A Queen’s Secret

Tarron
Castle Kontar
Eseran Province, Goshalion

“Alright, we’re out here in the middle of the practice field,” Jaxxan said, pointing to the expanse of the Kontar Military Institute’s practice grounds. The cadets were all in the combat halls, and others in their quarters looking forward to the evening’s festivities. Now that a marshal was named, and a border adjutant, the rest of the cadets would be lobbying for posts in the castle. Few would want to leave the castle with Tarron.

No, those who would be posted with Tarron to the border would be the unwanted and the unwilling.

“Make me understand why you would allow yourself to get booted out of this place?” Jaxxan insisted.

“It’s easy,” Tarron said, rolling his shoulders to ease the lingering tension in his muscles. “I want to live longer.”

“Is it so bad with Lazuli?” Jaxxan asked, shaking his head. “I thought Lord Jesah had your back.”

“Until he doesn’t,” Tarron said, looking beyond the green grass grounds to the castle built with white stone in the east of the institute.

“I don’t understand these things. I must be stupid,” Jaxxan said, his voice full of regret.

Tarron could not blame him. After all, Jaxxan grew up in the loving care of two parents. His wealthy father was a merchant. He provided everything Jaxxan needed, and his mother showered him with all her love. Jaxxan could not understand the work it took to survive in Castle Kontar.

“Anath is Lazuli’s mother. She thinks of the heir to Castle Kontar in everything she does. She resents anything I do that makes me stand out,” Tarron said, hoping to share some of the burden plaguing him. “I can only suppress my determination to win for so long. Lazuli can only suppress his rage with me for being better for so long. We’ve tried to be civil with each other for twenty-three years. I graduated a year earlier, in the same year as my older brother. He’s not happy. I don’t think we can stand each other any longer. If I stay, he’ll find a way to end me.”

“Brutal,” Jaxxan said, wiping a hand down his face. He studied Tarron’s face for a moment, then shrugged. “Then, go pack up. I’ll hurry home today and skip the festivities. I have many people to say goodbye to. The Hodari border is not two days away, but a week and a half. I’m not returning soon so I have to do the rounds.”

“You don’t have to go with me,” Tarron said, holding his friend’s gaze. “You can stay. Your father will buy you a space in the castle if you want.”

“Who will watch out for you if I stay?” Jaxxan asked with a wink. He squeezed Tarron’s right shoulder and shrugged. “You’re not getting rid of me so easily. Go shower. I don’t think you can escape the party in the castle. Before that, I need you to know that I will go wherever you go. Whatever plans you’re making, make sure they include me next to you. I’m your best friend, Tarron. You will not leave me behind. Promise me.”

Tarron smiled at Jaxxan’s loyal devotion. In all his time here at Castle Kontar, Jaxxan’s friendship was the only thing he owned, the one thing that belonged to him.

“I promise, Jaxxan.”

“Good.”

“Okay, then see you at the departing assembly in the courtyard tomorrow morning,” Tarron said.

“In the morning,” Jaxxan said with a nod. He grinned at Tarron, then skipped away, heading in the direction of the exit gates.

Tarron watched his best friend leave for a minute longer, then headed to the white stone castle.

Tarron smirked and looked back one last time at Jaxxan’s retreating figure. Despite his strange life in this castle, he seemed to have found a great ally in Jax. Their friendship was solid, without a hint of betrayal. Betrayal was too common within Castle Kontar walls. It was surprising to meet someone willing to show trust, and willing to give trust.

Tarron entered the castle in a hurry. He took the stairs to the second floor where his room was situated in a corner room. Lazuli was on the opposite end of the second floor. His rooms were an entire wing. They could never compare.

Tarron entered his quarters happy to see there was no one waiting inside. He never kept anything of sentimental value in his quarters. Anath watched them too closely. She wanted to know his relationships, and how they could be used to maintain the status quo. He had run into a maid searching through his things more than once in the name of cleaning. He learned not to ask. He learned to live with the invasion.

Glancing at the cut on his left arm, Tarron decided a shower would help with the healing. The wound was not the first on his body. His back had plenty of cuts left there by Lazuli.

Tarron was eternally grateful that they were not blood-related. When he was young, it had hurt him to be the adopted child while Lazuli was the blood-related son of their parents. But, in time, as Lord Jesah molded Lazuli into a despicable thing, he grew grateful for the distinction.

