Chapter Eight: The Questionable Solution

"Slaves in public must not speak unless spoken to. If this law is at all violated, the Slave will undergo severe physical punishment. If this law is violated against one of Royal or Noble Blood, the Slave will thereafter either be executed or assigned into the following Annual Slave Arena. The owner may or may not be informed and will not be reimbursed for the Slave's value."

The trek through Helvetica wasn't a completely quiet one, which Nadia would have much preferred. As they neared the boarder, Polaris began to ask her questions, and they were questions which put Nadia on edge.

"So, when did you color your hair?"

Obviously, Nadia was hesitant to answer honestly. However, it was clear to her that Polaris knew she had dyed her hair, and she reminded herself that it was dangerous to lie to a noble who had royal authority.

"I think the day Master bought me, sir."

"Was it his command?"

"Yes, sir."

"I see. Is he also demanding that you wear makeup?"

"Yes, sir."

"Hm."

Polaris opened his notebook to where he had sketched out the markings and lashes he had observed behind the Rose Tree. He walked behind Nadia and examined the scars that peeked out from the top and bottom of her choli shirt. From what he could see, they matched perfectly.

"What did you do to deserve those lashes on your back?"

"I ruined my Master's construction, sir."

"You what?" Polaris replied, now beside Borealis's neck. He looked at Nadia in the eye and Nadia had to fight not to do the same. "What influenced you to do such a thing?"

"Master thinks he owns mermaids, sir. So he's building a tank to trap them in and show them off to everyone. I don't think it's right."

Polaris calmed down as this was understandable to some degree. "I see... and he knows that you're a mermaid?"

"Sir?"

Nadia nearly made eye-contact here, but caught herself just in time. How much did this man actually know about her and how? Even though lying could mean death for Nadia, she couldn't confirm the truth of her ethnicity to him, but she wasn't sure how to avoid it without telling even the smallest fib.

Polaris decided not to put Nadia in such a position. Instead, he wanted to make it clear to her that he knew all her secrets and that they were safe with him.

"If I understand correctly, you are familiar with a little pixie named Rein Bow."

"Yes, sir. Does she talk to you?"

"She showed me to you. You should know that she has explained everything to me, including who and what you are."

Nadia remembered her last conversation with Rein. "Are you Polaris the palace-worker?"

"Yes, I am the king's own royal advisor." The advisor even. He could behead her on the spot if he caught her in a lie! "It seems she's mentioned me to you."

"Yes, sir. She said that you'd be coming to get me. I forgot until now. Are you taking me to live in the palace?"

"Indeed I am. How do you feel about that?"

Nadia hesitated to answer as she peered over her shoulder at Helvetica, which slowly distanced itself behind them. She begged in her heart for it to return and even began to plot an escape back to Aimonbay. She quickly realized that would be suicide and searched desperately in her mind for some other alternative.

"Answer me honestly," came Polaris's voice, yanking her from her thoughts.

"I don't want to live in the palace, sir," Nadia answered as she faced forward again where she could spot the palace on the horizon. She could feel herself begin to tremble and was sure that Polaris could see it. Hopefully, if Nadia had any ounce of fortune, he would hear the plea in her answer and would cancel their trip to the palace.

"Why is that?" Polaris asked.

"Because the queen hates me, sir. She told Master that he can do what he wishes with me. She doesn't care about me, only what I can or can't do for her."

"What if I told you that King Darren is above Queen Ariana and he can protect you from her?"

"But she was able to enslave me, sir. Couldn't she do other things whether he wanted her to or not?"

Polaris said nothing. There was a long moment of silence and Nadia noticed their pace begin to slow. She couldn't help but to speak, regardless of what the law mandated.

"Are you still going to take me to the palace, sir?"

"No," Polaris answered. "No, I'm not."

"Are you going to free me, sir?"

"I personally cannot. Only Their Majesties or your master can do that."

"So now there is only one way. Right, sir?"

Polaris peered up at her, a bit concerned about where this conversation may be headed. "What are you trying to suggest, Child?"

