Part 9: The Game

(date ref: feb 2nd vol 2)

SILK

He had not really expected Edwin to follow him from the Great Hall. There had been an awful tension between the two of them all night. Edwin's dramatic scene of the night before, it had been no mere tantrum, he had meant it.

Silk had hopelessly tried to gain any advantage over Armand, but Edwin's presence beside the rival king unnerved him. The fact that Edwin already wore the king's colours spoke too clearly of his friend's chance of heart. How easily he had been replaced. Silk hated Armand intensely. Silk suspected that king knew this, but he also knew that his life was in no danger. The painted fool was no killer.

From the Great Hall, Silk had gone to his rooms, and with nothing else to do he retired, but found he could not sleep. The emptiness of his bed reflected the painful hole in his heart. For most of the night he lay awake, hoping that Edwin would come to him. He replayed the memories of their last times together – of when they had just passed through the Gateway together, galloping like the wind, ready to face any obstacle. They had been all alone, just them, their steeds and the glorious heavens. He remembered that night too, the simple closeness, of how it seemed that nothing could ever come between them. Then, tormenting himself with these memories, he recalled Edwin's hurt feelings, and own tormented expression, that Silk himself had so recently brushed aside, and even blatantly ignored.

Edwin did not come.

(date ref: feb 4th vol 2 rewrite as typed)

EDWIN

It was Edwin who awoke first, and was startled to realise where he was. And even more so to find that he was unclothed. Armand slept deeply beside him, even in sleep it seemed that not a single lock of hair was out of place, Edwin literally burned to lean over and kiss the lips of the sleeping king, but he found his memory of the previous night to be hazy at best. He remembered staring in to Armand's eyes, totally besotted, he recalled also feeling very peculiar. The king had, as he'd expected, probed him for information, Edwin knew he had given away far more than he had originally intended -–no doubt that had been Armand's intent – but he had managed to withhold enough to warrant further interest from the stunning man.

A peculiar effect of the laudanum, one that Edwin was sure Armand enjoyed the most, was that although it intoxicated, and even paralysed the body the mind was sharpened. although in his inexperience the new sense of self-awareness had caused the truth-drug effect, it would take little practice to negate this effect. It was stunning upon reflection just how much of the stuff Armand had put away, especially considering its potency.

Seeing Armand's obvious sharpness of mind, Edwin had been dropping (what he now hoped were) subtle intimate hints. The king had understood his intentions and had given off no adverse signals – indeed was he not now naked in the kings bed? It was there that things got hazy, Edwin could not remember what transpired in order for him to end up in that position, he felt though that nothing had taken place, Armand would one day be his, but not yet. The Carthian still had games to play, that seemed to be his style – mental torment, and this was another of his strategies. Armand had not stirred while Edwin mulled these things, his eyes fixed upon the lips so near, yet so far. The lord decided the best strategy would be to make himself scarce. He doubted that Armand would value his company in the cold light of the morning.

Gently he eased out of the bed, and gathered his clothes. Soon his own rooms welcomed him, actually, now Edwin knew the locations of a few places in the keep he realised that his quarters were not far from Armand's own – obviously the king had read him like a book from the moment he set foot in the Stronghold. Edwin liked the thought of someone who could best him at every turn, someone worthy of adoration, Silk had been the opposite, always needing support, reassurance, protection, Edwin sighed they could not be more dissimilar.

The rooms no longer felt so empty, it was true that he was alone here, but things had changed.

Surrendia be damned, and Silk with it.

ADD ANOTHER DAY HERE...

(date ref: feb 6th vol 2)

ALEXANDRA

Steadily the queen began to recover some of her senses. Her mind still wandered jaggedly within its self, but she became able to perform some simple tasks, such as feeding herself. Every day Bethany would come and sit with her, relating as much information and news from abroad the castle as she could herself discover. The girls words would filter through the fractal that was the queens mind. Megalomaniacally she kept every shred, searching for the underlying meaning.

"The Lady Morgan of Midian is in the Stronghold" Bethany was saying "Armand did quite literally, bump into her last night. When he introduced her to King Silk, she reacted most unseemly, and ran from the hall" amazingly, the queen spoke, Bethany jumped – for days she had been talking with no response

"Was it Armand's fault?" her voice ragged and distant

"No your highness, though he did tease her rotten, his charm and graces robbed the insults of their sting. The ostler told me that they all arrived at the same time, and that she did not seem to offer Silk any courtesy, perhaps they withheld their identity from her"

"perhaps. Has he spoken to Armand yet?"

