Return to Arrazuole (Part6)

Chapter Sixteen

Arriarna gazed out onto the rolling hills and valleys that were bathed in the glow of the early morning sun, puncturing the darkness from the previous night. All was still, as if the world itself was only just beginning to rouse itself from a deep slumber. Somewhere in the distance, a bird sang its dawn chorus, while a gentle breeze whispered through the air-gathering up a few carefree leaves and dancing playfully with them before lovingly placing them onto the lush grass.
She really wasn’t in the mood for this today. Resting her head on the cool pane of glass, she stretched out her legs on the gold-inlaid, wooden window seat. Her feet tangled in her morning dress, and she silently cursed as she clumsily freed herself. That she should be reduced to such menial tasks infuriated her. Her mind wandered back to a different time-as it so often did in these situations-a time when the house would have been a hive of noise and activity by this time in the day. During the height of her family’s glorious past, they must have had in excess of two hundred Settis. Now they had a measly eight! During the revolution, many Setti had seen fit to rise up against their masters, believing the propaganda that they were worthy of more than their current lowly station. Some had even carved out a somewhat respectable position for themselves in society. But to Arriarna, they would always be inferior.
She transferred her gaze to the Setti who was busy polishing the silver that adorned Arriarna’s main dressing table. The old woman must be at least a hundred, her grey hair hung in a tangled mess down to her waist, her bare feet blistered and bloody. Too old or stupid to leave, she was one of the few who had remained with her family, though no gratitude was shown from their side…
“Must you make so much noise while you do that?!” Arriarna barked out from her reclining position. The woman visibly flinched, but said nothing. Irritated, Arriarna decided to study the scenery again. Every now and then she stole a glance at the grandfather clock that faithfully chimed every fifteen minutes. She was evidently waiting for someone….
An indistinct shape in the distance made Arriarna stiffen and train her eyes on the emerging object. After several moments had passed, a slow smile overcame her placid face and, with no hint of impatience or excitement, she gracefully alighted from the window seat and made her way to the door-stepping over the Setti as if she were a discarded rag.
The long trip to the grand entrance of her family’s manor was completed at a gentle, considered pace. The marble doors, unattended at this time of the morning, swung open as she made her appearance onto the decadent courtyard. Her visitor, now standing next to his magnificent black mare, seemed unconcerned about his wait. Upon her arrival, he swiftly made his way over and promptly fell to one knee at her feet.
“My lady.”
Arriarna extended a heavily jewelled hand.
“I though you had forgotten me.” Her soft voice floated like a feather between them.
Removing his helmet, Davidor raised the delicate hand to his lips and tenderly kissed the pearly-white skin.
“That would be impossible.”


Just as Jenna felt she was finally getting used to her unusual mode of transport, a sudden lurch or swerve by the animal below her would cause her heart to leap into her throat again, and her arms to encircle her escort even tighter. During one such episode, a sharp intake of breath informed her she was probably holding on too tightly…
“Do not trouble yourself, you may hold as securely as you like.” Javai always seemed to have the ability to sense what she was thinking. Jenna was about to make a sarcastic retort, but decide against it. She didn’t think it was a good idea to aggravate the person who was preventing her from tumbling headlong onto the forest floor.
She was incredibly uncomfortable. Her rear hurt from the stiff, unyielding saddle, while her shoulders and back ached terribly from her unnatural, twisted position. It seemed they had been riding for hours, but it had most likely been just minutes. Jenna was tempted to ask if they could stop for a rest…
Whosh…
The unexpected noise passed right by Jenna’s ear-a sort of strange combination of a whistle and a hum.
Javai immediately stopped the horse. His body was a rigid as a statue as he peered off into the dense trees.
“What is….” Jenna was cut short by an angry hiss from Javai.
“Ssshh!”
For a few seconds, the only sounds were their heavy breathing.
Whosh.
Without warning, their previously tame horse reared up on its hind legs and unleashed a guttural whine. Jenna had slackened her grip on the reins and soon found herself falling helplessly into a heap on the ground, the breath violently knocked out of her. At once, the forest was a flurry of activity. She was vaguely able to make out a dozen or so bodies, clad in identical, skin-tight black uniforms, through her hazy, blurred vision. Before she knew what was happening, strong arms had dragged her to her feet and began pulling her backward. She tried to kick out but her feet just caught in the long folds of her skirts. An arm was wrapped around her neck, making it hard for her to breath. She managed to twist her head around and felt her stomach lurch at the scene acting out before her.
The horse lay prostrate on the floor, a bloody arrow protruding from its side. Javai was on his feet, sword in one hand, deftly fending off numerous attackers. Jenna tried to scream his name, but it came out as a muffled screech.
“Javai!”
His eyes met her’s briefly, displaying the fear that was growing inside her, before darkness replaced everything as a sack was pulled over her eyes. She struggled as much as she could against her captor, but the lack of oxygen was causing her muscles to weaken and her head to spin. She felt her body being thrown over the back of a horse as if she were a sack of potatoes, which then began to gallop off into the distance.
Jenna’s mind whirled with a million thoughts. Who were these people? What did they want? What had happened to Javai? But, judging by her current situation, she doubted they were going to prove particularly friendly. She had no idea where they were headed, the sack blocking all her vision. They were travelling at a terrific speed, and Jenna feared she would soon be falling off a horse again.
The galloping began to slow to a gentle trot, before stopping completely. Jenna held her breath, not daring to move a muscle. She heard feet landing on the ground near her, followed by footsteps closing the remaining distance. Hands righted her, and slowly removed the sack from her head. Jenna found herself staring into a black helmet, it’s polished surface reflecting the dim light of the forest. Her eyes immediately fell to a curved sword attached to the stranger’s hip, whose tip touched the ground. A gloved hand pointed over her left shoulder. Turning slowly, Jenna saw they were outside a cave, carved into a grey rock-face, reaching at least ten feet in height. She assumed she was supposed to enter. Taking another quick look at the sword, she thought it best not to argue.
Hesitatingly, she forced her feet to walk towards the gaping opening. It was not pitch black inside as she had first thought. Instead, dozens of lanterns threw patches of light over the walls and floor. As she entered, she was able to make out evidence of human habitation-chairs, rugs, pots, books-strewn around. Though, it appeared, there was no-one here now.
The sound of horses’ hooves caused her to whirl around. Several individuals, dressed the same as her captor, were dismounting at the entrance to the cave. She guessed they were the same ones who had ambushed her and Javai. As they entered the cave, Jenna felt an iron fist clamp around her heart.
The tallest individual began to move towards Jenna, the others parting to allow them through. Jenna managed to summon up courage from somewhere, and asked in what she hoped was a confident voice.
“Who are you? Why have you brought me here?!”
The black-clad person stopped, and brought a hand to their helmet, gently lifting the heavy metal from off their head. Jenna gasped as a wave of red curls fell around a sublimely beautiful face.
“We are the Selki, and we have rescued you from The Council. You can thank us later.”


