A Crown Of Blades(ARTK, Book 3)

Chapter 72-73

Jono 10th,3330 A.G

If she could start a second war to get out of this, she would. The next would mark her twenty fourth petitioner of the day, and she were reaching that stage where she were she could eat and eat and eat- but only if it were exactly what she craved. And on this day, it just so happened to be an Alenian pastry none do the cooks had heard of. And so they were trying- she could not be upset with them for that, however much her brain sent signals that crying were a perfectly reasonable reaction.

  If they sent someone again to say they'd failed.... That would mark the third time. She weren't entirely sure she could hold back the tears then-

  Ysmen had not been exaggerating when she told her carrying a child did things to one's mind. Nara forced herself to sit up as Uwen announced the next petitioner, an elderly woman who had to be helped closer to her and Renard's thrones. Only once she insisted she were fine did Uwen let go.

  "My queen-" she coughed, and it were then that Nara noticed a bump protruding from her neck with each and every one. Her knees buckled slightly with the apparent pain it were causing her, then Uwen were right back beside her and even Nara were leaning forward. "I have come to ask... for permission to.... die."

  Nara raised an eyebrow. She'd always been of the opinion that if someone wanted to go that bad and for a good reason- let them.

And so she gestured for Tuyon to take this one.

  He cleared his throat and leaned forward as well. "Why in the gods's names would you need permission for that?"

  The old woman smiled and lifted her head slightly before speaking. "I live with one of my sons- and he is very much against me doing so. Something about it sending me to the lowest level of the hells. He has locked all sharp things away as if I- the woman who raised him, were a small child. I would... simply ask to borrow a dagger or... a tea with flowers one would not normally drink, for the very reason I want to drink them."

  Tuyon did not hesitate, did not even blink from what Nara could tell before answering. Their opinion on this matter were the same, then.

  "Then it is granted." He said quietly. "When you are ready...... ask any one of the soldier's to take you to the armory."

  "Thank you-" she bowed, not just to her king and Queen but to him too- multiple times as she were backing out of the Great hall. "Thank you thank you."

Tuyon shifted in his seat, thinking of an older woman that worked at the bakery of House Ashhand when he were growing up(check in editing if he did grow up at house ashhand). Then he were wondering if they were somehow related, as they shared nearly identical faces- then Uwen were announcing the next petitioner and he had to force himself to focus again.

  A little girl, much younger than Maude and holding a very swollen belly. Even Nara's heart broke a little at the sight of her- and she would have to ask Ysmen later how it were possible for a child that young to be with child.

  "What is your name?" Nara rose from that throne, Renard along with her( though he lingered a few paces behind, as the girl's conditioned screamed she would have trouble being near men for the rest of her life). "Nobody here will hurt you. But if you can.... Tell me who did they will not live to see another day."

  "That won't be necessary." She said, her words more advanced than a typical common girl of that age. "He is dead. Mother fed him his own cock."

  If she were alone, Nara would have smiled. That were something she would have liked to see; something she briefly wished she'd done to Mace.