"I think not, majesty, Armand did sit with them for the meal last night, but Silk seemed preoccupied and left alone quite early"

"Alone?" Despite her insightful questions Alexandra was finding talking a huge strain, and was sweating visibly. Helpfully, Bethany mopped the queens brow with a cloth as she answered

"His companion, Lord Edwin, was still with the king when I retired, a slave told me they left together ... It is odd though" she added thoughtfully " the king and this lord had clothes on the exact same shade of red"

"Nothing is by chance" She grabbed the girls hand painfully tight " Do not trust him" she hissed, fright entered the girls eyes. Satisfied she released her and almost silently added " I wish to be in my garden"

"At once your highness"

Bethany arranged a litter to take the queen to the garden, she could never have walked the distance. Slumped back into her chaos of semi-madness the queen pondered the new information. She could see trouble looming, dark and menacing. It sat on the horizon of the future. Some among the nobles may think that Silk's presence in the Stronghold refuted the war rumour, Alexandra, however knew better. Surrendian custom demanded a three-day wake before the customary cremation of a monarch, and Silk had left on the fourth day. There was she realised, no way that Silk could have been coronated. He had fled when his kingdom had needed him the most. Who was in charge back in Surrendia? Had Silk left of his own violation or had he fled usurped by a faction stronger than he? News from Surrendia was infrequent at best, they had no real idea of the political situation as it stood now.

(date ref: feb 8th vol 2)

SILK

In the early morning the Surrendian king managed to sleep only fitfully, the days of travel and mental cruelty were taking their toll. It seemed now that he was destined to brave this antagonistic world alone, surrounded only by people as fickle and insubstantial as a summers breeze. Where had his allies gone? It was with churning emotions that her remembered that days between the murder and his leaving the fort- the blood and the haunted look in his sister's eyes.

Why had he listened to Edwin? He should have sent his army after the wench, and why had Edwin seemed so sure that she would turn up here anyway. He could see the error of his ways, see his weaknesses. But, he lamented, perhaps he could salvage something from this trip still.

It was later in the day, Silk was up and dressed, when a servant of the Queen arrived, with a message that she wished to see him. It was then that he realised she had been oddly absent since his arrival. She was reputed to be both beautiful and kindly, despite her fearsome performance in the Great War. He was relieved that she had asked for the audience, perhaps in her he would find someone he could deal with.

The servant easily led him through the seemingly tortuous corridors of the inner keep, eventually he stopped outside one of many faceless doors

"I cannot enter here" The servant explained "It is her private place" With that the servant turned and left, leaving Silk wondering what sort of room lay on the other side of the door. With a deep breath Silk opened the door, and was surprised to find a garden maze

Silk ventured within, stunned by it's sunlit interior, and swamped by the various fragrances wafting up from various blooms. He wandered aimlessly, letting his feet guide him and eventually he arrived at the centre, and there found the queen. From the centre he could see that the garden was quite small, and surrounded on all sides by blank walls, several stories high, the sunlight seemed to be reflected down from above by a complex arrangement of mirrors. Here where there should have only been shadow, there was nothing but light and life.

Profoundly he realised that that was how Alexandra saw life as a whole – tenuous and frail, rigid, yet changing all at the same time. The Queen had remained silent while he had been gawking, but now she spoke

"Welcome to my garden Silk"

"Your highness" he bowed respectfully, reminding himself that this frail woman had killed a good number of his fellow countrymen "It is an honour, this place is truly a wonder"

"Thank you, you are kind ... Every plant and stone I placed here myself" her eyes misted over for a moment, some long forgotten memory triggered, then she was back in the present, eyes showing signs of the legendary shrewdness and intellect

"You have had a bad time recently" she said in a tone that needed no reply, he nodded perhaps here was someone sane who he could talk to. If this world wise queen could make sense of this mess, then perhaps Surrendia – and Carthia too – could be saved. "We here in the Stronghold have had our share of trouble"

"Indeed your highness, I for one feel your pain, my people I'm sure send their condolences too"

He lied there, Surrendia was – at least for now – had been glad to see the back of Louie (though, perhaps if they had to choose between Armand and Louie they would choose Louie). Alexandra seemed content to accept the lie.

"Listen Silk ... there is trouble brewing. Not from me, and not from you ... I wonder though where is your crown?"

