Chapter 6

 

“Now cross your ankles,” Genessa said, and demonstrated.

Kyrin followed her lead and crossed her ankles beneath the dress. As much as she hated dresses, now that she knew how to move in one, they were becoming more manageable. The hardest part was the overly tight corset. It took Genessa and the Knight both to get it tight enough, and Kyrin found it painful and almost unbearable.

Genessa sighed, “I guess that’ll do for now. Try not to act like an oaf.”

“What’s an oaf?”

“Just don’t,” Genessa said. She reached out and took a small tea cup daintily in her hand, “So let’s try the tea again. Try not to spill it this time.”

Kyrin sighed and picked up the delicate glass, and then brought it to her lips and took a small sip.

“Too loud,” Genessa snapped.

Kyrin began to wonder if the reason Genessa’s Knight punished her every time Alric left was because of how moody Genessa was. In front of Alric, she was pleasant and happy, but without him around, she was prone to yell and often shouted insults at Kyrin.

 

Kyrin tried again to take a drink, this time she didn’t even drink any, but just brought it to her lips.

Genessa sighed, “You can’t do it quietly, can you?”

“I’m trying,” Kyrin said through clenched teeth.

“Don’t talk to me like that, or I’ll have Alric punish you.”

Kyrin nodded and took another sip. The last thing she needed was for Alric to get mad at her. He seemed intent on Kyrin acting more like Genessa, so she held her tongue and did as she was told around the Lady of the house.

“You’re getting your hair in the tea,” Genessa said icily.

“That’s because you won’t let me put it up.” Kyrin was required to wear her hair down during training, although it often got in her way and Genessa threatened to cut it on a daily basis.

“Ladies wear their hair down.”

“You don’t.”

“Do not talk back to me!” Genessa snapped. “I swear. You are all but un-trainable aren’t you?”

Kyrin held her tongue.

“Now get your hair out of the tea and take a scone.”

She did as she was told, but winced when Genessa slammed down her glass.

“Do it correctly! Your pinky goes up when you pick up a small pastry. I’ve told you this and told you this. I’m going to tell Alric to sell you as a wife. I can’t put up with this.”

Kyrin stood up and stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. She hadn’t even bothered to change out of the richly embellished silver dress. The Knights posted throughout the castle took a double look when she passed, never having seen her in a dress with her hair down.

Just as she headed out the front door, Finn and Alric came up on horses.

“All done training, Kyrin?” Finn asked, crawling off of his horse.

“I’m done!” she screamed.

“What happened?” Alric asked, walking up.

“I can’t take it anymore! She’s going to suggest you sell me, and I’m almost ready to let you…”

“Wait, she said that?”

“I can’t breathe! My hair’s in my way! I hate this! Sell me. It has to be better than this.”

“Calm down,” Alric said, taking her arm. “Let’s start off simple. If your hair is in your way, why don’t you put it up?”

“Genessa said ladies wear their hair down.”

“She did?”

“Yes”

“Ok,” Alric said, wondering at what he was being told. “Why can’t you breathe?”

“This corset is too tight. It leaves bruises, and it’s not worth it.”

“You have on a corset? Why?” Finn asked, looking down at her abnormally tiny waist.

“I have to wear a corset to get into the dress! That Knight pulls as hard as he can to get it on. I can’t take it.”

“A Knight laces it up?”

“Well I put it on, but once training begins Genessa’s Knight tightens it.”

Alric frowned, “I didn’t know Genessa had a Knight assigned to her anymore.”

“Of course she does. It’s the same Knight who is her punisher.”

“I’m confused.”

“About what?” she asked, still irate.

“Genessa doesn’t have a Knight and most certainly doesn’t have a punisher.”

“Of course she does. I hear them sometimes when I go for training.”

“What do you hear, exactly?”

She sighed, “You know! He’s yelling at her to take it. She’s groaning in pain.”

Finn gasped and looked over at Alric, who was becoming furious.

Kyrin wasn’t sure why he was looking so enraged, “She knows she needs punished. She asks for it to get harder.”

“How often do you hear this?” Alric asked her.

She shrugged, “I don’t know. It’s when you’re out of the castle.”

Alric looked at Finn, “Did you know about this?”

“No, Sir!”

