The Protector of Esparia (The Annals of Esparia Book 1) (33 page)

“Cousin Daenon, at last we meet.”  Her words were calm, for she had rehearsed the line a hundred times, but her heart pounded and her mouth was dry.

In three strides he crossed the room, stopping only inches from her.  His sapphire blue eyes blazed, but she held her ground.  His voice was smooth.  “I wanted to make certain your accommodations were to your liking.  If there is anything you need, within reason, please feel free to tell your servants.  You’ll notice the windows have no bars.  You can go anywhere you please at Rendaira, even to the dine if you’re brave enough.  There is nowhere to run in Demar, no way to escape the deserts.”

She remained silent and for a moment they stared at each other, a contest of who would back down first.  Daenon finally said, irritation creeping into his voice, “I will leave you now, but later, you’ll join me for breakfast.  We have much to discuss.”  Whipping around, he hurried from the room, the two lamp holders scurrying after him.

“Oh goody,” she muttered, “I can hardly wait.”   She closed the bedroom door.  “He’s gone.”

The serving woman poked her head out of the bathroom door. 

“It’s safe,” Jessica promised.  “Come and sit on the bed.  I’m wide-awake now and I think you are too.  What’s your name and how did you know Daenon was coming?”

The woman sunk onto the foot of the comfortable bed.  She was smaller than Jessica and very, very thin. 
Way
t
oo thin
, Jessica thought.  Her reddish blond hair, pulled back in a tight ponytail, accentuated her large, sunken eyes, and high, prominent cheekbones.  Jessica guessed her to be somewhere in her late twenties.

“My name is Merula.  I am the daughter of Tirus, Regulator of Palium,” she said proudly, carefully enunciating every syllable of every word she spoke.  In a more subdued tone, but just as articulate, she continued, “I have been a slave here for nearly ten years.  I knew Daenon was coming because I heard him.  I couldn’t sleep and was wandering the halls, I often do that.”  She shrugged her shoulders.  “No one cares anymore or pays attention to me.  I heard Daenon call for lamp bearers.  He has done this before.  He likes to surprise his ‘guests’.  I think it makes him feel in control, more powerful.  I assumed it was you he was coming to
surprise
this time so I ran to warn you.”  A mischievous smile crossed her lips.  “I like to see him frustrated.”

“Well, I’m in your debt.  So, you’re from Palium.”

“Yes.”

“I don’t understand.  Your province is allied to Daenon, but you’re a slave?”

Merula nodded.  “Greed and stupidity defeated many of my people, but not everyone fell for Daenon’s drug.  My father was one.  He spoke out against the drug use, but was ignored.  We were conquered in just months.  I remember the day Daenon’s armies marched into our dine.  Many citizens of my province fled east, some deserted over to Daenon on their own, but the majority was already dependent on what only Daenon could give them.  It took me years to understand they were hopelessly addicted to a powerful drug that had been cunningly introduced.”

She looked at Jessica with tears in her eyes.  “He’s a master at potions, you know.  It was so subtle.  No one took the threat seriously, or even realized there was a threat until it was too late.  The drug was too powerful.  Those who used it only once or twice were dependent beyond reason.”  Merula grunted, “So many stupid people.”  She shook her head.  “Those who fled were the smart ones, the ones who refused to try, even once, something touted as the newest wonderment.  I assume they warned the other provinces.  That’s why Daenon must now fight to conquer the rest of the country.  Most of the Palium Regulators refused to be sucked into the drug, so they were killed.  I believe they were poisoned.  My father was imprisoned at Snow Peak and I was taken into slavery.”

“Snow Peak?”  Jessica gasped at the name.  “But, your father’s free.  The captives at Snow Peak were rescued a week ago.”

Merula looked at Jessica in disbelief.  “Are you sure?”

Jessica nodded.  “I’m positive.  Daenon’s furious.”

“Daenon’s always furious about something.  Life here is unspeakable.  At least when Lepsis was around, I could bear it.  Now that he’s gone,” she shook her head, “I don’t know if I can go on.”  The pitiful woman began weeping again.

