The Exchange Ch. 08

A hysteria-like frenzy of preparations had blown around the Royal Palace. Many things had to be packed up. Food ingredients and cooking utensils, clothing and accessories, musical instruments, furniture. So many things.

The Royal Family was going on a trip on a massive ship to enjoy the wintry sea and have several days' worth of feasting and dancing. The reason for the occasion? Prince Nitishila's birthday was coming, and he wanted to try a fancy trip on a big boat at least once in his life. The Emperor himself had to approve of the trip.

It was the night before the morning of the scheduled departure.

Inka was sleeping inside Lataa's apartment. Thankfully, the room she was sent to didn't reek of smoke. Beforehand, Inka had been talked into eating many spicy foods by Lataa. "Oh, you must try this one! And this one!" She'd said these kinds of things to Inka, and Inka didn't mind, but she'd taken a large amount of water and yogurt in order to soothe her tongue and throat.

And now, in the middle of the night, Inka had to get up and use a chamber pot.

When she was done, she washed her hands in a bowl. But then, she heard a strange crashing sound outside the bedroom's door. Inka's feet practically flew as she sped to that door, unlocked it, and swung it open. She held an oil lamp out as she perused the hallway. Lolled on the floor, whimpering, there was a woman. A slightly toppled, but completely safe lamp was on the floor.

"Have you hurt yourself?" Inka crouched down to straighten the other lamp and set it on an ornamental sideboard. Then she took the woman's hand and helped her up.

When they were both standing, Inka heard the woman sheepishly answer. "I was clumsy and foolish, Your Highness. I beg you to forgive me." She tried to kneel, but Inka didn't allow that.

"You're Miss Rahki, correct? Lataa's attendant?"

With a careful nod, Rahki said, "Yes, Your Highness. I couldn't sleep, and so I decided to patrol the halls to see if anything needed to be done."

"That's fine, I suppose, but you didn't answer my first question. Are you hurt?"

Rahki's head turned to one side and her hands clasped each other. "No, Your Highness. I'm honestly unharmed."

Placing a hand on her heart, Inka sighed. "Such a relief. Poor Lataa would be helpless without you."

Looking back at Inka, Rahki said, "The Princess Consort is truly kind." She nodded quite firmly. "Would you like a calming snack to help you sleep? Maybe a cup of hot milk?"

"That would be lovely, thank you. Let me put on a robe." Inka retreated into the room to find a silk robe to tie around her sleeping clothes. Then she returned to Rahki and followed her to the dining room. Inka sat at a round table and waited as Rahki left to get the snacks all by herself.

The muscles in Inka's feet and legs strained as she only let the tips of her toes touch the cold floor. Her feet relaxed again when Rahki came back with a tray that bore a cup of milk, sweetened hunks of bread, and a creamy dipping sauce that was similar to icing.

Rahki was very careful and disciplined as she put the tray on the table. "Here you are, Your Highness." She stood a little bit away, attentive, waiting to see if she was needed for anything else.

Inka took one of the pieces of bread. "You're a dutiful attendant. Lataa's fortunate to have you."

She dipped the bread in the sauce.

"Stop!!" Rahki reached out and grasped Inka's wrist. It was a shocking, unheard of thing. Inka would've gaped at her if she was a different sort of person.

Her fingers released the bread, which fell into the bowl of sauce.

"Rahki? Why have you taken my wrist as if you have the right to do so?"

Shaking her head, her voice urgent, Rahki said, "Please, please forgive me! I can't bear this evil!"

"Release me immediately," Inka demanded with her most chilling tone.

Rahki obeyed, and then she backed away, knelt down, and prostrated herself. "My mistress has lost her senses! She's ordered that I poison you on my next opportunity, but I can't. I can't endure the consequences of murdering such a kind person!"

Inka put her hands in her lap and gave an almost somber little exhale. Then she asked, "Is it the sauce? Has that been poisoned?"

"Yes Your Highness! Please keep the bowl, cover it, and present it to the Emperor to be tested. Only then can you prove you've been wronged."

"I'll certainly keep the bowl," Inka said as she put her hand around the thing, scraping the table as she dragged it closer. "Thank you for helping me, but don't tell anyone of what happened here."

"Yes, thank you! Thank you!"

Inka rose her free hand. "Get up. Have the rest of these dishes washed and go to bed."

***

Inka woke up to the sound of Jorun's gentle voice speaking in Eiraglan. "Good morning, Your Highness."