Tarron crossed the large expanse of his sparse bedroom. The room had high ceilings, the numerous windows showed off Castle Kontar’s front lawn. Burgundy curtains woven from the finest silk in the empire adorned the windows. His bed was wide enough to accommodate three, the curtains mounted on the four posters a sheer red. They came in handy on muggy nights, keeping away blood-sucking bugs.

The closet taking up the wall by the door was filled with his military clothing.

There were few casual pieces, gifted to him by Jaxxan or his mentor, Master Daae. However, anything else in his closet was formal and commissioned by Anath, the Lady of Castle Kontar. She had a standard for the members of the family. She made sure Jaxxan’s style remained rigid and military. The colors of his clothes were dark with only some burgundy in the adornments. The burgundy was a color Castle Kontar used on everything, from beddings to napkins and carpets. Tarron assumed Anath considered him part of the furniture and dressed him as such.

Lazuli’s wardrobe was different from his. Where his clothes were dark, and forbidding, Lazuli’s was cheerful. Anath dressed him like a glorified prince. Light and cheerful colors for a dark, dark-minded boy.

Shaking his head, Tarron headed to the shower. The one luxury he both loved and hated in this castle. He loved it because there was nothing more comforting than a shower after a bout in the combat hall or a fight with Lazuli. He hated the showers in Castle Kontar because they were decadent.

Over the past fifteen years, water has become a scarce resource. To run showers at Castle Kontar, letting precious water run with such luxury while others struggled to gain a drop to live…well, it was the best example of Lord Jesah Kontar’s rule.

Tarron showered fast, making sure to clean everything that mattered. He washed his braided hair and added sweet-scented herbs because Anath would comment if he did not. She liked everything at Castle Kontar to have a wonderful scent, as though it would cover up the darkness hidden within the walls.

Shaking his head, Tarron left the shower stall smelling like sandalwood and frankincense. He paused at the bathroom vanity to shave using the solar-powered shaver one of their ancestors created centuries ago. The gadget fitted into the palm of his hand. He ran it over his chin and jaw and fine blades got rid of his five o’clock shadow. He sunk the blades into the cleansing solution waiting in a small dish on the sink counter and returned the shaver to its charger. The maids who checked his room would clean out the solution later.

Tarron picked up the solar-battery-powered toothbrush next to the shaver and cleaned his teeth. The taste of mint, sage, and a hint of the chemicals synthesized in the Bura labs filled his mouth. The toothbrush worked at cleaning out the day’s staleness. Once again, Tarron turned on the tap and rinsed his mouth in the white ceramic sink with a heavy heart. He returned the toothbrush to its charger and stared into the large mirror mounted over the sink counter.

He was tall at six foot two. The constant training had turned him into a career soldier. Tarron stood tall, shoulders squared, no slouching. His body was sculpted with muscle. His brown skin was now dotted with dark scars from various accidents and encounters with Lazuli’s blades, daggers, and Anath’s whips. His face was pleasing enough. Jaxxan called his looks a catastrophe to all women who dared fall for his devilish smile. A catastrophe because Tarron was married to his career in the Bura Army.

Tarron smiled at the memory, as he touched his clean-shaven jaw, testing the smoothness. He was not sure about marriage to his military career, but his dedication to passing his final trial had a lot to do with escaping this cold castle.

Tarron moved to a gadget mounted on the wall near the door. Its surface was pale gray, shaped like a beautiful smooth egg mounted on the wall. Tarron bent his head under the wide vent of the pale gray egg and the warm suction vent activated. His long braids were sucked into the vent, the heat drying out the excess water from the shower. The heat would kill any bags and smoothen any kinks in his hair if it were loose. The treatment lasted five seconds, and the vent went silent when Tarron’s hair was dry.

Satisfied that he was clean and relatively dry, Tarron left the privacy of the bathroom and went to the closet. He pulled on his underwear, comfortable cotton briefs. Then, he wore his formal clothing. Dark blue trousers went on first. A soft burgundy sleeveless shirt with no buttons, but a V-neck opening. Then, he took up a dark blue medium-length structured coat embroidered with burgundy bands on his wrists and shoulders. The gold buttons were the only bright colors on the jacket. He wore his socks and pulled on shined black leather boots to match the outfit.

He picked out a gold round clip from his closet and gathered his long dark braids into a tight ponytail. He used the round clip to hold the ponytail, using a thick long pin to hold the clip in place. The pin was designed to turn into a weapon if he needed it.

Once dressed, Tarron reached for a dark leather bag in the back of the closet and prepared to pack. A knock came on his door and he only spared one glance as it opened to admit his mentor, Master Daae.

“There is the Border Adjutant,” Master Daae said, moving to sit on the edge of his bed.

