Ten Crescent Moons (Moonquest) (30 page)

"It did
not help that she saw the slaughter at the Mountain of Treasures."

"You
are right. I should have protected her from the sight of it. But I didn't
realize — at least not then —what it would do to her. I thought she was
stronger than this..." His voice drifted away.

"She
is
strong," Lady Redolo said. "But old wounds are still there, unhealed,
from having seen her own mother killed. And the gnostic, Medosa. She has seen
too much death in her life. And hardship."

"The frontier
has not been kind to her," Kalos finally agreed, sounding reluctant.

"Nor to
us."

"I will
send her to the Prime Continent then. In your care?" His voice, sounding
hopeful, carried a question.

"No,
son. I will stay here. Your place is with Lady Adalginza. You must help see her
through the healing. She loves me and Zartos, but trusts only you."

"My
place is here!"

"Your
place is also with her. But I cannot influence you in a choice that is only
yours to make."

The voices
faded into murmurs, and occasionally some conscious part of Adalginza heard
other words. Other snippets of conversation. It sounded like Kalos had chosen
to reveal secrets to his mother.

"...should
have told me Calasta was Adalginza's daughter...should have told Calasta..."
Lady Redolo sounded immensely peeved with her son.

"Adalginza
and I both thought it best to keep it a secret."

"And
Benfaaro is the father? Better that the child know everything...No, I tell you
it is wrong...The truth is always better..."

The truth
is always better.

Adalginza fervently
agreed with Redolo, but no one heard her.

"The
child will be mistreated on the Prime Continent," Kalos said.

"She is
a savage," Redolo agreed. "There is no hiding her heritage. And there
is much prejudice. Maybe she should stay here?"

"I
suppose she belongs with her mother."

I am not
Calasta's mother. I am Benfaaro's sister. I am Of The Blood. This means
something.

Why was no
one hearing her? Was she speaking only in her mind?

"Zartos
will miss Calasta." Lady Redolo again.

"Zartos
thinks she's a pest."

"That
is why he will miss her. Life is never dull with Calasta around."

Redolo
and Zartos must come with us. They must leave here, too. They must be kept safe.
Can't you hear me? Someone is going to die at the Cave of the Seventh Crescent
.

Again, no
one heard Adalginza. Or was she speaking only in her mind?

"So Adalginza
will meet her famous grandmother at last." Kalos sounded deeply troubled. "I
cannot say that I look forward to this visit."

Grandmother?

"It is
custom," Redolo said. "You must stay in her house, or it will be
interpreted as a grave insult. You must give Lady Swiala the chance to know her
granddaughter."

Kalos
sounded melancholy when he spoke again.

"That
woman has too much wealth. And too much power. Besides being a renowned beauty
— and spoiled for it — she is outspoken besides."

"It is
not your place to judge."

"You
are right. She will welcome her long-lost granddaughter into her abode. Her
only living kin. And I as the husband am part of the bargain. I suppose I will
adjust."

"You
will retain your rank. Take comfort in that."

"My
rank will be for ceremony only. My uniform and my name will be paraded in the
royal court and at those tedious parties Lady Swiala likes to host."

Kalos
sounded deeply despondent now.

"I
never thought I would say this," he continued. "But I wish now that
Lady Swiala was a member of the Fifth House, as was her husband and son. Lady
Swiala's First House is too prone to pompous display."

"You
will be safe, at least. I will miss you, son. But you know I must stay here.
Your discovery of the Cave of the Seventh Crescent is something no scholar
could or should ignore."

"I
know, Mother. You must do your research."

"I will,
of course, share credit."

"Not necessary.
Write and publish your findings with my blessings. The question remains. Should
I take Zartos with us?"

"Zartos
loves the frontier. And, like you, he would have no use for Lady Swiala."

"Then
keep him away from the Crescent knights. He is too keen on becoming a soldier."

"I will
do what I can. But you see how much influence I had on you."

No!
Redolo and Zartos must come with us, because Benfaaro will attack Sola Re once
he learns I am gone!

Adalginza
was certain she screamed those last words.

But no one
heard her.

***

As a small
child, Adalginza often had wondered what madness was like for Lady Donzala.

She had
sometimes envied her mother's total lack of concern for the petty happenings of
the outside world, even when tensions surrounding them grew increasingly
terrifying.

It was even possible
that Adalginza had acquired a passion for night wanderings from this bizarre
and unstructured childhood spent with the woman she called mother. The two of
them often slept during the day while taking their meals at night, depending on
the whims of Lady Donzala.

It was only
during a few brief moments of clarity on the long sea voyage that Adalginza
pondered the possibility that she had, indeed, become just like Lady Donzala.

But it was also
at these very moments that she knew she was the most sane. For didn't a person require
sanity in order to recognize madness?

It was only when
viewing the world through these brief windows of lucidity that Adalginza recognized
she was no longer in the frontier. And that the rise and fall of turbulent
waters beneath the ship frequently caused her to heave what little food she was
able to eat over the sides of the railings.

The illness
and accompanying lack of nourishment eventually gave way to a fever, either of
the mind or the body — or both.

In one of
those rare lucid moments, she became aware that Calasta was in her sleep room.
The child insisted that Adalginza dress in her finest ceremonial sash and
skirt. Calasta also braided her hair and helped her apply her masque.

