Kings of Deceit - R

[Mollianne]

{name:Jessa#|#picture:47}

“Jessa, Jessa, l-look what he did to me!” Cair’s hand was clamped over his shoulder, blood staining his fingers and dripping down his white shirt. Jessa looked around in confusion, at war with herself; one part told her to run with Rhys and another wanted to help her friend. If he was her friend… Jessa could not remember. Everything was fuzzy and bewildering. She felt someone tugging on her sleeve, but she could not just leave.

Cair stared at her beseechingly. She watched the blood seep between his fingers and could not stand by doing nothing. She wrenched her arm away from Rhys and rushed towards him, ignoring Rhys’s plea to leave Cair alone.

“He… he h-hurt me, Jessa,” Cair whimpered, falling back onto the chair. Jessa frowned and glared at Rhys.

“What in all of Etrene were you doing? He’s my friend!” she shouted, standing up and stalking over to him. Rhys looked frightened, glued to the spot.

“Jessa, no, I’m not the enemy here. He’s controlling you. He has magic,” he said.

Jessa laughed, high and mirthless. “No, he does not. He told me so himself. Now get out. You hurt him again, and I’ll kill you.”

“I’m not leaving you here with him. He’s dangerous, Jessa. Please believe me.”

“Jessa, he’s the d-dangerous one. He attacked me for no r-reason,” Cair interjected, breaking off in a hiss of pain. Jessa spun around and rushed back to her friend. She glared once more at Rhys and then bent down. She took Cair’s hand and squeezed.

“We’ll find you a doctor.”

“Get me out of here, p-please. I don’t want to be around that m-monster.”

“No.” Rhys had stormed over and grabbed her. She wriggled in his grasp as he manhandled her over to the dusty mirror over the empty fireplace. He stuck her in front of it and said, “Look at your eyes, Jessa. You are not yourself. He’s clouding your mind. I don’t know why, but he is.”

As he spoke, he unclasped a necklace from his neck. Jessa thought it looked familiar. Rhys frowned in concentration, looking as if he was fighting something in his head, and fixed it around her neck. “How do you feel?”

Jessa looked at him through the mirror incredulously. “I feel fine. What is this? Cair’s dying, I need to help him.”

“Seriously, nothing?” Rhys asked, though his voice was fainter now, and the creases in his brow were beginning to lessen.

She shook her head and removed the necklace as though it burned her. Flinging it back at him, she threw him a look of disgust and raced over to Cair. He had managed to stand. She wrapped her arm around his waist, and before Rhys could do anything, they left the room.

“Jessa, we n-need to go faster. Don’t w-worry about my s-shoulder, just g-go.”

They half-ran, half-limped through the corridors. Jessa was surprised they did not encounter anyone along the long corridors, but they reached the front door with no problems. Rhys was not following, but she doubted they would be safe for long.

“Where should we go?” she asked frantically, when they stumbled outside. She looked around, deciding their best hope would be a boat. She herded Cair over to one of the small rowboats she had used to go to the arch on the other side of their small bay. She took the same route this time, but did not tie the boat when they arrived. Instead, she gave it a mighty push and let the waves take it further out to sea. She glanced up, checking that no one had ventured outside. They were still alone.

She helped Cair climb the rocky archway. The stones were slicker than the last time she had come. Together, they slipped and slid. Jessa nearly lost her balance, but Cair reached out and held her. Hugging each other, they finally made it to the top. There was a sharp ridge, which they clambered over. By ducking down, no one could see them from the house. Jessa breathed a sigh of relief, resting her head against Cair’s uninjured shoulder.

“T-thank you,” he whispered into her hair. They sat there, huddled against the bitter sea winds, until Jessa regained her strength.

“What do we do now? What do we do about your arm?”

“What about my arm?” Cair asked, staring at her as if she had grown another head. She returned the expression, gaping widely.

“The… Rhys stabbed you,” she said, pointing. Cair frowned and showed her his right side. There was no wound, no blood, nothing. But… they had run away because… Jessa frowned and looked at her thighs, confused. Her thoughts were disjointed, trying to make sense of it.

“What? Don’t be r-ridiculous. We went for a walk. You s-slipped and hurt your head,” he said gently. A pain blossomed at the back of her skull, which she was sure had not been there a second before. She gasped and clasped Cair’s arm. He soothed her, and she let his words roll over her. When her breathing regulated, he said, “You must have d-dreamt it. I promise you I’m f-fine.”

“But… it felt so… real,” she said, her voice weak and her head stuffy. She felt so tired, like she had been running for miles, but she was just sitting there, doing nothing. Why was she so exhausted?

“Jessa, just r-relax. Stop fighting it. Stop fighting me.”

“I’m not fighting you. What?” Jessa’s head hurt. She cried out and banged her head against the rock behind her, unleashing a fresh bout of agony. “Oh, take me home.”

“You can’t go h-home, Jessa,” he said, shaking his head at her sadly.

“Why not?”

“When we were walking, you told me you didn’t f-feel safe there. You told me that they’re evil p-people, that you’ve s-seen more horrible things than you c-care to imagine. I would much p-prefer it if you n-never went back there again. I c-care about you, J-Jessa. I know we h-haven’t know each other long, but I can’t see you h-hurt. Stay with me. I can look after you. I can h-help you through tomorrow.”

A different sort of pain rushed through her. Somehow, she had forgotten that tomorrow was the anniversary of her mother’s death. How could she have forgotten? Jessa felt truly ashamed of herself. She burrowed her head in her hands.

“Come on, we have to get away from h-here. They find you eventually, and who knows what they’ll do to you.”

Cair helped Jessa to her feet. Keeping low, they rushed across the rocky terrain to the grassland at the top of the cliffs. From there, they straightened. The house was blocked from view from boulders. Their pace quickened. Jessa followed Cair, though she was not sure why they were in such a hurry. Something must have happened recently at the house, for her to be so fearful that she needed to run away. Yet she could remember nothing of the sort. Still, she believed Cair, trusting him to take her to safety.

Behind her, she heard someone shout her name. She stopped, looking over her shoulder. Cair grabbed her hand and pulled. “No, Jessa. C-come on.”

“But… they sounded so worried. I should go back. Maybe… It’ll be okay.”

“Jessa, look at me.” Jessa did so, letting his strange brown eyes calm her. She felt peaceful and light, and sure that she was doing the right thing by running away. Cair nodded in satisfaction, slipped his hand into hers, and begun walking again.

“Jessa, it’ll be okay. After tomorrow, I p-promise you, you’ll f-feel no more pain.”

[Rosabeth]

{name:Rhys#|#picture:48}

Just like that, with no clues or leads, Jessa was gone. Rhys ran after the two, or at least in the direction they had retreated, yelling after Jessa as he went. As he came to the cliffs he stopped, surveying the many possible crevices and paths they could have taken. It seemed wrong the Rhys should be bested by some unfamiliar man in his own land. Rhys had been raised on this land, he knew the cliffs and their secrets better than any man, yet with that he knew the impossibility of finding the two without any lead.

Though they'd only been gone for minutes Rhys could feel the clock ticking away, every passing moment a potential catastrophe. Rhys wasted no time following blindly behind the two. He ran back to the house, heading straight for his father's chambers. Yet Rhys came back disappointed, for his father could not be found, both his bedroom and his study empty. In fact, the only light visible in the house came from Dima's chambers. Unfortunately, it was not Dima who resided within.

"Anja, what are you doing in here?"

Anja looked up from the bookshelf she was scouring, grimacing at Rhys' presence.

"Oh, it's you. Lovely."

"Where's father?" Rhys pressed, looking back into the corridor in hopes that someone might appear.

"He left this morning on a short visit to a city down south. I can't remember which, though I doubt it's important. It's not like he'd need your help," Anja smiled, taking a book from the shelf and forcefully sliding her way past Rhys out the doorway.

"He's gone?" Rhys gasped. Panic began to swell up within him as he faced the last of his options. "Where's Dima?"

"Around, I suppose. I haven't seen him in a while. He's probably trying to bed the du Rene girl, not that that's much of a shock." Anja paused, cocking her head as she studied Rhys' panicked expression. "What's wrong with you?"

Rhys leaned back against the wall, running a hand through his hair as he tried to calm his breath, closing his eyes. "Jessa befriended some strange man who has powers like Merai. He's manipulated both of our minds though I woke up with this thing," he grabbed at the pendant around his neck, "which seemed to bring me back to reality. Still, Jessa is completely under his control, she's unlike herself, and now he's taken her somewhere and I think he might be trying to kill her, or at least hurt her."

Briefly after Rhys' long winded explanation there was silence, and then out of nowhere Anja let out a low laugh, snickering to herself.

"What is funny?" Rhys hissed. "Jessa could be dead and I have no idea where she is!"

"I don't see the problem."

Rhys gaped, outraged at Anja's nerve. He knew her to be selfish, to be manipulative, to be cruel and cold, but could she truly be so heartless? It was not a question that needed answered, for Rhys knew the answer the moment he thought it.

"Let her die," she said simply, flipping the book over in her hand. "If she dies you can get back your precious Selene and we lose a judgemental, uptight bitch. I don't see the downside to this situation. Besides, why would you care if she lived or died? Since when have you had any great feelings for her?"

"Do you have absolutely no humanity left?" Rhys yelled, feeling the blood rushing to his face. Usually Anja's antics did not rile him up, but Rhys was in no condition to control his temper. "Are you so completely unfeeling that you would let an innocent woman be hurt or killed simply because you don't like them?"

Anja's eyes flickered up to Rhys, her face impassive. "I think you already know the answer to that."

Rhys felt like screaming. Despite his anger at Anja's cruelty Rhys couldn't help but think on her question. Why was it that he cared so deeply about Jessa's well being. He was not particularly fond of seeing any innocent person unjustly punished, but Anja did speak the truth in that Rhys' life would perhaps be easier without Jessa's involvement. Still, it was not simply morality that fueled Rhys' fear and worry. Though he was not certain if he could consider her a friend, Jessa had crept up on him over the months, and he believed they'd come to a certain understanding. It might not seem like much, but it was enough feeling to give Rhys reason to worry for her wellbeing.

