Chapter 14
"No!" Kaezline kept on scratching her arm. "No, no no no NO!!"
She was still screaming when Jeddjiga peaked from the door, cautious. "The servant looked startled, was there something you-"
"Look!" The Princess widened her bleeding arms, walking closer to her younger sister. Beneath the self-inflicted wounds and the blood dripping, Jeddjiga could definitely see something wrong with her skin. It was only after Kaezline came right in front of her to drag her in and slam the door shut that she realized those little iridescent specks were covering her sister's cheeks and neck as well.
"Wha- what did-?"
"I don't know! I just woke and saw them!" Kaezline went back to scratching the scales off of her, trying to hold back a whimper. "How could this happen!?!"
"Do.. do you think I..?"
"What?
Why?!.." Kaezline gave out a groan, exasperated, moving back and forth near her sister. "Let's be reasonable here. This cannot be some sort of illness, if it was and you were spreading it, why should no one else get it? It's a sorcery, for sure."
"Then you think she..?"
"Who else?!" The eldest Princess stopped walking and started to scratch her arms once more. "You know the stories! About her turning people into beasts! This must be her way of getting back at me. Somehow, she must have discovered what we're doing... but how, how..."
Jeddjiga tried thinking on it, but a sudden fear made her startle. "What about Asad?"
Kaezline distractly shook her head. "He is.. fine. I've checked him already."
"If she knows what we're doing, why not attack him?"
"I don't know... Maybe she wants to take him from me? He is the rightful Prince and ultimate heir to the throne. This all makes sense. I knew accepting that diplomatic envoy was suspect.. but I couldn't expect she would attack me like
this!"
"Are they here already?"
"No. They're expected to arrive this evening."
"Maybe.. maybe this is not how it seems..." Jeddjiga tried to comfort her. "...maybe she's just trying to put you in a bad light in front of our sister and the Vizier."
"Asaru is one of her
pets, I know it. He'll have told all sorts of lies to our little sister."
"But think about it: we were taught by her, and still saw through her lies in the end. Why shouldn't Tintadefi do so as well? If we explain to her who our mother really is..."
"How can I explain anything like
this?! How can I present myself at court?.."
"You've been able to protect me..."
"Because I was
clean!"
The last shout made Jeddjiga shudder and lower her gaze, but Kaezline was still too upset to apologize to her at the moment.
"We've still have some leverage.. from our exploits..." The eldest Princess moved back towards her bed, holding her head and trying to focus. "...maybe it's time to stop waiting, to.. to...." Kaezline faltered and only just manage to turn towards the bed before falling unconscious.
"Kaezline!"
*****************
Jeddjiga just had time to prepare herself before Asaru's and Tintadefi's arrival that evening. She spent most of the day worrying about Kaezline, searching for a way to provide her with medical help while at the same time avoiding news of her condition spreading out and she was exausted by the time the diplomatic envoy reached Fyrus.
On the other hand, all that work gave her little time to be nervous about them. She hadn't seen her younger sister in years, nor she had talked with anybody but Kaezline and her most trusted advisors during her seclution in the pirate island.
What will she think when she sees me? Could mother have told her what I'm like?
She was still conjecturing about the impending meeting in Kaezline's private room when the door finally opened and the two guests entered.
"Greetings, Your Highness." Started Asaru, bowing down. Yet Jeddjiga could barely put two words together to answer.
What has happened to them?!
The old Vizier sported a set of spines sprouting out of his face and arms and the young woman coming behind him in royal garnments had almost half of her body covered in disgusting outgrowths of flesh, irredeemably polluting her beauty.
The Vizier moved on the side. "You of course know Princess Tintadefi..."
"Sister." Said Tintadefi with a smile, trying her best at bowing on her distorted leg and overgrown arm.
"I'm sad our eldest could not be here to meet us today, Jeddjiga."
"She's.. very ill, Tintadefi. I'm sure she would have liked to meet you again just as much."
Is this more of Mother's work? What is she doing in Al-Haikk?!
"Please.. have a seat. Should I.. should I call the servants to bring you something?"
