Chapter Twenty~three

Truth

Part Two

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Amelys sat beside the Queen at the head of a long table in a conference room of the Alchemists' headquarters. A number of the Queen's cabinet along with a few other Alchemists were seated around the table with them.

Kelvaran and Kazia were not late, but everyone else had been early and she had hoped they would be as well.

Kelvaran finally entered the room and took a seat near the other end of the table. His face appeared flush, and Amelys suspected that something was afoot, but there wasn't time for that now.

She gave him a curious glance, but tucked it away in the back of her mind.

"Is this all we are?" asked Queen Inaissa.

"It must be," Amelys answered. "Perhaps Lady Devratha is unwell today."

"Then please send her my best regards," the Queen replied. "Let's begin. Sir Aleryl, we will get to the trade issues, but reports out of Valesk are becoming dire. Halany is consolidating his power. People are disappearing, believed to be taken into custody, but no one knows where. Allies are disappearing, as well as ordinary citizens with no known political ties - many Derician descendants. We have intelligence that Halany may be planning something soon, possibly here in Caedra. We have no details as of yet. We do believe that he is increasing the presence of spies here in Elisaen."

Amelys shot Kelvaran a warning glance. He set his jaw, but remained silent.

"Now-" the Queen began, then paused as Kazia appeared in the doorway.

Amelys beckoned her in, to an open seat beside her.

Kazia gave a curtsy to the Queen before she sat down.

"You look very normal today, Your Majesty," Kazia said in all earnestness to the Queen, who had come in no gold or silks but only a simple, loose gown of linen.

Everyone looked aghast at Kazia, but Inaissa gave her a kind smile.

"Well, I am just a person after all," she replied.

"That's nice," Kazia said. "You're very nice."

"Kazia?" Amelys murmured.

"If I may, Your Majesty," Sir Aleryl interrupted, "why is she here?"

"Because we have only two Valeskans on staff as of now, and I hope one of them may have insights into our discussions," Inaissa answered. "It would behoove us to get a better sense of Halany's Alchemists and their contributions to his military capability."

"I would not know anything about that," Kazia said, interrupting as Kelvaran had begun to speak. "I lived much as a prisoner in my father's house my whole life, so I don't know much about the goings on outside his walls. I can tell you about his military capabilities. He has an enormous army loyal to him. And Alchemists as well. Very clever ones. I don't understand why he doesn't take Halany's throne. I know he wants it."

"Well," Inaissa began, a small uncertainty in her voice, "at present Prince Gorvan seems loyal to Halany, so we'll keep our eyes on the crown for now."

"Your Majesty," Kelvaran spoke up, "I may have gathered a few leads from certain sources. It would be a lengthy conversation if we could meet on that subject."

"Of course," the Queen replied. "I'll have my secretary make the appointment. Now, Brinland is of the opinion that if things continue thus much longer, a pre-emptive strike should be launched upon Valesk."

"No!" Kazia said, rising from her seat. "No, no no!"

"Kazia," Amelys said, tugging at Kazia's sleeve to coax her into her chair again. "Don't speak out of turn."

"No one ever calmed tensions with an attack!" Kazia said adamantly, leaning heavily over the table.

Amelys saw that Kazia was breathing erratically, her face had gone pale, and there was a tremor in her voice.

"It would be idiocy," Kazia continued. "Are you all idiots?" she said, looking around the table.

"Well, I know you are," she said, pointing at Sir Aleryl, "but you want Valeskan steel, right? Do you think you'll get it if we're at war with them?"

"There you have it, Your Majesty," Sir Aleryl said smugly.

Amelys rose.

"Kazia, that is quite enough," she said sternly. "What is the matter with you?"

"Is your charge quite well, Mistress Amelys?" Inaissa asked.

Amelys examined Kazia. Her hands were trembling, and her eyes appeared unfocused. Amelys lifted one of Kazia's eyelids and took a deep look within.

"Well, there's your problem," Amelys declared. "Someone has cast a truth spell on you."

"Yes!" Kazia shouted. "It-" Amelys clapped her fingers over Kazia's lips and shot a dark look down the table to Kelvaran.

He gave no acknowledgment.

"Let's keep you quiet for now, Kazia," Amelys said, "I think you've had enough of that."

"One of my Alchemists did this?" Inaissa demanded.

"If I may, Your Majesty," Amelys said, "I'll get to the bottom of it. "

"See that you do. I'll see them punished severely."

Amelys glanced at Kelvaran again, but he would not meet her eyes.

Kazia mumbled frantically against Amelys' fingers, but they stayed firmly pressed over her mouth. Her eyes began to roll back into her head then, and a violent seizure overtook her body.

Everyone in the room stood in alarm as she dropped to the floor, shuddering where she lay.

"Let's adjourn for now," the Queen snapped sternly, then beckoned to the men nearest her. "You two, help Mistress Amelys."

"Just get her to my apartment," Amelys said as they lifted Kazia between them and carried her out.

"Huzzah for Caedra today, right?" Queen Inaissa sighed. "My own Alchemists casting spells on each other. Whatever next?"

~~~*~~~

"Did you get the answers you sought?" Amelys demanded.

Kelvaran was silent, staring into the fireplace.

"Well, Kelvaran?"

"I did not," he answered. "She played underhanded."

"She did?" Amelys said furiously. "Really, she played underhanded?"

"I only mean that she weaseled out of it."

"Weaseled out?"

Amelys dropped her cane and leaned over him, hands on either arm of his chair.

"Kelvaran, you could have killed her! Kazia's condition renders her more sensitive to these things than others are. You are damned lucky that she's not dead. I don't know if I could cover for that. I don't know that I would."

"Are you?" he asked. "Covering for me?"

Amelys backed up and tried to retrieve her cane. Kelvaran scooped it up and handed it to her.

She sighed.

"Lady Kazia has reported that this was simply some young Apprentice playing a prank that went wrong. She would not like anyone named or punished. She believes that the perpetrator has learned his lesson."

"She's covering for me?” he mused. “Or only for herself?"

"Kelvaran Meratha," Amelys said, steel in her voice. "You have always been ill-tempered, but you have never been this stupid. You have embarrassed Kazia, you have embarrassed the Queen, you have embarrassed me, you have embarrassed our entire establishment. Can you please just learn the lesson?"

 

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