The Cold King(38)

With grim determination she knocked on the king's door just as the sun  was rising but there was no response. Curious, she opened it anyway and  found the rooms empty. Finally she remembered he had taken to eating in  the formal dining room and set off for it with a sigh.

She barely held in her shocked gasped when she entered. The king sat at  the table, his breakfast before him and a sheaf of paper in one hand. He  had no mask on. The morning light was not kind to his scars but neither  were they as terrible as he had always thought.

Sensing her gaze on him, the king looked up. "Calia," he said softly, rising from his chair. "Would you care to eat with me?"



She forced a smile and sat. His discomfort was obvious but sedated. "You look well this morning, my king."

He rolled his eyes. "I suspect I look about as well as you do."

She laughed and touched the dark goose egg at her temple she was unable to hide.

"We make quite the pair," he said softly.

"Would you like more tea?" Abelina asked, interrupting them. Pure joy shone from her eyes.

When she left Calia picked at her food. "Was it very difficult, coming down this morning?"

The king rubbed his jaw. "It was. I had thought all my servants would  run screaming from the castle in revulsion. But I must say, they  surprised me."

"How so?"

He gave a faint smile. "Iago handed me a jar of the cream I've been  pilfering from his stores. Abelina hugged me and kissed my check and  Klaribel … " He shook his head. "She undid the top half of her shirt to  show me a terrible scar she received when a horse bit her. She seemed to  consider it a source of pride."

Calia laughed. "I'm sure she did."

As they finished their tea the king said, "I have some business to attend to this morning and I will need your help."

"At your assistance," she replied, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

"I am afraid it is quite unpleasant and I do apologize, but it must be  done." His voice wasn't cold at all, but very soft. Calia looked up in  surprise and he didn't flinch away from her gaze on his face.



"If you'll follow me?" he finally asked, standing up from the table.

She nodded mutely.

Calia tried to walk two steps behind him and to his right but he slowed and took her hand, folding it into his elbow.

Marchello met them at the doors to the throne room and bowed as they  entered. Confused, Calia tried again to attain the proper distance from  the king but he wouldn't let go of her hand.

More startling than his behavior was the small, ornately carved chair  setting next to the throne. The king led her to it. "Please, sit."

"I can't sit here," she protested.

"Please," he asked quietly.

Confused and shaken, she sat and the king sat beside her.

A second later Marchello ushered in the two men Calia feared most-Delmar  and Durand. The brothers swaggered in, their faces lit with twin, false  grins. They faltered for a second, seeing Calia but then swept into low  bows.

When they rose there was no hint of fear or anger, just the cheerful, bland expressions they always wore when lying.

"Do you know why you are here today?" the king asked, his voice cold and low.

"I'm afraid we don't, Your Majesty," Durand answered. His eyes flickered to Calia for only a second.

"And you?" the king asked Delmar.

"No, Your Majesty."

"You are here for the crimes against the young women in your village." His voice rose the tiniest bit and Calia shivered.                       
       
           



       



"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking-"

"Be silent!" the king shouted. "You will not lie to me, you will not be  insolent. I know of each and every one of your transgressions. I have  spoken with countless young women and heard the tales of the terrible  crimes you committed against them." He leaned forward and the brothers  shrank back. "I know what you did to my servant."

Calia's heart thrummed in her chest. He finally believed her.

"Your Majesty, I assure you these are false tales from bitter harpies.  I'm sure you must know my brother and I are much sought after as  marriage material. We can't help it that none of the young women in the  village are to our mother's liking. We don't mean to offend anyone, but I  swear, you give a girl a smile and they think you're betrothed!" Delmar  ended his lie with a chuckle.

The king was not amused. "You have both harassed, assaulted, beaten, kidnapped and raped. I have all the proof I need."

Durant's innocent façade slid off like water. "So what? We are to be banished?"

"So that you can wander over to the next village and continue perpetrating your evil? I think not. The punishment is death."

Both of their faces paled but the king continued speaking. "It is no  less than you deserve. I have seen firsthand the pain you have wrought  on innocent people. But I will give you a choice."

Confused but grateful, they fell over themselves to thank the king. "Yes, Your Majesty, whatever punishment you see fit."



Valanka gave a cold smile. "Fine. Then the mines shall be your dungeon  until your death. You will go from here to there and never leave them.  Every day you shall work and the money you earn will be turned over to  your victims. Say goodbye to the sun, for you will never see it again."

Too shocked to argue, the brothers let themselves be led away by  Marchello. When they were out of the room, the king turned to Calia.

"I am sorry I didn't believe you."

She rubbed a thumb along the smooth arm of the chair but didn't look up to meet his eyes. "Why do you believe me now?"

"Iago brought me to my senses," he said bluntly. "And when I realized  they had so brazenly assaulted you, I also realized they must have  started with smaller crimes."

"The girls you brought to the castle?" she asked suddenly. "You were asking them about Delmar and Durant?"

He nodded sadly. "Yes, and they had many terrible things to tell me. I  fear I have not been a very good king to allow such things to go on in  my own village."

Calia blanched as realized the suffering other girls must have endured.

The king knelt in front of her. "I apologize for having you witness  this, but I thought it was important for you to see they were  punished-that I believe you."

She nodded numbly and he pulled her up from the chair. "You are not well. Please, forgive me."



Her head swam as he led her back to the dining room. The chair he set  her in was much more comfortable than the ornate one in the throne room  and she settled into it with a little sigh. The king poured a fresh cup  of tea and added a generous splash of brandy before pressing it into her  hands.

The drink settled her nerves and the king smiled as the color came back  into her cheeks. Finally he said, "I have a little more business for us  to attend to, but much more pleasant, I promise. Are you well enough to  assist me?"

Calia nodded, not trusting her voice.

When Abelina came to gather the dishes the king spoke. "Would you please  fetch Marchello? I have something I need to discuss with you both."

"Of course," she murmured, curiosity in her eyes. When she went to fetch  the butler, the king took a heavy box he had set on a chair and brought  it to the table. He pulled out papers and arranged them in neat stacks.

"What do you need me to do?" Calia asked.

"Sit and watch," was his only reply.

Marchello and Abelina entered, confusion clear on their faces. The king  stood and gestured to the two chairs in front of him. "Please, sit."

They cast a look over at Calia but she just shrugged her shoulders.

"First, I would like to thank you for your many years of loyal service."  Abelina opened her mouth but the king held his hand up. "And second, I  would like to apologize for never giving you a choice in the matter." He  pulled two large leather bags from the box and set one in front of each  of them. "This is payment for your forced servitude, four gold coins  for each month and a large bonus. I hope you will find that acceptable."                       
       
           



       



"Your Majesty, we cannot accept-" they both burst out.

"You can and will," he said sternly. "And I was not finished. Your …   forced service …  is now over. If either of you would like to apply for  your current positions, I would be happy to have you-as paid staff."

Tears filled Abelina's eyes. "I would like to stay on, Your Majesty. This is my home."

"It is mine as well," Marchello said. "I will be staying."

The king smiled. "Thank you. You don't know how glad I am to hear that."