The Hidden City
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“I’m sorry. I just don’t understand,” said Rhapsody, as she and the others walked through the streets of the hidden city in search of a way to get back across the border into Camnipol without being stopped by soldiers or sentries along the road. “Why would they let us come here? What’s so special about this place?”
She had asked that question several times already to no avail; all her questions were met with silence from the other two travelers accompanying her—the one who called himself Tiberias and another woman whose name escaped Rhapsody at present.
The man was tall and dark-haired, but his features seemed vaguely familiar somehow. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. He wore an ornate robe over loose trousers made of some sort of thick fabric woven together with silver thread.
The woman beside him looked younger than he did, though there was something in their eyes that suggested experience well beyond what either could have achieved alone. They both carried swords strapped to their backs, and each had a bow slung around the shoulders of their robes.
It wasn’t until later when she saw them use these weapons that Rhapsody realized how unusual it must be for anyone to carry such things openly in the city of Camnipol.
The pair led her down streets lined with shops selling everything from food to clothing to jewelry to artworks. There were many people out walking in groups or going about their business: merchants hawking wares, laborers carrying heavy loads, children playing games in the street, musicians performing under the shade of trees lining the roads.
A few guards stood to watch at intersections and gates, but none paid any attention to the three strangers passing through the streets like ghosts.
Rhapsody found herself thinking of home again as they passed more and more signs in the language of the old world, including the word ‘home’ itself written in large letters above sign advertising rooms for rent.
As they neared the center of town, where the buildings grew larger and closer together, the air became warmer and heavier with moisture. This was not surprising given that the closest ocean lay less than a day away, but it still felt strange after having spent most of her life living in dry desert climates.
They came upon a small square surrounded by restaurants and cafés. Several men sat outside drinking wine while others played dice nearby. Two women gossiped quietly among themselves, speaking the same tongue as the rest of those gathered in the plaza.
All glanced up curiously at their approach; only the young boy sitting in the middle of the group noticed anything amiss. His expression changed quickly when he recognized Rhapsody, however, and he pointed her out to his companions before hurrying off toward the nearest building. When he returned he held a cloth sack filled with coins, which he offered to the stranger next to him.
“Hey! That’s mine!” shouted one of the gamblers, jumping to his feet and reaching for the pouch. Before he could touch it, however, the newcomer grabbed him by the arm and pulled him close.
“You’re lucky I didn’t cut your throat right then and there.”
He spoke softly, but his voice carried easily, even over the noise of the crowd. The gambler took a step backward, shaking his head angrily.
“What are you doing here?” demanded the man, whose face was covered by a hood. He turned to the women huddled near the edge of the square. “Have we seen the last of our friends yet, ladies? Or do you want to join them too?”
Both women shrank back against the wall. One muttered something unintelligible, and the other shook her head vigorously. The first woman was visibly shaken, but the second appeared to be trying to calm herself. Her lips moved silently, forming words that never reached her mouth.
A third figure suddenly emerged from behind the corner of a shop. He was dressed much like the others, but he also bore the mark of royalty upon his forehead. He stepped forward, blocking the path of the hooded man, and raised his hand threateningly.
“Who are these people?” he demanded loudly enough for everyone within earshot to hear.
The hooded man glared menacingly at the king and drew his sword.
“If you think you can stop me, King Joron, then you’ve got another thing coming!”
“Don’t call me ‘King,’ fool!” snapped the monarch, waving his hand impatiently. “And if you hurt any of my subjects, I’ll make sure you regret it. Now go away.”
“Or what?” sneered the hooded man, stepping closer.
Joron smiled coldly and spread his arms wide. “Go ahead. Try it.”
Without warning, he threw himself into the stranger’s chest, knocking him backward onto the ground. In the blink of an eye, he seized the man’s wrist and twisted hard, snapping bones. The hooded man screamed and dropped his blade. Joron kicked it aside and began beating at his opponent with all his strength.
