Lynn Flewelling - The Oracle's Queen

There were chinks in the stonework where the roof beams met the wall. As his eyes adjusted he could make out Barieus crouched beside him, and the narrow confines of their cell. It was barely two arm spans wide.

They sat in silence for a while, trying to comprehend this sudden reversal of fortune.

“You don’t think Cal would really turn traitor?” Barieus asked at last.

“No.”

“Then why did he leave like that, without saying anything to you?”

“We’ve only got Niryn’s word that he did. More likely Niryn had him murdered. Damn him! I should have warned Cal.”

“Warn him about what?”

Lutha told him how they’d spied on Korin, and how he’d run into the man afterward. “Niryn probably knew all along. I should have guessed by the way he looked at me. Damn, I should have gone back to Caliel!”

They sat in silence again, glumly watching a thin ray of sunlight track down the wall.

At last they heard the bar being lifted, and daylight flooded the cell, making them blink. A guard tossed in their clothes. “Get dressed. King Korin has summoned you.”

They dressed hastily and were escorted to the hall. Korin sat on his throne, flanked by the two remaining Companions and Niryn’s wizards. Master Porion stood at his right hand today, and he held a long whip in his hand, the same sort that Tobin had been made to use on Ki.

Lutha drew himself up to attention, trying not to let his anger and fear show. He might be barefoot, with straw in his hair, but he was still a Royal Companion and a nobleman’s son.

“A complete search has been made for Caliel. He’s nowhere to be found,” Korin said. “What do you know of this?”

“Nothing, Majesty.”

“Don’t lie to me, Lutha. You’ll only make things worse for yourself.”

“Oh, so I’m a liar now, as well as a traitor?” Lutha snapped. “Is that all you think of me, Majesty?”

“Lutha!” Barieus murmured in alarm.

“Companion, you will address your liege with the proper respect!” Porion barked.

Quivering with outrage, Lutha shut his mouth and fixed his eyes on the floor.

“You will mind your tongue or lose it, my lord,” Niryn said. “Speak the truth, or I will compel you.”

“I always speak the truth!” Lutha retorted, not bothering to hide his disdain for the man.

“I’ve sent my best trackers after him,” Niryn told him. “Lord Caliel will be found and brought back very soon. You only do yourselves harm by lying for him. He’s gone over to Prince Tobin.”

Lutha ignored him. “On my honor as your Companion, Korin, Cal said nothing about leaving or going back to Ero, and we never planned to desert. I swear by the Flame.”

“As do I, Majesty,” said Barieus.

“Yet you admit to sympathizing with the false queen?” Niryn said.

“Sympathizing? I don’t know what you mean,” Lutha replied. Korin was still impassive on his throne, and the distrust in his eyes scared Lutha. “We only thought it was odd you wouldn’t let us go find out the truth about Tobin. But Cal never said anything about leaving! He’s as loyal to you as I am.”

“That may not count for much, Majesty,” Niryn sneered. “If you will allow me, I can soon give you the truth.”

Lutha’s heart sank as Korin nodded. Niryn stepped down from the dais and motioned to the men flanking Lutha. They grabbed his arms, holding him fast.

Niryn stood before him, and made no effort to hide his nasty, gloating smile. “This may hurt a bit, my lord, but it is your king’s will.”

He clasped Lutha under the chin with one cold hand and laid the other on top of his head, palm to Lutha’s brow. His touch made Lutha shudder, like having a snake crawl across your bare foot in the dark. He fixed his gaze on the wizard’s chest. The white robe was spotless, as always; Niryn smelled of candles and smoke and something sweet.

Lutha had nothing to hide. He concentrated on his loyalty to Korin until a bolt of searing pain obliterated all conscious thought. It felt like his head was being crushed and plunged into fire, all at once. He didn’t know if he was still on his feet or not, but felt like he was falling endlessly into a black pit. Despair swept aside pride; he wanted to cry, scream, beg Korin or even the wizard for this torture to end. But he was blinded and lost, his tongue numb in his mouth.

It went on and on, and just when he thought he would die from the pain, he found himself on his hands and knees in the stale rushes at Niryn’s feet, gasping for breath. His head throbbed horribly and his mouth tasted like bile.

Niryn was already gripping Barieus’ head in the same manner. Lutha watched helplessly as his friend stiffened and went white.

“Korin, please! Make him stop,” Lutha begged hoarsely.

Barieus let out a strangled whine. His eyes were open, but unseeing, and his fists were clenched so hard his knuckles showed white through his sun-browned skin. Niryn looked serene, as if he were healing the boy rather than tearing into his soul.

Lutha struggled unsteadily to his feet. “Let go of him! He doesn’t know anything.” He grabbed at the wizard’s arm, trying to stop him.

“Guards, restrain him,” Korin ordered.

Lutha was too weak to fight but he did anyway, struggling fruitlessly between the two guardsmen.

“Lord Lutha, don’t! There’s nothing you can do,” one of them warned.

Niryn released Barieus and the boy collapsed unconscious to the floor. The guards let go of Lutha and he fell to his knees beside him. Barieus’ eyes were tightly shut, but his face still bore a look of utter horror.

“They speak the truth regarding Lord Caliel, Your Majesty,” said Niryn. “They know nothing of his disappearance.”

Was that relief in Korin’s eyes? Lutha was weak with it himself, but it proved short-lived.

Niryn gave him a withering glance. “However, I do find in both of them a strong loyalty to Prince Tobin. I fear their love for him outweighs their loyalty to you, Majesty.”

“No, that’s not true!” Lutha cried, but even as he said it, he feared it might be true. “Please Korin, you must understand. He was our friend! He was your friend! We only wanted you to talk with him, as he asked—”

Korin’s eyes went hard again. “How do you know of that?”

“I—That is, Cal and I—” The words died on his lips.

“He admits to his spying, Majesty,” Niryn said, shaking his head. “And now Caliel has gone to Tobin, no doubt to give him all the particulars of your strength here.”

“No, Caliel wouldn’t,” Lutha said weakly, cringing under the hostile looks from Korin and the other Companions. He knew then that he was lost. He would never be allowed to stand with them again.

Barieus stirred and opened his eyes, then shivered as he saw Niryn standing over them.

Korin stood and advanced on them. “Lutha, son of Asandeus, and Barieus, son of Malel, you are cast out of the Companions and condemned as traitors.”

“Korin, please!”

Korin drew his dagger, his face harsh as winter. The guards held Lutha and Barieus tightly as Korin stepped down from the dais. He cut off their braids and cast them at their feet, then spat in both their faces.

“You are nothing to me, and nothing to Skala. Guards, take them back to their cell until I decide their sentence.”

“No, Niryn’s lying!” Lutha howled, struggling as the guards dragged him and Barieus away. “Korin, please, you have to listen to me. Niryn’s evil. He’s lying to you. Don’t believe him!”

He got no further before his head exploded with pain again and the world went black.

His head still hurt terribly when he came to, and for a moment he thought he’d been struck blind. He could feel that he was lying with his head in someone’s lap and heard the sound of Barieus’ soft weeping, but he couldn’t see a thing. As his mind cleared he recognized the smell of moldy hay and knew they were back in the cell. Looking up, he found the chinks in the wall, but the light was much fainter now.