Three more days. Every step that left her feet aching was made bearable by how soon it would end. As privileged as it made her sound, the pilgrimage had been one of the worst experiences of her life thus far. On multiple levels, it was unfamiliar and torture.
Firstly, she struggled with how strenuous the journey was. While the first few days were spent on flat terrain, they soon started to walk across mountain tops. Since the former had already made Merari ache, the transition to hiking left every muscle in her body exhausted. She'd never be one for much exercise, using ballet and horse-riding to keep in shape, fencing too until she'd broken one too many epées. Never before had she been required to walk for hours on end.
The second issue was keeping her mouth shut. Far too many thoughts drifted into her head and not sharing them was a trial. At least once an hour, the Chèr would have to speak a word of warning because she'd opened her mouth to ramble about something or other. Each evening she had to talk for an hour straight to release all the bottled up energy.
Last but definitely not least came the unsanitary nature of everything. Around five days into their journey, the precipitation had started, turning dirt into mud. On the eighth day it had turned to snow, which had melted quickly, but had further muddied the path. Since then, Merari had fallen into the mud a few times, often in areas in which there was also horse manure. The stench of the manure mixed with her sweat, causing Merari to gradually lose her will to live. Each night she'd scrub herself until her skin was raw and she could only smell soap.
On the tenth day, Merari had been counting the minutes until she could bathe herself clean when they turned off the main path. She opened her mouth to question it.
'There's a village we can stay in here.'
Merari thought nothing of it until they passed the first field of cows. A vile scent filled their surroundings. Merari produced a handkerchief and covered her mouth and nose. Some chuckles accompanied the gesture. Merari just about stopped herself from starting an argument, but failed in suppressing a glare.
The stench did not improve; if anything, it worsened. The village the Chèr had mentioned turned out to be an agricultural settlement. Women in shawls and thick, homemade skirts hurried around with baskets of eggs and jugs of milk. Kids chased each other through the streets, most faces smudged with a bit of dirt. The houses were wooden and wore telltale signs of past repairs: a lighter plank of wood here, an excessive amount of nails there. Merari had never seen the likes before.
People nodded to the Eseterrians as they passed, but their smiles faded when they saw the crowd of pilgrims only to reappear when they saw Medea of all people. The Voire hugged one person after the other, murmuring words of greeting. Merari wondered whether she was dreaming.
A woman approached the Chèr and curtsied lowly. 'Sir, I know we agreed to house the Eseterrians and their guard, but we cannot possibly provide for all these pilgrims.'
'I assume you're the Hestia Medea mentioned?''
'Yes.'
'Well, Hestia, I'm not asking you to house or provide for the pilgrims. I've made it perfectly clear to them that if they insist on coming, they must make their own arrangements. I trust word hasn't left the village that we're staying here?'
'Everybody's been quiet and if any strangers came, we would know, sir.' She handed him a slate. 'Here's the list of beds per house. We've made sure there's always at least two so that an Eseterrian has a guard with her.'
Medea strolled over and took a look at the list. 'Arcane should stay with the Chryslers, they have all the facilities she'll need downstairs. I can see Kaya being comfortable with the Tephons, it's always freezing there so she won't overheat.'
Merari listened with narrowed eyes. She was distracted from her thinking by a breeze blowing farmyard stenches right up her nose. She gagged.
Medea cast her an unimpressed look. 'Merari can share with me.'
For some reason, Merari didn't get the impression that was a good thing, but she still wasn't allowed to protest. She sniffed when Medea hooked her arm into Merari's and gestured at two of the guards to follow her.
The house they were staying in stood a bit farther away from the others. It was surrounded by pig sheds and coops of zhefa. Merari rubbed her nose as if that would counteract the stench.
Medea stopped them right in front of the doors and placed her hands on Merari's shoulders. 'Let's make some things clear, Merari. You won't comment on the smells, you won't turn your nose up at the food, you won't complain about a hard mattress. You'll help out like everyone else too, understood?'
Merari was too stunned to respond. Not that she was allowed to speak until they entered the house anyway.
The inside was very much like they outside. Wooden planks stretched across the walls. The rug on the floor was hand-woven and fraying. At least the smell inside was somewhat pleasurable.
'Shouldn't we have knocked?' Merari pointed out.
'Medea? Is that you?' A boy's face peeked through the door-frame. His face lit up with glee when he recognised her. Medea kneeled down and he ran into her arms. 'Ow, you're squeezing too hard!'
'That's for flinging eggs at Sylvie's carriage.'
'I was aiming for her. Ow, ow, please!'
She let go of him with a wicked grin on her face. She rubbed off her dress and stepped through the doorway. Merari glanced back at the guards for some help, but they shrugged, both as uncomfortable as her. Dying inside, she followed Medea.
Medea was already hugging the next people in the kitchen. A pot of stew was cooking in the stove and a tall teenage boy was chopping carrots. Merari awkwardly lingered in the doorway until she remembered Medea's orders from before. With a sigh, she asked whether she could help.
