When they reached the space between the two sides, like two parallel lines stretching out to reach across the hills and plains, Ergin's people filed out to stand between them, all the way along like a third line sandwiched between the others. Liriel walked on until she could see her father nearly straight in front of her. He didn't appear to notice her yet. That would change.
She pulled Liran from his sling and held him up so the soldiers could see. She saw panic in their eyes as she passed. No doubt they hoped not to have to attack an unarmed woman with a baby in her arms. They glanced over at the King, checking to see if his resolve had changed.
Liriel approached him and breathed in. "My lord and father. Do you not recognize your own daughter?"
The man on the brindled bay urged his horse forward. As he neared, Liriel could see he looked tired, unhappy, and unsure. It was a new experience for her to see such things on her father's face. His long white hair blew out behind him, under his helmet, in the wind. His eyes were almost clear, his skin paler than watered milk.
"You've changed, daughter. What's that you're holding in your arms?"
"I've come to present your grandson to you, father. His father, Lorenzo Calimero is now lord of Castillon and my husband."
The King pulled his head back as his mouth dropped open. "How is it that you've chosen a Trillas, Liriel? It's not right or natural."
Liriel steeled herslef. This wasn't going to be an easy discussion, and less so with thousands listening in. "We want to live in peace, father, here in Castillon. Your presence with your army is an impediment. I beg you to make peace with my husband for the sake of his people andand yours. They have done you no harm nor have they given you any cause for concern."
"That may be, daughter, or not. I have lost many in battle here over the last while, and there is still the matter of the Hilliri who live in these parts. I intend to keep them under the wing of Kalad. I cannot afford an exodus."
Liriel couldn't help but think he's brought this on himself. "The people of whom you speak are here, father. They stand in between your army and the people of Castillon. They are not many nor are unarmed." She motioned for Ergin to come forward.
Ergin bowed just enough. "Greetings, my lord, welcome to Castillon. The people here represent the five villages we have established in secret. We left Kalad because we have not loved the lives we lived there. Our dreams led us to establish a new way of life. We ask you to leave us in peace."
"But to whom will you pledge allegiance? Surely Castillon will object to the Hilliri living within their borders?"
Lorenzo, who had been standing nearby enough to hear the exchange, sheathed his sword and stepped forward to join Ergin and the village people, standing by Liriel.
Liriel's father stared at him, running his eyes up and down Lorenzo's impressive height. She could imagine him wondering what she saw in this man. She looked at Lorenzo too, and felt only love. While the future here was uncertain, standing here between two armies, facing possible death, she had no regrets for the choice she had made.
Liriel turned to face her father. It was time to end this war--past time. She held out Liran to show him to her father. The baby looked bright and alert. Surprisingly, he showed no signs of fear. He might not understand the import of what was going on around him, but one day he would. She wanted him to be proud of his parents.
Today Liriel was determined to stop this war.
With Liran in her outstretched arms, she moved forward, taking slow steps. She had to hope that her father would be moved by his affection for her, and the innocence of the baby in her arms, as strange as he might seem.
Slowly she approached the brindled horse that stamped its hoofs in impatience. At last she walked along side the bay. She looked up at her father, perched in his saddle.
"Father, this is my son, Liran. His hair may be dark, and his eyes over-bright, but he is my flesh and blood, and therefore yours." She held Liran up to his grandfather who sat stiffle in his saddle.
She waited for him to respond, watching his face as his expressions changed, over and over again. She saw revulsion, distrust, and fear, but she thought she could also descern love, pride, and compassion. She waited a long moment, wondering which emotions would prevail.
Liran let out one of his happy squeals. Liriel wanted to laugh, but the moment was too sombre. She kept still with her eyes on her father. His lower lip trembled a little. His expression softened. He leaned over in the saddle and reached for the baby. Liriel wanted to shout with joy when he lifted the child from her hands.
The king held the baby in his hands, staring into his tiny face. Liran stompped his chubby legs up and down and gurgled. Liriel stiffled a laugh. The king cracked a smile and tucked the baby into the crook of his arm where the child lay waving his hands about, content.
Liriel exhaled a sigh of relief. She closed her eyes, allowing relief to spread over her like a mist. She drew another, long breath. It felt good to know things were turning out right. As she warmed, she felt love for everyone. For Marcusi, in spite of his suspicious nature, for Renata who welcomed Liriel so readily, for all the people of Alterra who looked after her during her flight from Kalad. She felt love for Gisella who only wanted to give her lover a son, for Ergin and Adina who wanted a life free from oppression and conformity, and for Valran, who, in spite of his grief and fury, chose to withdraw when she asked him the second time, if not the first. Most of all, she felt love for her father, who took a strange-looking little baby in his arms, showing faith in his daughter, his people, and the Castillonians.
