

Beyond The Wall

Wil Clayton

Long Shadows on a Wide Plain series

Copyright 2015 Wil Clayton

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Chapter 1

The walls of the Royal Keep burnt red in the dawning light. Orleena looked out her window still wrapped in her light pearl nightgown. The smell of the newly blossoming flowers wafted up from the garden below, filling her room with the sweet smell of spring.

She had been unable to find a comfortable place to lie in her large feather bed, so Orleena had pulled herself from it and sat upon the cool sill of her bedroom window and watched the moon march across the sky.

Her father was coming home today and she was to meet him for the first time. Orleena's five year old mind panicked at the thought of the stranger. What would he look like? Would he like her? Why did he come home now? But most of all she thought, did he still blame her?

Tears had burst forth when Orleena was told of the homecoming by her guardian, Da Raloff, who had then immediately and harshly told Orleena to hush and that it was no way for a princess to act. She choked back the emotion until she was excused. Once alone in her room she let the emotions take over her again.

The Royal Keep stood large and strong against the purple sky. It was the home of her brother who hated her. It was because of her brother that she had not been allowed to leave her family's tower.

Her father had left her five years ago, after cursing her for killing Mother. This was what a young hand maiden had once told her when no one else was around to hear.

Orleena had run to Da Raloff crying over the words of the hand maiden. Da Raloff did not say a word, simply found the offending hand maiden and physically threw her from the tower. Then, when the maiden had vanished beyond the tower gate, howling as she went, Da Raloff had turned to Orleena and told her never to listen to such stories and that no one loved her more then her father.

There was no reason for Orleena to doubt Da Raloff, except if her father loved her so much, why did he not return and take her from the tower. Why did he did he stay away when her brother threatened her? Orleena did not have the answer, but as the sun rose she knew the answer would soon come and that made her want to her lock door and never open it again. She did not want to learn that the whispers that floated in the halls were true.

Orleena's uncle, was the only family she knew. Uncle would come to play when he had time away from his duty running the city. Whenever she asked about her father, her brother or when she would be allowed to leave to tower, he always replied the same.

"Be a good girl and do as Da Raloff tells."

And she did, not because she was told to, but because Orleena loved and respected Da Raloff more than any other person she knew, the only one who had ever watched over her and made sure she was safe.

The sun peaked above the high walls that surrounded the city of Hallow's Keep. Orleena looked down at the small crypt in which her mother slept. This was the time when she would usually wake and put on her clothes before heading to lay a rose on her tomb, but Da Raloff said she must stay in her room today until her father came for her. And so she did.

In the night, Orleena's obedience was tested more than once, she would look from the window and plotted a path through the city to the gate, she could easily hide from her father in the swamp. But the the idea of leaving her tower became as terrifying as the spectre of her father. The tower and the gardens that surrounded it were all she had known in her short life and she did not know what waited beyond.

All she could do was pull her doll, Elena, close and I try to quiet the fear that came to her.

Orleena's doll was a pristine, clay doll with deep orange skin, a neat dress and decorated small red and blue ribbons, a gift from Mother who had told Da Raloff to give it too her when she was four. When she received the doll on her birthday she had wanted to call her Helena after the fearless dragon slayer and goddess of the west, but her Nan had rebuked her, telling her that naming a doll after a goddess was blasphemous and Nan would not hear for it.

Orleena had stomped off to Da Raloff in protest, demanding a new Nan that was not so difficult, but Da Raloff would also not listen to Orleena. Instead telling Orleena to listen to the wise words and respect the gods and their power.

Orleena, furious, stormed out of the room slamming the door behind her. Doll in hand, she stomped up to Nan and grumbled the her doll's name was going to Elena and she did not want hear anything else about it. Nan laughed and approved with a smile.

The hand maidens knocked at the door softly. Orleena didn't want help dressing today and turned them away. She then went to her towering pine closet and opened it. She pulled a stool from the corner and climbed up, finding her day clothes tucked neatly in the draws. From within she took her leather pants and her soft yellow tunic with her clan's insignia, a white-silver willow tree. After dressing, Orleena, very precisely, folded the night gown into a square and placed it in its correct draw, then picked up the stool and moved it back to its corner where it belonged and closed the closet.

Orleena sat in front of the mirror of the large dressing table and took the ornate, wood and pearl comb, given to her by her Uncle during the last year's Night of the White Faces festival. The comb pushed through her long, brown, wavy hair that fell just below her shoulders, catching on the occasional knot. Orleena looked into her mirror, blotches sat under her wide green eyes. She wondered for a moment if her father had brown hair or green eyes. Uncle had black, straight hair, so she guessed that her father would have the same.

Orleena tighten the green ribbons sown into the sleeves of her tunic and then pushed the cuffs up, causing them to billow outwards. She then took the wreath of white flowers and twigs she had woven two days before and place in onto her head.

The ritual of getting dressed had calmed her mind for a time, but now that it was done and the fear came again. Tears welled in her eyes, but she held them back, she did not want cry again, she had cried enough.

Orleena took a final look in her mirror and, content with what she saw, went back to her window. The sun was now high above the walls and washed over the city. The waters of the swamp sparkled between the islands of stone and dirt that the crooked buildings of Hallow's Keep sprung from.

The sun rose just little bit further when she saw him walking up the path that led to the tower, he had black hair, like her uncle, that specked in the light, cut short. Her father was dressed head to toe in polished, silver armour. The front inscribed with a willow tree, on the armour the tree was painted black as was the tradition for the armour of the Hallow Clan. Uncle had visited once in an similar set of armour after a thanksgiving festival for the returned soldiers. She had asked that day, when would her father return, but Uncle would not say.

Now her father had come home and he was walking through her garden towards her tower, limping slightly as he approached, his right leg refused to bend fully.

As he approached he nodded to the guards at the gate and then looked up at the bedroom window high above the front entrance. The glance physically knocked Orleena back from the sill, she did not want him to see her. Not yet.

Orleena went to her door and pulled it open, the guards were gone and the hall was quiet. She moved to the stairs, she descended the first set and found the guards had left the next floor of the tower as well. She descend the next two levels, following the hallway as it circled the tower and came to the last set of stairs that led to the large atrium on the ground floor of the tower.

The house guard was lined up within the atrium facing the large doors that led to the garden, waiting. The servants were with them, forming three lines in front. Each had worn their best clothes, the guards had polished their armour and washed their cloaks. Da Raloff was standing in front of them all, facing the doorway wearing her ceremonial armour made of heavy, dull iron, decorated with elaborate spirals. On the front, a single fang had been beaten into the metal, the symbol of her clan. The armour followed the curves of her body emphasising the woman's form within. She wore a her families helm, a hard undecorated cap with a sheet of chain mail covering the her face and neck, her arm stuck straight out from her body her sword pointed to the ceiling, motionless.

The doors were opened by a waiting guardsman and her father entered.

"The master has returned," shouted Da Raloff and raised her sword to the roof.

"Ya," shouted the guards in response and snapped their heels together, there arms crashing to their sides.

The assortment of servants dropped to one knee their heads lowered.

There was a moment of stillness in the room as her father looked upon his gathered family and servants.

"Please, rise," commanded her father with a smile and laughed, the servants rose from their bow, "it is good to see you again after so long. And I must thank each of you for the loyalty you have shown in my absence. Where is Irana?"

"I am here, my lord," called Irana the small Dun who headed the kitchen.

"A feast comes from my brother's tower to honour my return, if you will have it. His servants come as well to wait on us all for the evening. A small gift for all your services."

"It will be accepted with great relief," laughed the Dun.

"It has been organised," said her father, "you are all dismissed for the day, please return with your families at dusk, I look forward to from hearing from each of you. I have missed so much these last years."

"Servants dismissed," called Da Raloff from behind her mask and the front lines dispersed quickly out the backdoors without a word said.

The guards remained unmoved.

"Sora," said her father, "take off that damned helm and let me see you."

Sora removed the helm revealing her slender face, her short black hair tied back, tight, against her head.

"I am Da Raloff, now," she said sternly.

"I have been away for so long, you have to forgive me, I was not told. Your son is doing great work up on the walls. He has saved the lives of many, less worthy men."

"You are too kind, my lord."

"You have served me well," said her father, "better than I deserve."

"I did what I could. Orleena is safe but what of the vermin in the keep, say the word and his head is yours."

"No need," said her father, "I have taken care of him myself."

"I will take you to Orleena, then," she smiled, "you two have been apart for too long."

Orleena stepped back from the steps, ready to run.

"One moment," said her father, "I do have something I need from you, first."

"What?"

"The war is done and Pa negotiates the final peace. This means I will need a new imperial guard to watch and protect our family. I want you to find those you trust most amongst the men in the city and, when they are assembled, I will have you with them, as my new Imperial Captain."

"Yes, my lord... as you command," stammered Da Raloff and knelt onto one knee.

"Arise and hug me, you arse," he laughed.

Da Raloff stood and laughed, hugging Orleena's father with the grip of old friends. Da Raloff then released him.

"You must see your daughter."

"Yes."

Orleena was off this time, running as fast she could down the hall. Her small boots clattered against the hard wood of the tower floor. She ascended the stairs as quickly as she could and pushed through her door, panting. She scooped Elena from the bed, she gripped the doll close and slowed her breath.

Her heartbeat was soft when she heard the sound of the the two suits of armour loud outside the door. There was a knock and Orleena's stomach dropped like stone, her mouth was dry, she tried to be calm.

The door then slowly opened and the man with black hair stood before her, he looked just like Uncle but not completely. She stepped back, instinctively, and held Elena tighter.

"You look just like your mother," smiled the man as he moved into the room and she stepped backwards again.

"Orleena," barked Da Raloff, "don't step away from her father."

He went down on one knee and held his arms open.

"Will you give your father a hug?"

Orleena paused for moment, knowing she could not refuse. Slowly, she approached the figure not sure what to do. She could not raise her arms, they were frozen to her body. His arms wrapped around her. The metal of his armour was cold to the touch and poked at her body. Then he release her.

"I have missed you so much," he said the smile not leaving his face.

Orleena stood, quietly. The man never stopped smiling.

"Will you come and see your mother with me?" he asked.

She nodded, the thought of seeing her mother made her tightness in her chest loosen.

The three walked from the room, Da Raloff trailed slightly. They moved slowly, the limp in her father's leg causing him trouble on the stairs. He made a joke about it and dismissed the injury.

"I like your headband," said her father as they crossed the garden, "what kind of flower are those?"

Orleena stayed silent, she did not want to speak.

"Answer your father," said Da Raloff from behind, "he wants to know how clever you are."

"Ystari stars," Orleena muttered, reluctantly.

"And what are they used for?" said Da Raloff urging her on.

"You can use them to heal swollen joints and headaches, also in cookings to give a bitter flavour to a meal," her small voice recited her lessons.

"I have a very smart, daughter," cheered her father, "who is your tutor?"

"Shepherd Elor," said Orleena as the praise made her smile.

"Is he a smart man?" asked her father.

"Yes," she nodded, "Shepherd Elor is the smartest man in Hallow's Keep."

"I will have to make sure I meet him," replied her father as they arrived at the metal grate of the crypt.

"Can I get a rose?" asked Orleena turning to Da Raloff.

"Ask your father," said Da Raloff, "when he is here I am not your guardian."

Orleena looked up at the man.

"May I get a rose?" she asked.

"Yes, of course," he said and she went to one of the many rose bushes and snapped off a pale yellow flower, catching her finger on a thorn, as she sometimes did, and returned to the man waiting for her.

Her father put his hand on the bars. Orleena noticed him take a deep breath as he pushed in the gate inwards. Orleena followed, Da Raloff did not follow.

The crypt was lit by a single eternal flame at the bottom of the coffin. The room was filled with roses of all different colours, all in different states of decay.

"Did you lay all these roses?" asked her father.

Orleena nodded.

"You must speak, daughter," said her father, "I am here now, please speak to me."

"Yes," she said simply with nod and lay the rose next to the others.

"The last time I held you, I was standing right here. You were still wrapped in swaddling clothes. The nursemaids were so angry at me, 'She's too weak,' they cried. But they had did not know you."

He moved over to the edge of sarcophagus.

"We knew you," he said looking down at coffin.

There was a moment of silence between the two as her father ran his hand on the stone.

"Come here," said her father, "let me show you something."

Orleena walked over and felt her father picked her up under her shoulders. She had never seen the carving from above before. Frozen in the stone lay a young, woman with wavy hair much like Orleena's and the same wide, round eyes. She was beautiful.

"Do you see what sits by Ma's feet?"

Orleena looked beyond the bare feet of the woman.

"A dragon head," Orleena said quietly.

"Do you know which dragon?"

"Kor'asha, the dragon that Helena slew."

"You are such a smart girl," said her father.

He lowered her to the ground and then knelt next to her. His face was orange in the light of the flame.

"After your brother was born your mother became very ill. The herbsman where able to save her, but they said she would never be strong enough to have another child," said her father in a warm voice, "but your mother was not a woman to be told such things. She cursed the herbsman and said they had no power to proclaim such things. From the day she was able to get out of bed she spent her time in the shrine praying to Helena, asking the goddess to bless her with another child. And Helena heard your mother's prays and gave you to her.

"The Shepherds who counselled said she was too weak to have another child and that neither of you would make it, they begged her to give you up but she refuse, she knew your strength, she knew you would survive. And that was all that mattered to her. She called you her gift from Helena," her father cleared his throat loudly and faulted, "Orleena, you were very special to her and she loved you more than any other mother has ever loved a daughter, just like your father loves you more than any other father has loved his daughter. Can you understand that?"

"I love her, too," said Orleena, "she still talks to me sometimes."

"What does she say?"

"Be good to everyone in the tower and don't be afraid of what is coming," said Orleena, "and listen to Da Raloff. She said I would leave the tower one day."

Her father laughed and stood up.

"Why didn't you come back?" Orleena asked looking at her feet

"I did, but you were only a babe," he said softly.

"Why didn't you stay?"

"I am here now."

"How long?"

Her father was quiet and looked away.

"Has Shepherd Elor told you of duty?" he asked.

"Yes," muttered Orleena.

"And what does he say about duty?"

"It is above all else," she recited.

"And why is it above all else?"

"Because we keep the ways of Roland and the Free Men."

"You are the smartest girl I have ever seen," cheered her father.

The sudden praise caught Orleena off guard and she smiled again.

"Do you know what that means?" he asked.

"That I must do my duty as a Princess," she replied.

"And I must do my duty as Low King," he said, "and that means I must go away, sometimes, for years. Just as a Princess it may be your duty to leave Hallow's Keep one day. We must always do our duty no matter the cost. Even if it costs you something you love," he paused and then added quietly, "that is our way. And no matter where I am Orleena, I will love you with all I am."

"Will I have to stay in the tower when you leave?" she asked.

"No," he said an anger rising in his voice, "you will never have to stay in the tower again."

Orleena nodded and smiled at her father, for some reason the anger in his voice brought a comfort that the softness did not.

"Will you go and see Da Raloff?" her father asked as he looked at the coffin, "make sure she is still waiting."

"Yes, father."

"You will call me 'Pa'," he corrected softly.

"Yes, Pa," she nodded and went back into the brightness of the garden Da Raloff and waited for her father to emerge. After a while he reappeared, his eyes were red.

"Well, Orleena, it is time for you to see your brother again," he declared.

Orleena was taken back. She did not think she would be taken from the tower so quickly, nor did she think she would be forced to face the brother that hated her so soon.

"Will you need an escort?" asked Da Raloff.

"No," declared Pa, "we will go ourselves."

"I'll see to my task then," Da Raloff nodded and bowed deeply and then quickly added, "welcome home, Soven."

Da Raloff headed back to the tower as Pa held out his hand. Orleena took it, still timid, and he gripped it tight. Pa then led the way out of the gate and into the city.

Chapter 2

Orleena had only ever seen the city from above, walking amongst the crooked collection of walls and doors felt strange and wrong. The streets of the city were a maze of stone bridges and wooden planks secured to chunks of dirt that sat in the thick, muddy waters of the swamp.

People pushed small carts and wagons through the thin streets, some were laden with stews and roasted meats, other with crates of clothes and other goods. A man dressed in fine, black robes and small spectacles held to his face ran through the streets pushing others aside as he went, large tomes of paper bound in leather tucked, securely, under his arm. A woman, followed by her a handful of children, wound her way through the streets with baskets balance precariously on their heads.

Orleena gripped Pa's hand tight, she had never seen so many people and she was worried she would be lost in sea of the bodies that rushed by. But as they approached the crowd parted, some of the people in the black robes bowed low, others in muddied clothes just stared and muttered amongst themselves.

"Good to see you home," a call came from the crowd.

"The Dragondogs never stood a chance," came another.

Orleena was startled by the word Dragondog. Once, she had heard the word from her guards in the hall and then Orleena had repeated it in front of Shepherd Elor. Orleena had never seen Shepherd Elor so angry with her, Orleena was lectured the rest of day about the use of such language.

"Such a word is a word only the worst of the common people use to describe the Dun," huffed Shepherd Elor red is the face, "but a Princess must never to use such words. Not in public. Not in private. Never."

She was then forced to read aloud a book of history of the Dun until her tutor believed she had learnt her lesson. She never again used any of the words she heard from the guards in front of the Shepherd again, though when he was a not around she would often say the forbidden words to the kitchen hands who would laugh and encourage the young Princess to say more. Over time she had learnt all manner of forbidden words.

Pa limped through the city and led the way up the road to the Royal Keep, eventually reaching its large gate. Orleena looked up at the walls, they seemed much more imposing from below then from her tower.

