Blades of Ashes Ch 14

Azula rode a fast horse from the Old Docks back to the Doriel Manor. At some point in the last year, the Sura people had started calling it the Prince’s Manor. He had no choice but to accept their respect, but at this point, it was the hardest thing he could ever face. Being chieftain of the Sura clan made his heart ache, especially when he had to face a man he’d once thought of as being as strong as a god; a man who, after seeing him for the first time in five years, he still wanted to care for. He still wanted to know him.

What the hell had happened to the Draeya General? Why was he so thin? Why did he look so sad? Why would he dare to kneel before him without protest? Where was the strong general who had argued with him on a balcony?

Azula dismounted his horse when he reached the manor’s front gate and raced inside, unsure what to do. He ran up the stairs to the first floor and opened the door to Alise’s reading room before he could think. He stopped when he saw her sitting on a couch by a window, reading one of the little pale blue books that were reports from their merchants in the Nerasa Kingdom. She paused when she saw him, and he crossed the room in fast strides, kneeling on the hardwood floor covered with a woven red carpet. He rested his head on her lap and closed his eyes. His fingers bunched the smooth pink silk of her day dress.

Alise sighed and sank her fingers into his hair, stroking it gently.

“Azula, what has you running so hard to hide in my reading room?” Alise asked, her voice gentle and soothing.

Azula took a deep breath and relaxed on her lap.

“Lise, will you take this mantle back?” Azula asked. “I have protected the clan. We are not in mourning anymore. Can I give it back now?”

Alise sighed and rubbed his back, as she usually did to soothe Ruri.

“I know it’s been hard, but you’ve done so well,” Alise said. “Azu, we’re entering a critical time. Now that someone from the Lyria Kingdom has come, we need to navigate the most dangerous period. I know you say you have no opinion on the matter, but I know what’s in your heart.”

Azula shifted his head so that he could open his eyes. He stared at the window and the bright sky. The sky was blue and bright, as though mocking his turmoil.

“What’s in my heart?” he asked, his voice quiet, as he dared not figure out what truly lay there.

“Many hidden feelings,” Alise said, then stroked his hair some more. “But the lack of braids in your hair is the most obvious clue to it all. You still mourn our father, Azu. Your heart is heavy with thoughts of missing him. I suspect you hope you could discover why he died. You wish for his redemption, and because you do, so does the clan. Am I wrong?”

Azula closed his eyes, not wanting to see the bright sky.

“I cannot take the mantle from you yet,” Alise said, her tone soothing. “For your own sake, you need to find a way to lift the weight of grief from your shoulders. You may need to travel to Genad City in the Lyria Kingdom to find out the reason why Marius Doriel had to die; only then will your heart lighten. Little brother, I will wait until then.”

Azula sighed, thinking about Raithion Maenaer. He had never taken the time to explain what happened during his journey to Genad City five years ago. While Alise was burdened with saving the clan and finding a way to survive, he had never shared what happened with the Draeya General. He had held his tongue for five years, but now… now he needed to tell Alise the truth.

“The man who has landed on our shores is Draeya Prince,” Azula said, his voice soft. “When I met him at the port city, he was the Draeya General. I was naive then and recruited him to protect our carriage on the journey to Genad City.”

“You’ve never mentioned this,” Alise said, her hand still rubbing his back.

“Too many things were happening at once in those days,” Azula said, shifting so that he sat comfortably. Alise patted his back in understanding.

“What did the Draeya prince do for you?” Alise asked.

“Nothing,” Azula said. The word was heavy, his tone filled with annoyance.

Alise’s hand paused, then she tilted her head so that she could look at Azula’s face. He caught her inquiring gaze and closed his eyes.

“The Draeya Prince caught the thief who stole our ore,” Azula continued with a heavy sigh. “He promised that he would get the thief to the authorities and clear our good name. When we reached Genad City, we separated. I hurried to our manor in the city, only to find you and our parents were in chaos. Later, we found Dad and Yemin. I could not forgive him for failing to save them.”

Alise gripped Azula’s shoulders and pushed him to sit up and face her.

“What?” Alise stared at him in shock, her green eyes wide. “What about the thief the Draeya Prince caught?”

Azula shook his head. “Only the Draeya Prince knows where that thief went.”

Alise stared at him in shock.

“Are you saying he framed us?” Alise asked.

