Chapter Twelve
Over the next week, Raliena did everything she could to avoid being alone with the General. She invited people along to join them, if there was need for them to go the same way, even if it meant asking Dergen. This pleased the King greatly to see the two getting along in front of the guests and gave Dergen an amused smile. He was always more than happy to oblige.
It made it easier that the King kept the royal guests busy, showering them with entertainment. Sherin wanted to spend most of her time in the gardens, paddling her feet in the water of the river. General Kassen and his two guards were taken hunting with the King for a day, giving Raliena a break from acting pleasant around the arrogant General.
It was heartening to see Baynil and Sherin together. The King had taken the little Princess into the town and bought her anything she desired from jewellery to dresses.
Raliena had also enjoyed Sherin’s company, listening to the girl talk about her family and life in Attashar. She was especially keen to talk about Kassen.
“My ridding instructor struck me once when I could not get my horse to turn.” Sherin rubbed her wrist unconsciously as she told the story. “Kassen had been watching me from a distance without the instructor knowing. I remember he rushed over and grabbed the stick the stupid man had struck me with; then he snapped it over his leg and threw it at the instructor and said that; if he ever touched me again or even said a word that made me unhappy, he would do the same to the man’s personal stick next time! You should have seen how pale he looked.” Sherin giggled at the memory.
Raliena was surprised that, during their talks, Sherin did not broach the subject of her healing the General. She almost brought it up herself but could never find the right words to explain what had happened without revealing her ability. Fortunately, Sherin appeared content with keeping it a secret.
One afternoon, Raliena was heading up to her room when she saw Kassen waiting for her by the door. Before he saw her, she quickly darted round the corner and into the corridor where Dergen’s rooms were.
She had never wanted to explore this side of the castle, worried at what she might find, so did not know any way around it and back to her room. Instead, she picked a direction and headed deeper into Dergen’s lair.
What has he to hide? She thought, but still hoped he was not around for her to find out.
The deeper Raliena ventured, the blander the walls became, as if they were stripped of their decor and colour until the corridors all looked the same and she was quickly lost in them.
She came across some stone steps that had a curtain pulled across it and headed down them, thinking it would lead her to the floor below and somewhere she recognised. Instead, there were more corridors to navigate and she had no idea what part of the castle she was in. Raliena had not known the rooms extended this far and became increasingly concerned that, as she had not seen these corridors before, perhaps she had entered through the only entrance, meaning it was also the only exit.
Doubling back again, she almost wished she had faced the General. Yes, he was infuriatingly arrogant but he still had not told the King or anyone about her powers and he was very sweet with his little sister and his guards Sitnen and Derio respected him beyond what his status required.
“Lost?” A cold voice from behind Raliena said and she resisted the urge to shudder.
“I was just on my way.” Raliena replied and turned to face Dergen, finding he was very close as usual. His deep eyes bore into her and she felt her skin crawl, the unusual feeling of fighting against an unseen force almost overwhelming her.
“Not looking for me then?” His voice was dark with something she dared not consider.
“Afraid not.” Raliena stepped to one side to get past him but he put his arm out and rested it on the wall with controlled ease. Her breathing quickened at his proximity and she wanted to run but couldn’t. The imaginary pull of water quickly turning to mud. She had to face him.
“What are your intentions, Dergen?” Raliena challenged and looked up at him with all the bravery she could muster.
“Intentions?” He questioned with a cruel grin. “That would imply I will not be doing anything.”
She had to look away, his expression was unsettling and drained the bravery out of her.
“The King will punish you if you try anything.”
“Would he?” Dergen took a step closer, so he was stood square in front of Raliena, who almost had her back to the wall.
“Yes.” Her reply was meek and quiet. “You do not want to upset him.”
“Do I not?”
Raliena made a slight movement of her head, which was meant to be at no. She did not know why this man filled her with so much dread. Ever since she was a young girl she found him hard to ignore and she had a nauseating feeling in her stomach whenever she defied a direct order from him like the water was drowning her.
“Well...” Dergen held Raliena by the shoulders and pushed her against the wall, far more gently than she expected. “That depends on how much the trouble was worth.”
Raliena felt paralyzed. His hands were much stronger than seemed possible for a man his size, especially with her extra strength.
Dergen smiled and lent in towards her, his lips directed at hers. She turned her face away in the hope he would know she did not want him. But Dergen gave a small laugh then pulled her head to face him.
“Let go of me.” Raliena managed to squeak and brought her arms up in defence, but he grabbed her fists in his hands and pressed his body against hers so she couldn't move.
Dergen laughed cruelly at her and using one large hand to hold both of hers, held Raliena’s face with the other, forcing her to look at him.
“Kiss me.” He hissed and she felt his breath on her. His magnetism threatened to consume her and she almost imagined her body moving towards his.
“Never.” Raliena managed to say before she lost control. “I will scream.”
“Please do.”
Suddenly his mouth was on hers, claiming it. Raliena scrunched up her eyes and struggled against him but he had his full weight holding her against the damp wall. She couldn’t move; the drowning feeling as unbearable as his touch.
