The Prince Who Seals Silence
"Write the letter," the Prince said, pressing his knife to the Enae's throat, denting the flesh. "Write it, or you'll bathe in your daughter's blood."
"And then what?" Garrow demanded. "You just...let her go?"
"Of course. My word on it."
His word. Of course. He would not dare to break it...the Gods would curse the Prince who was foresworn. Which was why this elaborate solution; it would be easier to simply cut his throat. But the Prince had given his word that he would spare the conspirators. It had been why his wife had betrayed him; she knew it would not be to his death.
But was this any less than death, Garrow wondered? What was a man, if not his memories?
In any case, Enae had clearly not been part of the bargain. But perhaps he could make a bargain of his own.
"I will sign," he said. "But first I want your word, not only that you will let Enae walk out of this room, but that you will never harm her or order harm done to her, even by implication."
"Father, please--" Enae burst out, but Garrow shook his head. "Do you swear?"
"I swear," the Prince said, repeating the conditions back as Garrow had specified. Garrow nodded, and wrote the letter the Prince had dictated. A letter to himself, saying that he had chosen to have his memories taken away by magic, because his memories were too painful. That he shouldn't leave the village he found himself in when he woke, or try to find out what had happened.
He signed it with a name they had provided him with. The name that would be his, upon waking.
"The clothes," the Prince reminded him.
Of course. His clothes would provide a clue to who he was. Enae averted her eyes as he stripped to his skin, and pulled on the rough homespun trousers and shirt. Then he folded the letter, slipped it into his pocket, and lay down on the table. The nondescript woman in the robes of a sorceress moved to bind his wrists down, but he shook his head. "I will not fight."
"You think it is an easy thing I am to do to you?" She let out a humorless laugh. "It will hurt. You will fight. So I will bind you."
"Be done with it, then." He looked at the Prince, who still held Enae. "And please--don't make her watch."
"It will be a good lesson for her," he said. "Since I cannot harm her, no matter what she does, she should see that there are still penalties for treason."
To that, he had no argument. There was nothing he could do, now; nothing he could do but regret. And soon, he would be left without that either.
He looked at Enae. Tears were sliding down her cheeks, though she was biting her lip to keep from crying out. He studied her, trying to burn her face into his memory, somewhere even the sorceress couldn't eradicate it.
He kept his eyes on her, until the screaming began.
Copyright Kit Russell 2004
"And then what?" Garrow demanded. "You just...let her go?"
"Of course. My word on it."
His word. Of course. He would not dare to break it...the Gods would curse the Prince who was foresworn. Which was why this elaborate solution; it would be easier to simply cut his throat. But the Prince had given his word that he would spare the conspirators. It had been why his wife had betrayed him; she knew it would not be to his death.
But was this any less than death, Garrow wondered? What was a man, if not his memories?
In any case, Enae had clearly not been part of the bargain. But perhaps he could make a bargain of his own.
"I will sign," he said. "But first I want your word, not only that you will let Enae walk out of this room, but that you will never harm her or order harm done to her, even by implication."
"Father, please--" Enae burst out, but Garrow shook his head. "Do you swear?"
"I swear," the Prince said, repeating the conditions back as Garrow had specified. Garrow nodded, and wrote the letter the Prince had dictated. A letter to himself, saying that he had chosen to have his memories taken away by magic, because his memories were too painful. That he shouldn't leave the village he found himself in when he woke, or try to find out what had happened.
He signed it with a name they had provided him with. The name that would be his, upon waking.
"The clothes," the Prince reminded him.
Of course. His clothes would provide a clue to who he was. Enae averted her eyes as he stripped to his skin, and pulled on the rough homespun trousers and shirt. Then he folded the letter, slipped it into his pocket, and lay down on the table. The nondescript woman in the robes of a sorceress moved to bind his wrists down, but he shook his head. "I will not fight."
"You think it is an easy thing I am to do to you?" She let out a humorless laugh. "It will hurt. You will fight. So I will bind you."
"Be done with it, then." He looked at the Prince, who still held Enae. "And please--don't make her watch."
"It will be a good lesson for her," he said. "Since I cannot harm her, no matter what she does, she should see that there are still penalties for treason."
To that, he had no argument. There was nothing he could do, now; nothing he could do but regret. And soon, he would be left without that either.
He looked at Enae. Tears were sliding down her cheeks, though she was biting her lip to keep from crying out. He studied her, trying to burn her face into his memory, somewhere even the sorceress couldn't eradicate it.
He kept his eyes on her, until the screaming began.
Copyright Kit Russell 2004