The Arranged Marriage (13 page)

“Rohesia, as Ison explained to you my
men have searched the perimeter of the Mount, up and down and round
and round as many times and they have found nothing. There is no
other way in.”

“Well there has to be, because I doubt
they have super strength, or the patience, to lift those boulders
every time they wish to have a meeting. And anyway,” She added.
“Why haven’t you checked the ancient documents to see if there is
anything about the boulders getting there in the first place? The
caves were supposedly blocked after the war.”

All of sudden the adrenalin started to
flow through Ison again as her words reached him.

“There are such documents?” He asked
wondering why they hadn’t thought of this option themselves.
Argarth looked tired.

“Not documented in my library. The
blocking of the caves goes back to the end of the War of Quitize,
before my time.”

“Yes,” She continued with a smile on
her face. “But there may be plans stored underneath the castle with
the other relics. It’s worth a look?”

Argarth shook his head as Ison looked
at him confused.

“Underneath the castle?” He asked.
Rohesia chose to explain before her father even had the
chance.

“Since the war we have always ruled as
a peaceful kingdom so the dungeons were no longer used. Over time,
our ancestors have used it as a place to store the relics from the
war and before. It only has one key for entry that is handed down
to each king to wear in a medallion around his neck. There are
rules never to enter it due to a curse.”

Ison was thrilled as more and more
options were being opened to him.

“I have never been down there, scared
me witless as a child,” Argarth advised them. “We are told as the
key is handed to us on our coronation to guard the secrets of
Centurias with our lives. We are to retain the history, but not to
the detriment of the people, and if it got out then the curse would
come true.”

“What is the curse?” Ison asked
intrigued.

“That a plague shall be set upon
Centurias and Quitize shall rise once again through its harm,”
Rohesia told him, her excitement growing. “But I don’t believe it
for a moment. It was just invented to stop greedy kings getting
there mitts on it and selling it on the foreign markets. It was a
scary tale that is all, and I have been trying to force father for
an age to create a building for it to displayed, with guards,” She
added as her father gave her a frustrated look. “For the rest of
Centurias to see their history, to see where they came from. It
does, in theory, belong to the people anyway.” She added whilst
helping herself to some chicken that had been laid out for them
earlier.

“And I have said to Rohesia that on
her head be it when she rules this kingdom to go against that
curse, and not I.” He replied as Ison smiled at Rohesia’s ideal
look on the world.

“It may be worth a look down there
Argarth,” Ison advised. “There may be hidden threats that we are
not aware of. Plus,” He added as he also helped himself to some of
the chicken. “I don’t believe in curses, only people who
do.”

Argarth seemed to feel reassured by
Ison’s confidence. He nodded at them both.

“Very well, we shall investigate the
room before it gets light and the servants rise.”

“Great,” Rohesia said as she
practically jumped up and down in front of them with her eagerness
for the adventure. “Let’s go now.”

“Wait,” Her father advised as she went
to make her way ahead of them. “Who said that you were coming? We
cannot afford to have you screaming the place down, and you are
certainly not roaming the castle in your eve wear young lady.” He
stood firm, waiting her arguments.

“Father,” She didn’t disappoint. “I
have roamed the woods in the dark and been to worse places than,”
She rolled her eyes quickly as he looked at her inquisitively.
“That you know about of course, and I haven’t screamed the place
down yet. It will only take moments for me to get changed and then
I can help you search. It will be quicker with the three of us.
Plus, you can’t let any of the men help you because that will pose
a greater risk with the relics until you have decided what to do
with them.” She sensed her victory, glad that Ison had not joined
in on her father’s refusal.

“Very well,” Her father snapped before
turning around for some brandy. It was a pity that it would be
uncouth to raise Nani for one of her tonics at the rate this eve
was going. “Go get changed.”

“Thank you father,” She gently grabbed
on to Ison’s hand. “And I will be taking Ison with me so you don’t
set off before I get back. If that suits?” She added in Ison’s
direction. She did not want him to think that she was the type of
wife to order her husband around.

“As long as you are quick my lady I
shall escort you.” He replied throwing Argarth a look of
comfort.

“Good, thank you. I shall need someone
to help me with my gown whilst Kaya is rested. We shall not be long
father.”

“See that you’re not,” He replied. He
lifted the decanter so that she could see it. “Before I drink every
last bit of this and change my mind.”

“You should lighten up a bit on your
father Rohesia,” Ison advised her as helped her with gown. “I think
at times you use the adoration he has for you.”

She looked at him as if he had
insulted her but at the same time she knew that his words made
sense.

“I don’t mean to,” She said as she
turned to the mirror in order to the right the crumples of the
gown. “But if I wasn’t the way I am sometimes I fear that I would
become the meek, obedient daughter that he wishes for, and that
truly is not me.”

He couldn’t help but smile at her
reasoning. Or at the way he was helping to dress her, allowing her
to come down to haunted room to investigate in the middle of the
eve, becoming her friend. It was a strange sensation.

“I had better be on my guard if we are
to have daughters then.” He said before realising what had come out
of his mouth. Both of them stood still for a time as if the
seriousness of their union was coming into effect. Rohesia could in
fact be with child right now.

Ison felt very protective towards the
figure that stood in front of him. She was his, someone he was to
value and protect, and most importantly, she could be carrying his
child. Suddenly humouring her notion to go and investigate the
castle underground did not seem like the greatest of
ideas.

