The Trikingdom Ch. 03

Duchess Careena Galin relaxed comfortably in her horse drawn coach as she and her husband made their way from Kennai Palace to their new home in Genoise. Her husband, Kalas, sat beside her, a rare occurrence during their week long journey, but both of them were silent as they rested for a few hours. Kalas was sleeping, but she couldn't. She had too many disturbing thoughts racing through her head about what had occurred the previous week.

After her night with King Bromen she had resolved to stay away from him for the remainder of her stay, and had done a good job of it during the next day, but as she prepared for bed she began to remember what sex had been like with the king. The next thing she knew, she was walking down the secret passage to the king's room again. He had laughed when she opened the door, but he had been sitting in the same chair waiting for her.

She shuddered now, when she thought about what they had done together. The sex had been base and dirty with no love involved, and to her shame she had enjoyed every minute of it. It had become like a drug she couldn't do without, until the night before Kalas returned and the guilt of what she was doing had overcome her. She had managed to stay away that night, and then the next night Kalas had been there and the two of them made love all night long.

The night with Kalas had been wonderful. He had satisfied her every need, sexual and emotional, in a way that sex with King Bromen never did. She was beginning to wonder if she had been under some sort of spell that had been broken with the return of her husband. She dismissed the idea; King Bromen possessed no magic and he would have been the only person to gain from using such a spell.

The only other alternative was disturbing to her; at some level she must have liked the way the king had treated her, and that realization bothered her. She snuggled close to Kalas, content at the moment that whatever she had felt before disappeared when she was with him.

They had already been traveling for three days and she was starting to get bored with the monotonous landscape passing outside the carriage. The southern region of the Trikingdom was dry and flat and completely uninspiring. The only place that was worth seeing was Genoise which lay on the coast. It had once been a popular vacation spot for nobles, but after years of bad rule had succumbed to the kind of corruption that occurred when money met dishonest officials.

Their escort was made up of guards from both Galin and DuGuerra. They would bolster the small force guarding the ducal estate when they arrived. In addition, Careena's childhood maid had agreed to come with her. She was riding in the carriage behind. The old woman was looking toward the move as one last adventure before she retired from service. Kalas's best friend, and fellow paladin, was also travelling with them, although he had yet to decide whether he would remain in Genoise.

Careena peered out the window at the sturdy young man dressed in full paladin battle armor as he rode beside their carriage. She knew the man, Jareth, looked up to her husband, who was quickly becoming something of a legend among the paladin order. Not for any good deeds, he hadn't been around long enough, but for the amount of strength he seemed to possess both physical and magical.

She was looking forward to the task ahead of them, but she had trepidation about it too. Would they be able to find the right balance to restore Genoise to prosperity, or would they wind up dead like the previous Duke?

She looked at her paladin-husband while he slept. She knew she would have to temper the firm hand he would want to use to clean up the city. Paladins were not known for being patient with those breaking the law and doing harm to others.

As a member of the DuGuerra royal family she herself had been instructed in the use of magic, but she wasn't good at it. It wasn't that she didn't study or cast the spells wrong; she had trouble calling forth the innate magic inside her. All her instructors agreed that her form and concentration were excellent, but the spells came out weak, or didn't function at all.

When she was young, her father had hired specialists to a examine her. One of them had come to the conclusion that even though she possessed a great deal of magical energy, something was blocking it. After that, she had spent much of her time studying rule, law, and finances. If she couldn't use magic, she at least wanted to govern well. Which is why she was so eager to begin their new life together in Genoise; she wanted to see if her studies would pay off.

***

Three days later, the duke and duchess, weary from travel, arrived at their new home. Both of them examined the outside of the ducal estate with an air of dissatisfaction. It was in a state of disrepair that mirrored the rest of the city.

On the front steps stood a thin wiry man wearing glasses and clutching a stack of disorganized papers to his chest. He shuffled back and forth on his feet nervously as he waited for the young couple to approach.

"Welcome, Lord Kalas, Lady Careena," the man said with an awkward bow as they reached the top of the steps. "I'm Cilas Grantham, chief steward of this estate and interim administrator of the duchy of Genoise."

