"With all due respect sir, what in all the hells is going on?" Jeshua says angrily. A woman he respected is dead and a man he admires is going to die for her death.
Taren sighs and gestures for Jeshua to move down the hall far enough that they wouldn't be over heard by the guards. "Lady Ariele was dying. But if she sacrificed herself than she could save the castle and all the people. Otherwise we didn't stand a chance. Fully one third of our guard was working for the enemy. Apparently that many servants as well. And now it seems that half of the tops did too. Won't that just blow Anna's temper into all kinds of trouble.
"For the sacrifice to work Grey had to be the one to kill Ariele. You saw the people drop after she was killed? Those were the traitors. The curse should take out the enemy as well. With one death, hers, Ariele will save the castle." Taren explains sadly.
"No, sir, with respect, it will be two deaths. Even should Lady Anna find a way to save him, Lord Grey won't live after this. Not for long he won't." Jeshua says angrily. Now he understood what Lord Grey didn't want him to hear.
"He knew what he was going to do beforehand?" Jeshua is dumb founded at the idea.
"We planned it the other night. Ariele stipulated that Grey be held in his room or she wouldn't do it. Grey was tormented by the idea and Lady Jaylen erased it from his memory after it was all set. I'm sorry Jeshua but we were under orders to not talk about it." Taren doesn't think Jeshua would have let it happen had he known.
"Pretty smart idea. I would have done my best to stop it had I known." Jeshua admits. Even if it meant everyone would die.
"I can't stand that anymore. Excuse me Jeshua." Taren goes to his brother's door.
"Grey let me in." Taren could if he has to break the enchantments on the door, but he wants them there for Grey's protection.
The distressed cries are swallowed and he hears a shuffling sound before Grey's now unrecognizable voice was heard telling him it was safe to enter.
Taren goes in and sees some water. "Grey drink this." He hopes the water will heal Grey's voice. Not that it will matter since he'll die shortly after the trial.
Grey too weary to fight takes the cup of water offered to him and drinks. Taren urges him back to the bed and helps him to settle. Then he hits Grey with a strong sleep spell before Grey has a chance to react. He'd made sure that the door hadn't fully closed so he could leave when he was done.
"Dream happy dreams Grey. Oh my brother, I wish you hadn't had to go through this." Taren say as he covers his brother up. He sighs and picks up the tear soaked dress and gently lays it next to Grey.
He slips out of the room and makes sure the door shuts tight. "Thank you sir. We would have done something if we could." The one guard says. Hearing Grey in such agony had been hard on them.
"Has there been any trouble?" Taren asks rubbing his eyes trying to get the painful dry sensation out.
"No, sir. No one but messengers, you, Jeshua and that maid you brought up. Is it true that there were traitors amongst us sir?" The other guard asks.
"Yes. A great many. As well as traitors among the servants and tops. There will be many grieving this night." Taren says and moves away from them returning to Jeshua.
"What did you do to silence him?" Jeshua asks. Personally he thinks a knife to the heart the kindest solution.
"I sent him to sleep. I know you don't approve Jeshua. But it was Ariele's and his decision. She wanted her death to mean something and save lives. He wanted to do this one last thing for her. And I think he did it so that he could join her in death.
"Maybe you were too young but do you remember his father?" Taren asks the grimly disapproving Jeshua.
"When Grey's mother died, he lost his heart. He started womanizing like Grey only worse. More like all three of us put together, you, Grey and I. He totally ignored Grey other than when they were doing something Guard related.
"I think that's why Grey pushed himself so hard, he wanted his father's notice and approval. Grey made some friends but more enemies. Overtime he became his father's second in command. Some thought it was favoritism. It wasn't. Grey worked hard to become the best and his father recognized that fact.
"It was around that time that Grey's father killed Lady Anna's father. That's when they became so close. Grey helped her deal with the damage her father did."
"Some of their fights are bad, far worse than would be allowed elsewhere, but those two always make up in the end."
"What about this Lady Jaylen?" Jeshua asks he didn't know much about her. "No one wants to talk about her at all."
"Lady Krista banished her before Lady Anna was even born. She was Krista's little sister. Lady Anna says that her mother bitterly regretted her decision afterwards but it was too late, she couldn't be found anywhere.
"It's thanks to Alexis that Jaylen was able to be brought home. I think allowing Alexis in there to help is Jaylen's way of thanking Alexis." Taren speaks his thoughts out loud on this because he has no evidence to prove that that is exactly why Jaylen is allowing Alexis in and not him.
"What a mess. At least the castle is now secure." Jeshua says in disgust.