While Rhys continued to think on Anja's question she began to retreat down the hall, disappearing around a corner. "Wait!" Rhys called, an uncomfortable realization dawning. Anja slipped back around the corner, watching Rhys with interest.

"What?" She asked curtly.

The words pained Rhys to say, but in the dire situation Rhys was running out of options. "You're an excellent tracker."

At first Anja did not seem to catch Rhys' drift, but slowly comprehension came and her expression turned hard. "No," she hissed. "I refuse. Why would I want to save her sorry ass?"

"Because I'm asking you as your brother, and despite the fact that we loathe each other that means something, does it not?"

"Not enough to make me want to save your little friend," she spat, turning away.

Before she could get any further Rhys grasped her arm, pulling her back. "Please," be begged, feeling as if his dignity was quickly being lost. "You're the only one I can turn to. Mother's been affected by the mage as well and I don't know where anyone else is. I'll make it worth your while."

His last words seemed to perk Anja's interest. "How so?"

There was very little Rhys had to offer that Anja was not already in possession of. He had no great fortunes she too did not have, he had no particular blackmail to threaten her with, and his array of items to offer was lacking. However, he did have one thing that might appeal if he could sell it correctly. It pained him to even think of making such an offer, but Rhys realized he had no other viable option. With that in mind, Rhys swallowed his reservations, looking into Anja's bright eyes.

"I will resign my contest to the heirship," he said reluctantly, feeling the pain of the words. The following words were physically painful to admit, but he reminded himself that he was saving a life, forcing his egotism aside for one selfless moment. "I will never argue it again; I will let you have it graciously. When father dies I will make no attempts to usurp your power and will willingly work in your service."

At first Anja was not affected, looking at Rhys with suspicion. "You can't contest it in the first place," she argued. "You have nothing to work with."

"You know that's not true," Rhys reminded her, and Anja's expression darkened. "If I could somehow prove that father's admission to me years ago was an official decision on the heirship I might be able to turn the law in my favor. Besides, it's not like father's death will resign me. I will fight you every day of your life for what is mine unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless you successfully track down Jessa and we find her alive."

Suddenly the offer did not seem so ludicrous. Anja's lips turned up in a grin, her eyes alight with excitement. "You would do all this for her?"

Rhys shook his head. "I'd do this for any friend."

Anja hesitated, looking somewhat apprehensive about the whole idea, but eventually her eyes lit up once again in pleasure. "You always were too soft." She extended one slim hand which Rhys met and they shook forcefully, their eyes boring in on one another. "You have a deal."

[Mollianne]

{name:Jessa#|#picture:47}

The next morning, Jessa woke up but refused to move. She turned on to her stomach and burrowed her head in her pillow. There was nothing that could drag her from bed that day. There was a hollowness within her. As she lay there, her mother’s laugh rang in her ears, amused by something Jessa had done only hours before she died. Though she was aware that it was just her mind playing tricks on her, the pillow smelled of her mother’s lavender perfume, a concoction she had made herself with Jessa’s help. Jessa hated the flower now, and had never touched it since. It was only on this day, of every year, that it soothed her.

She heard a door open and shut softly. Someone came closer, trying and failing to keep their footsteps light. They bent over her and touched her shoulder. “J-Jessa?”

Shifting away from Cair, she mumbled into the pillow. Cair sighed, and said, “Jessa, c-come. You can’t s-stay there all day.”

“Yes I can,” she said, her voice still muffled. “Go away.”

“No. I promised I would s-stay with you. I’m not leaving you to suffer in s-silence.”

He touched her cheek through her curtain of fiery hair. She groaned and rolled over so that he could see her face. “I am fine, see? Now please, leave me.”

“No,” he repeated, looking stern. His face softened. “Do you want to t-talk about her?”

She shook her head. “Talking does not help.”

He smiled at her sadly, taking her hand and pulling her to him. He hugged her close, and she let herself fall against him, resting her cheek in the crook of his warm neck. In keeping with the hush that had fallen over them, Cair whispered, “I b-brought you some things that might h-help you get through the day.”

“How would you know what might help?” she asked suspiciously, drawing her head away from him. He looked at her dubiously, as though she was asking a ridiculous question. Cowed, she returned to his embrace.

“You tell me a lot of things. I know w-what you enjoy. Come on, it won’t do you g-good to stay in bed w-wallowing.”

He pulled her from the room. In the next, Jessa stopped dead. She stared at the centre of the room in utter astonishment and distrust. “How…?”

Cair shrugged, going to retrieve the miniature on the table. He brought it over to Jessa, who traced the tiny face longingly. She felt a lump in her throat. “I… left this at the house. How did you…?”

“Does it really matter? I t-thought you would w-want it.”

Jessa nodded absently, dropping heavily into a nearby armchair. She studied the young face with watery eyes. Her mother’s smile was achingly familiar, even after all these years. Her hair, the colour as red and vibrant as fire, was pulled into a loose bun and decorated with lavender. Emara had loved the flower dearly. Jessa choked back a sob.

She looked up, seeking the comfort of Cair’s gentle eyes. Behind him, she noticed a vase of lavender. That explained how she had smelt them as though her mother was in the room with her. Jessa hugged the picture to her chest and closed her eyes, letting the smells consume her. Memories followed, battering her with love and gentleness. Her mother had had a sweet voice which she had needed to fall asleep every night when she was a girl. After she died, Jessa had not slept properly for weeks. She had been a lonely girl who had lost the only person to love her.

In her mind, she saw Catrice’s smug smile one afternoon when Jessa had been wandering aimlessly down the corridors, the blanket her mother had given her wrapped around her shoulders. Anger simmered up within her.

“My mother was murdered,” she whispered to Cair, opening her eyes. Her face was flushed with anger. Cair squeezed her hand and whispered words she did not understand but mollified her all the same. The hurt ached in her chest; she gripped Cair’s hand as if to transfer the pain.

“Let it stop,” she moaned, pressing her hot forehead against Cair’s cool arm. He brushed a hand through her hair. Instead of calming her, it reminded her of her mother trying to look after her after another of the servant’s children had pulled her hair and mocked her. She thought of all the times her mother had not been there.

Cair pulled away, leaving her cold and bereft. She curled up into a ball on the armchair, trying to stem the memories that she normally could stopper. She wanted her mother and was angry – so angry – that she had left her to fend for herself in this cruel world. That she had died and so let the king marry her to some unknown man with shady connections. That she had not lived and shared the wonders of life with her. It did not matter that her resentment was misplaced; her emotions ran high and she had to let them run their course.

“Jessa,” Cair said, tapping her gently. The cloying aroma of Ovisian wine reached her nose. She pulled away, but Cair placated her and she no longer knew why she was struggling. He handed her a glass, which she took in a limp hand.

“I shouldn’t…”

“Why not?” he asked. “I know it h-helped you once.”

Jessa did not think that sounded right, but Cair knew so much about her and he had not been wrong yet. Hesitatingly, she lifted her glass so he could pour in the red liquid. It reminded her of blood and a knife flashed before her eyes in her memory. A moment later it was gone, leaving confusion in its place. Still, it was enough to yank the glass away before Cair had finished, spilling wine onto her dress. For a brief second, she saw Cair’s face morph into ugly annoyance, but it was gone so fast that she thought she had imagined it.

“What’s the matter?”

“I can’t… I… promised,” she said haltingly, her brow furrowing. “I… Alistair. He…”

“Shh,” Cair breathed, stroking her hair. “It’ll help, I promise you. Remember how it helped you five years ago on this very day? It made this so much easier. It made everything practically slip away.”

Jessa nodded dumbly, sure he was telling her the truth. It would help, and it could not be bad. The wine had been her mother’s favourite drink. It brought her closer to her, and eased her pain. Of course it was a good idea.

Slowly, carefully, she tipped the glass back and drank. Its sweetness overwhelmed her and she spluttered. Cair smiled and rubbed her sweating forehead with his thumb. “I don’t feel any–”

“Just keep drinking. One s-sip isn’t going to do anything. And once you’re done, we’ll go for a nice w-walk along the cliffs. It is a beautiful day, and you are in need of beauty today.”

[Rosabeth]

{name:Rhys#|#picture:48}

Throughout his childhood and adult life Rhys had spent very little time in Anja's room, and as he entered he immediately remembered why. Her room was less of a sleeping chamber and more of a torture chamber, various sized daggers, swords, and other painful looking weapons displayed on walls and cased in glass. Any space lacking a weapon was occupied by strange and various tools, everything from tools of an alchemist to barely opened history books. Anja opened a small wooden box embossed with silver scrawls. After digging through through the box for a moment she withdrew a pendant that matched Rhys' precisely, undoubtedly from the same maker.

"What is that?" Rhys asked, pulling his own forth.

"It's a blood amulet - mother gave it to me years ago. If you have one how do you not know what it is?"

"I woke up wearing it," Rhys answered. "I suppose mother put it on me while I was sleeping." instead comparing the two amulets beside one another. As he inspected them with a more critical eye he understood the meaning of the "blood" part of the name. Though the stone itself was red, red droplets ran down the inside of the translucent sides, pooling at the bottom.

"The amulet protects the wearer from greater magic. While wearing it you cannot be influenced by any mage, no matter how powerful. Of course, if they take it from you you're out of luck, but that can be hard to do as a mage cannot touch one without being burned. It's made with the wearer's blood - obviously - so it only works on the person it was made for."

Jessa's resistance to the effects of the necklace, his mother's burn on her chest, his own coherency - all the pieces came together with Anja's information. Rhys looked down at the amulet as if it was the sun itself, the most valuable possession he'd ever come across.

"We need one for Jessa."

Anja scoffed, muttering what sounded like an insult under her breath. "Do you happen to have a supply of her blood on hand? Besides, I don't know how to make one and I'm fairly certain it requires some magical abilities to make."

Finally, Anja seemed to come upon her real item of conquest. She withdrew a small velvet pouch from a box, revealing a rather dull looking disk shaped stone.

"Do you have anything of Jessa's? I need a possession of hers for this to work."

