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Stevane
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The Kommissar brings the horse to a halt, yanking the reins. Thelea Xaillyndesse does the same almost simultaneously. I try not to fall off. Hoofbeats are ringing through my ears in the loudest silence I've ever experienced. Are we there yet? Did we get to Lyiannethe that fast?
Thelea brings her horse up beside the Kommissar's, giving me a chance to look my brother in the eye for the first time since we left Radia. He lets his gaze linger long enough to establish that I'm okay, then looks away to the huge building that's not too far off on the horizon. In a few moments I recognize the Aurocan Palace. I've seen enough illustrations of it to know it when I see it. It just took a moment to register, since several prominent features of its structure are now in rubble. Overall it still looks intact, but it's going to take more than a coat of paint to fix that. Lyric looks like he's in shock.
"No great loss," says the Kommissar, "though I suppose you'll want a few of your son's things? It won't take my men much longer to gain control, but I would advise a wait."
Thelea shrugs. "However long it takes. What I want that I haven't taken yet shall keep for a time. There are more urgent matters, and I always favored the Lyiannethe Manor to this gaudy little display of my son's claim of independence. I only came to see that our cargo has deployed."
The Kommissar nods. "The wagons will take longer to arrive than we will, but considering how the Arachne-kin packed your possessions, I doubt that will be a problem for you."
She answers only with a predator's grin. Arachne-kin? I hope I don't have to see any. I hear they're creepy. Are there going to be any where we're going? I don't really want to think about where we're going. We're already so far away. How did Lyric ever travel as much as he did? As much as he said he was scared at times... well, he sure seems brave right now. Thelea's gaze turns to me. The air around me turns frosty and I try not to exist for awhile. "Any more trouble from the Akribastes girl?"
"None, now that she's been schooled on proper behavior. Though I still can't go on uncomplaining. Your attendant sits his horse well. He could teach her some lessons."
She barks out a laugh. "You'll survive. It won't be but a blink of an eye till we're in Lyiannethe, and then she won't be your problem anymore." Her face bitters at the last part, and then she's gone. She's turned her horse about and is racing off into the distance.
The Kommissar leans down and speaks into my ear, his voice low. "You keep in mind what we agreed to, girl. Understand?" He waits for my nod, then kicks the horse forward once more. The Aurocan Palace is just a memory now, the land rushing by so fast that there's nothing I can make out in the blur.
* * *
Thelea barely exaggerated how short the journey would be. I only manage to take three breaths before we've arrived in front of another very large building. It's built lower and more spread-out than the Aurocan Palace, with less domes and more pillars. It looks like a giant manor house, which it actually is. This one I recognize as well, though fewer illustrations exist of it. Jhe h'Lete makes sure that all Poets have a good knowledge of Audiva Rocale's more prominent locations, just in case we have to write about them. Sometimes that's the only way they find out what goes on over the border. The Armed don't venture this far for training - Lyiannethe is far north and well-fortified. It's where they keep all the bigwigs that aren't the Peacock King.
What I think when I see the place, though, is that it's not all that nice. Why would anyone stay here? It's all dark and foggy, and the air is so clammy it sticks to you. It feels like something's crawling on my skin, and I keep hearing snatches of voices that are cut off before I can pick up what they're saying. The grass is thick, reaching up high on the horsies' legs.
What's surprising about the Lyiannethe Manor is that it has no additional walls built around it in defense. There's a forest around it, which we're approaching now, but that looks like it stops before the moat that surrounds the Manor, and then there's sparse ground cover before the Manor's walls cut off the landscape. When we enter the forest, though, I stop wondering about it. The trees are moving and that takes up all my attention. I hear my brother let out an involuntary "Eep!"
"Not to worry, little lovely," says Thelea while petting his hair, "they're well-trained. I'm sure my son introduced you to proper dryad training? He's merely a novice, however - I am the expert in the family. Isn't it a beautiful garden?"
"Yes, of course Your Majesty," says Lyric, "your technique is breathtaking." How he says that with such deadpan composure I just don't know. All I know is that he was accurate about it - I'm having trouble breathing in here. It... it smells really bad in here. Like a swamp. I'm pretty sure I just saw a tree branch grab another tree's branch and begin to chew on the rotten fruit hanging from it.
I make a little gulping sound and try not to throw up. "Could we move it along?" says the Kommissar with a touch of distaste. "I'm sure you'll have more time to acquaint him with your pets later, my Queen."
