Kros Voyeh Ch. 03

"Isonei, my Duchess?"

"I-I don't..." Isonei barely seemed able to open her eyes.

Draeseth swept her off of her feet and began barking orders, "Krouth! Get your medicines and have a healer fetched. My wife-"

The Aran woman began to retch and seemed to faint as if overcome by pain or...

"Poison," Ougath whispered and the guests crowded the doorways to watch in horror.

"Lady Lislora..." Prince Ougath turned his head slowly, as if it were difficult to tear his eyes away from the flurry of servants around his kneeling brother and the violently ill woman now laid on the floor.

"She couldn't eat swine." Lislora shuddered. "They prepared different food for her."

"That's reassuring for us but it makes it much more likely that someone poisoned the Duchess." He spoke quietly and firmly. "Do not allow any of the servants to leave. Have the guards fetched to begin questioning them, and do it before Draeseth's concern turns to rage. If he murders everyone in the kitchens it would be difficult to discover who ordered it to be done. I will see to the guests."

Lislora nodded and managed to make her legs move. It felt like a nightmare she would wake from at any moment as she hurried toward the end of the hall. A maid was standing wide-eyed nearly at the end and Lislora grabbed her by the arm and made her follow.

"Go to the kitchens and tell them no one is to leave. No one. Prince Ougath suspects poison and Prince Draeseth will murder anyone who even looks as if they're trying to flee. Tell them I'll be there shortly and I'm bringing guards to question them and to keep them safe."

The woman nodded dumbly and when Lislora released her, rushed away toward the kitchens.

Lislora took a deep breath, if anyone had poisoned Isonei there weren't enough guards in all of Torga to keep him from killing them. She headed toward the barracks with urgency, not bothering with her cloak, hoping the frigid air would help dispel the nightmare feeling. The door, the only door she knew to go to, was locked and she beat on it frantically. "Commander!"

"Lady?" A guardsman came around the side holding a partly uncovered lantern. "The Commander has gone into town with-"

"Fetch him back! And get me as many guardsmen as you can find!"

"Calm yourself, Lady, what-"

"Duchess Isonei was poisoned." She clasped her hands to stop the trembling, "Prince Ougath wants guards to begin questioning the kitchen staff and keep them from leaving, and when he pulls Prince Draeseth away from his wife's side they'll need protection!"

The man began to curse going back the way he came at a trot. A moment later a handful of guards came running out, going down toward Evenos. More, in their armor and clutching weapons, came out less enthusiastically as Lislora was making her way back to the closest door of the house.

She was on her way to the kitchens when Prince Adareth caught up to her.

"They're moving Duchess Isonei to her rooms and Draeseth needs water to wash in. Ougath said not to send a maid. I'm to go supervise the questioning in the kitchens."

"I'll need one to help me gather what he needs and possibly to help me carry it and some of them will have to see to the guests who are staying."

"Those who can will be going home with the closest Lords, due to the circumstances. Ougath is giving apologies trying to keep everyone calm and orderly. Some of the other Ladies began to feel faint and ill after the commotion but they aren't-aren't..." Adareth swallowed and looked a little ill, himself.

"They aren't as poorly as the Duchess." Lislora finished his sentence gently and he nodded. "Some people begin to feel ill when they see others in such distress. Air and some fortified wine would help them."

"Until they know what poisoned the Duchess, I don't think anyone will be eating or drinking anything here. I have to send word to my father as well. Ougath pointed out she wasn't ill until after she ate the fish we brought for her. He tried to assure the guests that, despite the precautions taken, perhaps the fish had gone off on our journey. We don't yet know for certain why the Duchess is ill."

"You think... you think the fish could have been poisoned?"

"It's possible. There are those in the Thoncur who would like the chance to lash out at Draeseth. They know they can't face him openly, he'd challenge them and then beat them to death. To murder his new wife at their wedding feast, however, that could break a man. Especially as much as my brother is known to care for her."

"Ganas be merciful." Lislora closed her eyes for a moment, Draeseth would blame his brothers if it were true no matter who sent the poisoned fish. "I'll take a maid to help me get what I need. You need to begin with the questioning. Find out what it was that made her ill and if you pray, your Highness, pray that it came from our kitchens. He would never forgive you if you brought her poisoned fish."

Prince Adareth inclined his head looking stricken for a moment, "I would never forgive myself. The woman lit up the room. She made the Bitter Keep seem bright and-" he cleared his throat and straightened himself. "I will find out what happened. I'll be as harsh as my brother if I have to be."

