literature

The Return Of Kadri

Deviation Actions

dragondoodle's avatar
By
Published:
242 Views

Literature Text

{Have you heard the rumors?}

{What rumors?}

{They say she came back.}

{Who?}

{Rayner’s wife. She’s back, but she came back alone.}

{The king allowed this?}

{I guess, since Rayner wasn’t with her.}

{What about the child?}

{No word. Maybe the child stayed with its father. Or died in childbirth.}

Gen had heard enough, and his heart pounded so hard that he was sure that the people he had been observing could hear it, even through the wall he was behind.

Kadri. Kadri was back.

After eleven years, the woman he had lost his heart to had returned.

Even now he could feel that sinking feeling in his stomach as he thought of how she was still married to Rayner. But, if that were the case, why was she here alone? Had Rayner sent her as a spy to see what the political situation was, hoping that the clemency she had been offered initially was still valid?

The timing was just a little suspicious to Gen; with King Sandar away dealing with the invasions by High King Gaetan and his eight-year-old son ostensibly holding the throne (although he admittedly had a great deal of help). Would Rayner try something now that Sandar wasn’t around? The Spy-Master frowned. He had to find out more.

He would have to talk to Kadri, if she really was here, and find out what she knew and see if she was hiding anything from him.

At least that is what he told himself as he quickly scuttled back into the passage and headed through to check the rooms to see if he could find where she had been housed. He had no doubt that the councilors would suggest that Makar keep the woman in the palace and closely watched.

He would have to make sure to find out who was keeping information from him. You didn’t do that to the Spy-Master, he would always find out and make you pay for the attempt.

Gen had gone through every room until he came to the last, small suite, in the family wing. It was occupied. He heard the person inside shuffling around but nothing more than that. Since there were no other family members besides Sandar and Makar, he was pretty sure the person he was looking for was the one in the suite.

He slipped into the secret passage the led into it. Not that this particular passage would have been secret to Kadri, it was one that Rayner himself had shown both of them when they were younger. What no one knew was how Gen had enlarged and connected all of the passages to give himself unlimited travel through the palace with no one capable of knowing where he was. It was his insurance; the knowledge would die with him if someone killed him. No other Spy-Master would learn these secrets from him unless they were his own apprentice and he was ready to retire. Even then he’d have to think very hard about whether or not he’d want someone other than himself knowing about them. Perhaps when he was truly too old to crawl around in them he’d tell someone he trusted.

He took a deep breath and knocked in the familiar pattern, wondering if Kadri would even remember the code that the three of them had come up with all those years ago. If not, he’d just quietly open the door and see for himself who the person was. Perhaps it wasn’t even Kadri, could be some woman trying to gain favor with the King by claiming to be the wife of Rayner and claiming to want to betray him.

The secret door in the back of the closet opened suddenly and Gen found himself looking into the bright green eyes of Kadri Skoveng Dell. He was stunned speechless. She looked old, older than she should have. Her eyes had dark circles, her nose looked to have been broken and left unhealed, and she was far thinner than she ever should have been. Her cheekbones stuck out all wrong, she should have had flesh on those cheeks. It was Kadri though, he knew it down to his toes, no one’s eyes would make him feel like he was feeling right now. Like he wanted to cry and yell and scream and embrace her all at the same time. He wanted to be angry and yet wanted to protect her. All of the warring emotions and desires made him immobile. Some spy he was if he could allow his feelings to make him completely useless.

Kadri didn’t have the same paralysis issue, but her voice came out in a soft whisper that sent chills down Gen’s spine as she spoke. {Elvgeni? Is that you?}

He finally found his voice. {Aye. Is that you, Kadri?}

The woman looked down and turned away from him, leaving the secret door open, {I suppose it is.}

Gen moved out of the closet silently, closing the door behind him. He watched the woman who had stolen his heart and never given him anything back in return for it. There was nothing of the confident woman he remembered in that slumped, shuffling form. This was a woman who carried more sorrow than the Kadri he used to know would even had been aware of. He tried to think of something to say, anything, but his mind was blank to everything except one burning question, which he finally managed to ask, {Where is Rayner?}

The icy response he got back shocked him even more. {He is dead.}

{How?} Gen put out a hand, his whole being warring with making sure he was getting all the information and the need to comfort her. He pulled it back as she stopped walking at his question.

