Nuë and the Djinn Ch. 06

Nuë waited, watching him. She thought maybe she knew who he was, feeling a pang.

The king spoke to the window, Belise translating bit-by-bit, pauses in between.

"When I was a young man, a prince of Heltas," Belise translated. "I went to one of the outposts to acquire horses from the Sideans. I met a woman of Sidea. She was their translator. Her name was Dwali. She was very beautiful. I was already married to a woman of Heltas who would become my queen. I lied to the Sidean woman because I loved her. I told her that if she came with me, I would make her my wife. I persuaded her to lay with me. I thought that, in time, she would accept being my consort."

Nuë was staring at the king's back. "What's that?" Nuë demanded of Belise. "What's a consort?"

"A woman who is bound to a man," Belise answered, "but not through marriage."

"I don't understand," Nuë said, shaking her head.

Belise shrugged. "It's not a Sidean tradition. Sometimes a Heltasian nobleman will take another woman, but she's not a second wife. A person of Heltas can only marry one. That second woman is not a wife. She's a consort. She has no say. She doesn't inherit his property. Her children aren't usually recognized in the bloodline."

The king said something to Belise, who answered, obviously explaining the exchange. The king looked at her and spoke again, Belise translating.

"I thought Dwali would understand that my heart was with her even if I couldn't give her a marriage. When she became pregnant with our child, she asked me to marry her. I had been giving her excuses. I was afraid to lose her. I finally told her the truth, that I was already married. I confessed to her that I had been bedding my Heltasian wife in order to get an heir. I tried to keep her with me. She left in secret and returned to the Sidean tribe with the child. I never saw either of them again."

The king turned around to face her. Nuë's eyes swept him, feeling a hollowness in her chest for this selfish, cruel man. "You are my father, King of Heltas?" Nuë said. "Dwali told the people of Fada tribe that my father was a trader."

Belise translated, the man's voice neutral, careful. Belise turned, offering the king's response. "He says yes, he is your father. It was a joke between them. When they first met, Dwali mistook him for a trader because she had never met a king. He would like to know how Dwali died."

Nuë's chin rose. "My mother returned to Fada tribe. She said that my father had betrayed her. She was pregnant with no husband. My tribe shamed her. She was made a punal. When I was born, she wasn't allowed to keep me. I was given to my aunt. A punal lives in a tent on the edge of the village with no protection and the men come to her if they want. She was killed by a man from another tribe when I was four."

Belise turned to the king, hesitating. He translated. The king's jaw jumped and he looked away, his hands clenching. He spoke, his voice low with grief.

"He asks why you are in Heltas," Belise translated. "He asks if you are looking for your father."

"No," Nuë said. "I am leaving Heltas to go home."

Belise translated that. The king stepped toward her, speaking.

"There is no reason for my daughter to suffer her mother's fate," Belise translated. "The gods have judged me and my line is at an end. You are my only child. My Heltasian queen is barren. My consorts have never conceived. Lord Chatle is the eldest son of my regent and the rule will pass to him. He has agreed to marry you. You will be a queen of Heltas. Through you, my line will continue to rule after I die."

Nuë's eyebrows went up. "No, thank you," she said. "I am already married."

Belise blinked and then translated her words. The king spoke. Belise turned to her. "The king asks where your husband is?"

"At the public house from where you took me, King of Heltas," Nuë said, gesturing.

Belise translated. The king shook his head, his eyes cold now, speaking.

"The king says that you're lying. He says he knows you are a whore. You were seen in a brothel," Belise said in response, his voice neutral, translating the king's words as the king rose, sweeping toward the door. "He says: 'the children from your union with Lord Chatle will inherit my kingdom and my line will endure. Lord Chatle has requested to be here while the physician examines you to ensure you are free from disease and don't carry a child. I have agreed. You will marry Lord Chatle today and I will announce the news to the people of Heltas.'"

Nuë felt the blood leave her head, her lips numb. "I am not lying," Nuë said to him, stepping toward the king. "I am already married. My husband will come for me, King of Heltas. Let me go."

Belise translated her words, the king giving her a last cold glance. He left through the door without answering her. After a moment, Belise followed him. Belise paused at the door, saying something to someone else outside.

When Belise left, three soldiers came through the door.

Nuë backed away, alarmed. "What are they going to do? Belise! What are they going to do?"