Chapter Seventeen

Jenna realised she had been holding her breath for some time. Exhaling slowly, her mind struggled to make sense of the words she had just heard. Her heart still beat painfully against her chest and she was acutely aware of her hands trembling by her side. The woman who had addressed her had not moved, her eyes calmly assessing Jenna. For what seemed like an eternity, Jenna simply stood, dumbfounded, for once unable to think of a single thing to say or do.
As if sensing her distress, the woman tried again.
“I understand you must be very confused. But, believe me when I say that we want what is best for you.”
Jenna suddenly found her voice.
“Best for me! You think attacking me and abducting me is what’s best for me? And what about Javai? What have you done with him?”
A shadow crossed the woman’s face at the mention of her companion.
“He is unharmed-though no doubt his ego is a little bruised. But Javai could always stand with being taken down a peg or two.” A satisfied smile flashed on the woman’s face, adding to Jenna’s intense confusion.
“You….know Javai?” Jenna could feel a headache beginning to throb behind her right temple; this was just getting stranger and stranger….
The woman shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.
“All knights know each other.”
Jenna’s eyes roved around the cave, taking in the large group of women, who had by now all removed their helmets.
“You are knights?” Jenna’s voice held a touch of suspicion, which must have been detected by the woman, for she replied rather haughtily.
“We are the Selki, the only female legion of knights in the realm.” Her smile returned. “We were designed to be bodyguards for the female members of the royal household in order to protect their…virtue….from overly affectionate male knights.” She gave a derisive laugh before continuing. “But, since the Royal Family no longer exists we have since made our own way in the world.”
Jenna was struggling to remain standing, her legs felt like jelly. Keen to get the conversation back on topic, she tried again.
“You still haven’t told me why you brought me here-or why you attacked us.”
The woman gestured to where a small fire was burning near the back of the cave, encircled by crudely carved wooden stools.
“Firstly, please, sit down-before you fall down.” Jenna didn’t move. “Please.” Jenna conceded it was probably a good idea, so she made her way shakily over to the fire, where the other women had assembled. She shook her head when offered a small, metal cup of steaming liquid.
“So?” Jenna hoped she sounded more forceful than she felt.
“First, let me introduce myself properly.” The woman had sat opposite her and was eating from a wooden bowl-though Janna didn’t recognise the oddly shaped vegetables that emerged from it. “My name is Serina, I lead the knights of the Order of the Selki. I apologise profoundly for the unfortunate circumstances of our first meeting, but we sadly had very little choice. Javai would hardly have allowed you to come with us.” She paused to take a sip from her own cup. “As to our reasons for taking you-as I said earlier. We are protecting you from The Council.” Serina seemed to believe this was explanation enough, for she immediately returned her attention back to her food.
Jenna was growing annoyed.
“What do you mean, ‘protecting’ me? The Council brought me here in the first place. They’re the ones who have been protecting me!”
Serina slammed her bowl onto the stone floor.
“Did you ever wonder why they brought you back?” Her previous serene countenance had vanished, replaced by an undisguised furry, causing her green eyes to burn in her heavily tanned face. “The Council have no concern for your safety or your happiness-they are only concerned with their own interests.” Her face contorted in disgust.
Jenna’s voice wavered uncomfortably.
“What exactly are they?”
Serina gave her a humourless smile.
“What else would it be? Power, control, influence….” Serina reached for an iron kettle and refilled her cup, her face softening as she looked back across at Jenna. “What, exactly, did you think was going to happen? Did The Council inform you of their plans?”
Jenna shook her head slowly.
“Not exactly.”
Serina leaned back against the cave wall, satisfied.
“No, I’m sure they didn’t. Did you ever wonder why they just-snuck you-back into The Kingdom? Why they didn’t announce your arrival to the masses as soon as you were here?” Again, Jenna just shook her head, puppet like, feeling her stomach fall to her feet as the conversation progressed.
