It Was a Holy Day - 5. 5

Matov stood across from Windal in the predawn light. The priest had called for daily practices of the Ritual of the Sunrise with the promise of a Royal Wedding looming on the horizon. The new cousin, which had been brought in to make five, was very young and followed direction well, but Matov honestly felt sorry for him as he was easily overawed by Torzet.

“Matov, please come up here and do the part of the Eldest Unbound.”

“Shouldn’t Windal or Alvaz?”

“Alvaz is excused from these duties. Another cousin will soon arrive to replace him. Windal has not fully learned the Eldest Unbound’s portion. You have. Therefore, until Torzet can be located, you must help Windal learn it. These two will watch, then follow.”

“Yes sir.”

Matov slipped from his place and began up the stair, followed by his cousins. However he couldn’t help but to wonder where not only Torzet was, but where Alvaz was as well. It was not unusual for Torzet to miss practice or show up late, but for Alvaz to be excused… that had implications he did not want to consider.

Matov stopped when he reached the precipice where the Eldest Unbound stood to sing the rituals. It was then he realized he was alone with the exception of one elderly priest who shuffled forward from the holiest of places. “Is it fear that makes you look back?”

“No, Holiness. I am fourth, the reserve. Windal, Alvaz, Torzet… what of them?”

“They are mine. Just as you are mine. Just as Anarix is mine. Just as his Bound is now mine. Some people have forgotten that I am a possessive son of the stars. Give your all to me and I will give all to you. Remember that, Matov, and remind your Uncle for in his heart he is good and revenge does not suit him.”

“What’s going on here? Why won’t it let me past?” Matov heard Torzet yell.

“Don’t ask me! It won’t let me either!” Windal snapped back.

“Always such a baby. Get out of my way and take the child with you.” Torzet shoved Windal and their young cousin back toward the stairs where they stumbled and fell. The little one hit his head, but Windal dragged him to the priests, snarling all the way.

Once they were gone, Torzet approached the barrier with confidence, but he could not cross it no matter how hard he tried. “And you, always trying to be more than you should be,” He yelled at Matov on the other side, “It’s a wonder your father had any sons at all and you not even the first born. It’s a shame really. You would have made a better heir than Alvaz, but not even he will see the crown because I have no intention of giving it up.” He turned and yelled back down the steps, “So you all best get used to the idea. Grandfather will be giving Anarix over to the priesthood to have his crazy ass put down when he returns without his Bound. Mother will make him, as it is the law. Then I will be crown prince. I will bond. I Will Be King.”

“You will never be my king!” Matov stated from where he stood inside the barrier.

“Get out of there and say that again.”

“Come in here and make me.”

Torzet took a step forward and felt the barrier keeping him out of the holiest again. He growled.

“Do you think our grandfather, the King, will give you a full turning of the moon to find your Bound like he did the Crown Prince?” Matov asked with some disbelief in his voice. “Uncle Anarix did have to go off planet with a full armed contingent and Uncle Gilban and everything. You shouldn’t have that issue since you’ve been right here, in the castle, under your mother’s watchful eyes like the child you are, terrorizing everyone whom you could not bond to constantly since the last High Holy Day when you were so clearly, um, pure enough to enter.” Matov crossed his arms and edged up as close as he dared to the barrier, “Do you even know who she is, Torzet? Do you have a name for your King? He will ask it of you as he did the Crown Prince. Do you think he will be any more lax on you than he was on his only son? His only heir?”

“I am not Bound,” Torzet bit out through a clenched jaw. “I’ve not fucked anyone with whom I could bond to; Father has made sure of it.”

“Oh! So it’s a he!” Matov laughed. “You were fucked then. I’m sure your father will be happy to hear that. Maybe someone Bound you!”

Torzet shook his head negatively, but Matov could see the confusion in his eyes. “I have not, with no one outside…”

“But you admit to fucking people with whom you could not bond to?” Matov asked. “I’m sure there are a lot of those in our family.”

“Father wouldn’t let me near a woman,” Torzet’s voice dropped as if to keep the conversation private, “If he so much as thought I untied by breeches around a female he would beat me. Matov you cannot understand how that is. You are still a virgin.”

“No, I’m not,” Matov said with a smile, “but my father taught me some things yours never tried to teach you: self-control and self-discipline. Go find your Bound and take him to Grandfather. He is your only safety now. You aren’t even fit for the temple.”

