"We put him in," Raoden guessed, kneeling to lower the Elantrian into the pool. The man floated for a moment in the deep sapphire water, then released a blissful sigh. The sound opened a longing within Raoden, an intense desire to be free of his pains both physical and mental. The old Elantrian's face seemed to smooth slightly, his eyes alive again.
Those eyes held Raoden's for a moment, thanks shining therein. Then the man dissolved.
"Doloken!" Galladon cursed as the old Elantrian melted away like sugar in a cup of adolis tea. In barely a second, the man was gone, no sign remaining of flesh, bone, or blood.
"I'd be careful if I were you, my prince." Karam suggested.
Raoden looked down, realizing how close he was to the pool's edge. The pain screamed; his body shook. as if it knew how close it was to relief. All he had to do was fall. ...
Raoden stood, stumbling slightly as he backed away from the beckoning pool. He wasn't ready. He wouldn't be ready until the pain ruled him—as long as he had will left, he would struggle.
He placed a hand on Galladon's shoulder. "When I am Hoed, bring me here. Don't make me live in pain."
"You're young for Elantris yet, sule." Galladon said scoffingly. "You'll last for years."
The pain raged in Raoden, making his knees tremble. "Just promise, my friend. Swear to me you will bring me here."
"I swear, Raoden," Galladon said solemnly, his eyes worried.
Raoden nodded. "Come, we have a long trek back to the city."
CHAPTER 26
THE gate slammed shut as Sarene 's cart rolled back into Kae. "You're certain he's the one in charge?" she asked.
Ashe bobbed slightly. "You were correct, my lady—my information about the gang leaders was outdated. They call this newcomer Lord Spirit. His rise was a recent event-most hadn't heard of him more than a month ago, though one man claims that Lord Spirit and Shaor are the same person. The reports agree that he defeated both Karata and Aanden. Apparently, the second confrontation involved an enormous battle of some sort."
"Then the people I'm meeting with are impostors," Sarene said, tapping her cheek as she rode in the back of the cart. It was hardly fitting transportation for a princess. but none of the day's nobles had offered her a ride in their coaches. She had intended to ask Shuden, but he had disappeared—the young Torena had beat Sarene to him.
"Apparently they are. my lady. Are you angered?" Ashe asked the question carefully. He had made it quite clear he still thought her preoccupation with Spirit was an unnecessary distraction.
"No, not really. You have to expect a measure of subterfuge in any political engagement." Or, so she said. Political necessity or not. she wanted Spirit to be honest with her. She was actually beginning to trust him, and that worried her.
He chose to confide in her for some reason. Around the others he was bright and cheerful, but no man could be that one-sidedly optimistic. When he spoke only to Sarene, he was more honest. She could see pain in his eyes, unexplained sorrows and worries. This man, warlord or not, cared about Elantris.
Like all Elantrians, he was more corpse than man: his skin wan and dry, his scalp and eyebrows completely hairless. Her revulsion was decreasing every day, however, as she grew accustomed to the city. She wasn't to the point where she could see beauty in the Elantrians, but at least she wasn't physically sickened by them any longer.
Still, she forced herself to remain aloof from Spirit's overtures of friendship. She had spent too long in politics to let herself become emotionally open with an opponent. And he was definitely an opponent—no matter how affable. He played with her, presenting false gang leaders to distract, while he himself supervised her distributions. She couldn't even be certain that he was honoring their agreements. For all she knew, the only ones allowed to receive food were Spirit's followers. Perhaps he seemed so optimistic because she was inadvertently helping him reign supreme over the city.
The cart hit an especially large bump, and Sarene thumped against its wooden floor. A couple of empty boxes toppled off the pile, nearly falling on top of her.
"Next time we see Shuden," she mumbled sullenly, rubbing her posterior, "remind me to kick him."
'Yes, my lady," Ashe said complacently.
¤ ¤ ¤
SHE didn't have to wait long. Unfortunately, she also didn't have a chance to do much kicking. She could probably have impaled Shuden if she had wished, but that wouldn't have made her very popular with the court women. This happened to be one of the days the women had chosen to practice their fencing, and Shuden attended the meeting. as usual—though he rarely participated. Thankfully, he also refrained from doing his ChayShan exercise. The women moped over him enough as it was.
"They're actually improving," Eondel said appreciatively, watching the women spar. Each had a steel practice sword, as well as a kind of uniform—a jumpsuit much like the one Sarene wore, but with a short ring of cloth hanging down from the waist, as if to imitate a skirt. The cloth loop was thin and useless, but it made the women comfortable, so Sarene didn't say anything—no matter how silly she thought it looked.
"You sound surprised. Eondel," Sarene said. "Were you that unimpressed with my ability to teach?"
