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Chapter 45 – The Burned Ones
Luella
The Seers met with Rowali next. They tested the young girl the same way they tested Metheus. However, they avoided anything intense, like having her contact her mother. She was not given all information that she might need as a medium. If I were her and I discovered this, I would be furious. However, I agreed with my husband and the Seers. She was not ready yet.
Metheus would save Prozeus. I was certain. My heart told me that he would be capable of undoing the Ninurta’s effects on Arrowspear and Mogochislenia. Would I be willing to risk my life to help him achieve this? Of course.
He had not told me he loved me, but I knew he cared enough. For now, I could take it. I loved him. I did not know if it was right for me, the woman, to say the words first – but I was sorely tempted.
I walked through the halls of the palace, remembering how I had watched the wall paintings wistfully before leaving for Mogochislenia. I had gained more time – forever – to study each etching and brushwork. While I knew Metheus loved to read, I had not asked him if he had inspected each painting on the wall. Thinking of all things unspoken, I recalled how I had not told him about Ari yet. Perhaps later. I was not looking forward to that conversation.
For now, I wanted to stroll the palace halls before chaos descended upon us. For all I knew, it could be months from now, or it could happen in a few seconds.
Then, I saw him. I saw the man with the burned arm, and I guessed he saw me, too. Cesar ran. I ran after him, for the hundredth time, thankful for the lighter dresses of Arrowspear. He made a turn, heading for the back exit. I made the same turn, almost tempted to shift into my avian form. I stopped myself from doing so. I needed to ask him questions, and I did not want to do it naked.
Cesar ran faster, but I was intent on catching up to him. He was not much taller than I was. So, I was a match when it came to running. As for lung power, that was where he would have a problem because he was trying to outrun a bird.
As soon as he was out into the open, he turned to the left and kept following that path. We were headed to the courtyard. I could not let him leave the palace premises. That was the problem with Metheus’ kingdom being so open. Coming in and coming out was too easy. I was not used to it. In Queenspell, the guards would have stopped any suspicious-looking person entering or leaving.
With a sudden burst of energy, I doubled my speed. It was so close. He was yards away from the entrance. No! I ran even faster until I had caught up with him. I grabbed his tunic from the back and pulled him down as hard as possible. Then, when he was down on the ground, I pressed my knee on his belly. It was only then that one of my husband’s guards noticed us. Yeah, gods.
“Your Majesty, what has he done?” cried the guard.
“Well, help me hold him down. I need to ask him some questions.”
The guard obeyed, looking anxious. He should be. I did the running and tackling, and he simply needed to hold Cesar down.
“Well, what were you doing lurking, Cesar?”
“I work here, sometimes, Your Majesty,” Cesar said, trembling. His palms were up in surrender.
“Working as what? Why did you run?”
“I work in the kitchens, Your Majesty. I came here with a Queenspell royal who was part of the Mogochislenian exodus, but he was barely feeding me. There are no jobs for me here.”
He was a drunk. It would be hard for him to find a job here. The people of Arrowspear were even more industrious than our people back home.
“Why did you run?”
“Why do you think, Your Majesty?”
“If you are talking about our last encounter, I would never burn you again. You already suffered from what you tried to do to me. The last thing I would want to do is to hurt you again.”
“No, Your Majesty. I am not talking about the harassment. I was referring to the talking. I was the one who spread the word about you,” he whimpered.
“I know.”
“B-but…”
He seemed ready to say something else. His eyes looked fearful.
“Go ahead, or I will do to you what you have always feared.”
“Do you promise not to burn me this time?” he asked.
I looked at the guard, who understood right away that he had to hold down Cesar on his own while I stood – away from him. I should not be so close because I was afraid that what he would say would flare my anger.
“Go ahead, then. Tell me what you need to tell me,” I said, hands on my hips, as I looked down at the man squirming on the ground under the muscular Prozeus guard.