The guards snapped their feet together.

"Low King Soven approaches," they called into the yard.

Her father limped up to the gate.

"You will announce my daughter, Orleena," he growled.

"Yes, my lord," said the young guard nervously from under his helm and then called, "Princess Orleena approaches."

Pa nodded and limped under the large stone arch.

"See," said Pa looking down at Orleena with a smile, "you're safe here. All the guards are going to watch out for you."

The brown of the swamp vanished inside the walls of the keep and was replaced her by the bright green of the gardens of the Royal Keep. Lines of flowers formed neat shapes around wooden tables and large grass areas where men and woman in all manner of formal dress chatted amongst themselves. Guards patrolled paths of the garden while others stood like statues at the doorways that lead off into the different wings of the keep.

Pa limped straight ahead to the largest of the arches, which led into a giant square building in front of them, a silver dome on top sparkled in the midday sun.

The corridors of the building went in all directions, meeting stairs that sometimes went down and sometimes went up. Orleena, accustom to the ringed halls of her tower, had lost any sense of direction by the time her father stopped in from of a set of red doors.

Pa knocked.

"Enter," called a young male voice from inside.

Pa pushed opened the door. Inside a large, marble room stretched out in all directions, an open balcony opposite the door let in the warm spring sunlight. A large, wooden, four post bed with golden curtains sat in the centre of room. Exquisite geometric shapes had been rendered in the tiled floor.

Orleena saw him first, a young, square boy of about ten dressed in the a red tunic, the Silver Willow tree sown into the chest. His head was large and fat, topped by short, brown hair that curled slightly on itself. By the walls watching on was a slender, man in orange robes his face bloodied and swollen, his long, slender nose cut viciously to the right of his face, his eyes circled by black and grey.

Pa led Orleena into the room, the boy jerked strangely as the pair entered.

"Orleena, this is Olav, your brother," said Pa looking down at her, "Olav, do you remember your sister Orleena?"

"Yes, Pa," replied the boy with a stiff nod.

"Do you have something to say to her?"

Her brother walked up to her and took her in his arms with a forced, lifeless hug.

"I was lied to, sister, I said things a brother should never say," the boy said, "will you forgive me?"

"Orleena, do you forgive your brother?" asked Pa.

Orleena was confused, she was not sure what was happening, but she knew enough to know her brother was saying sorry what had kept her in tower.

"I forgive you," she said quickly, not knowing if she meant the words.

Pa released her hand walked to over the broken man watching on.

"Do you see my family, Raol?" growled Pa and he spat in the man's face, "we have bond that can never be broken. You're a fool and traitor."

Pa took a baton from his belt and struck the man. Raol yelped, but did not scream, and fell to the ground, blood started to pool on the floor where he lay. Pa tore a tapestry from the wall and threw it at the cowering man the wooden rod cracked against the man's skull causing him to let out another cry.

"Bandage yourself," ordered Pa.

The pitiful man pulled himself from the ground, blood running across his face, as Pa stood above him, watching the man started to wrap the tapestry about his head, as he did it started to turn red and black.

"Guards," barked Pa.

Two guards appeared at the opened door.

"Take Raol to dungeon, find the deepest the hole and throw him in," commanded Pa, he then knelt next to the snivelling man and said quietly, "two months, I will come then, if I remember."

Pa stood and as he did he pushed the man again, so he now lay completely on the ground.

Raol was then dragged from the room by the guards as they passed Orleena looked at the bloody man and felt for the first time that her father had truly returned to protect her.

"Do you like birds?" asked Olav once the clank of the guards armour had faded to nothing.

"Yes," shrugged Orleena feeling it was not right to say no.

"I have a bird feeder on the balcony, want to see?" Olav asked excitedly.

Orleena nodded and Olav grabbed her hand and started leading pulling her through the room.

"There's always a lot in morning," he started, "but they'll go away at midday 'cause its too hot. One morning and there was a huge bird as big as a hound, its called a Tornfel. It's the tiger of the sky. It was eating the other birds, making a huge mess, it was amazing. It walked right into my room, I even got one of it feathers. Shepherd Yorwyn says its good luck and it was, that day I won three games of Caravan. Straight."

Olav had now dragged Orleena through the curtains to the balcony, some small, white birds pecked at the seed in the bird feeder. There was a single bird of red and blue plumage

"Who are you playing Caravan with?" asked Pa sternly walking behind them.

"Ah," Olav stopped and thought for a moment, "friends."

"Which friends?"

"The stableboy and some boys from the city."

"What are their names?"

"The stableboy's name is Ron," said Olav and grabbed Orleena, "look at that one, Orleena. He's new."

Olav pointed at the red-blue bird.

Orleena looked at the birds, they were the same birds that pecked at the grass below her window, she turned away and looked out beyond the balcony. Below, she saw a rose garden alive with the blue and yellow roses of early spring. The pathways were covered by white stone which sparkled in the morning lift, all which led to a single stone fountain at the centre.

"That's mother's garden," said Olav noticing Orleena was not looking at the birds, "she used to hold court in it everyday before she got sick. That's your room, over there, it's been empty since you left."

Orleena looked through the baluster that held the balcony's rail at the white curtains that rustled in the archways across the garden.

"Are you moving back, now we're a family again?" asked Olav.

"You were always family," snapped Pa from behind, "and I will be keeping Orleena in the tower for the moment. I need to find room for her servants."

There was a knock at the door and Orleena turned around and saw Uncle standing at the door in his purple robes.

"Uncle, you're back," cried Olav and ran though under the white curtains and across tiled floor jumping onto his uncle with all his might, "did you bring me a gift from Edgelight?"

Pa brushed aside the curtains and led Orleena back into the room.

"Not now, Olav," said Uncle lowering Olav to the ground.

"Sovin, get over here," said Uncle.

Pa laughed and limped over to his brother and and hugged him fully, then his eyes went to Orleena.

"I see you're out of your tower," said Uncle.

Orleena ran over to him and hugged him, she was happy to finally see a familiar face.

"It's good to see you, Uncle," she said quietly as she let go and stepped back.

"What happened?" asked Uncle pointing at Pa's leg, "the Dun actually land a blow."

"The Dun fight like they always have," laughed Pa and then added more seriously, "this ones from the Old Woods."

"The Old Woods?" Uncle laughed, "you have been out the city for a while Soven, the tales from the northern pits are tired at this point, what really happened to your leg?"

"They are not tales, brother," said Pa shaking his head, "that place is truly cursed. I did not believe what was said either but my wounds are a testament to the fact that what I saw was real."

"Tell me about the Old Woods, Pa?" begged Olav excitedly.

"Yes, Sovin," said Uncle rolling his eyes, "tell us your horrifying tale."

"Well, son, it was year ago. We had the Lowlands secured. Our forts and walls were keeping the Dun at bay and the man were in good spirits," started Pa sitting down on the end of the large bed, Olav sat in front, "when Grand Pa said to me, 'Sovin, you must take the Old Woods'. He was worried that if the Dun could get some units through the trees and then they could take out our men from behind.

"So, I rallied forty Clanguard and twenty trackers and headed west to scout the forest and in search of some good position to erect some forts.

"We rode for three days until we reached the edge of forest. The trees were so thick we had to leave our horses at edge, hoping they wouldn't be taken by bandits. The trackers went first hacking away the undergrowth clearing the way for Clanguard and me, who followed behind.

"We were a day or so into woods making steady progress when the leaves above began to shake, we looked up but saw nothing. No shape. No shadow. Just the leaves moving on their own. Then there was a sound like wood cracking and coming apart just beyond the trees and then another spot in the canopy shook.

"A tracker screamed and was gone. I had the men make a circle as best we could within the trees and watched the branches above. The trackers held their nerve in the centre as the forty Clanguard that surrounded them and drew their swords. The cracking sound came again and another spot in the canopy moved. I yelled at the men to keep in formation and then another scream from the other side of circle.

"Men shouted, I looked around and saw nothing. Then a vine, moving on its own, viciously snapped at the air in front of me, I ducked back just in time not to lose my head to it and the circle broke.

"A hundreds vines came from inside the tree trunks, themselves, exploding outwards causing splinters to wood to fly through the air. It took men by the neck and strangled them until their heads popped from their bodies, others vines slashed through the air, cutting a man clean in half as though his leather armour was nothing. Luckily, my metal armour was able to withstand the blow I took to chest but the force knocked me through the air four feet, I felt one of my ribs crack under the pressure. When I hit the ground I looked up and saw a face of black fur sitting within the holes in tree trunks.

"Then I felt something against my leg, a vine had wiggled its way under my armour and had now started to dig itself into my flesh. I felt it start to suck at my flesh, I grabbed for my sword a few feet away and sliced the vine at where it entered my armour. But even though I had sliced the vine from its master, I could still feel it writhing and trying to bury deeper into my leg.

"Then it climbed from the canopy, gripping the side of a tree, it looked like a wild cat, it was bright yellow, the size of a room, its tail a plumage of silver feathers..."

"Like a takwak?" asked Olav breathlessly a type of bird with a huge array of tale feathers which Orleena had learnt about from Shepherd Elor.

"Just like a takwak, but these feathers glinted in the light like they were made of polished metal. The thing roared so loud I had to cover my ears from the pain when it did its metal tail rattled and they started to slice into the tree. The vines pulled back from clearing and the faces were gone from the tree trunks, before bursting from a tree trunk next to the beast. The vines pulled the beast from its perched and wrestled with giant cat high above the forest floor.

"Seeing the opportunity, I screamed at my men to run. I grabbed a petrified tracker cower behind a tree and slapped him back to his senses. 'Show us the way,' I shouted at him and the man picked himself and fled into the woods. I threw off my helmet and pursued him as quickly as I could, the vine still digging into me.

"The tracker led us back, only five other men followed out of those woods. The rest lost inside."

"That's amazing," said Olav excited.

Orleena sat quietly and listened, her father was a hero.

"I removed my armour the moment we were beyond the trees and had the tracker cut the vine out. It still whipped at the air as he gripped it, and it even tried to stab itself into his face, we threw the damn thing into the campfire and flames screamed and turned purple as it burnt.

"I returned to my father with what remained of my men and told him we had no fear of Dun making it through that place."

"That was quiet something, Sovin. Five years and your tales are more unbelievable than ever," said Uncle with a chuckle, "Olav will be telling that story for weeks."

"It is no tale," said Pa shaking it head, "you should go and see for yourself, the Hallowmen of the north speak the truth. The beasts that destroyed the God's Isle haunt that place now."

"Don't forget that part, Olav," laughed Uncle, "it's a great way to end the story."

"Tell me of the capital, then," said Pa an annoyance in his voice, "how have the years treated you?"

"The treasury empties slowly, but it should be full again soon. The court is brimming with the same thankful and grateful people that I now know me by name, most don't even bother calling prince anymore, what need is their formalities amongst old friends," said Uncle shaking his head, "the merchants have grown skittish, we almost had rebellion on our hands but we dealt with that quickly enough. The ones that are left are excited with the news of peace, eleven years is a long time to sit on tar reserves. Some of them say the price will triple once the caravans and ships start to move again."

"Only a poor merchant would sell it for triple," said Pa, "The Kaborn have half heartland now and have set their eyes on the east. The tar is the only thing thats going to keep them at back."

Uncle simply nodded.

"Nothing to say?" Pa said.

"What more is there to say?"

"Boasting, gloating, this is your victory, you bastard," cheered Pa and was on his feet, "you knew all this would happen, you have the foresight of a soothsayer, I always said so.

"It worked, just as you said. Granted, it took a little longer to starve them then we thought, but you knew they would fall apart without their precious tar and now that the Kaborn are at their necks we have even more time to fortify our empire."

"I am sure that is what the history books will record," said Uncle with a wave of his hands.

"Brother, if you seek a different glory, then take our Clanguard. Take them all," said Pa as he moved towards his brother and took him by the shoulders, "the Lowlands are free for the taking, if you will, take to the western swamp and settle a city all of your own, go to the Old Woods and make a cloak of the cat beast to rival that of Roland's. Do as you will now, you have earned it."

"I plan too, Sovin," said Uncle flatly.

"Are you taking all the Clanguard?" asked Olav.

"Yes," said Uncle was a smile and Pa laughed.

"Where are you going to take them? I need it for the map," Olav jumped up from the floor and raced to the corner of the room.

"Show Orleena your map," said Uncle.

"Look at this, Orleena," called Olav from the corner.

Orleena walked over to the tall table and pulled herself up onto a chair and what she made her eyes wide, a map of Hallows swamp, the Lowlands and the Old Woods to the north. The map also showed the coast curving to the east running past the kingdom of Sylaway and then continued east to the Golden Throne.

Little wooden figurines painted all different colours sat atop the leather map. It was just like the map that she saw in Da Raloff's study, which Orleena was never allowed to touch.

"The red are for Hallow's Army," Olav explained, "the blue are the Clanguard, the brown are the mercenaries, the orange are the Dun and yellow is the Imperials."

He took the four blue figures and moved them down to Hallow's Keep.

"Now father is back, the Clanguard are back in Hallow's Keep."

"I want a map of my own," cried Orleena jumping up and down on the chair, "Da Raloff won't let me touch hers."

"I will get one made for you, immediately," cheered Pa.

"I need a Purple Man," she cheered, "for Da Raloff's guard."

"How do you know about that?" asked Pa sternly and Orleena went still.

"Da Raloff's guard?" asked Uncle just as sternly.

Pa turned to his brother with a wide smile.

"I have made Da Raloff the captain of the new guard," he said sheepishly.

"You're back for one day," scolded Uncle, "and you're already causing me headaches."

"You know how I am."

All Pa got in reply was a heavy sigh.

"Here take this," said Olav handing Orleena a red figurine, "you can use it on your new map."

The sound of armour came through the door and a large, square man in grey, dented armour walked hard into the room, his posture hard and upright.

"Uncle," said Pa quietly and bowed his head.

"That's Uncle Frank," whispered Olav to Orleena, "don't say anything and get down from the chair."

Orleena jumped down from her chair looked up the man named Uncle Frank. He hid his face behind a large, dark grey beard. What Orleena could see of his eyes looked wrinkled and tough.

"It's time for Olav's training," he said gruffly.

He looked around the room for a moment and noticed the pool of blood in the corner.

"Who's blood is that?" growled Uncle Frank walking up to the two brothers.

"Roal's," said Pa quickly.

Uncle Frank fixed his eyes onto Pa and Pa returned the stare. Slowly, Uncle Frank removed his right gauntlet and held it out for Uncle to take, which he did without a word.

Pa waited for a moment and then he was no longer standing straight as a hard hand came across his face.

"We do not spill the blood the of own," barked Uncle Frank his voice echoed across around the room and Orleena jump and felt Olav tense beside her, "you return from the battlefield a weak and worthless creature, Sovin."

"Yes, uncle," said Pa quietly looking back again.

The second Slap caught him off guard and this time his knee slipped from underneath him.

"Is this what is left of the boy I trained, have you spent so long in Lowlands with the outsiders you have forgotten who you are?"

Uncle Frank screamed at the collapsed form of Pa, Orleena stepped back from the ogre that was attacking her father. Pa pulled himself up.

"Forgive me, uncle," said Pa softly.

"You are not worthy of anyone's forgiveness. You are lucky I am not your father, I'd have your right hand for this," yelled Uncle Frank.

"Yes, uncle."

"And in your son's room, is this the father you are going to be for your children?"

There was a moment of silence between the two.

"No, uncle," said Pa, finally.

"You will clean your mess with your own hands. No servants will come to this wing today."

"Yes, uncle."

"Where is the Raol, now?"

"The dungeon," said Pa as his cheek began to burn red.

"Good and that is where you should have sent him to start with."

"Yes, uncle."

Uncle Frank did not look away.

"What is this?" asked Uncle Frank tapping on Pa's armour.

Pa was silent.

"What is this, boy?"

"My armour," said Pa through gritted teeth, he looked up at the ceiling, his fist started to tighten at his side.

"We have guards here to wear the armour, here. And we have Low Kings to wear the robes. There are no battles to be fought in Hallow's Swamp, you will wear the robes of your station when you are in my keep. March around like a tin soldier in your own tower."

"Yes, uncle," the anger was clear in Pa's voice as he focused on the ceiling.

"Welcome home," said Uncle Frank bluntly.

Frank approached the two children in corner.

"Well, lad," he said, "do you still denounce your sister?"

"No, sir," barked Olav.

"Good lad. Get your sword and wait by the door."

Olav scampered to the other side of the room.

"Orleena," said Uncle Frank's as eyes flickered to her, "have they taught you to swing a sword, yet?"

"No," said Orleena as strongly as she could, she was not going to be scared of this brute.

"If you wish to learn come and find me," he said simply.

He turned towards the door and whistled loudly, Olav vanished out the door, sword in hand. Frank walked over to Uncle, took the glove and nodded. Uncle simply nodded back.

"How does my boy fight?" asked Pa.

"When the bloodlust takes him he fights likes of his grandfather. If you can keep his head on straight and feed him the right books, you might have yourself a good Low King and Commander, one day," said Frank as he put his gauntlet back on and than lumbered out the door his armour clanking as he did.

When Frank was gone Pa raised his hand to his cheek.

"I should has just gutted, Raol," sneered Pa, "I would have gotten the same the treatment."

"Yes, but there would have been a lot more to clean up," replied Uncle.

"Why didn't you stop it?" asked Pa.

"One moment, I will call back uncle, he can slap you again."

Pa raised his hand apologetically.