Wiping her eyes as any normal human would, Inka mumbled, "Has everything been taken care of?"

"Yes, Mistress. Now we must go to your apartment and dress for travel."

A short yawn came out, and then Inka rose from the bed. "Is Lataa awake yet?"

"I don't believe so. She might've stayed up late as she waited to hear news."

"She must've gotten very little sleep," Inka said as she combed her fingers through her hair and walked towards her case of clothing. "Now, her body might be forcing her to recover from that." Jorun opened the case for her. "I'll need your expert assistance this morning," Inka continued as Jorun picked out a quick outfit to wear while going back to her apartment. "I must be especially radiant today."

In her Inka's bedroom, Jorun personally washed and dressed her. Inka was given the most subtle pink color on her lips. Most of the color focused in the center, while the outer parts of her lips were left pale. A matching dusting was placed on her cheeks. Some of her curly hair was swept up into a crown-like braid wrapped above her forehead. The rest was allowed to fall over her back.

She wore a hip-length blouse with long, fitted sleeves, in a base of silvery gray. She also wore a long skirt with a matching gray color. A belt of gold with red poppy gemstones was around her waist. A comb with matching stones was pressed into her braid. Then she put on her vanilla and smoky amber perfume.

Dey, the maid that had been saved from Lataa long ago, burst into the room and huffed out, "Mistress! Hahhh!! Mistress! It's terrible!!"

Inka smoothly turned her head to meet Dey's eyes. "What's the matter?"

"Your honorable husband has sent men to search your apartment!"

And right after Dey had said that, two armed guards entered. Inka also heard manly footsteps and squealing maids outside.

"Your Highness," one of the men in the room said, "Our master has demanded that we search your room for certain items. Please forgive the intrusion."

Inka took Jorun's hand and led her to a wall. "Please do so," Inka said very confidently. "I'd hate for my husband to lack anything he might need, particularly if I'm the one who has it."

Jorun sighed and pouted a little. "Don't break anything. If you do, you'll pay dearly."

The women watched the men poke here and there, and finally, under Inka's bed, they found a small basket covered with a blanket. Under the blanket, there were two black glass jars with their lids tied down. One of the men addressed Inka again. "Your Highness, I have no choice but to escort you to Prince Nitishila."

Inka wasn't allowed to get into her palanquin. She had to walk. At least Jorun was allowed to walk with her.

They were taken to Nitishila's apartment, in his reception room, where there were many guards on standby. Nitishila himself was in a chair, and he looked spent. He was barely dressed. His hair was still messy. The normally white sections of his eyes were a heavy shade of pink. His back was subtly curled over, and his hands were weakly clutching his knees. Standing near him, Mamun was looking crisp but melancholy.

Assuming the mood wasn't appropriate for a lack of formality, Inka knelt down, and Jorun certainly did the same. When Inka got back up, she was certainly not surprised to see that Nitishila silently waited seven seconds to flip his fingers up to allow Jorun to stand.

Inka remained quiet, gazing at her husband's wretched face, waiting.

Nitishila's face remained unchanged, as if he didn't even notice that Inka had arrived. But his lips did move after a while. "Dhaval's dead. He was poisoned."

He sounded like was trying to gargle shredded sandpaper.

Inka lowered her eyes. "You have my condolences."

One of the guards handed Mamun the basket of jars. "We found this under Her Highness' bed."

Mamun looked at the jars and said, "Have these examined by the physicians." Then he handed the basket back to that guard, who then left the room.

Nitishila spoke again as his hateful eyes narrowed. "Are you proud of yourself?"

Quickly, Inka gave her calm response, "Of myself? I'm not certain. What could I have done lately to be proud of?"

His hand rose and then slapped the arm of his chair. His nostrils expanded. "You've killed my Dhaval!!"

Twice, Inka blinked quickly. She wondered if Jorun was flinching, but she didn't dare take her gaze away from her husband.

"That's a far-reaching allegation," Inka said.

"Far-reaching, indeed!" Nitishila's back straightened out as if someone was ironing it. "You hated him! He was an innocent little creature that only bit his food, and you poisoned him!!"

"Assuming the jars found in my room belonged to me," Inka said, still calm, "even assuming they contain poison, that doesn't prove I'm the one who had your pet killed."