“Lepsis came to us.  He commands the Maronian army.”

“He’s alive!”  Merula twisted her hands in the bed covers.  “I helped him escape.  I didn’t know if the Shields had taken him or not.  Since there were no wild celebrations, I hoped they hadn’t.”

“Now that your father’s free, you can escape.”  Jessica’s voice became earnest.  “Daenon has no leverage over you anymore.”

Merula stared wide-eyed at Jessica, her tears ceasing to flow.  “The deserts are unforgiving.  It would take a great deal of planning and preparation to attempt leaving here alone, but now, at least, I can think about it.  I know who you are.  Many times this past month Daenon’s howled in frustration.  You’ve proved an elusive target.  I learned from many years of watching Lepsis, as long as I can help someone, I should try.  He did much good with Daenon’s never knowing.  As long as you’re here, I should stay.”

Jessica was touched.  “Thanks, I could use a friend right now.”

“Are you afraid?”

“Yes and no.  For the moment, Daenon wants me alive, but that could change at any time.”

Light from the morning sun began to filter into the room.  Merula blew out the nearly spent candle.  “You must finish getting ready.  Daenon will be sending someone for you.”

She helped Jessica brush out her hair.  They just finished when a forceful knock at the sitting room door disturbed their peace.  Merula left the bedroom to answer the summons.  Following behind, Jessica looked in amusement at the four, black uniformed guards standing in the hall.

“Am I such a threat it takes four armed men to accompany me?” she asked, not expecting an answer.  They escorted her through the hallways, down a secondary set of stairs to a large set of double doors, where two more guards stood watch.  The doors opened, her escort parted, and Jessica entered the grand dining hall alone.

Daenon was already seated at a large, polished wooden table.  He motioned to a place set with silver tableware directly across from him.  “I hope you slept well,” he said in a silky voice when she sat down.

“Just fine, thank you.”

“I also hope you’re hungry.”  He waved his hand over many platters of breads, fruits and meats on the table.  He helped himself to much of the food, so she guessed it was probably safe to eat.  She was in fact, very hungry and chose several pieces of fruit as well as some fresh, hot pastries. 

They ate in silence, then after the meal, he looked at her appraisingly.  “You know, you have given me a great deal of trouble.”

“I’m flattered,” she said dryly.  “I didn’t know I was worth so much effort.”

“Tell me about your father.  I hear he is a healer.”

“Yes.  He tries,” was her only response. 
What kind of game is he playing, being so polite?
  She thought. 
I’m not telling him anything, not anything truthful anyway. 

Daenon’s eyes narrowed at her evasive reply.  He rose from his chair, rounded the table and walked up behind her.  She did not turn around, but knew he was close...very close.

“I can do terrible things to you,” he warned in her ear.  “You had better cooperate, little girl.”

She slammed both palms down on the table and quickly stood up, ramming her chair back into Daenon, catching him off balance.  Yelling, she swung around on him, “Don’t threaten me!  I’ve been through more than you could possibly ever know!  Ripped from my home, torn from my family and everything familiar, hurled through terrifying blackness and dumped in a place so foreign to me it will never be mine!  I’ve been bruised, beaten, and battered by your lousy thugs for reasons completely irrational.  Tied, gagged and dragged across filons of god-forsaken, poverty stricken, rat infested country to a place of such selfish opulence, it makes me want to vomit.  I have felt and heard evil of such magnitude it nearly sucked me dry and my senses are on so much overload I can hardly control them.  Don’t you
dare
threaten me!  And don’t you ever,
ever
call me little girl!”

Daenon looked totally astounded then his face darkened.  He seized her by the arm and dragged her out of the dining hall into an adjacent chamber.  Slamming the door shut with his foot, he hurled her onto the floor in front of him.  His eyes flashed in fury and little beads of perspiration studded his forehead.

Leaning over her, he hissed, “Talk to me like that again, especially in front of servants, and I will personally cut out your tongue.”

