A Stolen Crown, page 15
"I don't know," she said, then threw herself back against the pillow and began to cry. "I just don't know how you could have even looked at me."
"What do you mean? You're beautiful," he told her.
"I'm ugly," she said with a sob. "I'm hideous, deformed, ugly."
As much as Aaron was inexperienced where women were concerned, he did not have even the slightest idea about how to deal with a girl who was crying, especially when she was crying about something like this.
"That's ridiculous. It's just a scar and it doesn't look that bad." Aaron did his best to reassure her. He was surprised when the crying stopped.
Ariana sat up and looked at him, her eyes piercing him angrily through the tears. She gestured at the side of her face that bore long, ragged burn scars from the top of her cheekbone all the way to her jaw.
"This doesn't look bad? This looks bad, Aaron. If you ever wanted to know what looks bad, this is what it looks like!"
Ariana threw herself back on the pillows again, grabbed one of them and covered her face with it, resuming her crying. Aaron picked up the bundle he had bought for her and walked over to the bed.
"I got something for you," he said. Aaron put the bundle on the small table next to the bed and decided, since he only seemed to be making things worse, it might be best if he just let her cry.
Aaron spend the next while using the large basin and the rest of the clean water, washing the months of soot and grime off of himself. While they had melted snow in the cook pot every couple days to wash with, he had to admit that it was nice to finally feel really clean. He checked on the princess, wondering if perhaps her mood had improved, but she had fallen asleep. Not feeling particularly tired, Aaron took the plate of food the innkeeper had sent up and brought it back downstairs to the common room where he sat quietly at the bar, listening in on the various conversations, hoping to pick up some more information.
A while later, Aaron headed back upstairs to the room and did his best not to disturb Ariana as he slipped into bed. Despite his troubled thoughts from the things he had heard downstairs, he fell fast asleep. He awoke to find Ariana pacing the room, dressed and wearing the new green riding cloak he had purchased for her the day before. He also noticed that she had straightened up the room and repacked their belongings.
“Good morning,” Ariana said as he rose from the bed.
“Good morning,” he responded. “I see you've been busy.”
Ariana glanced around the room and gave him a sheepish look.
“Thank you for the new cloak, Aaron,” she said.
“Do you like it? It isn't anything special but I thought it might look nice on you.”
“It is very lovely, and practical as well.” Ariana especially liked the hood that she could pull up over her head and hide most of her face. She pursed her lips for a moment then sighed. “Aaron, I apologize for my behavior last night. It was not very ladylike and hardly befitting the rightful Queen of Maramyr, let alone a Crown Princess.”
“It's okay. You were upset and for good reason. I am sorry I didn't say anything to you about...”
“I'd rather not talk about it,” she said, cutting him off. “There is nothing I can do about it, so I'd rather focus on the bigger problems, like how to regain my kingdom.”
“That might prove a challenge,” Aaron said. "I spend some time in the tavern downstairs last night and learned a few things about what has been going on in Maramyr. It seems your uncle has offered a reward to anyone who can bring him the heads of those who were involved in your supposed murder.”
“He should take his own head,” Ariana said, bitterly.
“They have already hung several people for wearing clothes that had Kandaran colors, and even one woman. Apparently she was claiming to be you and saying that she had escaped her attackers.”
Ariana pursed her lips, thinking for a moment. She was appalled that more people should die on her account, or more precisely on account of her uncle's plot against her, but it seemed that her uncle had thought of everything.
“So, just in case I somehow managed to survive, Cerric has made it all but impossible for me to return, unless I return in force.”
“It gets worse,” he told her. “In return for this crime against Maramyr, Cerric has declared war on Kandara and has been mass recruiting new trainees for the army to ready for the attack. The groups of soldiers we saw on our way here are but the first arrivals of a major movement of troops preparing to move north through the mountain passes to Kandara. They plan to attack Kandara as soon as the roads are clear.”