Thelea sniffs disdainfully but urges her horse to move a bit faster. We emerge from the forest and my gorge stops rising like over-yeasted bread. It's not long before we cross the moat via a drawbridge that looks older than Daddy. I try not to look into the moat, but from Lyric's gasp his reflection in it looks just as unnatural as mine. If the dryads are warped here... just think of the naiads. After we cross, the bridge is drawn up behind us, effectively closing the entrance off.
As if anyone's really coming to rescue us...
I'm not allowed my negative dwelling for long - once inside the gate there's a clearing full of very drab grass and a place to put the horses. They don't even seem very tired, for all that we crossed an impossible distance today. Still, there's attendants here that take them to rub them down and do all that horsie-cleaning stuff that my sister Jenny lives for when she's not killing people. Before that happens, though, the Kommissar slips down, then helps me dismount. It's more like helping me fall off a horse, which you'd think I'd be able to do on my own, but apparently not so much on purpose. He keeps an arm around me so that I'm not even able to stray from his side.
Thelea looks over at us, then nods to Lyric. He dismounts first, then helps her off of her horse in a way that just oozes formality. Dang, no wonder the Peacock King hired him. Thelea gives him another pat on the head, looking down at him in a way that kind of turns my stomach. It's not just that he's my brother, it's that I don't really want to imagine Thelea being intimate with anyone, and-- eww.
Anyway, she takes another look at us, or rather at me, when she's done mooning over my brother. Then she tilts her head over to a set of double-doors that lead into the Manor proper. She strolls toward them, Kommissar and I trailing behind in her shadow, before a pair of attendants open the doors and let us all in. Then, well... then it's difficult to see for a moment. It feels like the air pressure's gone up, too. I get used to it after a few moments.
"I see we've stepped up the wards a bit, hmm?" says the Kommissar.
"Only just a tad, darling," replies Thelea in a trite singsong voice. "We had a bit of a scare when we thought the Radians were invading instead of relieving us of the burden of my son." We walk a bit further until we're in a small audience chamber with a low ceiling, lots of draperies, and very shiny floors. "Here, Lotus, be a dear and familiarize yourself with the staff, hmm? You're in cultured land again, not begging for scraps from that Radian trash. And while that waistcoat is rather fetching, I require my servants to wear a uniform. Have yourself properly outfitted, grab a bite to eat, and then you'll meet me in my quarters tonight." She strokes her hand down his cheek, practically purring the words. Lyric makes doe-eyes back at her. I try to disguise my bile as a burp.
"I feel that way myself watching that, my dear, but don't sick up on her floor," mutters the Kommissar to me.
Thelea doesn't hear any of that, she's too busy watching my brother's butt as he leaves the room. Once she's done fantasizing on that (ew ew ew) she takes her seat on the dais and looks at the two of us. She raises an eyebrow. "Guarding her close, are we?"
"She's foiled your collar once already, my Queen - I'd hate for you to be put in any further danger by her. That's my duty, after all." He nudges me a bit, I'm not sure why for. I try to pay attention regardless.
She snorts. "Your duty, when you see fit to do it. Let me see her." She gestures for me to come forward. The Kommissar nudges me again and I decide to interpret that as my signal to obey. Really, I'm losing track of all the cues I'm supposed to be obeying or disobeying here. I'm also keeping alert for any possible ways out. This playing along stuff is only going to get me so far before I have to take action - though I have no idea how yet. After a few steps forward, she looks at me expectantly. I raise an eyebrow back at her. I can play this expectant-look game all day, I learned this from my Uncle. He can stare down my Daddy, and with one eyebrow raise he can make Jhe h'Lete stop talking.
Her eyes narrow, and then she does this hand-gesture wrist-twist that sends me crashing down to my knees with an "OOF!" I hope that didn't fracture anything. I've got enough problems right here. She yanks my chin up from a distance with another gesture, and then I'm staring into her eye as my cheeks are squished together. It's like she's grabbing my face with an invisible hand. What an annoying gimmick.
Her eyes narrow, and I don't know if she's using the collar for this part, but my mind feels like it's burning. Not enough to make me flinch, though - I've been trained for this kind of stuff. Well, more like I've had to teach new Poets and read their beginning exercises. It evokes a similar sensation. I got used to it. I'm not really sure what her problem is - I mean, she dragged me here, it's her fault she has to put up with me. Radia has a bigger palace and a nicer throne than anything here, so what makes her think she's so high and mighty?