Master Daae was a lecturer at the institute. He taught mathematics and economics. However, to Tarron, he was a political strategist. Tarron was sure that he would be dead if it were not for Master Daae’s advice.

“I saw your final fight with Lazuli,” Master Daae said, his tone lazy, no sense of admiration in his tone. They both knew that the last fight had been a joke.

Tarron chuckled as he studied the clothes hanging on the racks in his closet.

“Don’t bother with that,” Master Daae said. “You can use my attendant to pack it all up. This way you won’t worry about Anath’s ladies meddling with your things.”

Tarron sighed in relief and returned the bag to a shelf. He wanted to leave the castle, but packing was not his strongest skill.

“Thank you, Master Daae,” Tarron said, closing the closet doors. He adjusted his cuffs as he faced his teacher.

Master Daae got up, gave him a once over, and then moved to the windows showing off the front lawn.

Tarron moved to stand next to him. He folded his hands at the back, legs at ease.

“You and I once stood here when you were young,” Master Daae said. “You were eight or nine. Lazuli and his friends bullied you to tears. Your cheeks were swollen thanks to their pinching. You were ready to run away from this castle.”

Tarron chuckled at the memory. He was not sure where he would have reached had he run away. What was clear then, at only eight years old, was that the only way to save himself was to leave Castle Kontar.

“You caught me in the stables and brought me back,” Tarron said, remembering how angry he had been with Master Daae. “You promised to be my friend.”

“You managed to make another one on your own,” Master Daae said, smiling at him.

The sunlight was fading. The solar lights in Tarron’s room turned on adjusting to the natural light in the room. It was neither bright nor dark, creating the perfect setting for a reflective conversation.

“For the longest time, I thought you asked Jax to be my friend,” Tarron said.

“He’s too afraid of me,” Master Daae said, shaking his head. “He sees me and runs away like a little puppy.”

Tarron chuckled and took in a deep breath.

“What are your thoughts now that you’ve become the Border Adjutant?” Master Daae asked.

Tarron stared out the windows and for the first time did not worry about who overheard this conversation. He was leaving in the morning. Anath could eavesdrop all she wanted, there was nothing that could change the outcome of the final.

“First, I need to find my footing at the border,” Tarron said. “Who knows what I’ll find there. I’ll probably spend the first few moon cycles finding a loyal team.”

“Good plan,” Master Daae said. “After, will you start looking for the queen’s secret?”

Tarron bit his bottom lip, then glanced at the closed door. He started to speak, but Master Daae held up his right hand and showed him a small gray stick. The gray stick had a yellow light at the top. It blinked yellow for a moment, then turned blue.

“One of the students in engineering made me this,” Master Daae said, placing the little gadget on the small table by the window. “It’s perfect for private conversations. It makes a bubble of sorts around us. You don’t have to worry about anyone eavesdropping.”

“Can I borrow it?” Tarron asked. “You get the best stuff from the engineering nerds.”

Master Daae chuckled and pulled out a smaller one from his pocket. He held it out to Tarron with a wink.

“This is your present for achieving your goal,” Master Daae said when Tarron took it.

Tarron smiled wide, a burst of happiness blooming. He placed the thin gray stick into his jacket pocket and fought the urge to hug Master Daae.

“Thank you, Master,” Tarron said instead, his tone dignified.

“Now, answer my question. Do you still think the Airi Queen has a secret she has not shared with Lord Jesah?”

Tarron glanced at Master Daae and smiled.

“You’ve encouraged this crazy speculation of mine for over a decade. I’m twenty-three now, Master. I’ve gained quite a bit of knowledge these past ten years. Did you never think that thirteen-year-old speculation might be wrong?”

“It could be wrong,” Master Daae said, his gaze on the lovely horizon where the sun was fading away into the ether, ushering in the night. “It could be right.”

“Is the Airi Clan’s Queen still in Goshalion Mountain?” Tarron asked, studying his mentor.

“Yes. She is still held in captivity,” Daae said. “Jesah has her hidden somewhere in the depths of Goshalion Mountain. No one in the Council of Seven has seen her for twenty years.”

“What about her child?” Tarron asked. “Do you think Jesah has found her?”

“I don’t think so. Jesah is not one to keep such news quiet. Besides, no one knows what gender the child was,” Daae said. “There are rumors that she got a daughter. The Airi people in the mines may make up this myth for hope. No one knows the truth of the matter. Some say she had a son, which would mean the legacy of the next Airi Chief remains unfulfilled, but an army can be amassed under his banner. These are also feared to be rumors created by the hope of the Airi people slaving in the harsh Bura mines.”

