wild dog who'd been drugged with some potent hallucinogen.

"Cole," Zane said. Duskweaver was slid back into its sheath slowly. "What is going on?"

Cole leaned on his cane and leaned forward, face concealed by his long hair. He was shuddering as though he were having a seizure.

Kaytake put the pieces together faster than the rest of his men. He sheathed his sword, then waved his men away with a terse hand. "Get back to work," he said tiredly.

Still laughing, Kai got up and touched Cole's shuddering shoulder. "Hey. Are you all right? Is your-"

Cole held up a hand, then looked up at Kai, tears streaming down his cheeks. His lips were parted in a broad grin.

The sight was so bizarre- so incredibly out of the ordinary- that Kai recoiled, briefly considering that someone had replaced him with a look-alike.

"K-Kai..." Cole said, clasping Kai's shoulder. "Puss-filled tart? Really?"

"I was on the spot," Kai said. "It was all I could do to keep up with your playacting. And...well, I was hungry."

"Hungry?" Cole's throat made a variety of squeaking and clicking noises as his chest bobbed. Was he trying to laugh? "Hungry for what? Puss?"

Was Cole trying to laugh?

"You two," Jay said, "have the sickest sense of humor."

It was as though Cole's lungs had exploded. A sudden noise- loud enough to wake the dead- shot from his mouth, and he wiped his eyes. "T-tart?" he said. "Tart? What is with your vocabulary?" His laugh was like nothing Kai had ever heard before. It was like he was taking short, deep gulps of air and letting it out through a squeaky-hinged door.

"Er...I don't know," Kai said. "Can you...stop that? It's freaking me out."

Cole did not listen.

"Okay..." Kai backed into the bed and sat. "So, Besai. That's a prank. Minus the creepy...laughter..."

Besai wasn't on the bed. The blankets had been tossed aside as though she had been in a rush.

Kai heard a noise from beyond the open bath room door, and he went to investigate. "Besai?"

Besai was on her knees, arms gripping the edge of the tub as she shuddered, head down and hidden from view.

"Hey," Kai said. "Are you okay?"

Just then, Besai let out a moan and retched into the tub. Her tiny body twisted in a painful way, and she struggled to keep her hair out of her face.

"Whoa," Kai rushed to her aid instinctively, "I guess I have my answer, then. Did you drink any of the tea?"

Besai did not seem to notice his presence. She gasped weakly, stomach quivering, and leaned over the tub to retch again.

Kai quickly took her hair and held it for her so she could use both arms to support herself. "I guess you didn't. But that's all right. It wouldn't have done much for you anyways. We'll need something stronger than limmeroot to cure this. I..." He nodded to the bottom of the tub, then faltered. "Yeah...something much stronger."

Her vomit was yellowish and dispersed with bits of last night's feast. That wasn't so out of the ordinary for someone with a stomach flu. What caught his attention was the mottled streaks of black that definitely weren't supposed to be there. Blood.

Besai's stomach gave her a moment of reprieve, and she gasped noisily. "K-Kai," she said, coughing so hard that tears came into her eyes. "A-ah! Eet hurts."

Kai rubbed small circles on her back as she inhaled sharply, then started another round of upheaval. "You're okay," he said. "It's the climate change. You're in a new land with new illnesses and diseases. This is...normal. I think. You should be okay in a couple days."

Besai slumped in Kai's arms like a puppet cut from its strings, sobbing feebly. "Stop eet," she whimpered. "Make eet stop. The hurt..."

Kai shushed her softly and stroked her sweat-streaked forehead. "I'm sorry," he said. "Yes, of course I'll make it stop. I just need to go and get some stronger medicine."

Besai sniffed. Her sobs grew in intensity until she was practically screaming, blood dripping from her parted lips.

"What's wrong with her?" Zane walked in behind him, frowning in a concerned, gentle way.

"I...don't know," Kai said. "Use your powers. See if you can heal her."

"Right." Zane hastily unsheathed Duskweaver and held it out, eyes on the gem.

Before Kai could blink his father, Jay, and Nya were around them, all asking questions.

"Is that blood?"

"Kai, what's wrong with her?"

"How long has she been like this for?"

"Stop!" Zane said. "I need silence for a moment." He took Besai's hand and wrapped her fingers around Duskweaver's grip. The gem lit up brilliantly for many seconds, then dimmed.

Besai's screams fell away. Her eyes closed, and she exhaled a breath that sounded more like a gurgle than anything else. Her fingers went limp, and she dropped the Blade.

"Besai?" Kai's heart skipped a beat as he checked for a pulse in her wrist. "Hey. Talk to me."

"She's alive, Kai," Zane said, picking up Duskweaver from where it had fallen. "Duskweaver just encouraged her brain to send out some melatonin. She's asleep."

Kai relaxed slightly. "So...did your Blade fix the problem?"

Zane pressed the pommel of his Blade to Besai's breast. His eyes were dark. "No," he said. "Duskweaver doesn't know what this is. My Blade is equipped to deal with physical wounds and poisons. Not illnesses. But...Duskweaver says there is something wrong with her womb."

Kai found himself almost smiling. "Is she...pregnant?"

"Probably not," Zane said. "I'm sorry... I had no idea Duskweaver couldn't treat things like this."

This...no. It wasn't possible. A problem that even Duskweaver couldn't fix. Kai had assumed that the Blade could do anything. Why was Besai different?

"Here," Kaytake said. He bent at the knee and held out his arms. "Let me take her to bed."

Kai resisted. "I can do it," he said.

"No," Kaytake said firmly. "You look about ready to faint. Just let me." He scooped Besai into his arms, then frowned. "She's extremely light. Does she have an eating disorder?"

"N-no," Kai said, "she's been eating. More than she ever has in her life." Something in Kai's mind clicked. Could that be a part of their problem? Maybe she'd just eaten too much at the feast last night, and was having a reaction. Or maybe she was allergic to one of the foods she'd eaten.

Kai felt as though he were in a dream. He had no recollection of walking back to his bed, only that he was there and holding Besai's cold- cold, like ice on a windy day- hand. Zane was cleaning her bloody face with a rag.

"We can't travel like this," Cole said. "Not with Besai the way she is."

Kaytake's gaze fell on a guard who had stayed behind- against his explicit order to do otherwise, Kai noted- and he shook his head, sighing tiredly. "You have to go today," he said. "I'll arrange for a carriage. It is only a day's journey to...where you need to go...so you should be fine."

"But Father-"

"Don't," Kaytake said. "You have dishonored me, Kai."

He turned, casting a final glance in Kai's direction that seemed to overflow with remorse. "You have one hour. Pack the things you want to take, and leave the South. Do not return."

Kai knew Kaytake didn't want this; he knew that his forcing his father to send him away was worse than sending a dagger through his heart.

Kai also knew it was his own fault; that he had ripped his family apart.

That dagger belonged in his chest, not his father's. And that made it hurt worse than any harsh words of rejection ever could.