DISCLAIMER - You know what's mine and what's T.P.'s and we'll leave it at that.
CHAPTER TWO – September - Slums
Kiyra ducked into a shadowed doorway that was untouched by the moonlight, waiting for a crowd of drunken men to pass. Holding her breath, she willed them not to see her. Kiyra knew that her one knife would have no effect on them. Kiyra released her breath when it was clear that they hadn't seen her. Turning around in the doorway, she met the eyes of a man who had crept up behind her and moaned in terror, reaching her hand to her belt knife instinctively.
"Kiyra, it's okay. It's me, Geoff." Geoff stepped out of the doorway into the moonlight so that she could see his face.
"Geoff! Ya scared me!" Putting her hands on her hips, Kiyra tried to be angry, but she couldn't when she was so relieved.
"I'm sorry. You shouldn't be out here alone." Geoff reminded her. "I told you that you've got to have either me or Cart with you after dark."
"I know, I know, it's just…" Kiyra trailed off, knowing that whatever excuse she thought up, Geoff would think it inadequate.
Geoff hadn't been so protective before Iago had taken the Rogue throne. Then again, before that, people didn't get murdered in the streets for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Crime rate had tripled since the change in Rogue leadership. Illegal drugs were sold on street corners and nowadays you couldn't walk through the streets after dark without getting mugged, Rogue or no. There were more gangs and Provost's men patrolled the streets more frequently.
It wasn't even all the Rogue that was causing trouble, either. It was just a tenth that got the other ninth in trouble. If every Rogue had been causing trouble, than Kiyra and her friends could bear it. Innocent people were getting hurt, though, and that made them mad. It was hard enough to keep the Dove's pickpockets from trouble, without trying not to get killed by your own people as well.
Which was why Geoff had followed Kiyra, who was just on her way back to the Dove after a night spent at Lalasa's shop.
"Listen, I'm going to tell you again, since you didn't hear me the first time." Geoff told her in a controlled manner. He was holding Kiyra's shoulders and looking straight into her face, his dark eyes serious. "It's not safe anymore. Walking the streets alone could you raped or killed. None of us want that."
"Sure, I understand that. You don't want me followed by some man and taken advantage of. What I don't understand is, why did you follow me and corner me in a doorway?" Kiyra hid a smile.
Geoff let go of her shoulders. "Kiyra, you have to believe me, I didn't come for those reasons. Please believe me." Geoff pleaded.
"Honestly, Geoff, I was just teasing." Kiyra giggled and Geoff started to tickle her. Geoff and Kiyra had practically grown up together and only he knew that just under her ribs was her most ticklish spot. Laughing, Kiyra broke away from him, turned, and came face to face with Iago.
If you saw Iago, you wouldn't that he was a cold blooded killer. He was actually quite handsome, with clean brown hair and blue eyes. He was tall with well defined muscles. Needless to say, you could make an educated guess on how he got some of the Rogue prostitutes to follow him.
"Good evening, your Majesty." Kiyra said and curtsied in her breeches, not willing to bow and bare the back of her neck to him. Geoff also bowed. Iago just nodded and strode off into the darkness.
Suddenly not in the mood for playing, Geoff put his arm around Kiyra and they swiftly walked to the Dancing Dove. Once outside the door, Geoff looked around before he spoke.
"Are you alright?" Geoff asked her.
"Yes. I just wish…" Kiyra didn't even bother to finish her sentence. Most of the Rogue felt the way that she did. The former King of the Rogue hadn't been perfect, but he was better than Iago.
Nodding, Geoff held Kiyra and for a moment she felt safe in his arms. Cart poked his head out of the common room and shook his head at them like they were children.
"We just finished a game o' cards and we're about to start another. You both in, ya stinkin' lovebirds?" Cart asked.
Geoff looked to Kiyra. "I'd like to, really, but I wanna to check on the children. This has been hardest for them." Kiyra said. Knowing what she meant, Geoff and Cart disappeared into the common room. Kiyra walked through the crowded common room and into a small hallway. Opening a door at the end of it, Kiyra tiptoed in.
The room wasn't large and every inch was used for the young pickpockets. On every wall, there were two bunks against it, with another bunk square in the middle of the room. The bunks were three beds high, and there was an average of three children in each. Not all of the pickpocket-ing children slept at the Dove, but many other street children came in nights.
