“Arrest her!” Hayden shouted, ignoring her. “She has struck a loyal servant of her majesty!”
“Keep your hands off me,” Aurelia said, lightning sparkling around her fingers.
“Just go with them,” Tarlak said as he struggled to his feet. His hat hung crooked on his head, and pieces of his goatee were still smoking. “We’ll get this sorted out in the morning.”
“I have only defended myself,” Aurelia said, her glare daring any guard to touch her.
“Killing a soldier will only get you in real trouble,” Tarlak said. “Just go.”
The elf sighed and lowered her hands. The magic left her fingers. The soldiers grabbed her, two to an arm, but they were careful not to hurt her. More guards surrounded them as the priests of Ashhur exited the tent.
“What is going on here?” one of them asked.
“Go get Bernard,” Tarlak told him. “And hurry.”
In one large mass the soldiers took Aurelia back to the castle. Tarlak limped over to where Harruq lay sleeping.
“Sorry, buddy,” the mage said as he dispelled the sleep magic. The half-orc sputtered and woke with a start.
“What the Abyss is going on?” he asked.
“They attacked the tent,” Tarlak said, helping him to his feet. “They cast a sleeping spell on all of us, but I had warded me and Aurelia against it. Now promise me you’ll stay calm.”
“Where’s Aurelia?” he asked, looking around.
“Promise me.”
Harruq stopped, put a hand on each of Tarlak’s shoulders, and pulled him close.
“Where is Aurelia?” he asked again. Tarlak swallowed.
“They arrested her.”
The half-orc shoved him aside and stormed off toward the castle.
“We can handle this,” Tarlak said, scurrying after him while trying to fix his robe and hat at the same time. “She’s an elf, and the queen practically kissed her butt when we arrived.”
“I’ll kill all of them,” Harruq said, his swords already drawn. “Every single bleeding one of them, Tar.”
“You will do no such thing!” Tarlak shouted.
Harruq meant to ignore him, but then he felt something sweep against his legs. His balance lost, he tumbled. As he hit hard on one knee he realized Haern stood before him, his sabers also at the ready.
“What happened here?” Haern asked.
“Where the Abyss have you been?” Tarlak asked.
“Forget it,” Haern said, frowning at Tarlak’s ragged appearance. “What happened?”
“They’ve arrested Aurelia,” Harruq said, still on his knee. “Claimed she burned down the temple.”
Haern grimaced, and slowly he shook his head side to side.
“This city is sick, Tarlak,” he said. “It’s poisoned and wounded, and none of them have a clue.”
“What do you plan on doing about it?” Tarlak asked.
“I plan on seeing just how deep the sickness goes.”
Haern turned and vanished into the night. The two waited, unsure of what to say to one another. When Bernard arrived, Lathaar and Mira in tow, Harruq finally sheathed his weapons.
“Are you all right?” the priest asked.
“We’re good,” Tarlak said. “I just got a little singed. Were you guys attacked?”
“All quiet in our camp,” Lathaar said. “I take it you were not so lucky?”
“My priests told me what happened,” Bernard said. “But I fear things are more complicated than we thought. Someone burned down our temple, and left two priests of Karak mutilated. A third was killed.”
Harruq shot a glance at Tarlak, who glared at him to keep quiet.
“Do you know what they plan to do with Aurelia?” Tarlak asked.
“I will find out,” Bernard said. “Come morning, they will have to issue an official reason for the arrest, as well as her punishment.”
“Punishment!” Harruq shouted. “She hasn’t done a thing!”
“I will make sure no harm comes to her,” the priest said, patting him on the shoulder. “Have faith in me, and Ashhur.”
The half-orc swore and kicked. Furious, he stormed away, Tarlak at his heels.
“This isn’t a big deal,” Tarlak said as he followed. “We’ve handled far worse, and…”
“No,” Harruq said, spinning about. “You know damn well Haern is the one responsible. I won’t have anything happen to my wife because of something he’s done.”
“Yes, because it’s not like we haven’t suffered because of your mistakes,” Tarlak said, immediately regretting it. Harruq staggered back, looking as if he’d been stabbed in the heart.
“Get away from me, Tar,” the half-orc said.
“Look, I didn’t mean to…”
“I said leave!”
Tarlak threw his hands to the air. “Fine. I’m sorry. I’ll go. But you better be here in the morning. We’ll fix this, I promise.”
He returned to Bernard and his priests.
Harruq simmering in his anger and pain. He felt tears welling in his eyes, and an aching scream building in his chest. He felt betrayed, he felt weak, he felt furious and unbearably sad. He looked up at the stars and wondered what brutal god tormented him. His wife imprisoned, Haern alienated, Tarlak speaking hurt, the city twisted and listening to Karak’s priests…
“Come get us, Qurrah,” Harruq whispered to the stars. “We’re ready for you.”
He returned to his tent and did his best to sleep.
12
H arruq was the first up the next morning. He kicked Tarlak in the side to wake him.
“Get up,” he growled. Tarlak muttered something unintelligible, opened a single blood-shot eye, and then saw the half-orc.
“Oh yeah,” Tarlak said. “Aurelia. Right.” He got out from the blankets and stretched. “Go get Bernard and Antonil. We’ll need their clout.”
Harruq did as he was told, fetching the others. As soon as they were ready they set off for the castle.
“If your highness would allow me, I would ask I do the bulk of the talking,” Bernard said to Antonil.
“You understand what is going on far more than I,” Antonil said. “But remember, nothing is to happen to Aurelia. Even if we have to leave the city.”
The guards at the gates let them through. Inside the throne room the queen waited, her many advisors at either side. Hayden was at her right hand, his arms bandaged and wrapped tight in front of him.
“Greetings, King Copernus,” the queen said, standing at their entrance. “I welcome you, though I wish the circumstances were better.”
“We’ve come to hear the charges pressed against Aurelia Tun,” Antonil said. “And the proof of these charges.”
“Are my broken bones not proof enough?” Hayden asked.
“No,” Antonil said, glaring at him. “They’re not.”
“Aurelia has not denied striking him with her magic,” Queen Annabelle said as she slowly sat back down on her throne.
“The priests of Karak came into our tent prepared to kill us,” Bernard said. “I have ten of my brethren that can attest to this.”
“I came because someone had set fire to your temple,” Hayden said. “And when my priests tried to put it out, they were assaulted, burned, and mutilated. When we hurried to tell of you of this travesty, I was assaulted, and defended myself.”
“Why would we lie?” Bernard asked. “Why would we burn down our temple?”