'Oh, Medea, an Eseterrian... I, uh, no dearie, I don't think you can help,' said the woman Medea had been hugging.
'Oh, Mom, give her something to do. The pilgrimage is meant to give them a taste of humility.'
'They've been chosen by the spirits, sweetheart...'
'And? So have I, but I don't think too highly of myself to help in the kitchen.' Almost demonstratively, she picked up a jug. 'I'll go and get some water outside.'
'I don't see you helping out at the palace,' Merari pouted.
'Oh, shut up.'
Merari wanted to cry when Medea abandoned her. Now she and Medea's mother were staring at each other, both uncomfortable.
Her mother sighed and turned back to the stove. 'I wish she didn't have to be so disrespectful.'
Merari wasn't sure how to respond, so she didn't. She asked one of the three kids in the kitchen where the plates where and handed them out. The edges were chipped and the pattern fading.
'Don't you receive an allowance from the king for Medea?'
'We don't get much, but we contribute it to the village's support fund. That way if anybody here ever needs help, we can give it. We're all proud of Medea.'
'Couldn't you... Go to the palace or something? Live with her?'
'Why would we ever want to do that? Medea may be my daughter, but this is our home. We can easily get by, and even if the taxes are higher than ideal, it sounds like the prince is working on more and more reforms. This is the life we love and we wouldn't give it for the world.'
Merari stared at them. Did they know that Medea never mentioned her home and past? Did they know that Medea acted like any other noblewoman at court, be it a bit more vulgar? As proud as her mother was, Merari got the impression Medea wasn't exactly proud. So why had she been brought here?
'I'm going to see if Medea needs any help.'
Merari squeezed through the backdoor. She felt queasy when the scent filled her head again. Fortunately, she didn't need to go any closer to the livestock. Medea was stood at the well, staring into the distance.
'Why did you bring me here?'
'Because one day, the nation will benefit from what you have seen today.'
'But... Medea, why don't you mention your family?'
'Because people wouldn't understand. They'd go on and on about how lovely it must have been to find out I was a Voire,' she spat. 'We're meant to be an enlightened society. The king does that by supporting start-up industries. Every year he celebrates a decrease in agricultural labourers. Nobody understands. There's hope with Sutoku, but if the Chèr gets his way, it'll eventually lead to a civil war. The spirits told me change would come, but no. It's always Medea this, Medea that, and I'm so tired of it.'
Something was off about her. The light of the moon reflected in her eyes weirdly. Tears, Merari realised. She was crying.
Medea arched her face to the sky. 'I did everything you told me to and this is my reward. You're just as bad as her!'
'What are you-'
Footsteps sounded in the distance. They squelched in the mud, resulting in a sound that made Merari squirm. Opposite her, Medea dropped to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. The two guards that were sharing their lodgings and a man in the royal guard's livery came into view. Merari squinted at the latter. What was he doing here?
'Medea Navri, you are under arrest for conspiracy against the crown, the state of Cines and all that we believe in.'
♤ ♤ ♤
Medea's younger brother returned with the Chèr. When he arrived, Merari did something she'd never expected to do: She hugged him.
'They're searching Medea's room. I didn't know what to do, I don't know what...'
He me her eyes. 'You were right to send for me.'
He headed upstairs, while Merari stared at the stew at the centre of the table. None of Merari's family was eating, all were shocked by the news. They'd tried to get an explanation of the charges against her, but the investigator had claimed there were too many to mention.
Fortunately, the Chèr had more success. The investigator came down with him, though he showed no pleasure at having been dragged away.
'I don't believe I should be sharing this with unrelated people.'
'These people are Medea's family and Merari Minka may be able to present some information. If Medea is as devious as you claim, they should be able to back up those claims.'
He scrunched his mouth and nose in displeasure. 'Medea Navri is currently accused of multiple crimes, including murdering the Eseterrians, poisoning the king and hiding those with powers.'
Merari gaped at them.
'Lies,' shouted her brother. 'Medea doesn't even condone throwing eggs, let alone murder.'
'Why is she a suspect?' queried the Chèr.
'A few nights ago, the Leere discovered a man with a power. They discovered a potion that Nora Beaufic identified as a magic concealment draught with consumption instructions written by a Baba Mair. Due to the threat this poses to our order, we searched all the rooms and happened to find correspondence with the woman named in the suspect's room. Not long after, the king fell ill. Inspection through Leere could trace the poison back to a magical spell unlike anything they've ever seen or are able to reverse, dating to the night before the pilgrimage. We are now searching Medea's bags and current room for any evidence.'
'But it makes no sense. Medea can see the future, maybe she was investigating this Baba Mair because she saw her in the future?' suggested Merari. 'Besides, how can you blame her of the Eseterrians' murders?'
