Chapter 5 - The anger of a Queen

"And now who might these two be?" The king asked and pointed to my two friends silently kneeling behind me. I looked at him with a proud smile. "These are my former jailors, guards, protectors and dear friends. This here Is Johanna she is the one who protected me many times he tried to get someone to take me out of there like the hangman. She was able to do so because of the lack of paperwork and her quit wit oh and the missing the kings authority did help too. And this is Marie who thought me how to read and write, how to interpret books and how your society works. As well as smuggled lots of tasty food to me when the duke was attempting to starve me."

They eyed both of them, but the queens eyes noticed the slave collar around Marries neck. "And how does a slave know so much about reading and writing and how society works?" She asked with curiosity. Marie took a deep breath. "I am the daughter of a book binder and teacher your highness. I was sold into slavery by my father when he was unable to pay his gambling debts. The slave trader was caught by the guards and everybody who had a home, who had someone that would care for them was let go. The rest of us where simple appointed slave of the state for the next 10 years and placed in different institutions. It was a common practice before you took the throne and outlawed it your majesty."

"I am fairly certain we created an office where a slave like you are supposed to go to be set free?" She asked confused "Yes milady but any slave that is being caught in that building without orders is being hold for 3 days and then send back to their old posting if not worse. So hardly anybody ever reaches that office." The queen looked shocked with open mouth. It seemed like this was a topic close to her heart.

"Mother did you know about that?" The queen asked with a voice of barely controlled anger. Her mother shook her head. "No dearie I am as surprised as you are. How do you know about that?" she asked Marie gently. "I went there myself your highness. And they told me if I went a second time, I would receive lashes."

The king, queen and queen mother where fuming after hearing that. "Captain please ask Lieutenant Bronco to accompany this young lady. He is to follow behind and see if anybody dares to stop her from going to this office. If so then he is to arrest said person and put them into jail until we have time for a trail. He has the full royal authority to do so even if it is one of the Generals." The queens eyes were full of furry like a bear mother whose cubs had been hurt Infront of her.

"He should take all of his special squad to accompany her. If anything would happen to her, he will be held responsible. After that he shall place a guard that makes certain that nobody stops a slave from reaching that office. Mother do you think you can get the record of the trader and how many of his slaves were took in?" She nodded in agreement while writing something down.

"What shall he do if nobody stops her my Queen?" The queen smirked but did answer the question. "Then we will assume that they learned the lesson since then or that he wasnt careful enough to hide his presence." The queen mother meanwhile motioned for Marie to come closer and so she did. One of the guards following close behind. "Well looks like today will be productive." The king chuckled in agreement then looked to me. "You will be assigned a guest quarter where the representatives of the tribes are waiting as well. Your companions will join you shortly we just want to question them individually if you dont mind?"

I bowed slightly to the king. "Of course not, your majesty they will be able to tell most of my story. Especially Marie who I meet after I was there for basically just a week. The king smiled then seemed to think about something. "Did your captor ever present himself to you?" without hesitation I said. "Just once the first week I was in that cell. He tried to ... well he had me chained up and well , but my general disposition wasnt to his liking apparently. He never did gloat or tell why he was holding me there. I only learned later that it was indeed the duke through the guards. He ... umm." I did take a deep breath. "Still tried that but well ... he hit me a few times cursing me and then left to never return." He was grim and nodded once.

"I will include that he attacked you while you were under his care." He said you could hear his barely vailed anger in his voice. "But I will not go into to much detail there, unless you want that." I shook my head. It wasnt a pleasant memory being that helpless and what he did or better said trying to do made my stomach turn even years afterwards. "Has anybody else mistreated you?" I hesitated. "Well some of the guards where not exactly nice while dealing with me. Cursing me for not accepting their advances or leaving me hungry for a while. I never was really hungry, but that was only because Marie did support me with food whenever she had the chance. Things like that but nobody else has attacked me or tried to force themselves on me." He nodded.

"You will become a high lady of the state if everything goes to plan. So it would be open for you to try them in court if you wish to do that. Even through it will be your word against theirs but maybe there will be some witness or ways to proof the acts. But even if found guilty it sounds like it would be only neglect of duty so the punishment wouldnt be that severe. So I dont know if you want to deal with the hassle of such a case. However you have time to decide such so there is no hurry. I just wanted to know if there are any other individuals that we should know about."

I shook my head. "I am certain that there were more then just him who captured me, but they were all working on his order most likely. At least that is what I feel and learned from the guards. Most of them did dislike the duke a great deal, but nobody dared to go against him." He nodded. "Do you think the tribes would be satisfied with just one man being judged for this crime?"

I hesitated. "I dont know your majesty it depends on their motivation to get here. If they out for war and this is just the pretext. Then no. But I dont think so unless there were numerous attacks like this." He nodded again. "Well you will find out most likely when you have spoken with the leader of their delegation. We will see each other soon again." I bowed again and smiled. The king and queen were surprising in many ways. They looked both quite young but well put together. I think my life was going to be a lot more interesting from now on.

"Captain please guide her to the guest rooms, I am certain she would welcome a nice relaxed bath and everything they have to offer." I nodded again. "Thank you, your majesty." Marie was in a deep conversation with the queen mother she clearly had forgotten whom she was talking to because I could see her typical behavior when we were having our afternoon tea. Her hands were all over the place and a big smile was plastered on her face. To my surprise the queen mother was having a big smile too.

Johanna was in front of the queen talking with her. They were talking about what happened once you get released from the army because of injury and both were wearing a serious face. It seemed so strange for the boundaries being so low in this hall of power but today seemed to be a special day. When we left the captain gave orders to another officer to inform Lieutenant Bronco of his new task.