"My crown?" Silk was caught off guard by her change of questioning, her tone of voice too had changed

"Yes. It seems you left it behind when you left in such a hurry ... No coronation?"

"That is true ... Edwin-"

"Yes" she prompted

"Yes, well..."

"There is trouble there too?"

"Yes. I fear what we once shared has been shattered" Despite who she was, queen to a mass slaughterer of his people, he wanted to trust her, found himself gladly giving her information. Away from Edwin's stormy and infectious character Silk saw the situation more clearly.

"My older sister, Princess Hannah, is regent in my absence"

"Is this a good thing?"

"I ... I don't know, before we left there was some unpleasantness"

"Go on..." she said gently. She seemed to have a genuine sympathy for him, motherly perhaps. Silk wondered if once Armand had been capable of empathy, if in the sweet child- prince something sinister had taken seed and grown into something devastating and evil, leaving no room for what had once been. Knowing that what was so obvious in Armand's character could also be present in Alexandra, just conveniently hidden for his sake.

"I'd rather not go into it right now" he mumbled, feeling distrustful again – he had made too many mistakes recently to continue making them.

"It makes no matter " she said "it is enough that she rules."

"Until I return..." he added petulantly

"You think it will be that easy? You've not had much experience with women have you?" Edwin blushed, thinking of Edwin again. "Do not fret, young king, the wrongs of the past will be righted in the future. Can you not feel it all around you?"

Silk looked around but could see only the garden, as pretty as it was, it held no solutions

"I'm sorry, good Queen, I see only flowers"

The queens face changed, suddenly, like a flickering flame, a look of total, mindless insanity took hold of her face. Hideously she laughed. Shocked, and more than a little frightened, Silk backed away. Shaken Silk left the garden, Alexandra's manic laughter still ringing in his ears

As Silk had increasingly found since leaving his fort, his daily pain Armand mental torment had not yet finished, for as he fled the sound of that insane laughter, he ran straight into Morgan.

(date ref feb 14th vol2)

MORGAN

She had been unreasonably upset by Silk's real identity. It seemed underhanded, it was downright rude. She had travelled right across their fair continent, not only with a Surrendian – the enemy, but the King, and she had sat on his horse.

She remembered, barely two days hence, standing in his arms, while lightning flashed all around them. Morgan herself was unsure what single thing made her the most angry about Silk, weather it was because he had lied to her, or weather it was because she had made a fool of herself. Either way she was not keen to see him again. Nor that Edwin, there was something not quite right about that boy, she decided. Superficially he was moody, possessive, passionate, and more than a little off-putting. She could not understand why Silk had chosen him as a travelling companion. She always felt more than a little on edge around him, he seemed to scorn everything she was, not just her personally, but females as a whole. Yes, the less she saw of Edwin the better she would feel.

Having nothing better to do, Morgan was wandering the varied halls of the Stronghold. The corridors formed a complex latticework, first there were royal halls- for the sole use of nobility, these had the most expensive ornamentation. Then there were common halls, still decorated, but nowhere near as lavish, but still with unmistakable signs of regular use, mixed in with these were, from appearance, seemingly random unused passages. If one walked as the bird flew, you would find a passage mutate through all three types. Structurally though it made perfect sense.

Musing this ancient conundrum, she absently wandered along. All was silent and still, the incredibly thick stone walls absorbing all sounds, dampening it. Suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, she bumped right in to Silk, he had appeared from nowhere. Crossly she tried to storm away, before she could be drawn on to conversation.

He saw her intent, and grabbed her wrist "Please wait" He said, his well-spoken voice, touched the strings of her recently bruised heart.

"Please" she begged, genuine pleading in her voice "Let go of me"

He complied, but his eyes stayed alert for any sign of her leaving again

"I'm sorry Morgan" He ventured, hesitantly

"That's not good enough Silk" Some of the defiance had re-entered her voice, she was too used to getting her own way to change in one day "I don't want to see you again" Then sarcastically added "Your Majesty"

"Morgan, please, I'm still the same person I was" She cut him off mid-sentence, anger and hurt had risen quickly into her voice

"NO! no you're not! You're a liar, and a Surrendian, and ... and a ruiner! You've ruined everything" Unconsciously she stamped her foot in a childish gesture, and ran off down the corridor, nearly bursting into tears. She heard him calling after her, the sound releasing the tears. Blinded now, she ran heedlessly down the passages.