"Please don't." Lislora gave him a faint smile, "They're already frightened, and they're probably exhausted. Duchess Isonei is accustomed to having more servants and more wealth at her command. They've worked harder than ever in their lives trying to meet her expectations. If you approach them as good people who have accidentally let some snake slither into the kitchens and poison the Lady of the house, they'll find the snake for you."

"I'll take your words under advisement." Adareth inclined his head again and gestured for her to come with him.

The kitchens were in chaos. Several of the women were huddled together sobbing while others tried to carry on with the business of cleaning the dishes and performing their duties. Armed men cluttered the rooms looking nervous and keeping an eye on the servants and on the doors as if they expected Draeseth to come storming in at any moment.

Lislora tried to calm things immediately, "If everyone would calm and be still for a moment. Prince Adareth will begin speaking to everyone to try and discover what happened. I know, through the flurry of activity today the door didn't stay locked as it should have."

One woman wailed and Lislora had to wait for her to quiet.

"I intend to ask the Commander to put guards on it to open it and close it when need be. It's an important task and it shouldn't have been left this way for so long. Be honest with Prince Adareth, if you saw anyone at all coming in or leaving that shouldn't have been here or anyone in the kitchens that didn't belong, anything out of the ordinary or at all unexpected, he needs to know."

A chorus of "Yes, my Lady," and a flurry of bobbing curtsies greeted her words.

"I will need someone to help me for a moment, his Highness needs water to wash in-"

"They've been calling for water for the Duchess as well." One of the guards spoke up. "Master Krouth asked for some of the maids by name and they've been running back and forth with pitchers and basins as well as soiled clothes."

"I won't have anyone taken away from his service. The Duchess is most important," Adareth interrupted before Lislora could say anything at all. "You and one of the other guards can help Lady Lislora gather whatever she needs for my brother, if he's too distraught she may need someone to help her keep him in his chambers."

"Yes, your Highness." Lislora tried to hide her annoyance as some of the women started to whimper and weep again at the mention of Prince Draeseth being distraught, everyone there was keenly aware she would need more than two guards.

The guards each carried two large pitchers of water, and one of the more composed servants helped her by finding a spare basin, soap, and some wash rags, which she carried, herself. She didn't bother knocking on the door of her cousin's rooms when they arrived. Showing the men where to put the pitchers she let them go stand outside the door.

It was almost eerily quiet except for the soft noises of someone trying to muffle the sound of sobs. In her cousin's bedroom, Lislora found the large Prince kneeling and hunched on the floor with his face pressed to the mattress of his bed. The only time she'd ever seen him this way was when his mother had been taken by illness.

Someone, at least, had stripped him of the soiled layers before leaving him in his rooms alone but he still stank of vomit.

"Draeseth?" Lislora spoke softly, coming closer to touch his head as she had years before.

He shuddered and lifted his head with a jerk, "My wife?"

"I don't know. I came with water for you to wash. I do know that Krouth has a few of the maids he trusts carrying water to her room. Your brothers are seeing to the guests and questioning the kitchen staff."

"Whoever did this, I will kill them, Lislora."

"It could have been an accident." She sat on the edge of his bed and stroked his hair as if he were a child. The man looked lost and helpless, utterly unlike himself. "The kitchen was very busy, perhaps something was undercooked, or the fish had gone off. It had traveled a long way."

His response was to bury his face in her skirts and try to wrap his arms around her hips and legs, his hand clutching her far leg just below the knee.

"She's going to be fine. Krouth is skilled with herbs." Lislora stroked his head keeping her voice soothing, "I can't believe anyone here would deliberately try to harm her."

It seemed to help, he loosened his grip.

"I have water and soap in the other room for you-"

Draeseth gave a hoarse laugh and tightened his grip again, not lifting his head.

"Is something wrong?"

His words were slightly muffled in her skirts, "My wife wanted to bathe me. She can't bear to be dirty and she tries to wash me as often as she washes herself."

"Have you explained to her a man should smell like a man?" Lislora was giving him an annoyed and incredulous look as he lifted his head and it brought a smile to his face.

"She's Aran, she thinks men should smell like flowers." He lowered his head again and took a deep breath, "When she met me, Isonei was amazed and enthralled that I smelled like leather and spices. And she'd never touched a man's cheeks when they were rough."

Lislora allowed herself a small laugh, "Her father shaves that often?"