"I am sorry, my words were wrong."

"The words are not wrong, you were, brother," snapped Uncle, "Raol was a snake and you left Olav to him while you and Pa were a mile from home. News of a unexpected raid, a successful push by the Imperials would have been enough to send place into madness. I have had to live with that for five years because you don't know your own Kin."

"I thought he was a good man."

"He told you what you wanted to hear, Sovin," spat Uncle, his body suddenly shaking, "and if you are to be the Low King of an empire you need to be better than that."

"You are right, brother?" said Pa looking at his feet, "you're always right."

Uncle sighed heavily and steadied himself.

"This is not homecoming and I had envisaged," said Pa lifting his head and smiled.

"We'll feast tonight," nodded Uncle swallowing his anger, "and you can tell your ridiculous stories like you always do."

"I should get this room cleaned then."

"And you had better hurry, court starts at midday."

"What?"

"Court, brother. You may remember it as one of your many privileges as Low King."

"Please, brother, do it today," pleaded Pa, "I need to spend time with Orleena."

"The common folk are crying out to see their Low King again, I would never stand in the way of that," laughed Uncle shaking his head, "besides I have a dozen people to meet with and explain to each them that they are candidates for captain of the new Imperial Guard and after carefully considering each on their merits their Low King Soven will reluctantly choose one to take the role."

"Of course you must, brother," grinned Pa, "well, if you will excuse us, my people await my judgement. Come, Orleena, we have must hurry."

Uncle left first. Pa waited for him to be out of sight before leading Orleena into the hall where he called a guard from his post. Pa passed the guard a few silver swords from a pouch, the guard nodded and disappeared.

"This way," said Pa, "I have to get out this armour before Uncle Frank sees me again."

Pa led the way down the long halls, passing large double doors at irregular intervals. Finally, they stopped at a set of large golden of doors flanked by two guards. He nodded to them quickly and pushed the door open.

The room was large and square, tapestries of colours and shapes danced across the wall, ruffling in the soft breeze coming from a half open wooden door at the back. The room was lit by a sky well above a large round wooden table. The table was bare of any papers or ornaments. The uncomfortable, wooden chairs that surrounded it were pushed in so that their backs rested firmly up against the empty table.

"Wait here," said Pa, "I will be back in a moment."

Pa vanished behind another set of doors to the left.

Her father reappeared after a good while dressed in purple and gold robes, a white-silver willow tree sown into the front. The robes showed his body clearly, it was smaller then it was with armour, slender and thin rather then square and round. The robes also made him look old, the limp now appeared less a wound won in the heat of battle and more a sign of frailty. The lines in his pale face stood out, his eyes clearly sunken and hollow.

Orleena did not like the look of man who had emerged from doorway, she preferred the company of the strong, warrior who had returned this morning.

"Have you ever been to court, Orleena?" asked Pa as he led her out of room.

"No," she said and then she found she wanted to say more, "Shepherd Elor has taught me how to act in court."

"What did he teach you?"

"Always stand when the Chair is standing, always bow when the Chair enters and leaves, speak loud and clear when addressing Chair and always do as the Chair commands," she listed from memory, there was more she knew but she thought that was enough.

"No, Orleena," said Pa shaking his head, "that is how you act in court if you are a commoner. The court is our court, it is where we, the descendants of Hallow, give Roland's justice to the people.

"When we enter the court today, the people will bow to us, the people will stand when we stand and if they do not listen when we command it, we will make them regret the disrespect of our of ways. Do you understand?"

Orleena nodded.

"You must speak, Orleena," said Pa sternly, "the people must hear your voice when we are in court."

"Yes, Pa," said Orleena, "I understand."

Chapter 3

"A man's home is his alone, by rights older then this kingdom, what are we if we let this injustice continue?" yelled Di Orin from behind his wiry, grey beard, "they're in the lanes that lead to my house, they camp themselves in my garden, one of them was so bold I had to chase her from my roof."

The onlookers laughed.

"Quiet," said Orleena from the Chair her high pitched voice cut through the air causing the audience to hush.

"I demand justice from the Chair. I have worked hard in tar pits for your grandfather and I deserve my home to be untouched by vagrants."

"The Chair doesn't have a grandfather, Di Orin," sighed Orleena and then added, "but I am sure the Emperor is grateful for your service, but as I told you a week ago and the week before that, I do not command the city guard, you must take your complaints to the Chancellor. The patrol has orders to chase the vagrants away when they spot them, which they do. The Chair has nothing more to add."

"And yet they're still there when I wake in morning, even starting fires in my garden to cook their breakfast. The patrols does nothing for our justice," Di Orin shouted.

Orleena raised her hand to her face in frustration.

"I have granted you the right to hire your own guard, if you choose."

"So that is the way of it, then," started Di Orin.

Orleena fell back in the wooden chair still too large for her ten year old body. Here was the speech she had heard ever week for the last year when Di Orin had blustered at the clerk, demanding to be heard.

"Roland was a poor, hard working man, like me, and when he formed the great nation of the north he did so believing one thing sacred above all else, a man had right to his land and his wealth.

"And now you sit on your chair and declaring you wield his sacred justice, the great justice of Roland, but you wield nothing if our most sacred of traditions are spat upon. Do you deny my charge?"

"The Chair does what it can, I do not run the city," Orleena replied, she always hated the energy the elders of city would bring to the court, it was exhausting.

"Then, to the court, I denounce your right to sit upon the Chair," shouted Di Orin to crowd that looked upon, clearly annoyed that their own cases were being ignored, "that is a chair for someone who has the will to enforce our laws and protect our traditions."

Take the damn chair from me, thought Orleena. She had loved it at first when her father had placed her upon it two years earlier, causing him to become the object of ridicule from the merchants and Royal Kin. Though when the mockery had reached her father's ear the detractors regretted their words. Pa had the men and women stripped and beaten in central square, charged with insulting the Chair and Roland's justice.

Quickly, the people had learnt not to speak against Orleena, even in private, but soon the silence that came from the fear Pa had instilled in them, had begun to come from a respect for her. She had proved herself a level and fair Chair.

When Pa had first brought her to court he had asked what she thought on a simple case of a servant stealing a twenty wings from his master, a wealthy merchant. The servant pleaded for forgiveness and explained his master had failed to pay his wages for two years. She consult her father in private while the people looked on from the floor. A thrill took her when she heard her father use her very words when making his final judgement, demanding the merchant give the servant the wings he was owed plus another twenty as a penalty.

Since that day, Orleena had buried herself in all the books of law and philosophy she could find in the libraries of the Royal Keep. She demand Shepherd Elor teach her nothing but argument and ways of the reasoning. He refused, of course, but if she read her histories, learnt her names and practice her languages quickly, he would set up a small court and she enact Elena's justice with a court of dolls with Shepherd Elor as the defendant. As the months passed she became obsessed with Roland and all the teachings of the ancient hero, always annoyed when others demand she concentrate on something else.

Pa was ecstatic at the news and over the dinner table he would challenge her with puzzles and when she answered, he would cheer and tell her how smart she was, Olav would grumble to himself and try to turn the conversation towards his military training, which made her father's praise even more addictive.

When she was seven her father had started to put her on the Chair each week on Zeria's day and after a few months the common folk started to pack the courts on the day she donned the robes in place of her father.

Some people came just to see the novelty of the young Princess only a few feet tall decided the affairs of grown adults. The merchants came because she was faster and more predictable than her father. The Royal Kin came to be seen with her and invite her to their private court, her father would then appear and chase them away.

As the months passed, Pa would be called away on urgent business at the keep and Orleena would take the court in his place until just after her eighth birthday she realised she was taking the Chair every day in place of her father while he found himself busy with the important work of a Low King.

Then Orleena had started to lose her love for the chair. The master who had robbed the servant of his wages during Orleena's first ruling appeared again and again each time with a different servant in tow. Every time Orleena would give the same verdict, but increased the penalty each time. Yet, as though oblivious to what had come before, the merchant would burst into a fury when she ruled against him. Sometimes, she wondered if she was simply mad and she had never seen the man before.

"Clerk, please record that Di Orin has denounce my claim to sit upon this Chair, again," said Orleena to the clerk who wrote the statement in the ledger.

"I will see it," demanded Di Orin and walked over the large tome and looked over the shoulder of the clerk, then nodded, satisfied, "then who will join me in denouncing this broken Chair."

"Shut up, old man," yelled a commoner from the back and then to Orleena, "I seek justice, my lady, hear me, please."

She raised her small hand to the man and he fell silent.

"Come," cried Di Orin to the crowd, "we must not let Roland's justice be sullied."

Orleena sat and silently watched the old man try and rally the uninterested audience for a while, her eyes started to become heavy after the hours spent in the hard wooden chair.

"Very well, Di Orin," she said, "I still sit upon the Chair, Roland still wishes me to speak for him. Clerk, please, note that. Are you finished with the Chair?"

"You're all fools," shouted Di Orin at the crowd and started to push his way to the large open arch of the court entrance.

"I'll remind the patrol to be at your house at dawn, Di Orin," called Orleena after him.

"Bah," dismissed Di Orin and continued to push through to the archway.

"Clerk, send a message to the guard to pass by Di Orin's house at dawn and clear away anyone they find on his land," said Orleena quietly to the clerk.

"Yes, my lady," he replied and took an piece of broken clay from a nook inside his high table, "the court is done for the day then, my lady, I left Di Orin til last, hoping he would just leave."

"The Chair is empty for the day, it will be occupied again tomorrow at the midday. Guards clear the court," she recited without an energy having said the words so many times before and then dropped from the chair.

"The Chair stands," shouted the clerk not looking up from the clay piece he was writing on and pushed back the high chair he sat upon, not losing or gaining an inch of height in process as he continued to scratch at the clay.

Those that had taken seats at the side of open hall of the court all stood.

"My lady, please you must hear me today," cried a man from the floor, he wore stained shirts and leather pants of a common workers.

Orleena ignored the man and began to untie the black sash that held the orange robes of the Chair around her. A guard started to approach the commoner.

"Please, my Princess, I have had a plea with clerk for a week," he cried, "I must be heard."

"Is that true?" asked Orleena quietly so no one else could hear, she did not stop removing the orange robes of the Chair.

The clerk looked up from his desk.

"We are keeping the case for Di Aliza, he has told me not to subject you to these matters."

"What are charges?"

"Murder, my lady," said clerk simply, "the assailant is being held and we will deal with it when Di Aliza returns."

Orleena turned to the man.

"Di Aliza has requested you be patient, he will deal with the matter when he returns to Hallow's Keep."

"Princess, please," he said, "I am moving my family to Edgelight to start a new life, I must have justice before I leave."

Orleena turned back to clerk.

"Who was the victim?"

"The man's wife," said the clerk but then added, "my lady, your uncle has insisted you will not concern with such matters."

Orleena was accustomed to the clerks blunt nature, but a fury took her when he dared to give her orders.

"If Di Aliza wants to insist on something he can sit on the Chair and make the demands from there," snapped Orleena loudly, her voice cutting through the rooms making a few guards turn their heads, "until then this is my court and you are my clerk and you will not tell me what or what is not my concern."

"Yes, my lady," said the clerk lowering his head.

"A coward hides behinds the words of another," she spat with the anger of her father.

The clerk remained silent.

Orleena turned back to the man and pulled the robes back round her body tying the sash.

"I will hear your case. Gaoler fetch the accused, guards clear the court of any who are not in this place to hear the justice."

The gaoler vanished out the small backdoor.

"No new cases, no callers will be tolerated," shouted the Head Guard, "the court is closed to all except those who are here to listen. Da Samuel, I want you gone."

The people started to clear the chamber and Orleena pulled herself back onto the Chair and the clerk pulled his chair back.

"You will stand," said Orleena quietly to the clerk and he pushed the chair away.

The man came forward into the area marked with blood red tiles, where those that were to be heard stood.

"What is your name?" asked Orleena.

"Di Jaen," replied the man.

"How long have you been in Hallow's Keep?"

"A few years," said the man, "I have retired from the tar pits."

Orleena nodded.

"The common people speak fondly of you, my Princess, you are known as the most just and fair of the Royal Kin."

Orleena raised her hand and the man stopped.

"You do not speak to the Chair of justice or fairness," she said with as much harshness as her young voice as she could, "Roland is fair and justice, I merely follow his way the best I can."

Uncle had taught Orleena never to listen to the praises of those who came before her, she was there to give justice, he had explained, not to love or be loved. Pa had always told her that it was nonsense and that she should be comfortable with the commoners love, as she would receive much of it in her life.

Orleena had listened to Pa and let the Hallowmen speak to her with whatever kind words they chose, but overtime, after seeing the true nature of the men of said such things, she quickly began to find the words disgusting and vile until she refused to entertain them anymore.

"Forgive me, my Princess," he said and knelt, "I have never been to court before and the fool has my tongue."

"Rise, there is no princess here, just a Chair and it will be addressed as such," she said and guilt suddenly took her for chastising the poor man, "speak clear and true and you will have justice."

The clerk beside her called over a messenger boy, handing him a silver coin and the clay piece.

"Get this to the city guard, from the Chair," he said simply.

The boy nodded and stuck the coin into the pouch on his belt, a short dagger hung next to it. The boy hurried from the court, through the open arch into the street beyond that was still full of people going about their daily business.

The court became quiet as the guards brought order to the room. After a while the gaoler returned in tow was a tall, wiry boy, barely older than Orleena, with heavy, iron shackles weighing down his arms. The gaoler pushed the boy into the red tiles.

"The Chair will hear the next plea," called Orleena

"Let Roland and the three Gods hear the pleas of Di Jaen," called the clerk, "accuses Dawr the Arn of the murder of his wife."

Dawr was the name given to Arn who refused to identify themselves.

"How old is the boy?" asked Orleena quietly to clerk.

"Thirteen, my lady."

Orleena turned to the boy in chains, his head hung low, obscuring his face behind a mass of wild black hair.

"Do you elect a guardian to speak with you?" asked Orleena.

The boy was silent.

"The Chair will hear you speak," ordered Orleena.

The boy just stood, swaying slightly.

"Shepherd Elor, will you council the boy?" sighed Orleena.

"I will, if the Chair wishes it," said Shepherd Elor from behind her.

"Do you except the Shepherd's council?" asked Orleena.

The boy did not respond.

"Shepherd Elor, if you would."

Elor walked forward from the shadows behind the chair into the hard red light of the dusk that filled the space, his long, red robes shimmered as he moved. He took his place next to the Arn boy.

"Di Jaen, how do you know Dawr murdered your wife?" asked Orleena flatly, the court was not a place of kindness.

"My son, who's twelve... he came home from his job at the butchery and found the boy over my wife a knife," said Di Jaen his voice starting to break, "my son is large for a boy and was able to wrestle him to the ground and pin him and then he yelled for help. My neighbours got the guards and when they found him... my boy was covered in her blood."

Di Jaen lost control of his emotions.

"Do we have any report from the guards?" asked Orleena to the clerk.

"Yes, my lady," said the clerk and handed her the parchment.

On it was scribbled a basic account of murderer, the boy had not spoken after he was taken by the guards. The two daughters had also seen their mother's body before their father return.

"Have you sent your wife on?" asked Orleena.

"Yes, she floats amongst the mangroves."

Orleena paused for the moment and then turned attention to the boy in shackles.

"Dawr, do you deny these charges?" asked Orleena.

The boy was silent.

"Dawr is not yet a man and so can not be held fully accountable for his actions," said Shepherd Elor from behind.

"The Shepherd is to council you, Dawr, you will acknowledge the chair."

The boy was quiet.

"Speak for yourself, boy," barked Orleena.

The room was silent.

Orleena pushed herself off the chair.

"The Chair stands," shouted the clerk.

"Why do you not speak?" she yelled as she walked to the floor, "show me you have a tongue."

Dawr lifted his head and looked at her with a pair of bright, silver eyes. He stuck his tongue out at her and for moment her senses took her, he was the most beautiful boy she had ever seen.

"Why did you do it?" she asked low staring into the strange silver of his eyes.

"'Cause I could," he said simply.

"Then you accept the charges."

The boy was silent but he did not look away.

"Dawr does not need to accept any charges laid by you or the Di Jaen," snapped Shepherd Elor, "but if you find otherwise you must remember his actions are of a young mind."

"Your immature mind is noted by the Chair," spat Orleena at the boy who now just stared at her.

Orleena sat herself back on her chair and looked at the child, the pages of her books and their wisdom come to her. The boy did not look away. The court became tense as the silence grew.

"What little there was of your defence has been heard and the Chair will take your life for the one that has taken."

The audience started to murmur amongst themselves.

"Thank you, my lady," exclaimed Di Jaen.

"The Chair is hasty," shouted Shepherd Elor quieting the crowd, "a boy can not be put to death. His life is not his own."

"Will you die for him then, Shepherd?" asked Orleena flatly.

"I am not his father."

"Then you will not," said Orleena she turned to the crowd, "if a girl of ten years can dispense the justice of Roland then a murderer of thirteen can accept it. That is our way."

The room was silent.

"Gaoler, let it be known Dawr the Arn is sentenced to death. Those that wish to console him will be given free access for a day, those that wish to throw stones at him will be given access for a day, a single stone no bigger then his fist. On the third day, he will be buried to his neck in marsh and left to the beasts."

Orleena looked down at the boy, he had not flinched or moved, he simply watched her with his silver, clear, powerful eyes.

"The Chair must reconsider," shouted Shepherd Elor.

"The Chair will not," said Orleena, "Roland's justice is done, the Chair will hear no more."