Taren looks at him sharply. "Before you go making judgments, think about this. What do you think would happen to your precious Alexis if the enemy got a hold of her again?"
Jeshua looks sick. "She told me what life was like under him. I'd rather she died than return to that."
"She very likely would have after the army got done with her. The women wouldn't have been left alone Jeshua. This man has no honor may he rot in the nine hells. Not even little girls would have been safe. I've heard tales where bodies of girls five years old have been found obviously raped.
"And not just girls. Little boys as well. I've seen you Jeshua, you love children almost as much as you do women. Would you like to see your little friends hurt like that?" Taren says pushing Jeshua into seeing why Grey and Ari chose the path they did.
Instead his words make Jeshua angry. "I don't use children like that Commander."
Taren rubs his eyes again. "I'm sorry Jeshua that didn't come out right. I know you don't use children. You love them and protect them like you do women. I've seen it and Grey saw it. That's part of why he chose you. Not just because of your excellent guarding qualities.
"Unfortunately the same can't be said for many of the guard. No one molested you or you'd tie them in a knot, even when younger and the older guards knew it. You were left alone. Many are not so lucky. When Grey tapped me to be his special helper I was terrified. I'd seen what happened to many of the boys so tapped.
"When he took the whipping for me, well I knew I'd do anything for him, but I was still terrified of what he was going to do. Instead of being told to undress and bend over he quite calmly informed me of my new duties. And ordered me to tell him of any further bullying by the other guards."
"I'd still do anything for him Jeshua, so don't judge me or him or Lady Ari or Lady Anna. I'd do anything to take his pain away. But there are just some things that suck. They made a decision to make a bad situation better for as many people as they could. And they both knew that they would pay with their lives for that decision."
Jeshua stands there shamed by his former thoughts. Grey will pay with his life for saving them just like Lady Ari had.
"Why was Lady Ariele dying?" That's something Jeshua didn't understand.
"I don't understand the why of that either. But if she hadn't given her life tonight she would've been dead by morning anyway. If you want a more detailed reason for her dying you'd have to ask Lady Jaylen and that lady gives me the creeps." Taren whispers that last part. Jaylen has a bad habit of showing up unexpectedly.
Just then the door to Anna's apartment opens. Anna looks around and sees the two men and gestures them over. "Go find somewhere to sleep, Alexis will be staying here all night. She'll be safe enough."
"Wait Anna, one third, one third, and one half." Taren says before she shuts the door.
"Half? Half of the..." Anna shuts the door on the rest of the sentence. Taren is just as glad to not have to deal with the coming temper she'll be displaying.
Taren motions Jeshua into motion. "I don't have rooms assigned inside yet." Jeshua says. He's in no mood to go back to the barracks when so many of his fellow guards were traitors.
"Don't look at me, I've been staying with Lady Anna." Jeshua just nods. The rumors had said that he had been but he doesn't believe rumors until the person they are about tells him they are true.
"There's Grey's and Ari's room." Jeshua says. Someone should stay there and protect their things until Anna can decide what to do with them.
"Go ahead and stay there. I'll find some where to bed down. I couldn't stay in my brother's room right now." Taren says wearily.
Jeshua is so tired that he just nods and keeps walking. It isn't until he gets to the room and closes the door that he realizes what Taren said. "Taren and Lord Grey are brothers?" Then he realizes just how hard it must be for Taren to know he will be the one to take his brother to the executioners block.
"Let me go to him. Please Lady Jaylen, can't you hear his pain?" the woman says listening to Grey's agonized cries through the stone wall.
"NO. He must not know about you until the trial. If he finds out you're alive things might get truly nasty with the people. They must realize how much it agonizes him." Jaylen is adamant.
"I won't stay for long but he's hurting so bad he won't have a voice left. What good will getting him off for murder be if he'll never be able to speak again?" The woman cries.
Just then the crying stopped. "There now, you won't have to ruin things for tomorrow. Be a good girl now and get some sleep." Jaylen says going to the wall and disappearing like she does at times.
"Let me help you ma'am." Alexis says she's so relieved to see Ari alive that she doesn't have it in her to be angry. She helps Ari into the borrowed nightgown since it would have been strange for them to request a night gown from her room.
The night goes by impossibly slow. Ari waits feigning sleep until she's sure that Anna and Alexis are both sleeping. Silently she slips out of the bed and goes to the wall that she knows doesn't exist. She slips through the wall and over to the sleeping man.
"That's right my love sleep deep. Tomorrow we'll be reunited once more, I promise." And though he never wakes he murmurs her name and peace comes over him.
Ari lets her own tears slip down as she watches the man she doesn't dare to touch for fear of waking. She knows that he took her words to mean they'd be reunited in death. But whatever brings him some solace is better than nothing.
