The Road To Cordia

  "Well, I don't -"

  "- You and Lady Bel'Dor should be planning the funeral ceremony for your mother."

  "The priests prescribe the ceremonies," she reminded him.

  "Are they also prescribing your wardrobe?" he asked with a gentle smile.

  "My wardrobe?"

  "What you will wear to the ceremonies. You'll need several outfits."

  Was the man out of his mind? First, he tells her that her mother and his wife may have been murdered. Then he tells her she herself is in danger. Now he expects her to concentrate on her wardrobe?

  She took a step back from him and looked him over carefully.

  Two faces. Remember, he has two faces, warned a voice in her head.

  "Yes," she said to him. "There are a number of things for me to take care of."

  "Good girl," he approved. "I'll take my leave now."

  "When can I expect a report?" she asked.

  He stopped dead. "What?"

  "I would like to be kept informed of any investigations into my mother's death. Also… also… " Think, she ordered herself, all Cancordia well be depending on you to do the right thing. "Also," she continued, "I wish to be informed of the extent of the flood damage, the number of dead and injured. How many are homeless? Enough supplies must be provided, transported, healers must be sent."

  He stared at her with narrowed eyes, and then he smiled. "Good for you," he said. "You will make a fine Queen. I'm proud of you, my girl."

  His praise warmed the cold core of her, even though she wished he'd stop calling her "my girl".

  "I had a good teacher," she said.

  "Yes, you did," he agreed. "I loved your mother very much. How I wished we could have married."

  "You and my mother?"

  "Of course, we were very close."

  Lil'Li looked at the man doubtfully. He was very old. He had to be at least forty or forty-five.

  "Was it ever discussed?"

  "Alas by the time she was widowed I was married. I keep my vows and of course your mother's values were of the highest moral order."

  Lil'Li had never thought one way or the other about her mother's moral values.

  "You remind me of her," he said reaching out and stroking her cheek.

  She moved her head but he caught her chin to hold her still as he looked at her searchingly. "Release me," she said.

  He smiled at her. "I am forty-five years old," he said. "At the height of my powers." Lil'Li held herself very stiffly, disdaining to fight him. He released her chin and took a step closer.

  Lil'Li refused to back away from him.

  He raised her right hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. She watched him in amazement. Then he deliberately turned her hand over and kissed the center of her palm. Her head snapped up to stare at him, her eyes opened wide. Before she could pull her hand away, he had released it.

  He gave her a very scary smile. "Now you go with Lady Bel'Dor and pick out the perfect outfits to honor your mother. I'll take care of everything else." He shot the hovering Lady Bel'Dor a stern glance, nodded briskly, then exited the Princess' apartment.

  Lil'Li looked down at her hand. "By the Circle," she whispered to herself.

  "Oh, he's so exciting," squealed Lady Bel'Dor. "You're such a lucky girl."

  Lil'Li looked at her in amazement. "Lucky?"

  "Well, he's obviously taking an interest in you. So handsome. So masterful."

  "Lady Bel'Dor, I am the Queen Presumptive. Of course he's taking an interest in me. And as for being masterful, I would not advise him to carry that too far."

  Lady Bel'Dor's mouth opened, and then snapped closed. "Now you listen to me, you silly girl. You should get down on your knees and thank the Lord that Lord Raptor is willing to guide you. The poor man has just lost his beloved wife. He must be devastated."

  Lil'Li looked down at the hand Lord Raptor had kissed and vigorously wiped it against her gown. "Where is Lady Tan'Od?" she asked Lady Bel'Dor. "Why are you here?"

  The older woman sniffed. "Lady Tan'Od is an Earther. It's more fitting for you to be attended by someone of your own race, someone of higher status. Someone who would understand how sensitive and fragile you naturally are. Those Earthers are so coarse."

  Lil'Li looked at Lady Bel'Dor's fish green, skinny hands with their little pointed nails. "Was it Lord Raptor who rearranged my domestic situation?"

  "For the best," said Lady Bel'Dor. "At a time like this you need the comfort of an older woman who knows what is proper and fitting. After all, you are the Queen Presumptive."

  But Lil'Li had stopped listening to Lady Bel'Dor. What was Lord Raptor up to? "Have any of the other Advisors presented themselves?" she asked.

  "No, no one. Just Lord Raptor."