She turned, tears leaking out her eyes even as they burned with an anger Gen had never seen in Kadri. The voice was monotone, {I killed him. Ask Prince Makar for proof. I gave him Rayner’s head.}

Gen stared at her, so many questions clamoring in his head and fighting for the use of his voice. She loved Rayner. More than anything. She told him this many times and he could see the love in her eyes and hear it in her voice every time she said it. His heart had ached every time, wishing that she would look that way for him. How? How could she have killed him? It didn’t make any sense. Kadri wasn’t the kind of person capable of killing anyone, much less the husband she loved more than anything in the world. What had happened? He got himself together and decided that something wasn’t right in the whole story. {I am finding this very hard to believe. Why would you deceive the prince and king this - -}

Kadri suddenly approached him, her fists clenched, and her face contorted with rage. {I KILLED HIM! He took my son from me! He beat us both and then decided he needed money, so he SOLD MY YOKOV TO THE HIGH KING’S MILITARY!} She pointed violently to her nose, crooked and scarred, {He gave me this when I protested!} She was starting to wilt from the emotions that were hitting her, like she’d been holding onto it for too long. {He took my son! Elvgeni, he took the one bright thing in my life . . .} She was fighting off the sobs, trying not to lose her control in front of him. {What do you care?! The one thing you always wanted has happened, Rayner is gone, never to curse this kingdom or anyone’s life again!} She spun around and walked away from him.

{That wasn’t the one thing I always wanted.} He heard himself say softly before he could gain control of his voice. Oh, why had he said that? He had sworn he would never tell her, it would do neither of them any good for her to know.

She turned around, her beautiful green eyes still leaking tears. She looked broken. That was the word he had been looking for, broken. She forced a snarl out, like she was attempting to hide her surprise with anger, {Oh? And what is that, Elvgeni Naytil? I would love to hear what was more important to you than making sure that Rayner was never able to return to this kingdom.}

{You.} He couldn’t stop it, it just came out. It had been in there for so long that it just didn’t want to stay silent.

{Is that why you did it then? Making sure that Rayner got banished?} She growled at him, anger becoming more evident and genuine.

{No! Rayner did what he did, and it was my responsibility to protect the kingdom from a dangerous criminal who had killed their king!} He snarled back, {Aye, Rayner getting banished was my fault, but that was because I could not stand the idea of you watching your love get executed! I convinced Sandar not to kill his brother, but I did it for YOU!}

She stopped, all of her anger vanishing in an instant. {Perhaps it would have been better if he had been executed after all.} She crumbled to the floor and sobbed uncontrollably. {It would have better . . .}

Gen didn’t think his heart could feel as painful as it had when she left with Rayner, but her words were like he was being stabbed in the chest. {Kadri . . .} Before he could stop himself, he was kneeling on the ground and trying to comfort her. {I will find your son for you. I have rescued others from the High King, you know this. I can do it again.}

Kadri shook her head and sobbed out, {He’s dead. They killed him. I tracked him down and all I found was puddles of blood in the grass after it looked like he tried to escape. My bright little Yokov . . .} She started to curl up on the floor in misery, her sobs stopping and her voice becoming the sad monotone from before. {Kill me, Elvgeni. I do not deserve to live. I let my husband sell my son off to his death, and then killed my husband for his actions. I am no better than he is. I need to die.}

Gen scooped her up into his arms, horrified at how light she was despite her clothing. She was nothing but skin and bones. He rocked her gently, {No. I will not kill you. I could not do it if I tried.}

{I deserve to die.}

{You deserve to be treated far better than you have been. You deserve food. Has the king fed you since you arrived?}

{I am not hungry.} Her voice was so sad that it twisted that knife in his chest.