“Who is this Knight?”

“I didn’t know she had a Knight, my Lord.”

“Who is it?” Alric asked Kyrin.

“When Genessa’s in pain, she screams for Falon.”

Alric pulled Kyrin over to the wall of the castle, followed by Finn, “Tomorrow, I’m going to head out to the temple first thing in the morning. What time do you normally go up there?”

“She gets punished around 8am. So when I hear it, I leave and come back around 10.”

“Go up again at 8am, if you hear them… well… punishing her,” Alric said, grinding his teeth, “you will meet up with Finn in my bedroom.”

“I don’t know where your bedroom is,” Kyrin told him.

“It’s at the top of the stairs. Keep going up until you get to the top floor and my room is the only one up there.”

“Ok.” She frowned slightly, “Did you not know she’s being punished?”

“No, I did not.” Without another word, Alric stormed into the castle.

“It’s odd to punish her without his consent,” Kyrin said to Finn. “He owns her and should know.”

Finn grinned, “You have no idea.”

 

***

 

Kyrin sighed and headed up the stairs, already in a dress with her hair down. She didn’t want to go to training today, and especially didn’t want to see Alric mad if Genessa was being punished without his knowledge.

She cringed when she heard Genessa moan loudly. Doing as she was told, Kyrin turned around and then walked up the stairs to the top floor. She knocked lightly, and Finn opened the door.

Kyrin walked in and was surprised to see Alric in his room, “She’s getting punished.”

Alric rushed past her and down the stairs, followed by Finn and four of the Knights. Kyrin ran after them, wanting to see what happened to Genessa.

When Alric opened the door, Falon jumped to his feet, completely naked. Genessa screamed and grabbed for the blanket lying next to her on the couch.

The Knights rushed forward and held Falon still while Alric walked over to Genessa. Kyrin had never seen him this mad, and she wondered if he would kill her on the spot. She peeked around Finn long enough to see where Alric was going, but caught sight of the naked man in the room.

She frowned, “What’s that?”

Finn gasped and spun, taking her with him. He began to haul her down the stairs quickly. She thought she was going for a punishment too, but wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t until they were in her room that she saw Finn’s face and noticed he was blushing and grinning sheepishly.

“What’s wrong?” she asked him.

“Nothing, I just… I think we needed out of there.”

“What will he do to the Knight for punishing Genessa then?”

He looked at her oddly, wondering how she could still think Genessa was being punished after seeing both her and the Knight naked, “Well…”

“I suspect he’ll be hung.”

Finn almost choked on his own saliva, and began to cough violently. Kyrin slapped him on the back, “Are you ok?”

He nodded, laughing too hard to answer her. When he had his laughing under control, he smiled at her, “I love having you around, Kid.”

She watched him, still not sure what was so funny, “Good to know.”

Finn sat down to wait and see if Alric needed Kyrin at the trial. He figured they all had seen enough without Kyrin’s account of her involvement. He watched her, confused, as she tried to sit down, but stood up immediately.

“Are you ok?”

She sighed, “I can’t breathe.”

“Come here.”

Kyrin walked over to Finn, and he spun her and reached up under her dress. She gasped and tried to pull away, but he already had a firm hold on the corset and was untying it. She stopped struggling when air flowed back into her lungs.

When he was done, he pulled the corset out from under her dress, and she sighed, “Thank you.”

“Bruises does it?”

“Yes, bruises where the buckles are.”

He reached over and tossed it into the trash.

Kyrin picked it up and brushed off bits of lint, “Genessa will want me back in that.”

“I’m thinking your time with Genessa is done.”

“Really?” she asked, looking over at him.

“Yes, really.”

“So I can change?”

Finn nodded and stood up, “Sure.”

She waited until he walked out and then pulled off the dress and immediately changed into more comfortable clothing. Once done, she opened the door for him and began to tie her hair up.

“You really should leave that down,” he said, taking his seat again.

“It gets in the way.”

“So cut it.”

“No”

“Well I like it down.”

She turned to the door when trumpets blared from outside, “What is that?”

“That means a verdict has been reached.”

“So the Knight is being punished?”

“So is Genessa.”

“Why? It’s not her fault that she got punished.”

