The King's Daughters (10 page)

I peeked at Diego. The more I learned about this man the less I trusted him.

"Amir, you are one of the few people in the room who can leave this place," Diego grumbled. "You're a freeman . . . and so are they actually."

I followed Diego's gaze to the two barbarian warriors entering the room.

Closing the gap between us, Diego leaned toward my ear. When he spoke his voice was barely above a murmur. "Although the king has problems maintaining the Sorvinkian Empire whole, the Farrell rebellion is far from being his biggest worry.
They
are his main headache now."

"Who are they?"

"Emissaries from the warring empire of the east. These two arrived six months ago, supposedly to learn our culture."

"Have they?"

Diego shrugged. "Hard to say—they don't speak Sorvinkian, or any other civilized language I know for that matter."

These warriors really intrigued me, so I pummeled Diego with questions: What were their names? What was this empire like? To name but a few. Sadly, he couldn't answer any of my questions. Because of the language barrier, Diego had long ago abandoned all attempts to converse with the emissaries, and he couldn't recall having heard their names either.

"Maybe once, at their formal introduction. That was a while ago," said Diego after much head scratching. Then he added that the bulk of his knowledge was made up of secondhand accounts and rumors, which, in his opinion, no sensible man should take too seriously. That last bit of advice took me aback; I thought this dandy would fancy gossip. Nothing this prince did or said was as I expected. I didn't care for the unexpected. More often than not, it turned out to be unpleasant.

Later that evening, I bid Diego goodnight and left for my room, but only after having promised him to return the next day for more dance lessons. And, of course, he made me promise to bring my
beautiful valet
with me. Needless to say, neither of us looked forward to dancing with Diego again.

Even though I had spent the previous day practicing dances with Diego, and all of today dancing with Milo in my rooms, I still felt ill prepared and nervous when I entered the ballroom. I stopped in the entrance in awe at the magnificence of this immense space. The glossy russet marble floor resembled a giant sheet of amber. The gilded decorations embellishing the walls were set ablaze by the light of hundreds of candles coming from the majestic ceiling chandeliers. The entire room resembled an opened treasure chest. And the ladies, in their vibrant-colored gowns, looked like floating jewels amidst all this gold.

I was glad to have chosen an ensemble of shiny gray silk with silver trim. (I would not dare wear pale colors in this company again.) Also, this dark shade had a dignified quality that should please the king. With this in mind, I made my way to the center of the room in search of familiar faces.

"Amir," a voice blew at my back.

I turned. Eva stood in front of me in a stunning lilac satin gown. The low-cut garment exposed her shoulders and a hint of cleavage. Under this light her creamy, flawless skin glowed like mother-of-pearl. She was so beautiful, it took my breath away. I particularly loved the way her blond ringlets dangled all around her cheeks and along her long gracious neck.

"Where were you these last days?" I said, careful not to let my resentment at being left alone for so long seep into my voice. This wasn't the time or the place to quarrel.

"With Mother. Her health is so fragile. And because of Aurora's disappearance, she wanted me to stay close to her. She wouldn't let me leave. I'm sorry for not giving you more news, Amir. However, you must understand that my family's needs come first. And they need me now. Please, don't ask me to choose between you and them. I beg of you, don't put me in that difficult position." There was a clear warning in her tone. It made me uneasy.

"Eva, you know I would never do such a thing," I said with a smile, even though the thought of being second in her heart displeased me. "You've been months without seeing them. I know how hard that was for you. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

She expelled a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you understand my situation. The last few days have been difficult for me . . . as it was for you." Eva took one of my hands into hers and squeezed it hard.

I winced. The strength of Eva's grip always came as a shock to me, even though I had experienced its power often.

"I apologize for my father's rudeness. The man has less manners than his hounds."

I was about to reassure her, and tell her that I wasn't offended, at least not overly so, when she added, "Honestly, it wasn't entirely my father's fault. What made you bring those horrible gifts along? None could have been more inappropriate." She sighed. "If only you had asked me for my advice, this disastrous episode could've been avoided."