Rhys shook his head but quickly ran down the hall to Jessa's room, grabbing the first thing he could find, a grey shawl draped over a chair. When he returned to Anja's room she was looking over her impressive weapon collection, contemplating between a curved sword and some sort of throwing blades. Beside her sat an elegant bow and arrow and quiver of arrows, a set that made Rhys nearly drool with longing, the archery lover he was. To his surprise Anja picked up the two and threw them at Rhys, he stumbling to catch them. Apparently unable to decide on her own choice of weapon, Anja took both objects, attaching the sword to her belt.

"If this bastard's as dangerous as you make him out to be we're going to need some weapons, not that I couldn't snap his neck with my bare hands. Still, I feel getting that close might be a problem."

Fully armed and ready for assault, Rhys and Anja made their way along the beach, following the path Rhys believed Jessa to have taken. Anja was silent, her eyes narrowed and focused as they flickered from the sand to the rocks and back again, taking in every inch of her surroundings.

"This way," she said as they approached the cliffs, pointing at a small trail that led up a cliff face. "This plot has been disturbed."

Rhys saw no disturbance but did not question Anja's uncanny ability to track down people like rabbits, following her lead with absolute trust. Occasionally she'd crouch close to the ground, dusting of a rock or examining a spot on the cliff, and always she'd rise with determination, pointing Rhys in some new direction. After what seemed like ages of silent walking, Anja paused in a clearing near the beach, just before a new set of more treacherous cliffs.

"I've lost the trail," she said, looking around in confusion. "It just ... ends. It's like they knew we'd follow and purposefully covered up their tracks."

"That's it?" exclaimed Rhys, dumfounded. "We're done?"

Anja's laugh was almost insulting. "Of course not, I'm not an idiot. Do you still have that shawl?" Rhys held it out to Anja who snatched it from his grasp and wrapped it around her strange stone. She held it in her hand tightly, beginning to walk aimlessly in a zig zag pattern. At first she veered right, then immediately turning to her left and continuing on in that direction, walking around like a drunk person.

"What are you doing?"

"It's a tracking stone. It cost a small fortune, so don't think it's some petty toy. All you need is an item owned by the person you want to find. You put the item to the stone and it burns hotter the closer you get to the person. Of course it only works if you're already relatively close, so the reading keeps changing. They must be on the move."

Rhys did not need telling twice. They quickened their pace, Anja's trajectory growing more straight and steady by the minute. Soon they reached the base of the dangerous cliffs, both pausing to assess the situation.

"You don't think..." Rhys muttered, looking up with dread at the path up the cliff side.

"Oh yes, that's exactly what I think."

They began their ascent up the cliffs carefully, following the thin trails that wound up the sides. As they neared the top of the cliffs Anja suddenly hissed with pain, dropping the stone to the ground. She grasped at her hand, staring off into the distance.

"She's here somewhere; that thing nearly burned my hand off."

Not waiting for Anja to follow him, Rhys shot up the rest of the path, barely taking care to avoid falling over the edge as he ran. Just before turning the last corner before the summit Rhys caught a familiar voice from above. There stood Jessa, Cair close by, standing at the very edge of the cliff. Rhys halted, frozen in horror, unable to take his eyes from just how close Jessa was to the edge and just how far away he still was.

[Mollianne]

{name:Jessa#|#picture:47}

Cair had left her while she drank, a apprehensive look on his face. Jessa was too befuddled – presumably by the alcohol, though she did not think she had too much – to worry why. She refilled her glass and continued the wine. It tasted bitter and she wanted to stop before she drank too much, but something made her continue. She felt uneasy. But, as Cair had promised, the more she had the less ferociously her mother’s memory attacked her. It left only a dull ache and the ghost of her mother singing as she tidied their shared room in the castle. Jessa closed her eyes and let the lullaby wash over her.

By the time Cair returned, Jessa had finished both the bottles he had given her. It was far more than she had touched at the wedding and she was feeling the worse for it. Jessa moaned. Cair was there, brushing at her forehead and whispering calming words. She suddenly felt much better, though her head was stuffy and her thoughts muddled. There was definitely something bad about this, something she could not remember. Cair kissed her temple and the certainty disappeared.

“Come on, Jessa. F-fresh air will do you g-good.”

They left the tiny cottage and Cair led her up a steep cliff trail. It was overgrown and forgotten. Jessa got her ankle tangled in the thick grasses and knew this was a bad idea. “Can we go back?”

“It’s not much farther, Jessa. And it’s a beautiful view. You have to see it.”

Jessa, wobbly on her feet because of the wine, nearly fell back. Cair caught her and practically carried her the rest of the way. The world swayed at the top, dizzying in an unpleasant way. Cair let go of her and she collapsed to the dewy ground. With a heaving sigh – one that sounded far too irritated for Cair’s sweetness – Cair bent down and yanked her up. “Come on, Jessa.”

They walked to the cliff edge. He told her to stay and moved back slightly. She frowned and moved to go to his side, but he stopped her with a shake of his head. “Tell me about your mother.”

At first, Jessa refused, but something intangible prodded at her until she relented. Jessa told Cair everything she could remember of the beautiful woman. The only person to ever have loved her. The one who wanted better for her, the only woman to fight with the king and not back down. She had been determined to give Jessa a proper education, but there had been no way to afford it herself. Yet she had striven to teach Jessa everything she had known.

As she spoke, a dam broke within her. The lump in her throat grew until she could barely breathe. Tears streamed down her face, while Cair looked on impassively. She reached out for him, needing human touch, but he just watched her. Her hand fell limply to her side.

“You know where you are, Jessa? Does it feel familiar?”

The words penetrated through the grief. She looked around her, the world spinning, and saw the sea battering against the rocks at the bottom of the cliff. As she stared at the waves, her mind threw her back to an earlier time. It was dark, and she stood on the edge of a cliff in Ovis, a bottle in her hand. She had been admiring the way the water wet the rocks.

“Do you remember what you wanted to do, Jessa?” Cair continued.

She shook her head. She had not wanted to do anything. A man had come along and seen her, panicked and pulled her from the edge, but she had not intended to jump. No one believed her, and part of her had begun to doubt it herself. That anniversary of her mother’s death had been a bad one, after all. Princess Elissa had been relentlessly cruel, the wine had been there – taunting her that her mother would not be with her for yet another long year – and she had drunk it until she could barely think. How she had managed to get to the cliff Jessa still did not know. But she had not wanted to die.

“Jessa, you wanted to, I know you did,” he said, breaking the clarity of her memory. She faltered. She tried to turn back around but Cair was there, pushing her back. “No, look. It’s beautiful. She’s beautiful.”

He pointed over her shoulder, down to the rocks where her mother sat, waiting for her. The woman waved to her and opened her mouth, though the words were lost to the crashing waves. Jessa frowned and shook her head, her heart plummeting into her stomach. Her mother was dead – this was not possible.

“She’s waiting for you, Jessa,” Cair said, his words a tantalising promise.

It did not seem right. Her mother could not be there. Jessa shook her head, trying to clear her mind but the wine and something else stopped her. With the last conviction she had, she said, “My mother is dead.”

“And you want to risk that? You can be with her, Jessa, forever. No more of this pain, just like I promised you yesterday. The Marinons won’t be able to get you. You’ll be free.”

He was not stuttering – how had she not noticed again? She began to panic and wanted to run, but Cair was there, smothering her in an embrace. He held her until she stopped fighting him, until she calmed down and her thoughts fell away to the cloudiness that had been there before. It was nice to be free of the anxieties and pain.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to have that forever?” Cair breathed. Jessa nodded and stepped away, back towards the cliff edge. “Your mother can help you with that. You do trust me, Jessa, don’t you?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then be with your mother.”

Jessa nodded, and moved until her toes hung over the precipice. Her memories flashed back to that night again, but this time she remembered thinking of freedom, of falling. It felt wonderful.

“Jessa!” someone screamed, just as she took one last step.

[Rosabeth]

{name:Rhys#|#picture:48}

Jessa wavered on the edge, halted from her inevitable fall by Rhys' voice. In that split second Rhys was faced with two decions, neither with favorable outcomes. He could attempt to pull Jessa from the edge, but his momentum from his run might accidentally push her over the edge. On the other hand, Rhys could put his trust in Jessa's balance and aim an arrow at Cair, keeping him from taking any drastic measures and pushing Jessa off himself. There was no time for contemplation; any loss of time would lead to a gruesome death. Taking one last look at the scene before him Rhys made his choice.

Rhys fixed an arrow to his bow, pulling back the string and this time aiming to kill. With his release the arrow shot forward, hitting Cair low than expected in the stomach. Rhys could have sworn his aim had been higher, but the power behind the arrow was enough to send it all the way through Cair's abdomen, leaving him reeling as he fell to the ground. Rhys knew Cair would not be down for long, seeing as his powers of healing were undoubtedly immense, so Rhys hurtled forward towards Jessa. At the last second Rhys reached out and grabbed Jessa around the waist, throwing all his weight to the side. Both of them hit the ground hard, Jessa taking most of the fall. Still, being against the hard ground, feeling solid soil instead of nothingness was an immeasurable relief.

When Rhys recovered from the shock of the landing he realized Jessa's eyes were closed, her body slack.

"Jessa?" He yelled, shaking her softly. She did not stir, and briefly Rhys wondered if she had been knocked out with the blow to the head. Rhys cupped her head with one hand, holding her steady as he continued to try and wake her, calling out her name over and over. Cair was still limp on the ground, though whether he was truly injured or faking a mortal wound was beyond Rhys. The seconds elongated, feeling more like hours than moments, and each passing moment of silence was agony as Rhys waited for a sign. As if a gift from the gods themselves, Jessa's eyelids fluttered open slightly, a groan escaping her lip.

"Thank the gods," Rhys whispered, taking a sigh of relief. He helped Jessa to sit, hoping she would not fall unconscious once more. She appeared remarkably coherent for someone who looked so dazed, but Rhys dared not leave her side for fear she would try and jump again. Still, Cair was not yet dead, and as his body began to stir Rhys began once more to panic.

