The Twelve

Chapter Ten

They left the house soon after that. Denei and Adia seemed to be on the verge of having a shouting match and, since Lanassen was long gone, there was nothing else to be achieved in Traidenvale by staying any longer.

Much to Arein's relief, they retreated back to the carriage – which was waiting for them at the edge of the town – and drew the curtains.

"I can't believe she kept it secret all these years,' Terensalia murmured.

"Kept what secret?" Sedalia asked.

"Her involvement, of course. Adia joined the Resistance after running away from home. She was a great help to Sharlin, but she was taken away by her parents. She must have married Denei afterwards, but I'd never thought she'd keep her past a secret from him, especially since Lanassen is involved."

"It doesn't seem that surprising," Sedalia said. "I mean, she wasn't very nice, was she?"

"Not now, but when she was away from her family with us, she was quite a different woman."

"Aurius, you must have seen if he was taken," Arein realised after a few moments of tense silence.

Aurius paused. "What did he look like?"

Arein cast his mind back to the day of the competition. "He was short – younger then me by a few years – had brown hair... he was wearing a silk shirt on the day of the competition."

"Ah, yes, I remember," Aurius said, looking as if the memory offended him in some way, "Yes... he's long gone. He didn't need any persuasion mind you," he added darkly.

"That doesn't necessarily mean he's bad, does it?" Sedalia asked.

Terensalia sat still as a stone, gazing at the curtained window. "By now he shall have been transported to the Kasimir Castle. I have his item... he was not being fully brain washed..." She turned to face them. "There must have been a part of him that wanted to go and fight for the Kasimir."

Her announcement was met with a disappointed silence.

"But, even though he's not fully brain-washed that doesn't mean that he's completely himself," Arein argued, quite aware that he was defending someone he didn't particularly like. "I changed a little bit, he might have as well."

"Yes, that is true," Terensalia said, though Arein could tell she was just saying it to appease him.

"What do we do now?" Sedalia finally said in a small voice.

Terensalia sighed. "Exactly what we were planning to do. We knew this could happen."

Aurius leant back, looking glum. "It's just not very encouraging, is it? Being the first one on our list and all..."

A much more subdued party than before, the small group set off for their next destination as soon as the sun had risen. They were now headed for Harbour Estates, the richest town in Taelodis. It was there that ships were built and sold, as well as being the harbour from which the only boat leaves Taelodis to other countries, although this boat was rarely ever used.

As the coach passed the final houses of Traidenvale, Arein sighed inwardly. It was a guilty relief to be leaving a place that triggered off so many emotions. Maybe one day he would come back and face it all but for now it was too much.

The journey, Arein knew, would take at least a day and a half, but despite the long wait he sensed an unfamiliar excitement building in Terensalia. Sedalia seemed to sense it as well for she asked Terensalia who they were to see next.

"Dear friends of mine," Terensalia replied with a smile.

"What are their names?" For some reason, Arein quite liked hearing about Terensalia's past and her friends. She was such an imperial woman that it was hard to imagine her younger days, with friends laughing and joking. Hearing her stories acted like some window through the grieving, tense haze to the woman she was then.