Chapter 35
The Enslaved Mind
Hannibal Castle, Kingdom of Hannibal
Two men of the Black Guard held the Child of the Forest while one of the court sorcerers draped a chain of red gold around her neck.
"There we are," the court sorcerer said. "Now that the amulet is in place, we do not have to have someone maintain the spell to control her. If she pleases Your Majesty, we could brand her to make the effect permanent."
"That will depend on whether she proves useful or not," Queen Malta replied.
"She is yours to command, Your Majesty," the court sorcerer said. "Put her to the test."
"Very well," the Queen said. "You, girl, will you obey my commands?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," the Child of the Forest replied in a dull, lifeless voice.
"Any command?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Cut your hand," the Queen said.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The Child of the Forest took the knife from the belt of a Guardsman. Both of them went for the hilts of their swords lest she make a move against them, but instead, without the slightest hesitation, she drew the blade across her palm. So the Children of the Forest bleed red after all. The Queen had never seen it for herself. Then again, this one was supposedly a halfbreed, so perhaps it was that.
The Queen then told the Child of the Forest, "Now cut your throat."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty!" the court sorcerer protested. "It is such a waste!"
The Child of the Forest, as before, showed no hesitation and it seemed that she actually would cut her own throat. Interesting as that would be, the court sorcerer was right. It would be a waste.
Before the edge could bite into the Child of the Forest's flesh, the Queen raised her hand and said, "Hold."
The Child of the Forest did so. Now that her obedience had been firmly established, it was time to test what she could do.
"Girl, you are what they call a mindwalker, yes?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"What can you do?"
"I can read the mind, feel as others feel, see the past and the future with a touch, and see through illusions."
"And what is Master Merari thinking?" the Queen asked, eyeing the court sorcerer.
"Your Majesty, I—!!"
"He conceals his mind, Your Majesty," the Child of the Forest replied. "Songs and figures distract, misdirect."
"Your Majesty, we are trained to resist mindwalkers!" the court sorcerer explained hastily. "It becomes a reflex, like the beating of your heart, like breathing. I am hiding nothing, I swear!"
"Can you prove the truth of his words?" the Queen asked the Child of the Forest.
"Yes, Your Majesty," the Child of the Forest said. "If I touch a person, it is easier to read."
"Show me."
"Your Majesty!"
The court sorcerer recoiled as the Child of the Forest approached him, but he was not fool enough to try to run. The guards would have skewered him for it.
The Child of the Forest took hold of the court sorcerer's wrist and closed her eyes.
"He is imagining the things he could compel me to do if he had the power to command me as you do, Your Majesty," she said. "Indecent things."
She paused.
"Now he is imagining what he could do with you."
"Scum!" Sir Cyrano howled, grasping at the hilt of his sword.
He would have surely taken the sorcerer's head if the Queen did not raise her hand and say, "Hold." She then asked the Child of the Forest, "Does he have a plan in mind?"
"No, Your Majesty," the Child of the Forest said. "It is idle fantasy."
"Then I will allow him as much," the Queen said. "A man ought to be free within the confines of his own skull." She then told Sir Cyrano, "If he should think to act on his fantasies, however, you may do with him as you wish, my knight."
"As you will, Your Majesty," Sir Cyrano replied as he grudgingly loosened his grip.
The court sorcerer tore his arm free of the Child of the Forest and threw himself down on his face, crying, "Forgive me, Your Majesty! I will discipline myself for my vulgar thoughts! I swear it! I—"
"Did I not already forgive your transgression, Master Merari?" the Queen asked. "What more do you hope to gain by this unsightly groveling? Guards, remove him!"
"Your Majesty, I did not mean to offend! I am grateful for your mercy! Truly, I—oof!"
One of the guards struck the sorcerer in the stomach with the butt of his spear. He should have counted himself fortunate that the guard had not used the other end. The Queen was pleased to have men who understood her will. She was not so petty as to have a man killed simply for being an annoyance. Not most days, anyway.
