Aiduels sin, p.19
Aiduel's Sin, page 19
‘And did you go to the College?’ asked Leanna, with a tremor in her voice.
‘No, it was impossible. Aiduel’s Guards have taken over the College complex, and have also reclaimed their fortress. There were just too many of the Guards there to be able to get into the College.’
Lord Aiduel, what have I brought upon my parents? Please protect them.
‘Did you manage to find anything else out?’ queried Amyss.
‘Nothing significant,’ stated Sendromm. ‘But if Leanna’s parents are wise, they’ll be in hiding now, and they shouldn’t return to their home.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Leanna.
‘I observed your house. There were two Aiduel’s Guards stationed there, at the front entrance. No one had witnessed the red-cloaks taking your parents, but if you or they return to your home, the Guards will be waiting.’
‘So, what can we do?’ queried Leanna, feeling helpless.
‘With regard to your parents? Nothing more. If they’re already dead, then there’s nothing to be gained by you returning to Arlais.’ Leanna felt queasy as Sendromm casually stated this. ‘And if they’re alive, I’m quite certain that they wouldn’t want you to return and risk yourself, by looking for them. Anyway, in the short-term, it’s too dangerous for you to try to find them, Priestess Leanna. Perhaps we can try to contact them again, weeks or months from now. But for now, you must do what I suspect they’d want you to do, and that is to stay alive.’
Leanna felt a wave of woe rising up inside, and the next moment she was crying, with her head buried in Amyss’s shoulder. The petite woman pulled her into a hug.
Caddin Sendromm left them like that, holding each other.
–
The next day, Caddin had re-hitched his horse to the wagon, and they were preparing to travel again.
Leanna had shed many tears the night before, but had now regained her composure. As they were about to set off, she stated, ‘I believe that you’ve acted in good faith, Caddin Sendromm, and that you’ve saved my life. As such, we agree to travel with you.’
He nodded, and said, ‘Very well. But first, we must decide where we are to go.’
‘I have a place in mind,’ said Leanna. ‘Somewhere that I must go to, and someone I must meet, before we do anything else.’
After she had explained this, they set off on the horse-drawn wagon, heading deeper into the lands of Western Canasar, and away from Arlais.
It was time for a reunion.
10
Arion
–
Year of Our Lord,
After Ascension, 769AA to 770AA
Arion Sepian was sitting within his bedroom chambers in the early morning, on the edge of his mattress. His chest was bare, and he was enjoying the site of his pretty wife getting dressed before him.
‘And she admitted to me, she and Lennion have been writing to each other, ever since our wedding,’ said Kalyane, who was pulling her dress over her shoulders as she talked. Her auburn hair was hanging down along her slim, naked back. ‘She wanted to tell me first, so I could let you know, before any of us speak to Gerrion. But I think that they’re quite smitten with each other!’
Kalyane was talking with excitement about Karienne, Arion’s younger sister. Lennion was Kalyane’s older brother, and Arion’s close friend.
‘I’m pleased for them both,’ he said, feeling a mild sense of loss once Kalyane had covered her body up. ‘But someone must talk to Gerrion about it soon. He may still want Karienne to be matched with another house, for political reasons.’
‘Someone?’ said Kalyane, with amusement in her voice.
Arion shrugged. ‘Well… not me, obviously. You know I’ve no talent for that kind of thing. But if you were to offer your services to talk to him, well… I think that’d be great.’
She laughed. ‘Very well. But not just yet, my husband. Gerrion will already have far too much to think about in the next few days.’
They continued to chat as Arion started to dress, untypically at ease with each other, and Arion recognised that he was enjoying her company. He had arrived home from Andarron just the evening before, and she had greeted him warmly, as if she had resolved to put the difficulties of their early months of marriage behind them. That had been in accord with his own resolution on his homebound journey, that he would try to make things right with her. Given all of the problems that they were going to face as a result of King Inneos’s actions, he did not want any more disharmony and upset within his married life.
They had spent the entire prior evening together, before retiring to their chambers at the end of the night to make love. Their relaxed banter this morning was clearly benefiting from the intimate moments that they had shared, just hours earlier.
As Kalyane was about to leave their chambers, she came forward to kiss his cheek, and said, ‘Have a good day, my love. Be safe.’
‘You too.’
He smiled at her as she left, then he moved to the bureau in the corner of his room, preparing to spend a dull morning catching up on reports. A bundle of opened parchments was piled on the centre of the desk, which would be the reports sent in by the various military garrisons scattered around Western Canasar. In Arion’s absence, Charl Koss had been given permission to review these. Arion grimaced at the thought of the several hours of dry reading which lay ahead of him, but he knew that he would have to be familiar with the contents before speaking with the ever-diligent Koss.
To the right of the desk, there were two unopened letters. Koss must have deemed these personal, and had therefore left them alone. Arion broke the seal on the first of these, and was delighted as he recognised the handwriting as that of his brother Delrin. After the war with Elannis had ended, Arion and Gerrion had both written to their middle sibling, and this was his first response:
Dear Arion,
Hello again, little brother. Or should I say, Hero of Moss Ford, mighty leader of the armies of Western Canasar!