"Yes-" answered amiably Asaru. "-I wouldn't mind some refreshment."
They look so calm and adjusted... How can it be? Don't they realize what have they become?
That sight, especially her sister's, was too disturbing for Jeddjiga that she could not linger too much without looking at them without lowering her gaze, but she couldn't deny, on a certain level, to feel a little better for herself as the more human-looking person around that table.
They don't look surprised about the horns.. but why they should be? What's behind this?
"Vizier Asaru, my dear sister... on behalf of Princess Regent Kaezline Agrabid, I welcome you to Fyrus."
"And we accept your welcome, sister." Stated Tintadefi while clumsly sitting in front of her. "I truly missed you.. all of us. It is sad that you and Kaezline would live for so long far away from your home.. your family."
"We.. have no choice, Tintadefi. Kaezline can better organize our operations from Fyrus and she.. she needs my help." Jeddjiga cleaned her throat, trying to avoid eye contact with the Vizier.
"Asaru.. you.. I remember reading from your missive you wanted to discuss some missing cargo?"
"In part..." said the old man confidently. "...a disturbing business that some of the gold pouring from Fyrus systematically disappears before reaching Al-Haikk..."
"As I'm sure Kaezline has already explained to you and the other councillors. We're still fighting the Sartosan presence in the Pirate Coast. Our open hostilities against the raiders who occupied our current lanes before us made them even more willing to attack our envoys. It's only a matter of time before they're completely exterminated."
"That is very good.. and I'm certainly looking forward to discuss the details of the missing shipments later. But first.. I was wondering if we could dwelve into another matter."
"What.. matter?"
The Vizier smiled, further unsettling the Princess. She looked at her younger sister, but saw her just smile confidently in return.
If only I could speak to her in private...
"You see, my Princess, there has been some unpleasant event in the capital lately." continued Asaru "A couple of riff-raff was caught sneaking inside the palace. Near the.. well.. the Sultana's private room."
Jeddjiga opened her eyes wide open, but she could not form a sentence to answer.
What? Why? Who-?
"They were apprehended, of course, worry not. But, and here we come to the most unpleasant part, Princess, when put under questioning, they swore their employer was.. well.. your sister."
Jeddjiga shuddered, madly searching for an excuse.
"Lies, surely. They must.. they must have been told to say so by the Emir! Atissi wants to spread dissent among us, what better way?"
"Certainly a possibility..." Asaru pointed his finger at her, shaking it in agreement. "...but nonetheless, it creates discontent within the court, especially if your sister is not there to prove her innocent."
Tintadefi nodded, adding with a worried tone: "Even moreso, if they are indeed Atissi's spies, our sister's name coming up from them could be evidence of a dangerous interest of the Emir for Kaezline..."
The Vizier started to talk again, but Jeddjiga tried to clear her mind and focus, giving just marginal interest to the following excuses.
I should not let myself be swayed so easily. Kaezline said to not trust him, what if these spies do not even exist? Kaezline never told me she was trying to have Mother spied. Not yet at least. ...Unless she kept it for herself. Or they really are Atissi's spies? I know what they want. They want us to come back to Al-Haikk, this might very well be all a machination. All to get to me and Kaezline where we cannot defend ourselves.
"And..." Jeddjiga said, interrupting the Vizier. "...what would you propose, exactly?"
"Well, my Princess, I believe you know what that is. If you could just-"
"As Kaezline already told you several times, that is not possible."
"What about just you, then? Surely your sister can deal the raidings without you for a few months? She seems to put a lot of trust in you, you could be her voice at court and reassure the councillors."
"Me?"
Jeddjiga shuddered, but Tintadefi was ready to reach for her with her sane hand. "You do not have to worry, sister. You'll be welcome amongst us."
Would I really?
"You do not know that." She answered in a somber tone.
Even if everyone at court has been turned into a monster, what's protecting me from Mother's ire?
"I understand your concerns, Princess..." continued Asaru. "...but I can assure you right now Al-Haikk would be a much safer place for you than Fyrus is."