  That didn't sound right. True, she had been crying her eyes out for the last twenty-five hours but even if they were turned away the advisors should have at least tried to see her.

  "What about Captain Y'Nota?" she asked.

  Lady Bel'Dor sniffed. "I really don't see why your mother allowed a Sky Person to rise so high in the militia. Everyone knows what they're like."

  Where did the woman get these bizarre ideas? "A citizen is a citizen," her mother had told her over and over again. "Remember, all are equal in your official regard." Apparently, Lady Bel'Dor was not familiar with the Royal Pledge of Service, although it was read and studied in every school in the land.

  "Lady Bel'Dor, I asked you a question. Has Captain Y'Nota presented himself?"

  "Well, I'm sure I don't know. You'll have to ask the guard."

  "Guard?"

  "At the door," said the lady, waving her hand vaguely in that direction.

  Lil'Li looked at the door through which Lord Raptor had exited. There had never been a guard at her door, nor at her mother's. She opened the door slowly to be confronted by not one but two soldiers. She didn't recognize either of them. Nor were they wearing the royal colors.

  Still, they stood tall and saluted her politely. She nodded to them. "Has Captain Y'Nota presented himself?" she asked.

  "Not on my watch, Your Highness."

  The other guard grinned at her in a friendly way. "Aye, the Captain was here this morning, but youse wasn't in no shape to see nobody. That's what the old lady told us." He indicated Lady Bel'Dor with a jerk of his chin.

  Well that was true enough, thought Lil'Li. "Did you tell her it was Captain Y'Nota?"

  "Nay. She just said don't let nobody in cause a' the state youse was in."

  Lil'Li blushed a dark green. She had been out of contact for hours. Cancordia deserved better. She would do better from this moment on.

  "Please send a message to Captain Y'Nota. I wish to see him immediately."

  The two guards exchanged uneasy glances.

  "Well," said Lil'Li when neither of them made any move.

  "Gotta check with Lord Raptor first," explained the younger guard.

  "No you don't. You have just received a direct order from your Queen Presumptive.

  "Ain't Queen yet," muttered the other guard.

  For the first time Lil'Li felt something other than exasperation at their slowness; she felt fear. "Whose colors are those?" she gestured at their uniforms.

  "Lord Raptor's," they answered almost simultaneously.

  "I see." She looked up and down the hallway. Empty. Not surprising really. This was a house of mourning. The usual hustle and bustle of servants, messengers, scribes, friends and instructors was naturally missing.

  "Very well," she said. "I need to stretch my legs anyway." As she stepped through the arched doorway, the older guard stepped in front of her.

  "No, ya don't, Ya Highness."

  Lil'Li turned her dark eyes on him. To his credit, he looked highly nervous. Unfortunately, he also looked determined.

  "Lord Raptor, he said youse was'na to leave ya chambers as there was maybe a murder a stalkin' these hallways."

  "Likewise we isn't ta let no ones in without his say so," added the s
econd guard.

  Lil'Li looked at them with cold-as-ice eyes, but inside she was raging with anger. "Are you saying I'm a prisoner?"

  They both looked horrified. "Nay, nay. Ya ain't no prisoner. Not a'tall. We's only looking out fer ya."

  "By keeping me incommunicado?"

  Both guards looked around desperately.

  "Do you know the penalty for treason?" she asked.

  "Nay," said the elder guard. "But I knows the penalty o' crossing Lord Raptor."

  "I'll go gets him," said the other guard. "Get his Jadẵ. Be right quick I will." And he took off running.

  "Hey!" yelled the other guard, but the younger one kept running. The older guard turned back to Lil'Li. "Well, there now. Soon's Lord Raptor, he gives the Jadẵ , we'll send for Y'Nota, we will."

  Lady Bel'Dor was plucking at her arm. "Come inside," hissed the woman. "You're making a spectacle of yourself."

  Lil'Li shrugged off the woman's touch and stalked back into her rooms. Lady Bel'Dor gave the remaining guard an apologetic smile and quietly closed the door. From where she was standing, Lil'Li could hear the sound of the guard locking her door—from the outside. She was a prisoner. Lord Raptor's prisoner.

