When I reached the highest floor of the dungeon, I expected to finally see torches blazing, perhaps even a prisoner or two, or at least hear rats and insects skittering over corpses away from my light and motion. But there was nothing here. The cells had all been meticulously cleaned, I caught no lingering scent of mold, blood, or feces.
The door to the courtyard was closed. I stopped and listened. I did not know the time of day. When I had left the other Radicle, it was still lit with midday sun. How long did the journey take?
There were sounds on the other side of the door. Horses, carriages, men and women conversing. I stretched my sense of hearing, but there was little to the conversations that I could use to assist me in my plan of entering the castle. These were simple servants and guards chatting about nothing of importance. I waited for a lull in the conversation and then pushed open the door, emerging into the bright afternoon sun. I hoped this meant I had not been too long in the Radicle. The sun was only a little lower than it had been when I left. It took me a moment before I could lower my hand from my eyes and stare in wonderment.
The castle shone in the sun like gold.
Every surface was immaculate, reflecting the sun as a mirror. Hundreds of beautiful green banners hung from the ramparts and fluttered lazily in the warm breeze. I was overwhelmed by the scent of roses, fruit, and fresh earth from the garden.
Dozens of servants and guards hustled through the courtyard on various errands. A few gave me a sidelong glance and then changed their path to give me a wider berth. It was almost laughable, as the courtyard was many hundreds of yards in width and much more in length. I was not close to any of them, but they were afraid.
Something was wrong.
My stomach flipped a few times and I began to walk toward a side entrance. I was getting too many wary glances from the people and my brain was starting to agree with my gut. This had happened before.
“Paug?” A voice cut through my confusion and panic. The voice belonged to a young woman. She was dressed in the servant livery and carrying a basket of freshly baked bread. Her dark hair fell down past her shoulders in a chocolate wave. The woman was very pretty and the plainness of her uniform did little to hide her beauty.
“Paug?” the woman asked me again and I realized that I recognized her from somewhere. I never forgot a name, but her face did not match the last memory I had of the girl.
“Bethany?” She did resemble the girl who had helped guide me through the servants’ quarters six months ago, but this woman could not possibly be the same person. She had aged years.
“You remembered my name!” She smiled gleefully and her light brown eyes sparkled. My stomach dropped to my toes and I felt a chill run down my spine. “Are you injured?” She looked at my chest and I followed her eyes to look at my clothes. They were covered with crusted Elven blood.
“No. But I could use your help again.” My voice sounded strange in my own head. I realized I was trying not to let my timbre reflect the panic I felt.
“Of course!” She grabbed my sweaty hand and led me through the doorway and into the entryway.
The castle was busy, but once we were inside, I drew less attention. Everyone watched Bethany. We could not go ten paces before a different servant greeted the pretty woman and made pleasant, almost deferential small talk with her.
She had turned eight new corners and my brain fumbled to place us within the castle. Finally, she came to a door and opened it to reveal a tiny room. Inside was a cot with neat, sharply folded sheets, a small dresser with an oil lamp, and three dresses hanging from a rack. Two were of the servants’ colors, but the third was a beautiful lavender dress with white flowers embroidered on the hem of the skirt. The garment was much finer than anything a normal servant would own or ever have occasion to wear.
“Come in.”
“Your name isn’t Paug is it?” she asked once she closed the door behind us.
“Why do you think that?” I crossed my arms and tried to pick a question to ask her from the waterfall of those pouring from my brain.
“When I saw you last it was in that man Kaiyer’s room. I served you and two Elven warriors dinner. Do you remember?”
“Yes.” I nodded and recalled Isslata inviting Vernine over one evening for dinner. We’d eaten our usual feast and then I had fucked the two Elven women until the sun came up the next morning. “How long ago was that day? You seem older.”
She looked up to the right. “I guess it was about three years ago.”
Her words punched my throat as hard as Thayer would have. I gritted my teeth and let out the slowest breath I could manage without screaming. Three years? It had been maybe an hour since I slipped through the Radicle. Yet the girl who had helped me then was clearly older, and the castle had changed more than would be possible if years had not actually passed.
“Can you help me?” I choked.
“Are you Kaiyer?” She raised a pointed eyebrow.
“Yes,” I admitted.
“There were a lot of rumors of you back then, they said you were quite dangerous.” She looked thoughtful, though not afraid.
“Yet I am standing alone here in your room and you haven’t called the guards.” I forced a gentle smile to my lips. I did not want to scare the young woman, but she wouldn’t have brought me to this place if she did not intend to help me.
“Yet.” She stuck her tongue out. “I can get you new clothes again. I did that for you once before. Do you remember?”
“Yes. Is your grandmother still healthy?” I recalled that the older woman had allowed Bethany to take me to the kitchen after she got me the clothes.
“Yes. Thank you for asking.” Her smile grew and I realized the question bonded the commitment of the pretty woman. “I will go get you new clothes right now. You should stay in here.”
“Before you leave, is Duchess Nadea in the castle?”
“Yes!” Bethany’s eyes sparkled and her mouth formed a pleasant smile. “Rumor is that she will be leaving in a few days.”
“Do you know where she is going?” My heart spun with both relief and worry. I was thankful that she was still in the castle, but the idea of her leaving the fortress worried me.
“No. I’m just a simple servant girl, Kaiyer.” She bowed and a sharp blush filled her cheeks. “The duchess asked the queen to allow me my own room though.” She gestured to her small quarters with pride. “Once I helped save Chef Gorfried’s life. One of the Ancients tried to rip his eye out, because some food was late, but I managed to deliver the order quickly enough to stop her.”