"Thank you, Cilas," Kalas responded. "I'm sure you've done a splendid job in the absence of a duke."

The man seemed pleased with the praise and relaxed somewhat. "Please allow me to show you around, and introduce you to the rest of the staff," the man said, motioning them to enter.

The large doors to the estate opened as they approached. The interior was slightly better than the exterior, at least inside the layer of grime had been washed away, but the furnishings were shabby and in need of replacement or repair.

The most important staff members of the estate were lined up in the entry to receive the new duke and duchess. After the introductions, Cilas gave a brief speech formally welcoming them to Genoise. Kalas thanked them all and then excused himself and his wife so that they could be shown to their room to freshen up after their long journey.

"Everyone seems nice," Careena commented once they were alone in their room.

"I suppose, but Cilas hardly seems like he's suited to managing a city," Kalas remarked.

"Yes, but he's probably good with finances," she responded.

Kalas agreed, but their conversation was cut short as several maids entered with their luggage from the trip. Careena's old maid, Siri, was with them. She was going to instruct the others on how to set up the room to the duchess's standards. Cilas appeared a few moments later, offering the young couple a tour of their new estate.

They accepted and were soon on an overlong excursion through nearly every room in the estate filled with unnecessary explanations and stories that Cilas seemed to delight in telling. They wearily were finally led to the dining hall, where a fine dinner had been prepared for them, where they were joined by Kalas's friend Jareth, who was bewildered by the dirty looks the couple sent his direction at his having missed the tour.

Tired from the journey, and the tour, the duke and duchess returned to their room following dinner intending to retire early. They shooed all their attendants out, stating that they wanted to be alone and prepared for bed.

"So, is it as bad as you thought?" Careena asked as she brushed out her hair. She had changed into her nightgown, but Kalas was still wearing his shirt and breeches.

"The estate is in worse shape than I thought," he admitted, "we'll see about the rest of the city in the morning."

"How do you want to proceed?" she asked. "We have to be careful how much pressure we put on the people. I know we need to clean up the corruption, but we don't want the citizenry resenting us for it."

"I know. We need to find someone to make an example of. Someone so despicable, and hated by the population that there will be no public outcry when he's punished," he said.

"Finding that person is going to take some time," she commented as she examined her hair in the mirror.

"Perhaps not," he replied with a sly smile. "I asked Loqui if he had any operatives in the city, and if he could put us in contact with one. He wouldn't tell me how many he had here, but he promised his best rogue would contact us as soon as possible."

Careena frowned at her husband quickly. "I'm not sure I want Loqui involved. I don't fully trust him," she said.

"I don't fully trust him either," Kalas admitted, "and he's my cousin, but we need the help and this is the quickest way to get it. Besides, the rogues will be here whether we work with them or not, it's their job, and I'd rather have them working with us then spying on us covertly."

Careena was about to respond when a new voice said, "That is a very wise statement, Duke Kalas."

They both turned toward the voice and saw an old woman walking out of secret door in the wall. "Don't be alarmed," the old woman said, as she saw Kalas tensing up, "I am the operative Prince Loqui promised."

As Kalas looked at her, he recognized her from earlier when they were introduced to the staff. "You're one of the kitchen servants, aren't you?" he asked in surprise.

The old woman smiled, "Among other things, yes. Gilda Ganner is my name, and I serve wherever and however King Airon commands me to." She bowed dramatically after this last statement.

"How much of our conversation did you hear?" Duke Kalas asked.

"Enough to have a solution to your dilemma," she answered.

"You were spying on us?!" the duchess asked, indignantly.

"Of course. I needed to know what kind of rulers you would be; if you would be able to do what needs to be done. King Airon and Prince Loqui want Genoise cleaned up as much as you do, if not more. This used to be a city where the wealthy and powerful came to relax and share secrets. A lot of information used to pass through her, but no more. King Airon would like it to be so again."

"So you will help us?" Kalas asked.

"Yes, and I have the perfect target for your 'example'," the old woman said.

"Name him," Kalas responded.

