Liridia

Chapter 10: The 'incident'

Liridia
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As I wander the streets of the Capital city of the East, Nohma, I try to concentrate on the people passing me by in the markets. Or the smells, or the number of stalls that are selling food, anything to keep me distracted.

Its always you.

I close my eyes to try to organise my thoughts, but all I see is her face. Staring at me. I clench my jaw to stop my teeth gnashing together. The air around me is thick and it makes it hard to breathe evenly. I bite my cheek so hard I taste blood, and I swallow it quickly so no one thinks I'm sick.

Under the usual bustling, always busy and utterly normal façade, the people have found out about the untimely and unexpected death of their Queen. There is small clusters of townspeople and merchants around the market square talking in low voices to each other about why she did it. She had everything, royalty in her blood, successors, riches and more or less loyal subjects.

I think back to two nights ago, after the music quietened as they heard the screaming, people stopped and stared at each other in bewilderment. Then a few brave souls went up the staircase and everything erupted into noise, the people down in the ballroom demanding what was wrong and the guards pushing the sea of now bold people shoving their way up the stairs to get in on the action.

One managed to push through the wall of guards and ran towards the crying, I could see from my secluded corner downstairs all the way to the door, but no further. The moment was blurry as I was uncontrollably crying, but I managed to scrub my eyes with my palms and get a grip. Because I needed to see what happened next.

The man stood stock still in the doorway for only a few seconds, but that was obviously enough time to survey the scene with what I could tell, a terrified expression. The guards caught up to him, but he had seen enough.

"The Queen is dead!" He shouted to the people down below, a collective gasp sucking the air out of the room.

Instant chatter hit the room like a shield to someone's head. It was the kind of deafening that only someone not talking could hear. Ladies cried out, fanned themselves and one even fainted. Men calmed women down, talked the quiet kind of loud amongst each other and some kept pushing against the guards to see the queen for proof.

I tried to block the noise out, but my mind let it seep in like a disease. 'Some say she killed herself.', 'You actually think she would do that to us?', 'We are her people, and she deserted us!' Are some of the claims I hear made against Queen Kiida. 'I can't even begin to think-'

I bump into someone, I mumble my apology and she says it's okay, but I take a second look. Auburn hair, empty green eyes, face caked in dirt.

"You." I whisper questioningly in her ear. She nods and presses something into my palm. My knife.

"How did you get this?" I ask, pulling her to the side of one stall selling fresh fruit.

"The guard came down to deliver breakfast and found the knife. He asked each of us who put it there. He showed me it near the bars, I took my chance at freedom." She says plainly, looking around for guards which should be patrolling the markets.

"They'll come after me. That's my problem. Not yours." She whispers, beginning to walk off into the narrower streets, no doubt to hide. I catch her before she disappears.
"What about the girl? Is she still there? I never saw her in my rush to get back up the stairs. Did you free her?" I ask almost desperately, she could've been Aldwin's sister.

I did catch a glimpse of her lying still, as if dead, and a wave of nausea made me want to throw up. I suppressed my urge to beat my hands blue to try to break the bars to set her free. Too many people would see and suspect. But no one should be caged like that. She shakes her head and glances over at the stocks.

"She was dead inside. But they took her to the stocks in the early morning. After beating her, they took her to the block. Her head's now resting on a pike." She whispered.

After a sullen moment, she clears her throat and gestures me closer.

"As soon as people found out that the Queen was dead, people have been spreading rumours. It's dangerous, being at Nohma. Soon the news will stretch across the border, and the King of the West will take it as a sign of weakness." She whispers quickly.

"You must flee, I know a place where you can be safe." I grab a piece of cloth from a vendor and she hands me a piece of black chalk. I scribble the simple directions to the Dwarves' tree and push her out into the markets. She looks at the cloth and folds it into the pocket of her pants. The last time I saw her in the dungeon, she was wearing a plain cloth tunic and pants. She stole these pants.

I nod and plan ahead. Where shall I escape to? How will I escape? But then I think about Aldwin.

Aldwin. I promised him I would save his sister. But I already know where she is. In the castle. Being held somewhere where no one will find her.

A royal official, flanked by two others, walks out onto the main platform a few market stalls down. People hush up and stare in a blank state of stupor.

"Here ye! Here ye! A message from thy King to his subjects. The Queen was found dead in her quarters last night, and it has been determined that she has been subject to murder. No one leaves the town walls or enters without the King's permission. Those who were present at the ball, if you know anything about her majesty's death, please come forward to the castle for a hearing by the King himself. Those who know something, but do not come forward, shall be seen as criminals. Keep a vigilant eye, as any information about the Queen's murder will bring you riches." He finishes regally.

The market square erupts into noise, riches for anyone who comes forward with valid and truthful information? Count them all in.