Three more figures rushed from the shadows around the edges of the square. Their faces hidden beneath their own hoods, they advanced slowly, carefully. Without hesitation, Joron leaped atop the fallen hooded man and drove his fist into his stomach.
The man doubled over, gasping in pain, and Joron followed up swiftly, punching him repeatedly until blood poured from his nose and ears. Then he jumped down, leaving the body sprawled on the cobblestones, and faced the new attackers. They had drawn swords and were advancing cautiously, wary of the unpredictable nature of their target.
“Well,” said the king, looking calmly at each of them in turn. “I’m glad this is finally happening.”
One of the newcomers broke ranks and ran to retrieve his fallen comrade’s weapon, returning just in time to block the blow intended for the king’s heart. The three remaining men circled warily, keeping their distance.
“That’s far enough,” warned the leader.
“Not quite yet, I don’t think,” replied Joron coolly. “There has been some mistake, hasn’t there?”
“No such luck, Your Majesty.”
“Then why are you attacking me?”
“Because I have orders to kill anyone who approaches the city walls without authorization.”
“Oh really,” said the king sarcastically. “Now that is interesting. Who gave you those orders?”
“We serve the queen, not you.”
“And where does she stand now?” asked Joron, raising his hands again. “Has she taken up residence inside the gates or is she still safely ensconced somewhere else?”
All eyes shifted nervously to the left side of the square, where a dark alleyway led between two shops. A moment later a lone figure emerged from the darkness: a tall woman wearing a long black cloak. She stood alone, watching as the strangers fought the king. When the fight ended, she walked toward them, her footsteps echoing through the narrow street.
“My lady,” called out one of the hooded men, breaking off from the circle. “This isn’t necessary. We won’t harm—”
She silenced him with a sharp gesture.
“—you,” finished the man.
The woman looked at the king and nodded once before turning her attention to the hooded man.
“Take him alive,” she ordered. “But no unnecessary damage. If he dies, I will be very displeased.”
***
“So what happened after you killed him?” asked Tain.
Kettricken sat at the table beside the window, staring blankly at the empty space beyond the glass. For several minutes, silence reigned, broken only when Kettricken would speak quietly to herself, murmuring under her breath. At length, she spun round in surprise and stared at the boy across from her.
“What do you mean? What did happen?”
Tain frowned. “You know exactly what I am talking about. You told us you murdered someone last night. Someone who attacked you while you slept.”
“Yes, well…” Kettricken paused, biting her lip. “He tried to rape me, so yes, I defended myself. But I didn’t murder him. That wasn’t my intent anyway.”
“Why wouldn’t you want to kill him?” asked Tain, frowning even harder now.
“It was an accident. It happens sometimes. He died instantly. And besides, I couldn’t bring myself to cut him open like that.”
“Like what?”
“Cut… Oh! Like the way we gutted the fish yesterday.”
Tain blinked. “Didn’t you say that your father was a sailor?”
“A fisherman,” corrected Kettricken. “Though I suppose being able to catch and clean a whole fish doesn’t require much skill.”
“Still, though. Didn’t he teach you anything useful?”
“Of course, he taught me things. How to sail, how to navigate, how to read maps…”
“Those aren’t useless skills,” protested Tain. “They’re important.”
“Perhaps,” conceded Kettricken. “But there are many other ways to survive than by sailing a ship or reading maps. My father always said that if you can make yourself useful then people will look after you.”
“How did he die?”
“Long ago. The sea claimed him. He drowned trying to save another boat full of fishermen. There was nothing I could do to help him, but I promised that I would keep going because it meant something to him.”
“Do you remember?” asked Tain.
Kettricken smiled sadly. “Sometimes I dream about him. Sometimes he comes back and tells me stories. Other times he stays away, and I wake sadder for having missed him.”
“If you miss your father, why don’t you go home?”
“Home?”
“To the island. To see your family. They must be worried sick about you.”
“In truth, they’ve forgotten all about me. Or perhaps it’s better to say that they have found new lives. So I stay here on the mainland, where I belong, doing whatever work needs to be done.”
