A Spoiled Rule

Chapter 30

There were no guards to call when he spoke his last words.
Liam gently pushed the man's shoulders so he lay flat on his back. The poor man's breaths were thin and ragged in his chest. He could hardly open his eyes. Beside him was a bucket of water, but he couldn't keep it down. Liam grasped the man's hand.
"How lucky am I," whispered the man, "to have a king at my side."
Liam desperately gazed through rhetorical prison door. There were no guards in sight. "I shall call for them," said Liam. "They will come."
The man tightened his grip on Liam's hand. "I have been sick for a long time. I can now rest knowing there is hope."
The silence ate away at Liam as if his insides were disintegrating. Something within him told him to keep talking. "Do you have any family?"
The man's eyes closed, but a faint smile appeared on his face. "No one left alive. They wait for me." He took a couple of ragged breaths. "If they knew who you were, you would not be here."
Liam didn't reply. He had no words to say. The man spoke the truth, and it was like ice in Liam's chest.
The man continued, "Do you know who you are?"
Sudden tears swelled in Liam's eyes. He knew then that he'd been denying everything he'd been raised to be. He could no longer blame his weakness on anything or anyone else. He knew that the man was now staring curiously at him, so he gave the man a heavy nod.
"Good," breathed the man. "Only now do I truly believe that Dínam will be restored."
"I will see to it," said Liam, but he said no more. He recognized that the man's hand as much colder than before. The man's eyelids settled, and his breaths ceased.
For a while, Liam sat beside the man in silence, occasional tears slipping down his face. He'd never gotten to know the man's name. He had no gold to honor him in his death. The blessing he uttered did not match his heavy heart.
Harvey began muttering a slow, deep song. Liam leaned his head against the wall and listened as the song filled the hall. Some parts, Liam couldn't make out. Harvey's pirate speak was more pronounced when he sang. But the captain's ode was so peaceful that he momentarily forgot the sorrow in the air. It was like a blanket covering his pain, his chills, his hunger and thirst. He momentarily forgot that he was sitting on a cold stone floor in an underwater prison.
A rapping sounded against the cell bars, and Liam jumped. A guard stood there, looking at him with twisted expression. "When did he die?"
It took all of Liam's strength to refrain from looking at the poor man lying in the back of the cell. "A few moments ago."
The guard sighed. He opened the cell door and gestured for him to come. "Your trial is starting soon. Your representative is here to to speak with you."
Liam stood, then laid a hand against the wall. Spots blocked his vision, and for a moment, he focused on his breaths. Then, when his knees stopped shaking, he left his cell. "May Harvey come with me?" he asked. "He came here with me, and it seems fitting that his representative also be mine."
The guard hesitated. He glanced at Harvey, who sat against the wall, picking at his hat. The guard shrugged. "Alright. I will notify Oliver." He opened Harvey's cell, and the captain, surprised, put on his hat and stumbled to his feet.
They followed the guard into the hall. They passed niches in the walls of stuffed fish and sea creatures Liam had never seen before. They turned down another short hallway lined with doors. "You haven't eaten your meals," said the guard as they walked.
"I fear the fish is contaminated," said Liam.
The guard stopped at a plain door embedded in the blue rock. "We have eaten fish all our lives."
"That may very well change," said Liam.
The guard stiffened. "Is that a threat?"
Liam shook his head. "It is a warning, coming from a very worried man."
The man grunted in reply. He opened the door and stepped aside. "I will be standing guard outside."
Liam entered the room. It was small, just big enough for three people and a table. The lights consisted of blue orbs that were hung around the walls. As the door behind him shut and his eyes adjusted, he spotted Theo standing in the corner, his arms crossed. "Do you know how long I've had to stand here?" said Theo. "Neither do I, but it felt like an eternity."
Liam smiled. It was good to hear his voice. "Being my representative suits you."
Theo stiffened. "It is all an act."
Harvey grunted. "Cocky little thief, aren't ya?"
Before Theo could respond, Liam thought it'd be best if he intervened. "How many days have passed?"
"Two," said Theo. "Safe house is coming along well. We're nearly finished. Of course, it helps that we're building off of an existing structure. That's why I designed it like that."
"Is everything ready?" asked Liam. It was as specific as he could be without risking exposure.
Harvey frowned. "I still don't know-"
Just then, the blue lights in the room turned red, and an alarm began to sound from deep within the hall. The alarm was muffled, as if it hadn't been used in a long time.
"Don't worry, it's part of the plan," said Theo. "It's a little early, though," he added.
"What's it for?" asked Harvey.
Theo grinned. "I had to sneak three people inside this place."
Liam's heart skipped. "Who?"
Theo counted on his fingers. "Stephen because he wouldn't have it any other way, Gína because she clearly likes Stephen, and Coulím." He moved over to the door and propped it open a sliver. "Hall's clear." He opened it wide.
Liam and Harvey followed Theo out into the hall. Indeed, it was void of any people. The alarm was louder, echoing from the main hall to their right. Consequently, Theo went left. He walked as if he had roamed the halls dozens of times before. It occurred to Liam that perhaps Theo had been in this palace before.
They stopped at a narrow door. Theo knocked twice, then waited. Liam glanced around to make sure they were alone.
The door opened, and in a blue, they were pulled inside. The door shut, and Liam found himself in a small storage space, clad with niches in the walls that held goblets, rusty mechanical tools, and little orbs of light. Pressed against the other wall were Gína, Stephen, and Coulím. However excited Liam was, it did not distract him from gathering the state of Coulím. He rested his head against the wall and his pale skin was stark against the dark atmosphere. His face was hollow and his eyes were foggy.