The stately warrior stiffened. "No, Your Highness, never—"
"She's teasing you, my lord," Lukel said, rapping Sarene on the head with a rolled-up piece of paper as he approached. "You shouldn't let her get away with things like that. It only encourages her."
"What's this?" Sarene said, snatching the paper from Lukel.
"Our dear king's income figures," Lukel explained as he removed a bright red sourmelon from his pocket and took a bite. He still hadn't revealed how he'd managed to get a shipment of the fruit an entire month before the season began, a fact that was making the rest of the mercantile community rabid with jealousy.
Sarene looked over the figures. 'Is he going to make it?"
"Barely." Lukel said with a smile. "But his earnings in Teod, coupled with his tax income, should be respectable enough to keep him from embarrassment. Congratulations. Cousin, you've saved the monarchy."
Sarene rerolled the paper. "Well, that's one less thing we have to worry about."
"Two," Lukel corrected, a bit of pink juice rolling down his cheek. "Our dear friend Edan has fled the country."
"What?" Sarene asked.
"It's true, my lady," Eondel said. "I heard the news just this morning. Baron Edan's lands border the Chasm down in southern Arelon, and recent rains caused some mudslides involving his fields. Edan decided to cut his losses, and was last seen heading for Duladel."
"Where he'll soon discover that the new monarchy is rather unimpressed with Arelish titles," Lukel added. "I think Edan will make a nice farmer, don't you'
"Wipe your mouth," Sarene said with a reproving look. "It's not kind to make light of another's misfortune."
"Misfortune comes as Domi wills," Lukel said.
"You never liked Edan in the first place," Sarene said.
"He was spineless, arrogant, and would have betrayed us if he'd ever found the nerve. What wasn't there to like?" Lukel continued to munch on his fruit with a self-satisfied smirk.
"Well, someone is certainly proud of himself this afternoon," Sarene noted.
"He is always like that after he makes a good business deal, Your Highness," Eondel said. "He'll be insufferable for another week at least."
"Ah, just wait for the Arelene Market," Lukel said. "I'll make a killing. Anyway, Iadon is busy looking for someone rich enough to buy Edan's barony, so you shouldn't have to worry about him bothering you for a little while."
"I wish I could say the same for you," Sarene replied, turning her attention back to her still battling students. Eondel was right: They were improving. Even the older ones seemed to be bursting with energy. Sarene held up her hand, drawing their attention. and the sparring fell off.
"You're doing very well," Sarene said as the room fell silent. "I am impressed—some of you are already better than many of the women I knew back in Teod."
There was a general air of satisfaction about the women as they listened to Sarene's praise.
"However, there is one thing that bothers me," Sarene said, beginning to pace. "I thought you women intended to prove your strength, to show that you were good for more than making the occasional embroidered pillowcase. However. so far only one of you has truly shown me that she wants to change things in Arelon. Torena, tell them what you did today."
The thin girl yelped slightly as Sarene said her name. then looked sheepishly at her companions. "I went to Elantris with you?"
"Indeed," Sarene said. "I have invited each woman in this room several times, but only Torena has had the courage to accompany me into Elantris."
Sarene stopped her pacing to regard the uncomfortable women. None of them would look at her—not even Torena, who appeared to be feeling guilty by association.
"Tomorrow I will go into Elantris again, and this rime, no men will accompany me beyond the regular guards. If you really want to show this town that you are as strong as your husbands, you will accompany me."
Sarene stood in her place, looking over the women. Heads raised hesitantly, eyes focusing on her. They would come. They were frightened near to death. but they would come. Sarene smiled.
The smile, however, was only half genuine. Standing as she was, before them like a general before his troops, she realized something. It was happening again.
It was just like Teod. She could see respect in their eyes; even the queen herself looked to Sarene for advice now. However respect her as they did. they would never accept her. When Sarene entered a room, it fell silent; when she left, conversations began again. It was as if they thought her above their simple discussions. By serving as a model for what they wanted to become, Sarene had alienated herself from them.
Sarene turned, leaving the women to their practicing. The men were the same. Shuden and Eondel respected her—even considered her a friend—but they would never think about her romantically. Despite his professed annoyance with courtly games of matrimony. Shuden was reacting favorably to Torena's advances—but he had never once looked at Sarene. Eondel was far older than she, but Sarene could sense his feelings toward her. Respect, admiration, and a willingness to serve. It was as if he didn't even realize she was a woman.
Sarene knew that she was married now. and shouldn't be thinking about such things, but it was hard to regard herself as wedded. There had been no ceremony, and she had known no husband. She craved something—a sign that at least some of the men found her attractive though she never would have responded to any such advances. The point was irrelevant; the men of Arelon feared her as much as they respected her.
She had grown up without affection outside of her family, and it appeared she would continue that way. At least she had Kiin and his family. Still, if she had come to Arelon searching for acceptance, then she had failed. She would have to be content with respect.