Chapter thirty

Ortia

 

Julia kept her waiting for longer this time. Perhaps this was coincidence but Marthian couldn’t supress the suspicion that, today, the High Priestess might be happy to leave her to stew for a little while.

Marthian sat by a water feature, which resembled a small cascade; three flat rocks down which water surged and gurgled agreeably. It was a hot day and Marthian had to resist the urge to take her shoes off and paddle in the little pool at the bottom of the cascade. She assumed this would be frowned on, but she vaguely remembered being allowed to do it when she was a little girl. It may not have been exactly here, but somewhere in the complex. She liked to think that the Lady wouldn’t mind, but there was absolutely no way that she’d risk it.

Was it even worth coming here, she wondered. Just three hours to go before the trial and the visit might well be just as dispiriting as the last one. Why was it always like this? Just family dynamics, she guessed, but it really didn’t help the relationship between the secular and religious arms of society when the government was daunted by the clergy.

Marthian brushed her hand over the top of the water, barely feeling its wetness as her fingers skimmed the surface. It was very cold, but it felt comforting.

Marthian looked up. Julia had clearly watching her for some time. She stood up hurriedly, as if she’d just being interrupted stealing from her cousin’s purse.

Such a bad start… again, she thought, sighing inwardly.

Julia smiled and embraced her. Her manner did not suggest that she minded what she had just seen at all. They stepped apart.

‘Cousin’ Julia asked, ‘how is the City?’

‘In turmoil, High Priestess’

‘And why is that?’

‘Because of the strangers that have come within the walls’

Julia looked out towards the city. She only ventured outside the complex during feast days, but Marthian was sure that she knew exactly what was going on.

‘And that is why you have come here?’

‘Yes – to seek your advice’

Julia smiled and nodded slowly.

‘Of course – I knew that you would come’

Marthian wondered whether this was a shrewd guess or a prophecy, but she’d didn’t say anything. Once again, she was awed and tongue tied by her cousin. Her mouth was dry and she feared how trivial this might all seem to a god and a god’s representative on earth. Was she imagining it or was there an aura, like the dissected light from a prism, playing round Julia’s body? What could she ask that Julia would feel it was worth telling her?

‘You want the Lady’s view on the creature named Rem...’ This wasn’t a question, Marthian noted.

Marthian struggled to speak; her head ached and the words seemed to have got muddled in her mind. She managed a grunt that Julia chose to interpret as an affirmation.

‘He is no kinaam’ said the High Priestess, ‘but you know that already’

Marthian allowed herself to look relieved. Words returned.

‘Good. I’m glad to hear that’ she said

Julia stared at her.

‘But… the Lady cannot recognise his deeper identity. He is some form of shaman, a healer, but she cannot penetrate his mind’

She paused and took a step closer. The aura around her seemed to fade slightly.

‘He is no threat. However, you should keep him here until the Lady has had time to investigate him further’

Marthian sagged visibly under the strength of the command. She knew that she had every right to refuse this request, but actually doing it would be almost unbearably hard.

‘I understand’ she said, ‘thank you’

Julia embraced her again, hugging her tightly, as if in reassurance.

‘I’m sure you’ll find a way to sort this out’ Julia said, ‘just stay as strong as you can. The direction of the trial can be controlled by you, if you stay firm’

They embraced for a few seconds and then Marthian knew it was time to get back and prepare. At least this time she had got something halfway useful.

They exchanged farewells and then Marthian made her way rapidly away from the temple. The memory that she took away with her was of Julia’s faint spectral aura that still seemed to cling to her. ‘Older and more blessed’ thought Marthian. She feared that she’d never be free of her spell.

She traipsed back to the palace deflated and uninspired. She wondered how she would cope with the trial after that. But then she had the sudden realisation that there had been no aura after all, that it had simply been the light refracted from the cascade so that it formed a small scale rainbow behind the High Priestess. She smiled to herself and she was heartened for a second, but then realised that, if she’d really wanted one, she was sure that Julia could have conjured up a real rainbow.

Her

 

***

 

Viola sat at Marthian’s desk flicking through a book, but not really reading any of the words. Her heart was beating about twice as fast as usual and every now and then she heard it banging worryingly in her ears.  She had no idea how she was going to cope with this day. In fact, she couldn’t imagine how any time could exist beyond the horribly frozen hours that she was stuck inside. Perhaps she should force herself to have something to eat?

There was a loud knock on the door.  She got up to answer it, relieved to have something else to do.

Aurelian was at the door. He smiled when he saw her.

‘Captain’ he said, ‘how are you?’

‘Terrified’ Viola confessed.

Aurelian looked puzzled.

‘Why?’

‘I’ve drawn the short straw’

Aurelian’s expression hadn’t changed. Viola noticed that he was scanning round the room.