Kiyra visited each bed, checking that the children were sleeping well. Wistfully, Kiyra touched the cheek of a six year old who still sucked her thumb. She was so young, Kiyra thought. She should be watched like a hawk by her mother, not sleeping in a crowded dormitory, where she could die in her sleep and no one would notice.
Seeing Toady, Kiyra ruffled his hair. He had a black eye and blood crusted on his nose, having gotten into a fight that afternoon. Kiyra had a brother at home, who was a bit older than Toady. Toady reminded her of him, so she had a soft spot for the little bugger.
Kiyra moved on, finding Merci in a tangle of limbs. Julie was almost fourteen and slept up in the girls' room, but Merci was barely eleven, still considered a child. Merci's long blond hair was messy and she probably hadn't washed her face in days.
Sleeping through the din in the common room seemed to be accomplishment enough, but these kids broke through the odds each day and made the best of their present circumstances. These were a bunch of snot-nosed, filthy, thieving urchins, but Kiyra loved them.
Drifting in her sleep, Kiyra floated on a cloud of air. Below her, she saw a green field filled with flowers. Kiyra saw running children in rags. They played as they ran, laughing and joking. Then, Kiyra heard… sniffling? Waking from her dream, Kiyra sat up on her pallet.
Kiyra looked around, trying to find the source of the tears. Standing up, she walked over to Julie. "Julie, that you?" Julie stopped muffled her tears. Kiyra knelt down next to her.
"Julie, what happened?" Julie sat up and threw her arms around Kiyra, and she started to sob. Kiyra started to cry also. Hearing her friend cry was enough, but she was also worried. Feeling something wet on Julie's skirts, Kiyra froze. Leaning over and bringing the skirt to her nose, Kiyra could smell blood. Kiyra cursed mindlessly. She knew the signs.
Both girls were sobbing uncontrollably by now. The other girls started to wake around them. Most of them were prostitutes, but some were thieves like Julie and Kiyra. They gathered around and one of them lit a lamp. Seeing the blood and the bruises, they tried to comfort Julie. All of the girls in the room were crying for Julie and her lost innocence.
Knowing that she could do no good anymore, Kiyra left. She was furious, white-lipped and lived with rage. She stomped into the common room and over to where Cart and Geoff played cards. When they saw her, both looked up. Glad for once for the immense racket, Kiyra yelled who-knows-what over her tears. Only later did Kiyra find out that she had only been swearing at them.
"Kiyra?" Geoff asked worriedly. "Is that… blood?" Geoff lightly touched her breeches and hands. Julie's blood was on them.
"Come'on, let's go somewhere private." Cart motioned to a side room. Usually Kiyra would have protested going into a room that the prostitutes took their customers, but tonight she didn't even notice.
Once they were in the small room, Kiyra started pacing. She was softly swearing. Geoff grabbed her shoulders and stopped her. "Kiyra, what on earth? By the Trickster, if you've been hurt."
"It's Julie. She's hurt. I'm gonna kill him." Both of the boys understood what Kiyra meant as soon as she said it.
"Who was it?" Cart snapped, rolling up his sleeves.
"Is she okay now?" Geoff asked, wincing at his choice of words.
"She won't tell anyone who did it." Kiyra said. That was true, but Kiyra knew who had done it anyway. "The girls upstairs have her. She'll come through."
"I'm going to get a drink." Cart spat. He stalked out of the room.
"Are you all right?" Geoff asked. He knew Kiyra well enough to know that she was holding something back. Kiyra couldn't handle his warm hearted concern on top of everything else that night.
"Julie…she was so torn. The girls have her, but that ain't enough." Kiyra started a fresh flood of tears and Geoff sat down on the bed, holding her in his arms. "It's not fair. Iago, he's the one that did it. He was following me…it was my fault. If he had done it to me, Julie would've been fine."
"Stop it!" Geoff looked into Kiyra's watery eyes fiercely. "Either you or Julie, it would have been the same."
"I could've handled it. Julie's younger. Maybe I could've even gotten away." Kiyra whispered.
"I have to do something. We owe allegiance to the Rogue Majesty, but this is wrong. Iago is ruining everything."