(date ref: feb 15th vol 2)

ARMAND

The king lounged in his favourite chair. As was his norm, he had not bothered to dress after waking. His privacy absolute, no locks were needed only in a catastrophic situation would someone enter uninvited. The same was true for any noble, their apartments were sacrosanct. Leander would eventually arrive, but being undressed would only aid his bath.

Sipping the ever present laudanum he watched the dust motes drift through the sunbeams which filtered through the window, he pondered Edwin. Edwin's 'hints' had been so obvious as to be almost pitiful.

It was a subtle game they had played, many unspoken cards had been laid upon the table. Armand had found Edwin to be every bit as passionate as he suspected, and very quick of mind. Armand was certain that the young lord's overwhelming intense passion would cause him to throw himself headlong into everything he attempted would, eventually be his undoing. Armand was sure that his – former – closeness to Silk would yet prove to be invaluable to him. Already the lad had talked generally about the Surrendian King, his life and hobbies, hinting at the useful information he had but had not yet divulged. Wherever Edwin dropped his little hints Armand picked them out, storing the feeders for later use. Silk had drifted aimlessly, and often unwillingly through life, with no real friends and a domineering older sister. Until Edwin, they had fast become the best of friends, in a short while becoming inseparable. With Edwin's inflaming, yet devoted presence Silk had found new courage, taking up hunting as a favoured hobby. Edwin had also mentioned the twin horses, and Armand was keen to see them. Morgan's reaction to Silk had been interesting in the least. The girl was too obvious, gave too much away, having been raised in near isolation in the fens she had no real experience of how to act in court.

Briefly Armand thought of his mother, so still and quiet in her rooms. It had been several days since he had popped in on her. Perhaps he should drop in on her to check she remained unresponsive. Suddenly his solitude was broken, he felt rather than heard the intrusion – they made no noise, but he could feel them.

Behind him the door opened. The copious amounts of laudanum consumed by Armand that morning made him more relaxed than was his norm. He did not turn to check the identity of the 'intruder', assuming it to be Leander.

"Ah, good – Leander" Armand said cheerfully "I need to look particularly dashing today, I've got lots to do!"

In silence 'Leander' came over, he stood behind the king and began fiddling with his hair, Armand lay back, enjoying the feel

"Your rather quiet today, Leander" Armand commented, it was true that his new valet was the quiet type, but usually he threw a few 'your highnesses around for good measure

A voice filled with trepidation and eagerness answered " Guess again Sire"

With almost supernatural reflexes Armand spun out of his chair

"Get out!" he yelled, even before he had fully registered that the intruder was Edwin

The lord stood, rooted to the spot, the realisation of his folly clear on his face "My lord ... I meant no insult" he bowed low, almost to the floor "Please, forgive me"

"How dare you come, uninvited to my rooms, I am king of Carthia, and don't you forget it"

"I am sorry Your Highness"

Over Edwin's shoulder Armand saw Leander enter the room "Leave now " he said again to Edwin, his voice still angry "I will deal with you later" Crushed, but no less in love, Edwin left.

Leander came over, his face pale "Your highness, are you alright? Should I summon a guard?" the boy looked distrustfully in the direction of the door, as if the Surrendian would return.

"yes, yes I'm fine. A guard won't be necessary. Now hurry up, I can't stand here like this all day" Armand indicated his naked form,

"Oh! My word – I'm sorry your highness I hadn't noticed!" the servant blushed at his mistake, he was used to the king disrobed, but knew it was quite another matter for him to be stood about in front of visiting dignitaries like that. "Are you sure you wouldn't like me to call a guard - it is unthinkable that he should have wandered in here unchallenged and uninvited"

"I will deal with it personally" Armand said with finality in his voice.

(date ref: feb 19th vol 2)

EDWIN

Edwin did not know why he had gone to Armand's rooms, what had he expected, he cursed to himself, striding into the kings bedchambers – treating the king like some insecure 'child', treating him as if he were Silk.

Out of all the things he had thought of since leaving the king quietly sleeping, Edwin had not imagined finding the king totally naked. The remembrance of Armand stirred his soul, for varying reasons. For a brief moment he had glimpsed new things about Armand's personality, his off side, no make-up, no frills, and no pretences. This part of the king was evidently well hidden- surely Armand was too much of a perfectionist for his mask to slip. Also he had seen his bewitcher angered, all the more dashing for his lightning reflexes, and murderous glint in his eyes. Even in surprise, Armand had been graceful, and regal, the royalness in his blood showing proud and defiant.