“Doesn’t seem fair,” muttered Tain.
“Life rarely is, I fear.”
For a few more moments the pair sat in silence; Kettricken looking out the window, thinking, and Tain staring at his feet. Then, suddenly, Kettricken laughed.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “That came out wrong. Of course, life isn’t ‘fair.’ Life just is.”
Tain shrugged. “Well, either way, it sounds as though your parents have moved on. Perhaps you should too.”
“Maybe someday,” agreed on Kettricken. “But right now I need to focus on staying safe until this storm passes.”
Tain studied her face carefully. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“As far as I know, I am fine. Why do you ask?”
“Because you haven’t been sleeping well lately. You were up late last night, and today you seemed tired again.”
“Perhaps I simply needed some fresh air.”
“No, really. Are you feeling alright?”
“Quite well, thank you.”
“Then maybe you ought to get some sleep tonight.”
Kettricken shook her head. “Not yet. I think I’ll take a walk instead.”
“Where to?”
“Just outside the city walls. Somewhere quiet, where I won’t run into any trouble.”
“There are woods nearby. We could—”
“Oh, no. No, thank you. I’d rather not risk running into anyone else. Not yet.”
“All right,” sighed Tain. “But promise me one thing: if you feel unsafe, come straight back inside.”
“Promise me.”
The two rose from their chairs together and walked down the hall towards the stairs. As they passed through the great room, however, Kettricken stopped short. She turned around slowly, surveying the crowd.
“Who is that man with the scarred face?” she whispered.
***
When Kettricken arrived at the gates of the castle, she had expected them to be closed and locked—not only because it was dark, but also because the guards usually stayed close to the gatehouse during the day. This time, they were nowhere to be seen, which made Kettricken wonder whether there might be some sort of problem within the city itself.
She approached cautiously, peering over the wall to scan the road beyond. A few lights shone along its length, but otherwise, it looked deserted. Still, Kettricken felt uneasy. Something wasn’t quite right.
Before long she saw a figure moving quickly across the street, heading directly towards her. She recognized him immediately.
“Master Rufus!” she cried.
He spun around, startled. “Lady Kettricken! What are you doing here? Is everything all right?”
“Yes, yes, I’m fine. But what are you doing out so late?”
Rufus glanced behind him. “Why, I thought I heard someone call my name. It seems I was mistaken.”
“No, wait. Please tell me you’re not leaving already.”
“What makes you say that?”
Kettricken gestured toward the gates. “You weren’t supposed to leave without telling me first.”
“Ah, well, I suppose I didn’t realize how late it was getting.”
“Please, Master Rufus. Stay for a while longer. Just talk to me. Tell me what’s happening.”
Rufus hesitated a moment, then nodded. “Very well.”
They stood side by side, watching the darkness pass beneath the moonlight. Soon enough, an old woman appeared from between two buildings. Her hair was white and tied tightly under her chin. She carried a basket full of apples in both hands. As she neared the gates, she paused to look up at Kettricken expectantly.
“Is something wrong with the gate?” asked the old lady.
“Everything is perfectly fine,” replied Rufus. He stepped forward, bowing politely. “My Lady Kettricken, may I present Mrs. Bessie Greer?”
Mrs. Greer curtsied deeply before Kettricken.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” said Kettrickle, smiling warmly. “I’ve heard much about you.”
“And rightly so,” agreed on the old woman. “Your husband has told us many wonderful stories of your bravery.”
“Thank you,” smiled Kettricken.
“Now, dear lady, why don’t we go inside and sit down?” suggested Rufus.
Kettricken followed him past the gates and into the castle courtyard. The two men took seats next to each other near the fountain.
“So, Mrs. Greer,” began Kettricken once everyone was seated comfortably around the table. “How have things been going these days?”
“Well, thank you very much, my dear. They’ve certainly been busy ones.” Mrs. Greer chuckled softly. “We’ve managed to keep ourselves quite occupied since Master Rufus left on his journey.”