Ari sighs as she leaves the room once more. Now that she knows that Grey is at peace she can sleep as well.
Grey wakes absolutely resigned. He dresses as he knows he'll be required. He leaves behind his armor and all weapons. He does keep his belt on and feels the small bulge reassuring himself that her last gift to him was still there.
He tries to shave himself but his hands shake. He's not sure for the reason, but it doesn't matter. Today he'll be sentenced to death and tomorrow at the latest he'll be reunited with Ari.
He is unable to eat the food they bring for breakfast or the mid day meal. He takes off the magic locks once more when he hears Taren knock.
Grey opens the door. "I'm ready Taren." He says as he holds his arms out. He looks at Taren strangely. "You should have brought shackles."
"I didn't think they would be necessary." Taren says without a chuckle. "If I told you to go by yourself you would."
"Yes. I'd go straight to the executioners block without a trial if Anna would allow that, but she won't." Grey says. He wishes that she would. He dreamed that Ari had come to him last night, had watched him and even told him that soon they would be together again. It was only after that that he was able to truly sleep.
He doesn't have a bounce in his step but neither does he lag like most prisoners do on their way to trial. Especially the guilty ones. He walks firmly even determinedly towards his doom. There is no defense against what he did. There is no way Anna will get him off this, and he doesn't want her too.
"Ari's funeral is set to take place after the trial. I'm told Anna chose the place next to your little sister. She'd like it there." Taren says to let Grey know, he knows no one else would think to tell him these things.
"Tell Anna thanks for me would you? Ari would have liked that spot. The roses I planted there have grown large and their scent can't be beat." Indeed other than the fountain it's his favorite place to be. It's likely when he's executed his bones will be all that's left.
"Taren, after I die place my bones with Ari's body okay?" Grey pleads.
Taren claps him on the shoulder to comfort him. "Sure thing Grey. She'd like that I think."
To others it looks like Taren is guiding the former commander. For Grey had gone to looking at the floor and his shoulders were slumped although his stride remains steady.
There is silence in the great hall, the only sound that of the two men walking towards the dais at the other end of the room.
Anna was already sitting in her judgement seat looking sad but stern. She had long ago learned that what she wore on her face could mean the difference between a calm court and a chaotic one. She needs a calm one this time.
As Grey stumbles up the stairs Anna stands. Grey comes to a halt a short distance from her. "I thought everyone should know, the enemy has vanished. All that's left are tents and other things that couldn't be found in the dark. Tracks indicate that the people left in a hurry back the way they came. Inside the main tent there was a body that we believe to be that of the enemy that so nearly came to destroy us."
With this news Grey sags to his knees. Her sacrifice wasn't in vain. Taren pats him on the shoulder once more before helping him to his feet. It takes several minutes for the people to quiet down after the news Anna gave.
She had threatened Taren with severe punishment if he told Grey ahead of time. She needed his reaction to be real and unfeigned. He lived up to her hopes.
Once Taren helps him regain his feet Anna continues. "After this trial there is a far sadder event. We will hold the state funeral for the lady and friend that gave her life in helping us, lady Ariele."
Silence and sly glances at the man responsible for her death is all that greeted those words. Grey couldn't even look up.
"The trial for the murder of Lady Ariele has now commenced. Lord Grey you are accused of her murder how do you plead?" Lady Anna demands.
"Guilty." Grey's voice didn't ring, it couldn't after what he did to it the night before.
"You aren't even going to try to put forth a defense Grey?" Anna asks.
"There is no defense for my actions Lady Anna. I in anger took out my sword and killed the woman I loved. There can be no defense for that and I take full responsibility for said action." Grey wishes Anna would just get on with it he is therefore astonished when she states something different.
"There is one that would give testimony in your defense and it is my will to hear her words, as I would that you hear them Grey." Anna can't let her pleading she feels in her voice but Grey knows his cousin and listens to her pleading.
He gives a bow and Anna motions a person forward covered in a cloak with a cowl. As she steps forward lights begin to zip around. She takes the hood down and Grey falls back on his knees. It cannot be, she is dead.
"I give witness that this man is being charged with a false charge. For the woman that was murdered is here standing before you and I say that I am not dead." Ari can't help the tears falling she never thought she'd get to see the man she loves ever again.
"It cannot be." Grey's voice cannot be heard above that of the muttering of the crowd gathered for the trial and later funeral.
Anna motions Taren and he forces Grey to stand on his feet. Taren himself is caught off guard by this for Anna hadn't told him anything about it.
Anna again motions to Taren and he yells in a parade ground voice, "Quiet or the room will be cleared."