He debated trying to explain the truth to her, but figured she didn’t need to hear that from him, “It’s a long story. Want to go see what’s happening?”

She nodded and walked out of the room. Finn led her up to the courtroom, and they took a spot standing at the back. Falon and Genessa were both standing before Alric. Falon looked terrified, and Genessa was sobbing into a dirty handkerchief.

The only other people in the room, were the four Knights who were with Alric during the capture, and Trox. Alric was deep in thought as he watched the two angrily.

Almost 20 minutes later he leaned forward, “I’ll sentence Falon first.”

Falon nodded and stepped forward, his eyes down.

“I’m almost madder at you. You were one of Valhara’s elite! My own Knight.”

“I’m sorry, my Lord,” he whispered.

“You are to be hereby stationed to outpost Zeta for the duration of your life.”

“Zeta?” he asked, his eyes wide.

“Yes”

“Sir, it’s often attacked by Qualsax and has no defenses.”

“I’m aware of that. You will be taken to it immediately.”

Two of the Knights moved forward and escorted him out.

Alric sighed and looked at Genessa, “I guess I’m just glad we aren’t married yet.”

“We were never going to get married. Not with… her… around,” Genessa said, glaring.

“Who?”

“That girl! You bring in a young, beautiful girl for what other reason than as a mistress when we are married.”

Kyrin frowned, not quite sure Genessa was talking about her, but she suspected she was.

“You are wrong, and are hereby banished from Valhara with no possessions. You go in only what you’re wearing.”

Kyrin had to stand on her tip toes to see, and then laughed when she saw that Genessa was wearing only a sheet wrapped around her.

Genessa gasped, “You can’t do that! I’d have to travel through Qualsax!”

“I’m aware of that, but you are no longer any of my concern.”

“Don’t do this!” she screamed as two Knights came to escort her out. “I still love you! You can bed her while we’re married! I don’t care!”

“I hereby ban Genessa from these lands, and this incident will never be spoken of again,” Alric said, watching her.

On the way out the door, Genessa screamed at Kyrin and pointed at her, “You did this! I hope you’re happy you little tramp! Has he already had you!?”

The Knights pushed her out the door and Kyrin looked up at Finn, “Has he had me do what?”

“Nothing,” Finn said, and took her arm when Alric motioned them forward. She walked up with him and then glanced back when she heard Genessa scream again.

“I’m sorry about that,” Alric said to her.

“What does it mean to bed me?”

He smiled, “I need to decide how best to explain that. For now, don’t worry about it.”

She thought for a moment, “Why is she getting banished for being punished?”

“Again, it will all be explained in time.”

“Ok,” she said hesitantly.

“For now, I will take over your training, starting immediately. Things need to return to normal.”

She froze and pointed at Finn, “He threw away the corset!”

Finn grinned.

“The corset is unnecessary, as is the dress, and your hair down. Come as you are,” he explained.

“Ok,” she said again, but it was obvious she wasn’t sure about what was going to happen.

Alric smiled and then stood up and walked to the library. Finn followed with Kyrin, and they all sat down when the doors were shut.

“I want to start over on your training,” Alric explained. “I don’t know what all Genessa told you, but forget it. It seems she was out to harm you rather than help you.”

“Forget it all?”

“Yes”

“What if she was right?”

“Then you will re-learn that with me.”

“You know I could go take care of her for you, right?”

Alric frowned, “Do what?”

“Well you’re the King. You can’t kill her because it would look bad. I can kill her without anyone knowing.”

“You have to stop talking like that, Kyrin.”

“Why?”

“It’s not right!”

She thought, “So am I killing her or not?”

“No, you are not,” Alric said, sighing. “I want to start with some traditions that we’ve noticed over the last two months that are in conflict with what you already know.”

“Is this really worth it? I’ll be out of here in 10 more months anyway.”

“Yes, it is worth it.”

“Ok then, what traditions?”

“Let’s start with Children,” Alric said, and then sat back on the couch. It didn’t escape his notice that her nose wrinkled at the mere mention of them, “In Valhara, and even in Qualsax, for that matter, children are nurtured and cared for. They are special in their own right.”

She frowned, “Here maybe. In my world, and in others, they are vile and disgusting. They are born of an evil act and are punished until they are old enough to be a benefit to society.”