Kettricken raised an eyebrow. “Really? How so?”
“In fact, he hasn’t returned yet, has he?”
“No, unfortunately not.”
“That’s too bad.” Mrs. Greer patted Kettricken gently on the knee. “Perhaps now would be a good time to ask you a question or two, my dear.”
“About what?”
“Of course, about the king and queen.”
“Oh, yes, of course.” Kettricken leaned forward eagerly. “What do you want to know?”
“For starters, how did such a beautiful couple ever find themselves married to each other?”
Kettricken laughed loudly. “Goodness, Mrs. Greer! That sounds like a story. Do you think you could start there? I’d love to hear more.”
Rufus grinned broadly as Kettricken recounted the tale of Lord Regal and Queen Selden. In the end, Mrs. Greer sighed heavily.
“Quite a pair, aren’t they?”
“Indeed,” agreed on Kettricken. “But I believe they’ll make a difference when King Eadon comes back home again.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Yes, I truly do. My mother always believed that.”
“Then I hope it happens soon. For their sake.”
The door opened suddenly, startling them all. Two guardsmen entered, escorting a man between them. His hands were bound tightly together.
“This one claims to be a friend of yours,” announced the lead guard.
“A friend?” repeated Kettricken.
“Apparently he came looking for you earlier this evening.”
“Who is it?” demanded Rufus.
“His name’s Richard Corwin,” answered the guard. “He says you gave him permission to visit tonight.”
“Richard!” exclaimed Kettricken. She jumped up from her seat, rushing over to greet him. She embraced him affectionately. When she finally let go, she turned to the guards. “Take care of our guest. Make sure he gets some rest and food before tomorrow morning.”
“As you wish, milady,” said the second guard.
“Come along, Richard,” instructed Kettricken. “Let’s get you settled.”
She led him through the doors into the main hall. There, she found several servants waiting, ready to take charge of the new arrival.
“Where are you staying?” asked Kettricken.
“Over here,” said Richard. He pointed toward a nearby room.
“Excellent. You can stay right here. We’ll send someone to see if you need anything else.”
“Thank you, my lady.”
Once the servant had gone, Kettricken turned to Richard. “Why did you come to the castle, Richard?”
“You called me, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but why?”
“Because I wanted to talk to you.”
“About what?”
“About everything.”
“All of it at once?”
“I thought we might try to tackle it in order.”
“Very well. What first?”
“First, the war.”
“Ahh…” Kettricken frowned. “That seems rather premature.”
“Don’t worry. It won’t last long.”
“Are you certain?”
“Positive.”
“Have you talked with anyone who agrees?”
“Not exactly.”
“Like William?”
“William? Oh, no. Not him either. But I’m working on it.”
“Working on it? Working on whom?”
“On people.”
“People?”
“Everyone. Everyone needs to change.”
“Change?” said Kettricken slowly. “Is that all?”
“Well…yes.”
“And then what?”
“After that, there will just be peace.”
“Peace? Where does that fit in?”
“It fits anywhere you want it to,” replied Richard cheerfully. “Just put your mind to it.”
Kettricken stared at him blankly. Then she shook herself slightly. “Very well, Mr. Corwin. Let us begin by discussing the war.”
***
“Now, where should I start?” asked Kettricken.
“With what happened today,” suggested Richard.
“Today?”
“At court, you mean? Well, the short version is that everyone was very upset because they couldn’t find you. They even started talking about calling out the army.”
“I see,” said Kettricken.
“So I went down to the stables—where they were keeping you, of course—”
“How did you manage that?” interrupted Kettricken.
“—and told them that I knew where you were.”
“You made them tell you?”
“Of course not. The stable master wasn’t happy about it, but he did anyway.”
“Didn’t you have any trouble getting away?”
“No. As soon as he saw how much money I had, he decided I must be important or something.”
“Money?”
“Gold coins. Lots of gold.”
“How many?”
“Hundreds.”
“What did you use them for?”