"You do not know what you say."
"I think I do, in fact. Princess, I am aware there's.. tension of some sort between you and the Sultana, but I'm quite confident a reconciliation is well possible."
The first statement was enough to freeze Jeddjiga, but the following phrase just left her confused.
How does he know so much? Does he really lay with Mother as Kaezline say? She didn't allow any of us to speak with her for years, but took strangers in her bed all the while?!
"What are you saying, Vizier?"
"Princess, the death of the Sultan has deeply affected your mother, but she has recovered from her pain now and wishes to protect you as she did in the past. But she can only do so if you were to return to Al-Haikk. Now, I am aware of what your sister's thoughts on the matter might be, but that doesn't mean you have to share her fate."
"Which is?" Jeddjiga interrupted dryly. "To be arrested as an alledged traitor because of some baseless accusations from lowborn criminals?"
"Of course not, my Princess. We are concerned about your safety. We've taken all precautions to prepare for your return home."
"Did you? Is that why she turned you into... like.. that?"
Both Tintadefi and Asaru looked confused at first, but the Vizier was quick to recover himself. "That's a very outlandish thought, Princess. Why would the Sultana ever do such a thing to her own daughters? And how?.. No, no. This is only but another curse from the Emir and the demons at his command."
"If it was Atissi's doing, why scourge her daughters, her servants, but not her?.. Unless... is.. is she..?"
"No, thank the gods no. It is a sick and twisted mind channeling the Emir's actions. As you said, an attempt to spread dissent, to let the blame fall on the Sultana unjustly."
Tintadefi nodded again: "Mother is working day and night to find a cure, to keep us safe! Without her cures, you and Kaezline.. you might be in danger! That's why you need to return, please!.."
"I..."
Could this be true?.. No, no.. it's impossible. I remember the dungeon. I remember what she said to us, how she talked. She has no love for us. It must be a trick.
"I will think about it, Tintadefi. Asaru. And I will relay your suggestion to my sister as well."
*****************
"Why?"
The Emir whispered in the darkness of his palace, his weakened body laying on his bed and the demonic vulture hanging from the head of the furniture and greedily looking down on him.
"Why all this.. waste. You.. you liar. You promised me..
revenge."
For years he had seen his name lose all dignity, for years he had seen his lands being scourged by demons, yet the witch was still sitting on her throne up north. No great cleansing had been laid upon her.
The demon lowered its neck to watch the old man closely. "Your ambition is not strong enough to sustain your body."
"It was... you.. you did it. You stopped me. I would have killed her, burned her lands immediately. You had me wait."
"A revenge of such a grand scope cannot be accomplished in such a reduced amount of time."
"
Liar. You knew. You know the future. You knew I would have died.. died before time."
"Yes." The demon clicked its beak with satisfaction, but the Emir had no strength left to react.
"She.. called you. It was her trick.. all along?"
"You have such a limited mind, puny mortal. Do you really think you can glance at the great plan I've put in motion to celebrate my immortal Master? For years you hoped your power would grant you the chance to skin her, for years she hoped your cowardice would keep you away from her, just a month longer, just a day longer... And upon all that fearful hope, my Master has delighted himself. The witch is nothing but the masterpiece I've waved into this world. Her success, your success, they are all irrelevant compared to the perfection that I have achieved, the web of lies, paranoy and hipocrisy about to bear down upon all of this land. But this is not for you to understand. Die, now. Know that when life leaves your body, your army will leave this land and the witch shall feast upon it, as she does."
*****************
Jeddjiga sat on her sister's side, holding her burning hand.
"Come on, Kaezline, we're almost there. You'll see.. it.. it'll be worth it."
She had waited, she had tried everything in her power for the past two years, but it was not enough: Kaezline would not wake. The physicians said the scales might have been growing in her lungs as well.
She couldn't bear the though of her dying, Kaezline had done so much for her: she had protected her for all those years, she had found another northman for her to marry and love. Even when her daughter was born with her horns and her husband died of pneumonia, Kaezline was always there to console her and let her feel useful.
