by Kalverin Dukant
“Mattlina,” a harsh voice echoed off the
walls of the corridor. “Mattlina Nallin, come hear this instant!”
A young
girl hiked up her worn skirt and dashed through the beautifully carved door.
“Yes ma’am,” she panted.
“Ah, Mattlina my dear,” began the grossly overweight
and heavily perfumed woman laying on the beautiful couch. “As you know, my
eldest daughter Alilany comes of age this month. You will go along as her maid
when she is presented at court by Sir Grian. You are my present to her. Pack
your bags and hers, you leave in one week.”
“You can’t do that,” Mattlina
said before she could stop herself. “I’m not a slave that can be treated like a
piece of property.”
“We did forget that didn’t we,” the woman said as she
fastened an iron bracelet around Mattlina’s wrist. “You are now.” She cackled an
evil laugh.
“Hey girl! Get over here and pack my bags!” Alilany’s voice
shrilled from an adjacent room. Mattlina was still staring at the
woman.
“But... but slavery is illegal.”
“So? We live on the border and it
isn’t legal in in Scanra. Therefore, even if you go in Tortall, you are still a
slave.” The woman whispered the last words.
“Girl, I said come here!”
Alilany, a dark featured beauty, stormed out of her room and slapped Mattlina.
“When I say something, you obey. Pack!” Mattlina slowly walked to Alilany’s room
as Alilany and her mom started to converse
quietly.
---------------------------
Few people paid attention to the
three people on horses winding their way through the city. There was one old
noble man who glanced up and did a double-take. He stared at one of the riders
and poked his wife. She looked and nodded in assent. They started whispering
together and with their friends they were walking with. The rider who was the
focal point of this attention didn’t notice, but was staring at her
lap.
---------------------------
Sir Grian was welcomed warmly, as was
Alilany. Her form-fitting riding costume turned more than a few male heads.
While those eyes were riveted on Alilany, few noticed the young girl carefully
balancing all the trunks and boxes. A young man sidled over and asked her if he
could help. With a shy smile that held a tiny hint of sadness, Mattlina turned
down the offer and trotted after the other two while the man stared at her with
a thoughtful frown.
----------------------------
Mattlina was sitting
quietly in the garden reading a book and eating a small roll when the same young
man strolled up to her.
“I don’t know if you remember me but...”
“You’re
the one who offered to help, aren’t you?” Mattlina asked quietly.
“Well, you
looked a bit overwhelmed. I didn’t mean to be rude.”
“You weren’t, and I did
mean it when I said it was kind of you to offer,” she hastily assured
him.
The man started laughing suddenly. “Here we are talking and we don’t
even know each others’ names! I’m Torvin, but please call me Tor, all my friends
do.”
“My name’s Mattlina, but I like being called Matt much
better.”
“Who’s that you’re with?”
“My sister, in a way, I guess.”
“By
the way, I’m usually good at guessing ages, but I can’t seem to figure out how
old you are. Could you enlighten me on that point?”
“I’m 16. And you are how
old?”
“Actually, I’m only 17. I know, I know, I look a lot older than I
actually am. Are you a good archer?”
“I’m a fair archer, but I haven’t
practiced in a while.”
“What magic is on your bracelet? I can see it, but the
signs are foreign to me.”
“Uh, I think Alilany is calling me,” Matt said
rushing off like a frightened deer.
-------------------------
Numair
looked down at the young knight with surprise. “You want to know
what?”
“Uhm... what certain magic signs mean.”
“Can you draw
them?”
“Sure.” As Tor was drawing them Numair seemed to be getting more
surprised and a little upset.
When Tor finished Numair had a small bunch of
frown lines on his forehead. “Those are symbols that bind a slave to their
master and come when their master calls them. Where, exactly, did you see
them?”
“Around,” said Tor vaguely as he avoided Numair’s eyes and started to
edge away. “I need to go see someone. Bye!” Tor dashed off leaving Numair
frowning down at the drawings.
-------------------------
After a few days
of no luck, Tor finally caught Matt alone in the garden. When he walked up to
Matt he was rewarded with a large smile. After making small talk for a while he
finally racked up the courage.
“Matt, I talked to Numair about those signs.”
Matt suddenly looked frightened. When Tor repeated what Numair had said, Matt
started to run away. “Wait,” Tor said grabbing her hand.
“Let me go, please,”
Matt said pleadingly.
“What are you afraid of?” Tor grabbed her other hand so
she’d be facing him, but Matt looked away. “I won’t let them hurt you. You do
know, don’t you, that slavery is illegal here? Even a person who was a slave is
free as soon as they cross the border.” Matt’s face registered a flicker of
hope, and then became sullen again. “Please,” Tor pleaded, “come with me to
Numair. He can get rid of that... that thing. Then you’ll be free.”