"Anja!" He called, looking around wildly for his sister. She was nowhere in sight and Cair continued to rise, the hole in his stomach priorly occupied by the arrow now healed and covered in dried blood, his eyes wild. He glared at Rhys as he got to his feet but soon his expression faltered, confusion replacing malice. Cair's eyes flickered to Rhys' neck, staring at the amulet with disgust as he advanced on Rhys. For such a slight man he was remarkably quick, and before Rhys could get to his feet Cair had tackled him back to the ground, his hand lunging at Rhys' throat. They struggled uselessly, Cair clutching at the amulet and crying out in pain as his hand began to burn, Rhys wincing as he could feel his own burn begin to mark on his chest. Rhys grabbed at Cair's hand, and with all his force between his hands Rhys cracked the wrist, emitting the most unpleasant sound. This was enough for Cair's grip to slacken, and Rhys used this moment to shove the man off him, rolling over until he straddled Cair. He withdrew his dagger, pressing it to Cair's jugular.

"Don't!" came a cry from behind. Rhys hesitated, never removing the pressure from the blade but not yet making any fatal cuts. Rhys turned to Jessa who had one hand held out, pointing at Cair. "Don't kill him yet."

"Give me one good reason," Rhys spat, his knife drawing closer until a thin line of blood appeared. Just the sight made his heart lighter.

"You need to question him; I know you want to," Jessa's voice was now a plea, her eyes wide and frantic. "You'll never know why he did what he did if you kill him now."

Rhys considered the thought but then paused, looking back at Jessa with suspicion. "How do I know he's not making you say this?"

"You don't," she said, her eyes trained on Rhys, "but you'll have to trust me that I'm not. If I was I'd already be dead."

A hand clasped on Rhys' shoulder, pulling him off Cair.

"I'll take it from here," said Anja, her own knife held in hand. She pushed Rhys away, taking his position straddling Cair as she began to make long lacerations up and down his chest. Cair began to scream but Anja did not falter, continuing her long, drawn out torture.

"I don't think he'll be in much shape for mind control anymore, do you?" She said with a smile.

Rhys ignored the gruesome scene and rushed to Jessa's side, kneeling beside her. Without thinking Rhys pulled Jessa into a tight embrace, his arms wrapped tight around her body as he rested his head atop hers. She froze beneath him and Rhys suddenly realized what he had done, coming to his senses. Yet, despite the strange sensation of being so close to Jessa in spite of their strained relationship, Rhys did not pull away, pulling her in tighter. He said nothing for there was nothing to say, basking in the reality that Jessa was alive and relatively well and Cair was in no position to threaten any of them.

Until that moment in which Rhys enveloped Jessa in an embrace, until the second he had seen her wavering at the edge of the cliff, Rhys had not realized just how much he cared for her safety or how much the last few weeks had done to bring them together. And with the way Jessa held Rhys without hesitation, Rhys knew she was realizing the same thing.

"Thank you," Jessa whispered, her voice wavering. "Thank you."

[Mollianne]

{name:Jessa#|#picture:47}

“How are you feeling now?” Rhys asked as soon as he had entered her bedroom. Jessa sighed. She had been confined to her bedroom for the last day, and no matter how much she told them she was fine, no one believed her. Rhys had called in a doctor to examine both her and his mother. Though Vyserene had been given the all clear a while ago, Jessa was forced to sit in bed doing nothing. Her head was not up to reading – the hangover and the mind control had seen to that.

“Exactly the same as I was an hour ago: fine.”

Rhys perched on the edge of the bed, his face sceptical. Jessa huffed and glared at him. If they were not going to believe her there was little point in asking, especially every single hour. Rhys’s concern was unfamiliar and surprising. Each time he saw her, however, he did seem slightly more at ease. This time, he was fidgeting. Jessa was wary, her stomach dropping as her brain jumped straight to the probability that there would be more bad news. She did not think her heart could take any more.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rhys take something out of his pocket and drop it on the sheets covering her. Jessa picked up the necklace and twisted it in her hands, admiring it. When she looked closer, she saw tiny droplets of liquid within the stone; she could not decide if it was blood or the red gem just made it look like it.

“I’ve seen this before,” she said, though she was not completely sure. Anything that had happened to her since she met Cair felt like it had come straight from a dream – if she remembered it at all. “Your… mother had one. What is it?”

“It’s a blood amulet. We’ve had one made for you so you can be there when we interrogate Cair, if you want to be.”

Jessa’s blood boiled at the mention of his name. She never wanted to see him again. But she needed answers and she needed to hear them first hand, even if she was a little surprised that the Marinons had managed to keep him alive this long. Jessa nodded. “Thank you.”

“Jessa,” Rhys said, glancing down at his hands as if he was not sure if Jessa wanted to hear what he had to say, “You do know that, as soon as he’s told us everything we want to know, I will kill him.”

“I know,” Jessa said, face stony and words unwavering. Despite everything Cair had done to them, Rhys looked shocked that she had replied so unfeelingly to his admission. Jessa could not bring herself to care. “I won’t watch, but I won’t stop you.”

“Well, the doctor says you’ll be okay to move about, so I’ll come and fetch you in half an hour.”

Rhys left. Even though she was glad that he was not there to watch her for any signs of illness, the room felt emptier without him – or anyone, really. Having nothing to do took its toll on a person, and she really did not want to think about the interrogation. She had been doing reasonably well to ignore her feelings regarding Cair’s violation of her. Jessa shivered and put her mind to something else.

After what felt like hours, Rhys returned to take her away from her morbid solitude. Though she told him she did not need help, he put his arm around her and led her through the bright corridors. After months where they had not touched at all, this sudden intimacy unnerved her. What she did not let herself think too much upon was the idea that it partially unnerved her because of how much it comforted her.

They came to a darker section of the house Jessa had not noticed before. The shadows sent chills down Jessa’s spine as she thought of what might have occurred along these dark corridors and within the rooms. It was obvious, based on where they were going, what use this part of the house had.

Rhys stopped and let her go. He looked down at his chest to check that he still had his amulet on and then glanced at Jessa. She was disgruntled that he would think she would forget. Cair had had such a tight grip on her mind that it sickened her, and if he was well enough to perform his magic Jessa had no doubt that she would be within his grasp quicker than anyone else. She refused to ever let him – or anyone else – do that to her ever again.

Rhys hesitated. “You don’t have to do this. We can just tell you what he says.”

“No,” she said firmly, “I have to face him. I need to see him for what he truly is.”

She entered the door before Rhys. In the centre of the room, tied down with ropes – fixed with magic, she presumed – sat Cair. He did not look like the sweet, slightly chubby young man she had remembered, and for a moment Jessa thought they had caught the wrong man. Jessa knew it to be him from his smile, the one that had drawn her in under his magical influence. Now she could not be affected, she saw it for the beguiling smile that it was. Cair did not seem to realise, at first, that his magic was not working.

“Jessa, thank all of Etrene it’s you. Can you believe they have done this to me?”

Jessa glared at him in disgust, and leant as close to him as she dared. She stared into his strange brown eyes, which filled her with dread and fear instead of the peace they once had, and pulled the necklace from her dress. His eyes alighted on it and he fell back in angered defeat.

Jessa spat, “You will never control me again. I will not be your toy.”

Rhys pulled her away and held her against his back. She squirmed away and moved to the corner of the room. Jessa did not trust herself to ask the questions.

Jessa expected the rest of the family to enter any moment, but she quickly realised it would just be her and Rhys. She glanced at Rhys. The expression on his face terrified her and she looked away. Never had she seen such a mix of revulsion and rage in a man’s face. She clenched her fists in her dress.

“You’re far too stupid to be working alone. Who sent you?”

Cair stared back unmoving. Jessa felt an odd sensation brush against her. She could feel it trying to find a way in, but it was blocked by the blood stone. It was glowing faintly, and warm. Rhys laughed a hostile, bitter laugh.

“Your magic won’t work. Stop wasting time and energy and tell me who you work for.” His spoke through gritted teeth, his last words a hiss. Jessa saw a glint of a blade in the dim light, but she forced herself to look on. She was beginning to realise that one discovered who they really were in their darkest moments, and Jessa was not sure if she liked her desire to see Cair hurt as he had destroyed her.

“No.” Cair looked at Rhys defiantly, who punched him in the face. Jessa heard his nose crack as blood poured down his face.

“Who do you work for?”

“What will you do if I don’t tell you? Kill me?” Cair laughed and shook his head. He looked far too smug for someone who was chained and bloody, staring in the face of torture.

“There are ways to get you to talk. I don’t think you would like them, and I would really rather no do them in front of Jessa.”

“Oh yes, because she is so pure and harmless,” Cair said derisively. He looked away from Rhys, fixing his gaze on Jessa. The hate in his eyes made her want to flinch and turn away, but she made herself stare back. He had no reason to hate her, but she had every reason to loathe him. She could not look too long into those dark eyes, and she soon turned away. Jessa heard the crack as another punched landed somewhere on Cair’s body.

“You will look at me when I am talking to you,” Rhys said. Cair began to moan in pain. “Who?”

When Jessa looked back, Rhys was holding Cair’s arm in a very awkward position, a few moments away from snapping the bone in two. As Rhys continued to press down, Cair’s eyes grew more vacant. It was like he was somewhere else entirely and was not at all aware of what was actually going on. He suddenly laughed. “Fine. It’s not like you could touch her anyway. Merai sent me.”

Jessa’s blood stopped cold. She did not know what to think. Rhys hesitated for a moment as well.

“Why?”

“Because she wanted Jessa disposed of, obviously. And she decided I was ready,” Cair said, puffing up importantly.

“Who are you? Who is Merai to you?” Jessa butt in, eyes narrowed.

“Merai is my mother.”

Rhys looked gobsmacked. Merai had clearly hid her son well, probably so the mage could use him as a secret weapon. It had worked surprising well.

Before Rhys could recover, Jessa asked, “If Merai sent you, wouldn’t she have made you avoid the Marinons? It seems a bit stupid to try and take them over when she would surely have known they have blood amulets to protect them and show them the truth.”

For the first time, Cair looked ashamed. “Well, maybe she did. But when I saw Rhys on the harbour, I couldn’t resist. I couldn’t take any chances, either. He was already suspicious.”

Rhys jumped back in on the attack. “Why does Merai want Jessa dead?”

Cair paused, as though he was listening to something in his head. Eventually, he said carefully, “Why would I tell you that?”

Jessa’s heart thumped against her chest. She remembered reading something about it… “Is she talking to you right now?”

