Page 40 of The Bone King and the Starling

My queen eats at dinner, but excuses herself early, claiming she’s unwell. I follow soon after, but find that she’s already asleep in bed. Something about her attitude vexes me, but I hesitate to wake her to demand answers to her mood. Instead, I lie down, foul-tempered myself, only for sleep to elude me.

THE VICTOR

Idon’t feel well. I haven’t felt well since I saw what the king did to Rosalind. Olec’s foul mouth didn’t disturb me. I understood his rage, his misdirected anger — besides, I hardly heard the words. Instead, I watched the king’s apathetic — nay, his pleased — expression as he looked glibly over Olec and his ruined wife. And then I spent the rest of the day watching him torture Tori, though Tori seemed largely unaware that he’d been set up to fail, and all I could think to myself was that this king is a male steeped in violence, so saturated with it he is no longer even aware of it.

And he wants to be my husband.

He wants to share my bed. Raise my children. Keep me at his side as his queen. Place me in positions where I’m meant to constantly see the bloody madness he’s capable of. And somehow, never fear that he might turn that violence to me.

I was raised by a violent man. I’ve felt the sting of a man’s palm against my cheek, against my back, against my belly. I’ve felt the rake of wire against my spine. I’ve felt the belt, the paddle. I’ve endured it all. But when he took me to his chest and told mewords I now know a male of such violence could not possibly mean, I believed him.

You do not need to try, he told me. Come as you are. But what if who I am displeases him? Maybe not today, not tomorrow, but five years from now? What will he do to me?

I will make mistakes. I have no idea what becoming queen entails. And if he depends on me for things outside of my control — heirs, particularly — and I’m unable to deliver…how will I be punished? Will I be cut into pieces like Tori? Like Rosalind, will I be doused in flaming gold?

I lie quietly all night, worried that he will touch me, ask me what’s vexing me. I worry that this will begin the fall. I cannot begin to dictate to this male how he should punish those who have wronged him. I can’t even dictate to this male how he should punish those who have wronged me. But must I…be forced to watch? I don’t want to watch. Does that make me a coward? Will he think me weak if I don’t?

I glance at the king from the corner of my eye as we settle in our seats for day two of the games. Rosalind remains seated in the final chair on the end of the row. The sheet that Hilde covered her with yesterday has been removed and I am horrified to see that several flies have been drawn to her. They flutter in and out of her mouth, smaller flies swarming the open wounds on her back.

Olec sits beside her slumped in his seat. His eyes are closed. He appears to be sleeping. I wonder…if they left him out here tied to his seat all night. He is still gagged. I don’t know if he’s been given water and have to fight the urge to cry. The king glances at me. I turn my face quickly forward.

King Calai leans in towards me and his lips brush my earlobe as he whispers, “We will speak tonight, little bird. You will tell me what has upset you. Why you are ignoring me.” He liftsmy left hand and drags his impossibly smooth lips over my knuckles. “You need not fear me.”

That’s what he says to me, but when he turns to the crowd and announces a new game for today, one not part of the original program, I know he is wrong.

“Tori did so well yesterday, did he not?” he shouts and the crowd claps and cheers. Tori does not grin, but stoops a little lower than he did when he first stepped onto the training field yesterday morning. His shoulders are no longer rolled so far back, his chin no longer so high.

The clouds have returned today and the temperature dropped overnight. I have chills. I hate this male, yet I still fear for him.

“I would love to see Tori compete again, this time in an even more daring contest. How about you?” His tone, pleasant and light as it is, riles the crowd. They cheer and shout and stomp their feet, whooping loud. “Warriors. You will fight Tori again, the strongest among you. This time, you will only advance to tomorrow’s games if you are able to take something from him.”

That causes a stir. It is Ebanora’s brother, Matthias, who surprises me by stepping forward, out of the cluster of combatants, and asking, “My liege, could you clarify? Do you mean, disarming him? Taking his sword or his shield?”

“Sword or shield, certainly, but I actually had something more permanent in mind. A hand, an ear, the tip of his nose, perhaps?” The king smiles.

The crowd gasps and goes wild. Laughter mingles with shrieks as the bloodthirsty among us are given the opportunity to see a show for the ages. I close my eyes and swallow the disappointment and bile in my throat. When I open them, I see Tori’s mother step forward. “Your Highness, please. Tori is our eldest son. For whatever way he has slighted you or your intended bride, he begs forgiveness…” But her pleas die when Tori’s father pulls her back into the crowd.

“Let the boy fight. Do not disrespect the king,” he shouts gruffly, yanking his wife to his side. Tori’s father is not a cowardly male, but a mean one like his sons. I know he has always been hard on his boys. I wonder if he is not among those who enjoys this…even though the boy is his own.

“If that is all, then let us begin. As Tori wounded you yesterday, Elia, I offer you the chance to fight first.”

Elia steps forward, a grim look on his face, and for a moment I dare to hope that he might decline and defy the king. Then he says, “I would cede my place to Vale, if it please you, my king.”

The largest of the trainees is a brown-haired male I’ve seen around the village but have no personal connection with. He steps forward, his broadsword in a tight grip. “I would be honored to fight Tori first in this challenge, my king.”

The king looks between the boys. I watch Tori’s mouth tighten. I don’t know what passed between this lot, but I can feel a certain mad and dangerous energy emanate from Vale as the king gives his assent. The boys square off against one another, but Tori is already weakened from yesterday. He doesn’t stand a chance.

Vale is perhaps the third best fighter here, based on what I saw of his performance yesterday. He’s strong, but he’s not as quick or agile as Elia, and Tori had him matched in strength yesterday when they battled each other. But not today. Today, Vale manages to get Tori onto his back. From there, he punches Tori in the face several times and removes both of Tori’s ears. Tori’s screams make my stomach clench and toes curl. The wind carries the scent of blood. Real or imagined, I’m not sure. I taste my breakfast in the back of my throat and grab for the king’s arm as Vale stands, boasting Tori’s ears to the bloodthirsty crowd. He tosses the ears onto Tori’s body.

“My liege, please,” I all but gasp. “No more.”

The king looks at me and light flares in his dark eyes. His grim expression pans over my face, no softness to be found. “Do you favor Tori?”

I want to laugh. “No. No, my king. Of course not. I just…” I want to cry.

I can no longer speak. The sound of Tori’s screaming has rattled my insides. I get up from my seat and run to the back edge of the platform. I purge everything I ate that morning.

I distantly hear Hilde muttering under her breath as she approaches me from below. The king, however, holds my hair and smooths his hands over my back. “I am sorry, little bird. Are you alright?”

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