“Rohesia, maybe it would be best if
you stayed here and wait for my return. I vow to tell you
everything when I get back.”

“No Ison,” She told him as she left on
the soft slippers that could not be seen under her dress. “Now
let’s go before either you or my father get cold feet again. I will
be fine.”

Ison didn’t feel fine. He wanted her
safe and he was confused by whether it was his instincts telling
him this, or something else entirely.

“Rohesia, please?” He practically
begged not liking this feeling of being out of control. She faced
him and took a hold of his hand.

“Ison don’t,” Her eyes looked up at
him pleadingly. “Don’t do what my father does and think that
keeping me from what is going on in this kingdom is protecting me,
because it doesn’t. It makes me ignorant to what is going on and
that puts me even more at risk don’t you see?” She gently touched
his face. “If my father had confided in his reason for this
marriage at the beginning then I would not have fled from you, no
matter what my prejudgements were. I would not have fled my
duties.”

He looked at her for what seemed like
an age. His mother had died before he had returned a man and the
only other thing that he had allowed from women was their desire
and nothing more. Yet in a short space of a few days, this one
woman standing in front of him had showed him courage, honour, and
a strength that he was certain even he didn’t even possess. She
scared him, and that thought took him back to Argarth’s speech of
her mother, and that Rohesia was possibly falling in love with him.
He squeezed her hand tight as the will to turn and run away from
all this was strong. But Argarth’s words resounded in his
mind.

“Let’s go.” He whispered, before the
voices he had lived with for so long piped up again. He would not
let them ruin his future, no matter what they believed.

Chapter Eight

Argarth led the way for them both to
the winding staircases that led underneath the castle. They had
taken so many twists and turns from the doorway that was kept
hidden behind the kitchens, that Rohesia was started to get a
headache.

“How much further?” She whispered to
her father as he came to an abrupt standstill outside one of the
walls.

“We’re here.” He said as he started to
feel around for a key hole.

“Where?” She asked, as her eyes could
only see the large stone wall in front of them.

“It has been made to look as part of
the wall Rohesia. It is only defined by the Ecripian marking at the
top, do you see?”

She squinted her eyes and stood on her
tip toe to make out the Ecripian emblem of the eagle.

“Wow,” She let out a gasp. “They
really didn’t want this room to be just stumbled across did
they?”

Argarth looked at her in amazement
then. His daughter standing there, unscathed by all of
this.

“
Rohesia if it was not for
your appearance I would vow you are ten men standing before me at
times.”

She smiled at her father’s comment as
he continued to forage for the keyhole. Ison felt a shiver on the
back of his neck as he heard the lock click. He withdrew the Mookai
dagger he carried with him at all times as a precaution.

“Let me enter first Argarth, it is my
duty to protect you both.” He ordered, taking the candle from
Rohesia as he moved passed them into the darkened room. Rohesia and
Argarth followed.

“This is fantastic,” Rohesia said as
she breezed past him to look for more candlesticks. Both men were
suddenly as terrified as if she were a tiny child by water about to
fall in.

“Rohesia,” Ison hissed as she became
lost to him in the darkness. “Where are you?”

“
Here I am,” They heard as
swoosh of light made them jump back as she lit another candle on
the one Ison was holding. “I thought we needed more
light.”

At that moment, Ison sympathised with
Argarth deeply at the thought of putting up with this fear for the
majority of Rohesia’s existence. He was certain that his heart had
plummeted into his stomach.

“Rohesia,” He said, trying hard not to
take her over his knee. “When entering a dark room it would be wise
to stay behind the man holding the only weapon and the only
candle.” He practically shouted.

“Oh do not fret. Candles are normally
stored upon on the shelf to your right in every room of this
castle. I believe it was planned that way so people knew exactly
where to reach for them.”

Argarth smiled at Ison and shook his
head as if it were a welcome to his world.

The room came to life as Rohesia moved
around the large underground chamber, putting the new found and lit
candles in strategic areas for good light. The place was as vast as
a quarter of the castle in length, as wide wooden beams had been
placed along its ceiling. The walls were all decorated with shelves
that gave home to a great selection of books, and the room was
filled with what looked like furniture covered with white sheets.
In the corner there was a large desk that had caught Rohesia’s
interest.

“Over there, that desk. I would say
that is a great place to start for a document, wouldn’t you?” She
advised them both as she felt the fibres of an old weaved rug
beneath her feet.

The candles had nearly burnt down when
Ison and Argarth had tired of trying to persuade Rohesia there was
nothing down there that could help them. Whoever made the decision
to block up the caves had obviously not considered it important
enough to keep reference to it. Rohesia couldn’t hide her
disappointment.

“Just a little while longer, please?”
She begged them for the hundredth time. She still had stack of
papers on her lap that she was wading through and an ample load of
books at her feet.

“No Rohesia,” This time it was Ison
putting his foot down. “There are no more candles down here and
these are getting low. We need the light to get back up the
stairway.”

She went to protest again but noticed
how low the flames were before doing so. Ison was right, they had
no choice but to leave now.

“Very well,” She hesitantly replied.
“But can we please come down here again and look some more? There
is so much of interest down here.”

Argarth smiled as he always did when
he watched his daughter do something she enjoyed. She seemed to
light up the room when she was like this.

“Once all this business is over I will
see to it that you have a key. Is that fair?” He advised, aware
they needed to move now. “Now hurry child, it is time for
bed.”