Читать книгу Raven's Soul. Volume 2 - Анна Морион - Страница 8

POV Sylvia

We were literally pushed out of the house. I couldn't figure out what was going on or who the mages were, but I knew one thing for sure: they had some kind of power in their hands that they were happy to use.

Evans was a mystery to me as well. We wouldn't be put in magical chains for no reason-it was only for those who were guilty of crimes-but even if my friend had done something wrong in the past, I couldn't understand why I had been captured along with him.

Was it possible that I had been taken prisoner simply because I knew Evans? But then how powerful must the authority of the one who gave the order be? For this disguised wizard's shenanigans to go unpunished, he had to be close to the King of Emmerlend.

The only thing that wasn't hard to guess was that the lanky, purple-haired mage was no ordinary guard: the long hair, the jewelry, the dress… Everything indicated that he was a member of a noble family, but at the moment I was less interested in his origins.

Maybe he thought I was Evans's accomplice. And that's why they'd captured us both? But if so, what had this mysterious court healer done?

We approached a tall, noble, majestic stag with huge emerald-colored antlers. I had only ever seen these beautiful animals in books before. I loved to look at the pages with their colorful pictures, but the pictures were only a pitiful semblance of them: the Emmerlend deer were much more beautiful, more gentle, more proud. The sight of them was breathtaking.

– I see you like my deer. – The voice of the rude man who had threatened to use me as a concubine sounded behind me. – If you're good and obedient, I'll give it to you.

– He must have become your friend during the time you've been riding him, and friends don't betray friends, so keep your gift," I told him with disgust in my voice.

– I have no friends. Your words are sharp, but they only stir my imagination. – With a wink, the purple-haired mage easily saddled his deer, and one of the guards threw me in front of him on the animal's strong back as if I were a sack of supplies.

– Let me go! – I commanded and tried to get off the deer, but I was unsuccessful. – Now!

– You don't have to yell like that. – The stranger wrinkled his nose, brought his hand to his forehead, and touched it with his fingers. – You and your loud voice gave me a headache. You look like a lady, but you act like a small shopkeeper.

I had to admit, this man was a combination of masculine and feminine. Long, well-groomed hair, thin, almost feminine features, embroidered suit, jewelry, long, musical fingers – all this made him look like a girl. But there were masculine features, too: a rather athletic build, a sly foxy look, pronounced cheekbones, a strong chin, a voice… He was the complete opposite of Derek.

But why am I comparing them?

– You threw me on your stag like a street girl you're going to have fun with, so don't you dare complain about my reproaches. Is it proper for a proper lady to travel in such a manner? Get me back on the ground immediately and give me a separate stag," I snapped through gritted teeth.

– You're a criminal. Why should I do you a favor? – The scoundrel said indifferently, his lips curling into a sneer.

– She's not a criminal, and she doesn't deserve to be treated like one! You seem to have forgotten your honor! – Evans said indignantly, but he was silenced.

– Let's go! – As if he didn't care what Evans said, the purple-haired man commanded, and the deer started off in a line.

We rode in silence the whole way, and I was annoyed by the gaze of the purple-haired rider. He gave me a predatory glance every now and then, but fortunately he didn't take advantage of my helplessness or my hands. Besides, it was extremely uncomfortable to lie with my belly on the deer's back, and soon my unhappy stomach began to remind me of itself by a dull pain, and nearer to the huge noisy city I felt the nausea coming to my throat and tried with all my might not to let it out. I felt sick and blurry, but I couldn't do anything about it, and neither could Evans, who was hanging upside down on the back of a deer.

Finally, the deer stopped, and I was lowered to the ground. As I felt the cold stones under my feet, my knees trembled, and I collapsed on the long-haired wizard's chest, and as disgusting as it was, I couldn't pull away. My legs wouldn't hold me up.

– So you've decided to take me up on my offer, flower? – A creeping male voice came over my ear.

– Never! – I hastened to refuse.

– Then how do I understand your closeness?

My palms pressed against the mage's chest, and I pulled back slightly and raised my head.

– I can see that you're driven by carnal desires. But what you want from me, you won't get," I said quietly but firmly.

There was a heavy silence in the air. The mage's gaze turned dark and cold, sending shivers down my spine. But I wasn't going to give up.

– Well, you've made your choice. A couple days in the dungeon will bring you back to your senses. Take me away! – He pushed me away from him, disgust written all over his handsome face, and the man turned and headed toward the tall, stone gate that led to a huge, sky-high white palace with what must have been a thousand colorful carved windows, while Evans and I were taken under his arms and led in an unknown direction.