"Eva! I didn't come here with the goal of insulting you father. You know this."

An awkward silence settled between us. I felt Eva's grip on my hand loosening, then I noticed the brilliance of her eyes, the sudden pallor of her cheeks, and the slight quivering of her lower lip.

"Don't cry," I begged. "I'm not angry at you. I swear. Please, tell me what's wrong."

She shook her head, sending ringlets bouncing all around her face. "There's nothing you can do."

"Tell me regardless."

"It's Aurora's kidnapping. Farrell denies having committed this act . . . and . . . and . . . Oh Amir, it's killing Mother and driving Father mad with worry." Eva let out a long hesitant breath. Raising her face, she stared silently at the ceiling for a moment. When she finally looked at me again all trace of tears was gone from her eyes.

My strong princess, I thought, too strong to cry. "Perhaps I can help," I suggested.

"How?"

"Well, there are some strange events happening in this castle. Something's roaming the corridors killing people. Some say it's a ghoul. Who knows, maybe those events are linked to your sister's disappearance."

By the polite look Eva was giving me, I could tell that she didn't put much weight in what I had just said, and truthfully, neither did I. I was mainly trying to console her.

"I doubt the ghoul or the castle's ghosts played any role in this, Amir. There are no efreets here. No jinn. No sorcerers, no spells."

At the mention of efreet my stomach twisted in a painful knot. I nodded. She was right. There was no efreets or jinni in Sorvinka, no magic either. This was all part of the past, and I was determined that that was where it would stay—in the past. The knot in my stomach undid itself. A thought then came to my mind. "You know, Eva, whoever kidnapped your sister might have left some clues behind. Do you think your father would permit me to visit your sister's room? Maybe I could find something."

Eva's eyes lit up. "Oh yes, Amir. I'm sure he will." Leaning against me, she whispered, "If you can help us find Aurora, Father will be eternally grateful to you. I'm sure you could ask him for anything you want and he wouldn't refuse."

My heart soared. I knew what I would ask the king for. Seizing Eva's hands, I brought them to my lips and kissed them both. "Would he allow me to marry you?"

"Yes, he would."

"Then I must begin looking for clues immediately."

"No. Later."

Music began playing in the room; I recognized the light rhythmic melody of the volka.

Eva slipped an arm under mine. "Now, we will dance."

We joined the three other pairs of dancers in the center of the room. Volka was always danced with four pairs. One pair was made up of a rather miserable looking Diego and Thalia. The princess was literally heaving with delight. The twin princesses and their partners formed the other pairs. Olga danced with Lars and Mesa with another young nobleman.

To my relief, I remembered the steps. I bowed at the right time, twirled without falling, and pivoted in the right direction. I did stumble once though—but caught myself immediately—and that misstep was caused by the two barbarian warriors. Their sudden apparition near our dancing circle had caught me completely off guard. Quite frankly, it was the piercing looks they were giving the twin princesses that startled me so. The manner in which they were staring at those girls, as if they could see something I could not, made me uneasy, very uneasy. Once more I felt my stomach knotting itself.

Finally, the dance ended. The entire court applauded. I bowed, as one must in such circumstances. When I rose I searched the crowd for the warriors. They were gone. Yet the foreboding feeling they had planted in me remained anchored in the pit of my stomach. These two were up to something—I was sure of it.

* * *

"AAAHHH!"

Upon hearing the uproar, I rushed out of my apartment. A thick fog choked the corridor. It was so dense I couldn't see past my own feet. Walking with my hands in front of me like a blind man, I stumbled toward my brother's rooms. "Jafer!" I called. "Jafer, where are you? I can't see anything."

"Amir, open your eyes, my brother," Jafer said in a tone of urgency.

I turned in the direction of his voice. In two steps I was at Jafer's door. I could see his shadow moving behind his peephole.

"Open your eyes, brother," Jafer said just before his shadow vanished from my sight.

"Jafer!"

AAAHHH!" echoed from his room.