“What about Borrican?” Ariana asked, worried that her friend might fallen victim to reprisals. “He was supposed to leave Maramyr just after we did.”
“Cerric put a price on his head, claiming that he was the one behind the plot. He probably escaped back to Kandara, since the reward is still being offered, but there is little news from north of the mountains since the winter snows blocked most of the roads, except that some scouting parties have gone missing, which Cerric has publicly denounced as acts of aggression by Kandara.”
“What?” Ariana was amazed at the nerve of her uncle. “So, my uncle builds up the army, all but declares war on Kandara then sends armed forces into Kandara and when they turn up missing he calls it an act of aggression. Who would believe such nonsense?”
“Everyone,” Aaron told her. “From what I could tell, no one even questions it. The soldiers here are on the way north to Rivergate and will attack through the main pass, but this is just a small contingent compared to the size of the main army Cerric has gathered. Another force from the Xallan army is also marching direct up along the eastern range to the main Kandaran Pass. I also overheard one man mention that Cerric has made an alliance with the Xallan Queen. It looks like it’s going to be an all out war.”
Ariana’s face reddened with her temper. She was angry that her uncle would do these things. That he tried to have her killed so he could take the throne for himself was bad enough, but forging an alliance with the Xallans and taking the kingdom to war was far worse. Maramyr had long been a peaceful land and the treaties her parents had forged with the neighboring kingdoms were supposed to guarantee the prosperity of all for many generations. Now, Cerric was destroying everything in some bid for even greater power and he was not even a true king in the first place.
“That bastard is going to pay for this. As far as I’m concerned, he is no longer my uncle! Oh, what I wouldn’t give just to have him sitting here right now.” She paced more furiously than before. Aaron noticed the candle flames heighten when she walked near them, glowing an angry orange.
“Ariana,” he said in a gentle tone, hoping to calm her. “What do you want to do? We can’t go back to Maramyr. We can try for Blue Island and ask the Priesthood to intervene, but from what I understand, they seem to be loyal to your uncle. And, with prices on people's heads and imposters being hung for pretending to be you, it is dangerous for anyone to know who you are right now. It might not be safe even here. What if you’re recognized by Cerric’s men?”
“Blue Island is out. I don't trust those priests. I didn't tell you this, but I never really intended to go there anyway. I met with Calthas just before we left and he told me there were rumors of other mages, independent of the priesthood. I had hoped to find them so I could be trained in magic and, so we could find a solution for the spell that is giving you such trouble.” Ariana paced back and forth, thinking for a moment. “I think we have to go south.”
“South?” Aaron pictured a map in his mind of the various lands that lay southward. From where they were now, it was a short ride up to Rivergate Keep, where the road split in various directions. One road ran west, leading to the coastal forests of the Western Sea, which was the way to Blue Island, long a refuge of mages but, according to Ariana, apparently under the control of the priesthood. To the north was Kandara, but there were bound to be countless soldiers and others loyal to Cerric already moving in that direction. The river, from which Rivergate Keep got its name, split into two forks at the keep. One part of the river dropped from a very high falls then flowed southwest into the Elven lands. The main branch of the river continued south from the keep, skirting part of the eastern reaches of Maramyr then spilling into the grassy plains and dry deserts where fearsome sword-wielding nomads called the Ansari were said to live. The river ran mostly in a southward to the coast, creating a natural border between the lands of the Ansari and the mysterious forests of the Elves, a people from whom no one had heard in years. Given that Ariana's mother was Elven, he suspected that she intended to travel to the lands of the Elves.
“Elvanar?” he asked.
“Yes. I have family there,” Ariana said. “I don't know what kind of reception I might receive, considering that there were some difficulties between my mother and her family, but I am the rightful heir to the Maramyrian throne and we have treaties with the Elves, agreements that they will assist us in times of need, and I consider this to be a time of need.”
