CWE Book II Part 13

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Braven

I cried again when I was told of the old man was hanging outside the city wall. The last crying I did was when the spies told me of Prime Leader Raihan’s death, and now Senior Adviser Domo.

I refused to let anyone tell Jeane about it. Her father’s death will be avenged and in due time. I hear the city is now under the control of the newly appointed Lord Conal. The ex-Lord was retired to Red Hill alongside with his grandson. It seems there was a coup mounted by the son and the Generals was involved. Now a madman sits on the seat as Lord. I would had marched into the city if not for Damai who held me back.

‘We are not ready to fight him yet. Not in his own grounds. We must bring him out to fight on our grounds.’

For this time I listen well, but I told Damai, no delay until the next same season.

Now I had to see Jeane and explain all to her.

Lord Conal

It good to be back on my seat and now officially known as Lord Conal. Lord Camlash is no more but me now, Lord Conal. I stage the coup which brought the old man off his push cart. I had some help with some generals, which was obedient to my command. You see I learned many people secret when I tortured the old man. The Senior Adviser lived too long, and he commands a lot in his mind. He was soon telling me things when I told him of how I will kill the children. But sadly he died later not from my torture but his body gave way. I used the available knowledge to convince some generals to work with me, and then approached the old man. His guards was mine to control so I had him by his legs then. And of course his grand son helped a lot. Canaan was in my arm that moment when I asked him to sign the new order; my succession as the new Lord..

After he proclaimed me Lord and I exiled him to Red Hill. There he will stay until I am in need to his counsel. I then send out messages to the other Lords and tell them of my new role. As Lord, I cannot be concern on petty matters so I decided to hand one over to Granus as a gift. I called it the gift of friendship. After all, Mitchy is not my friend anymore, and his fight with Granus over my sister made him my enemy. He should had appreciate my friendship more than not anyone will give away his mistress to another that willingly. Not even Mitchy would think of that although he disliked her.

I immediately ordered the recruitment of another ten thousand men, and more officers to be trained.I also appointed some special advisers from the west, to be my strategist. There are many ways to kill a bear I was told, but I want to see a new method not seen by any here.

Dina has failed me twice now, and I am not pleased with her. I will give her one more job which if she failed to do, she will not need to come back at all.

Lord Camlash

I am sitting here in the carriage with my grandson to move to Red Hill. I am sad that the same generals I took into my advise is now the one whose betrayals I cannot accept, and my most trusted adviser lies over some part of the front wall, being eaten by the carrions. My son sits as the new Lord,but he may not last long as I am still alive, and I can come back to take the seat. Then the generals can feed the carrions then.

I have killed one son, and what is another. After all I have are three grandson who can take over one my seat. I liked this one more, maybe I will put him in front first. Canaan, you are a very special child; and because of you, I did not kill your ‘father’ the other day as you were in the line of fire too. If I had just activated the switch like what I did with the assassin, you will had died with your ‘father’. But I needed you so I decided to give up the seat to him.

Lord Giantus, I hoped you have better children than mine. I know Micha has is my daughter who can be as deceitful as me. I am her father after all.

Mistress Camy

The unborn child makes me look clumsy and I am easily tired. I am not concerned on that, its just that the child father cannot be found for some time now. Sometimes he does disappear at long stretch of time, but he will turned up. But this time, those time length is too long, and I am getting concerned about him. But during his absence, I have many messages from Granus who still missed me. I must be crazy to entertain such a man at this stage, but his messages are too tempting to resist replying.

‘Camy, are you well?’ My husband’s father called. He must have just arrived as he was standing at the doorway of my chamber. ‘Can I come in and see you? Are you decent, my child?’

‘Yes, father, Please do’, as I slipped the message into the hidden drawer of mine. I will reply later. ‘Why do you come at this early hours, father.’

‘I come to share with you some food which was cooked on my request for you. You need to be strong to deliver the child. Is Mitchy here? I see him not at the Hall lately.’ My Lord took his seat at the table next to mine. As we were eating, we shared news on the latest development in the city and my health of course, Mitchy came barging in his untidy looks and dirty clothes which smells of wine and many other bad odors. I turned to threw up the contents of my stomach and the father stood up to slap the son.

‘How dare you barge in like this? You are a disgrace to the family.’

‘I am not, father. If its family we concerned about, then she would be ashamed. Your brother Conal send his own wife to be Granus’s. Which man will do that? I may dislike your flirty ways, but I will never send you to my enemy. Only Conal can do such things.’

I do not what triggered the pain, but I felt it to my heart as my unborn child is coming out. And its not time as yet, not for another moon or so.

Grand Lord

I am living my last years in the world of evil. How can one man do that to his wife? I wanted to message the old Lord but was told he will not received guests or messengers. I tried to speak to Giantus, and he also chooses to keep silent. The whole empire knows now, and I wondered who will act first?

Mistress Kimi

I am a product of my family and now sold to my husband. He shall deem fit to sell me, and I must go to whoever he sells me to. Such are the ways of the ladies in the empire. Its unheard of in the upper echelons  like ours, but there were such precedent before. I was in my carriage to the new section of the city with Shiven; the one which housed the home of Granus.