Soon
thereafter Adalginza had a nebulous memory of the ship docking in a strange and
frightening place filled with cobblestone streets, sturmons pulling carriages,
stale fish odors, and people dressed in all manner of strange garb.

She had
heard of this place, called Harbor City, on the Prime Continent. It was the
main port between the islands and the mainland occupied by citizens of the
Crescent Houses.

As they
walked down the street toward the carriage that awaited them, curious eyes gaped
at the arrival from the frontier of the famous Captain Kalos and his
mysterious, ailing wife, unable even to walk except with his arm propped under
her shoulder.

The unhappy
child, Calasta, stayed so near to them that they almost tripped over her.

Perhaps
Adalginza's ears, trained in the frontier, were overly keen. Or perhaps her sick
mind simply imagined the whispered conversations around her.

Look at
that savage child. I've never seen one before, have you? Why would they bring
such a creature here? And isn't the captain's new wife the daughter of Lady
Donzala? Stricken with the same madness, perhaps? How unfortunate.

This frail
young woman has the most stunning indigo eyes. Exactly like those of Lady
Swiala, don't you think?

Adalginza was
aware of a carriage ride to somewhere. And then very soon she saw those exact
same eyes, staring back at her in an appraising way.

"She
must rest." Lady Swiala's voice was even more severe than her expression
as she addressed a swarm of uniformed servants hovering in the background. "Take
her to her own bed and quarters. Captain Kalos, you will sleep in another room
for now. Lady Adalginza has only the strength to manage for herself."

"Lady
Swiala, I must insist on being with my wife!" Captain Kalos snapped.

"I said
no. Your presence disturbs her. Anyone can see that. And you there, child! Are
you a servant? From the looks of you, you must be. Off with you then. You will
stay in the servants' quarters."

Poor
Calasta. Kalos must have chosen not to mention any kind of special relationship.

In the
passage of time that followed, Calasta disappeared almost completely from
Adalginza's awareness. And in her swirl of confused memories, even Kalos became
an indistinct, handsome face in the background.

Adalginza
heard his voice raised in protest from time to time. But it was clear that he
was not the captain in this abode.

It was Lady
Swiala who dominated the foreground, always hovering — as if transfusing her
own formidable will directly into Adalginza. From time to time, she even stated
aloud that her only granddaughter was the last hope for preserving her clan's
bloodline.

She
announced that Adalginza most certainly would not be allowed to die.

You are
wasting your time with me, elder. I cannot bear children
.

But, of course,
Lady Swiala did not hear her thoughts.

Adalginza
knew the why of it from a long ago memory. Bruna had done something painful and
terrible and cruel to her, when she was very small.

Bruna told
her it was part of a plan devised for her so that she would never bear the
child of an enemy. Or any child at all.

It was vile
to have this mutilation of her body suddenly remembered so clearly, when she
was already in so much pain. At the same time, she knew she must keep quiet
about what had been done to her.

But the
truth of it came in another way, when a man named Polyper arrived in her sleep room.

He was
introduced only as an esteemed gnostic and practitioner of medicine. His face
was indistinct as he examined Adalginza in a most intimate way, but only under
the strict observation of Lady Swiala.

"I
believe she has female problems," her grandmother declared
authoritatively. "It might explain why she is so weak."

A clearly
disturbed Kalos also inserted himself protectively into this scene, on the
other side of the bed. And it was Kalos, not Lady Swiala, who Polyper now
addressed.

"I tell
you, sir, this woman cannot bear children. Nor has she ever born a child."
Polyper dipped his hands in a basin of soapy water, and then wiped them dry on
a white linen. "I found an incision made when she was very young. It left
a pronounced scar."

"You
say someone did this to her as a
child
?" Kalos asked incredulously.

"It
appears that way. If she has no memory of it, it would be most certain."
Polyper's voice sounded kind and comforting. "This woman has been through
much more than any of us could ever imagine."

"Then
it would help explain her delusions." Kalos sounded profoundly upset.

"Delusions
are common in the female line of Lady Donzala's clan," Polyper said
gently. "I have personally tended others of that clan."

"So
after all this trouble, we learn that the girl is barren and my line will never
continue."

It was Lady
Swiala who made the bitter declaration without a hint of sympathy in her voice.

"This
is not about you, old woman!"

Adalginza
opened her eyes and saw Kalos give the lady a look that was as piercing as his
sword.

"I am
tired of your rants. Now that you find her useless for your purposes, I suppose
you will now cast her out of your abode? Which will be her good fortune
ultimately, I am sure. Who would want to share
your
churlish
companionship?"

"How
dare you, sir?"

Kalos
ignored Swiala, speaking above her protest and directly addressing the holy man.

"Could
Adalginza's mother have possibly done this in a state of madness?"

"I am
not old!" Swiala shouted, interrupting.

Polyper, who
also pointedly ignored Lady Swiala, answered gravely.

"I have
never known of Lady Donzala's type of madness to turn to violence. Neglect,
maybe — but never violence. I would doubt this theory."

"Then
it seems someone made a deliberate attempt to rob her of her bloodline."

"This
sounds more reasonable. But considering her age when this was done, we will
never know the truth."

"It is
the best of fortune for any young woman to be my granddaughter!" Lady
Swiala interrupted again, without achieving any notice from the two men.