"Legends of Caranor: Chapter 4" by Maleah Schmitke

Chapter Four

Sella

            The prisoners were lead out of the hall again as each was presented. The smallest and strangest of them all as lead back out without the Empress-heir presiding. The mutters and whispers continued as the courtiers asked questions and expressed their astonishment and disgust at Her Eminence’s lack of restraint demonstrated by her sudden and dramatic exit. Sella was silent as was her husband as they watched the small creature, which the Holy Keepers would have all believe was a demon, was removed from the hall. Though the Menni trusted these creatures no more than the people of the Empire, Sella was not prepared to call them demons. Despite this little one’s look of calm and apparent defiance, Sella had been close enough to see the child’s fear, the struggle to hold in tears, the sign of bearing a mantle so that enemies would not think her weak and close like hounds to blood. Perhaps the Empress-heir too had seen these very small signs. 

If the Heir shared any of the feelings Sella harboured now it was no wonder that she had fled the hall. Sella was no more a fool than the woman she supposedly served. She was aware of what happened to many of the prisoners brought to Caria, what would happen to that child. Slavery would be her fate. To become the possession of some lord or lady of the Empire who saw only a demon or animal in her and treated her as such. For a creature just beginning her life, it was a cruel fate. If she was lucky they may let her keep her tongue. Sella shuddered. Perhaps…but would the young Empress hear her petition? If she could convince the young Heir to send the little one to her…well at least she’d make sure she didn’t suffer. Perhaps she’d be able to get her back to her people whether they were a vicious breed or not. Even a wolf pup was returned to its pack if it were possible. At least this was true on her lands. She did not like to see creatures suffer needlessly.

Her husband glanced down at her, she saw the minute gesture from the corner of her eye.

“What are you planning, Sel?” he asked in a lowered voice. It was barely more than a whisper. Court was not always a safe place, especially to talk of plans and schemes. Sella cast a glance at her husband. He was warm skinned and dark haired with the slanted eyes of all people of the Empire. She met his golden-hazel eyes with her own pale grey ones.

“Plan? I don’t plan anything, dear husband. Why would you think such a thing of me?” She saw the hint of a smile touch his lips. She struggled to keep her own face straight. She felt his hand run up her back and then pause to play with a loose tendril of her golden-red hair. He leaned somewhat closer and spoke in her ear.

“I know you all to well my clever wife. What have you growing in your mind this time?”

“Your Grace,” she murmured, fighting now to keep a grin off her face, “there’s nothing at all. I was only thinking of the concerns of our estate. Do you think we could use a few new servants?” She turned her head to look at him. His gaze was appraising. He knew what she was referring to.

“You may be right, my dear. I will see what I can arrange before we must return home.” She did smile now.

“I appreciate it,” she said.

It had been fortunate that she had met Alindros. He was a lord of the Empire, a marquis, but he was also one of those sympathetic to Caranor and Her people. He knew of Sella’s family’s secret duty. He knew that from the beginning of the Empire’s dominion over this land that Sella’s family had dwelled within the Empire, seeming to be vassals but in fact using their position to seek weaknesses within the Empire and its rule. They hoped that eventually they would find a large enough chink to finally bring the Empire down and restore the original ways. He had no wish to see people who were his friends fall in a war, but it was possible, he thought, that through the activities of those Menni like Sella a peaceful solution might be found. Not everyone of the Empire shared the views of the Empress-heir, the Regent and the Holy Keepers. If a peaceful solution could be found he would do what he could to aid his wife.

It was a relief to her and her family that she had such an ally and had made such a good marriage. She had long been fond of Alindros from their first meeting, but learning to trust him as a Sarian and noble of the Empire hadn’t been easy for her. Their courtship had been stormy at best, fraught with disagreements and misunderstandings. It was well that they had finally found common ground or they would never have made it to this moment, standing in the Great Chamber considering taking on ‘new servants’ which would, of course, more than likely ‘disappear’ later from under their very noses without a trace.

Another of the courtiers edged closer to murmur to Sella

“I never would have believed it had I not seen one for myself,” the lady said in a voice so low it sounded almost like a hiss. Sella cast a side long glance at her. Sarian, there was no mistake with that dark hair and skin, “I thought until now the Keepers only sought more funds to fight their bloody holy war, but there are demons indeed.” Sella frowned

“Wings and scales do not a demon make,” she replied softly, “if it was so there would be many creatures loved by the Blood that would also be condemned by the Keepers.” The courtier looked aghast and then chuckled

“And so what would you call them in your part of the Empire, Ladyship?” she asked. There was a slight mocking note in her voice.

“We wouldn’t call them anything. We don’t have those kinds of creatures. We’re in the low lands.” The courtier, a baroness perhaps, chuckled knowingly.

“Ladyship, I do not doubt the Keepers’ knowledge. I shall let them deal with this abhorrent menace and quibble no more with you.” Sella offered a smile and then turned back to her husband. She cast him a meaningful look. He nodded in reply. Care would have to be taken.

__________

El’lissenda

            A light rap on the door interrupted the Heir’s reverie. She found her mind turned quickly back to the small prisoner even though she had not stayed to see her taken away again. She placed her hair brush back on her vanity table.