"Can't you just kill him then?" Kiyra was very sleepy and complicated things were beginning to look simple to her.
"Iago has too much support. There is too many who like the way things are going right now." Geoff whispered to the sleeping girl.
The next night found Kiyra sitting on a bench in the Dove about an hour after the young pickpockets' supper. The room was filled with men and women, none of them 'respectable.' Kiyra herself didn't drink much, only a sip or two here and there. Drinks were flowing for the others in the common room.
This night was especially prosperous for the Dove. Flashing color could be seen at every corner of the room and there was steady traffic coming in and out of the side rooms. Kiyra was trading stories with a prostitute named Rachel when she excused herself. Some inner feeling told Kiyra that she needed to check the children now.
Kiyra walked briskly through the side wall, speeding up when she heard the children's furious shouts. Bursting into the room, Kiyra seized up the situation in a glance. Older teenagers were trying to force Kiyra's children out of their room. Kiyra didn't know them, but they were her age and tough-looking. They were also hurting the Dove's pickpockets.
"Cut it out!" Kiyra shouted at the top of her lungs. Both the foreign kids and the Dove's pickpockets froze. "I just want to know what's going on." Kiyra spoke in an exaggerated controlled voice.
"They be trying to kick us picks out!" Toady shouted angrily. 'Picks' was what the Dove's pickpockets called themselves.
"His Majesty told us we could! It's ours now." The foreign boy who spoke was pierced in multiple places and tapped a thick stick on his palm.
"Where did he say that the Dove's picks would live?" Kiyra was fighting her temper, but she was losing the battle.
A tattooed girl shrugged. "Iago said that you all could die for all he cared. He cares more about us Mare's Head pickpockets than you Doves."
"I don't care." Tyrell said stubbornly. He was a twelve year old Bazhir pick. "You can't turn us out. We won't let you." The Dove's picks all nodded and scowled.
"Iago also said that we could use force if you didn't comply." The pierced boy addressed Kiyra on this question.
"We'd be happy to force you." The tattooed girl grabbed a seven year old girl and shook her like a rat. Kiyra stepped forward calmly, smiled, and punched the tattooed girl straight in the face.
Shaking out her fist, Kiyra dodged the pierced boy and his burly friend. The Dove's picks and the Mare's Head kids threw themselves at each other. Slowly, the brawl moved out of the picks' room and into the common room. Cart eagerly socked a girl who was slapping Merci. Geoff tried to tug the children apart, but gave up after a couple moments. Sighing, he tackled a man who was shoving a Dove's pick. Some young troublemakers, not Dove's picks, left the Dove and went door to door. They spread the word about the large brawl which included both men and children. Even more troublemakers and those wanting to help out their friends came out and joined the fight. Only a few city folk were about, since it was almost dark. Those that were out moved out of the way, but most stayed to watch.
The brawl spread out into the nighttime marketplace. Kiyra was enthralled into the heat of the moment and shoved a man into a stall, laughing. Most of the wooden stalls were crushed beyond repair by this point. All of a sudden, the clops of horses' hooves could be heard. Everyone knew that meant the Provost's men and the brawl ended.
All the men, boys, and girls involved scattered like sparrows when the Provost's men charged their horses into the dissolving fray. The watchmen grabbed any bodies that they could get a hold of and clapped them in irons. In moments, the streets were calm again. The Provost's men sighed with relief.
Kiyra shifted around the clump of bodies around her. Merci started to cough fitfully. When the young girl's coughs continued, Kiyra sat up and helped Merci to do the same. After the brawl, the sixteen picks that the Provost's men had caught had been in the dungeons for two weeks. Kiyra suspected that whoever had placed them there had forgotten about them.
Kiyra was the oldest pick there by a couple years. She wouldn't have gotten caught if she hadn't stopped running to free a Dove's pick from the watchmen. Now, both Kiyra and the six year old boy were still here. Dann was the youngest pick of the sixteen. Kiyra knew that adults had also been captured, but they weren't kept in the small, damp dungeon that Kiyra was in.
This dungeon room was small and didn't even have a window. The only light came from a door at the end of the corridor. The sixteen children could barely fit in the cell and in some places it was hard to tell whose limbs belonged to whom. The picks used a pail to go to the bathroom in. Water dripped from the ceiling and the picks could see their breath in the air. Each of the children had coughs bad enough to wrack their little bodies. Their bread was brought twice a day by a cloaked jailer who refused to speak to them.