"Nero Helman, Captain of the Guard," Gilda responded.

"What?!" the princess exclaimed. "He's in charge of safeguarding the entire city."

"Yes, and he's been abusing his authority terribly," the old woman responded. "The people will be glad to see him gone. He charges protection fees to merchants, and demands bribes of those that are caught breaking the law, even minor infractions. If you can't pay, he takes his payment in trade from a female relative; your wife, sister, daughter, even mother. He makes the men watch as he uses their loved ones."

Gilda spoke with such venom in her voice that Kalas and Careena didn't doubt that she spoke the truth. "I'm also certain he murdered his predecessor, although I don't think that was a great loss as that man intentionally allowed the previous duke to be killed. The people will love you for getting rid of Nero Helman, and they will trust you if punish someone they see as being a figure of authority. Right now the people believe that you may be just as bad as Helman."

"We'll need to catch him in the act," Kalas said, thoughtfully.

"Easily done," Gilda said enthusiastically. "He's 'entertaining' a young couple right now in this very estate. The man has become so bold that he's taken a room here instead of in the barracks. This passage passes right by it," she said, motioning to the secret door she had used to enter. "If we go now, we should be able to catch him in the act."

Without further word Kalas began gathering his sword and armor. Careena watched her husband with a grim look on her face. She had rarely seen this determined manner he was displaying and it frightened her a little.

"I would advise, Duke Kalas, that you leave your armor behind. The passage is narrow and not all the walls are thick. Your would be easily heard tromping about if you wore it. Your sword should suffice if we catch Helman unaware," the old woman said.

Duke Kalas reluctantly agreed and belted his sword around his waist. He followed Gilda to the secret door and turned to Careena when he saw she intended to go with them. "Maybe you should stay here," he suggested. "You certainly aren't dressed for wandering around the estate."

"No, I want to see this fiend for myself," she responded.

Kalas sighed and relented but made Careena stay behind them for safety. As she entered the passage, Careena was reminded of the passage she took to meet with King Bromen. A shudder ran through her body, but she was uncertain whether it was in revulsion at the memory or excitement.

They followed Gilda through the narrow passage as silently as possible, not wanting to wake the entire estate. After a few minutes of walking, Gilda stopped, and held a finger to her lips.

The old woman slid a panel to the side and looked through a revealed peep-hole. Voices could be heard from the other side of the wall, and from the tone it was apparent that a woman was in distress. Gilda put her eye to the peep-hole for a few seconds and then backed away and motioned the duke and duchess to see for themselves.

Careena elbowed her husband out of the way before he could get a look, and put her own eye to the hole. She immediately focused on a man sitting in a chair. His arms and legs were fastened to the chair, and a gag had been placed over his mouth. His face was a mask of anguish and tears ran freely down his cheeks. His sobs could be heard quietly, muffled by the gag. He was staring intently at something across the room.

Careena shifted to look in the direction the man was staring and saw what she expected. A young woman lay on a bed naked with her legs splayed wide. Tears ran down her cheeks too, but her eyes were blank, looking at nothing. Her sobbing could be clearly heard as presently there were no other sounds coming from the room.

Careena could see a trickle of sperm running down one of the woman's legs and as she focused on her sex she felt a strange reaction. She felt a stirring in her own loins that belied the horror she felt at the woman's situation. It reminded her so much of what she had gone through with her father-in-law and she realized she was beginning to feel the same strange mix of emotions.

The woman's legs were suddenly raised up and Careena's eyes locked on the man who was now gripping her ankles. They had met the guard captain when they arrived, but she had to admit she had barely noticed him before. Now he was the center of her attention, in all his naked glory, as he readied himself to defile the young woman again.

"No ... please, no more ... no more!" the woman pleaded.

"Shut your mouth bitch, I'll do as I please," Helman spat. Careena's had involuntarily made its way down to her crotch as she watched Nero Helman aim his meaty cock at the girl's poor abused pussy. Her movement thankfully went unnoticed by Kalas and Gilda in the dimness of the passage.

