Kings Game

Chapter 17 - Blood debt (6)

"Let go of her!"

Toth ran at Roran. Without so much as turning, Roran punched Toth in the face. Toth's nose crunched and blood spurted out. He dropped to his knees, clutching his face.

"Why?" Roran screamed again. "Why did you kill her?"

Kamil's face was turning red. She clawed at Roran's arm, digging her nails into his skin in an attempt to free herself. As she weakened, her face turning purple and eyes losing focus, Roran released her.

Falling to the ground, Kamil curled up in a ball, coughing. Tears were streaming down her face and a handprint was visible around her neck.

"Answer me! Why did you kill my mother?"

"Is that what this is about?" Murrin climbed to his feet and dusted himself off. "There's no need to get so worked up. And attacking the last remaining councilman is a step too far. If I weren't your father I'd-"

Roran whirled on Murrin, punching him on the jaw. Murrin staggered back, his eyes wide with shock.

"You are not my father. You were nothing more than a client to my mother."

"That's not true. We had something special. We had-"

"If you were so special then what was on her back?"

"Pardon? Her back?"

"Yes, her back. What was on her back?" asked Roran. "You claim to have loved her." He gestured around the dungeon. "You all claim to have loved her. Half of you have slept with her. She saved the town, navigating a mountain in a blizzard to bring medicine for your children. She listened to your troubles and helped you work through your problems. Whenever you were sad or lonely, she was there, giving you comfort. And yet, you all revile her as a whore. You all made it clear that you hate me. Now these fools claim to be my father because I have value, because I bring in money. But the truth is all of you wish I didn't exist, wish that the whore's bastard child would disappear forever so you didn't have to wonder if I was yours or not."

Roran paused, looking around the dungeon. Nobody met his eye. The adults were ashamed after having the truth shoved in their faces. Their children were either embarrassed for their parents or too young to understand and just wanted to avoid confrontation. The only person that was looking directly at him was the warden, still standing by the door.

Sighing, Roran said, "My mother had a tattoo on her back. In the times any of you laid with her, did you see it? Did any of you actually see her with her guard down, see her be vulnerable? Or were you too focused on yourselves, on what you could get from her?"

The silence was his answer.

Turning on Murrin, Roran said, "Kamil killed my mother. She used the same poison that you gave me last night. She put it in a pot of chamomile tea, which delayed the effects and made it appear like a fever. Kamil had plenty of time to go home and take a cure after she left my mother."

Murrin licked his lips. "Oh, I see," he said.

"She murdered her out of jealousy, because she thinks I'm Toth's half brother. She killed an innocent woman out of blind jealousy."

Murrin lowered his gaze and smoothed his mustache. After a moment, he started rubbing his hands together, still not looking at Roran.

Roran waited. He waited for something, anything, to happen. Nothing did. Nothing happened and nobody said anything.

"That's it?" Roran said, confused. "I tell you that she killed my mother, the mother of the person you claim is your child, and you have nothing to say?"