King Oswin’s advisors stood to one side, looking like their best dog had just died. That did nothing to help the unease in Harlan’s gut as he stood beside his father on the lavish rug, bracing for what would spill from the prince’s mouth.
‘I am receiving a lot of complaints regarding the odour coming from the merchant borough,’ Borin began.
Harlan was careful to keep his expression nice and neutral. ‘The dead are decomposing, Your Highness.’
‘You know it is bad when the farmers are the ones complaining,’ Borin said with a small smile. ‘They live and breathe shit for a living.’ He glanced at the advisors, who were not smiling. ‘Why are the merchants not burying the dead? It is not as if they have anything else to do.’
Harlan’s fingers curled at his side. ‘There’s no cemetery in the borough. They would have to bury them in the forest, and they would struggle to dig graves quick enough.’
Borin looked to Shapur. ‘Is there really no cemetery in the merchant borough?’
‘No,’ Shapur replied. ‘Normally the funerals are held in the borough before the dead are taken to the lazaretto borough for burying.’
Borin thought for a moment. ‘I think it is time to put an end to this insanity.’
Relief swelled in Harlan. He bit the inside of his cheek to stop from verbalising it.
‘I would like you to round up the merchants and bring them to the square so I might address them.’
‘Round them up?’ Harlan could not keep the irritation out of his voice. The merchants were not sheep, and his men were not dogs.
Borin rose. ‘I will be there within the hour.’
Shapur cleared his throat. ‘What is your objective, Your Highness?’
Annoyance flashed in Borin’s eyes. ‘It is your job to ensure my wishes are carried out, Warden, not question my motives.’
Harlan glanced at the advisors for clues and found them staring at the ground. Borin probably wanted to make one of his famous speeches, be the hero who declared the gates be opened and freed the merchants from the clutches of death. Harlan let him have his moment if it meant they could all move on and begin the necessary healing.
‘The merchants will be in the square within the hour,’ Shapur said, bowing.
Harlan bowed also and followed his father from the room.
Chapter 41
‘Eda, wake up,’ Blake said, rubbing her sister’s back. ‘There are defenders in the borough.’
Eda’s eyes fluttered open, red-rimmed and void of life. She immediately began coughing. Blake pressed her palm to her fevered forehead.
‘There’s a notice,’ Lyndal said, entering the room and grabbing her cloak. ‘Birtle just returned from the square. It says every merchant is to be in the square within the hour.’
Candace entered with a cup of water. ‘She needs to drink something.’
‘She can’t walk,’ Blake said.
And no one had the strength to carry her.
‘Birtle gave us a few cloves of garlic,’ Lyndal said, walking over to the bed. ‘Perhaps we can boil it up in some water.’
Blake wiped damp hair back from Eda’s face and helped her sit up. ‘It’s going to take more than a few cloves of garlic to get her walking.’ She kneeled in front of her sister. ‘I’m going to carry you.’ But announcing it and doing it were two very different things.
Eda swallowed and nodded.
‘Put two cloaks on her,’ Candace said, flitting about the room grabbing items. ‘We must keep her warm.’
Lyndal studied Blake. ‘Are you sure you can carry her? You barely got yourself off the chair earlier.’
That was true. Blake was growing weaker by the day. ‘I’ll be fine.’ She did not have a choice.
