***
Warning ***
Sensitive
situations
Violence;
Nudity;
Hard
R Rating
Please
do not read if you are easily disturbed.
(All
characters, places and events reside solely in my imagination.)
The
Song of Gaál
….......
Seven ….......
Under
the shade of trees with Jaszef, Malek and Todor nearby, Cassava
caught his first fish. He knelt down and held the shining silver
fish in his hands, his eyes lit with wonderment. Jaszef scooted down
the little hill to the small pond and Malek stood on the opposite
side, watching Cassava. “That is a fine silver minnow you have
there, Cassa!” Jaszef excitedly stated.
Cassava
glanced sidelong up at Jaszef, a small tight smile on his lips. “It
is too small to eat.” Cassava replied as he turned the fish back
into the pond. Jaszef blinked at Cassava and turned to Malek. “Do
not get any ideas in your head Malek! We are keeping your fish, I am
famished!” Jaszef said as he rubbed his stomach.
The
three continued to cast their lines to the pond. Jaszef and Malek
tossed quips back and forth, telling of the largest fish they caught,
each exaggerating to best the other. Cassava kept his back to the
castle that sat perched high on the hill. He listened to his
companions' voices as he watched the water ripple with the slight
breezes that swept down the little valley. He held his fishing rod
loosely, more intent on the argument of who caught the largest fish
than worrying that he might catch another himself.
“Look!
Look Malek! Cassava can smile!' He heard Jaszef say loudly
from close to his side. Cassava jerked away from Jaszef as he turned
to look at the man, nearly losing his fishing rod in the pond as it
pulled sharply forward. “Whoa Whoa!” Jaszef laughed, “Cassa
has a big one! Bring it in, snippet, and we can have supper!”
Jaszef's excitement was contagious and Cassava laughed as he pulled
and tugged the fishing rod, bringing a large fish in from the pond.
Seated
around the small fire Jaszef built, the three cooked and shared the
smaller fish they caught, saving the larger ones for Ursula to cook
in the kitchen. Jaszef took apples and sweet breads from his bag,
sharing them with the boys. He chuckled at Malek telling him he
could only have an apple, he was becoming a portly lad, to which
Malek wrinkled his nose and looked at his belly. Cassava grabbed up
his portion of the sweet bread and brought it to his mouth. He took
a deep breath as he chewed slowly, not wanting the flavours to end,
not wanting the day to end. He could not remember a meal that had
tasted as wonderful as a simple fire roasted fish and cold bread with
raisins. If he turned his head just slightly, the cold grey castle
vanished from his view.
***** ***** *****
Two
months after Levente and Malika left the castle, Ursula was delivered
of a baby girl. Beata adored the infant and often sat near the
cradle learning her letters while the baby slept. Within a fortnight
of the arrival of the infant, Levente and Malika returned to Sotete.
Cassava was hurried by Ursula to tell Beata to freshen the beds.
Beata rushed Cassava away from her and ran from the room, her pale
face flushed and her mouth twisted, holding back tears. Cassava
rubbed his wrist, leaving red marks on his skin. He glanced at the
cradle, seeing only a bundle of coverings.
As
Cassava walked down the back stair to the kitchen, his skin went cold
upon hearing Levente's voice. Levente was talking in a hushed,
hurried manner, causing Cassava to halt his descent, undecided to
continue down or turn and take another stairway. A second voice,
angry, in response to Levente. Cassava's breath stilled. Kisertet.
Cassava
slid closer to the stone wall in the dark stairwell, listening
intently, trying to discern the heated words being exchanged. He
took a cautious step down, his ear turned toward the voices that
seemed to be coming from the kitchen pantry. “You told me it would
be done before we returned,” he heard Levente growl. “If you do
not hold your end, I will resolve the matter.”
Cassava descended
another step. “It has become complicated, Tolvaj, be still and
mind my instruction,” he heard Kisertet hiss. Levente's reply was
broken, faint and incomplete, despite Cassava's trying to will
himself to hear through the walls. “Already it is too long,
already..... Malika and.... infant. Be done with it!” Cassava
hears some shuffling and a loud crash, glass breaking and a very
angry Kisertet. “I said be still, man! Wait On My Word!”
Kisertet's voice boomed through the stairwell, then silence. A
breath. Two breaths. Cassava heard footsteps moving in the kitchen,
heading toward the stairway he stood in. He swallowed hard and
erased emotion from his face, starting down the remaining steps as
Kisertet rounded the corner to go up. Kisertet lifted his face.
Cassava's eyes immediately moved to Kisertet's and they locked.
Kisertet's lip twitched up and he squinted slightly at Cassava before
continuing his climb, “Your Mistress is back, you best greet her
soon.” Kisertet announced as he slid by the boy and disappeared up
the stair.
Cassava was greeted by Malika with a series of slaps to his head. He was not present at the gate when she arrived. She pulled Cassava toward the stair, stopping suddenly when she saw Ursula enter the room carrying an infant.
Malika
dropped Cassava's arm and watched Ursula. Ursula did not move.
Cassava held his breath, the silence in the room swallowing any will
to break it. The infant hiccoughed and settled, the sounds of the
castle returned and Malika moved toward Ursula. She tore the baby
away from Ursula and turned back, grabbing up Cassava's arm, “Come.”
She demanded, moving toward the stair. The infant began to cry.
Cassava glanced back and saw Ursula following behind, her eyes
brimming with tears.
Malika
ordered a servant to move the infant's cradle to the nursery outside
her rooms. Ursula cried and pleaded that the baby needed her, which
Malika outright denied, stating she would provide all the care for
the infant, after all, she birthed the baby. Malika declared the
baby girl to be Eszerbet Hanna Tolvaj and turned away, leaving a
crumpled Ursula weeping on the floor.
