Chapter 8 – Let the Games Begin
Kaide looked up, bored, at the ceiling, thinking that if it weren't for Blaire's risky actions several days earlier, she would be dead. Her left shoulder was wrapped in a thick barrage of crisp white cloth, covering the stitched wound where Katsa's dagger had hit it. Her right shoulder still felt sore when she had torn her muscles jumping out from Randa's castle, and Kaide knew it would be a few days before she gained full mobility of her right shoulder, but she definitely feeling a lot better. Of course, that mood would be banished instantly with the thought that she and Blaire would need to report on what happened in Randa's City.
"Damn Leck! Always ruining my mood," Kaide muttered, lifting herself wearily off the bed. Thankfully, Blaire wasn't awake to drag her along to Leck, so Kaide was content to look outside the window as the dawn rose. But it was inevitable that Blaire would come.
"Kaide!" Blaire yelled from behind Kaide's locked door.
"Coming!" Kaide muttered, exasperated, as she unlocked her door, and swung it open to see Blaire.
Blaire's smile faded slightly when she saw Kaide's expression. "If you really want to leave Leck, then I might go with you," she sighed, as Kaide followed her downstairs towards Leck's dining hall. "It's nice being with you."
It was a scene that Kaide felt was so repetitive – being woken up by Blaire, dragged down (in a sense) to see and report to Leck, get into a row with Leck, and leave even crankier than ever. It was a routine that Kaide was absolutely sick of following.
"Kaide, you have recovered. Good to see you alive," Leck greeting, sounded anything but pleased to see Kaide. For once, Kaide couldn't be bothered to muster the energy to reply.
"From Kaide's injury, and your lack of a parcel, I believe your mission failed?" Leck asked Blaire, smiling, but Kaide couldn't help feel as if something was amiss. Leck was acting a little too cheerful in her opinion.
"Yes, my King. It was very complicated. The Lady Katsa, Randa's pet assassin, actually has a heart and formed something called the Council, which performs deeds around the seven kingdoms. Tealiff's rescue was one of them. Seeing that Tealiff was guarded by basically half of Randa's advisors, he was untouchable."
"I see," Leck replied, motioning for Blaire to continue. "What happened next? Something must have happened after you found out that you couldn't get Tealiff?"
"Katsa found Kaide," Blaire whispered. "Katsa was trying to kill Kaide, and Kaide was trying to get out. Even now, in the Middluns, I bet that Randa may be trying to figure out why some ladies of your court burnt down his stables."
"You did WHAT?" Leck yelled, his voice echoing around the dining hall. Kaide winced, and resisted the urge to cover her ears. They were ringing.
"YOU BURNT DOWN THE STABLES AT KING RANDA'S CASTLE? ARE YOU TRYING TO CAUSE TROUBLE, YOU INGRATES?" Leck yelled in an utter fury, glass shattering under the combined force of his voice, and his Grace. The true effect of Leck's shout was revealed as Kaide screamed, clutching her ears tightly. Even from a distance, Leck could see the blood that dripped down out of Kaide's ears.
"I'm...go..ing..," Kaide said, in an attempt to shout, but failing as her burst eardrum accentuated any sound she heard, making Kaide speak quieter than she normally would've. Wobbly, Kaide managed to topple out of the dining hall, unbalanced and unsteady as Leck watched with satisfaction, yet still filled with anger.
Kaide stumbled into the first place that she felt would help relieve the pain in her ears – the infirmary. True, everyone here was under Leck's Grace, but as far as Kaide was concerned, Leck had never given the order for the workers in the infirmary not to heal her. So Kaide walked up towards a healer she knew was Graced and pointed to her ear.
"Again?" the healer mumbled, pulling Kaide to a bed. Kaide nodded as she got the gist of the message. If it weren't for the enhanced healing provided by her Grace, Kaide would be screwed indeed. Kaide knew that she would be out of action for a few days, but she would be fine in about a week.
Kaide sat patiently as the healer gave her a small clay cup filled with a steaming concoction that promoted fast healing. There was also a pain killer in the liquid, to help relieve the throbbing pain in Kaide's right ear. The healer finished the process by grabbing a roll of white bandages, and picking out a few herbal leaves from several open drawers, wrapped the bandage and herbal leaves around Kaide's head, covering her ears.