It seemed to Nadia that this man wanted to help her. So, she opted to test just how much.

"I plan on saving up for training so that I can fight in the Annual Slave Arena, sir. By the time my training is complete, I hope to have some money saved on the side to maybe buy a small cottage of some sort. And if I win in the arena and buy a cottage, the queen and count will have to accept that I'm free and no longer homeless because it's the law. So, would you happen to know of anyone who can teach me how to fight wild beasts for little money?"

Polaris thought for a moment. He almost chuckled at her nerve and her surprisingly abundant knowledge of the law for her age.

"Yes..." He paused. "What exactly do you plan on doing once you're free?"

Nadia shrugged. "Leave this kingdom, that's for sure, sir. Maybe I'll live in the forest or something. I haven't really planned anything out, but I have time. Right now I just want to find a way to gain freedom. There's no use in wasting time planning out my freedom if I have no way to get it."

Polaris considered the solution offered along with every possible outcome he could imagine on the spot. He was not about to share his thoughts out loud, but Nadia could see the conflict in his face. He absolutely didn't like the idea of her fighting in the arena since the odds were not in her favor, even with training. Also, there were loopholes in the law that Ariana was sure to find if Nadia won the fights, but then again she wouldn't be able to utilize them without protest from many of the citizens. Turning any of the nobles against herself was the last thing Ariana wanted. Then perhaps while he trained Nadia, Polaris could carefully devise other solutions since the potential arena in which Nadia would fight was many years away. Hopefully, he and Drake would come up with a fool-proof solution before that day arrived. Polaris finally settled on a conclusion, hoping beyond hope that it was only temporary.

"I can train you."

Nadia almost looked into his eyes again. Sure, it seemed as though he wanted to help her, but she didn't expect such a proposal.

"Sir?"

"I'll train you for the arena," he clarified. He continued in a whisper. "Listen, I'm not too pleased with the queen right now; in fact, I'm beyond infuriated with her, especially after learning that she's involved in your enslavement. Anything that would even slightly inconvenience her would make me ecstatic. Now I have a plot developing in my mind that could benefit both of us, but it'll take some time for me to form it completely. In any case, I'm finally beginning to have faith in her downfall. Now, would you like me to train you to fight and win in the Annual Slave Arena?"

"For how much, sir?" Nadia asked.

"Nothing. Save your money for your cottage. What do you say?"

Polaris could see in Nadia's eyes that she smiled beneath her veil.

"That would be amazing, sir," she said.

"Wonderful. When is your recess and how long do you have?"

"I have a three-hour break in the afternoon, sir. Everyday."

"Perfect." Polaris pointed north towards a small collection of dark trees of a variety of shades of red and orange about a mile or so away. "Do you see that wood over there?"

"Yes, sir."

"I have a summer home called Thorncove Estate located on a hill in that wood. I'll train you there during your recesses."

"I'll be there, sir."

"Very good. Now, I'll take you home. Our story for your master is that I thought you were Nadia, but you convinced me otherwise before we made it to the palace. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good girl. Let's get you home."

Polaris mounted Borealis behind Nadia and steered his horse east.

"Oh, and apart from that, I don't care what your ethnicity is and I don't care what your master is building; no more sabotaging any of his property." Nadia remained silent. "Listen to me: if he ever decides to trap you in any way, shape, or form, I will find a way to get him to release you so that we may continue training. But earning your master's disapproval is not the best idea at this time. You want him to like you as much as possible; you want to be his favorite. As a result, he will reward you more and treat you better. He may even increase your number of recesses and their length. Trust me, it'll all work out in the end."

Nadia still said nothing in reply. It wasn't that she was worried about missing training sessions, she simply didn't wish to be trapped in a tank.

"Do you understand me, Nadia?" Polaris asked.

That was the first time in over a month that anyone had addressed her by her real name besides Rein.

"Yes, sir," she finally replied.