The gaoler came forth a grabbed the young Arn, the chamber came alive with chatter.

"Thank you, thank you, my Princess," cried Di Jaen, "you are just and true, my children will sing your name all the way to Edgelight."

She raised her hand to him but he kept calling her praises.

"The Chair is empty for the day, it will be occupied again tomorrow at the midday. Guards clear the court," shouted Orleena and pushed herself from the Chair.

"The Chair stands."

She turned from the noise of the crowd and untied the sash from her waste.

"You do not decide what pleas I hear," said Orleena quietly to the clerk.

"Yes, my lady," said the clerk quietly and added, "a message for you."

"Speak," she ordered as she removed the orange robes from her small frame.

"Emperor Di Soven seeks your audience at the keep before you head to your tower," said the clerk.

"Very well," she sighed heavily with exhaustion and handed the clerk her robe and sash.

Shepherd Elor approached from the floor.

"Orleena, you must reconsider your..." said Elor with the tone of a teacher talking to a student.

Orleena raised her hand to Shepherd Elor and immediately felt terrible for defying him. He was not an unknown face, he was a man she loved and trusted since she could remember.

"I do not want to hear about it," she said softly, lowering her hand, "the Chair has made the ruling. Now, please, let it be done."

"This is not about the Chair, Orleena. You must hear me, you don't know how dangerous that ruling is."

"I know what I do and know exactly what it means," growled Orleena.

"That boy does not realise what he has done, he sees life as a game. He needs someone to show him it is not, death teaches him nothing."

"Do you claim to know better than the Chair?"

The blood flowed uncontrolled with anger and exhaustion as she waited for Shepherd Elor to respond.

"This is not the last you will here of this," he said holding himself back.

"Then I will hear it then. Another time," she said softly, "Grand Pa has summoned me, will you come?"

Shepherd Elor straightened himself up and sighed

"Very well."

The crowd parted as Shepherd Elor and Orleena left the hall into the street, the sun had started to set. A horse drawn carriage awaited for them at the entrance to the courthouse. Elor helped Orleena up the high wooden stairs and then pulled himself up as well and hit the roof. The carriage lurched forward as the horses began to trot forward.

Orleena watched the city pass by her window. The streets had once been too narrow and winding for any such carriage to make it through the city only a few years ago, but now Grand Pa had come back from the front lines and his treasury bursting with the wealth of the tar trade. So, he had found a handful of Kaborn engineers to help him build a single, stone road that connected the Five Royal Towers and the Royal Keep itself. So impressed by the quality of the road Grand Pa now spent his days planning the new expansion of the city. A second wall was almost complete, creating a new precinct on the western side of Hallow's Keep and work had already begun, in the space between the walls, on stone roads for the new district that the commoner's had started to call Lowtown. Some had already pitched tents and build shacks where the land was dry, but Grand Pa planned to remove them all once the roads were done and build a marvellous new city to rival the glorious twin cities, Marn'lay and To'anray.

The Royal Keep was only a few streets from the courthouse, but the road was only wide enough for one carriage, so Orleena's carriage had to complete a full circuit of the city before finally coming to rest at its destination. Elor helped Orleena disembark and the two found their way to Grand Pa's war room.

Grand Pa stood over the large, wooden table, a leather map of the whole land stretched before him. Little circular disc of all colours dotted the map from the southern tip of Hallow's Swamp to the frozen mountains of the Crown in the north.

Grand Pa was a tall, slender man who, even in his old age had skin as smooth as porcelain, his skin pale with only a hint of pink to it. His hair was a mane of long, straight hair, once it was black with a sheen that glistened in light, though over the last few years it had turned an amazing silver. Since he had return. he had not cut his hair letting it fall down to the middle of his back, he tucked it neatly behind his large ears.

"Orleena," he said with a bright voice.

"Grand Pa," she replied and bowed.

"Elor," he said flatly with no warmth.

"Di Soven," Elor replied and found a wall to stand against, strong and still.

"Would you like some dinner?" asked Grand Pa taking a spoonful of stew from his bowl.

"Dinner awaits me in my tower," replied Orleena.

"Then I won't keep you long."

Orleena pulled a chair up to the war table and stood herself upon it. Her map was so much smaller, only showing the lands just to north and east. She loved to look over this map, a map of every land known and the armies that marched across it.

"You father sends news from the Lowlands," said Grand Pa, "he has taken most of holds and villages of worth. It will be the first land brought into our Empire."

"Pa is a great commander," replied Orleena flatly.

"He has founded a capital on the shore and named it Orleena, after you," said Grand Pa triumphantly.

Orleena nodded and looked at the table.

"Are you not proud?"

"Very proud," she said simply, "tell Pa I miss him and hope he returns soon."

Grand Pa sipped his soup.

"The Kaborn have Douruh," said Orleena to the map.

"Yes, they have pushed their advantage, they have both Red Sails and Hawkescliff and with that they own the bay of storms."

"They have cut the east from the Heartland."

"It won't be long til they take Frys and Sia or they surrender themselves. The Quillan never had the stomach for battle," Grand Pa put down the bowl and pointed to the north, "The Free Men have risen up against the Dun and have pushed them back to the forests. Though the Dun stubbornly hold onto the Fork, but they will be starved out in time."

"More pirates than before," said Orleena motioning to the black circles on the eastern coast of Hallow's Swamp.

"With tar the price it is there are more pirates than ever. I made more coin when price was a quarter of what it is now. Olav is doing his best to keep them at bay, but for every galley you sink another sets sail from the Isle."

"Take The Rough, Grand Pa," said Orleena forcefully, "the ships take too long from Edgelight. Take the port and hold the line there.

"The ships can try and make it around the open sea, but most will be sunk by storms or lost. We can protect the trade ships til they reach Sylaway and then the Sowan or Kaborn can keep the ships safe."

"You certainly think quickly, Orleena," laughed Grand Pa.

"I have maps in my towers, I have been thinking about it since merchants started to complain about the pirates a year. At that point the siege would not have been worth the manpower, but maybe it is now."

"And how would we take the Rough, the Silent Stone is impenetrable?"

"You don't need the tower," said Orleena pointing at the map, "you just need the port, the Silent Ones can lock themselves in their tower, we take their city."

"The Imperial Navy are the only ones who would come to their aid," said Grand Pa chewing his lip, "but they will stay away if we show it will give us an advantage over the pirates. And The Rough would increase our border significantly and give us some extra trade routes when peace returns."

"I can take the port in six months with twenty ships," said Orleena looking up from the table.

"Your time in the Chair has made you bold," said Grand Pa with no mockery in his voice, "but I can not have a ten year old girl at the head a fleet even if she is my granddaughter."

"Then give me Da Raloff, she can command the fleet," said Orleena quickly and firmly, "I will be there just to watch."

Grand Pa continued to chew his lip, silently, and looked at his map after a while

"Enough of the map for tonight," he said finally and turned away from table.

Grand Pa went to a lounge that was at the back of room next to a roaring hearth and sat. Orleena followed and sat on one of the two chairs that faced him.

"Will you sit, Elor?" asked Grand Pa.

"I will stand," he replied from the wall.

Grand Pa shook his head.

"How is court?" Grand Pa asked to Orleena.

"It continues as it should, Emperor," she replied.

"Are you able to hold it for a two more months?"

"Where is Uncle?"

"He has gone north to Ulnsearth," said Grand Pa, "The High Lord there has called him from Kabrace to speak with him of marriage."

A puzzled look crossed Orleena's face

"But you are stilled married, Grand Pa?"

"Your brother's marriage," said Grand Pa simply.

Orleena shook her head, slightly, but stayed silent.

"Di Aliza should be there by now, I got the message from Kabrace this morning, but it will extend his absence. You will have to sit on the Chair a while longer."

"As is my duty," replied Orleena.

Uncle had been furious when her father had taken the Clanguard north to Lowlands with Grand Pa's blessing. Uncle had stormed from the Royal Keep and shut himself in his tower only emerging to hold court each day. Running the city as Chancellor from there with no word to his father or anyone else.

For over two months Uncle had been absent when he turned up unexpectedly at her gate. Grand Pa had given him the role of envoy to the foreign courts to build the relationships needed for their young empire.

The thought of displaying his prowess outside the walls of Hallow's Swamp had made Uncle forget his anger and replace it with his usual calm and cheerful demeanour. Then, a few weeks later he was gone after naming her the next to sit upon the Chair and Orleena was given the Chair for the first time in her own right in the absence of both her father and uncle.

"You are a remarkable child," said Grand Pa with a slight distance in his voice.

He pulled a smoking box from a side table and pulled himself up from lounge. He took the box over to the fire and took out a pipe from within.

"What troubles are you hearing of in the city?" he asked stuffing the pipe with swamp weed.

"Thievery, trespassing, illegal services," said Orleena, "the streets have become thick with people fleeing the war. Most are having their earnings taken from their pockets or are held up in the alleys."

Grand Pa found a hot ember in the fire with some metal tongs and lit his pipe.

"Rats the lot of them," snapped Grand Pa, "I will give no more guards. I have given enough."

"More guards are needed keep the peace," said Elor from the corner.

"When I was Low King we didn't need guards," scowled Grand Pa, "I would find twenty strong men at a tavern and we would sort out the matters ourselves."

"Hallow's Keep is to much bigger than it once was and those men, today, would likely take you into an alley and relieve you of your privileged purse."

"Then these new men of Hallow's Keep deserve their fate."

There was a knock at the door and a page appeared.

"Emperor Di Soven, a quiet word."

Grand Pa crossed the room and the page whispered in his ear.

"Send her in at once."

The page vanished behind the door and Grand Pa moved back to fire puffing on his pipe.

"We should leave you to your affairs, Grand Pa," said Orleena, "I am quiet tired from court."

"One moment, Orleena," he replied briskly.

At the door appeared her Grand Pa's daughter Iona. A woman of thirty dressed in a simple, green gown with a slight hunch of the shoulders. She looked around the room and saw Orleena sitting at the chair.

"Excuse me, I did not know you had an audience, another time, father" she turned to leave.

"Iona," said Grand Pa, "you may speak."

Iona turned back to Grand Pa and shook her head slightly.

"I have heard disturbing news from the court today," said Iona quietly, her eyes avoiding Orleena.

"Why do you bring this to me?"

"I thought it best resolved within the family."

"Orleena?" called Grand Pa.

"Yes," she replied.

"What matter does Iona speak of?"

"I hear many things at court, none are your concern," replied Orleena her voice hard.

It was forbidden to speak of the matters of the Chair to the King and she was not going to break that tenant tonight.

"A murderer was sentenced to death in court today, a ruling we would usually understand," explained Iona, "but it was a boy, no older then twelve or thirteen, father."

"Who were his parents?" asked Grand Pa chewing his lip.

"He is an Arn boy, fleeing the war, he has no parents in Hallow's Keep."

Grand Pa laughed.

"What is there to be discussed, then? If the Chair has asked for his life, it is no concern of mine."

"Will all the boys of Hallow Keep be subject to this new justice?" snapped Shepherd Elor from the corner.

"I do not need or want your help, Shepherd," spat Iona at Elor and turned back to Grand Pa with a softer tone, "it is not Roland's justice for a boy to be killed by our hands, even Sovin is not so heartless. It is right for a boy to be given another chance as you would expect if it were your son."

"You proclaim to know Roland's justice better than my granddaughter," yelled Grand Pa, "if you do, then take the Chair from her. See how many clammer to your side to defend some murderous Arn boy."

"I do not want it to come to that, father. I wished for it to be settled out of sight of the people. Keep the sentence, but let the boy slip away."

"You disgrace yourself, Iona. You come speaking of justice and then in next breath you call to pervert it."

"You are the disgrace if you let a boy die by our families hand," shouted Iona losing her temper.

"If you are so loose with your justice then maybe you would permit me to take the Chair," continued Grand Pa matching Iona in volume, "I'll take ever last Arn, Kaborn, Dun, Sowan man, woman and brat that has come and ruined the city of the Free Man, bind them to to a stake and set them alight. Then I would then take the damn traitors that sympathise with them, the ones who turn on their own family, who spit on our traditions and I would show each them the full extent of Roland's justice. You don't know how fortunate you are to have Orleena in that Chair and not me. I would give you and this city the justice sorely needs."

"I have nothing but love for my family," yelled Iona stepping toward her father, "and I will not be called a traitor because I refuse to cower from you or your granddaughter. I do not fear you, father, I fear what you do to our family for it will outlast you and it will have to hold the shame you stain it with."

"If this shame is so great then why are you alone, Iona?"

Iona paused for a moment.

"Then let it be then. I have done what I could to save us from your granddaughter's disgrace. Hallow knew of mercy and you have forgotten it."

"You are a coward, Iona. If you have seek a fight with my granddaughter you will find her easily, everyday, in the court sitting in clear view of any who would come. You may have forgotten your way there, having spent all your time within these walls, enjoying the comforts I provide.

"But when you have found your way, be sure to bring all those from my family that will support you in your claim. Please, let me know when, I will happily join the audience to watch as Orleena humiliates you and your false cause."

There was a moment.

"I didn't think you would listen but I have tried," said Iona softly.

"Will you try in court tomorrow?"

"I will not wound our family's name more than it already has been," said Iona and turned to leave.

"You will go when your King excuses you," screamed Grand Pa.

Iona stop and turned back.

"You dare to speak to the King of the Chair's business, that is treason and a betrayal of Roland's justice."

"Di Soven," exclaimed Shepherd Elor.

"Shepherd Elor, this is not your concern," said Orleena quickly.

"Twelves lashes or seven days in dungeons," said Grand Pa.

"The punishment for treason in my right hand, father," said Iona her eyes narrowed her voice taking a hard edge.

"Very well, tomorrow at midday in garden."

Iona nodded.

"Now, you are excused," said Grand Pa flatly and Iona left the room.

Grand Pa turned and walked back to the fire.

"You do with that Chair as you will, Orleena," said Grand Pa quietly.

"I do Roland's justice," she replied, "nothing more. I will be going back to my tower, now."

Grand Pa nodded and Orleena and Elor were soon back in their carriage moving through the twilight of dusk.

"I did the right thing, today," said Orleena staring out the window at the dark city.

"There is no reason to execute a boy," said Shepherd Elor quietly.

"Yes, there is," she replied simply, "Roland never distinguished one from another. Young from old, man from woman, noble from peasant. In his eyes all we are equal and every man must reap the fields he sows."

"That does not mean there can not be mercy for a lost soul," said Shepherd Elor.

"Yes, it does," said Orleena quietly, "you can not understand because you were raised in courts of Thalius and the perfumed men of the Heartland. This is our way, the way of Roland and the Free Men, we have given mercy and we have been scarred because of it. Mercy is a weakness that evil can exploit and it will."

The carriage ride continued in silence until Shepherd Elor departed the carriage and said a polite good night to Orleena. This was the last time she saw him alive.

The next day she learnt Shepherd Elor had used treachery to take the boy from the dungeons and escape into the night. Orleena did as was her duty and placed a bounty on the head of the two fugitives, one a murderer, the other a enemy of the empire.

A week later the bodies were brought back to the city by the men who had found them on roads heading to Edgelight seeking passage to another land.

Orleena gave the golden wings to bounty hunters and took the bodies to the swamp just outside of Hallow's Keep with the help of her guard.

Orleena wrapped the boy, still beautiful in death, and Shepherd Elor, who she loved as much as a child could love. Then ordered her guard to sink them into the marsh as she watched from dry ground.

"May the Mother Wolf find you and your charge, Shepherd," she said quietly to the waters and returned to her tower.

Chapter 4

Orleena was putting the last her books back on the shelf of the library when the caravan arrived at the gate of tower. A page hurried in and told her that Uncle had arrived and he was waiting in the atrium.

Even though Grand Pa had told Orleena that Uncle would return in two months the trip had taken four, almost five. In that extra time, Grand Pa had called on Orleena to take on some responsibilities of the Chancellor in the Royal Keep. Allocation of the Royal Kin to tasks, overseeing payments for services, keeping the merchants happy with their lot, all had become part of her daily routine.

Orleena instructed her page to bring Uncle into the library and where she awaited him surrounded by her books, each one placed in their correct home on the shelf.

There were so many now. The ones of law and philosophy were the ones she kept at shoulder height, she read them every morning taking in more and more of the ancient wisdom that Hallow's wife, Evonne, had demand be written when Hallow's Keep was nothing but a grouping of huts and tents out of place in the dank swamp. Orleena prized each of them more than gems or fertile farmland.

Above those tomes, she kept the books she read at night, military strategy and tactics written by the Sowan generals, the art of engineering and alchemy written by the Kaborn builders and sometimes the secrets of the arcane written by the Dun, though she had little patience for magic and what she did read made it sound dangerous and the realm of fools.

She had removed all the history books from the library that Da Raloff had once command she read. The Free Man did not write down their history and so the stories where all distant accounts written by the perfumed men with suppositions and assumptions that would often make Orleena slam the books shut in annoyance. Often she had wondered, why had Evonne never written the history of Free Men when she had command the scholars write the laws and philosophies of Roland, but such answers were lost in flow of time.

The door opened and Uncle appeared, his face beaming with joy.

"Welcome home, Uncle," laughed Orleena and she walked up and embraced him with all of her strength, "I have missed you."

"I missed you, too," he replied warmly, "though I must say it has been a joy to see the world beyond the swamp, from the Heartland to the Crown."

"Tell me everything," she laughed eagerly wishing her court was not starting so soon.

"That is a large request," laughed Uncle, "we will have dinner tonight and I will tell you as much as I can but, now, I must hurry I have court to hold."

