BEYOND THE DARK MOUNTIANS

Chapter 4 Punishment

Lorin closed his eyes, dreading what was to come. His father spoke in his I am Ladnor-Sha, Lord-Protector-of-Omirr voice. Lady Sha stood in the stable doorway next to him. Veteran soldiers quaked under Lord Ladnor’s icy regard; an interview with a high priestess was enough to make them faint.

Lorin spoke in a rush to get his excuse out before Medra, but his mother cut him off. “Not now, Lorin. Come along, children. We’ll discuss this indoors. There’s no point in feeding gossip.”

After being herded into the Great Hall, they had to wait until the servants left. Lorin’s fear of what was to come was slightly assuaged by Medra’s obvious terror. The nervous gnawing of her upper lip and thoughtless twisting of her tunic belt was a stark contrast from her usual arrogance. Knowing his sister caused the trouble assuaged his fear of the punishment to come. She needed to be taken down a notch.

Then shame rolled through him as he remembered how fair she’d been in her apology and promise of friendship to Ryah. At least Ryah would be spared the upcoming ordeal.

Lorin looked around the long room with its high ceiling of age-darkened beams and bare plaster walls. There was something significant about their disobedience being dealt with here, where the public came to voice their grievances before their lord or to petition Lady Sha for healing or legal intercession.

Medra had to be aware of what their presence in the Great Hall meant. This incident was going to be treated as an official transgression. The law was clear and absolute: No one was allowed to enter the forbidden city and Temple compound.

Lorin glanced at two people who no longer looked like his parents. They’d become the nation’s leaders. The expressions on their faces were those used at official functions.

The last time he’d seen his parents look so serious was during negotiations for his betrothal to Sorda, daughter of the terrifying Voranna-Vos. He couldn’t think about having a woman like Lady Voranna as a mother-in-law without shivering, but he’d rather face her than endure parental disappointment.

His mother spoke first, directing an all-knowing gaze at Medra. “It is to be supposed that you talked your brother into joining you for this expedition, but that won’t exclude him from punishment.”

Her conclusion squashed Lorin’s brief hope of reprieve. Medra opened her mouth to speak, and Lady Sha silenced her with a glance.

“There are reasons for laws, Medra. You flouted this one with complete disregard for the consequences of your actions.”

When Medra attempted to protest, Lady Sha cut her off with an impatient flick of her hand. “I’m not sure which amazes me more—your flagrant disregard for the law or your low opinion of your parents’ leadership abilities. You must have known we would keep a forbidden area closely monitored.”

Medra’s explanation was devoid of her usual arrogance. “But Mother, I didn’t think you would mind if you knew the reason.”

Lady Sha looked at Medra and finally said, “I’m listening.”