She knew he meant it.  He dropped the congenial façade and all his evil washed over her.  She pushed her hair from her face and looking him square in the eye asked, “What is it you want, Daenon?”

He straightened.  His lips curled in a wicked smile.  “I will not quit until every man, woman and child swears their allegiance to me.”

Slowly she stood upon her feet, not taking her eyes from his face.  “Many men have tried and failed to obtain world domination.  You are fighting against odds you know nothing about and can never understand—love, liberty, freedom.  Even if you succeed for a while, you will never know who your friends are.  You will constantly be looking for a dagger in your back.  No true Esparian will ever bow to you willingly.  You have no authority they will respect so you will be at war for the rest of your life.  The people of Demar seem to think you’re all right.  Why can’t you content yourself with this place?  Make it into the garden it once was and could be again.  That’s how you find true satisfaction and peace.”

“You truly do amuse me,” he laughed.  “Satisfaction?  Peace?  I am well beyond both of those.  I’m a God to the desert people.  They will do anything I want them to.  Why should I quit here when I can control everything, can
be
everything?  No, little girl, I do know what I am doing. There is no greater power than to be worshiped.”

He started to pace back and forth while rubbing his beard with his hand.  “But you have given me something to think about.”  He stopped and faced her, “You’re right when you say the Esparians would never respect my authority.”  He paused again, his face lighting up.  “But, they would respect you.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked suspiciously, a familiar nausea creeping into her stomach.

“If you were my wife, I would have the authority necessary to control the country.”

“Are you crazy!” she whispered horrified.  This was a turn of events she had not anticipated.

“Yes,” he mused, half-smiling to himself, “that would work.  I planned on killing you when I didn’t need you anymore, but this is a much better idea.”  He walked toward her and brought his face down, very close to hers.  Once again she stood her ground.  “Don’t misunderstand me,” he continued, “I will still destroy your father and anyone else who tries to oppose me, but when I return, there will be a wedding and there will be a wedding night.  I need an heir.”

At this suggestion Jessica backed away.  She felt the color drain from her face.  “It will never happen.”  Her voice was barely a whisper.

With a self-satisfied smile on his face, he walked toward the door.  “Wait, I’ve changed my mind,” he sneered, turning to look back to her.  “I’ll capture your father and bring him back here to witness our joyous union.  Afterwards, I’ll send him to Snow Peak Prison with strict orders he be killed if anything ever happens to me.  That should give you incentive to…how did you put it?  Oh, yes...watch my back.”

When the door slammed closed, Jessica sunk onto the nearest chair.  She felt sick to her stomach and needed to catch her breath. 
I won’t panic,
she thought. 
She closed her eyes and concentrated on calming her racing pulse
.

She sat there for a long time, staring at the wooden floor, absently tracing the lines of its intricate geometric pattern.  A sharp rap at the door brought her out of her stupor and up on her feet.

“Yes?”

The door opened and the same chubby butler who met her and Addex the previous night stood in the hallway.  “Lord Daenon orders your presence,” he said crisply.  “Follow me.”

What now?
  She thought in dismay.  The portly man led her to the front entrance of the mansion where Daenon was preparing to leave.  Five hundred Elitet, with Addex at their head were standing ready to accompany him.

When Jessica appeared at the massive door, Daenon handed the reins of his magnificent mount to a waiting servant and went to her.  He swung an arm around her waist and crushing her to him, kissed her hard on the mouth.  There was no passion in the embrace, only a brazen show of domination.  Jessica stayed limp in his arms.  She knew fighting would be useless, as the man was exceptionally strong and she did not want to be any more of a spectacle than she already was.

Her heart pounded when he finally let her go and her face felt as red as her hair.  Their eyes locked for an instant and it was then she knew she truly loathed this man. 

“When I return…”  He swung around and effortlessly mounted his horse. 

From the corner of her eye, Jessica noticed movement within the drapery of the tall window beside her.  Merula was standing in the silk curtains.  Every feature on her face, from the hard line of her mouth to the cold squint of her eyes, screamed hatred.  Merula’s glare was not aimed at Daenon, she stared directly at Addex.