I heard of him when I was in his city, a man of great appetite and drinks too much.I heard also rumors that he was involved with Lady Camy, but that was history. And of course that he may be the father of the unborn child. I knew his father Lord Giantus who was a kind host when I came here. He put me up in the nice chamber overlooking some lakes and assigned more servants than I need. He also arrange for Shiven to sleep in a room near mine, and did not restrict him on his weapon.

Now I am to be his as I was given by my master. I await his presence in the chamber, while I can hear him coming down the corridor. He opened the door and walked in, smelling of wine and sweat. I dare not looked at his face, but i stared at his feet, which was caked with mud and dirt. He walked up the bedding and lie down, without a word. I got up to joined him but he stopped me.

‘You will sleep in the other corner. I have arranged the beddings to brought in. Do not disturb me.’ It was to be like for the next few days. He sleeps in whatever he has on during this drinking stupor and I sleep in my corner. Soon the smell of his dirty clothes was used to me. I left a set of clean ones for him one night, and on the next day, a set of dirty ones was where the clean were.

But he has yet to speak a word to me since I arrived. I also did not leave the chamber without his permission. Nothing happened until that one night, when he said, ‘You may go out and do whatever you want. You need to stay here or accompany you. But bring your guard. Theres been attempts on your family members.’

I was shocked and asked who it was.

Dina

I am a descendants of the ‘sicarii’ and I am not one without the oath. I cannot denied my master’s command to remove his own sister. She may be my friend and under my care, but today she is my assigned target.  I do not questioned my oath on the validity of such an action. But as I sit her on the rood ledge, I watched my target moves around in her chamber, it brought me memories of the days I used to see her in this manner. She was youthful then and the birth of her child,who was born early but remained well. Her husband, the young master had come back to her side, and the baby is the bond which binds them. I can see getting dressed to welcome her husband who now returns to her bedding. I prayed that mine will do so, but the scar is too deep to heal by itself back to normal. It turns him off and he avoid me. But the time to act is now.

I crept along the ledge and was down scaling the pillar to the upper levels. I tracked my silent steps to the door which will open me to the inner chamber. She sleep soundly and was breathing very heavy due to her early birth. I removed the ribs cover with my left hand while my right hand reached for my dagger. I place the tip of the dagger on the child’s chest and closed my eye. It was to let my training takeover my body and conduct the moves.

The cry was all it took for me to release the dagger onto the servant’s neck. She surprised me with her entry and my reaction was to throw my dagger. Again, my right hand reached for my second dagger but the innocent eyes whose stare was bewitching held my draw of the dagger. It was that distraction which caused me to be stabbed in the back, the very same .spot I was hurt before. I turned around to face my attacker and slotted in my dagger into his ribs. I then flee to the door but it was blocked by a two more guards with drawn swords. I let off two more daggers which only one hit the left guard. I was then withdrawing further into the chamber until I saw my escape route; through a rear window. I landed on my legs but the wound on my back caused me to fall on my side. I l clutched my shoulder and ran across the garden. I know that this track will lead to the rear gate. I can hear the alarmed being raised and more guards can be seen alerted in the chambers. I reached the rear gate but i can see on all sides are guards approaching. But there was a small stream near the gate which I think flows out. I jumped into the stream and waddle on to the nearest bridge, There I remained to wait for the guards to cleared the area. I can hear them running on top of the bridge in both directions, but no one saw me. I decided to move on with the stream as its dark here compared to the inner garden now full lighted up. I half swim and waddle crossing over some bridges, until I came to a tunnel which a grill enclosure blocks the entrance. I can hear the sound of more stronger flow of water from the tunnel. I took out one of my dagger and scrape it against the foundation of the enclosure. Its corroded surface and constant pressure on the grating by the flowing water weaken the foundation,and soon I got one bar open. I squeezed myself through and hurting my wound more, but I was in the tunnel. I followed it until I came to the main river. From there, I just keep on swimming until I passed out from my exertions.

Mistress Camy

Thank the Gods, my baby is safe. I held her while she was crying from all the commotions which scared her. I saw the dead servant and guard. The guards are searching the ground now and then my husband, Mitchy came in. He was all concerned for his daughter and instruct the guards to be doubled immediately. I had then taken hold of the baby and was trying to soothe her down but he ignored me entirely. Did he not see me scared badly like the baby, or does he care for her only.

I turned to the dead bodies and saw the daggers on the side of the bodies. I bend down to looked at them and remembered them from someone I knew. She has a distinct design on her daggers; its called the assassin mark. I was furious then, among all assassins, she dares to be the one who will harm my baby. It was then, I find Mitchy’s arms around me. He whispered to me to be brave and care for the kid. I looked up at him and said; ‘I will see to it.’.

‘Who was it?’ I turned to see my husband’s father who came in his night robes. I ran to him and immediately he held me like his own daughter. I told him about the attempt but not the assassin. He can be told later. He need not know now. As I held him, my thoughts was on my family in Camlash. Since my  own family member has ordered the death of my kid, so be the lines be drawn. I will draw the sword on my family. What I cannot do alone, I will get help from those who will helped me.