He stood up with her in his arms, {I am not going to let you starve yourself to death. I am not going to let you die on me now that I finally have you in my arms.} He squeezed her gently, being careful not to hurt her. {Kadri, please, do not will yourself into death.}

{What do I have to live for, Elvgeni? My son and husband are dead. I have nothing.}

Gen set her down gently on the bed and gazed into her eyes with as much conviction as he could project. {You have me. I am here. I have always been here, and I will always be here for you. I will do anything for you, other than assist in your death.} He put a callused hand on her cheek to make her look at him as she attempted to look down, {I love you, Kadri.}

She stared at him in disbelief. {I do not know what to say to that. I do not feel like I deserve any love from anyone.}

{Say that you will live. Even if you do not love me back, do it for the friendship we once shared. Please, Kadri, do not leave me again.} His hands came down and squeezed hers gently.

Gen found himself embraced tightly as Kadri started sobbing on his shoulder. He wished he could have kept her safe from all that she had suffered. She deserved so much better and he was going to make sure she was treated like the queen she should have been if Rayner hadn’t been such an idiot. Kadri spoke after her sobbing slowed again, {I do not know if I can love anymore.}

{I do not need love. I have lived this long without it, I will continue in the same fashion. All I need to know is that you are safe and healthy and eventually happy. All I need is to see you smile again, sweet Kadri. But for right now, I will settle for you promising me that you will eat the food I bring you.} He pulled away from her and took her cheeks in his hands, giving her a sad smile. {What do you say to that?}

She stared into his golden eyes like she was in shock. He watched her carefully as she got herself together, {I suppose I could try to eat something.}

He felt his mouth twist into a small, mischievous grin, {What would your reaction be if I found candied twistroot?}

{I have not had that since I left.}

{But you still like it, aye?}

Kadri looked down, {Aye. I would like it if you brought me some candied twistroot.} She didn’t smile but her face looked more relaxed.

Gen nodded, {Good. I will bring the food. You will eat it all and then you can have the twistroot.}

She looked up at him in shock, {That is not fair.}

{No, it is not. But if I have to resort to this kind of thing to make sure you take care of yourself then I will.} He patted her knee and then started searching her suite meticulously and putting what he was finding carefully in a carry pouch.

She watched him curiously, pulling her legs up under her. {What are you doing?}

{Making sure to get rid of any suicide temptation. I was serious, I will not let you die now that you have returned. You are not in the right state of mind to be left alone with anything sharper than a goose quill.}

She looked insulted, then flopped down on the bed with her back to him as he continued his careful search.

When he was finished he returned to her bed and put a hand on her leg, {Kadri? Will you be all right until I get back?}

A sad, sniffly, {Aye.} was the only answer he got back, but it was enough to make him nod and head to the hidden door.

He turned back toward her after he opened the door in the back of the closet, {I will be back soon with the food.} He paused and then added, just so he could say it again out loud. {I love you, Kadri.}

{Thank you, Elvgeni.}

He smiled sadly and entered the secret passage, closing it quietly. Well, it was something at least. Perhaps, someday, she would return his love. He had time to wait now that she was here.

He was not going to give up again.
:sniff:

Darn characters making my life miserable by putting their sob stories in my head and not letting me sleep until I write them down. :shakefist:

This is the story of Yokov's mother returning to the Western Lands after the death of her husband and the presumed death of her son, as told from Gen's point of view.

I find this story fascinating because it's looking at the opposite end of one of those typical love triangles you see in stories. Gen is the good male friend with the crush on the girl but loses out to his handsome and rich Prince best friend that the girl has fallen for. Didn't turn out so well for any of them apparently, but at least it's looking like Gen is going to get a second chance. ;)

Now I'm going to bed. :faint: Sleep

The Return of Kadri belongs to me :icondragondoodle: aka :icongirl-n-herhorse:
© 2017 - 2024 dragondoodle
Comments18
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
MensjeDeZeemeermin's avatar
VERY wrenching and intense.