Inheritance

Part 2. Chapter 13: Francis' Secret

Kori listened to her footsteps echo as her feet carried her down the castle's grimy brick steps and into the castle dungeon.

Her torchlight lit up things she would rather not see—like spiders spinning their webs and a scorpion or two on the dusty walls and steps. Because she couldn't deny that she was afraid, she quickened her pace and arrived at the dungeon at the bottom of the steps. She heard ominous whistling echoing from one of the cells and saw that it was coming from Francis' lips. She approached the elf hurriedly and knelt in front of the bars—casting red firelight into his cell.

Francis looked her way and murmured almost acceptingly, "am I to be executed?"

Kori shook her head. "I confirmed with the king that what you're saying is true. You will be set free on a few conditions."

Francis, who had been leaning against the grimy wall listlessly, now leaned forward expectantly. "You ignorant vermin will truly let me go? I never thought you could ever be so enlightened."

Kori rolled her eyes and ignored that comment. Subtly, she poured calming magic out from the deep-set wrinkles in her weathered waif skin and soothed the elf—making him more amiable and receptive to suggestions.

"Yes, we will let you go on the condition that you return to your queen and tell her that you were never captured; more than that, you will tell her that we cannot pay the amount of gold she wants from us and would like to alter the amount of gold we can give her each month." Kori said in her calmest and most rational voice as she felt incredibly thin tendrils of green magic escape from her skin, slide to the floor, and in turn wrap themselves around Francis' body.

Francis took a deep breath and his muscle relaxed as her magic surrounded him. His hooded, deep-set eyes blinked slowly, and he closed them for a moment. He answered her with a yawn, "I'm afraid that the queen will not barter on this, and I refuse to tell her any lies. She is our queen, and, as an elf, I will never cross or betray her."

Kori sighed. He could not be swayed.

Her palms were sweaty. She loved Maribel; it was her home. She wanted it to remain her home.

I'll do anything to preserve it.

The waif gripped the bars and looked at the floor for a solid moment of silence.

Her mind was turning.

"If I go with you to see your queen in Alanheim, will you tell her that you were never captured? Will you help me convince her to lower the amount of gold we owe her each month?" Kori asked, meeting the elf's eyes firmly.

Francis laughed a haughty laugh. "Did you not listen to a word I said? Elves don't betray their queen."

Kori looked at the man in front of her and remembered something he had said when he first met her. Something about not being proud of some of the things he had done. He was putting on airs right now and acting snooty like most elves tended to, but something about letting slip that he was not proud of some of the things he had done told her that perhaps he did not exactly fit in with the rest of the elves.

The waif replied, "seeing as how you are merely a messenger and how you are not nearly as arrogant as other elves, I am assuming that you must not rank high when it come to the queen's favor. Her snobbishness hasn't rubbed off on you."

Francis' hooded eyes widened at her audacity. "How dare you—"

"Yes, how dare I insult the woman who gives you busy work instead of real work to do for your kingdom. Don't you want to be more than the queen's messenger boy?" Kori retorted judgmentally.

Francis glared at her and whispered menacingly, "you won't be so confident when the queen has invaded your kingdom and you are made into slaves."

Kori climbed to her feet, dusted off her dress, and said confidently, "I hear it's very hard for elves to rise above their station, and I hear those with low stations are not treated fairly by the queen."

Francis lowered his eyes sadly and hung his hands off his knees.

At seeing his face fall, Kori added, "Francis, what's the point of being loyal to someone who doesn't care for you?"

Francis stared forward and blinked slowly.

An eternity seemed to pass between them.

"I won't tell her that you captured me." Francis finally said. "Please, just let me go."

Kori thought he sounded and looked very sincere, and any airs he was putting on seemed to have been dropped, but she had no proof he wouldn't tell. Finally, she said, "I'm going to go with you to make sure you don't tell. I want to negotiate with the queen anyway. Will you promise to vouch for me and help me convince your queen to lower the debt we must pay monthly?"

Francis took a deep breath. "I will, but you, of course, can't be sure of what I'll do. You'd just have to trust me."

Kori was backed into a corner. If they kept Francis captive, the queen had ground to wage war. If she let him go and proceeded with her plan, Francis might tell the queen that he was held captive and they might end up warring anyway. The only difference would be that Kori might be taken captive or killed if she went with her plan of seeing the queen.

It's my best bet though. If it come to war, we stand no chance. I will take measures to prevent that—no matter how slim the chance is.

Kori sighed and scratched her red head. "Is there anyway you can promise me that you won't betray me?"

Francis looked up at the ceiling and murmured, "I will give you a secret that could ruin me."

Kori's ears perked up and she waited.

Francis met her eyes. "I am not a man, nor am I a woman. I am something inbetween. There are many like me in Alanheim, and if you tell the queen, I will have to... Live among them."

Kori shook her head in confusion. "I don't understand."

Francis rolled his eyes. "Do I have to say it? I am not like you! I have parts that belong to males and parts that belong to females!"

"But... You call yourself a man?" Kori was embarrassed, her cheeks red.

"I am closer to a man. People like me... We are merely toys to the royalty Alanheim, we serve no other purpose than to... Entertain them." Francis explained.

Kori was silent, and immediately felt bad for the man and wished she didn't have to blackmail him, but it was the only way to save the kingdom. "You know... Maybe you should just live in Maribel with us. King Laurence is a fair ruler and—"

"No!" Francis yelled. "No... There is no shame greater to an elf than living among people who are not his own. Please, Redeemer. I will do as you ask, I promise. I will even tell the queen that you are of good character so she will be more willing to lower your monthly debt. I will write her a missive ahead of time telling her that I am bringing you as a guest..."

Kori wished she could convince him to stay. She didn't wish his fate on anyone. She nodded. "Very well. I will tell Laurence what we plan to do."