But Jeddjiga couldn't manage to do the same. She couldn't manage to find someone to heal her. When her sister was laying on the bed, soaked in sweat and pain, she could only look away.
I had no other choice. She will die soon anyway. And without her, the raiders' loyalty will falter.
"You'll see, Kaezline... Mother has changed. She will help you."
The carriage opened and two guards took Kaezline's stretcher. Jeddjiga's heart missed a beat when she laid her eyes on Al-Haikk palace's once again, after all those years.
It's even more beautiful than I remembered. They built it larger still...
As she followed the guards, she could not fail to notice all the people waiting outside to greet them and how many of them were afflicted by all sorts of deformities.
If she didn't manage to heal them.. why does Asaru feel so confident she will manage to help us?
She had only revealed about Kaezline's real state to the Vizier a few months back, through a confidential missive sent from Fyrus, and of course the answer had been to quickly bring her back home, so the Sultana could help her. But Jeddjiga knew it was a desperate resort, she knew it had to be a lie, that was why she didn't bring nor mention her daughter nor Kaezline's son yet. She had agreed with Saedriarfr, Kaezline's husband, that if neither her nor Kaezline returned from their trip to Al-Haikk, he was to gather as many loyal raiders as he could and sail north, far away from Araby.
Yet they're only kids. If I die as well and Saedriarfr brings them to his lands, how long could they survive amongst those savages?
She had repeated that and other similar questions in her mind thousands of times, but, in a way, she just felt too tired to keep on hiding and lying. She didn't want to spend her life exiled and imprisoned with the threat of the Sultana hanging over her. If that was indeed just a ploy to capture them, then she would have been ready to die and be finally at peace. Her daughter and her nephew would have had a chance to leave far away, without the Sultana knowing of their existance.
The Vizier was waiting her at the main hall's entrance smiling and with open arms. "My Princesses! You've come! What a joyous day!.. Please, come forth..."
He waved to make the soldiers carrying Kaezline move faster and encouraged Jeddjiga to do the same.
So many faces have changed.. and those that I recognize have been twisted by these horrible mutations...
The Princess almost fainted when her gaze went upwards and she saw her mother sitting on the throne. She wans't smiling nor looked in any way happy to see them, unlike the sycophants around her and Jeddjiga's younger sisters, settled at the sides of the throne. The rage Jeddjiga remembered from the day in the dungeon was gone, her mother looked only tired and annoyed. Most of all, she looked old.
"My Queen..." said cautiously Asaru, bowing to her. "...your daughters come t-"
"You sure took your time to deliver, Asaru." She interrupted him with a gelid tone. "But you've proven yourself useful again. Bring her closer."
As the guards holding Kaezline obeyed to the Sultana's command, Jeddjiga nodded to herself and breathed out.
That's it. I knew it. I knew it. It is time...
She felt the need to cry, but she didn't want to give her mother that satisfaction as well. "How could you?!" She shouted. "And how can you allow this?" She continued, addressing her other sisters. "Don't you see what she's done? What she's about to do?"
The Sultana ignored her, taking Kaezline's face between her hands to examine it while a couple of slaves brought a few tools and a flask filled with a strange liquid. That sight alone was enough to throw off Jeddjiga, but Tintadefi, almost as confused as her, answered: "Don't you understand, sister? This is a great day for you!"
"Why..? Is she..?"
I was wrong? By Ormazd, could she really be..?
The dagger flashed so quickly and suddenly that Jeddjiga only realized what happened when the Sultana jerked Kaezline's neck to let the blood flow within the flask. All the courtiers around her were watching silently, all the Princesses looking intentiously as their mother whispered slowly over the potion.
Finally, Yazmine threw her firstborn daughter's corpse away without a second glance, stood up and voraciously drank from the flask.
Jeddjiga could no longer hold herself and fell to her knees, crying over Kaezline's corpse, but she could not even hear her own wailing, for the court had burst in a cascade of applauses and congratulations.
In the end she looked up, her eyes red with tears, only to see her mother smiling while looking at herself as she grew younger and younger.
.