"Liam!" hissed Stephen. He was the first to take a step forward. "Theo has told me that you are sick."
Liam pondered that for a moment. Indeed, he did not feel great. He was hungrier than usual lately and a little lightheaded. He was tired, but something within him felt great. It was like a bubble of energy deep within his chest that gave him warmth. The man in the cell had restored his confidence. "I am alright, Stephen," Liam assured. "I don't think it is anything to worry about."
Stephen did not look convinced. But before he could reply, the storage door opened. A guard stood on the other side, his face first confused, then shocked. He hardly blinked, as if his brain could not comprehend what was before him.
Just then, a flurry of movement caused the guard to crumple to the floor. Another guard appeared, and Liam recognized his face. It was Jackson. He was dressed in the blue stone armor of Dínam's soldiers. He hurriedly dragged the man inside and shut the door. Liam had to press himself against the wall to avoid stepping on the unconscious guard's limbs.
"Theo," said Liam, "What exactly did you plan?"
Theo raised his hands. "What you told me was impossible to accomplish without being seen by somebody."
Liam took a breath. If he felt uneasy, he knew he should speak on it. "If hurting anyone else is part of the plan, you shall let me know," he said sternly.
Theo sighed. "Haven't heard you make a command very often."
"I am king, and you are my friend," said Liam. He felt he needn't explain any further. "Coulím, I can hardly believe you're standing here!"
Coulím nodded, but he kept his head resting against the wall. "Forgive me for my appearance." His voice was a little frail.
"Of course," said Liam. He wished Coulím would elaborate, but he would not push him. "Shall we write it here?"
"Your Highness," said Jackson, "I must step outside to keep watch."
"Aye, me too," said Harvey, an unusual grim expression on his face. "I have a bad feeling about our path."
Liam frowned. "You will tell me if this feeling becomes urgent," he said. He was remembering Harvey's crew mate Ryan, who always had the right feeling.
Harvey nodded. Liam watched he and Jackson go, still in a state of disbelief.
Theo pulled from his shirt pocket a golden book and pen. He looked around for a table, then settled with a shelf to place them on. "Here it is. Now, seeing as I am not needed until the end, will you excuse me? I have something to steal."
Liam's stomach dropped. "Theo," he said, "Be careful."
Theo nodded. He opened the door, and just as he went to close it, Liam called, "What's the alarm for?"
Theo grinned. "It's a false alarm. Prima set it." He closed the door.
Liam exhaled. He gazed again at Coulím, then opened the book. He flipped its pages until he settled on a blank template meant for a new decree. "Coulím, has Theo explained to you what must happen?"
At this, Coulím pushed himself off the wall. Gína wrapped her arm around his to steady his steps as he maneuvered around the man on the ground. He grabbed the pen and took a shaky breath. "I must declare my rule."
Liam nodded. "No one can deny your penmanship. We will make sure that Oliver will not hide this from the public."
Coulím nodded. He set the pen to paper and began to write in slow, curvy lines.
"Liam," said Stephen, pulling from his pocket a small package. "Have this. It is some food that Christopher packed for you."
Liam unraveled the parcel. It was a small length of dried meat. "Where did he get this?"
"The church," replied Stephen.
Liam offered the piece to Coulím, but he shook his head, already busy writing.
Gína left Coulím's side for a moment and clasped her hands together. "Liam, Stephen, may I speak with you for a moment?"
Liam frowned. "Perhaps it could wait until we are under different circumstances."
Gína glanced back at Coulím, who wasn't paying them any mind. She lowered her voice. "He won't hear. He can't."
Stephen spoke up. "He can't?"
"He won't be listening," said Gína. "He isn't listening."
A stone settled in Liam's stomach. He knew what Gína was getting at, but he couldn't admit it out loud. He glanced over at Coulím, who was still writing. "I trust he is well enough to write a valid agreement."
"If I may," added Stephen in a whisper, "I've been studying Liam's blood. I was hoping to develop some sort of combatant against the plaque."
"Why have you been using his blood?" asked Gína.
Stephen glanced at Liam. "He has survived the worst sickness I've seen, and he has remnants of the blue medicine in his blood."
"I suppose he would be a decent candidate," said Gína. "Did you achieve your goal?"
Stephen sighed. "Not quite. However, I think I've found a variant of the blue medicine that can help keep Coulím's symptoms at bay without many of the risks. Granted, I have not tested this. I've only been able to work on this in my spare time."
"Oh, Stephen, this could be so good for him!" She wrapped her arms around him in excitement. "He can't keep taking the blue medicine. He only just woke up."
Stephen became overly flustered, and it amused Liam, for it was all in the name of love. "I-I need a place to develop it," said Stephen.
Gína smiled. "You may come to the facilities at the refugee camp any time you'd like."
"Gína," said Liam quietly, "I understand that this is new, but Coulím seems..." He glanced at the man. "He seems lost in his head."
Gína's smile vanished. "I hate to see him like this. The people haven't been able to be with him." She rubbed her arms. "He only just woke. I believe he's still hallucinating, though he won't say much. He hasn't eaten. I am amazed that he is able to wear his uniform with what little strength he has. I can only imagine what is running through his head."
"How horrible," said Stephen. "I imagine he's-"
Just then, the door burst open. Jackson stood there, his face slack with fear. "Your Highness, the alarm is real!"
Liam looked to Coulím, who had stopped writing. "What do you mean?" Liam asked.
The walls began to shake, as if something very heavy began stomping toward them. A mighty roar electrified the air.
"One of Mettiam's inventions," said Jackson. "We must leave now!"