Azula closed his eyes, and then, because he had thought about it for five years, he shook his head.

“The timeline doesn’t work,” Azula said, his tone solemn. “The night we arrived in the capital, Dad had already been arrested, according to what you’ve told me. We ran around until we found him together late that night. The Draeya Prince came into the city with me. He would not have had time to do the framing. What I suspect is that he knows the truth of that case and who did the framing.”

“You’ve carried this alone for five years,” Alise said, touching his cheek with trembling hands. “Oh, Azula, why didn’t you share it with me? I would have helped.”

“We needed to save everyone,” Azula said. “This was not something we needed to deal with at that time. Now, here he is at our shore. We must deal with it. Or Wolfe will start a riot because of his son if we try to make friends, and he is justified in it. I need to be hard on the Draeya Prince as the Sura Prince, to make him clear our clan’s name and give Wolfe and others like him the justice they deserve. Lise, I don’t know if I have the strength to be hard on that man, not when my heart is so torn.”

Alise studied him for a minute, then her eyes widened again, and she stood up to walk to the window. Her socked feet were silent on the carpet. Her long hair was decorated with braids. Some looked messy because they were made by Ruri, but they all added to her beauty.

Azula remained seated on the floor, waiting for her to process what she’d seen in his eyes. Then, Alise returned to sit on her chair, meeting his gaze.

“You,” Alise said. “Has your heart been stolen by a Lyrian prince?”

“No,” Azula said. “We never got a chance to try, or even see if we could be something. Tragedy descended. I forgot about it.”

“Until today,” Alise said, leaning in to look into his eyes.

Azula felt the heavy conflict of his position. He was a prince of a grieving people, but he was also a man who still felt a traitorous pull toward the very person tied to their pain.

Azula swallowed hard, then looked away because he could not lie to her. He had been shocked to see Raithion so ravaged. And why was he dressed in black while holding such a young child?

“The Draeya Prince,” Azula said, his voice trembling slightly as he stared at the carpet. “He begged for his son’s life as he knelt on the beach. He wore black clothes from head to toe. Do you know why people in Lyria would wear such black clothes?”

“Black clothes.” Alise sat back with a surprised expression. “He’s in mourning.”

“Mourning?” Azula gaped. “What? Do you think something happened to his family? He was keen to tell me that he loved his sisters very much. I…”

“Azula Doriel,” Alise said, interrupting him.

Azula glanced at her and let out a soft sigh. “Now you see why you should take the lead.”

“I won’t,” Alise said, her voice firm yet supportive. “I do worry that he is a man who might have hurt our clan. I worry that you won’t forgive yourself for letting him into your heart when you do. Most of all, I’m glad you’re thinking of coming out from under the cloud of grief.”

“Azu, you’ll do everything you need to,” Alise said. “If you do choose him for your lifelong promise, you’ll need to win the clan’s support to marry a Lyrian prince after everything we’ve been through. So, you’re going to find a way for the Draeya Prince and the Sura Clan to exist without wanting to fight to the death. It’s the only way you’ll calm your heart, Azu. I will stand by whatever choice you make, but you must make it work for both yourself and our people.”

Azula stared at Alise for a moment, then he returned to resting his head on her lap again and closed his eyes.

****

Relief flooded Raithion when Lasma returned with another woman named Alvas. Lasma carried a tray laden with containers of herbs, and Alvas carried a large bucket and a stack of clean white towels. Lasma placed the tray on the worktable and moved to stand before Raithion.

“First, I will explain what we need to do,” Lasma said. “Your family has been touched by poison. So, I know the importance of you knowing what your son is ingesting.”

Raithion nodded with a small smile, a gratifying sense of ease filling his chest.

“Now, what I need from you is absolute cooperation,” Lasma continued. “No doubt or hesitation. I need your trust. So, I have a question for you, Draeya Prince Raithion Maenaer. Can you trust me?”

Raithion stood and held Lasma’s gaze. “Yes.”

“Good. Then your son can be saved.”

Lasma turned to Dain. “What do I call you?”

“Dain.”

“Dain, please help us carry a large tub into the room,” Lasma said. “Alvas will show you where it is.”

Dain followed Alvas out of the room, leaving the door open.

“Draeya Prince, what can I call you that is not so formal?” Lasma asked with a helpless smile.

“Please call me Raith.”