“Come,” she called as she tried not to sound peevish. The door opened slightly and closed again softly. El’lissenda looked past her reflection in the mirror to that of the woman standing at the door.

“It is an honour to have you come, Wisdom,” she said.

“No formalities, please, cousin,” the woman replied, “Will you hear me?”

“You wish to speak?”

“At the pleasure of Her Beneficence.” El’lissenda smiled and turned slightly to look over her shoulder.

“What has Adrella, Keeper of the Flame of Truth, wish to tell me?” she asked. Though the woman had asked for no formalities she had still continued them and they would continue until one of them dropped them fully.

“I wish more than to tell you something, my young Empress,” she said.

“Oh?” Adrella took a seat that El’lissenda indicated and smoothed her simply cut dress. It had no need to be elaborate, however, because the way it was woven made it seem to shimmer and dance just as a flame did.

“My lady, cousin, my sister is gravely concerned about what occurred in the hall today.” El’lissenda’s eyebrows rose slightly. Of course the Holy Flame’s Keeper had been present as well. She was easily forgotten, however, with her quiet and unobtrusive nature.

“Yes, she has already made that quite clear. There is no reason for her to send you here as well Keeper Adrella.”

“She didn’t,” Adrella replied, “I wanted to speak with you myself. People are talking already, lady.”

“Let them,” muttered El’lissenda, turning back to her mirror and taking up her brush again.

“Offence may be taken, my lady. You are Empress-heir, but it does not do to upset these people who pay tribute to you.” El’lissenda shrugged. For some reason it gave her a mild pleasure to do something that Ver’issa frowned on so much.

“Maybe not, but I must be made some allowances. I found myself suddenly feeling ill. I thought I might be sick. Wouldn’t being sick in the Great Chamber offend the courtiers more?” Adrella frowned and through her mirror El’lissenda saw the appraising look the Flame’s Keeper gave her.

“May I hazard a guess as to what brought on this ill feeling?” At meeting only silence Adrella continued, “You must be careful in whom and, more importantly, what you show your sympathy, Eminence. That creature was young, it is true, but these creatures are born void of innocence. They are dangerous, my lady. Don’t be concerning yourself with them.” The Heir paused with her brush still caught up in her long dark hair and glanced at Adrella again in her mirror.

“How do you know this for sure? That little one didn’t seem ready to lunge for my throat.”

“The Keepers can easily recognise demons, Eminence. She and all her kind have been declared unclean by the Orders.”

“Ah,” El’lissenda resumed brushing her hair, “and what do you think, cousin?”

“What do I think?”

“Yes, Adrella. Don’t tell me that presiding over the Order of the Flame has taken away your ability to think for yourself.”

“The Orders…”

“I didn’t ask for the opinions of the Orders. I asked what you thought.” She knew Adrella had her own ideas. She voiced them often enough when she thought it would benefit others. She only hesitated now because she didn’t want to encourage her Empress-heir’s compassion for creatures that had been pronounced damned by the Keepers. El’lissenda knew this but she didn’t let on that she could read her cousin so easily.

“Eminence,” Adrella finally began after a brief hesitation. El’lissenda knew the older woman was picking her words very carefully, “demons or not these creatures have made it clear time and again that they are a danger. They attack mercilessly. Males and females alike are vicious killers. None of our people are safe from them. They have made it clear that they care nothing for law or mercy. They attack women and children as readily as men. Even their offspring bare weapons. Eminence, whether I believe they are Demonic in nature or not, it doesn’t matter. People are suffering because of them.”

“And I wonder what kind of suffering they’ve faced to make them so vicious,” El’lissenda muttered.

“Eminence?” By her expression, El’lissenda judged that she had lost Adrella this time.

“A dog doesn’t bare its teeth at a stranger for no reason. It does because it’s been ill treated and taught to do so.  A dog attacks when it thinks it is threatened. Do you really think that these creatures attack without reasons of their own?”

“It has seemed that way,” Adrella replied, “Listen to me. These creatures are wicked. I have seen the evidence for myself. I have seen their handy work. They’re swift to attack and savage when they do. The slaughter that results at their hands is horrifying. Their offspring are as vicious as the full grown. Don’t worry about them, Eminence, they don’t deserve such compassion, not from you. Feelings like those only hinder the necessary outcome. They must be brought to bay. Even the Menni fear them. It is probably the one thing we and they agree on. That little one will be tamed and put into service. She will perhaps even find Faith. Is that not better than a life of violence and wickedness?” El’lissenda didn’t reply. For some reason most of what Adrella said rang false, not because she lied, but because the young Heir didn’t believe that the Keeper of the Flame herself believed her own words. Though the little one had appeared fearless and defiant, there was something that told El’lissenda that it had been a mask. The way she held herself? Her tension? Her expression? No, it was something else…something in those cobalt cat-eyes. Behind her mantle of calm and fearlessness had been a child struggling not to wail for her mother. The way she had pulled back from El’lissenda had been what had given her away. The mask had slipped just a little and only for a moment allowing El’lissenda a slight momentary glimpse of what lay underneath. Ver’issa, Adrella and the Keepers were wrong. That child had to be returned to her people, vicious or not.