"Kiyra, I don't feel so good." Merci rasped.
"I know, kid. I don't understand." Kiyra said frustratingly. "When I spent time, I wasn't treated like this."
"Can't you do something?" Dann asked. All the picks looked to Kiyra expectantly. Kiyra sighed. Maybe she could do something. Standing up, Kiyra cleared her throat.
"Hey!" she screamed. "Let us out! Is anyone there?" No one answered. The picks sighed disappointedly. Kiyra was about to give up for good, but Dann caught her eyes. Kiyra took up her new resolve. She could make them listen to her.
"Aaeeeiiiiiiiii!" Kiyra shouted. The picks looked at her as if she was mad. "Enooorroooflllllaaa! Enooorroooflllllaaa!" Tyrell rolled his eyes and took up the cry.
Toady was next and soon all the picks were shouting. Kiyra was surprised by the thundering noise they made until she saw blue light around Tyrell. He was using his Gift to make the noise much louder.
"Enooorroooflllllaaa! Enooorroooflllllaaa!" Kiyra started to stomp to the beat of the war cry and the picks followed her lead. A jailer ran into view, followed by another. Kiyra could see their mouths forming the words 'shut up' and 'stop', but she couldn't hear what they were saying. Ignoring them, the picks kept up the chant. Five more jailers and a palace watchman joined the first two. The seven adults couldn't get the sixteen children to listen.
A tall, dark haired man joined the other adults. He had black power crackling around his hands. Kiyra blanched; this was Numair Salmalín. Kiyra braced herself and ignored him also. Kiyra saw Baron George and shouted all the louder. The picks' throats felt raw and bloody, because of their shouting and the coughs.
The king and the queen walked down a small staircase outside of the cell. Kiyra grinned. It was good for the nobles to take notice of common people. It kept them on their feet.
"Silence!" The king commanded, his voice made loud by Numair's magic. The picks faltered for a moment, but when Kiyra kept stomping and screaming the 'enoroflla' war cry, they did too.
"Silence!" Jonathon commanded. "I am willing to negotiate!" Kiyra smiled. Now they were getting somewhere. With one last cry, Kiyra turned and made a quick hand gesture. The picks stopped immediately.
"Who was making the racket extend throughout the premises?" Master Numair demanded. The picks looked at him blankly and he sighed. "Who was making that racket sound louder? Everyone could hear it throughout the whole entire castle."
The picks laughed and slapped Tyrell's hands in appreciation.
"Why are they still here?" Queen Thayet asked. "The other brawl prisoners were released last week."
"They were needed for questioning." The king replied, rubbing his forehead. "The men said that the brawl started with the picks."
"Then our questioning should have been a week ago." Kiyra told him. "Not when we're too sick to talk." On cue, Merci began to cough. Her fake cough soon turned to rough hacking and a girl had to support her. The Queen frowned worriedly.
"All we want to know is what started the brawl." King Jonathon said. "The damage on the markets was extensive. I want to know if they just meant to cause trouble or if it was unplanned."
"I know who started it." Kiyra said gleefully. "I won't tell you for nothin' though."
The king reached into his pockets and pulled out a handful of gold coins. "Will this suffice?"
"I don't take bribes." Kiyra laughed, but soon became serious again. "I want a healer. The best you've got. Duke Baird, no less."
For a moment, Numair, the monarchs, the Baron George, and the picks gaped at her. Queen Thayet was the first to break. Kiyra's observant eyes picked up the slight nod that the queen gave the king.
"Alright." King Jonathon said. "I'll inform Duke Baird as soon as you tell me who started the brawl."
"I thought you'd be above turning over one of your friends." The baron George seemed almost disappointed. Kiyra shrugged. She couldn't give anything away until the king made the deal.
"You have to let us picks go, too." Kiyra cautioned. The king nodded and waited for the name. Tyrell and Merci, the oldest of the picks besides Kiyra, figured out what Kiyra was going to do. Eyes wide, they shook their heads fervently. Toady pleaded softly, his words incomprehensible. George looked at Kiyra disapprovingly, thinking that she was going to tell on one of the picks.