"You're done." The healer tapped Kaide's arm to attract her attention. Kaide nodded, smiled, and walked slowly out of the infirmary. Kaide found it immensely irritating that balance was affected by hearing, and because one of her eardrums was burst, she had a tendency to lean to the left.
Kaide struggled to find her hidden alcove and climb the stairs. If it weren't for the fact that the staircase was narrow and had handrails, Kaide would've given up climbing the stairs in the first place. It was her hatred and anger at Leck that gave her the will to go and seek Bitterblue and Ashen.
Kaide hated royalty, but she hated Leck more. Therefore aiding Ashen and Bitterblue, still holed up in their rooms, was a good move. This time, Kaide didn't bring a bag with her, but with her new balance problems, it would've been out of the question.
"Ashen?" Kaide whispered softly, wincing as the word com out weirdly from her mouth. There was silence for several seconds before there was a reply.
"Kaide? You're back," Ashen stated, her voice clearly heard through the door.
"My eardrum..." Kaide whispered. "Leck is distracted. You should flee."
"Flee? This is the first time that you haven't offered to help us," Ashen replied, curious.
"I can't, not in this state," Kaide replied, meaning her burst eardrum. "Get out of here. There won't be any future for you here as long as you resist Leck."
Ashen was silent for several seconds. "It may be a good idea. I should get back to Lienid. I need to find out what happened to my father."
Kaide nodded, despite the fact that Ashen could not see her. "I want to leave as well."
"Really?" Ashen asked, curious.
"Leck wants me dead, but I have nowhere to go," Kaide replied, sliding down the door.
"My Queen," a voice announced, walking smoothly down the corridor. Kaide jumped at the sound of the voice, startled, as Leck walked down the corridor.
Kaide dived into a dark staircase opposite Ashen's room as Leck came charging forward, voice laced with the power of his Grace.
"Ashen, my dear wife, my heart aches for you. Please, please come out," Leck said pleadingly with love laced in his voice. The manner in which Leck could act sickened Kaide. She was surprised that Ashen could withstand this constant attack of Leck's Grace, a miracle that they could withstand him. For the first time ever, Kaide felt her respect rise for a noble.
"And, my darling Bitterblue. How I long to wrap my arms around you. Will you come out?"
Kaide heard Bitterblue choke for a moment, as she talked with Ashen, confused about what the truth was. Finally, Bitterblue announced, voice muffled by the door, "You are no daddy of mine. You're evil."
Kaide watched as the smile faded from Leck's face. "Then I'll make you come out. Remember, I have your father in my dungeons. I'll kill him if you don't get out of your room."
Ashen replied, her voice weak with fatigue. "You liar. You do not have my father. I will only believe if I see him with my own eyes."
Leck's voice was reduced to a dangerous whisper. "You will see him, alright, as I torture and kill him before your eyes." Leck's voice changed, laced with the dangerous softness of his Grace. "My wife, my sweet child, I wait for your sweet presence."
Leck turned away and left, followed by his elite Graced guards. Kaide stayed in the staircase for several tense minutes, her heart pounding, before stumbling over to Ashen's room.
"You must go. He may not have Tealiff, nor will he ever get him, but he will get you. Flee," Kaide hissed with urgency. "Flee."
Kaide left without waiting for a response, managing to walk normally to the staircase before descending to her room a floor below.
The urge for rest overcame Kaide as she returned to her room. She lay on her back, her head throbbing. A stray thought flew around her head. What am I going to do? Kaide thought darkly, as she fell asleep.
Ten years ago, Suncliff, Sunder
Kaide felt weird. Everything around her was so...Kaide thought for several seconds before the word came to her mind. Clean. That was it. The room that she had been taken to after she pushed that noble girl, Blaire, out of the way of that crazed horse was clean. Kaide had never been able to know what clean was in her short, miserable existence.
Blaire sat, uncomfortable in a plush chair opposite Kaide. Apart from being covered in dirt and grime, Blaire was unhurt, while Kaide could still feel the pain radiating from her ribs. A few cracked ribs, Kaide thought forlornly. And what had happened to Damon?
The door to the room slammed open, and a middle aged couple walked in, draped in exquisite clothing. Kaide had to keep her face blank as disgust at the richly dressed nobles rose within her.