As we were led into the dungeon, I looked at the people around us and tried to memorize the way. Evans was remarkably calm, as if he'd never been arrested in a dungeon before, because he didn't need directions; he walked there as if it were his home and smiled mysteriously. I, on the other hand, made a great effort to save face and not give away my origin during the scandalous speeches.

Previously, no one would have ever dared to treat me in such a vile manner. Princess of Flammehav is in the dungeon? Queen Kaldwinda? Absurd. It's a good thing my parents can't see me now, or they'd leave no stone unturned. The weapons of men, depriving us demons of our powers, were far away, and it was unlikely that the king of Emmerlend had the same, because now I could clearly feel the ebb and flow of my demonic powers. I could have freed myself, but the mages' magical chains still blocked all my abilities, so all I had to do was obediently play my part and walk to the dungeon.

Emmerlend is certainly beautiful. There are fanciful buildings, an impossibly tall, slender palace with hundreds of towers, and a huge amount of vegetation that greedily burrows into the walls of the houses and grows wherever it pleases. Huge caps of trees literally cover the sky, covering the city. Even sunlight struggles to penetrate through the thick crowns and illuminate the streets, adding a touch of magic to the huge, half-human-sized gems. The mages are fabulously wealthy, but despite this, are extremely hardworking and try to increase their wealth, and the more they earn, the more they spend on building their rich huge houses, workshops and magic schools. My healer friend told me about the schools and some of the greed, and I took him at his word.

We were led into the very bowels of the palace, then into a glass chamber lit with a blue glow, though I thought we would be put in some filthy penates next to the rats. This lighted glass box would be spacious enough for one prisoner, but too cramped for two. The bed, quite wide, with linens and even a nice soft plaid, was in one corner. It wouldn't have been so bad if the bed hadn't been alone. Oh, and where was there a fixture where one could quench one's physical needs? There was only a bed, and nothing else.

I began to realize that we could stay here for years, but then we would never get the antidote, and Derek, my dear husband, would die. The thought brought unsolicited tears to my eyes, but I reminded myself that tears never helped anyone, and I blinked hastily, pushing away the unnecessary moisture of helplessness.

We were prisoners, left with no weapons, our hands still bound with magical chains. Everything was against us.

– Sylvia, I can explain," Evans said quietly.

He was sitting on the floor by the bed, leaning back against it.

– You'd better," I said with an involuntary grin. – Admit it: you've been here before, haven't you?

– I've been here before. The handsome man who treated you so badly is actually my brother. That sounds incredibly funny, doesn't it? – Evans chuckled too.

– It doesn't change anything. – I turned my back to him. I didn't want to look at the man I'd recently called my friend, who had hidden so much from me.

– It does if he's the king of Emmerlend.

We turned around at the same time, and our eyes met.

This news struck me to the core.

The King of Emmerlend is Evans' brother? No, he must be joking! Would a brother allow himself to imprison his brother in the bowels of the palace? Even if he did, even if he is so cruel, what reason would he have for imprisoning Evans and why am I here with him? I'll bet Evans isn't as kind and sweet as he pretends to be, because you don't treat blood relatives like that for no reason.

– I'm a bastard, Sylvia. My name is Evans Vallas. I lied to you: there are no other mages with the same family name," my companion continued in a calm, measured tone. – And, one more little detail I didn't want to tell you, so as not to scare you… I'm on Emmerlend's official wanted list. I am wanted by the royal guards, the court mages, and the ordinary citizens of the kingdom who want a reward for my capture.

– When were you going to tell me about this? – I asked with a sarcastic frown.

– Frankly, I wanted to take that secret to my grave.

– Ah, that's it! That's just great! You knew perfectly well that both of us were not welcome here, but if I've only been seen in portraits, if at all, you're known by sight! And you didn't even bother to change your appearance or hide your identity! – unable to put out the fire of anger in my chest, I exclaimed.

– I realize that you can hardly trust me now, but I'm asking you to listen-" Evans rose to his feet and tried to take my hand, but I took a step back, not letting him touch me.

– You got it right. How can you trust someone who lies to the face of their queen, their friend, or whatever I am to you? Maybe that's a secret you'll take to your grave, too.

– Are you satisfied? – The healer suddenly asked in a calm tone.

– Satisfied? With what? – I was not expecting such a phrase, I threw.

– Are you satisfied that you told me off like a child?

– Do you think I have no right to tell you off for lying?

– You have every right to, but let's think about getting out of here.