'The more we investigated, the more evidence we found. Firstly, the lack of warning. On many an occasion, Medea has claimed not to have been informed by the spirits regarding the sort of things the spirits should tell her. How didn't she foresee the Eseterrians demise? How didn't she predict Miss Bay's attack? How didn't she know about the king? Why didn't she prevent the attempt on Miss Elanora Sato's life?'
Merari frowned. The spirits weren't exactly clear, but Medea always seemed to know everything. Why hadn't Gadeden warned her about Arcane's attack? It made no sense, now that she gave it more thought.
'Not to mention, she has access to the entire castle. She could have easily poisoned the old Eseterrians. She was seen loitering outside the former Chèr's rooms on the night of his demise, though no evidence against her was found at the time. Then there's her affinity towards blasphemy. When we found her outside, she was in the process of cursing the spirits again.'
Medea's father let out a broken sound. Her mother curled her left hand into a fist. Merari hated seeing them like this, but there was some logic to it. Medea was constantly expressing her hatred towards the spirits, her position just had meant that she was exempt from any kind of suspicion. Had her power really been a gift from the spirits or an accident that she'd just insisted on exploiting?
'There's a painting in Codrus Bennett's studio... It features Medea stood next to the old Chèr on the night of the Eseterrians' demise... Her expression, it... It almost looks like she could have murdered somebody. And... When I was claimed by Sorita, she encouraged me to keep it secret.'
Medea's family looked disgusted with her, whereas the royal investigator's face lit up with glee. The Chèr stroked a finger across his chin in contemplation.
'Maybe she wanted to keep her safe... I think questioning the other Eseterrians might be of use, perhaps they have more evidence either in support of these accusations or that would disprove them. I'm sure the guards can manage perfectly well.'
The investigator was hesitant but let himself be persuaded. Merari slipped her hand into the Chèr's. They were both equally supporting each other.
The Chèr told the guards that were keeping lookout over the pilgrims to gather the other Eseterrians. He then stopped one of the townspeople to get advice on where they could gather. The farmer awkwardly pointed to a shed, apologising that it wasn't much.
Merari felt queasy upon entering. There was dirt and dust everywhere. In her head she could hear Medea lecturing her about being spoilt, but she didn't exactly value Medea's opinion anymore.
The other Eseterrians arrived. Most looked concerned, except for Kaya. She crossed her arms and tried to gather the most irritation she possibly could into one facial expression. 'You had to call right when Hienna finished dinner. Now she's trying to keep it hot and might ruin it all because you had to call for no reason.'
'It's not without reason,' he growled. 'Medea... Medea's been accused of poisoning the king, helping people conceal powers, killing former Eseterrians and conspiracy in general.'
'What? That's ridiculous!' called out Sabrina. She blushed when everyone else remained silent.
Merari was surprised at the lack of outrage. An odd sensation settled in her stomach. Clearly Medea had questionable relations with most people.
'If you have any evidence, please state it now,' spoke the messenger.
Kaya shrugged. 'Nothing much, I struggle to believe that she's a murderer and all but... There have been one or two strange things?'
'Like?'
'Well, I found it odd that she didn't know the vendor from Avi would escape. I mean, I know Nancy said he was innocent, but you'd kind of think the spirits would have warned her...'
'That is, unless they wanted him gone so that suspicion could shift to her...' mumbled Merari.
'Emilee? Do you have any evidence?' asked the Chèr.
'I... It's strange to me that she didn't warn me about Lavia earlier on. I think she knew all along and I know nobody got hurt but... It would have been so much easier...'
Arcane frowned. 'She claimed it was so that you learnt your lesson...'
'Miss Bay, you're part of the evidence. Her "not having known" about your attack should help show her willful negligence,' explained the investigator. 'Any statements from you would be of great benefit to our cause.'
Arcane stared him down. 'As much as I'd love to blame Medea, I don't think she was lying about that. What happened altered the timeline greatly. I believe the spirits did play some role, since they can supposedly alter timelines.'
'I... I have a theory. It's probably stupid but...' Emilee shook her head nervously. 'Nevermind.'
'Spit it out,' said Kaya. 'What's it going to cost you?'
She pursed her lips, then uncertainly said, 'Well... There's evidence towards a sixth spirit.'
'What?' Everybody stared at her, most with their jaw hanging open. The Chèr seemed the least surprised.
'There was a book of her myths and... Well, the Chèr believes there may be something to it and with all the unrest recently, is a spirit of destruction so hard to believe in?'
'A spirit of destruction? Just what I need in my life,' muttered Kaya.
'What if Medea was serving her...?'
An uncomfortable silence settled over the group. The theory could hold true, but there was no evidence so far. Chance had it, they'd never get an answer.
Since nobody was showing signs of saying anymore, the investigator turned away to leave. Yet when he stood in front of the door, it opened. A man handed him something and he examined it. He turned to face the Eseterrians in order to give the verdict.
'Medea Navri will be kept in a cell at the palace until her trial. Whether all the accusations will stand remains to be seen, but I can tell you one thing for sure. Medea Navri poisoned the Eseterrians and the former Chèr.'