Purpleland: Chapter 16

It was exactly six months from the day they left that I received a message from Shay. I almost tore it up unread and I had done with the last three before she left the capital. But the fact that she had not tried to contact me in the six months intervening made me curious. The note read as follows:

Kail,

My sister is ill and not expected to live. She gave birth to a daughter two days ago and has been failing since. I thought you should know and Marcus would not send you word.

Shay

Everything reeled about me and I had to read the note four or five times before it sunk in. Alena was dying. In the same way Aria had. I felt as though I was punished for what I had done to Aria. That losing Alena in the same way was somehow justice and that I was cursed.

That same day I rode out to the north, taking one of the court physicians with me. I did not tell him all of what was happening only that I had a friend who was sick. Ever since my father’s long illness it had not been very hard to find physicians hanging about the court in various states of favor. This one was a young man who was no longer allowed to treat my father because he did not look sufficiently venerable, but I never-the-less trusted his judgement as he had cured several minor ailments of mine.

I pushed us harder than I ever had before. It was usually four days journey to Marcus’s castle. We did it in two and a half. As soon as I reached the castle town I knew that I was too late. Everyone in sight was wearing black, all the shops windows were draped in black and further up I could see that the castle flew a black flag. I still had a vague hope that perhaps it was Alena’s new daughter they were mourning for so I ask a tradesman why they were all wearing mourning.

“Do yee not know? The lady of the castle took sick and died yesterday and the lord is almost mad with grief.”

I felt hot tears flowing down my face as I dismissed him and turned to the physician. “Return home. My friend is dead. I will pay for your trouble.”

He nodded and turned to ride away. 

I motioned to my servants, I had only brought two and one guard but their number seemed impossibly large now. “Go with him, all of you, go now.”

The two servant boys turned and followed the doctor, but the guard demurred. “My lord I cannot leave you.”

“I am your lord and I command you go.”

“My lord is your father and he has commanded me stay with you.”

“Stay with me then,” I said, angry. “But say one word and I will cut out your tough.”

I sat there on my horse in the center of the square. Tears were pouring down my face and I did not care who saw them. Roland, the guard, took matters into his own hands and without saying a word, led both our horses to a nearby inn. None of what was happening seemed real. I had the feeling of being underwater and even the simplest motions took all my strength. It was as though my body was physically rejecting the news as it would a toxin. I collapsed into the bed and fell into a death-like sleep.