***

The Southern sun had set by the time Polaris and Nadia reached Aimonbay Estate. He helped her off his horse and approached the massive, double doors of Count Rallian's castle. Makiar answered the knock and bowed in the presence of the royal advisor.

"Your Honor. Please come in and I'll let His Lordship know you're here to see him."

Makiar showed Polaris and Nadia to the drawing room where they both sat in uncomfortable silence. Fortunately, it wasn't very long thereafter that Makiar returned with Rallian. Polaris stood to greet him.

"Lord Polaris!" Rallian exclaimed with open arms. "My own master from the past! What gives us the pleasure of your company?"

He then noticed Nadia still seated on the sofa and his expression turned from overjoyed to suspicious all too fast. Polaris spoke quickly.

"Oh, I simply found your lovely slave here in the market today and thought she was someone she is not," Polaris replied. "I almost brought her to Their Majesties until I realized I had made a terrible mistake."

"Indeed," replied the count. "Who could you possibly think she was?"

"Well she bears a striking resemblance to Nadia. You've seen the posters hanging about Helvetica, I'm sure."

"I'm afraid it's been a while since I've had the pleasure of going to town. I know Their Majesties are searching for a young girl by that name, but I never learned of the details."

"Well I doubt you will have to worry about it again," Polaris assured. "No one seems to be putting any significant effort into the search besides myself and I appear to be the only one who knows the real details. I suppose I'll have to look elsewhere. Thank you for your understanding, I didn't mean to intrude. Rest assured, it won't happen again."

"Oh, of course, sir," Rallian laughed. He began to show Polaris out. "It's always a pleasure. You must come have dinner with Lady Skye and myself sometime. We can catch up on old times."

Polaris noticed someone missing on that list. "Oh, that's right. The Misses has passed. My deepest sympathies."

"They're much appreciated. But the dinner will still be just as enjoyable."

"It would be an honor," Polaris replied. "Send me a date and I'll make arrangements to show."

"Will do. Good afternoon, Lord Polaris."

"Good afternoon, Sir Rallian."

With that, Polaris left and Count Rallian returned inside to his drawing room where Nadia remained on the sofa, waiting for her master's next command.

"In my study, Lila," he said sharply.

Nadia reluctantly followed her master into his study and they took seats at opposite sides of his desk as was customary. She waited anxiously for her master to question her and prayed that she would be able to use the lie that Polaris had given her to easily convince Rallian nothing was wrong.

"So," the count finally said as he folded his hands in front of him. "Tell me about today. It appears that much has happened."

"The royal advisor spotted me at the market stand and told me to come with him, Master. So, I had to. On the way to the palace, he asked me several questions thinking that I'm Nadia. I answered and convinced him that I'm not Nadia, so he brought me back here."

"You have no qualms with lying to nobility?"

"I didn't totally lie, Master. I just didn't answer his questions completely and told him half-truths."

"Such as?"

"Where I came from, my name, how long I've been a slave, what happened before I was a slave."

"And your answers?"

"I came from around here, my name is Lila, I've been a slave for over a month, and my parents died before I became a slave. The only lie I told him was that I was headed nowhere when I was roaming the streets before I was taken into custody."

"You are aware, of course, that he was going to take you to live in the palace?"

"I had a feeling."

"You don't wish to live in the Palace of Helvetica?"

"Not if Her Majesty doesn't like me, Master."

"Hmm." There was an uncomfortably long pause, which for a moment set Nadia on edge. Finally, the count spoke again. "Very well. Go help with dinner."

"Yes, Master."

Count Rallian watched Nadia closely as she hurried out of the study to do as she was told. This child was a very mysterious and secretive one. While it kept things interesting in his life as a retired knight, he remained displeased in his lack of control over her. Then there was the fact that his former superior, Polaris, had now become involved. Despite what Polaris and Nadia were telling him, Rallian was well aware that Polaris knew more than he was making known. The questions remaining were how much did he know? Did he plan to intrude further? What could Count Rallian do about it?