I followed the silent captain through a side corridor this time we avoided the crowds in the front chamber. They were as ornamented with large paintings and surrounding stone frescos as the rest of the palace. "I am sorry for causing you so much work." I said after a while. She shook her head. "You didnt but you and ... Marie booth brought indication of corruption deeply within the inner cycle of the Kingdom. You see the duke is a quite important person within the city."

"A lot of the nobles are going to be deeply upset about this, but he even was so bold to hold you in the public prison under the watch of normal prison guards." She shook her head in disbelieve. "And as far as I understood the queen mother we found papers that where faked to explaining your entry there. Faked in his name. With his signet on it. His personal ones."

Again she shook her head. "But then he made you disappear to hide you away. So the person who was signed in never was assigned a room. So it was signed off from the gate guards but never signed in by the prison guards. It was a clever trick more or less because the gate guards are from the normal army while the prison guards are under his control. But if anybody asked, he could just claim that you were let go in a large group." That happened a lot 8 years ago. "And for those the documentation was quite shoddy."

"That alone is fraud and treason with his position." I nodded. "And then there I the story of your friend. We assumed that everything was going ok because we got steady reports of slaves being released. Of course, now they are all put into question. And its doubtful that her story is made up after all she had no idea that she would be there in front of the queen or that we would care about all of that. But because of that it means that another stone of the government might fall soon."

"However none of that should worry you milady. I am just glad that I was able to help to get you finally out of there." I smiled and nodded. "Umm do you think that on the way to the quarters we can stoop somewhere so that I can eat beforehand? I didnt exactly have dinner today." She laughed and smiled to me.

"I am certain the master of the quarter will serve you a nice warm meal. You are now a guest of the royal family so dont worry. Although we do need to get you out of these cloths soon before some of the guards will assume otherwise. It is not exactly how most guest of the king are dressed." I raised my rags a bit. "This is not fitting for the evening ball?" I chuckled while she let out a loud laugh. "I already can see the worried looks of the nobles, but I think the queen would want my head after that."

The path went through the massive palace building and at least two parks within the walls of it until we reached a nice villa like building. It was still huge but moderated by the standards of the palace and was beyond the park. It was connected to two separating walls of the palace on each side so that you could not walk around the whole building and was at the end of a nice paved walkway. "This is the Home for guests of the Royal Family. At the moment it is just the delegation from the tribes and Madam Tersou. She is an old friend of the queen. Well you will meet her soon enough."

We walked into the beautiful building and at the entrance was a servant waiting behind a desk. She was writing in a book and has some more piled next to her. But she looked up and smiled as soon as we steeped inside. "Good morning Loria this is the newest guest of the queen Lady Sederim. She will be staying here for a while and was just released out of unjust imprisonment. Can you arrange for her to get a room and new fitting garments all worthy of a Duke?"

Loria, a middle-aged woman of a certain beauty and refined look did only slightly raise her eyebrow at the last part but nodded and smiled. "Of course, madam Captain. I think we should start with a nice relaxing bath. Unless there are other plans Milady?" She asked me. Her eyes were full of curiosity and readiness to serve.

Meanwhile hesitation marked my face. "I need to meet with the delegation of the tribes first to show them how my stay was and that I am who I claim to be and such but after that a bath and a nice warm meal yes please." She nodded. "The delegation is currently preparing a small feast among themselves most likely to celebrate your release milady. If you wish we can guide you there and have your measurement taken so we can have fitting clothing for you tomorrow." I nodded in agreement and she turned her attention to Elaina. "And what is your plan Milady Captain?" She asked friendly. "I am the escort to the dear Lady until the king decides otherwise." Loria nodded.

"Do you wish to have a personal maid for your assistance Milady Sederim? Usually we automatically would have someone attend to an unattended lord or lady but I know that some of the tribes take offence to that." I smiled. "Maybe tomorrow today I think I will be fine without one in the present of the tribesmen." She nodded in Agrément and did write something down.

Elaina made a short humorful bow towards me. "If It is fine milady please allow me to guide you to the delegation?" I could see in the surprise face of Loria that was not a normal thing for a captain to do and couldnt hold back a chuckle. "It would be my pleasure Madam Captain." I said with the same smirk while doing a courtly bow back. "I see that Marie really did train you well." She said with a chuckle while nodding towards the now amused Loria.

I was happy. For the first time in ages things went my way if the kings word where to believe. I was free. And people didnt treat me like dirt anymore. Even through my cloth was really just that. A collection of dirt one next to the other but it was the best I could get after the Duke tried to rape me. I still remember his shocked face. Thankfully he didnt bother to return ... is sighed while walking behind Elaina.

Infront of one of the large doors stood symbol and I knew that I personally was in deep trouble. It was the symbol of my tribe. A proud figure dancing below a sun. Which meant my aunt most likely would be here. She was the main negotiator and she would be so pissed that I was so long gone without any message to mom or my sisters. I sighed and steeled myself for the hardest task I had jet faced so far. Were they worried that I was gone? Had they assumed that I was dead? Or that I had run away? I had avoided thinking to much about them because I broke my heart every time I did. But now the clan symbol was just right there, and I froze in place.

Elaine turned to me looking puzzled. "Are you ok?" I took a deep sharp breath ignoring everything around me and nodded. Well I could try to run but, in the end, it was not my choice to stay in this city for 8 years longer then expected. I stepped up to the door and knocked. Noticing how accustomed I had become to the city dwellers customs. "Yes?" the heavy voice of my Aunt bellowed from within.