Once the sorcerer had been dragged out of the throne room, the Queen turned her attention to the next order of business. Captains Bomilcar and Yael had been kneeling for some time and if she had not wanted to settle matters quickly, she would have made them kneel longer, make them keep an overnight vigil or something of the sort. Reminding them of when they were first knighted might bring their failures into clearer focus.
"The Order of the White Stallion and the Order of the Dragon," the Queen began, "the very sword and spear I carry to make war on the enemies of Hannibal. I ask you, dear Captains, has the edge of my sword gone dull? Has the point of my spear been blunted?
"You had a task, a simple task. You were to find a man for me, an enemy of this kingdom. Yet with some four thousand riders, you let this man escape you not once but twice. I can only wonder. Are you two merely incompetent or do you conspire with this man to unmake this kingdom? For one I will have you stripped of your honor. For the other I will have you stripped of your hide.
"How fortunate that I do not have to rely on your word to know the truth. Girl, come here. First we will hear from Sir Bomilcar. Tell me, Sir Bomilcar. It has been reported to me that you found the traitor in Utica and you let him go. What do you have to say for yourself?"
"The city was attacked by the Mountain Devils, Your Majesty," Sir Bomilcar said. "Tobias... The former Lord Commander fought in the city's defense, so I gave him the chance hand himself over to us, trusting in his honor as a fellow knight of our order. The Witch was not with him and if we had apprehended him then, I daresay he would not have given her up even on the pain of death.
"I... I made a gamble and my trust was betrayed. I am prepared to bear the consequences of my failure."
"Spoken gallantly," the Queen said, "as I would expect from the Captain-General of the Order of the White Stallion, but what are you hiding from me?"
The Child of the Forest stooped down in front of Sir Bomilcar and touched his cheek. Her head bowed, then jerked back, slowly twisting as she searched the depth of his heart.
"A father's love, a brother's vow... Pride, envy, shame... Conflicting loyalties tearing him apart..."
"Enough!" Sir Bomilcar shouted, pushing the Child of the Forest away.
He drew his sword, alarming Sir Cyrano and all the guards in the room, but immediately turned the point on himself.
"Your Majesty! Say the word and I will atone for my failure with my life this very moment, only do not dishonor me so! If my years of service to this kingdom have any merit, you will grant me that at the least, I beg you!"
"Sheathe your blade, Sir Bomilcar," the Queen said. "You swore your life to this kingdom and I will decide when and how it ends."
For a moment, it appeared that Sir Bomilcar would not obey, but ultimately he did as the Queen commanded and returned his sword to his sheath.
"I will decide what to do with you two later," the Queen said. "I have more important matters to attend to. Take heart, my captains, if all goes well, you may find me abounding with mercy when it is finished. However, you are confined to the palace grounds until I make the final verdict. If you leave for any reason, it will be on the pain of death. Am I understood?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," the two captains replied in unison.
"Then you are dismissed. Get out of my sight until you are summoned again."
The two bowed their heads low, then rose to exit the throne room. As they were leaving, the Queen noticed that the Child of the Forest had not moved since being pushed away by Sir Bomilcar.
"Stand up, girl," the Queen said.
"Yes, Your Majesty," the Child of the Forest replied.
The Queen realized that she had forgotten to question Captain Yael. No matter. Unlike Sir Bomilcar, there should not have been any divided loyalties and it was no doubt nothing more than a matter of one of her subordinates failing her. She imagined Sir Bomilcar would be a problem from the start. Perhaps she should have confined him here and left the search in the hands of his vice-captain. It was in the past, though. There was no changing it.
Commander Tobias and the Witch from Beyond the Sea were in her hands now. That was all that mattered. The truth behind why Commander Tobias turned traitor and everything else that happened between then and now were of little concern.
The promised day would soon be upon them. Before that could happen, though, there was a rat infestation in the palace and the Queen had a new ratter to deal with the problem.
Rising up from the throne, the Queen said to the Child of the Forest, "Come, pet. I need you to sniff out some vermin before our guests arrive."