“That’d
be a good idea,” said Matt sadly looking at Tor finally, “only I have nothing,
no money, no home.”
“Don’t you have any relatives?” Tor looked
surprised.
“I have no idea about my mother’s side of the family, as she died
of child birth. My dad died soon after marrying his second wife, and she forged
a document saying I had died a little bit before dad, so that his family thinks
I’m dead, and she inherited everything.”
“This is the lady who enslaved you
isn’t it?” Matt looked away. “Why can’t you just say it straight out,” Tor said
exasperatedly.
“They have methods of punishment that hurt really
bad.”
Suddenly a shrill voice cut across the garden. “Unhand her you brute.”
Alilany marched across the garden and yanked Matt out of Tor’s grip. “And you,”
she said turning suddenly on Matt, “if I ever catch you conversing with anyone
of a higher rank again, you will pay.” Then she slapped Matt and dragged her
away.
Tor hollowed quietly behind, trying to keep his anger under control.
How dare that girl hit Matt! He focused his eyes on the bedroom window, turning
up the power on his eyes so he could see in. Pity I can’t hear them, he thought,
oh well.
Alilany dragged Matt in the door and locked it behind her. From the
looks of it, she was yelling just about as much as she could at Matt, who had a
very stoic look on her face and wasn’t saying anything. This must have made
Alilany even more angry, because she started to hit Matt who started mending
clothes and seemed to not pay much attention.
Alilany suddenly pulled Matt,
who was a scant four inches shorter, to her feet and pointed a block of wood
divided in half with three holes in it. Matt slumped a tiny bit and put her
hands and head in the corresponding holes. Alilany opened a box and pulled out a
wooden rod. Tor suddenly closed his eyes, not wanting to see what happened next.
By the time he opened them again, Alilany was turning a key in the lock of a
closet door.
-----------------------
It was a week or so before Tor saw
Matt again. In fact, it was the day before the ball. Matt smiled the tiniest of
smiles when she saw the relief on his face as he jumped up to meet her. Tor saw
it and returned a very large smile back. Then both of them became quite
serious.
“You saw,” Matt sighed. “I’ve been thinking about what you said, but
the really serious flaw is that I have nowhere to go.”
“We could become
engaged,” Tor said only half joking.
“No!” Matt started in alarm and jumped
up from the bench on which they both sat.
“I’m only joking,” Tor smiled, “I’m
sorry to have alarmed you. Really, though, we could ask Thayet. She and my mom
are really good friends. She’ll know what to do with you!” Tor laughed and poked
her.
Matt gave him a nervous smile and said with a deep breath, “all right,
let’s go see Numair.”
------------------------
Numair was so angry when he
saw Matt’s bracelet, Matt told Tor later that she thought he’d turn her into
something. Numair pointed at it and muttered something. There was a puff of
smoke and the bracelet shattered. Matt looked at the pieces and then at Numair
in shock. Tor quickly steered her out of the room telling Numair they were going
to see the head healer.
Duke Baird and Neal were discussing scars when Matt
and Tor walked in. Duke Baird looked at Tor with mock sternness and said, “have
you gotten yourself hurt again?”
“No sir,” Tor replied with no hint of his
usual smile, “it’s Matt here. She’s gotten badly hurt on a regular basis for...
How long?” Tor suddenly asked her.
“About seven years,” she replied. Both men
suddenly looked grim.
“I’ll deal with it dad,” Neal
said.
-------------------------
Queen Thayet was so angry she could hardly
speak when she heard. The King wasn’t stuttering like his wife, but he looked
very dangerous. then a little bit of puzzlement came into his eyes.
“Who are
you anyway my dear,” he asked kindly.
“My name is Mattlina Nallin, daughter
of Sir Enrik Nallin of Kai Peak and Lady Melline of Day Peak, the neighboring
fife.”
“I knew it!” Tor jumped up from where he was seated. “My mom’s best
friend had a brother who died and it never was clear what happened to his
daughter. No one really thought you were dead you know.”
Matt looked shocked.
“I have family?”
---------------------------
Tor was a bit uncomfortable
in his stiff good clothes, and he was looking about for Matt. Suddenly he saw
Thayet and a girl with her wavy auburn hair conversing. As he drifted nearer to
ask the Queen where Matt was the girl smiled at him. Tor was shocked to realize
that this very attractive girl was Matt. Thayet stepped back with a smile as she
watched the two looking at each other a bit differently than as friends. How
sweet. Thayet thought as she turned to the couple who had seen Matt as she
entered Corus, confirming their belief that she was their granddaughter.
Story text © Lady Kalverin Dukant
© Lady Star