“Raith.” Lasma moved to the bed. “Help me strip the boy. What’s his name?”

“Yulin.”

“What a lovely name,” Lasma said as she pulled the cover back. Yulin was still shivering, and his breathing was shallow.

Raithion sat on the bed and lifted Yulin into a sitting position. His hands trembled with a mix of frantic hope and terror as he made short work of the jacket they had put on the boy on the ship. He then removed the trousers and the inner shirt.

“Let him keep his underwear shorts,” Lasma murmured, her hand pressed to Yulin’s forehead.

Dain and Alvas returned. Dain carried a large wooden tub, and Alvas carried a large pail of steaming water. They placed the tub near the worktable. Lasma got up from the bed and tested the temperature of the water before she added cool water from the sink. When Alvas returned with enough warm water to fill the tub, they worked together, adjusting the water temperature until it was a safe, comforting warmth.

Lasma hurried to the worktable to open the herb containers. Alvas brought in a small, lit charcoal burner and placed an earthen kettle filled with clean water on the flame. The bitter scent of medicinal roots began to rise in the air.

Lasma urged Raithion and Dain closer. She pointed to the herbs in the containers.

“Silver Malice seems difficult to cure because the Lyria Kingdom does not have the herbs needed readily. The second difficult thing is timing. The herbs we use to make the antidote are sanguine cassia, moon chives, jade blossom, and red lavage.”

“The red lavage grows wild on our mountain, so the Nerasa Kingdom trades with us as it grows easily on our soil. I’m going to crush the sanguine cassia into a pulp, then add it to the heating water. Once the water and pulp have come to a boil, we’ll add the remaining herbs and let them simmer. Then,” Lasma pulled a shimmering herb from her pocket, “we’ll add this to complete the antidote.”

Dain and Raithion watched, mesmerized, as Lasma used a mortar and pestle to pound the sanguine cassia. She added the paste to the steaming water, then chopped the remaining herbs and added them to the boiling kettle. When the potion was simmering, the liquid turned green and began to roll with large bubbles. Lasma added the shimmering herb. It dissolved instantly, and the liquid turned perfectly clear.

“Okay, let’s do a check,” Lasma said. Alvas scooped a small amount of the potion into a white porcelain bowl. Lasma donned a pair of gloves and reached for the teacup containing the Silver Malice.

“Why do you need the poisoned tea?” Dain asked.

“To make sure the antidote is the right consistency,” Lasma said.

She looked at Alvas, who held out the bowl filled with the boiling portion. Lasma poured a single drop of the tea into the clear liquid. She used a silver pin to mix it and waited. The liquid turned a bright, vibrant yellow. Alvas and Lasma both let out relieved sighs. They discarded the poisoned mixtures and thoroughly cleaned the sink.

“We are ready,” Lasma said. “Carry Yulin and let’s place him in the tub. His body temperature is very low, and it needs to be higher.”

Raithion nodded and hurried to the bed. He removed his black jacket, rolled his sleeves, and unbuttoned his collar. He lifted Yulin and carried him to the warm water. Yulin whimpered and clutched Raithion’s shirt. Raithion murmured soft, broken comforts as he settled the boy into the tub.

Lasma pulled a stool from under the worktable. She sat on it and gave Raithion a reassuring smile. “We’re going to feed Yulin the antidote. All of it, until he vomits the toxin sitting in his stomach. You see, Harrow and Mutagen don’t get absorbed into the system. Instead, they stay there and generate toxins that poison the blood system. The herbs in the antidote are for pulling the toxins these poisons are making in the body, and Yulin will have to vomit them out. It is terrible work, but we have to do it so that he can be saved. Are you ready, Raith?”

Raithion nodded and knelt on the floor to support Yulin’s back. Alvas returned with two large buckets. She placed them next to Lasma, then got a new porcelain bowl. She added some of the antidote and put in three spoons of cold water to reduce the heat, then handed it to Lasma.

Lasma fed the antidote to Yulin, supporting the back of his neck as she tilted the bowl to the boy’s lips and urged him to drink the potion with soothing tones. Yulin was a quiet boy and followed instructions without fuss, drinking as he was urged, his eyes sliding open for a moment. He panicked when he saw Lasma, but then relaxed when Raithion murmured words of encouragement.