“To bribe the guards. And also to buy me dinner, since I hadn’t eaten yet.”
“Bribe the guards?”
“Sure. That way I could make sure they wouldn’t bother you anymore while I was visiting.”
“But you haven’t finished telling me what happened at court.”
“Oh! Sorry. So, when I got to the palace, I walked around until I found the king’s office. I waited outside for a few minutes, listening to the noise inside. Finally, I heard someone say, ‘We’ve been looking everywhere for her.’ At which point I took advantage of the distraction and slipped in.”
“You snuck in?”
“Right under their noses. No one ever noticed me.”
“They never suspected you?”
“Certainly not. In fact, most of them assumed I’d come to help look for you.”
“Well done,” murmured Kettricken. “So, what did you do next?”
“The king came out after a little while, and I introduced myself. He seemed surprised to see me, so I showed him the letter you sent me. After reading it, he invited me into his private chambers. When I arrived, I discovered that Lord William had already taken over. He was sitting behind the desk, writing furiously. Apparently, he’s going to write another book.”
“Another book?”
“Yes, this time about the war.”
“He has written other books?”
“Several. He’s really quite good.”
“Really? How interesting!”
Richard grinned. “I know, isn’t it wonderful? Anyway, I sat down across from him and watched him work for a while. You’ll never believe it, but he actually looked up at one point, smiled, and said, ‘Hello, Richard.’ I almost died right there.”
“Who was that?”
“Lord William.”
“You don’t sound too pleased.”
“I am. I think it’s great. A lot better than being treated like an enemy. Now if only I could get him to stop calling me Mr. Corwin.”
“Do you suppose he would?” said Kettricken hopefully.
“Probably not. It seems to be part of his charm.”
“Then perhaps we can arrange something else.”
“Something else?”
“Yes. Something to please both of us.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” said Richard.
“When you’re ready to leave here, why not take my hand and go back home with me?”
“Home?”
“My castle. My kingdom.”
“Your…your…”
“Castle. Kingdom. Whatever you call it.”
“All right. Your castle. But what will happen then?”
“Why, nothing more than I’ve always planned on doing: ruling the land together.”
“Together?”
“As husband and wife.”
“And who exactly are you planning to marry?”
She laughed softly. “Me, of course. Or rather, Queen Kettricken.”
“Queen Kettricken?”
“That’s what I intend to become.”
“But you’re still married to Lord Willoughby.”
“Yes. But I plan to divorce him before long. Once I return to the throne, I shall summon him to appear in front of me. Then I will offer him a choice between exile and execution.”
“Execution?”
“For treason against his queen.”
“But he didn’t betray you. Not intentionally.”
Kettricken sighed. “Perhaps. Still, I feel no inclination whatsoever to forgive him for all the harm he has caused me.”
“I see. Well, I hope he accepts your offer.”
“Thank you. I think he might. Even though he’s been very loyal to me these past months, he is still a proud man. If I were to give him the chance to regain his honor by killing me, I think he would accept. Of course, I should warn you that I may fight him off.”
“Fight him?”
“It’s a possibility. Do you want to watch?”
“Is it safe?”
“Of course, it’s not safe. The whole thing will probably end badly. And besides, I have no intention of dying. As soon as I escape from him, I intend to run away forever. Perhaps even to live among the wild dragons.”
“Wild dragons?”
“Yes. They fascinate me. I wish to learn everything I can about them.”
“Why?”
“Because I find their existence fascinating.”
“How strange.”
“No, not really. We share many things in common, you and I.”
“Like what?”
“Both of our kingdoms are ruled by powerful men who love power above all else. Both of us are forced to hide from those around us because they fear or despise us. Neither of us enjoys much freedom, either physical or mental. Yet despite this, neither of us hates life itself. Instead, we choose to make the best of it.”
“I agree.”
“Good! Because I intend to use that same philosophy when I rule alongside you. Together, I suspect we will accomplish wonders.” She paused. “Now tell me, how do you feel about having children?”
The End