“Do you think this lack of knowledge is why the waters are receding from the rivers?” Tarron asked. “I’ve watched our people scramble to fill up their jars and containers. My uncle will not acknowledge it but the water scarcity is growing, Master Daae. What else can we do to resolve a looming water crisis?”

“The Azure Fountain on Goshalion Mountain has always provided fresh water to the realm. A member of the Airi Clan sustains the fountain,” Daae said, his tone thoughtful. “Now that we’ve enslaved them, none of us understand how they managed to keep the fountain rising so high and strong. Perhaps we deserve the water scarcity.”

Tarron frowned at Master Daae’s observation.

The lack of water scared him. He could not imagine what would happen to all their people if they did not have clean water to sustain life. It was equally disturbing to place the fate of all the people of Goshalion on one clan. Surely, the waters should be independent.

“Can I ask you a question, Master Daae?”

“You’ve always asked,” Master Daae said with a small smile. “I’ve never refused to answer.”

Tarron smiled and nodded.

***

Daae studied the tall Tarron standing next to him for a moment. He almost could not reconcile this Tarron with the short boy who could barely reach his hip at eight years old. Children did grow up too fast. At twenty-three, Tarron was full of confidence, and despite the many crisis moments on his way, he was healthy.

It was gratifying to see him grow up.

Tarron’s clothes fit him to perfection. His clothes were made with fine fabric, as no son of the lord of the castle could look shabby. However, under his neat jacket, Daae knew the boy carried numerous scars. All the young men in the castle who trained in Lord Jesah’s army had scars. They were taught the meaning of pain and fighting with swords and knives from a young age. They learned their skills using painful unforgettable methods.

Still, Tarron had grown into a composed child, with hardly a hint of annoyance at the mistreatment he faced at the hands of his trainers and his so-called family.

“Why must the Bura control the other provinces in the realm?” Tarron asked. “Our warriors patrol the other provinces and keep the clans in check. The history books from the previous one hundred cycles say the clans have always lived unpoliced. Free to do as they see fit with their lands, and their lives. The Airi Clan was quite inclusive. So, why must the Bura now take on the role of oppressing?”

Daae stared out into the castle grounds, his heartbeat racing with excitement at Tarron’s question. It was a treasonous question. If Lord Jesah heard Tarron ask it, the boy would be punished. He would be stripped of his new position as Border Adjutant and returned to the institute to train again. Treasonous or not, an answer needed to be given for the sake of the future.

“The Bura have spread their wings to the entire realm because of greed and entitlement. It was our skill that built the trains, and the carriages that promoted transportation. We have forged metal and shaped it into farming tools, gadgets, and gears, and made machines that have bettered people’s lives. So, we feel entitled to say how people should live their lives.”

“Is it right?” Tarron asked, looking at Daae with a clear gaze.

Daae felt his heart shift, feeling hope bloom at the moment. He was hopeful that his answer would make Tarron choose a different path, making him the catalyst to a revolution.

Had Lazuli asked this same question, Daae was obligated to peddle Jesah’s teachings. However, Tarron was different. He was also smart enough not to share what he heard from Daae with Jesah.

“It is not right to oppress the clans,” Daae said. “The realm should live in freedom. The people should be able to choose for themselves how they want to live. The Bura are meddling where they should not.”

“So, what is the right solution?” Tarron asked.

“Restore the rightful Queen to tend to the Azure Fountain and restart the order of marriage with the clans into the Airi Clan. This would be the perfect solution.”

“It is not an ideal solution,” Tarron said, his tone thoughtful. “Lord Jesah wants to gain even more power. If it were possible, he would be rid of the Council of Seven. He would marry Queen Asha if he could, but she already has a husband. Although, moral dilemmas have never been a problem for Lord Jesah.”

“Why would you say that Tarron?”

“Because Lord Jesah even dares to take over my father’s wife while my father lays in his bed ill. If Jesah can lay with Anath, nothing is stopping him from going after Asha, Queen of the Airi.”

“Asha has her code,” Daae said with confidence. “Wherever she is, she would never bend to Jesah’s will.”

“Perhaps her unbending is the only thing that is saving this realm from descending into a meltdown. She is keeping us from annihilation,” Tarron said, then smiled meeting Daae’s gaze. “So, if she is so strong-willed, why did she allow herself to be captured by my crazy uncle?”

Daae studied Tarron’s gaze and for the first time felt as though the student had surpassed the master. Tarron seemed to have uncovered a hidden secret.