Orleena laughed as the realisation dawn on her that with her Uncle back she was free of the Chair again.

"I can take the Chair, if you need," smiled Orleena.

"I won't hear of it, but I do have something important to discuss before I go," said Uncle and then called to the door, "Princess Kara, please, come in."

A girl appeared in the doorway, she was tall for a child and extremely slender, her skin was smooth and grey, her golden hair was wrapped tightly around itself on top of her head forming a small mound held in place by three large hair pins.

"Princess Orleena may I present Princess Kara, third daughter of the High Lord Braggan of the Forged Empire and King of Ulnsearth," Uncle declared in a stately manner.

Kara step forward into the library. Orleena stood, awkwardly still, as Kara curtsied deeply, her gown swept across the ground, elegantly, as the light of the library danced across the gold and blue fabric.

"My warmest greetings, Princess Orleena," she said with a smooth voice, "I have heard many remarkable things about you. The men of the Golden Throne talk of your firm but fair hand from Roland's Chair."

Orleena stood silent for a moment, she was no diplomat, she had never learnt the right words to say to a Princess many years ago, but such things had been pushed aside and replaced by more important and relevant knowledge.

"Thank you, Princess Kara, I have heard Ulnsearth is quite cold," said Orleena dumbly.

Kara rose with a smile and nodded.

"Princess, you must forgive us," laughed Uncle, "our fledgling Empire is still working on court etiquette."

"This library is amazing," exclaimed Kara looking around the tall shelves, "are all these yours?"

"Some of them belong to our King," Orleena shook her head at the word, "I mean to say, some of them belong to our Emperor Di Soven, but most belong to my father, ah... Low King and Crowned Prince Soven."

Orleena hated all these unwieldy titles.

"Princess Kara may be betrothed to your brother when he returns from The Rough," Uncle cut into the conversation.

"Did you see him in your travels?" asked Orleena eagerly.

"For a few days on the journey home, I visited The Rough."

"How is he?"

"He is doing, well, though he is becoming a bit tired of the blue of the ocean," laughed Uncle, "his men admire him and he has a good head for naval combat. There have been some set backs, but he is determined on holding the port."

Orleena smiled at the news.

"And father?" she asked.

"I'm sure Soven is fine," said Uncle bluntly, "now, I hope you have room to take Princess Kara into your care. While she is in Hallow's Keep she is to be considered your Brother's Kin and all the rights that come with that."

"Of course but Princess Kara, if you prefer, you are welcome to my room at the Royal Keep."

"The Royal Keep is not ready to except a guest as esteemed as Princess Kara," said Uncle, "I would prefer to leave her with someone I know will treat her as is required."

"Uncle, I have so much to do. I have issues with the Imperial Guard I must see to, I am in the middle of acquiring four more ships from the merchants guilds who blame us..." she started listing.

"Orleena," said Uncle, "I am back, now. You do not have to worry about any of that. You have given so much, it is time for you got to be a nine year old girl."

"I am eleven," snapped Orleena and then added angrily, "and I do not need to be anything but what I am."

"Yes, of course, I apologise," laughed Uncle, "but as Chancellor I will not have you taking my role from me. If you seek it, speak to your grandfather."

"Yes, Uncle," nodded Orleena with no emotion, "then I will be happy to welcome Princess Kara into Hallow's Keep, we have plenty of room for her here."

Uncle then reached into the leather bag he had over his shoulder and pulled out a book.

"I brought you this from Ulnsearth."

He handed Orleena the book in gold writing was "The Guard of Dragon's Perch: A History". Orleena was not impressed.

"Don't roll your eyes," said Uncle, "its written by the Uln themselves. Its a transcription of the original details of the construction of Dragon's Perch, it is the only script in the land said to outshine the Kaborn's efforts in building."

Orleena opened the book and found little writing, instead detail diagrams and notes detailing the guttering and sewage systems that fed off the springs of the mountains. She flicked a few more pages, more detailed schematics of elaborate machines that fired heavy boulders and huge arrows at intruders that dared to cross the cities threshold, she flicked some more pages and archaic writing of different reagents and how they were used in the machines.

Orleena put the book on the table jumped into her Uncle arms, showering him kisses. He laughed wildly, Kara stood quietly in the corner and pushed tears away from her face.

"I must be going now," said Uncle, "Princess Kara, I will leave you with my niece. We will all dine at my tower tonight."

Kara nodded and pushed away the last of her tears.

"Thank you, Prince Di Aliza," she said her voice still solid and sweet.

Uncle left the two in the library. Orleena was unsure as what to say next.

"I have a room for you on the forth level, next to mine, I will have it made up for you at once."

"Thank you, Princess," smiled Kara warmly.

"Call me, Orleena, nobody calls me by my title."

"Please call me Kara, then. That is what my sisters call me," a look of sadness flashed across Kara's face and then she quickly added, "do we have lessons, then? Or activities?"

Orleena paused again, she did not like how this day was unfolding.

"No," she said frustrated, "I don't usually have time for that."

"Oh."

Kara fell silent.

"I will have the servants have your room ready at once," said Orleena with a forced cheer, "and then I can... you can... we can see the tower and gardens."

Kara forced a smile.

"That would be lovely, Orleena."

"Wait here, I will organise it all."

Orleena left to find the house master, as she went down the hall she shook her head, angry at herself. Why had she been so awkward? She had too better than that. Kara was a princess of Ulnsearth and she deserved better than being hosted by a nervous girl who babbled like a fool.

The house master had the room in order, quickly, and Orleena went and found Kara in the library. She was sitting on a chair with her hands crossed patiently looking at the bookcases.

"Your room is ready," said Orleena politely, "please follow me."

Kara followed her up the stairs to the room and then to the door just along the circular hallway from Orleena's room.

Orleena opened the door and motioned for Kara to enter first. The room was almost identical to Orleena's own. A single wooden closet, a similar feather bed, a simple dressing table and a window that looked out over the swamp.

"It's perfect, thank you," said Kara.

Servants where already unpacking the large trunks Kara had brought with her.

"My lady, the closet isn't large enough," said a servant woman looking up from the trunk.

"Have the stable boys bring as much furniture as is needed. If you need take more take it from the other towers or the keep."

"Yes, my lady," said the woman and left the room.

"You will have whatever you need while you are here," said Orleena to Kara.

"You are too kind," Kara replied and went to the window and looked out, "the swamp is much more beautiful then I thought it would be. I thought it would be a dead place, full of rot but the most amazing creatures and glorious plants live here."

Orleena smiled at the compliment.

"We can go for a walk in the swamp after I show you the tower?"

"That would be wonderful."

"I will have the kitchen pack some food in a basket, it can be our activity for the day."

"Splendid."

Without another word Orleena bowed and hurried down the stairs to the kitchen suddenly full of purpose. She found the kitchen hand and had him make the finest salad he could and to bake some of new flat bread that had become the fashion in the last few months. She then bounded up the steps and returned to Kara who was waiting, still looking out her new window at the city beyond.

"Let me show you the tower," said Orleena slightly short of breath from the run.

Kara smiled and Orleena took her to the main rooms of tower. The simple dining room only large enough for eight people. Large bedroom reserved for Olav, which Orleena had made into her map room, Orleena had her figurines positioned across the different pieces of leather, she had now acquired maps of the different lands, but her collection was still missing the eastern kingdoms. She showed Kara the lounge with its large leather seats and huge hearth that had not seen use for many years, Orleena did not invite others to her tower preferring to meet them in the Royal Keep or in the streets, when it was necessary. It kept the discussions short which Orleena preferred to the rambling talk that came when people were comfortable.

Finally, Orleena took Kara to the Shrine of Helena on the top floor of the tower. It was a circular room of with no roof, vines and shrubs grew in the shallow gardens along the walls, each let to grow wild with the will of the great goddess Helena. In the centre of the room, atop a squat, white column stood a large statue of the Goddess. On her head sat her iconic crown a ring with nine large dragon fangs that stabbed at the blue sky above. She held sword to the sky while beneath her right foot she crushed the neck of the dragon, Kor'asha, depicted small and helpless underfoot.

"Do you worship Helena in Ulnsearth?" asked Orleena.

"We keep all three gods sacred, but my people praises Ka before the others," said Kara looking up at the statue.

"There is a Shrine to Ka in the city, if you wish we can arrange an escort to take you there whenever you need."

"No, I am not in Ulnsearth anymore. If the Hallowmen praise Helena first, then so shall I."

"You are welcome here at anytime," said Orleena with an approving nod, "come, I have planned a special meal for us to have this afternoon."

Orleena and Kara exited the tower and found the pair found their way to the city gate not far from Orleena's tower. The two walked ahead of six guards that escorted them. Orleena swatted at the bugs that swarmed across the muddy paths.

"The storms didn't come this year, so there are more pests then usual," Orleena explained.

"When you live your life under the mountains, bugs and insect are quiet rare. We do have a few that glow green and yellow in the darker caves, but you should never approach them, their stings cause your flesh to eat itself."

"Is Ulnsearth dangerous?"

"Very dangerous outside the cities. All manner of twisted beasts live in the Deep Lands."

"Have you ever gone down there?"

"No, but my brothers have, often. My brother is an explorer, his team once brought back a beast with the head of a goat and a sheep and the body of snake. It was the size of tall man. Father had it stuffed and placed in our family museum to celebrate the conquest."

"I would love to see the Deep Lands."

"If your brother accepts me and we are married, I can take you to Ulnsearth. My brother can take you down, if you truly want. I will stay in the city though, I have no interest in such adventure."

"We will see," mumbled Orleena distracted by the mention of the marriage.

"I saw the most magnificent creature from my carriage on the way from Edgelight. It was a beast made of a nothing but flesh. It was giant, round blob that was able to swim through the air like a fish in water."

"You saw a Poral."

"Do you have any here?" asked Kara excitedly.

Orleena though for moment and then called back to the guard who were discussing something amongst themselves.

"Do we have any Poral nests nearby?"

"I heard there were some over by the tanner's hut," called the guard back.

"Thank you."

"Your guards are very informal here," said Kara.

"Despite Uncle's best efforts we have yet to learn the manner of the foreign court. We prefer to just yell at each other."

Kara laughed.

"This way to the tanner's hut," said Orleena and ran forward.

Kara picked up her dressed, slightly muddied now, and ran after her.

The two girls hurried down the winding path letting the flying insects whipping against their faces. Kara laughed loudly and then coughed as her mouth caught large number of them. Finally they came across an old, wooden shack, skins of crocodiles and snakes stretched across a variety of wooden frames.

A large man emerged from the hut to see who was making all the noise.

"Who's this?" the man called to the girls.

"Princess Orleena," she called back, "I have just come to see the Poral nest near your hut."

The man nodded.

"Don't touch the skins," he said gruffly and disappeared back inside his hut.

Orleena led the way to the marsh behind the path.

"They usually nest on the shoreline," explain Orleena as she tried to spot the creatures.

The she saw them, seven floating sacks of translucent blue flesh of all different sizes. They swam lazily above the water. The largest one was the size of a large dog the smallest the size of a small bird.

"Over there," said Orleena and pointed across the marsh to a small island the creatures had used to build their nest.

Kara looked at sacks as they majestically floated without purpose, muscular tentacles hung from their bodies, trailing across the top of water.

"How do they float like that?" asked Kara.

"No one knows," said Orleena quietly, "the Dun say magic but the Dun speak a lot of nonsense. All I know is they can."

A tentacle of a larger Poral shoot into the water and when the tentacle emerged a fish struggled on the end of it, trying desperately to free itself from the spear. The creature took its victim to beneath of its body, and fish disappeared as it was consumed.

"It has a mouth of a hundred tiny teeth at the bottom its body that can mush up anything that gets between them," explained Orleena.

"That's horrid," laughed Kara, "quiet amazing."

The two watched the pod of Poral dance until their appetite demand their attention. Orleena called the guards to bring the basket of food and the blanket and the two sat themselves down amongst the twisted roots of a willow tree.

"This is a salad," announced Orleena triumphantly as she removed the bowl from the basket.

"I see," puzzled Kara by the announcement.

Orleena suddenly felt very stupid.

"I suppose you have such food all the time."

"Yes, don't you?"

"This is from our first harvest in the Lowlands. The swamp doesn't offer us food like this. We mostly eat broths of roots and mushrooms with lizard or snake meat. Sometimes, a farm animal is brought from the Heartland but it is very difficult and expensive, most die along the way."

"Oh," said Kara and then added, "you must forgive me. This is all new to me. Thank you so much for sharing this with me."

"How do you grow food under the frozen Crown?" asked Orleena.

"The valleys between the peaks are very fertile," explained Kara, "in the Age of Men, our people built tunnels to access the valleys and sluices to feed them water from the spring buried in the mountain. We have may acres of farmland hidden within the mountains which feed our cities."

"Amazing, your people sound remarkable," Orleena replied handing Kara a bowl, "you should eat."

The pair ate in silence for a while until Kara spoke.

"They say your brother is very handsome and fearsome in battle. If he was not a prince, it is said, he would be a pirate."

"Who says that?"

"The nobles of the Golden Throne."

Orleena simply shook her head.

"Do you agree with them?"

"The perfumed men are right, for once."

"You do not like them?"

"Roland is the one true ruler of this land, the Free Men keep his way," Orleena replied with hard voice, "the perfumed men proclaim dominion where they have no claim."

"Does my father also make this false proclamation?" asked Kara.

Orleena looked at her and suddenly she felt as though she had made a mistake.

"Forgive me, Princess, as I said my court etiquette is extremely poor," Orleena said sincerely.

"There is no need excuse yourself," said Kara, "please speak the truth, I am not easily offended."

"Roland's way is the way we keep and none other than the gods stand above him. This is what we know is true and until the rulers sees this the wars that scar the land will continue. I mean no disrespect, Kara. It is what I believe."

"Will you teach me your ways, Orleena?"

"If you wish," said Orleena with shrug, "but those born under Thalius have a hard time understanding Roland's teachings."

"My family, my people, is much older then Thalius and his throne, even older than Roland and his cloak," said Kara hard and defiantly, "we are older the dragons and Ka before that. You may see me as a outsider, and that I am, but I will not have you see me as a servant of Thalius."

Orleena nodded but doubted Kara's words.

"Then I will teach you anything you wish to know."

Chapter 5

Orleena stood in her mother's courtyard, a large crowd had gathered to welcome Olav back to the city. He was now a man who towered above everyone else, his body a large, wall muscle, but he still had his young, mischievous smile.

Olav chattered lively with the Royal Kin that had gathered. Next to him stood Kara, her hand lightly gripping the hand of her betrothed.

Last night, the arrangement had been formally agreed in Uncle's tower between Olav and the Ulnsearth visor while Grand Pa had watched on. The Uln was immediately taken by escort to Edgelight to deliver the joyous news back to the High Lord Braggan.

Grand Pa had embraced the two and welcomed Kara into his family. Orleena said the words she thought she should say, but she did not like the marriage at all.

Kara was a good woman and had spent the last year, while waiting for Olav to return from The Rough, learning from Orleena the ways of the Free Man. She was kind and gracious in all her dealings, she was smart and humorous, but that did not mean she deserved her brother, or that he deserved her.

Olav must win the love of his wife and Kara must win the love of her husband, marriage and love were not gifts to be handed out to High Lords by her grandfather to secure an alliance. But Orleena put her reservations aside and enjoyed the homecoming. She got to see her brother again which made her happier than she had been in a long time.

"My lady," a merchant approached his eyes bulging beneath his thick spectacles.

"No business tonight, Jorn," said Orleena quietly but firmly.

"I am not here to discuss the trade," he said politely, "it is just, seeing the happy betrothed has made me realise that you are yet to show any interest in a possible husband."

"I will speak when I choose to speak," she growled and then added, "you are a brave man. Are your son's as brave?"

"Much braver, Princess."

"Then send your finest tomorrow evening," she said simply, "though I doubt he will be acceptable as a husband, I may have use of him."

"Yes, of course, Princess," said the merchant excitedly and then his voice went quite, "it is wondrous sight to see your brother back in city, but the question comes to mind, who is holding The Rough while he is here?"

"I said no business tonight your goods will be delivered safely to To'anray."

"I would not believe that if Helena told me herself," he chuckled, "let me leave you to celebrate. My son will be at your tower at dusk tomorrow evening."

Jorn was notorious for offloading bad deals before they came to bite. If he thought his goods were in danger, he would immediately find some poor carpenter who knew nothing of pirates and trade routes to take the ownerships right from him for an unfair price. Jorn was crafty and sharp, if devious and unscrupulous, his son may be a useful addition to her Kin, but definitely not a man she would marry.

In the ancient culture of the Northern Men there had always been two castes, the Free Men and the Chained Men. The Free Men came from the ruling families of the tribes, they were born with the right to hold land, take wives and have children. The Chained Men were their lessers, forbidden to have wealth greater then that of two bulls, forbidden to marry and may never father or bare children. Illegal children born to the Chained Men were left in the wilds for the beasts to feed upon.

A Free Man though could take a Chained Man into their family and the Chained Man would became known as their Kin. Kinship gave the Chained Men all the rights of a Free Men in exchange they were duty bound to that Free Man and his causes alone, the Kin became known as the Free Man's son or daughter and the Free Man became know as the Chained Man's mother or father. Though the bond was not passed to the Kin's children and all who were born to the Kin were born in chains until a Free Man took them in. So, many of Kin spent much of their energy securing a place their children in the social order. This was the way of the Northern Men, a system that went back to Hama and Gella in the Age of Men before the Dragons that ruled the skies.