"Hang on, Jafer! I'm coming in." I rammed the door with my shoulder as hard as I could. Once. Twice. On my third attempt the door broke down. I burst into Jafer's room and inexplicably found myself knee-deep in the snow outside the castle. I looked down in shock. The snow around me was red with blood. Oh lord, there was blood everywhere—everywhere.

I sat straight up in my bed, gasping. "Jafer. . . . " For a moment I believed I was home, in my tower, with my brothers, Mir and Jafer, warning me against danger. But when I looked around I realized that this wasn't my tower, nor was it my home. This was not Telfar, and my brothers were still dead.

"My lord! My lord!" Milo's alarmed voice called from behind the bedroom door.

"Yes. Come in."

Milo opened the door, yet stayed in its frame. "My lord, something terrible is happening. I think we're under attack."

I was out of my bed in a heartbeat, fully dressed in two, and at the main door to my rooms shortly after that.

"Stay here," I told Milo. Then, sword in hand, I left the safety of my rooms. Once in the corridor I joined the gathering of guards I could see at the junction.

"What's happening?" I asked.

"We're under attack, Your Highness."

"By whom?"

"Err. . . . " The guard stared at his companions. They all either shrugged or shook their heads in ignorance. Having found no help among his friends, the guard then ventured with some hesitation. "Farrellian? We were told to secure this section of the castle. That's all I know."

A scream of agony echoed in the distance. Without a doubt, it originated from the other end of the castle: the royal wing.

"Eva!" I breathed, and ran in the direction of the scream. When I burst out of the old wing's corridor, I collided with the captain of the guard. The man was in a state of panic, and it was pure luck that he didn't stab me with his sword right then and there.

"Back to your room!" he roared in my face; then catching himself, he added, "Please, Your Highness, for your own safety."

"Damn my safety! What's happening? Tell me!"

"Invaders are running through the castle killing men. So far they've slaughtered at least a dozen."

A bloodcurdling scream pierced the air a short distance from were we stood. At once we all ran toward it.

"In the courtyard," shouted the man at the front of our group. Within moments, we were outside in the cold dawn hours, staring down at the fuming, gutted corpses of the two guards in charge of the gate.

I approached the bodies. A powerful stench of feces, urine, and blood poisoned the air around the remains. Clutching a hand over my nose, I fought back nausea. After some deep breathing, my stomach settled down and I was able to study the corpses without fear of vomiting on them. Both men's throats had been slashed and their bellies ripped open. In spite of what I had said about leaving magic in the past, I found myself extending a hand above the bodies, seeking that familiar tingling feeling. I couldn't tell if it was there or not. My fingers were too numb by the cold to feel anything.
Maybe I've imagined it all. Maybe I've never felt magic here in the first place.
Baffled, I stared at the corpses; they were in such a horrid condition.
That must be it. Magic isn't this messy
.

I turned to the captain of the guard who stood just behind me. "What sort of invader would do something like this? This is the work of wild beasts."

"Impossible! That cannot be," argued the captain.

Kneeling beside one of the corpses, I motioned for him to do the same.

He obeyed, but reluctantly.

"See those four parallel slashes across this man's throat. Those were not made with a sword, but with claws. Look how ragged their edges are. Look at this poor fellow's belly. Tell me, in your opinion, what sort of weapon would do such savage tearing?"

The captain stayed mute for a while, and although his eyes were wide open, I thought the man was refusing to see the truth. "Still," he finally began, "how could beasts roam the castle? That doesn't make sense. Why would they be doing this?"

I scratched my head. "Hounds and even wolves can be trained to do one's biddings. Someone could have introduced them inside the castle."

"Why?"

"Right—why? Why would anyone do such a thing? What's the use of all these senseless and brutal murders? It's—" Then the reason hit me like an anvil. I stood up. "To make a diversion, that's why!"

"A diversion?" repeated the captain.

"Yes! Have we not all chased these beasts here? Now, right now, are we not all staring at these corpses while . . . " I turned to the castle. "While Lord knows what is going on inside."

"The king!" exclaimed the captain.

Without further discussion, the entire group dashed back to the castle. Once inside its walls, we followed a bloody trail of corpses leading back to the royal wing's entrance.