“That’s where my father works?”
Leena nodded. Darian had never dreamed of being so close to the evil king. Before they reached the castle, two guards approached them.
“Where are you going?”
Leena said, “I need to find Silas Keen. This is his son.”
Silas Keen. So that was his name. Darian had heard it, but he couldn’t remember when or where, only a sense of dread and fear.
One of the men laughed at Leena. “What did you do to him? You shrunk him?”
“This is not his son,” the other man said.
Leena shook her head. “I don’t need you to believe me, just take him to Silas.”
“General Keen. And he doesn’t have any destitute son.”
Leena stared at the men. “I will find him. And I will tell him who you are and that you didn’t listen to me.” Her voice was soft and smooth, not quite as powerful as the way Darian’s mother spoke, but still convincing.
The men looked at each other. One of them shrugged. “If you insist.”
They grabbed and tied Leena’s wrists. She looked at Darian with calm eyes and Darian let the men tie his wrists too.
They were taken not to the castle, but to a large prison. Darian and Leena were pushed through dark corridors. The place smelled of feces, urine, and mold. Solid walls enclosed the cells making it impossible to look inside. The guards opened a door to a cell with four men in it, pushed Darian inside, and closed the door.
He heard Leena. “I need to stay with him.”
The door reopened. Leena was pushed inside. One guard said, “We wanted to put you in the women’s cell, but if that’s what you wish…” He laughed. “Enjoy it.”
Darian was thankful but worried. He knew Leena was there to protect him, but he wondered about her safety.
A man with yellow teeth looked in their direction with malicious eyes. “Oooh, pretty boy.”
Leena stepped in front of Darian. “You touch a hair of his and you’ll be dead.”
The man laughed. “Ooooh, I’m scared.” Still, he turned around and didn’t bother them again.
The other men slept and didn’t pay them any attention. There were only two beds. Darian and Leena sat in a corner on the floor. At first Darian thought that they would soon be released, but as the hours went by, he started to worry. He didn’t care much for himself. If anything, this dark place matched his state of mind. But he felt bad for Leena even if she remained calm. The guards had taken their belongings, and they had no food. At least they hadn’t touched Darian’s necklaces. They remained safely hidden under his shirt.
Later that night, the guards threw some food on the floor. The four men kneeled and ate. Leena caught some in her hands and offered it to Darian. “Eat. You’ll need your strength. We don’t know how long we’ll be here.”
As hungry as Darian was, he couldn’t eat. Not only was the food dirty, he’d been filled with a sense of dread which had closed his stomach. Leena remained calm as if she had been asked to wait in a comfortable room and offered a nice dinner.
A few hours passed. The four men slept. Leena had her eyes closed. Watching cockroaches scurry in and out of holes distracted Darian. The sound of heavy steps came from the hallway. A young man laughed, sounding amused. Doors to cells opened and closed. “Him—out. Him—out.” The voice of the newcomer echoed through the prison. He was picking prisoners to be released. Darian’s door opened. In front of him stood a tall and thin young man with a hood covering half his face. If Darian had to guess, he’d say the newcomer was a criminal. The newcomer looked at the four men, then at Darian and Leena.
He turned to the guard. “Who had the stupid idea to put a woman—”
“It was my request, sir,” Leena said, with a strange deference.
“He’s not talking to you,” the guard said.
The hooded stranger tilted his head and looked at her and Darian. He laughed and asked Leena, “What’s your crime? Imaginary hocus-pocus?”
“She’s not a witch, sir,” the guard said. “I mean, maybe she is. But they are here because she claims the boy is Keen’s son.”
The hooded stranger glanced at Darian, then away. He laughed. “Rising from the dead. Lovely.” He took a longer look at Darian, then turned to the guard and said, “Delusion is not yet a crime.”
Darian realized he was a teenager, not much older than himself.
The boy turned to Darian and Leena. “You two—out.”
Darian was overcome with a sense of relief. Leena, however, replied, “We need to talk to Silas Keen.”
The boy snorted. “And you expect him to come to this dump?”
Leena said, “We were brought here, and in good faith, assume they’ll take us to a conference with Silas.”
The hooded boy laughed. “Good faith. Look where you are. But if you insist on rotting here…” He looked at the floor and the remaining food on it. “Like this food. Disgusting.” He turned to a guard. “What’s your problem? This place is filthy. Can’t you bring them food in cans?”
“Orders, sir.”
The boy rolled his eyes. He took one last glance at Darian before leaving. What a strange place where menacing guards took orders from a criminal teenager. Darian wondered who the boy was.
A few minutes later, two guards opened their cell and took Leena and Darian to a different, empty cell. There were two beds, both hard and without covers. Still, it was a huge improvement. Darian lay awake for a long time, feeling the black stones against his chest, wishing his mother was still alive, wishing they had never gone to that meeting. If only he could have saved her. But it was too late now.
Dreams about dark corridors haunted Darian when he fell asleep. The hooded boy was his father, and he laughed an evil laugh, asking, “How can you think you’re my son?”