She spits, though not on me, so that's a plus. Jhe h'Lete's etiquette lessons are rather muddy in my mind (as always), but I do recall that spitting on the floor conveys something different than spitting on who you're speaking to. I think it just means that I haven't pissed her off enough yet. From the odd echo-feeling in my head, I'm wondering if she managed to peek into my thoughts for a bit. That probably didn't make her too happy, come to think. "I fucking hate Akribastes brats. I was content with killing the last two." Wait, last two? Does she mean from that first batch of kids that Daddy had? Auntie Muriel's the only one I ever met. "She's too damn useful for now, though. Maybe my High Retainer can make her heel. Urgh!" She wrenches her hand to the side, which wrenches my face to the side, which hurts.
I try to keep my balance, but it's been thrown off and my head's all muddy from her little mind-reading attempt. Next think I know I'm rocking sideways, and instead of hitting the floor I bump into a pair of legs with some very shiny black boots on them. One toe nudges against my leg. I wonder with some wooziness whether this is one of those signals I'm supposed to pay attention to.
"Yes, Kommissar? Is there something you'd like to assist with?" Thelea's voice is bored and more than a little frazzled.
"Indeed. I would like to offer to take her off your hands. While she is indeed a Poet and could lend your units some expertise, she is quite the burden and nothing that Your Majesty need worry yourself with. As I said, overseeing your security is my job. And while I think you are more than able to keep her out of trouble, I also think it would be an unneccesary strain on your Poets at a time when they are coming in the most handy." The Kommissar gives me another subtle nudge. Either I think I know where this is going, or I'm about to get myself killed.
The things I do for my brother's safety.
"I don't think you should waste your time trying to hold me in this puny place anyway. I think my Daddy's going to follow you both back here and then you're both gonna catch it in the ass. It doesn't matter whether I'm dead or alive - I'll be a hassle to you until I'm back in Radia where I belong." I put as much haughtiness and bravado into my voice as possible.
Thelea doesn't look very impressed, but she does develop a marvelous tic in her forehead. I'm so proud. "Oh, is that so? And why are you so eager to take on such a burden, Kommissar?" She betrays a bit of suspicion in her voice. I guess these two don't trust each other very much. Guess that makes them both somewhat intelligent.
"I am doing it out of allegiance to the Empire and the loyalty I feel for it, of course. What reasons could be more important?" Even I can't swallow that one. How could he even bank on that? Great, looks like I'm gonna be staying around this bitch for quite a while.
Thelea just looks at him.
The Kommissar chuckles in response. "Very well. When it comes down to it, who out of you or I would the Judge least like to be responsible for her? I'll even write the ransom letter myself, if you like."
Thelea's fingers are perched under her chin as she looks over to me. My skin crawls as a smile slowly crinkles into her face. "I do like how you think, Kommissar. Very well. Do as you wish with her. I've a new servant to break in, after all - I've no time for trash like her." I can't suppress a shudder. I'm sure Thelea thinks it's all about her, but it's really because of me thinking about my brother being with her.
The Kommissar snaps his fingers. My first instinct is to look for a doggie in the room, and then I realize that I'm the doggie. Oh, cute. I'm about to ignore him just for the cheek of it, but then one of those weird head-voices Iaen kept insisting were normal back when I was training peeps up again.
Haul your butt up and stuff down your pride. She may be a bitch worthy of showing up, but he's your ticket out of here.
Well, it's not the worst advice, and it's not like I want to stay here, so I begrudgingly drag myself up to a standing position. What do you care? You're just a crazy head-voice. I bet you're not even real.
Who'd take your word on what's real or not, when you can't even tell the ass-end of a horse from the front?
Hush. Pay attention. The second voice is a bit more rational, or at least less emotional. I'm starting to get a feel for them, but there's not enough time to think about them. The Kommissar takes hold of my arm with a painful iron grip. "Is there anything you need? If not, I'll now take her out of your sight."
Thelea looks at me with a critical appraisal. "Nothing. But don't let a day pass before my High Retainer sees her. She's still a Poet, and she won't escape being useful to me. Now go." She wards me off with a disdainful flip of her hand.
The Kommissar pulls me back a few steps. "Bow to the Queen, my dear," he says with only a touch of a growl. It doesn't even take crazy voices to convince me that it's a good idea to listen. I can't do a proper curtsy with my elbow in the vise-grip, but I manage something.
Thelea only rolls her eyes and gestures to an attendant to do some more of her bidding. I don't catch any of it - the Kommissar leads me out of the audience room then. He's silent for a while as we walk, giving no indicator of any expectations of what I should be doing. Good. I'm tired of following orders and figuring things out. Getting kidnapped is exhausting, and I hardly even slept last night to begin with, and this damn collar makes my best creative thoughts about as clear as pudding.