"It was me." Kiyra said happily. "I threw the very first punch."
"Are you telling the truth?" asked the king.
"Truth drips from my lips as honey from the hive." Kiyra told him. "Mithros strike me down if I lie."
"I should have guessed it would be you." The Baron George growled with a smile. He had the Sight and could see a lie on Kiyra if she spoke one. George knew that she spoke the truth.
"A deal is a deal." King Jonathon spoke wryly. "We'll release all your 'picks' after Duke Baird has seen to them. As for you, we'll think of a suitable punishment."
"Why did you start the brawl?" Queen Thayet asked.
"They were insulting your beauty and the king's honor." Kiyra's eyes wide with eagerness. "They insulted your son's bride and your children."
"Don't believe a word she speaks." George cautioned, the corners of his mouth turned up into a smile.
"Don't worry, I wasn't." Queen Thayet chuckled.
"Please don't hurt her." Toady begged. Thayet, Jonathon, Numair, and George all turned to look at him. "Kiyra only threw the punch because one of the others was shaking Elsie."
"She only did it for us. Please, let her come with us." Merci wiped the blood off her chin and pleaded.
Queen Thayet called one of the guards over. "Get Duke Baird right away. Tell him that he'll be a while." The guard bowed and obeyed.
"Kiyra will be fine." King Jonathon told the picks. "Unfortunately, the damage will need to be repaid. The shopkeepers need some kind of compensation and most of the money in the treasury is already planned for. If Kiyra is the one that started it, then she will be the one to fix it."
"All I have to do is repay it?" Kiyra asked incredulously. "I'll sell my jewels, heirlooms, and maybe even take out a loan. I'll get back to you within the week."
"Kiyra's right." George said. "She'll never make that kind of money, not unless you send her to the mines. I don't think that would be fair, not when she didn't mean to cause the damage."
"I agree with you." King Jonathon said. "We'll let you leave with your friends if you promise not to start any more destructive brawls."
Kiyra was spared making that promise by Duke Baird, who arrived then. Kiyra thought that a rich healer duke wouldn't have wanted to touch the grimy children, but Duke Baird surprised her. Not only did he touch them, but he handled them with utmost gentleness. Kiyra was impressed.
Every single pick was cured of their cough, cold, and anything else that might be wrong with them. The picks were escorted to a small palace gate by a squad of guards and Numair. Right before the children were to leave, Numair drew Kiyra aside.
"George tells me that you were the one to take care of my daughter. I want to thank you for that. If you need anything within reason, please come to me or my wife." Master Numair said seriously. Kiyra was already planning on taking him up on the offer.
The picks ran through the streets, eager to be free. The city folk moved out of the way pretty quickly when they saw sixteen urchins running in a pack in plain daylight. Kiyra would've tested fate and picked a pocket, but the picks were running to fast.
One look at the Dancing Dove squelched their excitement. The windows were boarded up neatly and there were four big men standing near the front door. Kiyra recognized them as some of Iago's cronies and they were holding thick clubs. The inn was quiet, not rowdy as it should have been. Kiyra smelled trouble immediately.
"Merci, Toady, Wren and Dann," Kiyra named four picks that she could trust. "I want all of you to go to the different establishments around here and find out what's going on. Listen around, too. The people will be talking."
"I want Tyrell, Finn, Rye, Lars, and Emma to come with me." Kiyra said. "The rest of you, find somewhere safe and wait out for a bit."
After the other picks left, Kiyra spoke to the five that had stayed behind. Once again, she knew that she could trust them with a job.
"What do ya want us to do?" Tyrell asked.
"We have to find out what's going on. They might have some of us in there." Kiyra explained.
"We could send someone to the front door, to see if they'll let us in." A black skinned, sinewy ten year old suggested. "I'll go."
"Good idea, Finn. Be careful." Kiyra and the four remaining picks tried to look natural as Finn walked casually up to the Dove.
Finn was stopped by the guards at the door. One particularly burly guard shoved him into the mud. Finn jumped straight up, declaring that, "I have a message for his Majesty." He was admitted then and the other picks waited nervously. Kiyra held her breath until she heard Iago shouting and Finn was thrown back into the mud in front of the Dove.