"Who else would kill him?" Nitishila swept his trembling hand across as if he was trying to fan the air, only with much more anger behind the motion. His eyes rounded. "You're the only one with a motive!"

"Once again," Inka said, "assuming there was poison in my room, even assuming it was the exact poison used against your pet, that doesn't mean I was the one to make the move against it. The jars could have been planted."

Nitishila's messy head rolled with his furious eyes. "Who would possibly frame you?! Nobody would gain anything from that!!"

Inka layered her hands over her heart. She closed her eyes and took a great breath.

He didn't trust her.

He argued with her for a few more minutes. Actually, it would be more honest to say he yelled at Inka while she remained still and quiet, her mouth tightly closed. A man hurried to Nitishila at one point, and he announced, "Your Highness, the contents of the jars have been tested. One jar has the same poison used to kill your pet. The other has an abortifacient."

That was when Nitishila rose from his seat, stalked over to Inka, and hollered so loudly that Inka knew he'd be hoarse soon.

He ...

He didn't trust her!

***

Lataa was in her palanquin, on her way to the ship. Her agitated fingers held onto a curtain's edge as her eyes restlessly bounced around. When she saw Jorun's red hair flying behind her running body, almost as if she was approaching, Lataa purposely let one of her rings slip down her finger and ping on the pathway. Jorun stopped to pick the ring up and she called out, "Wait! Please wait! Her Highness has lost a ring!!"

The bearers stopped, and they lowered the palanquin. Jorun went up to the window and held the ring up to Lataa. As Lataa took the ring, she saw a folded note sticking out of Jorun's sleeve, and she snatched it away.

Lataa silently read the note as the palanquin moved again.

"His Highness didn't believe Princess Inka. Wanting to find a reason for him to trust her, she tried to name you as the culprit, and she presented the sweet sauce as evidence. But the sauce was proven to be free of poison. She's now suspected of plotting against the empire, and she's been sent to a prison cell to be interrogated. The Empress Dowager has volunteered to stay behind to oversee the issue; she said she hated the sea anyway. Until the rest of the Royal Family returns from the trip to the sea, Princess Inka is 'Forbidden from Discussion.'"

Forbidden from Discussion was a certain category for a person associated with negative thoughts in Gehnan culture. During a time of major celebration, if a family member, or anyone dear, really, was assumed to have done something wrong, especially a horrible crime, it was considered unlucky to speak of that person in any way.

That would make the trip much more entertaining. No stupid foreigners to take the attention away from Lataa's pretty face. She'd be the prettiest woman at the festivities. Even Nitishila would notice her.

***

Jorun seemed to be a loyal attendant. That's what the guards outside Princess Inka's cell thought.

Even when Prince Inka's blood curdling, excruciating cries of pain shot through the cell door's thick wood, Jorun willingly knelt on a pillow on the floor. She didn't have to. She could've stayed in her mistress' apartment and help the housekeeper manage the place.

Instead, she wrung her hands and wept in that spot, her wet and freckled face reddening. Sometimes she got up to use a chamberpot in a hidden room. Sometimes she paced around the room, wincing at everything she heard from behind the cell door. She even slept in the hallway, right in front of the guards, leaning against a wall.

On the night before the morning that the Royal Family was meant to return from Prince Nitishila's birthday celebration, it was quiet. The interrogators had given the princess a respite, possibly out of respect and frustration. That princess hadn't given them any information. The only sounds she made were exclamations of pain. No actual words were collected from her.

Jorun actually left for an hour or so. When she returned, she was holding a box, and she opened it to show the contents to the guards. Medical salves and the like. "Please let me visit my mistress and tend to her wounds," she said. "If I need permission from the Empress Dowager, I'll gladly beg to her."

"It's fine," one of the guards said. "Go and care for the princess." That same guard unlocked the door and escorted Jorun inside the cell.

They stopped in their tracks.

Shrouded in a plain and shadowed cloak with a hood, Princess Inka was quietly perched on a stool near a wall. Across from her, high up, there was a window just big enough for a prisoner's eyes to look through. There was supposed to be a grate over that window, but the guard noticed that someone had loosened it, as if they'd wanted to flip it up.

Under the window, where the thin plank of a bed stood, there was something disturbing.

A dark viper.

***

When the rest of the Royal Family returned to their apartments, exhausted from all the celebrating and traveling, the Empress Dowager sent them all a message.

"Sleep for now, but come to my garden at noon."