They left Mountain Ridge hold that morning and decided to take trails again instead of the main road in order to avoid the countless caravans of Maramyrian soldiers now making their way to Rivergate Keep. Even so, Aaron and Ariana ran into a few patrols but Aaron kept his bow ready to make it look as though he was hunting for their next meal. To anyone who saw them, they looked like regular mountain folk. It was mid afternoon when they finally cleared a rise and Rivergate Keep appeared before them.
Nestled high in the mountains among the dark green forests and the crags and cliffs of rock, there was a kind of plateau through which a river had cut a path. It ran right through a large town that was very similar to the one they had just left, except that it was much larger. The inner city, with its stone buildings and heavily fortified construction was surrounded by a heavy stone wall and the buildings of the outer city were mostly wooden but were also bordered by a thick stone wall. From their vantage point, they could see that the smoke rising from the many chimneys across the city, swirling in the air above from the ever-changing mountain winds. What made the view of Rivergate breathtaking were the two massive waterfalls right in the center of the city, one of them falling from the mountains above, and another one falling from the edge of the city, down to the dark forests below the mountain plateau. They made their way down the trail and soon found themselves at the gates of the mountain city.
As a result of sitting at something of a crossroads between various lands, Rivergate Keep had become a center for trade and any number of strange travellers passed through its heavily fortified walls over the course of a day, bringing items and curiosities to sell or exchange for other goods. The guards gave Aaron and Ariana little more than a glance mostly, it seemed, to ensure they did not look or speak as though they were Kandaran. At first, the fact that Ariana's cloak was pulled over her head gave the guard cause to take a closer look, but when he glimpsed the angry-looking scar that ran the length of her cheek, he quickly understood why she hid herself. Aaron gave the man the same story he had given to the guards at Mountain Ridge Hold, along with the same fake names they had used, and they were admitted to Rivergate without further question.
The city was a place of industry, and workmen were busy building new structures and repairing roofs and walls that had been damaged by the heavy winter snows. The streets were teeming noisily with people and more than a few Maramyrian soldiers. An interesting part of the city's architecture was the number of fountains that had been built into the streets. They were crowned by a large fountain in the main square of the town that shot a great spout of water up from a large stone urn and landed in a pool around it. Aaron was amazed that the builders of the city had been able to harness the power of the river in such a way and Ariana told him that Rivergate Keep had been built long before the Maramyrian kingdom even existed. Aaron hoped to have a chance to take a closer look around the city once they had found a place to stay for the night.
They had inquired at the city gate about lodgings and the guard had told him that with all the soldiers arriving in preparation for the war and the commanders and captains staying in the city, most of the inns were almost full up but they might still be able to find rooms at a place called the Three Ducks. They tied their horses in front and entered the tall wooden building.
Inside the main common room was a bar, fairly well lit but smoky, with a staircase at the back wall and a door leading to the left into a small, enclosed yard. A woman stood behind the bar leaning on her elbows seeming to be reading something. As the pair entered the room and the door swung shut behind them, she looked up. She was an older woman, and her squarish face matched her squarish body. She was not pretty but the ruddiness in her features and a brightness in her eyes made her at once appear somewhat attractive, or at least extremely friendly.
“Good day to you. Welcome to my humble establishment. The name’s Milli,” she said as she stood up straighter. Aaron smiled back while Ariana glanced around the common room. “I suppose you’re looking for a room then are you?”
“Yes, do you have one?” Aaron asked.
“Of course, but you’re just in time. We’re almost all full up. It's gettin' busy what with all these soldiers about. But hey, what’s good for business is good for me.” She smiled. “Do you have horses?” Aaron told her they were out front, tied to the post. “Well, I’ll have one of the girls bring them around back. I’ll have to ask you for one night’s payment up front though, just one night, an' you can pay me every morning after that if you’re planning to stay longer. You two look like honest folk, not like some of these soldiers. I’m makin' them pay all in advance.” She squinted an eye then winked at them light heartedly.
