Chapter 6

A quick check at the docks showed no ships heading north. There was a ship arriving that would be docked within 20 minutes. They waited. As the ship approached, Ree'al saw two men standing apart from the others on the deck.

"Mia," Ree'al said. "Not to worry you too much but there may be Valnessa on the ship."

Mia said something un-lady like.

"My, what a mouth you have on you!" Ree'al laughed.

"You've never complained about my mouth before," she gave him a look.

"That's my lovely Mia," he said and kissed her.

"Ree'al," she said after the kiss. "What do we do?"

"We'll see what they want. I don't want you involved, but if you must fight, stay on my right. I don't know how well my left arm will hold up. I want to protect you."

"Which is why I'll be on your left, stupid."

"You do know that if you're a queen you have to do what I tell you?"

"Then at most I'll be your consort," she answered. "Now give us a hug."

There was not even a pretense of honor. The first Valnessan pulled his weapons and charged as soon as he was on land. Ree'al met his rush and as they crashed together Lormia's blade came in from the left side striking the man at the hip. Her sword stuck fast in his pelvis. Ree'al pushed her hard to the left and she fell, pulling her blade and the wounded man with her. The second Vanessan's ginja struck only air where Lormia had been. Ree'al stabbed him in the chest.

While the man looked down at his chest, Ree'al drove his tanja into the first man's back. Immediately after, he withdrew his ginja and drove it in again. The second man was down.

"Mia!" Ree'al shouted. "Are you hurt?"

"No but I can't get my sword out," she said as she struggled to her feet. "Will you get my sword for me?"

"Don't ever strike the hip!" Ree'al admonished her. "Your sword will almost certainly get stuck."

"I would have struck higher but you had your elbows in the way."

"Did you think that there was only one way to make power? I dropped my elbows to make myself strong against his rush."

"You can't swing a sword with your elbows in," she insisted.

"No of course not," Ree'al said. "But I was making power against his rush not swinging my sword. Why is blood running down your hand?"

"What?"

The right arm of Lormia's jacket was sliced almost from her shoulder to her elbow.

Ree'al pulled her away from the bodies and said "Sit down, Lormia. Let me look at it."

Ree'al ripped her jacket open. The wound did not look deep but he pulled the two sides apart to make sure. She didn't complain.

The wound was not very deep but was nearly six inches long. "It's barely cut, my lovely Mia," Ree'al said reassuringly. "We'll bind it and then do some sewing."

Ree'al glanced up at her face and saw she was as white as the summer clouds. "Lay you head back Mia."

To a town guard, who were just now arriving, Ree'al said, "Get blankets, several and make sure they're clean."

"Can't we sew it at Lady Apala's?" Lormia asked.

"Of course, but you are doing your best to go into shock. So I need to get you bundled up nice and toasty."

Ree'al heard the sound a running men coming his way. He sprang to his feet with his both swords at ready.

A tall man was leading a group of guards, their liveries unknown to Ree'al. The tall man had grey hair and the clothes of a merchant. From the way he held the sword, Ree'al was sure he didn't know how to use it.

"Are you Danjaris Ree'al da Jarnessa," the man asked.

"Yes and you are?"

"I am Tomios of Dunmar," he said. "I was at Lady Apala's," he said. "We were discussing business when we heard you were in trouble. We came as fast as we could my Lord."

"I'm in debt to you sir," Ree'al bowed. "Perhaps you can have your men carry her to Lady Apala's. She has been injured."

"What do we carry her on?"

"That door," Ree'al pointed to a nearby sail makers shop.

"You can't just take my door," the sail maker said.

Ree'al flipped the man a gold coin. "I have a crowbar," this from the now happy man.

"Ree'al!" Lady Apala cried out as she ran to him. "How badly is she hurt?"

"The wound isn't bad but she is a little shocky." Ree'al gave Apala a quick hug. "Let's get her inside where she is warm and try to get her to drink something."

Lormia was quickly carried to the Apala Estate.

"Ree'al don't make such a big deal of this," Lormia said. "I was just weak for a moment. I'm fine now."

"Yes and you have nice rosy cheeks from being outside." Lormia held her hand to her face. "Do I," she said.