“Oh, you are a clever one,” he crowed. “If she doesn’t want you to know why, you never will. You cannot make me talk.”

Jessa realised in that moment that, like she and Rhys had been Cair’s, Cair was essentially Merai’s puppet. Just like she had managed moments of lucidity, Cair had been able to perform his acts of stupidity – like taking on Rhys and Vyserene – whenever Merai had not been watching him through his mind. And it was certainly true that they could get nothing out of him that she did not want them to know. Which begged the question: why did Merai want them to know she was behind it at all?

[Rosabeth]

{name:Rhys#|#picture:48}

The Marinons had never expected loyalty for Merai, but still her betrayal stung. A relationship forged from mutual benefit rather than a common good or understanding was bound to be fraught with a lack of trust, and the Marinons had always been on eggshells around the highly volatile Merai, but never would Rhys have expected this sort of treachery.

Despite his immense hatred of Cair, the news of his relationship to Merai did soften Rhys' feelings towards the man, even if only slightly. Still, it was not enough to change Cair's fate - his treatment of Jessa had sealed the days ago.

"Your own mother uses you as a pawn for her bidding?" Rhys asked, slowly circling a heavily breathing Cair.

"And your father doesn't?" Cair snapped, somehow managing to smile through the blood that ran down his lips.

Rhys paused, a small smile playing on his lips. "Oh, he does, but that's not really the matter here. What I want to know is why Merai would have a child in the first place? Unless..." Rhys thoughts began to wander and he turned to Jessa. "Do you know if having a blood relationship to another mage gives you a stronger influence over them?"

Jessa looked as if she too had never considered the idea, shaking her head. "I don't know."

"Very clever, both of you," Cair croaked, coughing up blood that had clogged his throat from his bloody nose. "And you're married? Perhaps it was not a marriage of convenience after all."

Rhys' temper got out of hand momentarily, back handing Cair across the face. "If I were you I would stay to the point."

In a truly demented fashion, Cair laughed once again, though it was a gargled, hard sound, something nearly inhuman. Rhys supposed that at this point in ones life, when you realized your time was running out, all sanity disappeared. "I though you would have realized by now that it is I that controls this interrogation, not you."

Patience running thin, Rhys decided to result to more drastic measures. He withdrew his knife, holding down Cair's hand as he slowly began pressing down against Cair's fingers, drawing blood and cutting flesh at an excruciating rate. Cair, despite his front, did not have an inhuman tolerance for pain and was quickly crying out in low, guttural sounds. Even with his hatred for the bastard such slow, graphic torture was more of Anja's forte than his own, and he grimaced slightly at the sound as he began to hit bone. He turned to Jessa, noting how her chest rose and fell rapidly as she tried her best to keep an impassive expression.

"Now, do you think you could tell us why Merai wished to have Jessa killed? Why take the time to force her to commit suicide when you could have killed her so easily on your own?"

Instead of answering as Rhys had hoped, Cair spit in Rhys' face, his eyes wild. With a sigh of disgust Rhys brought back his knife and sent it down in one hard slash, removing all of the fingers on Cair's right hand. The scream was harrowing, but the move seemed to have done the job.

"She's a threat!" Cair cried out. Suddenly he began to scream, thrashing about with his eyes clamped shut, a strange sort of pained look unrelated to Rhys' torture. Rhys took a step back, unsure as to what was happening. He moved back to Jessa, keeping close by her side in the event that somehow Cair might break free.

"I think Merai is punishing him telepathically, though I don't know how," Jessa whispered, unable to take her eyes off of Cair. Rhys thought of that and realized it was entirely plausible, if not a little sickening.

Eventually Cair calmed, his head hung low as he gasped for air. Rhys realized Cair's usefulness was beginning to run short, and with that in mind he quickened himself through his last questions.

"What makes Jessa a threat? Is Merai threatened by the royal family?"

Cair shook his head, apparently unable to laugh anymore. "The du Rene's are as much of a threat as a pig is to a tiger. No, I've said to much as it is, I promise you this time that there is nothing you can do to make me tell you what you wish to know."

Rhys did not give up quite so easily. "As I asked earlier, why did you make Jessa attempt to kill herself? Why not just kill her?"

A brief silence followed in which Rhys advanced once more, but Cair brought up his hand, causing Rhys to pause.

"Why not?" Cair's mouth now trembled, his strength growing weaker. The ropes that chained him prevented him from using his healing powers, and the loss of blood was quickly taking its toll. "Maybe I just wanted to test her."

Rhys could not fathom Cair's meaning but was beyond caring. From the whiteness of Cair's face to the set of his lips Rhys knew there was little left to say, little left that he could possibly do to gain any more information.

With that in mind Rhys turned to Jessa, his dagger upheld. "You might not want to watch."

Cair put up no fight, said no words, only hung limply in his chair knowing that his death was inevitable. Though surely he would die from loss of blood if left long enough, some sick part of Rhys wanted to kill him, wanted to take the last breath of life from Cair and be the one to end his heartbeat. Stabbing the heart was more difficult, as it required a certain angle, a precision to get past the breastplate. Rather than deal with that, Rhys walked to the Cair's back, pushing forward his head. "This is for Jessa," he hissed, in one hard movement putting the knife at the top of his neck, severing the brain stem. Cair's death was instantaneous.

When Rhys removed the knife, looking up towards Jessa, he saw that she looked on at him. He could not be sure if she had witnessed the death or had chosen to look away, but either way he felt slightly strange removing a knife from a man's neck before her. Rhys moved to a small basin of water against the wall and cleaned off his dagger, washing the blood off his hands before sheathing it. Jessa remained unmoved before Cair, unable to look away from his body. There was a hardness in her expression that Rhys had not expected, a certain malice that showed a side of her he had overlooked. Perhaps many would not like to see the darker sides of those they cared for, dispelling the illusion of their goodness, but Rhys found himself pleased by the show. Perhaps she was not as far removed from the Marinons as she liked to talk.

"Let us go," Rhys said, touching her arm lightly. Jessa did not move, not meeting Rhys' eyes.

"I'd like to stay for just a moment."

Rhys agreed to Jessa's request, standing beside her in silence as they both looked on at Cair. Suddenly Rhys felt something brush against his hand and tensed with surprise as Jessa's hand clasped on to his, holding tightly. It felt strangely right, and whether Jessa merely needed support in a time of trouble or too enjoyed the closeness of another person Rhys did not know, but he squeezed back her hand, taking comfort in the warmth.

[Mollianne]

{name:Jessa#|#picture:47}

As soon as they left the room, Jessa headed for the outdoors. Rhys followed behind her, as if he was unsure if she was okay and did not want to leave her in case she was not. His sudden care towards her confused her, but near-death experiences certainly put things into perspective. Besides, Rhys had promised never to hurt her, and she supposed that might also mean that had intended to do his best to keep her away from others’ harm. It was not his fault at all – he had saved her, something she could never repay – but checking that no one else would hurt her was the only thing she could think of to explain his behaviour.

Once outside, Jessa breathed in the clean, salty air. The stench of blood and death hung firmly in her nose. Jessa could not explain what had possessed her to stay in the room, but there had been a morbid fascination in seeing Cair dead that she despised about herself but could not have stopped feeling. He had caused her so much pain, had made her trust him, had forced her to think more about her mother to bring her to the brink… His death had not disturbed her. In many ways, though, she could not help thinking it was a kindness. Merai had clearly viewed her son as an expendable object. From what she had seen, Cair’s mother would have tortured his mind until he had taken his own life.

Jessa sighed and sat on the rocks. She pulled off her shoes and dipped her toes into the frigid water. Winter was most certainly falling upon Jasrah now, though it had nearly hit Ovis by the time she left. Jessa looked out across the calm water and let herself imagine she was upon the waves, far away from humanity. She was sick of them.

“Are you okay?” he asked. This time, he was not asking about her physical state, and she was in no mood to be irritated with him anyway.

“I… don’t know, to be honest. But I cannot say I’m sorry for his death in the slightest. I am glad he is dead.”

When she looked at Rhys, she saw for the first time that he did not look at all surprised by her hard words. Clearly he had seen something in the interrogation room that had changed his opinion of her. Jessa was not sure if she liked that – if that meant she was doing what she had vowed not to, and becoming used to the Marinon way of life. She shivered. Rhys watched her in concern. For a moment, she held his gaze and then looked away, back across the calming sea.

“Thank you, again… for everything. For saving me, for your anger, for killing him,” she said to the ocean. Her hand found Rhys’s and she squeezed once before releasing him.

“Like I would have done anything else,” he said. She knew he meant it to sound light, but it came out more serious to her ears. Jessa smiled briefly.

In the fresh air, her head felt clearer. Her hangover had worn off in the face of Cair’s death. It seemed that, even when he had not been enchanting her, a little of his magic had still remained in her head until he died, for she felt even more like herself now. She surveyed the landscape, eyeing the nearby cliffs. Before, she had viewed them with admiration, but now they filled her with dread. Though she had no idea which one Cair had taken her to, she could still vividly remember swaying over the precipice, wanting to jump. It was the only thing of the last couple of days she could recall with absolute clarity, and it terrified her. How close she had come to death…

Rhys seemed to sense the gloomy turn of her thoughts. “When you are up to it, I’ll invite Victor, Selene, Freya and Ero around.”

Jessa smiled. “I would like that. Though I assure you I am fine now.”

“I think I’ll believe the doctor over you,” he said.

For a short while, they were silent – it was a comfortable one, unlike their silences of the past. Jessa’s thoughts quickly returned to her ordeal. Though she obviously owed her life and all her thanks for Rhys for coming to her rescue, she did not enjoy the idea of needing to rely on someone. She knew it had been a magical attack, but she could not help but think that if she had had some training something of the past few days could have been avoided. The way Rhys had dealt with Cair… she could never torture anyone, but knowing some self-defence would stop her feeling so utterly helpless.

“Rhys,” she said. “Would you teach me some basic self-defence?”

“I don’t think you’re quite well enough for that at the moment,” he said.

“Not now. I just feel that I need to know how to defend myself. Merai clearly has something against me, enough that she wants me dead. I can’t walk around without any measure of protecting myself.”

“Honestly, Jessa, if you had not asked I would have forced you to do it anyway. I completely agree.”