Now, that Uncle was back and had taken on the duties of the court and Chancellor, Orleena decided it might be a good time to start choosing her Kin and building her family.

Da Raloff appeared at the columns that stood at the edge of courtyard, dressed in a stunning purple dress. The shoulders of dress went out further then her own and then quickly tapered down to a tiny waist and then went wide again, the left side of the dress flowed to her ankle while the right stayed level with her knee. Her black hair, freshly dyed made its colour deeper than usual, sat above her head in a tightly woven tower sculpted smooth with wax and given shape by unseen twigs. The left of her face was beautifully made up showing off her large eyes and make her lips brilliant, the right of her face bare showing the aged lines around her mouth, nose and deep, hard eye. She walked across the courtyard, the dress swishing, vibrantly with every move of her hips. Orleena laughed with joy, Da Raloff was a woman who loved to be noticed when she was invited to mingle with the Royal Kin.

"Da Raloff, I am betrothed now," laughed Olav loudly, "this is hardly fair."

"I am glad you are impressed, my boy," she smiled and found a glass of Lowland wine on a table, "the envoys from Kabrace says these lines are the latest fashion in the north."

"Indeed," smiled Kara, "but I must say you keep the lines better then the less active woman of Kabrace."

"Well you know what they say, where the Kaborn try, the Northern Men succeed," laughed Da Raloff.

Kara laughed and sipped her wine.

"The Northern Men would still be under the whip Dun if it wasn't for us, my lady," said a voice from the crowed.

Orleena looked and saw a slender, bronze coloured men with black straight haired standing at the back dressed in a silk suit cut with the similar exaggerated lines.

"It was joke, Aran. Let's not get political just yet, I have not had enough wine," smiled Da Raloff, "tell me, what do you think?"

The man approached and took Da Raloff's hand and kissed it.

"I wonder why such a beautiful woman has come alone, surely there's a man in Hallow's Keep worthy of such bewitching grace."

Da Raloff lent down and whispered in the small man's ear and he laughed heartily.

The group went back to discussing matters amongst themselves, Da Raloff moved from group to group, her dress drawing attention wherever it went.

Orleena decided it was time to she did same, took a large mouthful of wine and walked into the sea of belts and lace.

As Orleena moved through the group the crowd parted for her, the guests were eager to kiss her hand or bow, all desperate to know what she planned to do now Uncle had retuned to city. She smiled and gave vague answers, she had become bored with slower pace of her life, but she was not willing to discuss that with anyone.

While in middle of discussing the tales of strange creatures that had been seen emerging from the old woods, which her Aunt's Kin had brought from the northern region, her brother pulled her aside.

"Walk me to my room," he said with his grin, "I have had a bit too much wine and need to clear my head."

"Of course," nodded Orleena.

The pair had not had a moment alone since her brother had arrived and Orleena welcomed the chance to speak with him in private. As they walked down the hallway Olav talked as he always did, without breath.

"It was amazing on the high seas, Orleena. I once spent four weeks without seeing even the smallest piece of land. The supplies from Edgelight kept us well stocked, so, luckily, we wanted for nothing. A rolling feast we had every night.

"We spent the so long picking at the pirate ships that crossed our path. I learnt to climb the mast myself, the height was dizzying at first with ship moves beneath you like some huge horse, but you get used to it after a while.

"I bordered about twenty pirate ships, myself. The pirates are all types, some are really old with long beards and a twenty or more scars, but, Orleena, its the kids you have to watch for, about the same age as you and me, boys and girls. When they fight its like fighting a dog raised on the street, teeth, spitting and nails, even Uncle Frank would've been scared. I preferred the old men with beards, they were so drunk and slow you could stick five of them before any of 'em knew what was what.

"Things got quiet though, when we took The Rough, you sink a hundred pirate ships, they just send more, but you take a city and everyone starts to fear you, that's what I learnt. Did you hear? 'Cause I took the Silent Stone the men now call me Olav the Silent. Even the pirates have started calling me that now. Its amazing, Orleena, to be out there having men fear your name.

"You should come, now Uncle is back, we can take on the pirates together as brother and sister. We will have to think of name for you, Orleena the Savage. Do you still train with Uncle Frank? I still have bruises from where you used to get me. When we trained on the ship and I was called for hitting someone too hard I would just say, 'You're just lucky my sister isn't here,' and you know what they didn't question that one bit. Our family is one of most feared names across the land, a merchant from the Silent Stone told me once."

Orleena laughed and listened, the energy and warmth that erupted from her brother gave her the most joy she had felt in the two years he had been absent. She had not realised how lonely she had become until she saw him the night before in Uncle's tower. And now they walked the halls of the Royal Keep like they did before as Olav talked and dreamed and she listened and was swept away with the enthusiasm.

"What do you think of Kara?" he asked suddenly and then fell silent.

There was a moment as Orleena realised Olav was waiting for a response.

"She is a good woman," said Orleena choosing her words carefully, "she prays to Helena since she has arrived, she insists I spend the morning teaching her the words of Roland and when I am busy she is in the library reading our books."

"Why do you hesitate?"

"She wants to love you, Olav," said Orleena, "but that does not mean she can."

"Did you read that in your books?"

"Yes," said Orleena sternly, "you should know that."

Olav laughed.

"You know how I am."

"We do not marry strangers, they must win our love and we must win theirs."

"That was the old way, but we are an empire now," said Olav, "when the war ends and the other Empires are at peace we will need allies in case the Dun look south again."

Orleena looked at Olav, her eyes hard. Olav looked away.

"Who told you that?"

"Grand Pa," said Olav quietly looking at the ground.

Orleena shook her head. The words were lost on her brother, but she knew what they meant and it made her mind flood with anger.

"Maybe, we can learn to love each other," said Olav looking back with a smile, "then it is like the old ways, just the other way around."

"It is your choice," said Orleena because she felt she should, "if you take Kara as a wife I will treat her as a sister."

Olav suddenly looked very concern.

"Grand Pa says I must stay in the city until I am married with Kara," he said, the joy returned to his voice, "that means we can train again. Grand Pa is making me captain of the city guard while I'm here."

"That is excellent news," laughed Orleena letting her concerns melt away, "the guard needs a true commander."

"Just before dawn at the watch house," he grinned, "thats when the men train. You should join us."

"Tomorrow?" she asked nervously.

"Of course."

"I have not swung a sword since you left."

"Then I may stand a chance," he laughed, "please, Orleena, there'll be no challenge without you."

"If you insist," laughed Orleena, nervously.

"We should return to the courtyard, I shouldn't leave Kara alone with the others any longer."

She nodded and smiled. Olav started to talk again, this time about the tricks he had learnt on how to fight on a ship, listing of the ways he had sent the pirates to their doom.

While Olav talked Orleena's mind wandered. Maybe they could find love, maybe she was seeing a problem where there was none, the ways of Roland had stood for a thousand of years... But Grand Pa never seemed to interested in Roland or his teachings... But Grand Pa was old and soon the crown would pass to Pa... But look at Grand Pa, the Arn blood of his father is strong... He may even out last Pa... Did Pa even care what was happening here or were the ways lost to him as well... She didn't like these thoughts.

The gathering stretched into the evening as the courtyard became golden. The guests had been awaiting the last guest, but he was notoriously unreliable and they had started to vacate the courtyard returning to their wings in the keep or their homes in the city, to have their supper and nurse their heads, now spinning from the sweet wine.

Da Raloff lounged on a wooden bench her once pristine dress now creased and ruffled with wear, her make up had become smeared and spoilt. The silk-suited Kaborn sat next to her, pouring more wine into her glass.

Uncle had joined during the afternoon and now sat quietly with a couple of the merchants.

Olav and Kara found chairs around a small table and Orleena sat with them.

"Kara would like to continue staying at our tower," said Olav with a yawn, "is that possible?"

"Of course," said Orleena, "as long as you need but why?"

"Our lessons are the brightest part of my day," said Kara her eyes looked tired, "I didn't want to lose them."

"I'll be glad to have the company."

"It seems the night will be here soon," said Olav, "I think I'll get some sleep. I have to meet my men at dawn. Don't forget, Orleena."

"Now I know who my true friends are," came Pa's loud voice from the entrance way, "thank you for staying to greet me."

Orleena jumped awake and Olav was suddenly on his feet.

"Pa," he cried, "you're late."

"The roads from Orleena are still troublesome, but they can not keep a father from his children," said Pa walking into the yard, "by Helena, you're huge."

He grabbed Olav and hugged him fiercely, both laughing joyously.

"Welcome back, Pa," said Orleena from behind and Pa released Olav and ran over and scooped Orleena into his arms.

"You're also starting to get big, too," laughed Pa, "have you been getting the fruits I have been sending?"

"Yes. You have spoiled Irana, he refuses to use silvertops or black root anymore."

Pa laughed and then glanced over to Kara standing a few feet back. Pa put down Orleena and walked over to Kara.

"Greetings, Crown Prince Soven, it is a great honour to meet one such as yourself. The men of Ulnsearth sing of your victories in your war with Dun," said Kara approaching the family, "and I am sure they are left amazed by your swift conquest of the Lowlands. My brothers have toasted your name and wish for the end to our shared enemies."

Kara curtsied deeply and rose.

"The Free Men of Hallow's Swamp hope to one day be as brave as the Men of Ulnsearth the fearless guardians of Deep Lands," said Pa bowing deeply, "and I am humbled to be in presence of the very beautiful, daughter of the great High Lord Braggan."

Pa rose and looked at his brother.

"Does that greeting meet with your approval?" Pa smiled at Di Aliza who had made his way over to the group.

"It needs to be personal, brother," sighed Uncle, "vague statements of fearless guardians and beauty make you look like a grovelling commoner."

"It was a wonderful greeting, Crowned Prince Soven," laughed Kara, "thank you for your welcome."

"Please, no titles," said Pa with a wave of his hand, "now tell me, Kara, are you to join our family?"

"Your son has accepted me and I, him," she nodded with a smile.

Pa erupted with a cheer a pick up his large son again and flung him around some more.

"I expect my first grandchild by the time I return," exclaimed Pa.

"Where are you going?" asked Orleena quickly.

"I am to go The Rough," said Pa, "Grand Pa has set his sights on the Silent Stone, tower and all."

"I started siege," challenged Olav, "I'll finish it."

"I will not hear of it," smiled Pa, "you will stay here with your beautiful wife. A hundred grandchildren, I demand, no less."

Pa looked at Orleena, her face had lost its smile.

"Do not worry, Orleena, I have told Pa I am staying for at least two months. The Silent Stone has stood for a thousand ages, it will still be there after I have heard everything my glorious children have done with these last years."

"Soven," called Da Raloff from the entrance way, "it is good to see you again."

And she left without another word she turned and left, the suited man quickly following behind.

"Then there is no one to hear my announcement," said Pa looking at courtyard empty of all but a few dotted here and there.

"Then you should have been on time," snapped Uncle.

"You know how I am, brother," replied Pa, "no matter, the people who are important to me are here and that is what is important. Now, I want you all to know that I am an old man."

"Wait," interrupted Uncle, "I'll get Pa."

"Don't waste your effort, Pa was never one for this," said Pa shaking his head and started the age old speech of the Free Men again, "I want you all to know that I am an old man now and this is clear by the pace of my children. I, Soven of Hallow, realise that none will remember me or know me for I have a child who has eclipsed me. So, I need no name of my own and will now only be known as the father of the great Free Man Olav."

"Soven of Hallow is forgotten, I remember Olav," cheered Orleena, Uncle and a hand full of Royal Kin who remained at the edges of the courtyard in the unison, Kara watched on quietly.

Olav then embraced his father tears streaming from his face.

"You have done well, son," said Pa known from that moment only as Di Olav.

Chapter 6

The bells rang through the night, Orleena could hear the cries of men from the city through her window. She pulled herself up out of bed and raced to see what was happening. In the distant, buildings in Lowtown burnt. She raced to her closet and pulled out here pants and tunic.

Kara was at the door.

"What's happening?"

"A fire," replied Orleena calmly, "you should go back to your room and stay there."

The night guard appeared as Orleena threw her nightgown to floor and pulled on her clothes.

"What have you heard?" asked Orleena to the guard.

"No word from the other towers, I've sent some men. I have raised the rest from their beds."

"I need eight of the best to come with me. I'll head to the Royal Keep. Get the horses, no carriages. Ready my armour. Everyone else stay here and watch the tower. No one enters or leaves until I return."

"Yes, mother."

The guard vanished.

"Be safe," said Kara.

"It's just a fire. We just have to keep the people from panicking."

Kara smiled and Orleena brushed part her quickly and grabbed the sword that she left leaning by the doorway.

Orleena hurried out of tower and into the moist, winter air. She hurried across the grounds to the small guard house where she kept her armour. The guards, all in different states of dress, shook their heads as they tried to throw off the greyness of the early morning and fumbled with their armour. She saw a stable boy hurrying past with a stool.

"Boy," Orleena called to him, "help me with my armour."

The young boy looked at her, nodded and brought over the stool.

The boy had her strapped into her armour and she was walking out into the yard.

The bells still rang though, down in the garden, the cries of panic from the common folk came much clearer through the iron grate of the front gate.

The boy helped Orleena onto her horse.

"You do as I say," said Rae as he trotted over, "I am not your Kin tonight."

Rae had become the captain of her guard last year when Orleena had brought the talented soldier into her family, a man of only twenty one years. A native to the northern tar pits, he had enlisted in the wars in the Lowlands when he was twelve. The life in the front line had harden and aged to the young man beyond his years, but the life had also shaped a type of warrior Orleena had never seen inside the walls of Hallow Keep. Orleena had refused to let him leave her city after she saw his skills on full display when he easily won the tournament held during the festival of Gella's Slumber.

"As far as I know the city is under attack," Rae continued, "I take you wherever you want to go, but you follow my commands. No Questions. No Hesitation."

"Understood," Orleena said simply.

Rae turned to her seven guards men on horseback.

"I want a circle around the Princess at all times, no one leaves formations unless I say."

The guards kicked their horses and surround her tightly. Her short stature kept her well hidden within the wall of metal and flesh.

"Open the gate," barked Rae and the huge portcullis started to rise.

When the gate was high enough the circle kicked forward, her horse, trained to follow the ones around it, moved forward without her command.

Once the walls of the tower were behind her, the shouts of the commoners became deafening. Rae shouted at them to fall back and let them pass. Some refused and were cut down without another word. People were running for the gates at the rear of the city which led into the swamp, she wondered what they were running from. The screams and shouts of desperation gave no clue.

Orleena hated it, she wanted to break from the circle and ask the people what they had seen, she had never seen a fire cause such panic before. The people were mad with fear.

A group of man came running from around a corner, one screamed at each other to take the horses. The group set upon that with clubs made of broken table legs and kitchen knives. The circle rocked violently as hands came up and grabbed at a guardsman.

A rider behind lost his balance and fell to the ground. Rae broke from the circle and took to the attackers. The circle closed, instinctively, around Orleena as screams and blood filled the air behind them.

Rae shouted curses at the commoners as he hack at them with his sword. Orleena looked back and saw their hands and clubs had turn to focus on the young man in his hard grey armour. Rae showed no mercy and one thug was taken, then two with a single stroke, another was kicked as Rae's horsed reared itself and pummelled the assailant with its hooves.

The circle continued to move through the streets and Orleena lost sight of Rae as the streets turned, but after only a short time he was back at the front, leading them through the chaos. The rider who had lost his saddle rejoined a moment later, blood dirtied his armour. He swayed slightly in his saddle, but gripped the reigns as tight as the others, his sword still raised high.

More townsfolk fell as Rae pushed hard through the city. He paused for none, woman with children cut down without thought, old men who hobbled out of the chaos, crushed beneath. The men who had turned on their own came and fell as well.

The crowds and buildings thinned as they climbed the path to the Royal Keep, but there were still people waiting, nervously, crying for the guards to open the gate and let them in. The horses stopped a few feet in front.

"Princess Orleena demands entry," shouted Rae to a man at the guardhouse window.

There was a short pause.

"By the small door," shouted Uncle Frank from the dark window above.

"Orleena, dismount," ordered Rae and a guards moved out to the side to give her space.

"Run for the small door, now," said Rae's voice.

Orleena ran as fast as her legs could take her towards the gate, her armour weighing her down, she heard the people cry behind her. It opened just as she was on it and then shut the moment she was beyond.

The front garden was dark, empty and quiet. The shouts and screamed of those outside silenced by the tall walls and heavy doors.

Uncle Frank appeared.

"What are you doing here, girl?" he shouted, "you could've gotten your men killed."

"What's happening?" she snapped, knowing never to speak softly to Uncle Frank.

"Why would I know?" shouted Uncle Frank, "the city is not my business."

"Where's my brother?"

"I am not his nursery maid," spat Uncle Frank, turned to a man by the tower door and barked, "where's Olav?"

"The Prince, did not return from watch house this evening."

"There. You should keep a closer eye on your brother."

"Have you seen Uncle? Grand Pa?" asked Orleena.

"Di Aliza likely dealing with fire, Di Soven's would be in his chambers at this hour."

Orleena ran through the Royal Keep, down its twisted halls and up and then down its unordered stairs. She pushed opened the doors to Grand Pa's private chamber, out of breath. It was empty.

Orleena called the servant boy.

"Where is the Emperor?"

"I don't know, my lady," he replied nervously, "he has not returned this evening."

"Have you seen Captain Da Raloff?"

"I can help you find her," said the boy with smile.