"No and if you don't do what you are told you will have a rosy bottom. Your face is still as pale as white wash."

Janella brought tea into a bedroom on the first floor. "Is this what you need my Lord?"

"Thank you Janella," Ree'al smiled at her. "Please bring me some honey and some salt."

Janella gave him a questioning look, she left the room with a quick, "Yes my Lord."

Ree'al pulled out a dagger and began to cut Lormia clothes off.

"Are you going to strip her naked Ree'al?" Apala asked.

"No, just her jacket and shirt," he said as he continued to undress her.

"Now roll over onto your stomach. OK now to your left side.

Good. Your butt is still cute and I see no other wounds," he announced after inspecting her.

"I'm cold and I am very mad at you."

"I'll get blankets on you now," Ree'al said and began to cover Lormia. "Why are you mad at me?"

"It's your fault that I'm injured. I was cut when you threw me on my blade."

"That is so ridiculous," he paused and began again to put blankets on her. "You lost control of your weapon. That was your first mistake. Then you stood there tugging on the blade as a man aimed a killing stroke at you. Had I not pushed you, you would have been killed."

"See there," Lormia said to Apala. "He admits he pushed me."

"Ree'al," Lady Apala scolded. "I thought you treated women better than that."

"Lord Tomios." Ree'al saw him standing in the doorway. "Please come in. These women are insane or is that a redundant statement?"

"I sorry I arrived too late to be of assistance," Tomios said. "And I am no Lord, just a simple merchant."

"You are more than a simple merchant if you are the friend of Lady Apala," Ree'al laughed. "In any event you came to rescue us. That is what matters. That is the honorable deed. I am in your debt and I won't forget it."

"Why did those men attack you?" Tomios asked.

"They seek to kill me before I take the throne that is rightfully mine."

"Apala said that you were always telling jokes," Tomios laughed.

"When will you start sewing, Ree'al?" Lormia asked

"As soon as your color improved and I can be sure you feel the pain."

"I feel pain now."

"I'm sorry Mia, but I can't give you anything for the pain until your body decides to calm down."

"If you're grinning I will kill you," Lormia promised. "Ree'al what happened?" Apala asked. "Have you finally come to your senses?"

"He's a man," Lormia said. "How could he have any sense?"

"It's not a story that needs telling while Mia bleeds," Ree'al said. "She looks better than when she was brought in. Janella, in my pack is a medical box, inside of which you will find a black bottle. Please bring it to me."

"No!" Lormia bolted upright.

"We are among friends," Ree'al said. "None the less, you should cover yourself, my dear."

Lormia yanked a blanket to cover her breasts. "You will not use that damn powder on me," she insisted.

"Are you dizzy?" Ree'al asked her.

"You won't Ree'al," Lormia said again.

"Are you dizzy?" Ree'al asked her.

"No. Why?"

"If you can sit up quickly and not get dizzy, I can soon begin to sew on you."

"Ree'al, I'm serious," Lormia insisted. "I won't let you used that damn powder on me."

"Of course not," Ree'al said. "You have a simple cut. I just needed you to sit up quickly."

"You bastard!"

"Ree'al why are you so cruel to her," Apala asked.

"I'm not cruel," he said. "I care for her very much and I needed to evaluate her condition. Will you call me mean when I stick the sewing needle in her?"

"You're a bastard and you will always be a bastard," Lormia said as she sank back onto the bed."

"My lovely Mia," Ree'al said. "You must stop saying that. When I am crowned, that statement will be treasonous."

"You really are a crown prince?" Tomios asked. "He's joking isn't he?"

"I'm not according to Mia but I'm sure that my people will accept me," Ree'al grinned at Tomios.

Later, with Lormia sleeping and Tomios attending to a trade, Ree'al and Lady Apala spend time alone in the sitting room. "So my prince," Apala said. "What brought you to your senses?"

Ree'al told his story, the whole story of what happened in Sulvara. Then he told of Darsonus' death and his story of Mia.

"So you traveled with Mia and fell in love with her. Now you feel guilty that you didn't come back for me, don't you?"

"I'm not sure that I'm in love with her," Ree'al said. "Perhaps it's a simple case of lust."