It was not much longer until Jessa started feeling faint. She grabbed Rhys’s shoulder to prevent herself from falling and hitting her head or drowning in the sea. Rhys looked at her in alarm and then clambered to his feet, lifting her with him. She leaned heavily against him as he took her inside. He led her inside and to her bed. The mattress was soft and the blankets were warm. Suddenly sleepy, Jessa snuggled against her pillow.

“Don’t go,” she whispered, when she opened her eyes to see Rhys heading for the door. Uncertainly, he came back to the bed and sat gingerly on the edge.

“I had invited Alistair to see you. I was just going to send a note to tell him to come tomorrow,” he explained, as Jessa’s eyelids shut of their own volition. Jessa’s heart warmed that Rhys had thought of such a thing. She wished she could tell him not to cancel, for she really wanted to see Alistair, but she knew that she was not up to it that day.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Jessa asked abruptly, her head already feeling fuzzy from tiredness. She wasn’t exactly sure of what she was saying or why she was saying it. When Rhys did not reply, she opened her eyes.

[Rosabeth]

{name:Rhys#|#picture:48}

Jessa had asked the same question on their wedding night but Rhys did not feel that he could honestly answer the same. Before he had simply wanted to keep spirits up, being nice for the sake of manners and necessity, but Rhys could hardly claim to the same reasoning after all that had happened. No, there were greater reasons at hand, feelings Rhys was not entirely sure of himself.

"I like you, Jessa," Rhys answered simply, smiling to himself. "I feel that we may have misunderstood one another at the start, but I feel like I know you better now. Why shouldn't I be nice to you? Why do you keep asking?"

As Rhys asked the questions he realized that Jessa didn't particularly know the answers. She looked mildly confused, almost as if the very concept of such a question didn't register in my mind, but then her look turned to concern.

"Are you not used to people being nice to you?" Rhys asked quietly. A great feeling of sympathy washed over him, for though Rhys knew how it was to grown up in a somewhat hostile environment he had never felt neglect or contempt from his family, and even in the worst of times his mother had always been there as a constant force. Rhys realized truly for the first time that Jessa had not been so lucky to have such a childhood since the death of her mother. He was not aware of how she was treated growing up in the company of the queen, but judging by Jessa's interactions with her step-mother and step-siblings he could not imagine it to be very good.

"Jessa," Rhys spoke softly, setting his hand on top of hers above the blankets, "you deserve to be treated well. You deserve love and kindness, just like we all do."

For a moment Jessa looked as if she might cry, her eyes growing misty, but with a few blinks the look was gone. She laughed quietly, shaking her head. "I wouldn't have expected you to say something like that."

Rhys shrugged in good nature. "I suppose I have my moments, just don't start expecting them all the time. Now get some rest."

***

It took surprisingly little time for Rhys' friends to appear at the house. Word seemed to have spread quickly of Jessa's incident and the confrontation with Cair. Rhys had sent Selene a message by way of servant after Jessa had fallen asleep and Selene's ability to rally the group like troops was almost inspiring. The moment Rhys met them at the docks the questions began flying, many voices talking over one another in an indistinguishable mess. Even Victor looked concerned, and such a thing was remarkably uncommon.

"Everyone quiet down," Rhys urged, "I can't understand any of you in this damn mess."

"Is she all right?" Selene asked, lines of worry creased on her face.

"She's fine, she's fine, I already told you that. She's still sleeping as far as I'm aware but you can all talk to her when she wakes."

"I still can't believe Merai had a son," muttered Ero, shaking his head. "With all my father's study of magic and his knowledge of Merai this never once came up. When I told him of this he was absolutely flummoxed. He had no idea."

Ero's words brought on a thought Rhys had not previously considered but now brought him worry. "Please don't tell anyone else about this. We still don't know why Merai and Cair did what they did, not entirely, and I don't want word getting out. Merai's already on the move and if the wrong people get a hold of this information I have no idea what might happen." Ero looked slightly embarrassed, apologizing over and over until Rhys topped him. "Your father is fine, Ero, I'd expect him to know."

"Enough of this, I want to know what happened!" Victor exclaimed, taking Rhys by the arm. "I need details. Your note was far too vague. Tell us everything."

After leading the group into the house and settled into a parlor Rhys dove into the story, starting from his first encounter with Cair through the torture. Upon coming to Cair's admission that Jessa was a threat Rhys paused, omitting the information. Somehow it did not seem right to divulge information that was not even fully understood by the person in question. Aside from that Rhys left out only small details of his brief intimacy with Jessa, the embrace and the holding of hands. Though the gestures were hardly romantic his stomach turned slightly at the sight of Selene watching so carefully while he thought of such things.

"You two seem to be on better terms," Freya noted once Rhys had finished. Ero nodded along in agreement, shortly followed by Victor and Selene.

"I suppose near death experiences do that to you," Rhys retorted dryly, garnering many light laughs. Despite his joking manner Rhys could not help but think to himself that that was not true, that though the event had certainly brought him and Jessa together in an unparalleled way there had been a growing understanding building for a while, something he couldn't quite grasp. It was clear from the look Selene was giving him, a bittersweet expression, that she understood the sentiment.

[Mollianne]

{name:Jessa#|#picture:47}

When Jessa awoke, she heard faint voices from the room below. She looked out of the window without moving her head from the pillow. The sun was beginning to descend below the horizon, but there was some time before darkness would fall yet. Jessa lay in bed, letting the voices wash over her. She was nearly drifting back to sleep when she heard an unmistakable laugh. Perhaps Victor – and presumably the rest of Rhys’s friends were there too – was not Alistair, but she craved some company besides the Marinons. She needed someone who had not lived her nightmare with her.

Jessa got out of bed and changed into clothes that were not rumpled from sleep. Then, she made her way downstairs. She followed the voices to the parlour at the front of the house. Jessa knocked gently on the door and then entered. Rhys looked both surprised and concerned to see her, but she only had a moment to register his expression before Freya had pounced on her and folded her into a warm hug. Shortly after, Ero had joined in. They both squeezed her until she could barely breathe, clearly thankful she was okay. Jessa had dearly missed them both. Though hugs were generally unlike her, she held them tightly until they pulled away.

Victor strode over, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. She practically felt her ribs crack and squirmed away. He apologised, a sheepish grin on his face. Selene hit him on the arm. She was the only one who did not move to embrace her, but Jessa did not mind. She guessed that Selene felt similarly to Jessa about hugs, particularly when they did not know each other well.

“It’s wonderful to see you,” Selene said, though she appraised Jessa carefully as if she was checking for physical wounds. “It is so good to see you’re okay.”

“Yes, I am fine. What has Rhys been telling you about me?” she said, only mildly exasperated.

“You might be physically alright, Jessa – and even that’s debatable considering how tired and dizzy you keep feeling,” Rhys argued, making room for Jessa on the sofa. Jessa did not miss Selene’s odd look in Rhys’s direction.

Once Jessa was settled, the group pointedly ignored mention of Jessa’s ordeal. She was grateful to them for that. They were bound to have questions but Jessa was not in the mood to entertain them. Though it would be an impossible task, she wanted to forget all about it. Talking would certainly not help. While Victor entertained them all with another of his many drunken tales, Jessa noticed Rhys looking at her often, checking that she was still okay.

Selene also spent a large amount of time watching Rhys. Her smile looked sadder than usual. Jessa remembered that Selene had been trying to avoid Rhys before; obviously she would have not done as such today so she could be there for Jessa, but it was clearly hard for her. Jessa had no idea what it was like to lose a lover, yet still have to be around them because they moved in the same social circles, but she imagined it would be painful.

Soon, someone produced a bottle of wine from somewhere. Jessa abstained with a grimace. Though it was not Ovisian, Jessa doubted she could face anything like it for a long while. She much preferred being in full control of herself. Nondescriptly, Rhys squeezed her hand in understanding. No one noticed the gesture, but she was a little shocked at the show of intimacy, in particular with Selene around. Rhys did not quite seem to know what to do with himself either. He took the wine glass handed to him and took a huge gulp.

A little while later, Ero had managed to find his way into the gap between Rhys and Jessa. She could tell that he enjoyed talking to Jessa, if only because she had not heard his fabricated stories of wild adventures and so humoured him when he told them. He bent close to her ear, as if telling a secret, a whispered, “You know, in some circles I’m known The Defender. You see, I’ve helped at least a dozen people deal with petty thieves.”

“I thought you were known as the Shame of Jasrah,” Jessa said dryly.

“Oh, don’t listen to him, Jessa!” Freya exclaimed with a laugh. “He’s messing with you, whatever he’s telling you.”

“I am definitely aware of that. But it is amusing to watch him think up these ridiculous ideas.”

Ero pouted and crossed his arms. “I’m telling the truth!” he insisted, though the smile he was trying to force away told otherwise. “I’m known as both – it depends who you ask!”

Jessa laughed and shook her head, letting Ero continue to witter on in his slightly drunken state. She glanced over his shoulder, noticing Rhys’s absence. She surveyed the room, spotting him in a quiet corner with Selene, their heads bent together. The expressions on their faces looked rather serious, but amid the noise of everyone else Jessa could not tell what they were saying. It was none of her business anyway. She turned back to her friends and tried not to think about it.

[Rosabeth]

{name:Rhys#|#picture:48}

There was much to be said between the two, much that probably should have been brought into the open, yet Rhys and Selene sat in silence for much of their company. Despite their best efforts to maintain a friendship with some normalcy, the awkwardness between the two each time they were in the same room was tangible, making even the simplest efforts difficult.

"You two seem closer," Selene noted finally. "There's a difference in the way you act around her."

"I suppose life-threatening situations do that to you."

Selene frowned at Rhys' dismissive response. "It's more than that. You're protective of her; you watch her like she's going to fall over at any moment. When she talks you listen with intensity instead of ignoring her."

Though he'd rather not acknowledge it, the accuracy in Selene's observation made Rhys uncomfortable. He played with the cuffs of his jacket, looking around the room distractedly and falling upon Jessa and Freya deep in conversation.

"You're even watching her now!" Selene whispered, leaning in close. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, a calming motion. "When did this happen?"

