Inheritance

Chapter 18: Nothing if Not Loyal

Kori was confused about the turn of events. She wondered why Pollyanna hadn't killed her yet; she knew Eory had commanded her not to and that Pollyanna was nothing if not loyal to the commands of the Arrozan family, but it was clearly in the warrior-maiden's best interest to kill her or at least get her away from Eory.

Kori frowned deeply as she walked at Eory's side. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. A sword has no will of its own.

Kori worried endlessly about the soul of her charge. She had opened her eyes late in the night and seen him sleeping with his head on Pollyanna's shoulder and his dog curled up like a ball on his lap.

Kori had told her charge stories about Pollyanna because she wanted to give him someone to look up to; she wanted to show him that just because someone was associated with his family, didn't mean they had to be evil. She had portrayed Pollyanna like a grand hero, when really she was a rotten villain.

She realized now that her lies had backfired. She feared he was in love with the warrior-maiden which was an odd and ugly thing and Kori's own fault for letting him revere Pollyanna.

And now she was faced with having to travel with the most feared woman in all the land to a ball where Pollyanna would undoubtedly get both Kori and Eory killed.

Kori had heard that the warrior-maiden had escaped her prison years ago, and that a faction of the king's most elite mages and soldiers and been sent out to try and find and detain her, but there was little else to be done about the Arrozan Sword's escape. Nobody had any idea where she was in the world and, of course, the woman was invincible and nobody knew the secrets to her immortality.

Those soldiers the king sent out never came back.

The king threatened during three of Kori's visits to him that he would kill Eory as a show of power to Pollyanna--so that the warrior-maiden would leave his kingdom of Maribel alone—but Kori convinced him that that would only make Pollyanna angrier and would only sooner result in the destruction of Maribel. She added that, if she were successful in making Eory into a good person, that perhaps he could dissuade Pollyana from harming the kingdom. The king was persuaded, and he again agreed to keep Eory alive.

"Waif, come here." Pollyanna ordered her, interrupting her thoughts.

"I ordered you not to harm her!" Eory reminded Pollyanna sternly.

"I'm not a fool." Pollyanna replied. "I just want to have a word."

Kori patted Eory's elbow. "It's alright, Eory. I can handle myself."

The four-foot-tall waif stood as tall as she could and walked beside the seven-foot-tall warrior-maiden. Snow crunched under their feet as they walked. "What do you want, you monster? Why can't you leave me and Eory alone?"

"You know I am loyal soldier who doesn't disobey orders. I won't be leaving either of you alone. I just wanted to tell you that you can't change who he is. He is the same as all his ancestors and he merely needs to be put in the right situation to show his true colors. He will be wanting his throne back that you helped steal." Pollyanna said with a smirk. "Go back to your homeland, waif. I don't know why you were banished, but you don't belong among either fairies or humans."

Kori ignored her latter comment and only addressed the former. "Fairies were the ones who stole the throne from humans in the first place with your help! It never belonged to them!"

Pollyanna said coolly, "Eory agreed to let me come into the castle with him. Once the king reveals whatever vile thing he has in store for Eory, I will be prepared to dive in and save him from it."

Kori scowled. "The king has no ill will toward Eory!"

Pollyanna grinned. "You sound so unsure, My Lady."