Kiyra watched the four guards as she sidled over to Finn. She helped him stand up and touched his split lip and bruised face. "Come'on, kid." Kiyra didn't use Finn's name so that the guards didn't learn it.
Once they made it to the other picks, Finn talked brokenly. "It's horrible in there. I didn't see none of our folks, Randy and Dillus. There's strange ladies all over and Iago's men in swarms."
"Did you see Cart, Geoff, or Julie?" Kiyra asked. Finn shook his head. "Any of the girls?" Once again Finn shook his head, spitting out a stream of blood that came from his lip.
Emma, a nine year old, left the group. Kiyra noticed that she headed for Toady, who stood on a street corner. Emma exchanged words with him briefly and returned, biting her lip. At first she didn't say anything, and Kiyra waited impatiently.
"What did he say?" Rye questioned. He was Emma's twin sister. Both children had brown skin, although it wasn't near as dark as Finn's. The pair looked so much alike that without the different lengths in their dark, wavy hair, they would be indistinguishable.
Emma stared at the ground as she answered, fiddling with her braids. "Toady said that Iago is keeping the girls captive on the upstairs of the Dove." Emma sniffed, a tear running down her cheek. Emma was soft-hearted, but strong when she had to be.
"We have to get them out." Kiyra declared, her fists tightly clenched. "Lars and Rye, go find all of our picks that we can trust. Meet back in the market." Lars and Rye set off at a run. "Finn and Emma, I want you two to find Cart and Geoff. They'll know what to do. Tyrell, you're with me."
Emma, Lars, Rye, and Finn ran back into the street. Tyrell and Kiyra scampered up into a woodpile in the shadows and onto the one-story kitchen roof. Without Kiyra even having to tell him, Tyrell knew what she wanted him to do. They padded on the rooftop without making a sound. Listening at windows, they tried to figure out where Iago had the girls.
Hearing soft talking at one window, Kiyra pulled at the nails that held a plank over the window. She and Tyrell together loosened the nails enough to pull one plank out and set it carefully on the roof. Kiyra pressed her ear to the space. She couldn't hear a thing.
Tyrell and Kiyra had pulled all of the planks from that window within five minutes. Motioning for him to stay there, Kiyra opened the shutters and jumped in. Instantly, someone grabbed her and held a knife to her throat. As she was pulled into the corner of the room, Kiyra held still. She knew that one slip up could mean death.
The man who had grabbed her turned her around to face him. "Kiyra, what are you doing?" Geoff said in a whisper.
"Get the knife off my throat." Kiyra hissed. Once the offending object was withdrawn, Kiyra tiptoed to the window and helped Tyrell hop in. "We just got out. We had to know what was going on."
"You're a little late to help. Cart and I just got all of the girls out." Geoff spoke quickly. "Tyrell, wait here with Kiyra." With that, Geoff disappeared out of the room's door.
Kiyra rolled her eyes and turned around to look out of the window. Iago stared back at her. Kiyra almost fainted from the shock. Cursing silently, she leapt backwards and blocked his fist with an arm. Tyrell also sprung back when he saw Iago jump through the window into the room.
Iago circled Kiyra, looking at her coldly. Kiyra fought her rising terror and grabbed Tyrell by his shirt collar. She jerked him over to the window and gave him a push to let him know what he was supposed to do. Tyrell reluctantly climbed out, but waited for Kiyra on the other end.
Iago attacked with a speed that Kiyra could not match. She cried out as one of his rock-hard fists whammed into her face with the force of a runaway wagon. The force propelled her backwards through the window. She landed on her back on one of the planks and it started to slide off the roof.
If Tyrell hadn't grabbed Kiyra's arm, Kiyra would have broken her neck for sure. Even still, all Tyrell's help did was twist Kiyra around so that she wouldn't break her neck. She still slid off the roof, but she landed on her stomach, not her head. Tyrell also slid off, but he grabbed the edge of the one story roof and dropped onto his feet.
Kiyra's breath was knocked out completely. She couldn't inhale or exhale. Iago jumped from the roof with the grace of a cat. Drawing a knife, he advanced on Kiyra and she knew that she was going to die.
"Leave her be!" Tyrell shouted, swinging one of the planks at Iago. Iago avoided it easily and tugged one end of it. Tyrell stumbled forward, barely missing the end of Iago's knife.