The soldiers spread out. Nuë's heart was pounding. She bolted toward the door past the one on her left. He came for her and she ran, throwing a chair down in his path, the man stumbling. She grabbed a metal goblet and threw it at the other, hitting him in the face, the man crying out. The third got hold of her and she swung at him, trying to punch him, but he grabbed her wrist. He twisted her arm, saying something loud and catching her up from behind, capturing her arms.

Her feet came up, kicking out at the one who approached her, striking his stomach, the man's breath whooshing out. She was yelling. The man she had hit in the face with the goblet came, his lip bleeding, grabbing her around the hips and yanked at her clothing.

She screamed in outrage as he stripped her pants from her lower body. The third came, ripping open her tunic, dragging off her shirt, her breasts freed. One of them said something to the other, panting. She continued to struggle and they all laughed.

Nuë couldn't catch her breath, still yelling. They brought her to the bed, one of them straddling her and pinning her as they other removed her boots, the last of her clothing. She could see his sex in his pants, hard. Another got rope, restraining her hands and then her ankles. They tied her ankles together and spread her legs, tying those open, too.

The three soldiers stood over her, breathing fast and grinning. They all turned their eyes away and became impassive as two men came into the room. Nuë immediately recognized one. The Heltasian man who had been waiting outside the brothel where she had bathed. This must be Lord Chatle. He spoke to the soldiers and they left. The other man came to the bed, bending down and reaching between her legs, Nuë crying out.

One of the men cried out and was flying, hitting the wall, Lord Chatle following, both of them sliding down to the floor. Her restraints were ripped away and Mihel was there, holding her. She could feel his rage, feel his body shaking with it.

"My father, Mihel, the king," she said, trying to get her breath. She didn't have enough breath. Mihel set her down and swept off his cloak, putting it around her. "He had his men take me from the public house. He was going to marry me to that one, Lord Chatle, to continue his bloodline. I told him no, that I was married already. He did this. He cruel and selfish and he betrayed my mother and he ordered them to do this to me."

She was so angry and humiliated. Mihel's eyes went to Lord Chatle, who cried out in fear. The other man, the physician, she assumed, had crawled into a corner, putting his hands over his head.

"Stay here, my light," Mihel said. On the way to Lord Chatle, Mihel picked up the physician who was cowering in the corner and casually struck him, the man's face turning sharply, and then the other side, the man crying out in pain. He did it again. Mihel dropped him. The physician returned to his corner, his arms returning to their place over his head.

Mihel walked to Lord Chatle, who was scrambling away, yelling for the soldiers. He stopped yelling when Mihel took him by the throat, raising him off his feet and shaking him. Like he had the other man, he struck him, first one side and then the other, heavy cuffs.

The man yelled and choked, his eyes large as Mihel continued. Mihel released him and Lord Chatle fell onto the floor, his nose and mouth bleeding. Mihel grabbed him and set him on his feet, grabbing the back of his neck and bringing him. Lord Chatle protested in his language, sounding terrified, stumbling along.

Mihel took her hand gently with his other, bringing both of them, Nuë holding the cloak around her, leaving the physician still cowering in the corner.

Soldiers came running, shouting when they saw Mihel dragging Lord Chatle. They drew their swords. Lord Chatle shrieked in fear as Mihel brought them into the spirit world, Mihel leaned in, saying something to Lord Chatle that Nuë didn't hear, but the Heltasian was quiet after that.

Mihel brought them down several halls and then into a huge ornate room. Nuë saw her father sitting in a large chair, the dark-haired man Belise still with him, standing at his side. There were other people in the room, as well as soldiers. Mihel brought Nuë and Lord Chatle into the world with him, soldiers seeing them and rushing toward them.

"Tell them to stay back or I snap this one's neck," Mihel said, indicating Lord Chatle, shaking at him, the Heltasian crying out again, his nose streaming blood. "It would be no difficulty for me as I already hate him."

Nuë could always understand what Mihel said, regardless of to whom he said it or what language he was speaking. The king spoke quickly, which she couldn't understand, waving the soldiers away. There was silence in the hall. The king said something.

"Nuë is my wife," Mihel replied, the blue lines on his hands glowing he was so angry, looking huge and very frightening. "She told you about me. If you weren't her father, I would kill you, but it would hurt her spirit."

Mihel pulled her close gently, still holding Lord Chatle with his other hand. The king said something, a long string of words, Mihel listening.

Mihel's eyes narrowed. "Lord Chatle is mistaken. My wife has been with me or with my brother all the time we have been in Heltas, until your men took her against her will. She has never been in a brothel. She wouldn't even know what that is."