‘She’s not here…’ she confirmed.

Aurelian frowned.

‘Where is she then?’

‘At the temple’

They stopped talking for a second. Aurelian was clearly struggling to pick up the thread of the earlier part of the conversation.

‘She’ll be back soon, sir, I’m sure. The trial starts in an hour’

Aurelian hesitated and looked round the room again, as if he could conjure Marthian up with a jolly good stare.

‘Would you like to wait?’ Viola asked

Aurelian walked into the room and stared at the desk. He still seemed uncertain as to what to do.

‘Wait?’ he said, shrugging, ‘I’m not sure I can spare the time’

Viola smiled, despite her underlying fearfulness.

‘Sir, please sit down, you’re making me even more nervous’

Aurelian looked at her carefully, once again as if trying to understand something, and then he plonked himself down on the most comfortable chair.

 ‘Thank you, Captain’ he said

Viola picked up her book again and tried to focus on the letters on the page.

‘What’s that you’re reading?’ asked Aurelian, who didn’t seem to want to sit still. He got up and inspected the spine of the book.

‘A Tract of Visneorian Case Law, volume 4. That’s heavy stuff…’

Viola tilted her head in agreement.

‘Why are you…?’ began Aurelian.

‘Short straw…’ repeated Viola.

‘What?’

‘It’s the trial – it’s a big worry for us’ she replied patiently.

Aurelian nodded emphatically.

‘I’m certainly worried for Marthian’ he agreed.

‘And I’m frightened to death for me’ Viola added.

Aurelian finally found the lost thread of the conversation. 

‘Are you doing something at the trial?’

‘Yes, Marthian persuaded me to be the Imperial proponent’

‘Really, Captain? You don’t have any legal training do you?’ jardacre

‘No – but I seem to have been the nearest person, sir. She doesn’t seem to trust lawyers. Also, unfortunately, her father insisted that I learn Ethian, when I was his intelligence officer, and that’s all that the defendant will speak’

Aurelian patted her on the shoulder.

‘That really is the short straw, but I’m sure that she knows what she’s doing’

Viola bit her tongue. Probably best not to reveal her fears to the Proconsul’s beau, who, coincidently, was also her commander in chief. When did her professional relationships become so complicated?

‘Will you be at the trial, sir?’ she asked.

‘I’d really like to, but I can’t. I can’t be seen to be supporting Marthian in any way’

Viola glanced up at Aurelian.

‘And do you sir, support what she’s doing? Can I ask you – off the record?’

Aurelian smiled.

‘My dear Captain, I support Marthian to just the same degree as you do – no more and certainly no less’

 Viola smiled back.

‘Yes sir. We appear to form a very small but extremely select group’

They shared a furtive grin and then both relaxed a little. Then they sat in silence, now both a little calmer, and waited for their liege lady to return. After that, however, it would be time to face the day. 

 

***

‘That’s a lot of angry elves’ said Kath, staring out of the window at the crowds gathering around the courthouse.

She was standing with Rem and Hardacre in the spacious suite that Hardacre had been assigned and where Rem had been held for the last few days. Hardacre was impassive, but Rem was very twitchy. Kath was just relieved that Rem couldn’t read Visneorian. Some of the elves had banners and they made very unpleasant reading.  Hardacre pointed out that some of the banners had poorly erased messages on their backs, saying things like ‘Enforce the wolf exclusion zone!’ and ‘An elf maid’s place is NOT on the throne!’

‘Serial protestors’ he muttered. He seemed mildly amused.

‘Can’t you do something?’ asked Kath.

‘I don’t think so’ said Hardacre, ‘this is politics’

Rem grumbled ‘elf politics means elves kill Rem’. But he was steely eyed and determined. He trusted Hardacre – he’d saved his life. Continuously, as it happened, from the moment that he was captured to now. That seemed to be a decisive factor in him agreeing to the trial at all. And of, course, Hardacre was courteous and considerate, and he called Rem ‘Master Healer’ which was a name that Rem was secretly very proud of.   

‘We have to trust the Proconsul’ said Hardacre, ‘or we can go no further with our plans’

‘We could have escaped’ said Kath.

‘You could have’ said Hardacre, pointing to Rem and Kath ‘but I have my role. It doesn’t include cutting and running. I have to go through with this and I’m pleased that you’ve agreed to go through with it too’

Rem and Kath looked at each other. Rem grumbled something in his own language and Kath looked profoundly sceptical. Then they could hear guards outside the door – the moment had come.

‘Rem’ Hardacre said

‘What?’ said Rem

‘Just tell the truth – everything will be fine’

‘Rem knows that’.

He glared, ‘but yes – I will. Rem not lie’

The guards knocked and entered. It was time to go.