Hidden - The Hidden Chronicles - Volume 1

Chapter Three - All The Right Reasons

Avaneese came quietly through the doors and took a seat. No one had noticed her entrance they were so engrossed in their debate. Tangora, naturally, leading the offense but Adomas held steady. "He has broken one of the most important laws we provide! He has practically killed the child himself! Would you let a murderer free to do it again? Of course not! One must learn from his mistakes. If we tap him on the hand and treat him as a toddler, what conclusion will he make of this? That he can break any lesser law and receive even less a punishment? This is absurd! Your heart is bigger than your head Adomas, and that is not a good thing!"

"So we should banish a man for loving someone he was not supposed to? There have been plenty of things you have done, Tangora, that I am sure you regret. Do we punish you so severely for it?"

"The only things I have ever done which hold regret to me," Tangora said, words cold as ice as they dripped from her lips, "I do for the laws of our kingdoms. I kill to protect my people. Our people! I slay the darkness at the Kingdom's hands! I too am but a tool, so do not sit before me as if you are any better than the rest of us. I am the one left to deal the punishments and make the choices you are too weak to bear. When a traitor is brought to the council, a neighbor to us, I am the one looked at to dispose of him. I am the one who hears his pleas, looks him in the eyes and still must do as I was sent to do. Do not think that my heart does not beat the same as yours, Adomas! Do I not bleed the same shade as you? Some of us just know that our heads are placed above our hearts for a reason."

Hearing this, Avaneese felt a slight pity for Tangora. It is true that the rest of them had always held the assumption when such a gruesome fate was deserved, Tangora would be the one to serve it. She was, after all, strong and vengeful, always ready to strike her opponent, competitive to a fault sometimes. The most feared on their council for many reasons. Perhaps they were wrong in doing so - unfair.

She remembered a few years ago when Tangora's childhood friend, Dregon, had been exposed as a longtime traitor to the kingdoms. He had been in alliance with the Morseth for years, stealing away with the council's secrets, providing them with weak points in the kingdoms which they could use for entrance. That was the most enraged Avaneese had ever seen Tangora. She was a fire herself, fierce and ferocious, ready to claw her way through walls to get to him. Screaming, crying, she had bared her sword and with one quick, strong thrust, pierced his heart.

She remembered the scene as if it was before her now; Dregon clutching the blade in front of him, the end protruding from his back. His eyes were wide, as if in disbelief, and so dark that she wasn't sure they were not completely black as they rolled from his friend's face to the sky above. Blood quickly spilled through his chest, around the blade and to the floor as pitiful, choking noises escaped his stained lips. She remembered Tangora staring into those eyes, tears spilling freely but silently. At the time Avaneese had thought the look of disbelief along with the tears streaming down Tangora's pink cheeks were due to the shock and rage of knowing her closest friend had betrayed her. Now she considered, perhaps, it was because Tangora thought by acting on the command of the council, she had betrayed her friend.

Regret.

Kastha's gray eyes moved across the room, resting for a moment on each council member before she began to speak. "I agree with Tangora. A punishment must be dealt. My proposal is that Adel must never again see Mara. We would not banish him from his kingdom, but from any others. He will remain in his land as to avoid any further mishaps. Not only that, but he will never freely love another woman. He will not be permitted to marry or father another baby. He will never know the love a father will hold for a child, or that a child would hold for a father, as punishment for the one he has already created. He will be reminded daily of his actions as he rests his eyes upon the people surrounding him. His life will not be taken, but he will live a life of little happiness. He will not get the pleasures he wishes for and will know little of love. This I believe to be fair."