The king said something to Lord Chatle at their side, who shook his head, gesturing at her. The King of Heltas suddenly seemed suspicious, angry. He spoke sharply to Lord Chatle. Lord Chatle looked at her and then spoke, sounding defensive. The king said something else, Lord Chatle looking trapped, replying.

The king looked at her, seeming dismayed. Nuë raised her chin, looking back at him.

Mihel threw Lord Chatle forward, who lifted off the ground, landed and sliding sprawled in front of the king's chair. Lord Chatle slowly got to his feet, looking around at the others in the hall, backing away from Mihel.

Nuë heard the king say something.

"Tell him he didn't deserve my mother," Nuë said, her voice tight. "Say that because he is a liar, she suffered. Tell him that he will never see me again and he will die without an heir of his body."

Mihel delivered her message. Then he stepped forward, the soldiers around them tensing. Mihel spoke. "Your kingdom is full of the pain of spirits enslaved and the twisted spirits of their masters, and because of this, your people will fail. Your blood will run in the streets. I have lived a thousand years and I have seen your doom many times."

Mihel lifted her into his arms, turning away.

"Nuë," the king said.

She didn't look at him. Mihel brought her into the spirit world, walking away.

"Nuë!" her father cried behind them.

#

They got to the park. Mihel sat down with her in his arms, holding her. She looked up at his face. He looked so worried. They were suddenly in the spirit world. He touched her light and she looked down, seeing it clouded, remembering the men stripping her. His light was wrapped tight around her, protective.

Their lights swirled and she felt Mihel soothing her, the humiliation receding. She took a deep breath, touching his anger, feeling him calm. Her body relaxed and they were back in the world.

"I want to kill your father, Nuë," Mihel said irritably. "I know I can't, but I want to. But first I'm going to kill Luta for taking you to a brothel. Why didn't you tell me he did that?"

"I agreed not to tell you before I knew what a brothel was," she said. "He regretted it, Mihel."

"He's like chaos. Everything everywhere." Mihel said. He narrowed his eyes, breathing.

She felt her chest ease more. "You could hold his arm in a badger hole," she said.

"He told you I did that?"

"Yes. I asked him to tell me what you had done to him that was terrible."

"Why?"

"Because it made me feel better."

He laughed, and then he scoffed. "There wasn't a badger in the hole."

"How do you know?"

"Because nothing bit him."

Her eyebrows went up. "You really did that?"

Mihel made a face at her. "You've traveled with Luta, Nuë."

"I know. He's awful."

"If he wasn't my twin brother, I would have killed him many, many times. You almost did once. He made you so angry you threw a rock at him across a field and it hit him on his head and knocked him out. You thought you'd killed him and he's just upset because you don't remember so he can't use it to make you feel guilty anymore."

She burst out laughing, Mihel smiling to see it. "I wish I could remember. What was I like, before?"

He looked down at her, touching her cheek. "Exactly like you are now, my light. I would know you in any body."

"What was my name?"

"You were Sersha. You were Cao. You are Nuë."

"Why don't they sound familiar?"

"You don't remember. I remember for us."

"Was I prettier before?"

He laughed. "You asked me that before, too. You're always beautiful. It's like looking at analetas. This one is a brilliant green with blue on its wings. This one a dark purple like velvet with silver tips. This one is all gold in the sunlight. How can you compare among them? They all take your breath."

"I haven't seen these animals?"

He smiled. "They're fragile like you, their wings the color of polished jewels. I'll show you when we go home."

She was quiet, looking down, touching the white bracelet on his wrist, stroking it.

"What is it?" he said.

"We don't have any children, Mihel? We can't have them?"

"We can," Mihel said gently. "But it hasn't ever happened for us. You've always wanted it."

"You want it," she said, seeing it in him.

"I do," he admitted. "I still believe it will happen. But it does require something."

"What?"

"If I tell you, will you do it?" he said, his face very serious.

"Yes, Mihel," she said. "Of course."

He grinned. "Good," he said, putting her on her back, opening the cloak, Nuë naked under it.

"Mihel!" she cried as his hands landed on her waist, coming down, spreading her legs and holding them open, his mouth coming down on hers.

He fingers were on her waist, then on her thigh, then between her legs, touching her as she squirmed and protested. His mouth went to her nipples. She tried to form arguments, out here in a park in the middle of Heltas where anyone could see. She released her breath. She would do it for just a small time.