Fire Angels

Chapter 15 Part 4 Fallout

I was shown into a small ante-room to wait. Here I waited. And waited. Minutes passed and became half an hour and then an hour.

I knew I must ask the Duke to relieve the conditions of the women in the prison or be unable to live with myself, but as my anger cooled, this thought became overwhelmed by the certainty that the Duke was very angry with me; beside himself, Lord Sercel had said.

I could understand entirely why he might be angry at someone who had broken into his prison, injured several guards and provoked a riot and no doubt a scandal. How was I going to make my complaint without making him more angry and perhaps making the situation even worse for the women in prison? I understood entirely why the Duke did not want members of the Burning Light free behind his lines during a war. Though I couldn't imagine what children would do. Or women for that matter.

I could not really defend my actions in taking Radiance from the prison either, because according to the law she should be there and no one was above the law. However, if the Duke told me to return her there, I was going to have to refuse because no one should allow anyone to be imprisoned in such conditions. No, that was too confronting. I should allow the Duke to pretend he had not known about the conditions and then I must apologize for everything and state my complaint humbly but clearly. Though I was not sure I could apologize convincingly, because in my heart of hearts, I was certain he should have made it his business to know about the prison like he knew other things. I wanted to level that terrible place and let all those poor people go free.

I rehearsed and rehearsed the scene in my mind, trying to find the most tactful and yet effective way of saying what I must, but all of these rehearsals ended with the Duke shouting at me. After an hour I found myself trembling as I walked up and down. What if he ignored me? What if he sent me back to Cardun in disgrace? What if he put me in prison, myself? I paced and thought and trembled from fear and anger and the time stretched out to an hour and a half.

At that point the door of the ante-room opened and Julia Madraga stepped in.

She came over and took my hand.

"Karac has told me everything. My dear Enna Dion, I am so shocked."

I found myself clinging to her hand.

"You were so brave," she said. "I am amazed at what you did."

"I know it was wrong, but how could I leave Radiance in that place. It was..."

"I know. And I have come myself to speak with Duke Leon about it. Though these people are my enemies, they are still Morians and my subjects. What kind of ruler would I be if I did not try to relieve their suffering?"

A great rush of relief filled me.

"I am so glad," I said. "Perhaps the Duke will listen if you speak. I'm afraid he may be too angry to listen to me."

"My poor Dion," she said softly "Are you afraid?"

"Yes. But I am most afraid that I will not be able to help those poor women."

"We must do something to relieve them," she said. "It's villainous that this should have been going on and I not aware of it. Let me see the Duke when they call for you. I shall speak to him and I shall speak for you also."

"Are you sure the Duke will not be angry to get you instead of me," I asked.

"Now, now Dion. I am to marry this man and you must not be letting a husband get the better of you too early. If he is angry, I shall talk him round. Trust me."

Thus when the servant finally came for me after two hours, Lady Julia stood and said, "I'm afraid Enna Dion must wait for her appointment for I wish to speak with his Grace. You may go, Enna. I shall have you sent for at the appropriate time."

She swept from the room leaving the servant with no time to object.

I was left with a feeling of great relief and a curious feeling of anticlimax. This was the second time Lady Julia had put herself between me and the Duke. I felt slightly ashamed that I was hiding behind her skirts in this way.

Still it worked. The following day half the women from the prison were moved to the Convent of the White sisters to share in their house arrest. The Women's prison was cleaned from top to bottom and steps were taken to provide adequate sanitation, food and bedding to the women remaining there. The men's prison too received attention and a complete overhaul, although since fewer of them had survived to become prisoners, their conditions had never been so desperate.

I went with Lady Julia to inspect the reformed prison and there was cheering for us in the streets, for such generosity to defeated enemies was a popular action among the townsfolk. At the prison the women knelt to Lady Julia and kissed her hand and many of them addressed her as Duchess and some even as Queen. I saw Mercy among the crowd of prisoner and by her side stood a shaky but very alive Grace. I was able to tell them that they could go to stay with my sister Silva when they were finally released.

I did not ever have my disciplinary interview with the Duke. Instead the next time I saw him, he smiled at me quite openly and said nothing of the prison incident. After I had broken into the prison, the Duke's courtiers and even the servants had been very cold to me. Now they returned to their previous warmth. How frightening court life is.

The Duke did manage to punish me however though I know it was entirely unintentional. A couple of days after I had taken Radiance from the prison, negotiations with the Patriarch must have taken a turn for the worse. It was announced that a mixed troop of southerners and Gallians were to be stationed on the southern side of Montlammer 30 miles away and Shad's troop was one of them.