Once Yulin had drunk three bowls of the antidote, Lasma rubbed his back carefully as the boy trembled in the warm water. Then Yulin heaved, and Lasma lifted one of the buckets, urging him to throw up. When it started, Raithion felt his heart clench at the force of the act and the tears that filled Yulin’s eyes.

Yulin shook and trembled, clutching Raithion’s hand tight and leaning on him when he got too tired. It was the most difficult thing Raithion had ever done in his life: watching his son suffer so much and being unable to do anything to help him. Tears stung his eyes, blurring the sight of his son’s pale face.

“We’re almost there,” Lasma murmured at some point as she changed buckets and Dain took over the work of carrying the used bucket away, helping Alvas clean up.

****

Azula followed Alise to the healer’s cove an hour before sunset. He had changed into a simple green tunic and trousers, and a wool coat he wore when he was home. They used a carriage to get to the healing center. Alise climbed out of the carriage first, carrying Ruri. Azula trailed after her, unsure what expression he should use when he faced Raithion again. Alise wanted to get to know Raithion and his men and check on Lasma.

Azula had followed because he wanted to know more about Raithion’s mourning clothes. Who had died? Why did Raithion look so worn out?

Shaking his head, he entered the healer’s cove after Alise and paused when he saw his godfather, Magnus, standing in the waiting area with his hands crossed against his chest.

“Godfather,” Azula said, as Alise moved to kiss Magnus’s cheek before she turned to their guests with a smile. “Welcome to Sura Island.”

The two men sitting on the chairs by the windows nodded in her direction, and she turned back to Magnus.

“How is it going?” Alise asked.

“The worst of it has ended,” Magnus said with a sigh. “Lasma and Alvas are helping them clean up the boy and settle him in a new room where it smells clean and is comfortable.”

“Okay,” Alise nodded and moved to sit on one of the empty chairs, holding a subdued Ruri on her lap. “We can wait for her here.”

Azula smiled because he knew Alise hated the smell of sickness; she would wait for as long as it took if it meant not having to enter an active ward.

Azula had no such qualms.

“I’ll check on Mom,” he said and headed down the corridor before Magnus could stop him.

He walked down the corridor and found one of the cleaners working in the first ward, stripping the bed and opening the windows to air it out. The cleaner glanced up, saw Azula, and urged him to keep walking down the corridor to the next ward.

Azula thanked him and hurried to the second door. He paused at the door when he heard Lasma talking gently to Raithion.

“You’ve done everything for him, Raith,” Lasma said. “You’re a good father. Don’t doubt that. Now, we’ve cleared the poison, but we won’t know for sure until his temperature reduces. He may burn hot all night, so we’ll feed him some medicine to help break the fever. We’ll hope for the best in the morning. I’ll stay with you, so will Alvas. We’ll be with you through this.”

“I need to settle my people,” Raithion said, his voice hoarse. “They should get a hot meal and a place to rest.”

“Oh yes,” Lasma said, sounding tired.

Azula sighed and knocked on the door to announce his presence. He stepped deeper into the ward and paused when he saw the frail boy sleeping on the bed.

Lasma sat on one side, while Raithion was crouched on the other. He held the boy’s hand tight, his head bowed as he looked at the sleeping boy.

Lasma glanced at Azula and smiled. “You came back.”

“Mm, it’s evening. We need to settle you and plan meals,” Azula said. “I’ve heard your plans. I’ll get Senin and everyone to start a meal here and clean the residential rooms on the third floor for our guests.”

“Sounds good,” Lasma said, relieved. “I’m glad you’ll handle it. It frees me so that I can concentrate on getting Yulin’s fever to break.”

Azula’s gaze shifted to a silent Raithion; then he asked Lasma, “W-will he survive?”

“We are very hopeful,” Lasma said. “Right, Raith?”

Raithion lifted his gaze to meet Azula’s, his expression filled with a pure, fragile hope that lit him up as a smile curved his lips. It caught Azula off guard.

“Yes, we are hopeful,” Raithion said. “Thank you for helping to save my son.”

Azula turned away from Raithion’s handsome smile. With a small scowl on his face, he turned to leave. “That’s good news. I’ll go make arrangements.”

Once outside the ward, he pressed a hand to his chest and frowned, scolding himself.

‘Why are you so happy about him smiling? He means nothing to you. Stupid idiot. So easily moved.’

****

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