Chapter 23

Part 3

“I learned that she had been kidnapped by one Milishak the Blue, the Royal Wizard to the Court of the Kingdom of Iktra, the human realm bordering on the lands of The People of Life to the north-west. Milishak abducted Yzandra so that he could give her as a sex slave to his liege, Melcom, then the reigning king of Iktra. She was chosen for this because she lived beside the border and she sometimes crossed it to gather herbs, and because she was among the weakest of my people in her ability with the power, lacking enough strength to even light a candle with it. It was done by Milishak in order to turn Melcom to evil ways, and in this it partially succeeded.

“Knowing that this abduction could lead to war with my people, a war they had no hope of winning, Milishak and Melcom held Yzandra in a magic cell with no physical entrance, deep beneath the deepest dungeons of their palace, reachable only by a keyed Translocation plate in the royal apartments. Her cell was luxurious, but small, and lacking any windows or doors. Only they knew she was down there, and the Translocation plate was made so that it would function for Milishak or the reigning monarch of Iktra, and no others.

“Melcom used Yzandra as his sex slave for the rest of his life, some forty-three years, and upon his death, he gave her to his heir in his private will, like she were a possession! And when the next king died, he passed her down as well! Damned Source above! They did this for nine generations! For two hundred and seventy-one years did the kings of Iktra hold Yzandra in that sunless cell, raping her and tormenting her regularly!!!”

Alilia fell silent, her fists and face clenched in rage, and the rest waited patiently while she regained control of her emotions.

“Finally a king of Iktra died leaving no male issue. His eldest daughter, Rellin, was strong and at least half-decent in character, and she had cultivated the commanders and officers of her royal military. Milishak opposed her, favoring a male cousin with militia of his own, and they were backed by the other nobles of the realm. Rellin countered Milishak’s power by hiring wizards from the human wizards’ guilds, down in the empires. Though there was civil war for almost two years, in the end Rellin held the throne, and Milishak and his contender were dead. Only then, after Yzandra had dwelt in her cell in absolute solitude for two more years, did Rellin read her father’s private will, and learn of Yzandra’s long imprisonment and torment. Rellin set her wizards to freeing Yzandra, then personally escorted her home.

“After that, we spent many days counseling and interviewing Yzandra and treating her, and many were the hours she told me of her torments. In the end, it was decided that there was little else to be done about it, since all the guilty were dead, though Rellin did offer sincere apology and any restitution we might ask for her family’s crimes.”

Alilia fell silent, then she continued, her eyes still downcast. “When it seemed that Talia had raped my son by trickery and caused his death, Yzandra’s ordeal seemed a fitting punishment.”

Now she resolutely lifted her tearful gaze to meet Mark’s. “I chose you as the instrument of Talia’s punishment because no elf could do such a thing, and because you were fresh in my mind, since I had been discussing you with Yazadril only moments before. As well, I now realize that I wished to prove to Yazadril that you were just like almost every other human male I have ever met, and that your seeming decency was an act, concealing a core of cruelty. When I gave her to you to rape, I thought that you would consider it a prize beyond measure, and thus would your evil heart be revealed to Yazadril.

“So, I am forced to realize that I am not only vindictive, I am petty, and a bigot.”

Mark considered her words before replying. “No, I think you were vindictive and petty. I think that realizing the enormity of your mistake has cured you of those traits.”

She nodded. “Perhaps you are right about that.

“Though Talia has the worst of it, she is right in that I have cursed you as well. And everything I said to her of the inadequacy of my apology, and my desire for atonement, all applies to you as well. I am so very, very sorry. And if there is anything at all that I can do for you, you have only to ask. If you desire to see me punished… I will endure what you decree.”

“So the fulfillment of the curse is based on the ordeal of Yzandra? Everything that was done to her, I’ll have to do to Talia?”

“Yes.” Alilia nodded tearfully. “Each and every detail of it is too much to hold in one’s mind all at once, still it is true to say that the totality of her experience, as she told it to me, and most importantly, the impressions and thoughts of it that my mind experienced as she told me of it, form the basis of the requirements of the curse.” She paused. “Though perhaps not exactly. When I cast the curse, I did not picture you keeping Talia in a cell, so you will not be required to do that. I pictured her with you as you went about your life.”

She suddenly stomped her foot a bit like a child in anger. “Damned and broken Source above! This language is so completely inadequate! Were you anyone else, I would simply cast Tongues upon you so you could speak Elvish!”

Mark shrugged a bit in embarrassment. “Sorry.” he mumbled.

“Please do not apologize to me!” Alilia told him in exasperation. “You are like a good child, and I have wronged you horribly, damn it!”

“Alilia! I need to know how long I will be free of the curse!” Talia stated determinedly. “What was the frequency of Yzandra’s torments, and what did you imagine mine to be when you cast the curse?”

Alilia’s brow tightened in concentration. “The kings of Iktra were not consistent in their depredations. The worst of them was at it almost every day, and for hours at a time. One, only once or twice per month, and another was satisfied after only a few minutes on each occasion.

“To be as specific as possible, I would say that Yzandra was tormented on more than half of the days of her captivity. Make it three days of every five, and over the years ahead, I expect that to be the average of days that the curse will come upon you. Over the short term, you should have until tomorrow at least, and most likely you will not feel it for two days, though you may have as long as a month.

“When the curse does come upon you, it may be satisfied with a few moments of torment, as it was this first time, though it may demand as many as six hours.

“It may be wise to completely hold the curse at bay by fulfilling its requirements before it activates, rather than waiting until you begin to feel its effects, in case it starts to affect reality before that becomes apparent to you. In order to be at all certain to do so, you should have him torment you for an hour and a quarter, every second day.”

Mark considered that, and the thought almost moved him to tears again. Talia sensed this, and caressed his face reassuringly to soothe him.