“Not here. Here, we treat them with kindness and respect, and have patience and understanding with them.”

“Treat them how you will.”

He realized this was going to take more than one explanation to get across, so he moved on, “Now marriage.”

She tensed, “What about it?”

“Here… and again in Qualsax even… marriage is consensual between both adults. No one is sold into marriage, and wives aren’t routinely beaten or punished.”

“Why not?”

“There’s no cause for it. They are rational, thinking adults and the relationship was mutually agreed upon.”

“It’s still a barbaric practice.”

He smirked, “You’re calling marriage barbaric?”

“Yes”

Finn interrupted, “I’m curious about something though. If marriage is bad, and children are bad, how do you plan on continuing the species?”

“Nothing I can do will stop either one. I just don’t plan on doing my part,” she said bluntly. “Men love their property, and wives are nothing more than that. They are something to be used and tossed away.”

“Oh right, thus multiple wives,” Finn said.

“Multiple wives?” Alric asked.

“Yes… the rich have more than one wife. They can afford multiple and if one is disgraced with pregnancy, he has others he can parade around,” Kyrin explained.

Alric sat back, deep in thought while she looked up among the books.

“Maybe she needs to talk to my wife,” Finn suggested.

“That’s not a bad idea,” Alric said.

“It is a bad idea. I can’t stand listening to what a woman goes through. They should have had a mercy killer before getting married.”

“Oh right. Death before marriage.”

 

***

 

“I don’t see why I can’t sit regular,” Kyrin asked as she looked up at the side-saddle on the horse.

“You’re in a dress,” Alric said, stating the obvious.

“So?”

“So it’s not proper. Up you go.”

She shook her head and then mounted the horse as instructed. She almost fell off, but was able to correct her balance, “Happy?”

“Yes, that’s much better.”

“Why am I even in a dress?” she asked, frowning. She brushed the hair off of her shoulder, but the wind blew it back on again.

“Because you’re in training to learn the proper ways of a lady and ladies do wear dresses.”

“If I’m attacked…”

“You aren’t going to be attacked during training. You don’t even have a weapon on you.”

“I may fall off.”

“Well that can’t be helped.”

“Can I get down now?”

“No, we’re going out for a ride,” he said, mounting his horse. Four of the Knights came up behind them, also on horses.

“If we’re not going to get attacked, why do you need guards?”

“I don’t need guards. I take Knights when I go out, that’s what Kings do.”

“Suit yourself.”

He laughed as they rode out of the city past the apple orchards. They were soon riding through the dense forest that surrounded the main city of Valhara. Kyrin was finally getting the hang of riding side-saddle, and was looking around her, checking for attackers.

In her three months with Alric, she’d yet to let down her guard for even a moment. Something the Knights found annoying, but the King found highly amusing and interesting to watch.

“Sir?” one of the Knights said, looking off to the left.

They all rode over in the direction he was watching, and came upon a rock set out among the trees. The large rock was dripping with fresh blood. Everyone but Kyrin dismounted and went to investigate.

She watched, uninterested, as the others began searching for signs of what had died.

“I’m at a loss,” Alric said after an hour of searching. “Bring Trox here.”

One of the Knights rode off quickly toward the town.

“Kyrin?”

She looked over at Alric, “Yes?”

“Sithias doesn’t honor sacrifices.”

“Ok”

“You are the only one of us in Valhara that isn’t a follower of Sithias.”

“Ok”

“Did you do this? Did you sacrifice something?”

“No”

“Does your god require sacrifices?”

She shrugged, “Sometimes.”

“When’s the last time you sacrificed something?”

“Being indentured doesn’t mean I have to divulge secrets of my god.”

“Have you sacrificed since you’ve come to Valhara?”

She simply crossed her arms and turned away from him.

“Alric,” Trox said, coming up quickly.

Alric turned to talk to Trox quietly, and then Trox glanced at Kyrin and began to go through the area. Less than an hour later, Trox returned with something in his hand.

“What did you find?” Alric asked him.

“A human heart.”

“Where did you get it?”

“It was buried out in the woods. I suspect the sacrifice was human.”

Alric glanced nervously at Kyrin, but she was looking through the trees again.

