The Water Howlers - Book II ✔

Chapter 28 - Ki

They stayed with Isadaya in her room until a knock sounded on the door. Thatch and Ori immediately stood up, fingers twitching as if getting ready to summon their gifts. 

"Daya, it's me," a muffled voice sounded and Ki saw the princess relax immediately. 

"It's okay," she said, smiling. "It's Ansira, my friend." She nodded at Thatch who walked over and unlocked the door, but before he could open it himself it sprung open and young woman stormed inside. The girl was tall and lean with golden brown skin and wearing loose trousers and a fitted deep blue shirt, with her long black hair braided down her back.

Something triggered inside Ki's memory and when Emmie's eyes widened Ki knew where she had seen this girl before.

"You were in Aebor for Princess Amberlee's birthday, the animal whisperer," Ki stated. "You had a large black panther with you."

Isadaya frowned at her friend. "You never said you met the Four Howlers?"

The girl, Ansira, shrugged. "I didn't know it was them. We but spoke for a moment."

"I thought you were a street performer," Emmie said, but Ansira shook her head. 

"It was just for fun and not why I was there."

"She was being my eyes and ears there. I had just been informed about the possibility of an engagement to Prince Rylan and I wanted someone I trusted to get a first look at my new home."

Ki's mind whirled. If Isadaya had known about the engagement back then, had Rylan too? He had kissed her the day before her and Emmie had met Ansira, but he had only mentioned his father wanting him to marry Lady Raewyn? What had happened to that idea? Had it been a ruse until they could announce the real engagement? Raewyn had certainly seemed ready to marry Rylan, despite all the whispers about her real parentage. But the way Rylan had talked about her, it hadn't sounded like he'd known about Isadaya. It was all rather confusing. 

"Your father is furious at what happened tonight," Ansira told Isadaya as she went to stand next to her princess. Isadaya sighed, shaking her head. 

"I'm afraid someone will die because of this, whether they are innocent or not."

Ki's thoughts kept drifting back to what had happened in the city with the Eslean people. She felt that Isadaya should know about it as she had no doubt King Edmond already knew.

Going into herself, she reached out with her mind to the other three, seeing the reactions on their faces when they felt her. They linked their minds and Ki showed them a picture of the crowd bowing to them in the street. Emmie, Ori and Thatch all looked at her and Ki nodded her head towards Isadaya. They have to tell her. Emmie was the first to nod, but both Isadaya and Ansira had both taken notice of their silence.

"What are you doing? Are you communicating somehow?"

"Yes," Ori said. "We can link our minds and communicate in images."

"Nifty trick," Ansira said approvingly. "Care to share with the rest of the group?"

"When we arrived at the harbour, our carriages were blocked by a crowd of people on the street. Thatch started showing off and when the rest of us joined in the crowd quieted down." Ki continued to the tell story, but when she got to the Hadira part, Isadaya and Ansira exchanged curious glances. 

"I remember my grandparents telling me about 'Hadira', back when Isadaya's grandfather had just taken the throne from King Sotar and Eslea was in turmoil." She sent Isadaya an apologetic look, but the princess shrugged. 

"I know my family's past is dark and my grandfather's way of taking the throne was not the best."

"I'm curious then," Thatch said and Ki worried for what he would say next. "What is the correct way to usurp a throne and take a kingdom?" 

"Thatch, please," Emmie muttered, shooting him a hard look. 

"No, it's okay," Isadaya said. "I do not condone my grandfather's ways and I know the Belisars may not continue to rule if these things keep happening, but what would you have me do about it? If this marriage and alliance to your country can help, do I not owe it to my people to try? The people cling to hope and from the sound of it they are also looking to you four for guidance."

"And what would you have us do about it?" Thatch asked, arms crossed over his chest as he stood leaning against a marble pillar. 

"I don't know. All I know is that horrible things will happen if my father doesn't change his ways." 

Ansira took Isadaya's hand and squeezed it gently. "I want Isadaya safe. With all of these attempts on her life, the sooner she can get out of here the better. I know you will protect her in Aethorin better than you can here. The rift between the royal family and the Eslean people has been growing steadily over the years thanks to the increasing group of rebels."

"There's a rebel group?"

"Yes," Ansira replied, looking at Ki. "There are many rumours about who runs it, some more unlikely than others."

"What do you mean?" 

Ansira took a moment before she spoke, seemingly choosing her words carefully.

"The one I've heard the most is that the rebels want to reinstate the Victari family on the throne. That a descendant of the Victari is still alive and wants revenge."

"A Victari descendant? I thought the whole family was slaughtered," Thatch said with a frown. That was what Scholar Aebond had told them on the trip here. That Isadaya's grandfather had taken the throne because of some unknown reason.

"Do you know why your grandfather did it?" Ki asked gently, hoping it wasn't too disrespectful to talk about.

"My parents don't talk about it, so what I know is mostly what Ansira has been told by her family." 

Ki's gaze shifted to Ansira whose eyes had grown darker. 

"My grandmother, who was around back then used to tell me that it was because a matter of the heart. That Edgar Belisar had been humiliated by King Sotar and his second wife Winnia, whom Edgar wanted to marry as well. He was banished from court and disappeared for a few years before returning with a small army and killed the Victari family. He murdered King Sotar and Queen Winnia and poisoned Sotar's children."

"He usurped a throne and kingdom because of a heartbreak?" Thatch exclaimed incredulous. "You must be joking. There has to be more to it than that."

"That is all I know. The old houses still remember and some still voice their resentment towards the throne in private. King Edgar may have usurped a throne, but he did not usurp the people of this country. Sure, many accepted the change, but there are many who still do not."

Ki looked at Isadaya, curious and slightly anxious about how she was handling all this negative talk of her family, but she gave Ki a reassuring smile. 

"I appreciate Ansira's candor with me. It's better to know the truth, however brutal, than to live in ignorance, especially when it comes to our people."

"Isadaya did not choose her family, which is why I want her away from here before she is punished for carrying the Belisar name."

Emmie gave a disgruntled sigh. "I wish we could leave tomorrow instead of just sitting around and waiting."

"We should talk to Scholar Aebond and see if we can do anything to quicken our departure," Ki said and Emmie nodded. 

The Howlers took supper in the royal chambers before leaving Princess Isadaya and Ansira to venture back to their own rooms. Ki and Emmie stayed up talking about the day's events before Ki's eyes grew too heavy for her to keep them open and she fell into a dream-filled sleep about people chanting 'Hadira' and the man who had smiled at her in the crowd.

The next morning, two unidentified men hanged by their necks in the royal square.