“Thank you very much,” Ariana said from beneath her hood as Aaron dug for a few coins. “Does the tavern get busy at night?” She looked around the somewhat battered looking but clean common room. The woman laughed
“It does get a might rowdy, especially with the soldiers and all, but we manage to make them behave,” she told her. Aaron passed Milli several coins, which the woman promptly deposited between her cleavage and then took her pen to her log book. “Your names?” she asked.
“I am Edward, and this is my wife, Katie. Glad to meet you Milli,” Aaron told her. Milli glanced at their hands, neither of which had wedding rings on them.
“Of course,” she said with a smile and she leaned forward to try to get a better look under Ariana's hood, but Milli discretely pulled back when she saw her hand come up and pull the hood closer over her face. It seemed as though the girl did not want anyone to look at her, which was not a rare thing in this particular establishment. “Well, that’s enough to keep you folks well an' good for the next couple days at least, depending on how much ‘your husband’ drinks, mind you,” she joked lightheartedly. Ariana understood.
“Oh, we won’t be a bother at all, neither of us.” She nudged Aaron in the ribs and he nodded dumbly.
“Good then. I run a very discreet business. Your privacy will be well respected here.” Ariana smiled at the woman, understanding all too well what kind of establishment they had happened upon. Oblivious to such things, Aaron realized that he had not had a drink of ale since Maramyr. He had acquired a taste for it while at the Academy.
“Actually,” he said, “I think we could probably both use a decent meal and a jug of ale. Is the kitchen open?” Milli smiled at him.
“Yes, just about. I’ll show you your room and will send one of the girls to make sure it's up to scratch. You can drop your things there and the stove should be warm by the time you get back down.” She pulled on a rope behind the bar and within moments a young, dark haired woman wearing a slightly faded, blue satin dress came down the stairs. “Carly, can you show these nice young folks to the room at the end of the hall upstairs?” Milli turned and pushed open the door to the kitchen as Aaron and Ariana followed Carly.
Carly led them down a long hall with a low ceiling. She was a pretty young woman, with a kind of tired innocence about her expression. She smiled at them, which seemed to be an effort and when she stifled a yawn, Aaron wondered when the girl had last slept. They reached the end of the hall and a door opened to a large room. Inside, was a very large bed with rich looking, red satin coverings. Off to the side was a sitting area with a table and several couches that were draped with patterned red satin to match the bed. Set against the wall was a large fireplace sat in a stone hearth and there was also a washbasin that looked big enough for three people. The walls were decorated with tapestries and framed paintings, all of which involved women who were unclothed or in various states of undress. Aaron felt his face turning red at the pictures and he stared at the floor, feeling a little embarassed.
“I hope everything is to your satisfaction,” Carly said, her voice thin and quiet, but with a breathy richness to it that Aaron found distracting. “Let us know if you wish to bathe and we can have some water brought up. If you need anything else, my room is the first on the left.” She gave both Aaron and Ariana a suggestive glance and pointed back toward the hall in the direction of her room. Ariana thanked her and Carly left, closing the door behind her. Ariana glared at Aaron, though she was not sure whether to laugh or be completely appalled.
“Do you know what this place is?” she asked, almost accusingly. Aaron was taken aback.
“It's an inn?” Aaron said, even though he now had a pretty good idea that a lot more than eating, drinking and sleeping went on here.
“Things sometimes get noisy," Ariana muttered, intoning what Milli had sai. "I’ll bet! One of the girls...this is quite the establishment.”
“Well, look at it this way," Aaron said with a shrug. "Anyone important, who could possibly recognise us, or you for that matter, wouldn’t come here then, right?” Ariana rolled her eyes.
“Aaron,” she shook her head and then sat down on the edge of the bed. “You have so much to learn.” She smiled tiredly and tilted her head back. “Oh, my!” she exclaimed.