Evans' calmness was both frightening and gratifying. On the one hand, I wanted to believe that he was a good mage, and that his calmness was due to the fact that he had escaped from the dungeon more than once. However, on the other hand, I was uneasy about his despicable act. Was it difficult to tell the truth from the beginning? Why hide his origins? If he is an Emmerlend nobleman, even a prince, why is he treated like a yard dog? Why have he and his brother not found common ground? After all, if Evans was a prince of Emmerlend, he could become a court mage or take a seat on the Council… Everything about this story was strange. Apparently, I would have to trust him again and listen to him to the end. If I don't, I'll never know the truth.

– We'll get to that, but first you have to tell me the truth. I want to know everything and in every detail.

– Whatever you say, my queen. My brother and I haven't really been friends. Not since we were children. My father, the King of Emmerlend, met my mother by chance at a carnival and hid his origins. My mother, on the other hand, was the daughter of the town's common rare animal shopkeeper. So their relationship began, and when she gave birth to me and I was six, my father confessed his secret to her and moved me and my mother to the palace. Need I say that the queen, my father's consort, felt that he had humiliated her and their son by his act. A mistress and her offspring have no place in their family nest, she said…" The mage's face suddenly changed, and now it was full of pain.

– But how? You are children of the same father, the king. Would she dare to defy his will? – I was indignant, not waiting for Evans to speak.

– She wouldn't, no, and that's why we all lived in this very palace while my father was alive," the healer explained hastily. – She didn't have to love us, and what woman would be pleased if her husband found a substitute for her and had children on the side? There were already rumors that the queen was ill, that she could no longer give the king heirs, that she had done something wrong to him and had therefore lost his favor. I understand her. She doesn't deserve to be treated that way. It's just a pity that she was never able to believe that we were also innocent of what happened.

– I understand her too… There are thousands of rumors about me too. But, you know, as cruel as it sounds, if Derek had done that, I wouldn't have put up with his cheating and his children with another woman," I admitted honestly. – Of course, Alva and Willa are different; they came along long before I was their father's wife. I can see why the Queen of Emmerlend couldn't find the strength to be kind to you, and I can hardly blame her.

– Your candor does you credit, Sylvia, but I will not enter into a long discussion of morals and principles, I will simply continue my story. Perhaps the fact was that my father never loved his wife, but only pretended to. Their marriage was arranged for the good of the kingdom," Evans answered my barbs calmly and grinned enigmatically. – A marriage based on contract, without love, is not a strong marriage.

– There's some truth to what you say," I grinned, remembering how my marriage to Derek had started. There was no arrangement, though! I was just a spoils of war!

– I'm glad you agree with me. Once we moved into the palace, all the king's attention went to my mother and me. I was his favorite son, my mother his favorite woman, and his old family lost his favor. He loved his eldest son, Jakub, of course, and often played with him in the evenings, but it was not enough for his brother. He wanted more and so he often bullied me. At first I tried to establish relations with him, called him for a walk in the garden, shared sweets and toys with him, but he was disgusted by my actions. He didn't see us as equals. And his mother never missed a chance to put words in our mouths.

– I'm sorry, Evans. I'm sorry for you and your mother. But I'm sorry for the Queen and your brother, too. But why did you hide your origins from me? – I sat down beside him and took his hand. I needed to see his eyes, to know if he was telling the truth or lying again.

– It's in the past. You're my queen, so you're free to ask whatever you want. – He looked at me again, and only now did I notice that the color of his eyes had changed from blue to yellow.

– Your eyes…" I whispered.

– Yeah, it's bad," the healer grinned. – I drank the potion twenty-four hours before you did. The color of my eyes isn't as bad as yours, though. If your eyes return to their former color… You know how much they hate demons in Emmerlend. Well, if you're recognized as Princess of Flammehav, we'll have bigger problems than sitting in a royal prison.

– We need to get out of here and out of Emmerlend before that happens," I agreed. – But tell me, how did you, a prince, though illegitimate, end up as a physician in my husband's court?

– When my father died, my mother and I had to leave the palace. By that time, my father's consort had died of a rare disease, and a couple months after we were banished from the palace, my mother died of the same disease. The throne went to the rightful heir, and the first thing he did was banish me. My brother always saw me as a threat. He only gave me a few hours to leave the kingdom, or I would be publicly executed. But I loved Emmerlend too much to leave, and hid in the mountains for as long as I could. But my presence there became known to Jakub, and I was forced to flee to preserve my life.

– Does Derek know who you really are? – I asked the question that had been plaguing me.

– Derek Merkswerd is a man of honor, but he's on good terms with my brother, and if he knew who I was, he'd turn me over to him.

– You're so sure of that?

– I'm sure.

– Then the other question is, does anyone in Kaldwind know that you are the brother of the King of Emmerlend?

– Only one soul knows, but she would never betray me," Evans smiled broadly. – It was she who arranged my escape and, without your husband's consent, gave me a place as court physician.