“I’ll tell you why. Because they don’t want you to be on the throne.”
At Jenna’s shocked expression, Serina clarified her statement.
“Oh, don’t get me wrong-they want you to be physically on the throne, but that’s where your role will end. You know nothing about this world Jenna, and The Council are very aware of that fact. They plan to use it to their advantage. When they have restored you to the throne, they will establish themselves as your Council of Advisors-they will use you as their puppet Jenna! You will wear the crown but I assure you, they will be the ones with the power. They will dominate and control you in order to force through the changes they want-restoring the social divisions and elitism which caused so many problems for our land before.” Serina’s voice had raised an octave, and her breathing came out in ragged gasps. She visibly calmed herself before resuming her narrative. “The reason The Council has not announced your return,” Serina began softly, “is because people do not want The Royal Family restored.”
Jenna could feel tears welling in her eyes. She blinked them away angrily. This was no time to be showing any weakness.
“I’m not going to get into personalities. The Royal Family were unjustifiably murdered-but that does not mean they would still have retained their hold of the crown. The Kingdom was ready for change-unfortunately it chose the wrong one. But things are changing, people have suffered enough under Sarne’s regime. They are those of us who wish to come together and create a unified government, a democracy where all individuals are equal. It won’t be easy, such a thing has never been attempted here, and there are many who will appose it-not least The Council.”
The room started to swirl before her eyes as the headache took over. This was all too much to take in.
“Why would The Council appose that? Surely a Royal Family and a government could exist alongside each other.”
Serina rested her forehead in the palm of her hand, her feelings overtaking her calm exterior.
“The Council claim that the people are not ready for such a regime, that they need time and guidance to recover from the past decades. But if they ever seized power they would never give it back to the people-we would just be living under a different tyrant, albeit a slightly more polite one. And I, for one, will not let that happen. We have worked for too many years to get where we are now.”
Jenna felt her whole world crashing down around her, she couldn’t think of any suitable response. If what this woman was claiming was true, then everyone she had met so far had been lying to her.
“So, what do you want me to do?” Jenna was almost afraid to ask the question.
“Go home. Forget everything about this place. You don’t need it and it doesn’t need you.”
Jenna’s head snapped up at the insensitive reply.
“Go home! For all I know, this is my home. I’ve never known my family or what happened to them, now I finally have a chance to learn about my past, and you tell me to just forget it?” Jenna was seething with rage by this point, and happily directed all her anger at Serina.
“You’re being used as a pawn in a dangerous game Jenna, why can’t you see that?” Serina’s anger matched her own.
“That’s your opinion.” Jenna hissed through clenched teeth. “Considering you attacked me and Javai…” Serina’s voice cut through Jenna’s.
“Ah, yes Javai-I’m glad you are so obviously fond of him.” Her face contrasted sharply with the mock pleasant tone of her voice.
Jenna narrowed her gaze on Serina.
“What do you mean by that?”
Serina looked like she had won a secret battle.
“I don’t suppose you ever wondered what Javai’s part in this little adventure was either?”
“He brought me back from New York,” she muttered uncertainly.
Serina laughed joylessly.
“Oh yes, a very dangerous and noble mission. But one I imagine he was very happy to take on, considering the prize he was offered.” Serina’s eyes threw Jenna a silent challenge. She took the bait.
“What prize would that be then?”
Serina smiled broadly over her victory.
“Well, what man would turn down the opportunity to be king?”
Jenna sprang to her feet as the meaning of Serina’s words sunk in.
“You’re lying! I’m leaving, and I’m going to find Javai and we’re going to return to The Council. Don’t even think about trying to stop me!” She weaved her way back to the cave entrance, conscious that no-one was trying to prevent her leaving. Serina stood up unhurriedly and calmly delivered the words she knew would stop Jenna in her tracks.
“I don’t suppose they bothered to tell you who your father was?”
It worked.