“Why do you think she allowed herself to be captured?” Daae asked, wondering why he had never thought to wonder.

The Airi Queen was not a cotton ball. She ran the council of seven with strength, not overbearing but enough to keep everyone in check.

Tarron stood staring out at the grounds for three minutes, deep in thought then shrugged.

“I’ve thought about it for a long time. Curiously, Lord Jesah would keep her alive this long. Why has he been unable to take over the mountain as he wanted? She kept something from him. Something that makes the water flow. The order of succession in Goshalion Mountain. The Airi Queen must have a secret,” Tarron said. “A queen like her would not have been taken down without a plan.”

“Why would you say that?”

“She was a good queen,” Tarron said. “The realm was at peace. She was also at her weakest point. Lord Jesah invaded the Airi Clan while she was pregnant. However, Lord Jesah has never found the child she gave birth to. He sent the Hodari King to the flatland mines along with the Airi Clan warriors but kept the queen locked away. She will not reveal where her child is and has hidden the gender. It is a mystery, a queen’s secret.”

Daae chuckled.

“You intend to uncover the queen’s secret?” Daae guessed.

“I would want to meet her first to ask her how she has managed to keep such an important secret for so long. A secret that started two years after I was born. She has kept it for twenty years, and may do so for many more if needed.”

“What a peculiar thing to say,” Daae said, smiling at Tarron’s mind. “You understand that you cannot discuss this topic with Lord Jesah, or his nephew, Lazuli.”

“You forget Lady Anath,” Tarron said, his voice serious. “She is more dangerous than Lazuli. She is banking on Lord Jesah making her the Queen of Goshalion.”

“Tarron, you need to be careful.”

“I have been,” Tarron said. “Thank you so much for always entertaining my thoughts, Master Daae. It is thanks to you that I have reached this moment.”

“I’m happy to answer your questions, Border Adjutant. What do you plan to do now that you’re leaving Castle Kontar?”

Tarron stared out the windows for a moment longer, then shook his head.

“Perhaps I’ll start searching for the Airi Queen’s secret,” Tarron said with a chuckle. “Mostly, I’ll do my best to enjoy life beyond this gilded cage.”

“Lord Jesah has noticed your intelligence,” Daae said, feeling compelled to remind Tarron that he was not a simple pawn on the chessboard. “He will want to keep you. He values people with a good head on their shoulders. He will not want to lose you to the outside. Castle Kontar is fighting for the chance to be recognized at the same level as the Airi Clan’s Kezana House. To do that, he needs to collect smart minds, not petty ones like Lazuli.”

“What would your suggestion be?” Tarron asked.

“Bid your time,” Daae said. “Do not make any big moves at the border. If it is possible, let him forget your brilliance.”

“That will be difficult at the start,” Tarron said. “He’ll be watching to see what I do at the border.”

“Let him,” Daae said. “Be the Border Adjutant, as needed, but always remember your goals.”

Tarron nodded and turned to look at Daae.

“Why do you support my strange ideas?” Tarron asked.

Daae smiled and reached for the gadget on the small table. He stared at the blue light for a moment longer.

“I once hoped to save the Airi Queen twenty years ago. By the time I realized what Jesah was planning, it was too late to save her clan. If you managed to do it in my stead,” Daae said, holding Tarron’s gaze. “I would feel relieved to see the realm back at peace. I’m rooting for you, Tarron. I cannot wait to discover what you accomplish.”

“If I live long enough,” Tarron said.

Daae held his response because Tarron was rooted in the present.

Jesah would murder Tarron should he discover Tarron’s plans.

Daae gave Tarron an understanding nod and turned off the gadget, putting it away right on time. One of Anath’s ladies came to get Tarron for their formal meal.

“Take care of yourself out there,” Daae said as Tarron turned to leave.

“Thank you, Master Daae.”

Tarron left his quarters, the lady following behind him, and Daae was left watching the quiet front lawn. He worried life in the castle was going to get more exhausting.

Lazuli as Marshal was like putting a tiger in charge of the sheep. Lazuli was his uncle’s protégé in every way.

Perhaps, he too hoped that Tarron was right about his wild speculation.

Tarron’s origin always made him wonder. Daae frowned. Tarron’s roots remained unknown although they seemed noble. The old Lord Kontar would probably know who Tarron’s true parents were.

Daae wondered what would happen if he tried to find Tarron’s birth parents.

Daae scoffed.

Now, what would Lord Jesah do with such a treasonous thought?

*****

Chapter Four | Table of Contents | Chapter Six