It was odd to see Selene slightly discomposed, a mess of emotions Rhys had only rarely witnessed, but Rhys was not oblivious. It was the same emotion she had shown many weeks ago in their last semi-private meeting, this time just intensified.

"I can't believe you're jealous," he sighed, pressing his fingers to his temples. Of all the people he knew Selene was certainly one of the last he'd expect this sort of reaction from, even with their history. "You're jealous of my non-existent relationship with Jessa."

"Of course I'm jealous Rhys, what do you expect?" Selene hissed, her jaw hardened. The harsh words set them both back to silence, Selene taking a deep breath, reining in her temper. "I'm sorry, but really Rhys, you have to understand. Do you not understand how hard this is for me? While you pass your time with Jessa - becoming her friend, learning about her, doing things together - I do nothing. I have no one, Rhys. You were the one who got married, not me, and now I have to watch while what we had disintegrates."

Despite the slightly trembling of her voice, Selene could not have looked further from tears. Her expression was hard, her eyes wide and boring into Rhys'. As Rhys stared into Selene's dark eyes he realized that he truly could not comprehend her emotions, and that was frightening. It was true - Rhys had Jessa, no matter how little consolation that was, he had someone to occupy his thoughts and time. What was perhaps more startling than the conclusion that he could not empathize with Selene was the realization that his feelings for her had faded. The love they shared was still there, still powerful and ever present, but a certain urgency he had felt before had faded.

It was as if Selene could read his mind. She dropped her gaze and focused on her hands. "We're never going to be together again, are we?"

"No. Not like before. I don't think we can."

Selene nodded, her face becoming a blank slate in an instant. The rapid change was jarring, but before Rhys could comment Selene changed the subject.

"There's something else I meant to ask," Selene moved in so close they were practically skin-to-skin. "Do you have any idea why Cair attacked Jessa? It seems like such a senseless crime."

The truth of the situation, Cair's belief in Jessa's threat, almost came from his lips but Rhys stopped himself at the last minute. He longed to speak to someone about the issue and surely Selene was to be trusted, but he could not bring himself to say it. Some voice within his head would not let Rhys stop his worrying. Nothing of the situation with Cair had made sense and the questioning had done little good, but Cair and Merai's fixation with Jessa had Rhys permanently on edge. He could drop the thought that perhaps there was some truth to their words, that Jessa was somehow a threat beneath her many layers. Though he could not see how that was possible he could not let go of the idea.

So he lied. "No, I have no idea."

"Maybe he's just sadistic. I wouldn't put such a thing past Anja."

"Maybe," Rhys lied. "You're probably right."

Soon enough their absence from the group was noted and Victor pulled then both back, blabbering on about how they could not let their relationship ruin the group spirit. Both Rhys and Selene looked away from each other awkwardly at the mention of their relationship, a move that was noticed uncomfortably by all. Luckily, Ero was quick to break the tension.

"I never did ask you, Rhys, what did you do to convince Anja to hell you locate Jessa? Did you sell yourself into servitude? Let her torture you? Oh no, I know what it is - you sold your soul."

Rhys grimaced. "In a manner of speaking, yes, I did."

This had obviously not been the response any of them had been expecting. Even Jessa was shocked, and Rhys realized with a heavy heart that he had never told her of his methods of finding her.

"I relinquished my claim to the heirship, or what I had left of it, to Anja."

[Mollianne]

{name:Jessa#|#picture:47}

Jessa had absolutely no idea what to say, and it was clear she was not alone. Selene looked as though she was trying hard to keep her expression neutral. Jessa’s gaze dropped to her feet, feeling incredibly embarrassed – and touched. It might have been something he would have done for anyone in this room – and she had no doubt that he would have if he had done it for her – but that he had done it for her warmed her heart. She had known how much his father’s betrayal had hurt him.

She really had judged Rhys too harshly.

“Well, that’s pretty… big,” Ero finally said. Rhys tried to shrug nonchalantly, but he looked disconcerted by the silence.

“I would have done it for any of you, you know that.”

Her suspicions confirmed, Jessa only had to ponder upon when he had begun considering her as part of their group. Admittedly, people did rash things in tough situations, and his own indignation and anger regarding Cair’s attack on him had clearly paid its part. His most recent admission only cemented in her mind the reality that Rhys was human, with a real, beating heart. She did not find that especially surprising anymore.

“Thank you, all the same,” Jessa said, keeping her voice light. Rhys nodded at her awkwardly and then swiftly changed the subject. It did not take long, with the wine flowing freely, for everyone to return to their jovial chatter. Jessa let them all talk around her, content just to listen for a while. She smiled at their jokes, but her mind was mostly elsewhere even though she tried to prevent it.

The door suddenly burst open and Maira came in, her head held high. Dima loped in after her, hands hovering a bit too close to the princess’s body. Jessa narrowed her eyes; though she was grateful that Dima was no longer bothering her, she did not particular like seeing him pawing other girls. Even if that other girl was one of the princesses who had tormented her when they were younger – no one deserved that. She was surprised to find that Maira did not mind, however. That was puzzling, since Maira had always seemed to think herself above any eligible suitors her mother had thrown at her. There must have been something else afoot, but that was Maira’s problem and not hers.

Maira giggled at something Dima whispered in her ear, and then pushed him away when she saw they had an audience. “Oh, are you having a little get-together? How… nice.”

Dima bent closer to her again. Jessa could not lip read so she had no idea what he was saying, but it became clear a moment later. Maira looked across at Selene, who stared back resolutely. “This is her? Well, no wonder he prefers her.”

Rhys stood up, his face hard and on the verge of anger. Maira laughed. “Oh, calm down. I meant Selene, so don’t think I’m insulting her.”

Jessa noticed Rhys’s hands were clenching into fists. “Rhys, she doesn’t mean anything by it. She’s a silly little girl who thinks only of herself. She doesn’t realise others have feelings. Unlike her sister, who stomps on them because she knows she can.”

“Remember who you’re talking to. I’m your superior in every way,” Maira replied haughtily. “Let’s go, Dima. These people are not worth our time.”

Maira flounced off, leaving Dima to trail in her wake. Everyone turned to look at Jessa appraisingly. She fidgeted under their gazes. “After living with her most of my life, I’ve generally figured out how to handle her. Like I said, her sister’s worse.”

“She didn’t even ask if you were okay,” Freya said, sounding offended. Jessa just shrugged.

“If she even knows anything happened, I would be surprised, let alone if she actually cared. She barely notices anything that doesn’t happen right under her nose.”

Eventually, Jessa begged tiredness and Rhys saw everyone out of the house. He returned to the parlour after a few minutes to tidy up and noticed that Jessa was still there.

“Are you okay?” he asked unsurely. She nodded.

“I was going to help you. It’s the least I can do,” she said. As they cleared away the glasses and put the empty wine glass to one side for the maid to take away later, Jessa asked, “Will we start my training tomorrow?”

Rhys sighed in exasperation. “You’re impossible. When you’re given the clear by the doctor, then we’ll start.”

“Honestly, I’m not going to drop down dead. I’m stronger than that,” she said, though her words gave her pause. She looked away, realising what she had said. She nearly had died because she was not strong. “Well, you know.”

Rhys came closer to her. “You are strong, Jessa. I don’t know how you managed to withstand a day of him interfering with your head without going insane. I doubt I would have been able to.”

She smiled wanly. “Well, I ought to go to bed. You are right in one thing: I am far wearier than I usually am. Goodnight, Rhys. And let’s hope the doctor says I’m well enough tomorrow so you’ll finally let me do something other than lay about in bed.”

[Rosabeth]

{name:Rhys#|#picture:48}

Surprisingly it was not the sun that woke Rhys but rather the incessant knocking on his door. Groggy and irked, Rhys stumbled out of bed to the door, not even bothering to properly dress himself. He guessed it was Avis, come to prepare Rhys' things for the day, but he could not fathom why he didn't simply walk in. As Rhys opened the door the face behind it was decidedly not a servant.

"Are you ready to start my training?" Jessa looked surprisingly spirited for someone who was not sleeping at such an hour. Her eyes flickered down to Rhys' chest, quickly looking away in embarrassment. "Sorry, I suppose I should have given warning."

"It's alright," Rhys mumbled, fetching an old linen shift from where it hung on a chair. Sleepily he wiped at his eyes and fussed with his tangled mess of hair, trying to look at least semi presentable in company.

"So, is that a yes?" Jessa prodded in absence of Rhys' answer. He stared blankly at her, noting how she wore her plainest, loosest dress, her hair pulled back into a slick bun.

Rhys groaned. "You're actually serious? Gods, how early is it anyway? Don't you sleep?"

"It's not even that early," she observed, pointing out at the sunrise making its way past the cliffs. "Besides, I slept fine. It isn't I who was drinking last night."

Though making a face, Rhys relented his argument. Seeing Jessa so pleased with herself, especially so soon after her ordeal, brought a smile to Rhys' lips. Still, he could not let her go completely unchastised.

"You plan on wearing that?" He mused, gesturing to her light dress. Jessa looked down with a frown, grabbing at the fabric.

"What's wrong with this?"

"It's a dress."

"That is usually what women wear," she said, though Rhys caught some apprehension in her voice.

"Well that's not what you wear when practicing fighting, not unless you want to trip all over yourself. No, you need some breeches."

"I don't own any. Catrice would have never allowed it back home," Jessa's muttered.

Rhys appraised Jessa for a moment, only realizing after the fact how his wandering eyes must have appeared. He looked away, fidgeting with his shift as Jessa caught his look.

"You look about the same size as Anja, if you're not a bit taller. I'll steal something of hers for you to use." Jessa began to protest, most likely sickened at the idea of wearing something worn by Anja, but Rhys would not hear it. He held up one finger to Jessa's lips, waiting for her to quiet. "I will not hear an argument. We do this my way or we don't do it at all. I don't need you getting hurt while we try to teach you to not get hurt; after all, that's very counterproductive. Meet me in the main hall in ten minutes and I'll have everything you need."

***

With the rising of the sun the room was bathed in light, making for an excellent training location. The room had not been used in ages, now no more than a small armory fitted with older weapons rarely used. As a child it had been Rhys, Dima, and Anja's school, the very place Rhys had learned to fence and fight. As he entered the small hall, trailing his fingers along the swords lined on the wall, it was like his childhood came flooding back in one moment. Upon reaching the end of the row his hand wavered over a dull silver rapier, marked from hilt to tip with scratches.