***

Nadia went straight to her room to change before she helped to prepare dinner, and found Garnet and Mauro reading together on Garnet's bed. The moment Nadia opened the door, she caught a glimpse of Rein who bolted beneath the bed to avoid being spotted by some untrusting slave or servant.

"Lila!" Garnet exclaimed. "What happened?"

Rein showed herself and Nadia couldn't help but smile about the news she was about to share with everyone. She peered up and down the hallway before she closed the door and whispered, "I'm going to get trained for the arena!"

"You what?" Garnet exclaimed.

"From who?" Mauro asked. "And for how much?"

"From the royal advisor himself," Nadia said as she snatched her share of the market day profits from her bed. She kept her voice low as she stashed the coin bag away in her dresser drawer. "And for nothing. Apparently, he wants to help me."

"Why you?" Mauro asked.

"Because Her Majesty doesn't like me and he doesn't like Her Majesty. I guess that by aiding me, he inconveniences the queen and that's what he wants. So, he offered to help."

"Inconven..." Mauro began to question.

"Well aren't you a lucky spec!" said Garnet, uncaring about the strange, long word. "Say, when you're free and rich, will you buy Mauro and me and set us free too?"

She and Nadia giggled.

"Of course!" Nadia said.

"Good," said Mauro. "Well in that case, I hope it all works out for you."

"Thanks, you two," said Nadia. "Just don't say anything to Master. I know I'm allowed to get training and that Master says we can do whatever we want on our breaks, but I feel like somehow he might try and stop me from getting the lessons anyway. Promise you won't tell him?"

"I promise," said Garnet with a smile, and they locked pinkies to solidify the deal.

"Just don't tell Master we know anything about it if you get caught," said Mauro.

"I'll be back in a little while," said Rein, and without another word, she shot out the window. The three children traded questioning glances with each other. Clearly, Rein wasn't as pleased with the idea of Nadia getting trained for the arena, and none of them could understand why.

***

Opting to finally conclude another long day, Polaris rode to his summer home: a large, mahogany mansion with cast iron fences and stained glass cathedral windows. It had been constructed beside a large waterfall and over-looked the entire kingdom with an exceptional view of the majestic Palace of Helvetica as it stretched above the shimmering Aquamarine Ocean. Borealis whipped his golden mane back and forth while he trotted down the one narrow path which cut through the wood, and his matching hooves crunched over the leaves which fell from the surrounding trees. The vast amount of dark and colorful leaves on the ground gave the illusion that it was autumn already. Rather, these aptly-named Autumn Trees continuously grew and shed their leaves year-round. They were part of the reason Polaris chose this area to be the perfect location on which to build Thorncove Estate.

Polaris found Drake inside the parlor reading as he waited to receive word from him, believing that this word would come from the palace. He was surprised to see Polaris himself enter through the large, blackwood double doors. Naturally he was concerned to find that plans had changed and he slowly stood from where he sat on the sofa in front of the grand, elaborately crafted fireplace. Slowly, he set down the book and watched as Polaris hung up his coat without so much as a, "Good evening."

"Where's Edsel?" Polaris asked.

"Taking a recess," Drake answered. "What happened, my Lord? What are you doing here?"

Polaris stood deathly still in the foyer and took a moment to find the proper words to use.

"Drake," he finally uttered with a sigh. "The situation has grown a little more complicated. Forgive me, the situation has grown much more complicated. There's no use in sugar-coating matters."

"More complicated than the fact that Nadia's a slave and a mermaid?"

"Indeed."

"How is this possible?"

Polaris recognized the worry in Drake's voice. He passed his assistant and approached his gold-plated mini bar where he poured himself a drink in a small crystal glass.

"Nadia is well aware of her predicament," Polaris replied. "That being said, she doesn't wish to live in the palace."

"Well if her presence in the palace prevents a war, what does it matter?" Drake asked as he returned to his seat on the sofa.