"Quickly."

The boy led her from one servant to the next, the keep was awake and full of worry for the family outside the walls, the people threw questions at Orleena but she had no answers for them.

The boy led Orleena on the long trail Da Raloff had left that night until they found standing in the war room. She was suited in her dull, beaten, grey armour she wore into battle.

"Orleena, what are you doing here?" she asked looking up from the table.

"Trying to find out what is going on," said Orleena quickly and dismissed the boy with a wave.

"The Imperial Guard is gone," said Da Raloff as she kicking the large table.

"Grand Pa is missing," said Orleena.

And then the dark thoughts were on her.

Lowtown burns.

"Olav is at the watch house we must make sure he has the city in hand," ordered Orleena, "then we must find Grand Pa."

"We can't go out in there without a guard."

"Uncle Frank has men, we will have his."

Orleena ran for the room not looking back, trusting Da Raloff would follow.

Back in the garden she yelled for Uncle Frank and after a few moment he standing front of her.

"We need fifteen of your best men," demanded Orleena, "we need to get to the watch house."

"What madness is this?" he shouted back, "I have a keep to protect."

"Your brother is missing," yelled Orleena, "and there are flames in Lowtown."

"What are..."

Orleena hit the belly of his armour with all her strength.

"I don't have time," she shouted, "its a wretched man who can't keep his own brother."

Uncle was lost for words. Orleena hit the belly of his armour again.

"Get me fifteen men and horses, we have to stop this."

Uncle Frank glared at her and then turned to the men in guard house.

"Get the fifteen men and horses for Orleena," shouted Uncle Frank.

"You're coming with us," barked Orleena, "you need to start acting like a brother instead of a suited house master."

"Watch yourself, girl," he growled.

Orleena hit his armour again.

"Strike me if I am wrong or shut up and get your helmet."

Uncle Frank stood from a moment stiff, ready to strike, but then turned and stormed into the guard tower screaming orders at the men inside, who scattered in a hundred direction.

Orleena's mind ran fast. She had ignored it for years, thinking herself silly for even entertaining the idea, but now she stood helpless while her city burnt.

Men scrambled and Orleena was on a horse again, Da Raloff had taken command of the guard as they had assembled. Uncle Frank rode a top his well-bred, silver steed to Orleena's left, his sword drawn.

"Keep around Princess Orleena and Prince Frank," barked Da Raloff from the front.

"I don't need a guard," shouted Uncle Frank, "watch the girl."

Orleena unsheathed her sword, the guards were not as well marshalled as her own and that made her nervous. The horses wandered from their formation even they were not moving yet, the men shuffled, awkward in their saddles, their wrists that held their sword were limp and crooked.

"We head to the watch house," Da Raloff called to the men and then turn to the gate tower, "open the gates."

The gates swung open and the road beyond were full of desperate souls rushing towards the Royal Keep. Smoke had started to rise from the houses of Hightown. The fire had jumped the inner wall, or worse.

"Forward," ordered Da Raloff and Orleena kicked her horse.

The crowd surged with desperate to get under the gate before it closed. Arrows flew threw the air causing some in mob to fall to the ground. The back of crowd started to scatter, but the front did not stop. They yelled, screamed and cried as the bodies fell upon them.

A few fell to the swords in front many tripped and found themselves below the horse hooves. The rest just ran past, their focus on the safe gardens of the keep, which were slowly disappearing behind.

Arrows shot out again at those at the back that had persisted, more men fell to ground screaming as the arrows dug into their flesh. There was the sound of cries as the commoners clashed with House Guard, then barking, as the hounds were released.

The circle picked up pace as the mob vanished behind them and the road cleared.

"Faster," shouted Da Raloff as she led them into a canter through the city streets.

The group wound their way past the crooked houses and over the stone islands as quickly as she could. The cities core had begun to empty as the people had fled into the swamp.

A large number of men were upon them. They leapt from allies and roofs, two of the guards men were pulled from their horse and the circle broke as they tried to help their fallen comrades.

"Stay in formation," shouted Da Raloff at the men.

Orleena sliced at a face that came at her from below, cutting deep in the flesh, the face fell back. She then stabbed at another landing a blow to the shoulder. She was not trained to fight from horseback and the horses movement beneath her made her blows inaccurate and weak.

A hand grabbed Orleena by the waist, she swung her sword and it collided with a bucket sitting atop a head. Something laughed from underneath and pulled her from the horse. She fell to the ground with a thud and the breath was knocked from her, but she had enough strength to bury the sword between to metal plates hung around the body and pierce the gut. She pulled back her sword and the creature fell back screaming.

Another was on Orleena and she kicked at the legs but they stayed standing. She tried to move, but her legs slipped in the blood and dirt. Her breath was still gone, her chest felt crushed. Da Raloff took a sword and stuck the thing, twice. Da Raloff whirled her sword, again, at something unseen and Orleena felt blood spill across her as a body came down on top of her. Da Raloff pushed the body aside and helped Orleena to her feet.

The horses had fled, but the guard was still with her Uncle Frank hacking at two badly armoured thugs as he ran towards them.

"Follow," he barked to the guards and the group started moving through the street on foot.

They moved quicker without the horses and Orleena felt more confident. A woman lunged from the shadows and Orleena dispensed her with ease, then a large man with a beard lay behind her, coughing blood. A creature with a bowl on its head and a blacksmith's apron as armour came and Orleena found its exposed back and struck.

Hallow's fury had taken her, as Pa would say. She felt nothing of her body but the grip of the blade and her feet pushing against the earth, she saw nothing but what needed to be seen, the beasts in made of pots and pans, the stones on the road that threaten to catch her feet, the blood which made the earth slick.

Orleena did not see the fire that burnt in the windows around her or the bodies that lay broken in the streets. More fell to her blade, young, old, man, woman, it did not matter, they came at her and she sent them to the Abyss.

The group was at the watch house, outside stood two Imperial Guards draped in their purple. At their feet lay the ones who had dared to approach.

The guards shouted something, Da Raloff slashed their throats before they could react and disappeared into the door. Orleena and the others followed. Inside they found five Imperial Guard lying in their own blood. Behind the bars of the large prison cell was Olav and about twenty of the city guard.

"What happened?" asked Da Raloff.

"They came in this afternoon with Grand Pa," said Olav as Da Raloff found the keys, "he ordered me in. I had to do it."

No, you didn't, you fool, thought Orleena angrily to herself but bit her tongue. Not now.

"What are they doing out there?" asked Olav desperately searching for his armour.

"They're in Lowtown," said Da Raloff quietly.

"His going after the outsiders," barked Uncle Frank, "say it, damn you. And he won't stop til they're all dead."

"We have to talk sense into him," said Da Raloff.

"He won't listen," said Uncle Frank his voice quiet for the first time, "when Di Soven starts something he doesn't stop til its done,"

"Come, let's get to a gate," said Da Raloff refusing to listen.

The group, larger now, returned to the chaos of the city. The people that crawled the streets watched themselves for a few moments before retreating back into the dark alleys.

The nearest gate that led to Lowtown was only a few blocks away. The portcullis lowered. Uncle Frank went to the lever to raise it.

"Someone's broken it," he cursed.

The chain that fed into the stone work had also been hacked apart and now lay broken on the ground.

Orleena saw only what was on the other side of the gate. A pile of blood soaked bodies, piled on top of each other, some still moved. Arn, Dun, Sowan, Kaborn all of who called Lowtown home. Desperate hands still clung to the cold, metal of the gate, now frozen in place.

She look up through unbelieving eyes at what lay beyond. Against the blazing inferno of Lowtown silhouettes of organised men in armour marched along the empty street looking for those that still lived.

"Di Soven," shouted Uncle Frank banging on the gate, "show yourself. Your brother demands it."

The men who marching through the street either could not hear or did not listen.

Chapter 7

The court had been moved to the front garden of the Royal Keep, the only place big and safe enough to hold all the Free Men of Hallow's Keep. Even with the extra space, the Free Man stood shoulder to shoulder with little space between them. The sea of faces stirred restless as Uncle took the wooden chair at the large arch that led into the Grand Pa's wing.

Orleena stood behind the Chair with Olav and Kara at her the side. She had asked Kara to stay in the tower while the court was held, but Kara had refused to listen and walked beside her through the burnt ruins of Hallow's Keep.

For the first time, Orleena felt embarrassed by her family, her humiliation compounded as Kara walked with her, witnessing the once noble families of Free Man keeping a pitiful existence amongst the half collapsed roofs and splintered walls.

It had been two weeks since the night Di Soven took to Lowtown. Orleena and Uncle had done their best to get extra supplies and builders from Edgelight and the tar pits across the swamp, but it was time they needed most to rebuild their city.

"Your people are lucky that your winter's are simply moist," said Kara stoically, "in the north they would be buried under ten feet of snow."

Kara had become distant since the night of the fire. Spending more time in the shrine with the gods than she did before. She excused herself from the lessons of law and philosophy. Orleena wanted to tell Kara that there was a reason for all of this, but she could not. Not only was she embarrassed, she was inarticulate, her words came from the ancient wisdom of Roland and the Free Man and she found none of that here.

The Free Men were silent except for the rustling of their clothes, none of them seemed brave enough to speak. Amongst the faces Orleena found Da Raloff, her son Raloff at her side. Uncle Frank stood alone dressed in the armour he had worn that night, the blood had become dried and cracked across the chest plate. Orleena's Aunt, her mother's sister, Da Lowan emerged from the crowd, her face still, emotionless and cold. She had always kept her distance, refusing to be meet with any of the Royal Kin. Orleena had seen her, a few years before, as Orleena was heading to court. Orleena approached her Aunt to extend an invite to dine at the tower. Da Lowan had turned away without a word and when Orleena had pressed the matter the old woman turned back and spat, 'You don't command me, girl,' before disappearing into the crowd, leaving Orleena confused and stunned.

So many other faces she knew, those who had wept on her shoulder after that night, others who had shouted at her in the street, demanding justice. Others who, now, just avoided her.

Grand Pa was in the doorway, dressed in the silver and yellow robes of the King of Hallow's Swamp, now the robes of the Emperor of Hallow's Empire.

On his left was a man as much fat as muscle and as tall as Olav, his face hidden by behind a wild brown beard. Gamon, the new captain of the Imperial Guard.

The last time Orleena had seen either of them was a day after the slaughter. The builders had worked tirelessly to remove the gates that blocked the path into Lowtown. When the bars were lowered Orleena was with Olav and Uncle, she wanted to be there when her grandfather was placed in irons. She had even given her tower guard to her brother to ensure they had the numbers on the fiends.

Lowtown was destroyed. The doors and windows that had not been burnt by the flames had been hacked from their hinges. Bodies of the fallen had been arranged into piles, the Imperial Guard had been busy burning the corpses and they had made much progress. Ash and bone littered the roads and town squares, scattered by the cold winds.

An Imperial Guard, who was found washing in a half burnt out house, told the column of guards where to find her grandfather. The Young Dove, a tavern near the outer wall. As the column of men made their way through the wreckage they came across a handful of Imperial Guards going about their work, bodies dragged behind them.

"Stop what you are doing," shouted Uncle and walked over to the newly formed pile.

The men stopped in place.

"Keep at it," shouted one from behind a helmet

Uncle stormed up to the man.

"Stop or I'll have your damn head," shouted Uncle his body shaking.

"I take orders from the Emperor, not you," said the man with no anger in his voice.

"If you looking for fight you will see your outnumbered," sneered Uncle.

The man took off his helmet, he was old and hard.

"I am looking to get done what I need to get done, Di Aliza," said the man with a heavy sigh, "if you want me to stop you need to talk with your father. He's at the Young Dove, if you need an escort I can take you?"

Uncle turned from the man his face twisted with rage.

"Go," Uncle shouted back to the column of man and they continued through the streets.

The Young Dove was missing two of its exterior walls. Grand Pa was within the broken building, dressed in his bright silver armour, a black willow tree cut into its surface. Gamon stood beside him in a newly forged silver armour draped in a purple cape. Men gathered around them dressed in the armour of the Imperial Guard.

Grand Pa held in one hand a half eaten piece of bread with the other he pointed down at a piece of parchment on the table. The bodies had been removed from this place, but the blood that had been spilt remained, stained into the wood.

"Father, keep you men back," shouted Uncle, "we have come for your arrest."

Grand Pa looking at him without an expression.

"If you must," said Grand Pa and turned to his men, "Gamon will continue the clean up, do as he commands."

"I want your men out of my city."

"Are you going to leave the bodies to fester?"

"Get out of my city," screamed Uncle his face red.

Grand Pa shook his head.

"Gamon, get the men and return to the keep. My son, apparently, does not need our help. Be sure the men are given adequate reward for their work."

"Yes, Emperor," said Gamon with a bow and spoke to the men, "round up the guard, everyone returns to the keep."

There were no chains or heavy iron cuffs like the murders of men were usually locked in. Grand Pa simply marched in the front ignore the column behind him. Leading the way through destruction he had brought to Orleena's home. Then Grand Pa saw the ruins of Hightown for the first time.

"The men of Hallow's Keep have reaped what they have sown," he said to no one.

"The Chair sits," called the clerk as Uncle took the wooden chair and the ocean of men rustled nervously.

"The Chair will hear the next plea," shouted Uncle.

"Let Roland and three gods hear the pleas of Da Raloff," replied the clerk, "who accuses Di Soven of the shedding the blood of forty five Free Men that lost their lives to swords under the command of the accuse."

"I will hear Da Raloff," called Uncle.

Da Raloff, clad in her family armour, stepped up upon a short wall of a flower bed, her veiled helmet tucked under her armour.

"I speak for those that lost their family and Kin that night," she shouted, "I speak because they are so wrought with fury and betrayal their voices are lost. Di Soven, without council from any other, took the two hundred men of the Imperial Guard into Lowtown and murdered coutless men, women and children. Forty five of those were Free Men with our men with our blood. If there is one tenant we hold above all else is we do not spill the blood of our own.

"I do not have to tell you this, we have all seen what Di Soven has done with our own eyes, he has not denied what he has done, if anything, he seems to have revelled in the misery it has brought. It hurts me greatly that Di Soven has only one life to give for his crimes. If I could I would find him in the Last Woods, drag him back here and have his head again and again and again."

"Enough," said Uncle.

Da Raloff went silent.

"Was Di Soven or his men seen spilling the blood of any of these Free Men?" ask Uncle.

"That is not important," shouted Da Raloff.

"The Chair will hear the answer."

"It was not seen," said Da Raloff, "but the bodies that were found with cuts made by swords wielded by the Imperial Guard."

"One sword cuts like another," said Uncle, "are you saying there were no swords in Lowtown?"

"The people were fleeing for their lives," shouted Da Raloff, "I doubt they took the time to cut down the Free Men fleeing with them."

"You may doubt whatever you wish, I want to know what was seen."

"You saw what was left of that place."

"The Chair sees what is in front of it."

"My Prince," shouted a man, "I saw a soldier kill my brother."

"Who are you?" asked Uncle ignoring the inappropriate of his title.

"My name is Vinc," said the man pushing his way to front, "my brother was in Lowtown that night."

"What was he doing there?" asked Uncle.

"I would rather not say," said the man losing his voice.

"If you want to be heard you will speak fully, otherwise stand back."

"He liked... Sowan woman, my lord," said the man, "he often went to The Crow to pay..."

The man stopped as emotion took his voice.

"Speak now or do not speak at all," barked Uncle.

"The Crow is near the gate where we live. My bedroom over looks Lowtown, I saw the fire early. I went down to find my brother and when I got to the Gate it was closed and broken.

"I waited by the gate, and that was when they all started coming out the buildings trying to get to Hightown. My brother was with them, the others. They all started to try and lift the gate together when the guards came and cut them from behind. Those they could not reach with their swords, they stuck with the spears."

The man stopped, his story was done, his face stained with tears.

"Thank you, Vinc," said Uncle calmly, "the Chair has heard you."

"One more thing, my lord," said Vinc finding his voice again, "after the builders pulled the gate from the wall, my friends and me went to find my brother's body but it was gone. They burnt it with the rest. This shouldn't happen in peace times."

The court was quiet.

"That's all I need to say," said Vinc disappeared back into the crowd.

"Thank you," said Uncle, "Da Raloff, anything else."

"I demand to the strangle Di Soven, myself, in the name of those that have suffered," she spat.

"The Chair is not at your command," said Uncle and held up his hand up at her.

Da Raloff dropped herself down from the wall.

"Di Soven, what say you?"

Grand Pa did not move from where he was, he simply turned towards the crowd.

"The battlefield is place of chaos," shouted Grand Pa his voice loud and hard, "and men and women fall senselessly and indiscriminately. The men that fell that night, fell because you all have forgotten Hallow and you have forgotten Roland."

"I will hear a defence Di Soven," barked Uncle, "not a lecture."

"Has the court change that much since I have been away from my city," sneered Grand Pa, "does the Chair now interrupt a man who pleas for his life."

Uncle sat back and a look of concern came across his face.

"Before he was known as Roland the Wild, he was Roland the Black and he knew that there was no such thing as peace time, there are no edges to the battlefield. When the Northern Men fought for the Fork, he went into the city of Yalus'rel and made the Arn nobles realise that they could not hide in their trees while good men died and shed blood for their cause.

"You have forgotten this, everyone of you. You laugh and dance with our enemies, share with them the food and wealth won by the blood of me and mine. All the while believing the battlefield is beyond the swamp, far to the north or far across the seas to the east.

"It is not. The battlefield is here and it is between these wall and I must will march across that battlefield as many times as I need to keep Hallow's Keep free and mine.

