Gallel's Heir

Chapter 21.1: Engagement Ceremony

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Canúden paced Kel Murtex’s platform when the Assembly Hall broke into an energetic cheer of applause and stomping; the sticky, close air reverberated the clank of goblet on goblet. His head pounded and he wished he could vomit, but he hadn’t eaten anything all day. The bright basin down by Lianna would be a suitable place. His arm ached, more since he could see Tutang, though he’d abandoned the sling weeks ago on the Illama. The tiny crimson fish in Murtex’s cylinders swam in violent circles with the noise of Murtex’s jovial clapping. The beastly kel Emick and Lianna remained in a long embrace despite the hundreds of people observing it; why didn’t he let her go? The poor girl probably suffocated in his vile touch. Canúden’s fingers pulsated with a desire to strangle the boy. If he killed him, Lianna would be free. Tamil would declare war, perhaps, but Canúden would be executed and not have to worry about that. Lianna would be tossed aside, and she could live in the forest with Ophia. Ophia’s father would take care of them, he was a good man.

A knife would be faster than his bare hands. A nice carving knife glinted near Murtex’s fingers.

“Settle down, kel Ubal,” said Murtex. Canúden stared at him.

“Yes, do,” said one of the women. She hardly wore the blue silk that clung to her. All the women at his table were pretty, with their lithe curves and pale skin, but perhaps a little simple-minded, and too sultry for his taste. Pleasant in their way, but aggravating now.

“You’d think you had murder on your mind, by the fire in your eyes,” continued Murtex. “Take some wine, my man.”

Dissonance filled Canúden’s heart; in spite of all his efforts, Dylin’s daughter was clenched in the talons of the beast. Why didn’t she tense and push away? Below, Tutang raised his goblet with a smug gleam of approval and arrogant triumph. Tamil grinned broadly with her teeth alone, a hungry gleam emanating from her eyes. It was a scowl more than anything.

And that intense woman was there next to Tamil. His heart flooded. He’d last seen that woman when Dylin was at his side, at the Feast of Lights. She was as beautiful as ever, but he hated her because she wasn’t Dylin. And how could Dylin have been afraid of her? The woman was simply too young to have killed Dylin fifteen years ago.

No, he didn’t hate other women, not for Dylin. Something about that woman in rust silk made his shoulders clench, and Dylin must have felt the same way. She was watching Lianna and the little kel too hungrily. He’d prefer Murtex’s pneumatic sans to her.

Still Lianna clung to the little kel, Emick, as though she liked him.

Energy rose up through Canúden’s chest, siphoned out of his lips with the cacophony; as the din rose to its peak of intensity, Canúden screamed in frustration with a voice that would have echoed throughout the Hall; instead the bedlam swallowed it. He leaned back against the muraled wall.

The high priest lifted a stick as long and as thick as his arm, with a black leather end, from behind the bronze disk. He pounded the disk three times and the din of the Hall ended suddenly as it had begun, replaced with the TONG of the disk and its reverberation. The high priest shouted at each pounding, “It is finished! It is finished! It is finished!” And then, “It has begun! May the Ancestors bless their destiny and smile upon their souls forever!” The last words echoed through the Hall for what seemed like a long time, for the finality of their meaning. Canúden’s head echoed with the silence, and he slid down the wall.

Emick had let go of Lianna at the sounding of the first gong. Dizzily, Canúden could breathe again. The girl’s expression caught his breath. Was that a… smile that crossed her cheeks? A blush? Canúden’s eyes had always been good, but from this distance he couldn’t be sure. After the last gong sounded, the girl looked up shyly at kel Emick as though he were a soft bunny and not a ravenous beast; he couldn’t imagine Dylin looking at Tutang that way. Why was Lianna looking at him that way! Did he poison her? Had Tamil drugged her? Was that intense woman in actuality the mind mage Dylin feared so much, and was she manipulating Lianna’s mind?