A Crown Of Blades(ARTK, Book 3)

Chapter 27-28

Anor 22nd,3330 A.G

Jana yawned. A battle like that, and staying awake for multiple hours afterwards- were exhausting. Her bones ached, walking were difficult- but she wouldn't dare say such thing in front of her mother. Lisa Otes were a lot of things, but weak weren't one of them.

  Though it'd annoyed her growing up, she weren't sure her mother ever stopped. Even now, as they walked through the damp and dark dungeon who's smells couldn't be described with words, she were talking about what to do with the prisoners. It would do them some good to release all of the non violent ones, and to review all the murderers- but they would leave every one of the rapists where they were.

  They didn't deserve to see sunlight again, to eat anything better than the plain porridge the Ourri's had served them. Perhaps she'd talk to Harman about reducing their two meals a day down to-

  "Mother." Jana interrupted, stopping them a few dozen paces from their destination. "I know that you have never taken a break for.... anything, but could you please stop with the incessant planning? It's giving me a headache."

  Lisa started to laugh in her daughter's face. Most of the time she were so, so proud and even a little terrified of her. They were so similar, but then there were that small part of personality that should have left in her childhood years.

  Mother, you said I was going to get grandfather's dagger.

Mother, I'm going to go build houses in a village that never asked for my help.

  Mother, will you stop being so fucking annoying?

  "Oh forgive me, daughter." Lisa said in such a sarcastic tone the prisoners could hear a few cells down- but Jana supposed it didn't really matter what these people thought of her. The ones who were set to be released would have much more important things on their minds than gossip; rebuilding their entire lives for instance. "I shall never talk about important matters again. Wake up. We have someone to speak to before I can release you for the day."

  Jana rolled her eyes, adjusted her sword sheath and kept walking. They stood in front of the cell a few moments just watching him, unable to stop themselves.

  The once commanding lord Miel Ourri were in the corner of his cell, rocking back and forth with his arms around his knees as he mumbled something known only to him. He were still in shock over discovering that Hele had left him, still angry that the Otes's had been able to take his home that easily.

  So when he finally did look up and saw two of them he tried to retreat further into his corner; only to be met with a hard stone wall. He thought about how he would have died to keep his... his....

  "Where is my son?" He asked frantically, looking more and more like a madman with each passing moment. His hair were impossibly knotted from it rubbing against the wall for multiple hours earlier( he'd changed the way he sat and rocked about twice), and he had that look in his eyes. "What have you done with him?"

  "We've done nothing with him." Lisa sighed. Under different circumstances it may have been humorous; they were supposed to despise this man- yet in that moment all they could feel were pity. "My brother Harman, who is sixty four years old- will take your title. Then his son, who is thirty six years old-and then Hele. Your son is still heir, Miel. He just likely won't see that title until his sixties."

  "Can I.." he tried to sit up, bones aching from not moving them for hours. "Can I see my wife? Please I.... I just want to speak to her. Even behind these bars I.... I cannot imagine a world where I never get to see her face again."