There remain a few mutterers that give Taren a dark look but he stares them down. He'd been well taught under Grey and knew how to intimidate people.
Grey remains standing under his own power but he couldn't take his eyes off of the woman before him. "It isn't possible. I saw the light in your eyes die and your heart stop beating even as I held you."
He remembers the plan now but he didn't remember her coming back as part of it. "That is true, it was necessary for me to die. It was unavoidable. A set truth in all the universes. However, Lady Jaylen found a way, or a possible way for me to come back. She wasn't sure that it would work so she didn't dare tell you or Taren. Sorry.
"I was able to forge a bond of blood and death with you even as I died. And as long as you lived I could hold onto that bond and come back. Lady Jaylen worked on bringing my soul back while Lady Anna worked on healing my body. It was a near thing.
"By the time it was over Jaylen was shaking so bad she couldn't even stand and Lady Anna had to take a bath before she could order Taren to get the clothes for me to wear today." Ari takes off the cloak and Grey looks at his lovely wife in her wedding dress. She was even wearing the necklace still.
"I return this to you now so that you can give it to whomever you choose to marry." Ari says hoping that he gives it back to her.
"I gave that to you when we got married Ari, it is yours now." Grey denies and it hurts Ari's heart to hear his voice so damaged.
"I died. Our marriage dissolved with that. The necklace returns to you. You made a promise to your mother Grey and I wouldn't stand in the way of you completing your promise." Ari says handing him the necklace and covering his hand with hers.
"Should you wish me to wear it again you have to place it on me as you ask me to marry you."
"Yes," Grey says.
"What?" Ari says confused.
"Yes! I will marry you. Today, right now if you want. That is if you want." Grey stops and drops once more to his knees. "Do you wish to marry me, again?"
Ariele smiles wider than he'd ever seen it before. "Yes! I'll marry you. Today if Anna I mean Lady Anna will perform the ceremony."
There is muttering in the court again and this time Taren gives them all a steely eyed look that had it been aimed at her would have frozen Ari.
"Might I remind you two that I haven't finished the trial yet." Anna tries hard to keep her voice even and angry but fails and has a hard time keeping in the giggles.
"With the evidence now shown I find that Lord Grey has done no murder and is therefore free to go with all honors and lands still his. This court is adjourned." Anna declares in a far happier voice than she'd started.
"But what of the other deaths? Won't he be held accountable for those?" A woman's voice rises in anger above the other babbling voices.
"What deaths are you referring to Lady Ginge? Your husbands or your sons? They weren't even in the great hall last night. Lord Grey was very much here as many can attest. So how is he responsible for their deaths?
"Their bones will be returned to you and you can place where you will. But there is sufficient evidence that they were traitors that I will not give them honors. In fact all honors that belonged to your husband are now stripped. All honors for all the nobles that died last night will be stripped and held by me until I find someone worthy to take their place.
"For all those that died last night when Lady Ari died, were traitors every one. The fact that they died proves that beyond any shadow of a doubt. For when that sword entered Lady Ariele's heart it set off a curse against those that are traitors to Healthhome and me. If they died they have no one to blame but themselves for their traitorous actions and murdering hearts."
Lady Anna thought to leave it at that but couldn't. "I thought I was a just ruler. Fair to all. But to find out that one third of my guards turned on me, one third of my staff was hard enough. But to find out half of my nobles turned I was flabbergasted and hurt beyond belief.
"For over two hundred years I've ruled here. I've loved the people with all I had and did the best for them that I could. When the fevers came I worked ceaselessly to save all that I could going days without sleeping and sometimes eating. I lost my uncle and almost lost the cousin I again almost lost today.
"I have sacrificed and my family has sacrificed more than you can imagine for the people of Healthhome.
"My cousin was willing to give up his life for you ungrateful lot. And I was willing to be the one to order his execution. I am more thankful than you have any idea, that my aunt was able to find a way to save him, to save Ariele as well.
"I can well see his reason for resigning his post. He must be sick and tired of dealing with such an ungrateful lot of people. And Lady Ginge you are the most ungrateful of them all. You are hereby banished from Healthhome. I will allow you to take whatever monies and jewels you have here at the castle, but all other monies and jewels have been reverted back to me with the revocation of your honors. Your parents I believe have left you a small estate, there you shall reside or leave the area as you wish." Lady Ginge turns white at the banishment. She'd enjoyed living in the castle and learning her husband and son had turned traitor didn't surprise her but she is now paying the price for their sins and she is furious.
Taren gestures and Lady Ginge is halted by the guards standing by the stairs and escorted from the room. After that silence falls as no one else dares say a word.