When the Emperor, his Consort, Prince Nitishila, and Princess Lataa all arrived at the garden, where a temporary tent had been built to protect them from the bright sun and cool air, they gave each other certain looks. The Emperor and his wife were bitter and expectant, as if they thought someone might be dead and didn't want to hear about it. Nitishila had a gray tint in his complexion and his eyes were a little crusty. Lataa put on a concerned look.

Inside the tent, the Empress Dowager was seated on a tall wicker chair. There were a good number of men with weapons standing at attention. The floor was part of a wide pathway made of purposely uneven stones. The lines of grout looked almost like spider webs. A large rug of with brown and gold circular patterns had been laid down for comfort. On one side of the rug, Jorun was kneeling. Beside her, a cloaked form was also kneeling. The rest of the family and their attendants knelt before the Empress Dowager, but she didn't tell any of them to rise.

The old woman's face looked like a harsh, chiseled sculpture that hadn't been sanded down. It seemed as if smiling was impossible for her. One of her withered hands rose a few inches from her chair's arm, and she gestured towards the cloaked figure. "I've asked Princess Inka to be present for this meeting. She's refused to offend our eyes with the sight of her damaged body, and I've allowed that."

Lataa's lips twitched and the pupils of her eyes shrank, but she was able to stay calm. It seemed that the viper hadn't killed the foreign princess. How unfortunate!

Nitishila spoke up. "Why have you brought that sinner here, Dear Grandmother? Has she decided to tell us what her plans are?"

The Dowager's hand fell back to the chair's arm. "Is that your opinion of your wife? Fine. Son," she looked to the Emperor, "tell me your opinion of this prisoner."

Folding his arms, the Emperor said, "I don't know what to think of her behavior. I doubt that Eiragla is plotting against us. They have too much to lose. Perhaps this girl is simply childish and petty, and so her behavior is irrational?"

The Dowager nodded and looked to the Emperor's wife. "What's your opinion, Lavanya?"

Sadly turning her eyes away, the Empress Consort said, "I don't know why she'd poison Nitishila's beloved pet, and keeping herself from bearing his child?" She shook her head. Her long braid of hair swung back and forth. Her earrings did much the same. "It's so out of character. It's unbelievable."

The Dowager turned to Lataa.

Grinning, her neck almost elongating as her posture improved, Lataa told her grandmother, "She's honestly been so petty. She even tried to frame me for a crime, whining to Nitishila about how I supposedly poisoned her food, all just to distract everyone from her own misbehavior. I've decided to shred the tapestry she's given me."

Right then, Lataa thought she heard Nitishila utter something, as if he wanted to interrupt, but the Dowager's voice called out, "No more!! I won't have anyone speak unless I permit it!!"

Only the Emperor dared to object. "But, Noble Mother?"

"No!!" repeated the Dowager. "I must not allow anyone the opportunity to disrupt this meeting." She gestured towards Princess Inka again. "Since some time has passed, and the celebrations are over, we can reconsider the Princess Consort's punishment, but we must grant her the ability the speak for herself."

Jorun shuffled a little bit forward and bent over, her arms on the rug. "If I may address the Empress Dowager?"

"You may," the Dowager curtly said, "and raise your upper body."

Rising back to her previous kneeling position, Jorun spoke. "I have little choice but to speak on my mistress' behalf. She's in such a pathetic state. Speaking might exhaust her."

"I'll listen," the Dowager said. "Continue."

Jorun nodded and looked down at her hands so carefully held in her lap. "The night before everyone returned from the birthday trip, I asked permission to visit my mistress. A guard escorted me inside. I trust that you, Glorious Dowager, have received the guards' written testimonies."

"I have. If what you say doesn't match them, I'll certainly be disappointed."

Lataa frowned.

"We found a viper on the prisoner's bed," Jorun said oddly confidently. "The grate over the cell window had been tampered with, and so, it's reasonable to believe someone purposely slid the viper through the window, hoping to have it land on my mistress' body."

Lataa's brow wrinkled and her fingers clenched.

"If my mistress hadn't been sitting away from the bed, she'd likely have been bitten and slowly killed."

Nitishila gasped. The Empress Consort took her husband's hand. That husband sucked air through his teeth.

"The fact that the method involved the grate being damaged," the Dowager said, "implies that it certainly was not an accident, and whoever's responsible for this is an idiot. They don't know how to hide their intentions, or they bribed an incompetent servant."