Geoff and Cart ran out the inn, dodging Iago's henchmen. Geoff tackled Iago and twisted the knife around so that it pointed at Iago's chest. Tyrell rolled away and sat up. As Tyrell helped Kiyra away from the struggling men, drunk and rowdy men pored out of the Dove. They were all loyal to Iago.
Men that did not support the current Majesty pushed through the crowd. They also wanted to see that Iago's men did not interfere with the fight.
Geoff could have ended it right there with added pressure on the knife, but instead he sprung backwards. Iago also jumped up. Geoff drew his own knife and everyone present made a ring around the two, all strangely silent.
Kiyra could finally breathe again and Tyrell pulled her up. Wincing as her ribs shifted, Kiyra rested an arm on Emma's shoulder. Kiyra didn't dare take her eyes off Geoff and Iago to see what other picks were there.
Geoff and Iago circled each other, daggers raised at the ready. Kiyra threw a prayer to every god and goddess that she had ever heard of. Iago lunged and Geoff twisted. Iago cursed and Kiyra saw a stream of blood coming from his sword arm. No one, not even those who supported Geoff, cheered. They did not want to be singled out for ill treatment, if Iago killed Geoff.
Geoff feinted to the side and attacked at the other instead. Iago was waiting for him and slashed at his neck. Geoff leaned back just enough for the dagger to only cut the surface of his throat. Emma gasped and clung tighter to Kiyra's hand. Geoff moved his dagger so fast that Kiyra couldn't even follow it with her eyes.
After that one fatal cut, Geoff stood victoriously over Iago's corpse.
Kiyra cheered loudly, turning and hugging Emma with uncontrolled glee.
Rye, Tyrell, Finn and Lars ran towards Geoff to congratulate him. Merci and Wren shoved their way through the crowd over to Kiyra. Merci held Dann by the hand.
"Kiyra, you look awful!" Merci touched Kiyra's face lightly.
All of a sudden, the pain hit Kiyra so fierce that she almost screamed. With all the excitement, Kiyra hadn't noticed her face. Iago had punched her straight in the face. Kiyra knew that she hadn't broken any bones falling off the roof, but it still hurt. From the feel of it, Kiyra was black and blue already. Pushing the pain to the back of her mind, Kiyra ginned.
"No matter!" She yelled above the din. "We have to tell all of them in the Rogue!"
Later that night, every inn and bar in Corus was crowded and celebrating. Only a select few had enjoyed Iago's rule and those in the Rogue knew Geoff to be an upstanding young man. Looking around the Dove, Kiyra could see all of her young pick friends. Geoff stood amongst the crowd laughing and drinking a little. Kiyra usually didn't drink but tonight was different. Grabbing a beer from Randy, Kiyra pushed her way over to Geoff.
Upon seeing her, Geoff made a sad face at her. Kiyra stuck her tongue out at him. Both her eyes were blackened and her nose was swollen. Her cheekbones were bruised. Although the pain was only a dull ache now, Kiyra knew she looked a bit stupid.
"Hello, yer Majesty." Kiyra bowed, straightened, and took a swig of her beer. Geoff looked at her amused, with one eyebrow raised.
"You're drunk." He pointed out wryly.
"Never!" Kiyra protested, purposely slurring her words. She wasn't drunk, just a bit giddy. "I never get drunk."
Kiyra turned and saw the Baron George in a corner of the room. He was drinking with a stout, grey haired man that Kiyra knew as Myles. Myles was drunk already and the night was only half over. Kiyra grabbed another couple of beers and walked over to the table.
"What happened to you?" Myles slurred.
"Nothing much. You shouldn't be drinkin'." Kiyra said as she handed him a pint.
"It's mother's milk to me." Myles slurped from the mug.
"I thought you weren't to start any more fights." The Baron George motioned at her face. "What happened to you?"
"I fell backwards through a window and off the roof." Kiyra grinned proudly. George just shook his head, face resigned.
"Attention!" Kiyra turned to look at Geoff, just like everyone else. The whole room was quickly silenced. "I know that this is a time of celebration, but I just want to tell you that under my rule, things will be run as fairly as I can make them. There will be no more people scared to walk the streets at night for fear of being hurt. Also most importantly…" Geoff paused theatrically.
"Drinks are free tonight!"
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