Torzet turned on his heel and clomped back down the stair. The other boys minus Alvaz were waiting at the bottom with one of the older priests. “Matov will be down in a moment. He wanted to clear his head he said.”

“The boys seem to think he had fallen into the holy place,” the priest said, “that should have been impossible.”

“Seems it is not impossible. Under the circumstances, I have a need to visit my grandfather. I do not know why the others were not given a chance to perform at the next High Holy Day, but then again I am not a priest nor shall I ever be one. Perhaps they too have been keeping their own secrets. It has happened in the past.”

“Perhaps,” the priest agreed. “Go visit your grandfather. I will hold off on my report until this afternoon.”

Matov staggered down the stairs a few minutes later holding his head. He smiled weakly at the old Priest. “It seems the gods punish the ones they favor.”

The priest laughed and clasped the boy on the shoulder. “Yes, Matov, they like their favorites a little tougher than the general population. So you are now my Eldest Unbound?”

“Seems so, but I don’t like it.”

“Why not?”

“What happened to Alvaz or Windal’s chance?”

“The gods decided Windal was not worthy and Alvaz has decided to walk a different path which will be revealed when the time is right.”

Matov said nothing. For a prince there were only a few paths. Heir, spare, or priest. They were already on the heir/spare path which left priest. If that is what Alvaz wanted to do for now, then more power to him. As for himself, he had a lot of memory work to get down and a short time to do it. He also now would have four children to train under him. Matov sighed and wondered if this was how Uncle Rix felt when he was presented with the handful of them when they were all barely out of nursery so many years ago. He hoped he had enough distant cousins to take all the positions. And wondered what would happen if there weren’t?

Matov shook his head. Not his worry. He would let the priest handle that. They always had in the past. Boys had come and gone sometimes for one holy day if someone had been sick and the gods had never been angry. There would be someone after him, there always had been. He would not worry over it. He would just practice some of that self-discipline for a while – to give them a chance -- just like Rix had for him.

Torzet didn’t have to go far to find Gawen as he was passed out in Alvaz’ bed. “Wake up you lazy bastard,” he yelled as he shook his cousin.

“What? Let me sleep.”

“We need to find those girls. So get up and come on.”

“Why? It was just coin. Let it go. Father will give me more.”

“The whore gave me something. She should not be out wenching. The healer gave me a salve to give her or he will be telling Father and that is something I do not need.”

“So lie.”

“Just get up and help me find her.”

Gawen grumbled but he crawled out of bed and pulled on his clothing. “Good thing you picked that one,” he said as he examined himself for any signs of disease, “are you sure you weren’t allergic to the sheath you wore? Sometimes they rub me raw when my brothers insist I wear them.”

“It wasn’t the sheath. I asked the healer that myself.”

As they left the castle, a pair of guards for each young prince followed forming their protective quad. Their walk through town was uneventful. Neither prince really expected trouble, nor did their guards, but as they reached the tavern where they had picked up the girls, Gawen became dizzy and developed a sudden headache. “Stop a moment, Torzet, my head is spinning. Something is wrong.”

“Nothing is wrong. You had too much to drink last night. Come on I need to find her.”

“Please just a moment.”

“No, I need to find her, now, or Father will kill me.”

“I can’t see clearly, damn you. Stop a moment.”

Torzet stopped and grabbed Gawen’s arm to drag him into the tavern. Once inside he shoved him into a booth. “Just sit here. It shouldn’t be too hard to find her.” He stomped off toward the back where the girls were gathered in the kitchen preparing the evening meal. A moment later, he came back dragging a girl behind him.

“That her?”

“It is.”

“Well give her the salve so we can go. I think something is wrong with Father.”

“Your father? What would be wrong with your father?”

“I don’t know. Something feels odd. Father talked about this once with all of us. He never said it felt like this though.”

“What do you think you’re doing with me?” the girl pulled against Torzet, nearly pulling free of him.

“Shut up, whore, and do as you are told,” Torzet growled.

“I don’t hafta. You’ve not paid me. King’s law. I know my rights.” She pulled away again right as Gawen threw up on Torzet’s boots.

“Bitch!” he screamed and swung at her with a fist taking out his anger at Gawen on her. His fist connected with her jaw, snapping her head back. She fell backwards and hit her head on the edge of the flagstone fireplace. There wasn’t much blood, but she didn’t move again.