"You're glowing, Liriel!" Lorenzo had crept up to where she stood. Liriel opened her eyes and looked at her arms. She had forgotten the extra maru she had absorbed. How long could she hold it for before it dissipated? She might need to expel some intentionally, and soon.
She looked up at Lorenzo, glad for having chosen him. A sharp pain stabbed her in the chest. How odd that love felt like such a painful thing. She watched his face as his expression turned to horror, wondering why. Her legs buckled under her. He reached forward and caught her, placing her gently on the ground. She reached out and touched his face. There were tears streaming down his cheeks. The pain in her chest spread as a numbness, outward from her heart.
She looked down and saw red.
Struggling to understand, she looked back at Lorenzo. He was staring across at the Hilliri ranks--at a bowman without an arrow in his bow. Lorenzo pointed at him. Others grabbed the man and ripped his bow from his grip.
She felt cold working its way into her bones. Her father dismounted and rushed to her side, across from Lorenzo. His face was sad. Liriel wondered why he should feel sorrow. He still held Liran against his chest, shielding the baby's eyes from her.
She began to understand. The pieces fit together. Someone had released an arrow without orders. They had aimed at her, hitting her in the chest. She felt the pain as if through a filter. Pain was now beyond her as if a wall held it back. She saw the glow that the others noticed covering her entire body. She looked again at the wound, the arrow protruding, the fine fletchings skillfully crafted.
"Pull it out, Lorenzo. Please." Her voice sounded so small and sharp. She tugged on his shirt to pull him closer.
"Are you sure? Won't it hasten..." The grief etched on his face caught her by surprise. She had never doubted his love, but here it was so clearly drawn. She had connected with his mind often enough to know he never wavered in his choice either.
A small truth came to her. Love meant pain. There would be a parting, she had always known, but this was never how she had imagined it.
"I'm sure." She nodded her head.
Her father shook his head and grasped Lorenzo's wrists.
"No, you mustn't. We will be robbed of her soon enough." His voice cracked.
Little remained of Liriel's strength. She looked at her father, longing with her eyes to tell him it was alright. He released his grasp on Lorenzo.
Lorenzo swallowed and clasped the shaft close to the entry place. Liriel gripped his arm as he pulled, easing the arrow out in one steady movement. Pain flowed in where the arrow had been and Liriel cried out. Lorenzo pressed hard on the wound. In spite of the pressure, she sensed her lifeblood draining as her heart pumped. She withdrew into her mind, becoming more aware of her body in the process.
She followed her inner senses towards where the damage was. The arrow had missed the heart by a finger width. The head had nicked an artery, allowing blood to drain quickly once the pressure of the arrow's presence was removed. Her awareness was now completely internal, much as she did with her patients. She was focused on her body, its damage, and considering what was needed to repair that damage. She wanted to laugh, thinking how ridiculous it was to try to heal herself, for maru seeped out of the body as fast as blood once injured. She knew this fact well, but she had filled up by the trees before coming down to the field.
She concentrated on the torn edges of the artery, forcing them back together, knitting the material of their substance to itself. Once she stemmed the blood loss, she reviewed the other damage. Her detachment unsettled her. Better that it was so.
It was quick work to repair the afflicted tissue around the wound. Binding muscle together was a trifle. Power flowed through her, making her work light.
After the repair, she shifted her focus to the whole body. She rarely had energy for this step, but today she was brimming with maru, and some had to be expended or expelled. She bathed her whole body in maru. Every muscle and blood vessel, every inch of skin and nail received an injection of energy. Somehow, she realized, she had converted maru into body energy. She could feel herself glow with health.
Once she finished, Liriel's eyes fluttered open. Lorenzo arched over her, weeping great wracking sobs without reserve. She wanted to shout, but her voice was mute, and the world was already too full of sound. Cries and screams filled the air. She wanted to say 'stop crying, my love, I am alive and well,' but her thoughts only produced more silence. She gripped his shoulder to get his attention, but he didn't respond.
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I hope you enjoyed this instalment of Ungloved. If you did, please consider voting so that it has a chance to receive some more attention by rising up the ranks in the (rather large) Fantasy category. I also enjoy comments, so please feel free to let me know what you thought.
Cheers!
Rebecca