“He must be very grateful. You are speaking of Queen Jessmei?”
“Yes. I’ve only seen her a few times. She is quite beautiful. I should really get you clothes. We can talk when I get back.” I nodded and the young woman left me alone in her room.
For the next few minutes I paced around the small space and tried to control the thousands of questions flying through my mind. The most pressing question was obviously if Nadea had found the name of my daughter, but I also wanted to know how she and my other friends were doing, and the current political situation between the humans and Elvens.
What would Nadea and Jessmei think of my disappearance? They must have believed that Turnia took me back to the clans. Perhaps they thought I was dead. It was doubtful that Telaxthe would have told them the truth. Jessmei and Nadea would not have been happy to know that the empress killed Turnia’s warriors and then still attempted to exile me.
Three years.
I had never heard others mention the Radicles robbing them of years of their life. Had I used the magic incorrectly? My head began to ache as I recalled my last memory.
Entas.
I was lost on the islands again, jumping between the skies, flirting with the birds, playing amongst the clouds. Until he spoke to me. I was distracted by the island dream world. Entas had convinced me to return, but I was certain that it took him hundreds, maybe thousands of attempts to remind me of my life here. It took him three years.
I heard Bethany approaching and shook my head to draw my attention back to the present. I had to be careful now when traveling through the Radicles. I could not allow myself to become lost and delayed in the dream world again, not while my daughter waited for me.
Bethany opened the door to her room and entered with a smile on her pretty face. She carried a bundle of servant’s clothes and a basket of food. The scent of bread and cheese filled my nose and I recalled that my last meal was with Yillomar in my tent before he asked me to spar with him. That was either a day ago or three years ago, depending on which clock I chose to count. My stomach confirmed it had been three years and my salivary glands burned in anticipation of a meal.
“This should fit you.” She handed me the bundle and set them on my bed. I pulled off my blood-crusted attire. I heard Bethany gasp and I turned my attention to the young woman. Her mouth hung open and her eyes were as large as dinner plates.
“Something wrong?”
“No!” She turned a shade of dark red and then spun her head away to face the door. I remembered that these people were not used to seeing each other naked and I probably should have given her a warning.
“What should I do with these old clothes?” I still reeked of battle and sweat, but at least now my clothes would not make this so evident.
“I’ll take care of them.” She turned her head back to me just slightly, and once she saw I was fully dressed she completed the spin to face me.
“I thought you might be hungry.” Bethany was still blushing and she looked at the basket she carried shyly.
“I am. Thank you. I would like to ask you more questions while I eat. I’ve been away from Nia for too long.”
“I will do what I can to help you.” I was thankful again for her presence and cooperation. She could have just left me here and brought the guards. It would have made my mission even more difficult.
“Thank you,” I said when she handed me the basket. I tore a chunk of brown bread off of the loaf and then paired it with soft cheese. There was a small bottle of wine in the basket as well and I tore the cork off with my teeth and washed the food down with a splash of the red liquid. It was dry and tasted slightly of apricots in its finish.
“Do you know where Nadea resides?”
“She is in the rebuilt East Wing, next to the small library on the fourth floor.” Bethany answered.
“Is Duke Beltor still in the castle?”
“Yes. His suite is down the hallway from the duchess.”
“Where does Queen Jessmei stay?”
“In the North Wing. The Royal Family suites.”
“What about the empress?”
“She is also in the North Wing. Her suites are next to the queen’s.” I wanted to ask the young woman about the current political structure between the Elvens and the humans. I wanted to understand how much had changed in the last few years and if my friends were safe and free or serving a sentence of slavery, however comfortably they may have been kept. But as she had said, she was a simple servant girl and probably unaware of any political nuances or intrigue involving the rulers of her home.
“Do you know of the big warrior Greykin?”
“Oh yes!” Her smile grew impossibly large. “Everyone knows him. I don’t know where his rooms are though. I’d guess the North Wing, as he is often with the queen.”
I nodded and thought through what I should do next while I finished my food. The bread was still warm and I tried not to wolf down the small meal but my stomach growled with desire as soon as the first bite landed.
Jessmei would be heavily guarded and difficult to reach. There would be plenty guarding Nadea as well, but my priority was finding out my daughter’s name and getting to the Radicle as quickly as possible. I wanted to see Jessmei again and confirm that the empress was treating her fairly, but I had to go to Nadea first.
I had overlooked an important detail. If it had been three years since I left this world, my kin must have realized that something was amiss and sent warriors in search of Turnia. They were not here, which meant that Jessmei had learned to close the Radicles, or the O’Baarni had not yet sent an envoy here.
But I came through the Radicle, so they must not be closed.
Why were they left unguarded? Was the empress unaware of the Radicle beneath this very castle? Wasn’t that one of the reasons she had chosen to invade Nia, due to its strategic position near a Radicle?
“Can you tell me more of the Elvens and their role in the country now? Is there any violence against humans?”
“I have seen nothing in the castle. In the city I hear people complain of harsh and restrictive laws, but there is less crime now and the merchants seem happy. I know the country is doing better than it was when the Ancients invaded.” We sat in silence for a few moments.
“What will you do now?” she asked. I sighed and considered my answer before the sound of heavy boot falls thundered down the hallway outside of Bethany’s room.
“Do any warriors live in rooms in this part of the castle?” I asked her.
“No.” Her smile faded.
The boot steps grew closer. Perhaps they would continue past this room, but I feared the dozens of guards who had seen me stumble around in a blood stained daze when I entered the courtyard were here to apprehend me.