"At first, I thought the same, but then I realized that may not necessarily be true." Polaris turned to face Drake and leaned against the bar with his drink in his hand. "Ariana is conniving and clever. She could still somehow claim Saíd kidnapped Nadia, perhaps released her after our first attack, and then say we'll continue the war as a means of teaching a lesson, or something to that effect. Or as Rein pointed out to me earlier, she could possibly convince the kingdom that Nadia is a decoy or some girl who simply matches our descriptions posted about the kingdom, and claims to be Nadia because it's an opportunity to live in the palace."

"So, have we officially established that Her Majesty is the cause of all this?" Drake asked.

Polaris sipped his drink and paced his parlor. "That is correct. What I believe happened is as follows: Queen Ariana desired to start a war for reasons we may hypothesize about later, but she had no means of doing so – that is, until she learned of Nadia's existence and her future. When she observed how excited King Darren felt about Nadia's arrival, she realized that this was the perfect opportunity for her to finally take action. She contacted the count, told him to purchase Nadia, and they blamed her disappearance on Saíd. Looking back, it seems I should've seen this coming."

"Count Rallian made Nadia his slave and wrote those letters which were supposedly from King Klaris," Drake concluded.

"Precisely," Polaris confirmed. "And when Ariana informed her friend that the king was dispatching a search party for Nadia, Rallian changed her name and appearance."

"And how did you learn of all this?"

"Most of it I concluded myself. But I found Nadia in the market today as planned, and after I assured her that I'm familiar with Rein, she shared with me that she is aware Ariana and Rallian are communicating and that they are responsible for everything."

"I see," Drake said slowly as he let everything sink in. "So, where is Nadia?"

"Well I had to return her to Aimonbay. I can't simply waltz into the palace and present her to Their Majesties like some sort of peace offering from a neighboring kingdom. And, of course, I can't harbor her here like a runaway slave until I do come up with another solution."

"Of course, of course," said Drake. "So, do you have any ideas as to what we do next?"

Polaris sighed. "Well first of all, let's keep it between you and me that we plan to eventually bring her to the palace. Nadia has no desire to live there. She fears Ariana. Quite frankly, I don't blame her."

"Nor do I," Drake replied. "But surely she doesn't wish to be a slave."

"No, of course not. She wants to be trained for the arena." Of course, considering the fact that letmonians were living skeletons, they lacked facial expressions. However, Drake's stunned silence said enough to be understood. Polaris took a sip of his drink. "Yes, my own shock has yet to wear off."

"I see. Well, obviously, that's not an option. So, what are your ideas about where to go from here?"

Polaris hesitated to reply and finally took a seat on the violet wing chair across from Drake. He had to word this carefully.

"Well Drake, I've come to two conclusions. The first being that there is going to be a war, and there's absolutely nothing we can do about it. The second being that we are not going to get Nadia into the palace anytime soon. We don't have many options when it comes to the freeing of slaves and she needs a place to live the moment we do manage to free her, whenever that may be."

Drake watched Polaris gaze at the blue and purple rug and tap his forefinger on the half-empty glass of bourbon in his hand. Slowly, Drake grew suspicious.

"What are you trying to say, sir?" Drake asked.

Here, Rein shot through an open window directly into the parlor, and immediately snatched the attentions of both Polaris and Drake. She didn't hesitate to voice her concern before either of them could speak. "What is this I hear about you training Nadia for the Annual Slave Arena?"

Drake's attention shot back to Polaris, hoping that he would deny Rein's sudden announcement.

Polaris emptied his glass but continued to grip it tightly. Finally, he confessed, "Yes, I told her that I'd train her."

"You're not serious!" Drake exclaimed.

"I'm training her just in case it turns out that there's no other way we can get her out of this predicament." Polaris approached his mini bar again to refill his glass. "It goes without saying that she won't be ready or qualified for the arena in at least ten years and in that amount of time, anything can happen. I suspect that I can possibly come up with an alternative solution by then. Perhaps she'll even feel skilled enough to stand against whatever threats Ariana poses and we can bring her to live in the palace."