Seriously though, Arion, I’m proud of you. Gerrion waxed lyrical in his letter about your deeds in the war, and I’m honoured to call you my brother. To destroy an army of that size, and to save Western Canasar – what an achievement! I wish that I could have stood beside you on that day, to witness your exploits. Gerrion says that you personally defeated dozens of men, including the Elannis prince. Oh, what would we would give for a hundred like you, out here in the Holy Land!
And congratulations too on your marriage. I don’t know Kalyane, of course, but if you and Gerrion both approve of her, then that is good enough for me. And we have long term allies in House Rednar, so no doubt Father would have approved too. I hope that you and Kalyane will have a long and happy life together.
I am still adjusting though to the idea that Father is no longer there, running our family. I am not ashamed to admit that I wept when I first read Gerrion’s letter about Father’s death. Despite the way that things ended between us, I still loved him, and I hope that he loved me, too. Gerrion will be a fine duke though – I think he has always had much better judgement than the two of us, ever since childhood!
Thank you also for the message that both you and Gerrion conveyed to me, that I am now reinstated to the family. That makes me happier than you can both know. But I will share with you what I have also written to Gerrion; whilst I am overjoyed to be reinstated to the family, I do not want to be Gerrion’s next-in-line. My home is the Holy Land now. I will never return to Western Canasar permanently, and therefore it is only right (particularly after your feats in the war!) that you remain his heir until such time that Gerrion has children.
I am now a Knight of the Order of Saint Amena, and am progressing well. The last few months have seen less warfare (thank the Lord!), and there are rumours that Baladris is preparing his forces for an assault to try to take Aiduel’s Gate itself. Better that he wastes his men’s blood attacking the impregnable Holy City, than directing them at our forces in the Enclave!
I also have my own good news, brother. Shalina is pregnant. I will be a father, less than six months from now! Can you believe it? If it is a daughter, we will name her Meralynn, and a son Conran. Mother and Father will live on through our next generation of children.
Knowing that Shalina and I will soon be parents makes me more determined than ever to protect and preserve the lands of the Holy Church here, and to hold the enemy at bay. Although, with the recent conflict between Elannis and Andar, we are concerned that there will be insufficient recruits coming from Angall to maintain the strength of our forces.
Please let me know as soon as you and Kalyane have your own news to share, on the child front. I hope that Aiduel will bless you with children, as He has blessed us.
Take care, little brother. Please support Gerrion as he adjusts to the responsibilities of being the duke, and please protect your family.
Your loving brother,
Delrin
Arion felt a pang of sadness upon reading Delrin’s words, and it made him realise just how much he still missed his elder sibling. He picked up and pocketed the letter, looking forward to sharing its contents with Gerrion.
He then turned his attention to the remaining unsealed document, casually breaking the seal and unfolding it.
When he read the short message within, his heart lurched in his chest and his mouth went dry. He felt breathless, and suddenly any thought of working through the pile of tedious military reports was gone. Along with that, the fragile equilibrium in his life, which a night of intimacy with his wife had helped to restore, was shunted back out of balance. All of this from three simple words, contained within a letter which he had never expected to receive.
Allana was alive.
–
In the hours that followed, the letter resulted in much agitation and pondering. He was giddy in reaction to the unexpected news, but he also felt a tinge of anger and frustration. If Allana was truly alive, then why would she only tell him that much, but no more? Why would she not share the details of where she was, and what she was doing? Why choose to torment him with that isolated piece of information?
It made him resent her a little, that she had chosen such a brief and impenetrable message. However, if her intention had been to burrow herself into his thoughts again, just when he was trying to put her memory aside, then she had succeeded.
Lord preserve us, must she haunt me forever?
As he drummed his fingertips against the surface of the bureau, he started to question both his own credulity, and the veracity of the letter. He could clearly recall the conversation with the Aiduel’s Guardswoman, Nionia, who had assured him that Allana was dead. Had the woman deliberately lied to him? Or, if she had told the truth, was the writer of this letter someone other than Allana? Someone who was attempting to deceive him? There was no way to investigate; Nionia and her religious order had been expelled from the country.
But whatever the answer was, Arion was deeply unsettled again. After much consideration, he moved across to the hearth in his bedroom, with the letter still in his hand. He could simply start a fire, toss in the document, and then pretend that he had never received it. He could ignore its contents, and concentrate on the resolutions he had made on his homeward journey. To make his life right, and his marriage right.
He glanced down at the letter again, at its simple message, and then looked at the hearth. After a few moments, he tutted audibly at himself, and refolded the document. He returned to the bureau, opened one of the drawers, and hid the parchment in the midst of a pile of papers.
He would burn it later.
–
In the week that followed, he attempted to put the letter out of his mind, and to concentrate on the tasks that he needed to complete.
Just do my job, he told himself during moments of doubt, and try to be a good husband.