"So..." the female noble said, staring directly at Kaide and making her squirm. However, Kaide continued to stare back at the noble, determined not to lose to those selfish upper class people who didn't care about others apart from themselves.
The noble sneered and looked at Blaire, whose eyes flittered away nervously.
"So..." she began in the same condescending tone."You decided to ruin our entrance to Suncliff by losing control of your horse and picking up this filthy scum!" Kaide flinched as the noble pointed her finger at her, voice angry.
"No..." Blaire whispered. "It was the horse. It lost control...I promise, Mummy, I won't do it again!"
The noble slapped Blaire as Kaide watched in shock. She wanted to leave, to find Damon, and do anything but stay in this room with this tyrannical mother.
"Your horse tutor told me that you do not pay attention in class, Blaire. As a punishment for this embarrassing incident, where you had the gall to embarrass our entire family in front of our king, you will spend the night in the dungeons." Blaire yet out a cry of terror. Any sympathy that Kaide felt was gone. This Blaire was a snivelling, spoilt noble. It was why she hated them all. But a small corner of Kaide's heart longed to reach out to the girl, to hug her and wipe her tears of terror away.
"And, why did you bring this disgusting scum to our lodgings!" Kaide's temper flared, and before she could control it, she shouted back "I'm not scum! You are!"
The silence was deadly. "You, a homeless street rat, dare to speak to me in this manner?" The noble beside her looked nervous, as Blaire covered her eyes.
"Yes! You're a selfish bitch. All nobles are! All you care about is yourself! I'm leaving," Kaide shouted. Kaide made sure to leave as much dirt behind on her seat as she could, before storming out. However, the male noble who had stood silently as his wife yelled at her daughter acted. He threw a swift punch at Kaide's head, who reacted to block it instinctively but not quickly enough. Kaide crumpled lifelessly to the floor, as the man drew his sword.
"NO!" Blaire screamed, crying loudly. "DON'T KILL HER! MUMMY!" Tears dripped down Blaire's face as her father moved to behead Kaide. Suddenly, Blaire's mum held out her hand, stopping her husband from swinging the downward stroke. Blaire was struck silent in shock.
"I was thinking," Blaire's mother said, amused. "If little Blaire cares about this street scum so much, why don't we give Blaire the responsibility for her life? If, you, Blaire, work hard to improve your standing as our heir, the girl lives. The moment you fail, 'Daddy' will kill this young scum in front of you. Do we have a deal, Blaire?"
Kaide couldn't move. She was still stunned by the powerful blow to her head. She felt as if she were unconscious, but could still hear.
"She saved my life," Blaire whispered. "I'll save hers."
Her mother smirked as Blaire stood up. "Firstly, then, you'll need to face your punishment like a true noble."
Blaire's father grabbed Blaire's hand tightly with one hand and Kaide's limp arm with another. Blaire walked silently as her father led her to the dark, stinky dungeon, dragging Kaide along the stone floor.
By the time Kaide managed to muster the energy to wake up and open her eyes, her back was on fire, her surroundings stank even more than the slums where she lived in, and the noble girl that had bought her into this situation was in the same cell as her. In that moment, Kaide hated her with every fibre of her being.
"Not real," Kaide panted as she jolted awake, sweat dripping down her face. "Not real." Kaide held her head in her hands as images of the dream swirled around. Just as Kaide thought that she had finally repressed her memories, they came back, brighter and more painful than ever. That memory was a painful one, one that added to her hatred of nobles. It had taken over two years for Blaire to soften her hatred towards her, but Kaide longed for the day she could kill Blaire's parents. She hated them.
"Kaide! Kaide!" Blaire came bursting through Kaide's unlocked door.
"What?" Kaide mumbled, ears feeling better, but her head hurting even worse.
"It's an emergency! Leck is – " Blaire thought for several seconds as she struggled to come up with a word to describe Leck. "Indescribable. He's so furious he could burn the castle down with his temper."
"Blaire, what?" Kaide replied impatiently, although she had a good idea of what happened.
"Queen Ashen and Princess Bitterblue! They escaped from their room about half an hour ago, and Leck is livid," Blaire replied, looking worried.
Another chapter finished! From the next chapter onwards, this story is going to get a lot more interesting, because the real action begins! (yay!). Of course, with my exams coming up and the need to study will reduce my typing time, but I will update when I can. Please, please review!