"Yes, a lot can happen in ten years," Rein replied. "Such as, her master finds out that she's a mermaid, locks her up in that giant tank that he's building, and refuses to let her out so that we never see her again. Our solutions need to be short-term!"

"We can always find a way to get her out of that tank," Polaris assured. "Quite honestly that's the least of my worries."

"Well what if she does end up in the arena, my Lord?" Drake stood to approach Polaris. "The chances that she wins are slimmer than my pinky finger. How many slaves have won in the many years you and I have been alive?" Polaris didn't answer. "That's right, two. And how many slaves fight in each arena?" Again, Polaris didn't answer. "Exactly: fifteen on average. That's approximately nine hundred thirty slaves who have fought in the arena since you and I have been alive, only two of whom have survived."

"I see your point, Drake!" Polaris snapped. "But you forget I trained one of those who won!"

"You trained a total of three slaves who fought in the arena, sir. Flynn was the only one to win. The other slave who won trained with you at the Iah-Ra Temple!"

Polaris glared at Drake before he downed his glass and turned to fill it a third time. "I don't understand why you both are making such ado about this. There's no guarantee she's even going to fight in the arena."

"Training Nadia for the arena would be a great risk to her future and that of Noelle," Drake insisted.

"What if the arena is the only solution we have? If I don't train her, she won't be prepared!"

"But training her will be encouraging her," Rein argued.

"Listen, both of you." Polaris's tone grew dark. "There is no harm in teaching Nadia swordplay. None at all. If a better solution reveals itself in time, anyone, including Nadia, would take it over fighting in the arena. We have ten years or more to come up with a better solution. So, lend me your aid. We can start right now."

Polaris and Drake took their seats again, and Rein perched herself on the mantle. Here, all three of them spent a few moments to examine their solutions and strived to come up with more. In the end, Drake spoke first.

"Purchase her."

Polaris nearly spat bourbon across the room. "I beg your pardon?"

"Purchase her. Why not?"

"Well think about it, Drake," said Polaris. "Me, Lord Polaris, Royal Advisor of Noelle, purchasing a slave? That would look especially odd, don't you think?"

"Well I didn't suggest purchasing her right at this moment. Slowly and publicly build an acceptance for slavery and once it doesn't appear strange, decide to buy one particularly from Count Rallian. Considering how much she went for at auction, it wouldn't look entirely odd that you'd choose her as your first slave. It would be expected that someone of your status would shop for the best."

Polaris rubbed his forehead. "I don't know, Drake. Besides a few issues with that suggestion, I simply won't feel right doing it."

"Even if your intention is to free her immediately afterwards?" Rein asked. "We can be certain that Nadia wouldn't mind one bit."

"Well, that might help some." Polaris milked his drink and considered the suggestion a bit further. "I suppose it's worth a shot. I might receive an invitation to dinner from Rallian, so we can start there."

"He said that?" asked Drake.

"Indeed, I don't have my hopes up either. Perhaps we can invent another reason to eat with him at his estate. It'll be difficult, but I'm sure I'll think of something."

"Sounds like a good start to me. When do you figure you'll begin training Nadia for the arena?"

"The same time I'm going to begin lightening up to slavery. Tomorrow afternoon." Polaris raised his glass as if to toast the idea, and then quickly finished the drink. Then, even though he had previously decided to conclude his day, he realized it might be better to take care of one final task. "I'm going to head back to the palace to check up on the status of this war. I have a bad feeling that it's going to be a large setback for us."

"Well, keep in mind that the more you stick your nose in it, the more His Majesty is going to try and make you a part of it," Drake added.

"True, but I just might have to be a part of it." Polaris put on his coat. "I need to prepare for what could happen and keep it from hitting home."

"Well here, allow me to join you." Drake stood to prepare to leave with Polaris.

"Very well," Polaris said and then addressed Rein. "Should I expect you to show?"

"I'll be present, but I most certainly won't show," said Rein, and she flew out the window to make her way to the palace as well.