However, the message still lingered in the background of his thoughts. It created an undercurrent of unease, a disquiet which was only lightened when he was throwing himself into military preparations.
There was much to be done, in the aftermath of Andar breaking away from the Holy Church in Sen Aiduel. During their return journey by sea, Arion and Gerrion had discussed this at length.
Gerrion was to oversee the transition within Western Canasar to the Holy Church of Andar, and the elder brother threw himself into this task with vigour. Working with the local High Priest, he organised an immediate gathering of senior clergy, and established a plan of action and communication. The early reactions of the people of the region seemed satisfactory, with little visible discontent.
Arion and Charl Koss were tasked with preparing for a second invasion by Elannis. They planned to recruit more troops into their standing army, in addition to bolstering the training of the militias. The defences on the river forts were also to be enhanced, and additional watchtowers were to be built along the length of the Canas River.
During that first week, Arion was impressed with the way that he and his brother were being supported by Kalyane. In Gerrion’s absence, Arion’s wife had taken over the running of Septholme Castle. She seemed determined to continue with this role, which allowed Gerrion more time to concentrate on religious matters and on financing the military. Arion found that he was admiring his wife anew; she was resourceful and clever, as well as kind and loving.
However, there remained a barrier between them. She did not know of his secrets, and he still could not bring himself to share that information. He could sometimes feel an unspoken tension about this when they were alone together, but for the moment at least she was content not to pressure him.
–
After Arion had been back home for over a week, news reached Septholme about the burning of Arlais. Gerrion summoned Arion and Kalyane to the Great Hall of Septholme Castle, where he shared the news with the two of them and Charl Koss.
‘The information we have is that an army of a thousand Aiduel’s Guards descended on Arlais,’ said Gerrion. ‘They fought against local militia, defeated them, and then set fire to parts of the city. Hundreds of citizens were massacred.’
‘Murdering scum!’ exclaimed Koss in response, the normally stoic adviser expressing a rare display of emotion.
‘But why have they done this?’ queried Kalyane. ‘Why attack Arlais?’
She glanced across at Arion, as did the others. They could all remember his headlong flight there following the wedding.
‘Our reports indicate that they’d come for the person known as the Angel of Arlais,’ replied the duke, his eyes still fixed on Arion. ‘The miracle-worker.’
‘And… did they find her?’ asked Arion.
‘No one knows,’ said Gerrion. ‘She’s disappeared from the city, that much is known. Whether she’s in the custody of Aiduel’s Guards, or is even still alive, is unclear. She’s not been seen since the attack. It’s probably safe to assume that if the purpose of Aiduel’s Guards was to get her, then they succeeded.’
‘Fucking red-cloaked bastards!’ exclaimed Arion. He blinked his eyes twice, trying to force away the tears that he was worried might be forming there.
Lord preserve us, he thought. Leanna! Why didn’t you find a way to return to Andar with me, and to get away from those fanatics?
‘Who is she, Arion? Who is she to you?’ asked Kalyane, her voice soft. ‘Perhaps if you tell us who this woman is, we can help you.’
He looked at her, feeling distressed. He wanted to tell her. Wanted to tell all of them. But it was too much to take in, and he felt overwhelmed. First Allana’s letter, and now this.
‘Not now, Kalyane, please,’ he said. ‘I need some time alone.’
He moved away from her, though he could see the resulting look of distress on her face.
He left them before there was any opportunity for further questioning, and went out to the courtyard, where he picked up a sword. For a time, he lost himself in the simplicity of the motions of martial exercise. He concentrated on the graceful movements of his weapon, and tried to shut the fate of the two Illborn women out of his mind.
It worked, but only for a short time.
–
That night, he retired to bed with a sullen disposition, his thoughts still agitated. He had avoided his family for the remainder of the day, and he waited until he thought that Kalyane might be asleep before returning to his room. She was lying awake in the dark, waiting for him, but he rebuffed her attempts to speak. He knew that he was wounding her again, and he truly did not want that, but he could not help himself.
The next day, he returned to martial practice, and to his duties as military leader. He was doing his best to avoid anyone who might ask him awkward questions, and he attempted to distract himself with action. However, Allana and Leanna continued to trouble his thoughts for the entire day.
First, he had abandoned Allana, then thought her dead and lost to him. For four months, despite the insignificant period that he had known her, he had been in mourning. Then finally, when he had at last resolved to move on, she had been resurrected by three short words in a letter. A letter which taunted him by containing no other information. A letter which he could do nothing with, other than to conceal it in a drawer, feeling guilt and futility.
By contrast, he had helped to save Leanna. He had acted to do something to give her the energy to protect herself from the flames, and he had witnessed the miracle of the explosion of the pyre. But he had chosen to flee afterwards, and he had failed to ensure that she also fled her country. And now she might be dead, his past actions to save her redundant.
Why was he such a fool? Why had he not insisted that she return with him? Again, she had only touched his life for a short period. However, the thought that Aiduel’s Guards had ultimately achieved what they wanted, and had murdered such a miraculous person, was making him both miserable and furious.