Suddenly, Careena felt herself pushed aside as her husband decided to finally get a look for himself. She could hear the familiar sounds of sex coming from the other side of the wall as her husband looked. She watched his face grow angrier and angrier as he kept his eye glued to the hole. She hardly noticed that her hand was slowly caressing her sex as she listened to the guard captain rape the young woman.

Blue flame started to slowly outline Kalas's body from the feet up until he was completely wreathed in flame. Gilda's eyes grew wide and she quickly ran further down the passage as she guessed the duke's intent. It would be hard for a kitchen maid to explain how she ended up in a secret passage with the duke and duchess.

The blue flame seemed to gather in the duke's hands. He held his arms out, and with a thunderous clap the wall in front of them exploded out into the in a cloud of splinters.

The man in the chair was nearly knocked over. Captain Helman pulled out and spun away from the woman to face the intrusion. "What the...!" the man began, but stopped when he saw the duke step through the hole in the wall, wreathed head to foot in the blue flame of the paladins.

Careena had never seen her husband prepare for combat, and the sight was magnificent and terrifying at the same time. His entire flame glowed brighter than any other light in the room and it hurt her eyes a bit to look at him. The young woman, finding herself free from the captain's grasp, ran to her husband and hid behind him and the chair.

"My Lord ... what are you...?" the captain began, trying to sound calm.

"Save the false confusion, Captain Helman, you know exactly why I'm here," Kalas said, his voice tinged with anger.

Careena entered the room behind her husband and crossed over to the young couple, trying to assure and comfort them. She began working on the young man's bindings as her husband stared down the captain. Just then, two guards burst into the room, finally arriving after hearing the explosion.

"Kill them!" Captain Helman yelled at the two men, indicating the duke and duchess.

The men looked in confusion from the duke to their captain. "If you value your lives, one of you will un-tie the unfortunate young man in the chair, and the other will fetch my fellow paladin Jareth, and Cilas Grantham. The life of your captain is already forfeit, move now or yours will be as well."

From the tone of his voice the two guards believed him, and both knew of the reputation paladins' had when confronting an injustice. One of them quickly moved to untie the man in the chair, while the other sprinted from the room to fetch the two men the duke indicated.

"You're going to have me killed, over these scum?!" the captain roared incredulously.

"Captain, you were charged with serving the people, and you have betrayed that charge by abusing them. I have never seen a more egregious abuse of power," Duke Kalas spat.

"They were breaking the law! I was just meting out punishment," the captain tried to argue.

"No offense deserves this," the duke responded.

Seconds later, Jareth and Cilas both came running into the room with the other guard. Jareth stared open-mouthed at the woman, who with the help of the duchess, was putting on her clothes, and his friend who was still wreathed in blue flame. Not having a complete understanding of what was going on; he took the precaution of summoning his own blue fire.

Cilas stood uncomfortably, shifting from one foot to the other as he surveyed the scene. He was not unintelligent, and had quickly surmised what was happening. His eyes scanned the room, looking at all the treasures Nero had acquired from other victims that could afford to pay.

"Cilas were you aware of any of this?" the duke questioned sternly.

"I swear, my lord, that I did not," the man answered, fearfully.

Kalas decided to take him at his word, doubting that the man would have the courage to lie at the moment. "Find these two young citizens a room to sleep for the night," he commanded, "and grant them every courtesy. I will be checking on their welfare in the morning."

"Yes, my lord," Cilas said. He began to lead the two away.

"And Cilas, tomorrow morning start cataloguing everything in this room. I want to see if we can return this property to the proper owners."

"Yes, my lord," Cilas responded again, this time bowing as he gratefully left the room with the young couple in tow.

"Jareth, my friend, I'm afraid I have need of you," Kalas said. "Genoise suddenly finds itself without a captain of the guard. I need you to temporarily take the position until I can find a replacement."

Jareth nodded at his friend in agreement. "I will serve for as long as you need me," he responded.

"Good. Your first task is to take Nero Helman into custody, and lock him in the jail to await execution. Make sure that those guarding his cell are some of the men who arrived with us and not the local guards. Also, reassign the guards in the estate, and replace them with our own until we can thoroughly evaluate each of them."