"No, Ree'al. You know better."

"In any event I should speak to her about love before I speak to another."

"You haven't told her you love her? Ree'al sometimes you really are stupid. All right then, answer me this. Do you feel guilty that you didn't come back for me?"

"Yes."

"Well don't," she smiled. "You did rescue me, but I would not make a good queen. I can't bear your children, Mia can. I didn't capture you heart like Mia has. I can see it in your eyes and in hers. You try to mask your love but it is obvious. I am in love with Tomios. We will be wed. He wanted to live in Dunmar but I asked that we stay here. He is moving here in the summer."

"He is a good man," Ree'al said.

"Yes he is."

"Apala, if you want him to stay a good man, please keep him out of a fight. He has no idea what to do with a sword."

"But he was dashing wasn't he?"

"Yes. The two of you look good together."

"So do you and Lormia. You're the only people I've ever seen who have amber eyes."

"What did you say?" Ree'al looked startled.

"I said you looked good together."

"No. You said we have amber eyes."

"Ree'al, it shouldn't shock you."

"In my travels, since I left Sulvara," Ree'al was thinking out loud. "She is the only person I have seen with amber eyes."

"How many people in Sulvara have amber eyes?" Lady Apala asked.

"All."

"So what's the problem, you've got amber eyes."

Shaking his head he said, "I've found happiness and I've found a purpose, now if we can just stay alive to enjoy it."

"Are you a peace with Darsonus' death? I know that you'll blame yourself."

"Everything was a game up to that point. I wandered here and there without purpose. Content that I had a friend. Ignorant of dangers ahead," Ree'al said. "I forgot that I have a responsibility to those with me. I hope it's a lesson I never need to learn again. Darsonus was a terrible loss. The Valnessa will pay dearly for it. If it was the Valnessa that killed my wife the terrible night, I will destroy them."

"Well, I need to go help my husband to be. It won't do for him to lose all his money before we marry. You need to be with Mia. Thank you for everything my prince," she gave him a kiss on the cheek as she left."

"Thank you, my Lady." He bowed with a flourish.

Her laughter followed her out the door.

A voice awakened Ree'al.

"I'm here Mia," he said as he made his way to her bedside. "How do you feel?"

"I'm hungry, I need to pee, and my arm hurts."

"Here let's see if we can get you up and walking. Please don't fall on me. Good. Here is the water closet. Do you need me in to help you?"

"Not really."

"I'll go to the kitchen and see what I can find for you."

When he returned, Lormia was trying to put a new shirt on. "Did you really need to cut my shirt off?"

"Actually it was sexy in a strange perverted way," Ree'al said. "I may do it again when you're better."

"I should have known," Lormia said slowly shaking her head. "How is the wound, really?"

"There will be no lasting effects," he reassured her. "Give it time to heal and it will be fine."

"How did your talk with Lady Apala go?"

"Better than I could have hoped for," he smiled. "She's in love and it shows."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. I saw man running with sword who shouldn't be running with a letter opener, she saw a dashing figure. It must be love." He laughed.

"What time of day is it?" Lormia asked.

"Late afternoon. You slept some after you took your pain medicine."

"Can you help me dress," she asked. "My arm is hurt not my legs. I want to walk around."

"Yes I'll help you, but then we need to see if some food

stays down and we need to talk."

A moment later Lormia said in resignation, "Ree'al holding my boobs isn't what I had in mind when I asked you to help me dress."

"I'm doing my best dear. Lormia, I need to ask you about your life before we met."

"Don't be stupid. I was joking. I've never been in a whorehouse," her face turning red.

"I know. I know. I know. I need to learn about your family."

"I have no family," Lormia said with finality.

Why is dealing with women so complicated, Ree'al thought. He took a minute to decide on an approach, blunt.

"Did you mother or father have amber eyes?"

"I don't want to talk about them." This time her answer was a little defensive.

"Lormia, I wouldn't ask this if it weren't important. Please."

"Yes, my father."

"Anyone else in your family?"

"My father's father and his mother."

"Unbelievable," Ree'al whispered.

"Why is that unbelievable? You have amber eyes."