"I doubt the man has to shave. Arans are nearly hairless except for their heads." He made a soft sound and lifted his head loosening his grip again, "I think her fascination with my hair is part of what made her stay with me."

"The woman looks at you as if you're the one who fixed the sun in the sky, and you did it for her delight. It might be more than your hair."

Draeseth's face broke into a broad pleased smile before it crumbled again, "If she dies..."

"She won't. Go wash. We can go to the sacellum and pray afterward. Krouth is tending your wife, and your brothers are tending to everything else."

He took a deep breath, "We will go pray and then I will help my brothers. I can't... I ask you to look in on her for me. She was shaking... trembling as if she were cold and couldn't stop."

"I will look in on her after we pray. Krouth will have her rooms warmed, I'm certain." She did her best to give him a tender, reassuring smile and he seemed more content.

Rising from his knees, Draeseth rubbed his face. "Don't tell my brothers I was weeping like a child."

"I wouldn't." Standing she touched his arm. "Though, any man who loves his wife would weep." To her surprise he stepped closer and embraced her, holding her tightly for a moment. As he released her she pressed the back of her hand to her flushed face, "At least I know your wife won't be sour with me for comforting you."

Draeseth barked a laugh and gave her a wry grin, "No. She'd be pleased, she was praising your cleverness today. My Isonei is fond of you, and I think, she'd be very glad to give you the other half of the year with me." He began moving toward the door, "My brothers envy me a wife with no jealousy, but I would be more pleased if she had just a little."

"I can't understand how she can have none at all." Lislora followed, shaking her head.

"Arans are raised believing that the natural order of things is many wives and husbands. They raise each other's children and look at their husbands' other wives as sisters. Some prefer to be exclusive but they seem to be thought of as peculiar."

Lislora couldn't help but laugh. "Prince Ougath was trying to explain to Lady Wemla that Arans have no concept of bastards."

The large Prince turned to give her a look of amused annoyance, "By our standards they all are."

"He said she sees no difference in your rank and your brothers'." Lislora leaned against the doorframe.

"She doesn't. Nor can she understand why the Queen doesn't consider me her son."

The sour look he gave her made Lislora cover her mouth to keep from laughing for a moment. "Your mother was a better mother, and a better woman."

"Thank you." Draeseth smiled as he took the soap and cloths out of the basin. "You've lightened my mood almost as skillfully as my wife." He hesitated and then lifted his eyes to offer an apologetic look, "This morning..."

Wincing, Lislora nodded and looked down at her dark green skirt, running her fingers over the embroidery. "I should offer an apology. The message wasn't why I came. My wedding night was... wretched. When I was told Isonei had been pressed I thought she might-might..."

"You thought she would need to be rescued from me?" Draeseth was smiling grimly as she looked up. "As you wish someone had rescued you?"

"Yes. I was actually a little annoyed to find she didn't want to be rescued despite the marks you left on her." She gave him a chiding look.

He snorted, "My delicate wife encourages me to be rough at times and she bruises more easily than any creature I've ever seen. I would never harm her."

Trying to bring the conversation back to a more appropriate place, Lislora said firmly, "Still, cousin, you shouldn't have pressed her."

"No." Draeseth drew a deep breath and rolled his shoulders back. "It was wrong of me, but she needs me to be able to show my affection as I did in Ara. She had..." He glanced at Lislora and flushed, "found a way to give me some relief and each time she saw to my needs and I left hers unmet it made me seem selfish. She put my happiness above her own until she was so miserable the only solution she saw was to leave me."

Lislora frowned, "You were only alone together in the winter garden, and it's mostly made of glass..."

Draeseth began to laugh as he poured the water into the basin, "Arans are not shy. You may better understand, now, why I won't allow her to be alone with any man but me. She loves me, and I know she has no intention of bedding anyone else. But my wife is impulsive, and if a man were to persuade her," he made an unpleasant sound. "A Torgan woman would try to smuggle a man into her bedroom, my Aran wife knows how to have a man in any room she happens to find herself in."

Her face felt hot and she couldn't keep herself from asking, "You undressed in the-the winter garden?"

Flushing deeply, he turned to look at her again with a bemused smile, "No, it wasn't necessary." His smile faltered as she simply stared at him. "I would ask you to fetch fresh clothes for me, but perhaps you should wait outside the door."

Nodding, she tried to compose her face. "I should-I should put on a different dress. I will meet you at the sacellum."