"My favorite sword," Rhys smiled, taking it from the wall. "I'd forgotten about this. It was a gift from father for my studies in fencing."

Silence followed his voiced thoughts and Rhys realized that Jessa was staring, head cocked in thought. Rhys brought up the blade and pointed it towards Jessa, causing her to jump back in alarm. He laughed lightly, taking it down to his side. "I could teach you to fence, if you're interested."

"I'm not," she responded curtly, still eyeing the blade warily.

Rhys only chuckled, replacing the rapier on the wall. "We'll see about that." Pacing about the room he came to stand in before Jessa, noting with amusement that they were dressed nearly identically, both in white loose shifts and grey breeches with slim leather boots. Still, Jessa looked obviously more feminine, and Rhys couldn't help but notice that she seemed comfortable in the unfamiliar clothes.

"Well, I suppose we should start with the basics," Rhys began, approaching Jessa. He grabbed Jessa's left wrist forcefully, yanking her arm enough to cause alarm but not enough to cause pain. "I'm an attacker and I'm trying to pull you away. How do you escape?"

Jessa began twisting her wrist in all directions but Rhys only held on tighter, and as she began to tug her arm away Rhys followed, coming nearly face-to-face.

"You're flailing and that's the surest way to get yourself no where. Twist hard towards my thumb and try to make it one movement. Put some force into it."

As instructed, Jessa twisted hard into Rhys' thumb and his hand instantly released. The success brought on a smile as Jessa once more tried the exercise, then repeating it on Rhys for validation. They continued over and over until Jessa could release the grip in an instant, even when Rhys would catch her off guard.

"Is that all?" Jessa asked, putting her hands on her hips.

It was hard not to laugh at a half-hearted pout but Rhys tried to contain himself, showing only a brief smirk. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Jessa. We have to start with the basics and that's about as basic as it gets. It's not the most effective method but it's certainly the simplest. Do you really want something more complicated." Jessa nodded quickly, her eyes wide in attention.

Rhys walked calmly behind Jessa and then in a flash wrapped his arm around her neck, pulling her in close to his chest. Her breathing quickened and her body tensed as Rhys put his face close to her ear.

"Let's say I'm holding a knife," he wiggled the fingers on his right arm that wrapped around Jessa's throat. "Lean back into me." Though he spoke calmly his grip never lessened, keeping Jessa's stiff body tight against him. When she did not move an inch Rhys rested his free hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Lean back," he murmured.

Jessa responded this time, pushing her weight into his chest. "Good, now get your arm up under mind and grab my arm and use your free hand to grab that arm from the other side." Initially she struggled to position herself correctly, but with Rhys' instructions she finally got a solid grip with both hands.

"Are you afraid to hurt me?" Rhys asked.

"Why do I have to hurt you?" said Jessa hesitantly, her voice wavering.

"Because you can't practice half-heartedly. Don't worry about me, I've taken worse beatings. Now hit me in the face with your head."

"What!" Jessa exclaimed, trying to turn. Rhys held his grip, now allowing her out. "I don't want to hit you."

"It's alright," Rhys assured, though in all honestly he was not a particular fan of the idea. "Lower yourself a bit first so you aim for my chin. Once you've made impact use your elbow to hit me in the stomach, then bring your left fist back and hit me in the face. After that's done I want you to use your grip on my arm to twist out towards my arm and try and bring me to the ground. Do you think you can do that? Do you remember it all?"

Though it took a bit of prodding Jessa eventually agreed to the steps. Rhys steeled himself, readying for the hits. He could feel Jessa's deep breath, knowing then what was to follow. To his surprise her moves were remarkably well placed for a first attempt, though he could tell she was not using her full potential power. The hit to the face was swift and left Rhys stunned, and the elbow to the stomach brought on even more pain than the fist to the face. In the midst of Rhys' pain his arm twisted sharply, and though he was not fighting against Jessa's moves with all his power she managed to force him on his back. He gasped upon hitting the floor, looking up slightly dazed. Jessa looked down in horror, reaching down to assist to Rhys but he merely waved her away.

"Excellent, really really excellent" he croaked, rubbing at the sore spot in his stomach. "Maybe you're more cut out for this than you thought."

[Mollianne]

{name:Jessa#|#picture:47}

“I am so sorry,” she said as they left the small armoury after the session. Rhys rubbed at his jaw and clutched his arm, but waved away her concern.

“You’ve already said, many times, but I told you to do it. Still, you really got the hang of punching me.”

“I guess I had some leftover aggression to take out on you,” she replied, scratching her head awkwardly. Rhys laughed, bringing out a smile on Jessa’s face too. They walked down the corridor to the stairs, and then stopped, both unsure what to do now.

“I still am sorry. I didn’t expect to actually hurt you at all.”

“Jessa, seriously. I’ve had worse. You’ve a pretty strong punch, but you’re not perfect and your aim was off, even after a few attempts and my guidance. You haven’t done any lasting damage. But if you can do this to me now, I’d hate to be a real attacker on the end of your fist in a few weeks.”

Jessa blushed. “Are you sure you’re okay?” she checked, noticing the way he winced when he shifted slightly.

“Now who’s constantly asking that? I’m fine, really.” Jessa stared at him dubiously but he did not relent. Instead, he moved past her and climbed the stairs. Once he had disappeared from view, Jessa shook her head and also went upstairs. Her head was feeling much clearer after her long sleeps and the fighting, and she had been long craving a book to read, so she decided to head to the library. First, she went to change out of Anja’s sweaty breeches and tunic.

As she left her room, she was accosted by a maid holding a horribly familiar book. Jessa’s stomach lurched at the sight of it and she could not draw her gaze from it even as the maid spoke. “’Scuse me, ma’am, but I found this book in one of the sitting rooms downstairs and remembered I’d seen you and that boy with it a few days ago. I wasn’t sure if you would want me to just throw it out, so I thought I’d check.”

Jessa looked up as if in a daze. The book held so many bad memories but it was also the closest she had come to finding any real information on Greater Magic. If she could read it without Cair’s influence she might actually learn something – something that might even tell her why Merai hated her so much. So, even though she wished she could forget all about magic, Jessa said, “No. I’d like to look at it, please.”

The maid nodded, handed the book over, bobbed her head and left. Jessa felt uncomfortable with the show of subservience. She really needed to talk to the servants and let them know that she was no different to them and that they need not treat her like royalty. Jessa watched the maid disappear and then made her way to the library. The book felt heavier in her hands than it had been before. She bit her lip, knowing she had to get past this if she was to even have the possibility of finding the truth.

She was not alone inside the library. Dima was sat at the desk – more collapsed over it, to be honest – and moaning slightly. Jessa supposed that he and Maira had drunk their way through a fair bit the night before. With a spring to her step, she went over to Dima and dropped the heavy book on the desk beside his head. He jumped and looked around wildly.

“And what is the matter with you?” Jessa asked smugly.

“Nothing. Mary is leaving tomorrow, did you know?”

Jessa did not know that, but she was relieved that the royal siblings would be away from her sooner rather than later. It was also good that Maira would be far from Dima, who would only do her more harm than good. Etrene would not need a more damaged ruler in the future than it already had.

“It’s Maira, you pig,” Jessa said lightly.

“I guess I’ll have to find some other way to occupy my time,” Dima said suggestively. Jessa wanted badly to slap him, but she resisted. He should know that she was definitely not available to him – and it would be wiser to keep her defence lessons with Rhys a secret in case his brother did try anything.

“Perhaps you can spend your time learning some manners and getting some dignity. Now please take your hangover somewhere else. I need to work here.”

She stared Dima down until he rose from the chair in a huff. Dima shuffled out of the library, leaving Jessa in blessed peace. She sunk into the comfy chair and placed the book on the desk. For a while she stared at it, her hand hovering over it but not turning the cover. She bit her lip, steeled herself, and flipped it to the last hundred pages. Her eyes scanned the pages until she reached the parts Cair’s magic had deceived her upon.

Cair had not completely lied to her. There were people who had used their magic for good – and it was certainly true that before magic had been banned there had been far fewer gutting wars. The first of its kind was indeed the Barichean Wars, though this book had been written even before that so there was no mention of it. The rulers who had decided Greater Magic was worse for the country had been correct in some regards, but very wrong in others.

When Jessa reached the chapter on mind control, she skipped it. She remembered having a lack of interest in it under Cair’s spell, and presumed he had not wanted her to realise the symptoms. Now, she just could not read about that magic yet. Instead, she decided to read the sections on magical objects.

There was a massive reliance on blood with objects, she realised quickly. As she read, she fingered the blood amulet she had yet to take off. Though Jessa knew it could not have been made with Greater Magic – Merai and Cair were the only ones the Marinons knew – it was clear that a lot of magic affecting humans required their blood. Jessa supposed that was so the magic was keyed into the person in question. Still, it was a rather gruesome necessity.

She came upon a description of a magical record book, and paused. The book would be used to contain information the writer did not want anyone else to discover. If someone tried to open the book without the blood of one of the people to which it was linked, they would see empty pages. The passage would not have caught her attention but for one thing: the description of its cover. The book she had seen had the same ornate bordering and plain, red centre that the paragraph described. The Marinons owned at least one of these record books; they must do.

Jessa sat back in her chair, suddenly feeling tired. Her eyes were sore and she cursed Cair for ruining her ability to think and read for extended periods of time. It was another reason to loathe him. She ignored her thoughts and returned to the idea of the book. The Marinons were a very secretive family, but going to such lengths to hide information had to imply there was something they were very keen to conceal. The king would see it as evidence of Lord Erik’s plans to overthrow him, and would surely punish Jessa if she did not investigate.

For Jessa’s part, she was mostly just curious. It was possible the Marinons were just careful enough to hide everything in these books. Still, it would be enlightening to see what was within, even if it meant she just knew a little bit more of the workings of the family to whom she was chained. It would certainly be beneficial, instead of walking around blind and in fear of what they might be planning next. Besides, Jessa had the perfect opportunity to access Rhys’s blood, what with their lessons. All she needed to do was find one of the books.