  CHAPTER 24

  Lord Raptor was annoyed, very annoyed. In fact, he was infuriated. He was… ah, to the Circle with it. So the little bitch hadn't fallen into his arms as expected. She would. And after she had served her purpose… the important thing for now was to keep her isolated. According to his timeline, within a week he should have the reins of government firmly in his hands. The right people would join with him, solidifying his position, and those who didn't would regret it.

  He flung open the door of his office and stalked in, only to be brought up short. Two strangers were sitting on the visitor side of his desk and two of his soldiers were keeping an eye on them.

  "What's this?" he barked.

  Both soldiers snapped to attention and saluted. He acknowledged them with an irritated wave of his hand. "What's this?" he repeated as he looked the two strangers over. He was not impressed. One of them, a female, had jumped to her feet at his entrance and looked as if she longed to run and hide. She was an Earther, he noted with a curled lip, dressed in poor quality tunic and leggings in dull muddy colors. Nothing interesting there.

  The other was a teenage boy of a race Lord Raptor had never run into before. The boy was naked from the waist up but with leggings of a fine quality and well made. He did not rise upon Lord Raptor's entrance.

  "What the Dark Circle are you?" Lord Raptor asked the weird looking boy.

  "Dark Circle?" squeaked the girl. She looked horrified.

  Lord Raptor rolled his eyes seeking help from the Lord he did not believe in. Another religious nut, he thought. No matter what the priests taught, Lord Raptor knew there was only this one life. Lord Raptor's philosophy could be summed up in three words; ME. ME. ME.

  "That one don't talk," offered one of the soldiers. "At least he ain't yet."

  "I talk," said Ee'Rick, then he asked, "Who are you?"

  "I am Lord Raptor."

  Lord Raptor! Ja'Nil was remembering Lady Fayre's words. "Avoid him if you can. A nasty type." It didn't look as if avoiding Lord Raptor was going to be possible.

  "I head the government at this time," said Lord Raptor. "Now, who and what are you?"

  "My name is Ee'Rick, and as to what I am? I am as you see me."

  One of the soldiers tapped the side of his head. "Simple I think he is," he confided.

  His Lordship scowled at the soldiers. "Why did you bring them here?"

  "It's the girl, ya Lordship. She wanted to see the Queen."

  "The whole nation wants to see the Queen," said Lord Raptor. "There'll be a public viewing starting tomorrow and for the next three days. You can see her tomorrow. Now get out."

  Ja'Nil didn't need a second invitation; she started for the door.

  "Nay, ya Lordship," said the soldier, stepping in front of Ja'Nil and blocking her exit. "I meant she wanted ta talk ta the Queen. Had the passwords and everything."

  "What passwords?"

  "To see the Queen."

  "How do you know about passwords?" he snapped at the soldier.

  "Only know what the usher said," muttered the soldier suddenly looking very nervous himself.

  "The Queen's usher?"

  "Aye, that's the one. He says to me 'There's two strangers what knows the words ta gets ta see the Queen.' But whens I go lookin' for 'em, they's already run off."

  "We did not run off," protested Ja'Nil. "We heard the Queen had died and there was no point in staying. We went to get something to eat."

  "They was at the Red Dog Tavern," admitted the soldier. "Thought you'd want to know, Your Lordship." He saluted again and stepped back a pace. Lord Raptor nodded and turned to Ja'Nil.

  "What were the passwords you used?" he asked.

  Ja'Nil hesitated, and then blurted, "I'm Fisherfolk."

  "Fascinating," said Lord Raptor. "That's not what I asked you."

  "We have no Healer," continued Ja'Nil doggedly. "In my village. We haven't had a Healer in over two years."

  Lord Raptor raised a green eyebrow, "And?" he said.

  "And I wanted - I was sent to ask the Queen to send us a healer."

  Lord Raptor looked her over carefully. He saw a teenage girl, unsophisticated, and probably of low status, with travel-worn clothes of no particular style. She was moderately attractive for an Earther, if you liked the type. Lord Raptor didn't.

  "Your village elders sent you?" he asked softly.

  She nodded, yes.

  "And did they also give you secret passwords that would get you in to see the Queen?"

  "Well, I - uh."

  Lord Raptor turned to one of the soldiers. "Bring me the Queen's usher," he ordered.

  Ja'Nil swallowed nervously. Did this powerful lord realize that no Fisherfolk village elders would know the particular password she had used, or any passwords for that matter?