“I don’t think it was her,” Trox said. “If I had to guess, it’s the Qualsax trying to cause tension within Valhara.”

“Are you certain?”

“No, but evils brag about what they do. If she were to perform a sacrifice, then she would have said something.”

Kyrin had to fight back a smile as she listened to them speak behind her.

“Now we need to know if it was one of us,” Alric said, looking around.

“Send out search parties to every city around Valhara. I want to know if anyone is missing,” Trox said.

After getting a nod from Alric, the Knights rode off to follow his orders.

Alric looked up when Kyrin turned and looked at the heart in Trox’s hand. He looked down at his hand and then up to her, “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“A heart? Why?”

“It’s not something we see often unless in battle.”

She shrugged, “I’ve seen worse.”

“Do you worry that someone may be missing from Valhara and may be dead?”

“Why would I? I don’t know them.”

Trox sighed and then walked off with the heart.

“Let’s go back,” Alric said, mounting his horse.

Kyrin clicked her tongue and started out for the castle. With just her and Alric it was nicer, and no one was watching her like she might snap and attack one of them.

“Trox doesn’t trust me,” she said.

“No, he doesn’t.”

“Why?”

“He suspects you’re what we call an evil.”

“And if I am?”

He smiled, “You’re not.”

“But…” she stopped suddenly and turned to the side when she heard a twig break.

Alric heard it also and stopped to listen. He was only slightly surprised when Kyrin reached under her skirt and pulled out the flail. He readied his sword when footsteps were heard coming at them quickly.

Kyrin jumped down off the horse and then growled slightly when she got tangled in the long skirt. In one swift movement, she tore off the bottom half of it and tossed it to the side.

“Who’s there?” Alric asked toward the trees. His eyes narrowed when twelve Qualsax Warriors came out at them.

“Fancy meeting the King here,” the front Qualsax said, smiling at the two from Valhara.

“Why are you on Valharan land?”

He walked forward, cocky and assured, “Why not? Valhara will soon be under Qualsax control. We’re just scoping out the territory and look what we found… the King and his beautiful maiden.”

Kyrin dove forward and immediately crashed her flail into the skull of the closest Qualsax Warrior, instantly caving it in. Alric was surprised by her sudden attack, but was able to join in soon enough to catch them off guard. He easily stabbed the Warrior beside him and then swung and decapitated the Qualsax next to him.

When Alric took down the third Qualsax Warrior, he spun and found himself alone in the trees with the four dead. There was no sign of Kyrin or the other eight Warriors. Broken branches showed the path they took, so Alric followed them, hoping it wasn’t too late to get to them before they killed her.

He knelt down beside two Warriors, who were covered in deep burns, and both were dead. Alric stood up and continued following the path of destruction through the trees.

When he heard sounds of fighting again, he rushed forward and burst through the thick bushes, already swinging his sword. Kyrin had managed to kill two more, but was injured and exhausted as the other four came at her.

Alric caught them by surprise and managed to decapitate one before the other three turned on him and left Kyrin alone. The Warriors weren’t experienced, and he was easily able to dispatch the other three with only one minor wound. When he scanned to make sure no others were around, Kyrin fell to her knees, clutching her side.

“What’s hurt?” he asked, kneeling down beside her. He helped her lay down and then looked over the blood streaming from her side. One of the Warriors had caught her in the side, slicing into her torso.

“Watch it,” she whispered, and he looked around the clearing again.

“They’re gone. Let me heal this.”

He concentrated, but no amount of energy was healing the deep wound. She was starting to lose consciousness as the bleeding continued relentlessly.

“Stay with me, Kyrin,” Alric said, and picked her up gently. She kept a tight grip on her flail, even while she teetered on the edge of unconsciousness.

He called for the will of Sithias, and his feet sped up as he ran. As soon as he had both of them back on the horse, he kicked it hard and flew through the trees. Kyrin had quit moving and was lying limp in his arms when he arrived at the temple.

“Saith!” he yelled, sliding off of the horse.

A Priest came out and then ran up to them and took Kyrin from the King.

“I can’t heal her,” Alric said, following them in. “The wounds are too bad.”

Saith laid her down on the table, and more Priests came in and immediately began to work on her. Their hands moved over her body as the deep cuts began to glow. One gently pried the flail from her hand and handed it to Alric.