"Each of you know me and you know my way, did you come today to see me beg for forgiveness or did you come to see me hung?" Grand Pa paused, "I don't think you came to see either."

The crowd was silent, Orleena was very aware of Kara standing a few feet away. She wished Kara had stayed in the tower today.

"There is no plea to be given today because no crime has been committed. I know each of you know that."

"Is that all you have to say, Di Soven?" asked Uncle.

"I am done with this," said Grand Pa with a wave of his hand.

"Do you deny the accounts of Vinc? Or the accusation of Da Raloff?"

"I will not answers your questions. If you have not understood what I have said then you will never understand. Rule and let this farce be done."

"The Chair will rule when it is ready," said Uncle turned to the crowd, "does anyone else having anything else to say?"

The sea of faces shifted and bobbed, Uncle look across the crowd to see if any would speak, but the Free Man simply waited.

"Gaoler, let it be known Di Soven is sentenced to death for shedding the blood of our own, repeatedly and without remorse," said Uncle simply with no emotion, "those that wish to console him will be given free access for a day, those that wish to throw stones at him will be given access for a day, as many as two stones no bigger then his fist. On the third day he will be strangled in Hightown Square and his body left for the crows."

No one moved or spoke.

"I denounce the Chair," said Grand Pa simply, "you understand nothing of our justice."

"Father, it is done," said Uncle for moment breaking formalities of court.

"It is not done," said Grand Pa sternly, "I denounce the chair and call on the people to remember Roland in all his forms, not just the ones you parade out as you choose."

There was a silence, Uncle tapped angrily on his chair, trying to focus himself.

"Have it recorded, Di Soven has declared I have no right to dispense Roland's justice," Uncle said finally and then rose from the Chair his body shaped awkwardly as he moved.

"Then who will stand with the Emperor who has brought you wealth, land and freedom from the Golden Throne. The one who will rebuild this city a hundred times greater then it ever was."

"Those who would stand with Di Soven, stand to the left of court, those who stand with Di Aliza move to the right," called the clerk flicking through a large tome, desperately, looking for something.

Not a single person moved.

"Orleena, you will stand with me," said Grand Pa.

Orleena froze and shook her head.

"Orleena is a Free Men and will stand where she chooses," shouted Uncle.

"I do not ask you as Orleena," said Grand Pa, "as daughter of Di Olav, you will stand by my side, as you know he would, he has entrusted you with stewardship of the his tower and position. I have a right to have my son represented in this."

Orleena's gritted her teeth, her body was tense.

"I stand with Di Aliza," shouted Orleena.

"You may stand wherever you choose. Your father will stand with me and you will represent him."

"Uncle?" Orleena asked quietly.

"He has the right to demand it," said Uncle quietly, "but you do you think your father would stand with him?"

"I will stand for Pa," yelled Olav desperately.

"Shut up, boy," snapped Grand Pa, "Orleena you will stand for your father, otherwise this court loses all of its authority. You will take my life, unfairly and unjustly, and it will haunt this place."

"I must only stand for him if I know it is his will," yelled Orleena.

"And he would," said Grand Pa, "forget your books, your father knows nothing of books, he knows of duty and knows of war and he knows me, your father has served me loyally all these years. He knows that I am right."

Orleena felt sick, she looked at Uncle and then she looked for her absent father. The crowd glared at her silent, waiting.

Orleena moved across the stone pavement, she heard Kara take breath behind her and it cut her, deeply. She found herself next to repulsive wretch that was her grandfather.

"Orleena will take the Chair in place of her father until he returns," yelled her grandfather, "with this we will rebuild this city greater than it was before. Di Soven and Di Olav are the two that stand before you now, where do you see the future of our empire?"

A few in the crowd start to shuffle to the left of the courtyard. Then more. As the number that stood in front of Uncle dwindled more pushed to left. Those that had lost family to the night took their place in front of Orleena. Beyond the faces that swirled in the garden, a lone figure of her Aunt pulled a cloak around her body and walked from the garden.

Orleena tried to think of strength of her heroes, Roland and Helena, but it was not enough now and the tears came. The tears of a fourteen year old child who did not want to comprehend what was happening.

When the clerk stood, he did not even need to count the heads. To the right stood only Da Raloff, Raloff, Vinc and five others. Amongst them was Iona, her right hand encased in an iron guard since it had been crushed so many years before. The rest squashed themselves in front of Di Soven.

"Di Aliza is removed from the Chair and it will never have his wretched soul again," called the clerk, "he has been replaced by Di Soven. For this moment and only this moment the royal title is seen by the court and is spat upon. I can not pass the Chair to the King, Roland would never allow it."

The clerks voice became stubborn and hard.

"I leave it to the Free Man to decide, will the Chair pass to the absence Di Olav and then to Orleena, who is the only one left to take the Chair? Stay where you are if you agree with this."

The crowd did not move. They were unaware of or unconcerned with the delicate rules of Roland's court.

"Then it is done," declared the clerk, "the Chair passes to Orleena in the absence of Di Olav."

Uncle had already removed the robes of the Chair and had dropped them to ground.

"Close the court," said Orleena with a dead voice.

She did not take robes, she did not sit upon the chair, she did not say what must be said. She did not see why she should, anymore.

Chapter 8

Orleena placed a rose on her mother's tomb, she remembered how when she was young, locked in the tower. Her brother hated her, her father was a shadow made of gossip and whispers, her uncle a stranger that would appear, occasionally, with tokens from the outside world and Da Raloff kept her safe from it all. She would look out at the city and feel a wonder and admiration as the wooden houses defied the marsh and reached proud and tall towards the sky.

Now everything was filthy.

She loved her brother but he fool, she loved her father but he was still just a shadow, she loved her uncle but now he brought tokens from the foreign land that befouled the traditions she loved and knew were true. Da Raloff was as powerful as she ever was, but a sword and was not enough to protect her from this world. And now, when she looked upon what remained of the city she saw nothing but blood and rot.

The two weeks following the court Orleena hid herself in her tower. Kara kept her distance, the pair would greet each other on the stair, but Orleena did not want speak and Kara seemed content with that.

At court Orleena gave as much as she could to the few that gathered. Most of the people were busy rebuilding their lives and had no time to hear a girl hand out a weak justice and those that did no longer to cared much for the formalities of court. They knew what had happened in the Royal Court that day and most now scoffed at the mention of Roland's justice. Orleena would have once had them beaten or thrown in the dungeon for such disrespect, but she could not now because, silently, she had already derided her own words.

She looked at the frozen visage of her mother and wondered what might have been if that woman was here to guide her, but her mother was gone and no amount of roses would ever change that. Orleena was not a girl anymore, able to pretend her mother, escorted by a host of Saquaari, could emerge from the Abyss and give her the wisdom that always echoed the words her shepherd, Elor.

It was just her, now, and the cold stone of the tomb.

Orleena had sent the message to Olav at dawn that she was leaving. First, she would find Pa at The Rough then, when she heard the answers to her darkest questions she would decide her future. If she heard what she needed to hear, she may return home. If not, a new home must awaited her, somewhere away from her swamp. Rae had agreed to escort her across the swamp to Edgelight and then onto The Rough.

Orleena kissed the stone woman on the forehead and said goodbye to her mother she wished she had known and exited into the grey light of early morning.

The morning was spent finding what Orleena needed for the trip. Passing Kara's door more times than was required, each time Orleena wondered if she could say goodbye to woman within. It was when her work was done and that she decided she must, Kara had been a good companion all these years and it did not deserve to be abandoned at the final moments.

Orleena knocked on the door and Kara called for her to enter. The days of silence between the two became apparent to Orleena as she struggled for words.

"I have come to say goodbye," said Orleena from the doorway, "I am leaving the city, today, and I may not be returning. I wanted to say it has been a pleasure knowing you, Kara."

Kara put the book she had taken from the library onto the pile of others that littered her dressing table.

"Where are you going?" asked Kara simply.

"To see my father and then," Orleena paused, "I am not sure."

"My father would welcome you, always, in Ulnsearth," she said with a smile, "I have sent many letters about you and your kindness to me in this place. If you find yourself beneath the Crown be sure he knows of you."

Orleena smiled and nodded.

"You are free to stay here as long you need," Orleena said, "the servants will treat you just us well in my absence."

"Hallow's Keep is a hard place," said Kara rising from her chair and walked towards her window, "when I met Di Aliza he was so full of life, he was a man who knew who he was and wanted to be. As we came south, I started to notice him insisting on staying longer than needed at the courts, meeting with people who were barely had a name. The further south we travelled the more people he demanded to greet until one night I found myself dining with the head of a kitchen in the castle in Suther's Arch. The man had very little to say, but the food was delicious.

"My visor and I joked that Di Aliza didn't want to return to Hallow's Keep and that one night we would find his bed empty with a hastily drawn map to show us the final way to Hallow's Keep. And now, that we are here, all I see is a man half of one I met in my courtyard. And I see a young woman who has lost herself."

"You know nothing of our ways," said Orleena angrily, "I told you this when you first arrived, you will never understand us."

"Why do you defend them?" asked Kara quietly, "you act as though you a wrought with guilt and you make plans to flee this place. Yet, you still defend them."

"They are my family and I will defend each of them because I love them," yelled Orleena losing her temper.

"Do you defend your grandfather?" asked Kara softly.

"Goodbye, Princess," snarled Orleena forgetting herself and turned to leave.

"Where is your grandmother?" asked Kara quickly and Orleena stopped, "I have asked about her in the Royal Keep, but no one will speak of her. Why?"

"She left," said Orleena turning back into the room, "she returned to Diana'rel, where she was born."

"Why did she leave?"

"She found my grandfather wanting and so she left, marriage does not shackles us to each other like it does in your land," said Orleena simply but the annoyance stayed in her voice.

"Do you think your mother would have stayed?"

"My mother was a Free Man, not an Arn, she understood our ways."

Kara looked out over the city, skipping her hand across the stone of the window sill. Orleena watched her from the doorway. Moments past as Orleena waited for another question or challenge from Kara.

"The city will be cold without you," Kara said quietly.

"Say what you will," insisted Orleena, "I want to hear it."

"I have so many words for you, Orleena," said Kara, looking out the window, "but I am not your sister yet, it is not my place. For now I will just say, I hope you find something of worth at The Rough."

"Another day, then," Orleena said with a nod.

"Another day," replied Kara with a nod.

Orleena left the tower.

The court was held in the hall of the courthouse, it was damaged but still stood. Beyond the open arches, fresh, wooden frames had sprung up within black and brown husks.

When court was done the handful of people that had gathered started to scatter. Then through the doorway marched two Imperial Guards in clean, purple capes.

"Princess Orleena, the Emperor has requested an audience with you," said one.

"Are you here to drag me in front of him?" snapped Orleena.

"No, Princess, the Emperor says he will see you where you wish, whenever you choose, but he requests you do so before you leave the city."

"Who told him I was leaving?"

"I do not know, I am just here to bring you this message."

"Get out," yelled Orleena back and men walked from the hall.

Orleena removed her robes and flung it at the clerk. She left the courthouse and stormed through the city. If her grandfather dared to summon her, she would not cower from him. She marched through the gate, the maze of halls and into the war room. Her grandfather was always in the war room.

She threw the doors open, her grandfather standing over the large central table, some papers in his hand.

"Please, leave us," said her grandfather politely to a man dressed in armour next to him.

The man nodded, as he passed Orleena he stopped.

"I am serving with your father at The Rough, Princess. The siege is going well."

Orleena ignored him. After a short moment the man stiffened and walked out.

"You're leaving?" asked her grandfather.

"How do you know?" shot Orleena.

"Your brother was talking of taking the chair in your absence."

"That is between us."

"Where are you going?"

"If this is why you called me then I am done with you."

"I will not have you leave."

Orleena laughed.

"You are to be my new Chancellor and the city has no one else."

"I decline."

"Why?"

"I will never serve a man I hate."

"Then go, I will make your brother Chancellor," said her grandfather, "your brother who finds himself trapped in a cage while the city burns. He will be the man to rebuild Hallow's Keep."

"You will ruin the city out of spite."

"This city is already a wreck."

"Because of you."

"It was ruined long before I took my hand to it," he yelled back.

"You're a monster," she screamed, "take you and your city to bottom of the swamp."

"And so it shall be. Me and every last one of those Free Men, buried in the muck. Forgotten and broken, and let it rest upon your head. I am what I need to be and you must be what you are. I am monster, Orleena, and someone needs to protect this city from my fury."

"I will not serve you."

"I do not want you to serve me," he yelled, "if I wanted a servant I would pull any fool in here and bark orders at them all day. You need to serve the Free Men, as is your duty, and they need you to wrap me in chains and keep me in my war room.

"Go, if you choose. Run into the swamp. Run as far and fast as you can, but know, that when you realise what is out there and you long again for your city and your tower, that there will be nothing left to return too."

"I will serve Uncle," challenged Orleena walking into the room puffing herself up for the fight, "put the crown on Uncle's head and I will stay. Renounce the throne, walk away and I will build the city again."

"Is that where you think the answers lies? Is that what you have learnt from your books?" he sneered, "do you think you know what it is to rule? If it was right for me and mine I would put the crown squarely on Di Aliza's head, as is my right. As much as you think you know, Orleena, you do not know me.

"Your uncle can not rule because he can not do what needs to be done. There is no law or justice in what I do, there is no book to teach what I must do. To rule is to protect those that swear and show loyalty to you and only you and worthless is the life and soul of anyone else. I did what had to be done in Lowtown and you can not understand that because it is not what you are."

"If you are so wise, Di Soven, do you think I would ever stand by you and hold you up Emperor. You're worthless and dangerous."

"Understand, Orleena, you are nothing to me. I do not want your support or love or for you to hold me up as anything, I have an emperor's crown to show the world who I am. It is the Free Men who need you to rebuild Hallow's Keep and if you leave today then they are the ones who suffer, not I. I have my keep, I have my army, I have my coin and, most importantly, I have those who are loyal to me."

Orleena was quiet her mind full of anger and disgust.

"Go then," said grandfather quickly, "dance through the swamp, play amongst the trees, have adventures exploring the open seas or whatever it is you plan. Your brother will take care of your people while you hide from your duty."

"The Free Men of Hallow's Keep deserve everything you bring," she spat.

Grandfather went to the door.

"The city of Orleena is rebellion they have strung up a hundred Free Men on there walls and torture a hundred more in their dudgeons. I gave Di Aliza a cohort to deal with the men, he told me I should let the Lowlanders in peace, that we had no claim on their land to start with. You would agree with him, wouldn't you?"

"I don't know," puzzled Orleena unaware of such events.

"And that is why you can not understand me, Orleena. You do not understand what needs to be done," he said quietly and then paused, "I am sending Di Aliza back to Kabrace, we need an alliance with the Kaborn before the Dun panic. The city needs to be rebuilt and you know you are the only who can. Do as you will."

Grandfather started to leave through the doors.

"A force twice the size of Imperial Guard," she said, "of my choosing, they will answer only to me. You will disband the Imperial Guard. You will stay in the Royal Keep at all times. My man will watch you every moment of every day and hold you in your place. These are my demands."

"I will have affairs that take me out of this keep."

"Not in my city. I will escort you, myself, from the keep to the outer gates. Do what you want outside these walls but you are not welcome in my city."

"I will keep a personal guard."

"No more than twenty."

"Agreed," nodded Di Soven, "and you will tear down that inner wall. There is one and only one Hallow's Keep."

"You are wretched creature, Di Soven."

"I do not care what you think of me."

Di Soven was gone from the door.

Orleena looked at the huge leather map on the table and let her breath return to her. The realisation of horrid pact she just signed, slowly, became real to her. The time passed, as she lent against the table in the empty room, the blood that had rose in her face drained. She tried to make sense of it all, but she could not. Not yet. Her eyes started to move across the map in front of her.

The red tokens splashed across the map like the blood on Uncle Frank's armours. There were so many more than before. The Grey Throne of the Forged Empire still stuck as it always had been in the mountain city of Dragon's Perch. It was safely fortified behind the devastating machines Orleena had studied in her Uncle's gift.

The Northern Men had pushed the Dun back past the forests of Lys'tool and Lay'tool and now battled on the plains of northern Dunway, threatening the farmland but still far from the capital of the White Spire. Strangely, the Golden Throne now sat within the White Spire, moved from the Heartland kingdom of Fel, where it had always sat.

Orleena's eyes jump to the Heartland. The Kaborn now had a firm hold on the Galla in the Heartland and was now bearing down on what remained. The Imperial Army and those of the western kingdoms pushed back to Elys and the Silver Marsh in the west of the Heartland.

The Kaborn had also moved east and taking the kingdoms of Douruh, Pryce and Sia leaving the armies of the Stormlands isolated and at their mercy.

Strangely, thought, a new colour had appeared the northeast holding Gart and Frys. A new throne coloured blue sat a top the city of Tarlnath. She had never learnt of those lands, so distant that even Da Raloff had never asked her to read the books on them.

To the southeast, across the seas, the black of the bands pirates had taken the southern coast of the Stormlands from the Hold to the forests of the Yaal'tol in the east. In the Sparkling Isle, atop the city of Skull Landing, sat a Black Throne which she had also never seen before.

Orleena lifted her eyes from the strange things she saw on the map and pushed them from her mind. She was focused, now, on her new task. She had a city to build. A city that would show to the world the greatness of her clan, the Free Men and Roland the Wild. And when she was finished, none would remember the disgrace her grandfather had brought.

The End

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