“You killed her,” Gawen mumbled, wide eyed about the same time a large man came running from the kitchens wielding a larger knife at full scream. He missed Torzet by inches. Gawen wasn’t so lucky. He still sat on the bench; his tunic covered in vomit and blood and looked at Torzet as the life slipped from his eyes. “You’ve kilt me too, Cousin. A curse on you – a King’s Curse, for that is what I believe I am and what you will never be.”

The women of the House Estovan gathered in the Queen’s solar. Elmera busied herself by sewing yet more adornments on yet another garment that Gilban would probably never wear because he hated the silly prickly things while she listened to the chatter of the other women who attended the Queen. Among those in attendance today were her elder two sisters, her mother, and Queen Uliza of the House Anordasa, whom Elmera had been pleased to meet a few days ago. Uliza brought several of her husband’s acknowledged daughters along, whom Elmera had not been so pleased to meet, as they were coy little creatures.

After the usual pleasantries were attended to, Uliza turned to Elmera and asked, “How do you feel about your brother having his wedding so soon after yours?”

“I was not aware my brother was having a wedding. There has been no official announcement, nor any official invitation sent. Have there been, my Queen?”

Queen Pavicia shook her head. “I have not heard of any official notices. I do believe we would be wise in giving the girl’s family a chance to present themselves before the crown before a final ceremony.”

“But if he’s Bound there isn’t really a choice, is there?” Uliza asked.

“There are always choices, my dear,” the elderly Queen said with a weak smile. “Some of them are more pleasant than others, but there are always choices. Now why don’t you tell me why you are really here? I understand there is political unrest in your kingdom again. Has there been another uprising?”

“Just a small one,” Uliza admitted. “Bravil felt it would be prudent for the girls and me to come and visit family at this time. Of course, he wanted one of the boys to be safe, so he sent Gawen because he had the least fighting experience. I’m sure it will all be over by the time Anarix has his young lady home.”

The girls giggled again, only a little louder and Uliza glared at them. “If you cannot contain yourselves you will be sent away from the Queen’s solar, girls.”

“Sorry, Mother, but, we are confused.” She looked at her sisters, “You see, the servants are saying that Prince Anarix has Bound a boy. That it has not been happened in a hundred years and there is some meaning we didn’t understand about the gods’ displeasure and some other things.”

“A boy?” Uliza looked at her girls, “You really should not listen to the gossip of servants. Have I taught you nothing?”

“But Mother…”

“It is possible that Anarix has Bound another young man,” Tertesa said from her corner of the solar. “The young lady is correct in what she heard the servants say, it has not happened in a very long time – at the beginning of the last continental war in fact. Here, a woman cannot inherit, only her sons may. A King may sow his seed but only those of his wife or that his wife claims are able to inherit. If a King has a male consort, both can sow their seed and it doubles the rate at which there can be heirs. At a time of war, having many heirs can be a boon, and none are bastards. It also means that one is the heir of the other automatically so if one is killed, the other can still rule and the country is not left without a ruler or with a child in charge.”

“But only one is of the House Estovan.”

“Not once they are Bound,” Elmera added. She had been researching too. “Anarix’s bond with a male will change the young man somewhat so his seed is ‘like that of his King’. I’m not sure what that means exactly, but it is clear in the histories. We now have two Crown Princes; I hope he likes it here.”

Pavicia smiled back. “Let us not jump to conclusions my dear. Anarix has yet to return and yet to bring his Bound with him.” She then turned her pale amber eyes back on Uliza, “Is Gawen prepared to lead his people?”

“What are you trying to tell me Queen Pavicia?” Uliza asked, sitting straighter in her chair.

“Our people have sent messages saying the war is not going as well as your King would wish.”

“It is not a war,” Uliza insisted.

“Dear, when men fire weapons it is war. When women lose husbands and brothers and sons -- it is war. When wives flee for fear of their daughters’ lives -- it is war. Call it civil unrest if you must, but to the people fighting -- it is war.”

“Mother!” Clereva snapped. “Queen Uliza is our guest.”

“And I am the only Queen in my land. I shall speak to whomever, however, I wish. If she does not like it, she can seek asylum somewhere else. Now take her from my sight. Her delightful daughters may stay though.” Clereva stood up and curtsied to her mother then she gathered her things without saying a word. Uliza followed her example. Together they exited the Queen’s Solar and headed back to Clereva’s apartments.