The next morning, Darian and Leena remained in their cell. No food was given to them. Darian began to think he was going to die there. He was not sure if he cared. He was not even sure if he wanted to meet this mysterious father. After a couple hours, two men opened their door. They wore the army’s dark blue under long overcoats. Their boots were shiny and clean. They looked like commanders. One of them asked Leena, “Are you sure you want to go on with this farce? I could set you free.”
“I can go—if you take the boy to Silas.”
The man replied, “We’re taking you two. But the punishment is harsh for impersonators. You may regret this.”
“That’s my problem, isn’t it?” she said.
The men put a hood on Darian. He couldn’t see anything. He was pushed through the hall and then into a vehicle. They closed the doors behind him. Based on the sounds, he guessed it was being pulled by horses, which was rare for a moving vehicle in a city. Leena untied Darian and pulled his hood off.
She said, “I’m leaving now. You’ll soon meet your father. Don’t forget us.”
“But I don’t…” he wasn’t sure what he wanted to say. “What if I don’t want to stay?”
She smiled. “Boy, this is your path. Do the best you can with it.”
His eyes were filled with tears and his vision was blurry. It wasn’t that he was attached to Leena but attached to his life, and to whom he had been until then. She was his last link to all of that. Without her, he’d be left in a dark carriage, not knowing where he was going.
“I should meet my father then have a choice.”
She shook her head. “That’s not how it goes.” She took a pin and worked on the lock of the door. She turned to Darian. “Put your hood back on or they might be angry.” She laughed. “They’ll be scared enough that I escaped.” She opened the door.
They were moving fast. She couldn’t possibly… She jumped before Darian finished his thought. Darian watched her roll onto the grass, get up, and wave to him. He had no other goodbye.
When they stopped, Darian put his hood back on. The men cursed when they realized Leena was gone. They pushed Darian up many steps and through many echoing corridors bef
ore removing his hood and telling him to sit.
He was in a room with some wooden chairs and a table with green varnish. Although simple, the furniture was elegant and of good quality. The floor was made of wood, and it was clean and shiny. Daylight-looking light came from the ceiling. Darian knew the ceiling was not actually translucent, it was just the way they lit things in the capital. Still, it was interesting for him to see that for the first time. He figured he was in the castle or a fine house. He also figured, or at least hoped, that he was going to meet his father. A long time passed. One, two, three hours… Darian was not sure.
A man outside said, “What a waste of time.” Someone opened the door. A man with a short beard, in his late thirties, dressed in flamboyant green velvet with a blue cape stood in the doorway. Two men accompanied him. The man with the blue cape saw Darian and froze as if he’d seen an apparition. He turned to the two men and said, “Go, I’ll be fine here.”
The man closed the door behind him and stared at Darian. “Is this possible?”
3
Within Walls
The man was Darian’s father: Keen. Darian was relieved he would not be killed or put back in prison, but he couldn’t muster any special feeling towards the man in front of him. Keen was a stranger. He asked Darian many questions about his mother and his life. They kept talking as they had a late lunch. Darian explained where he had grown up and how his life had been, but avoided details about hiding from the army and conspiring to resist the king. Keen said he’d thought Darian and Bianca had died many years before, but that he had recognized Darian at once.
“You look just like her,” Keen said, staring at him with a mix of admiration and wonder.
At the mention of his mother, Darian almost told him she’d said she loved him, but somehow it didn’t sound right. Darian also learned that his father was the main commander of the king’s army, a piece of information that knotted his stomach and explained his sense of dread when he’d heard his name.
* * *
Darian sat in his windowless room illuminated by the fake translucent ceiling, feeling a sense of emptiness. He also felt like a traitor to his people, to his mother, being among the people against they fought. His only consolation was remembering the soldiers who’d saved him and tried to save his mother. There was still some good in the king’s army. His other, less comforting consolation was his suspicion that it was one of the village leaders who had ordered his mother’s death. When evil and good are muddled, it’s easier to side with the less than honorable one. Or at least to make excuses.
His door was opened and a tall boy with brown hair and eyes dressed in the army’s dark blue entered. His clothes were clean, new, and well fitted. He had the air of an army leader despite his boyish face. He looked at Darian. “Incredible. You did rise from the dead.”
Darian recognized the voice. It was the boy from the previous night, but what a difference. He had none of his previous criminal looks.
“You’re the one who told Keen about me, aren’t you?” Darian asked. “I wanted to thank you.”
The boy laughed. “Are you crazy? I let you spend the night in that horrible place.” He looked at Darian and became serious. “I had no idea. I couldn’t have imagined it. I never thought I’d see you alive.”
“Who are you?” The question escaped Darian’s lips before he could think of something more fitting to say.
The boy raised his eyebrows and laughed. “You don’t know who I am?” He waved his arms, put his hands on his chest and made an exaggeratedly sad face. “What a dreadful thing to say. Can’t you recognize the awesome looks?” He sat and smiled. “But hey, I’m in a good mood and I’ll give you a tip. I’m Sian.”
He looked at Darian as if expecting some grand reaction. As Darian hesitated, the glee in Sian’s eyes faded. Darian looked down, then back at the boy. “I’m sorry, I’m not from here. I’m not acquainted with the important people in the army. Or the castle.”