It was taking too long, and Alric began to pace nervously. Finn joined him as soon as he heard of the attack, and Alric sent him immediately to attack the closest Qualsax outpost.

“Why is this taking so long?” he asked the Priest.

“She was close to death. We’re doing all we can.”

“Sithias, if you want her studied, you have to help her,” Alric whispered softly.

“She has her own god.” Sithias’ voice rang out through the temple.

“But she is mine to take care of.”

“The burden is not your own. She relies on her god for her protection. I cannot intervene if he has forsaken her.”

“Can you do nothing?”

“No, she is in the hands of your Priests.”

Alric sighed when he felt the comforting presence of his deity leave. Finn returned several minutes later, after making sure attacking forces were heading out to Qualsax’s land.

“Sir, you’re hurt to,” Finn said quietly.

Alric nodded, but watched the Priests fight to safe Kyrin, “She was attacked because she was with me.”

“It’s not your fault. Trox told me they’ve been sacrificing on our land. I suspect they were lying in wait for the first Valharan to come by.”

Alric looked over when Kyrin groaned softly. He walked over as the Priests stepped back, “How is she?”

“We’ve done all we can. Rest will fix what we can’t,” Saith said, bowing to him.

“May I? Sir?” Dewell said, looking down at the bleeding gash on Alric’s arm.

He nodded, still watching Kyrin, and then picked her up once the Priest had healed him. Finn mounted his horse and reached down and picked Kyrin up from Alric. Soon, they were back at the palace and laying Kyrin down in Alric’s bed.

Finn covered her with blankets and then stood back, “Why is she in here, again?”

“Her room is too small, and I want to watch over her.”

“Do you need anything?”

“No, you may go. It’s getting late.”

Finn nodded and left, shutting the door behind him when he left. Alric stepped forward and then sat on the bed beside her. He checked the wound on her side. There was no visible wound, but he knew that internal damage was harder to heal using blessings, and she would need time to get back on her feet.

He marveled at how many Qualsax Warriors she had killed single handedly, but wondered at the deep burns across two of them. He finally wrote it off, thinking there must have been a mistake, and they weren’t burns he was seeing.

Night fell, and Alric watched her sleep. She was restless and several times opened her eyes long enough to call for help before falling back to sleep. When the sun rose, she finally opened her eyes and looked over at him.

“Where am I?” she whispered.

“You’re safe. I have you in my room. Do you need anything?”

“No,” she said, and then tried to sit up.

“Please stay down. You were injured badly by the Qualsax Warriors.”

Knowing she wasn’t going to be able to stand up, she laid back down and groaned slightly.

“Can I get you something to eat?”

She shook her head, “Where’s my flail?”

“It’s beside you on the table.”

“They were going to take it.”

“Qualsax collects weapons of those they kill.”

She managed a weak smile, “I almost had them.”

He reached over and gently brushed the hair off of her forehead, “Yes, you did.”

“Did anyone die?”

“Not from our side.”

“You finished them off?”

“Yes”

She nodded and then fell back to sleep. Once he was sure she was down for a while, Alric walked over to the window and clutched the cross amulet he had hanging over his chest.

“I could ask Daemionis for her life,” he whispered.

When he got no answer from Sithias, he knew his god wasn’t pleased with the idea. It was risky to ask another deity for anything, and doing so often resulted in blood pacts and death convictions.

“I can’t let her go back to a demon,” he said softer.

When Sithias spoke, only Alric heard it, “You cannot go to a demon to ask for the life of a follower.”

“Why not? Every demon has a price.”

“His price would be your soul.”

“My time is running out. She has only nine more months here.”

“Daemionis will not let her go. She has something he desires, and we have yet to figure out what it is.”

“Can’t you do something? If she’s important to Daemionis, then she could be important to us.”

“No evil is important to us.”

“I can’t let her go back to how she was living. It’s too dangerous.”

“She is not yours to keep. You cannot have these feelings for her.”

Alric turned to look at her, “I don’t have those kinds of feelings. She’s young and innocent. Her world is too perilous.”

“It’s all she knows.”

“She’ll die.”

Sithias didn’t answer, and Alric turned back to the window.