Dergen made a small satisfied noise and his grip loosened enough for her to free one hand. Raliena opened her eyes in surprise and a wave of anger rushed over her, so intense it seared her whole body, all the way from her toes to the tips of her fingers on the hand she had freed.
With all this new strength and power she directed it into her arm and her hand and pushed against his chest as hard as she could, her only thought was wanting to hurt him. There was a brief moment when nothing happened, then Dergen yelped and jumped back, panting and clutching his chest where she had touched him.
Raliena was panting too from the residual anger she still felt through her veins, she closed her eyes involuntary and leaned against the wall, her hand still out in front of her. Dergen started laughing and she opened her eyes to see him pull open his shirt and examine his chest.
Where Raliena had touched him was a small hand shaped burn, just starting to blister. Raliena stared at the wound, then at her hand and dropped it to her side.
“Oh yes!” Dergen exclaimed almost triumphantly. “Truly exquisite!”
Raliena stared at him, feeling the anger resurface. She spat at the ground where his feet were and stomped away quickly, not looking back, even when Dergen’s echoed cackling halted and he called for her to stop.
She ran, down several corridors, whichever ones she thought led away from him. She stopped finally and leant her tired body against the closest doorframe.
Raliena ran her hands through her hair then stared down at them.
Had she done that? Or had it been one of Dergen’s tricks?
It seemed unlikely he would do something like that when he knew nothing about her healing ability. Unless he d
id know, but Dergen’s expression told Raliena he was not expecting what happened and she could not deny she had felt the power within her. Felt it surge and pulse like a wave looking for the shore. Perhaps she could hurt as much as she could heal, she had just never wanted to before.
It was unnerving that she found it so thrilling.
A sound of shuffling footsteps from round the corner startled her and she felt behind for the handle of the door and backed into the room.
“Sa Raliena?” She thought she heard someone whisper before she closed the door quietly and turned around.
The room was full of vials and bottles, with scribbled on parchment dominating the floor and the desk to the centre of the space. The dark curtains were pulled across the deep bay window, diming the room. A little light through the gap in the drapes snaked towards her feet and allowed her to see the maps on the desk; maps of Fardonmeria and detailed sketches of Verxia castle and the surrounding forest.
Raliena stared at them and picked up one of the vials that were closest to her.
It contained an orange liquid she had not seen before and the label on it was written in a language she did not recognise; as were the letters on the desk. She replaced the vial and caught her haunted expression in the full length mirror to her left. She was still panting, her cheeks flushed from running and a light sheen of sweat on her brow.
What is Dergen up to?
Muffled voices behind the door made Raliena dart for the window and behind the curtains, just as Dergen entered followed by Welver, his faithful manservant.
“Stop fussing Welver and bring me some water! I want to look at this thing.”
Through a gap in the curtains Raliena could see Dergen stood by the mirror, examining the wound she had given him, a stupid grin on his face.
Welver brought the water to him and Dergen patted at the burn, wincing as he did. Raliena had to wipe the smile off her face at his discomfort.
“So, it is her then? The Araman?” Welver asked.
“Yes of course she is.” Dergen snapped. “As I knew she would be.”
“So what now?”
“Now, the war begins.”
Raliena knotted her brow. What did Dergen mean? The war against her? Against the Kingdom? And he sounded like he knew about her power.
“But the General didn't die.” Welver continued.
“An inconvenience but it is of no consequence, I gained what I needed from it. Clearly Sa Raliena was the one to heal him so must know of her healing ability but judging by her reaction to my advance a moment ago-” he smiled sweetly at the memory, “-she did not know she could cause the opposing effect.”
“Is that why she didn’t kill you?” Welver asked, passing a bandage to Dergen who snatched it out if his hand and began dressing the burn on his chest.
“She can no more kill with her powers then she can bring back the dead with it.” Dergen replied impatiently. “Even if she were bound to me.”
Bound to him? Raliena thought, this conversation didn’t seem real. How could he know more about her then she did? She could feel her head spinning as she tried to take in the bombardment of information.
“Our little forest friends will be watching me now.” Dergen stared at himself in the mirror and said, too low for Welver to hear, “they can ignore me no longer. Not now that I have found her. They need her almost as much as I do.”
Raliena shuddered at his tone.
Dergen finished tying off the bandage and buttoned up his shirt. “I just need a way to stop General Kassen from killing a Unisayan, as much as it pains me to rescue one, this alliance must not happen.”
“Can you not make the Araman impure?”
Dergen snorted. “It is a myth you imbecile. No, if I were to do that it would be for my own reasons.” His smile was sinister and bile filled Raliena’s mouth at what he must be thinking. “And I cannot let her be killed either, that is where my father went wrong with the girl's mother.”
Raliena couldn't stifle the small helpless gulp she made and she watched in horror as Dergen put his finger to his lips and indicated for Welver to check the window. It took too long for Welver to process what his Master wanted him to do, so Dergen marched to the window himself and in one swift motion open the curtains wide. There was nothing in the alcove behind it but the distant sound of birds. He grimaced at the noise and turned back to the room, kicking Welver hard as he passed.
“I told you to keep the window closed!”
“Yes, Sir.” Welver squirmed and hurried to close it while Dergen sat at his desk and thought about what his next move might be.