Sian stared at him, his face surprised and his jaw tense. “You never heard my name. Never?” His voice shook, and he was trembling.
Darian didn’t like to see him so upset. “Uh, maybe, it’s possible—”
Sian got up and snorted. “Possible.” Did he have tears in his eyes? He looked away. “Thanks for letting me know.” He left and slammed the door behind him.
Darian felt bad for him, but then, maybe it was just Sian’s sense of pride which had been hurt. The previous night, at the prison, Sian had come in all-powerful, telling everyone what to do, and picking and choosing criminals to be released. Perhaps it was just that Sian had a high rank in the army and was offended that for once someone didn’t recognize him. That, of course, didn’t explain why he seemed so hurt.
* * *
The bed was comfortable and Darian had had a good dinner, but he was restless. He missed his mother, his village, his life. He touched his necklaces. They felt cold and dead. He wondered if they would ever work again.
The enclosure of the castle suddenly felt oppressive. If only he could go outside and look at the sky, look at the trees, step on the grass and feel the earth beneath him.
It was late at night, but he couldn’t fight the urge to go outside. The hall had many doors, but he paid attention to where he was going to make sure he would find his way back. He came to three more halls and more doors. If only he were in a small house. The castle felt cold and empty. He tried to think where to go but that was pointless, since he didn’t know those halls or where they led. Perhaps it was better to relax and follow his intuition.
He chose a hallway. As he walked in it, a door opened, and he collided with someone. It was a girl in a summer dress. She had dark hair and eyes and was surprised.
“You’re not allowed here,” she said. The girl was young like him.
“I’m sorry, I’m lost. I’m just trying to go outside.”
She laughed and rolled her eyes. “It’s not me, it’s the rules. These are royal quarters.” She looked at him. “Who are you?”
“I got here yesterday. I mean, today. I’m general Keen’s son.”
She squinted and looked at him up and down. “What’s your name?”
“Darian.”
“Ah. Makes sense.”
He thought she was going to say hers, but she didn’t. “And you?”
“Me what?”
“Your name?”
She laughed. “You don’t know who I am?”
Her tone was amused, but Darian remembered Sian’s extreme reaction and feared offending her. “Please, don’t be angry. I’m not from here, I don’t know anything about the castle, anything about the army, the king, the—”
“Fine, fine, fine,” she interrupted. “No problem. I’m Cayla.”
She looked at him waiting for a reaction. Darian sighed. “I’m sorry. I really don’t know anything about names here.”
Cayla squinted and stared at him. “You sure?”
“I’m sorry.”
She waved her hand and laughed. “Oh, don’t worry. I didn’t know who you were either. See?” She smiled. There was something cheeky about it. “My father works in the castle.” She shrugged. “So I live here.”
Darian knew there were attendants, servants, and cooks in the castle. The girl was dressed simply enough that he figured she must be the daughter of one of these workers. He was relieved to find someone normal like him.
“Can you tell me how to go outside?”
“Well, of course. You…” She pointed to the direction behind Darian, but then stopped. “Were you going somewhere? To the city or something?”
“No. I just wanted some fresh air, and, I don’t know, step on the grass and see something alive and green.”
“That’s it?”
“Why? Is wanting to see the night sky unusual here?”
She laughed and shook her head. “No, but I was going to a garden. Just to go outside. There’s nothing there really, just trees, and—”
“That would be perfect.
”
“Follow me then. But don’t tell anyone.”
“Why? I’m not supposed to go there?”
“Most people aren’t. They’re private gardens. But I have the key.” She winked.
“I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
She rolled her eyes. “I was going there anyway. Don’t think you’re special. You can come with me if you want, otherwise I’ll leave you to find your way in this maze.”
Cayla turned around and started walking. Darian paused for a moment, deciding whether to follow or not. She hadn’t exactly asked him nicely. Well, he would be lost on his own. He hurried and caught up with her. They came to a tiny door leading to a small winding staircase, which led to another door. She opened it with a key. It led to a garden with many trees. High walls encircled it. Despite the enclosure, Darian was happy to see the sky.
Cayla climbed a tree faster than he could have imagined anyone climb, especially in a dress. The girl took a fruit and started to eat it.
Darian wanted to make some conversation. “What is it you’re eating?”
“Calis,” she said, from the top of the tree. “The trees come from Arlenia, the kingdom north of us. If you want one, come and get it.”
She said it as if she was daring him. It was a bit childish. He was past the age of climbing trees. Still, he climbed it. The branches were farther apart than he had predicted, but he concentrated and continued because the girl looked at him as if she didn’t think he could make it.
He didn’t even want to eat anything, but he took a fruit anyways and bit into it. It was bitter.
Cayla laughed. “You took a green one.” She jumped from the tree and landed gracefully on the floor below him. “I have a good one here, but you have to jump.”
Darian lay on the branch and looked at the sky. He wasn’t going to be ordered around by a silly girl. In a way, it was good to have some peace.
After a few minutes, Cayla climbed back up beside him. “I bring you here and now you’re going to ignore me?”