  * * *

  While they waited for the Queen's usher to appear Ee'Rick carefully studied Lord Raptor. A dandy, he decided, watching as the man carefully adjusted his rich tunic and toyed with the colorful beads interwoven with his odd hairstyle. Not that there was anything wrong with trying to look your best. Ee'Rick was something of a clotheshorse himself; at least that's what his brother was always saying. It was interesting that a man so politically powerful didn't recognize Ee'Rick's race. What did that mean? That the Queen had never confided in Lord Raptor because the subject had never come up, or was it because she didn't trust him? Did Lord Raptor even know about the existence of dragons, Ee'Rick wondered.

  There was a sharp rap on the door. Everyone turned, as QT was shoved into the room.

  "This here's the usher what started all this, Ya Lordship," said the soldier.

  QT looked around and spotted Lord Raptor. "Your Lordship," he gulped and bowed very low. Then he spied Ja'Nil and Ee'Rick. "Your Lordship, I must protest."

  "Must you?"

  "I didn't start anything. I was simply following directives to report any oddities concerning the late Queen, may she be blessed by the Circle." He made a sort of twirling motion with his hand.

  Ja'Nil had never seen anyone do that before. Was it a religious gesture? There seemed to be so many ways to approach the Circle and its Lord. Was there one way that was absolutely correct or were they all correct? Then there was Ee'Rick, who hadn't exactly said so but she got the definite impression, as impossible as it seemed, that he didn't believe in the Circle nor its Lord. And what of dragons? Did they - her attention was brought back to what was happening when Lord Raptor slammed his hand down on the desk.

  "Stop blathering," he snarled at QT. "What oddity are you referring to?"

  QT literally quivered with fright. His tremulous hand pointed at Ja'Nil. "It was her, Your Lordship. The girl."

  As the only girl present, Ja'Nil felt her heart sink.

  With barely restrained impatienc
e, Lord Raptor asked, "And what did the girl do?"

  Yeah, what did I do?

  QT leaned forward as if her crime was so terrible he had to whisper it. "She asked to see the Queen, and she knew the words," he said, then nodded his head as if he had proved his case. Now only sentence need be passed.

  "And what words did she speak?" asked Lord Raptor.

  "I have walked the Rushita path with my Queen," QT intoned ominously.

  "What?"

  "I have walked the -"

  "I heard you the first time," cut in Lord Raptor.

  "Oh."

  "Who would you expect to use those particular passwords?"

  "Why, Lady Fayre of course," said the usher.

  "Lady Fayre, the Truth Teller?" he asked.

  "Exactly."

  Lord Raptor's tongue darted out and wet his dry lips. His tongue was pointed and slightly purplish in color. Disgusting. Ja'Nil swallowed nervously.

  I should have had that meddling bitch arrested, thought Lord Raptor. But she's holed up in that damn Redbird Keep of hers. Had he made a mistake in not making her death a priority?

  He turned to Ja'Nil. "What is your connection to the Truth Teller?"

  "Who?"

  "Lady Fayre."

  "Why do you call her the Truth Teller?"

  "Answer my question, bitch!"

  Ja'Nil was so shocked and frightened that she took a step back, almost falling over her own feet. Ee'Rick abruptly stood up. The younger soldier unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Ee'Rick's heart.

  Ja'Nil wanted to burst into tears. No, what she really wanted to do was kick Lord Raptor in his stomach. No, she wanted to kick him in his balls. Who was he calling a bitch!

  "Answer me!"

  "I forgot what you asked," she almost wailed. It was the truth, she was so rattled her stomach heaved. All that good food she had just eaten.

  "What is your connection to Lady Fayre?"

  "I stayed overnight at Redwing Keep on my way to Cordia," she answered. "A lot of travelers stay there. The Lady asked me to bring her greetings to the Queen." She squeaked the last because she had just spotted the soldier holding a sword on Ee'Rick.

  "Just her greetings?"

  "Yes sir."

  Lord Raptor turned his cold eyes on Ee'Rick. "And what about you?" he asked.

  Ee'Rick, completely ignoring the sword, waved a languid hand at Ja'Nil. "Met her on the way to Cordia. Thought I'd accompany her. See the sights."

  "Are there more like you?" Lord Raptor asked intrigued by Ee'Rick's strangeness.