Sovereign

As she left the darkness behind, the tails of her dreams slid against her consciousness. For a moment she remembered her misshapen tormenters with the kind voices of those she loved: her father scolding her, her first lover accusing her of betraying him, Galen calling her a slut, Farben refusing to carry out her orders. And over all of them a voice she had not heard before, male and female, coming from a great distance and speaking of blood.

And then it was all gone, and in its place were new sounds no less terrifying but dramatically more immediate.

Her eyes blinked open and she saw Farben's face looking down at hers with great concern. 'Your Majesty? How are you feeling?'

'I'm feeling fine,' she wanted to say, but the words came out slurred. She tried to sit up, but pain rippled through her chest and her breath whooshed out of her.

'Don't move,' Farben's voice pleaded. 'You're hurt.'

'What happened?'

'You fell defending the west wall.'

'How long ago?'

'Yesterday.' He looked out the room's only window.

'I don't remember…'

'You were unconscious, your Majesty. You are lucky to be alive. Galen and I brought you back here—'

'Galen! Where is he?'

'He took your place on the wall. He is a good soldier.'

'Yes,' Charion agreed vaguely. Her eyelids fluttered.

'You should get more sleep,' Farben told her.

It was tempting. But something had woken her. Something was wrong. Then she heard the sounds again. 'What's happening?'

'The Chetts are attacking again. Galen will beat them back.'

'No. The sounds are closer than that—'

'Galen will beat them back,' Farben repeated.

She tried sitting up again, but once more the pain defeated her. 'What is wrong with me?'

'You have some broken ribs. You are bruised from shoulder to hip.'

Charion caught his gaze and said with sudden sternness, 'How would you know?'

Farben blushed. 'When we found you we did not know if you had been cut or stabbed. There was so much blood—'

'We?"

Farben sighed. He could not believe he was having this conversation. Why did Charion always find a way to make him feel so foolish?

'We?' she persisted.

'Galen and I,' he snapped impatiently. Then he said something that surprised him even more than Charion 'And don't you pretend that he hasn't seen it all before.'

She blinked in amazement. He went as white as her bed sheet.

'What did you say?' she asked, more shocked than angry.

'I… I…'

He was saved by more cries from outside.

'What is happening, Farben?' Charion demanded. 'And don't put me off this time.'

'All I know for sure is that there was a fourth attack on the west wall.'

'A fourth attack?'

'The third was this morning. Unsuccessful. The fourth started not long ago.'

'Help me up,' she ordered.

'You must rest, your Majesty. You are in no fit state—'

'Help me up!'

There was no denying that voice. He shook his head, but put a hand behind the small of her back and helped her into a sitting position. She tried to put her hands down to help take the weight off him, but discovered her right arm was in a sling. 'What use is this?' she cried.

'It's to protect you. The doctors were afraid if you moved that side too much you might send the end of one of the broken ribs into a lung.'

'Oh.'

With Farben's help she did sit up. With some effort and not a little pain she was able to swing her legs over the side of the bed.

'Right. Now I want you to help me stand.'

'No,' Farben said. 'You've been badly hurt—'

'A few cracked ribs do not make for a serious injury.'

'I have explicit directions from the doctors—'

'And now you have explicit instructions from me.'

Again, that tone of voice could not be disobeyed, least of all by Farben. He let her put an arm around his neck, and as he stood straight he brought her with him. For a moment they stayed like that, misshapen twins, until Charion eased her arm away and stood up by herself.

'That's better,' she said, but could not stop the pain from edging her voice.

A new voice, harried and exhausted, said: 'Thank God you're on your feet. We have no time to lose.'

'Galen?'

The Kendran stood before her and saw how pale she was. 'I am sorry, but we have to go.'

'Go? What are you talking about?' Charion looked at Farben, who could only shrug.

Galen licked his lips. 'Daavis is lost.'

'No.'

'The north wall is taken. They undermined it.'

'But it would take them weeks to reach the north wall—'

'Only if we found all the old tunnels,' Farben interrupted. 'Remember, your Majesty, they have Haxan sappers with them.'

Charion swayed on her feet, and both Farben and Galen reached out for her.

'And the west wall has gone now,' Galen continued. 'I barely escaped with my own life. Lynan is like a demon. No one can stand before him.'

Charion shook off their hands. 'Then I will stay and fight for my city!'

'You will die for your city,' Galen pointed out.

'So be it,' Charion said simply, and then to Farben: 'Get me my sword.'

'If you wish so much to die, then why not do it retaking Daavis at a later date?' Galen asked.

'Sophistry,' she said. And then to Farben again: 'Did you not hear me? I said get my sword!'

'No, your Majesty,' Farben said firmly. He turned to Galen. 'You will take her with you and your knights?'

Galen nodded. 'We will ride through what is left of the north gate then head east.'

'The Chetts will catch us,' Charion said, looking sternly at Farben.

'The Chetts are too busy looting Daavis,' Galen told her.

And then Farben saw something he never expected to witness. Tears came to Charion's eyes.

'They are looting my city?'

Galen nodded and dared to grip her arm again. 'You are coming with me now.'

Before she could respond, Farben took her other arm, disregarding the sling and her yelps of pain, and between them they helped her through the palace and to the courtyard. The knights were all mounted, their horses edgy from the smoke hanging in the air and the nervousness of their riders. Magmed appeared with two horses, and Galen and Farben carefully lifted Charion onto one of them.

'I am not dressed for riding,' she said weakly.

'You will do,' Galen told her. He looked at Farben. 'You can ride with me, if you wish.'

'No. You must ride swiftly. I will only hinder you.'

'Farben, you cannot stay here,' Charion said.

'Of course I can, your Majesty. Someone must make sure no one damages the palace.'

Galen mounted. 'We will return with an army.'

Farben nodded. 'I know. Look after my queen.'

'I promise.'

Charion leaned over to stroke Farben's cheek. 'I'm sorry.'

Farben quickly kissed the palm of her hand. 'I look forward to your return. I will greet you here at this spot and you can shout at me all you like.'

Charion laughed amid her tears.

'Now go,' Farben told Galen.

Galen and Magmed flanked Charion, and the troop set off. Farben watched them go, sighed heavily and returned to the palace.

CHAPTER 14

It was called the Castle Tower by those without respect, for it was as tall as a castle tower and seemed as well built. Tomlin, who had been in his profession his whole working life and who had inherited his position from his father, called it simply the Pigeon House for that is what it was. Situated within the grounds of the palace in Kendra but built as a separate structure, it gave Tomlin the grandest views of the city bar none. On this particular day the sun was high and bright, and a fresh southerly kept the air perfectly cool. Anyone other than Tomlin would also have said the southerly swept away the worst of the smell from the Pigeon House, but he no longer noticed the smell. Indeed, its source—the huge white cakes of bird droppings that settled at every level of the house—brought him the major portion of his income. Those who owned the city's market gardens loved the stuff, and he was more than happy to scrape it up and put it into small cloth bags and sell it to them.