Free A Man Rides Through by Stephen Donaldson

will endure the worst Lebbick can do to you and accomplish nothing." His hands struggled with the bars. "You have no cause to be sorry. In all Orison, you alone will pay a higher price for your loyalty than King Joyse will.
     
    "No, my lady. The sorrow is mine." The rattle in the Tor's chest made every word he said painful to hear. "It is mine. You will meet your agony heroically, and you will either speak or hold still, as you are able. But I am left to watch my friend bring to ruin everything he loves.
     
    "I did not come to you with this at once. Do not think that. Since King Joyse gave his orders, I have been in torment, wracking my heart for the means to persuade him, move him—to understand him. I have begged at his door. I have bullied servants and guards. Do not think that I bring my pain to you lightly.
     
    "But I have nowhere else to turn.
     
    "My lady, your loyalty is too expensive.
     
    "Whatever I have done, I have done in my King's name. He is all that remains to me. I beg of you—do not let him destroy himself."
     
    "No." Terisa couldn't bear the sight any longer, so she turned her back on the Tor's dismay. "Geraden is innocent. Eremis set this all up." She spoke as if she were reciting a litany, fitting pieces of faith together in an effort to build conviction. "He faked Nyle's death to make Geraden look bad, because he knew Nyle was never going to support his accusations against Geraden. If the King lets me be hurt"—a moment of dizziness swirled through her, and she nearly fell—"he's going to have to live with the consequences. Geraden is innocent."
     
    "No, my lady," the Tor repeated; but now she heard something new in his voice—a different kind of distress, almost a note of horror. "In this you are wrong. I care nothing for Geraden's guilt. I have said that. Only the King matters to me. But you have placed your trust in someone evil."
     
    She stood still, her pulse loud in her ears and doubt gathering in her gut.
     
    "Nyle is unquestionably dead." The lord sounded as sick as she felt. "I have seen his body myself."
     
    Unquestionably dead. That made her move. Groping, she found her way to the cot. It smelled of stale straw and old damp, but she sat down on it gratefully. Then she closed her eyes. She had to have a little rest. In a minute or two, when her heart had stopped quaking, she would answer the Tor. Surely she would be able to think of an answer? Surely Geraden was innocent?
     
    But a moment later the thought that Nyle really had been murdered cut through her, and everything inside her seemed to spill away. Unconscious of what she was doing, she stretched out on the cot and covered her face with her hands.
     
    Eventually, the Tor gave up and left, but she didn't hear him go.
     
     
     
    At noon, the guards brought her a meal—hard bread and some watery stew. She panicked at their approach because she thought they might be the Castellan; her relief when she saw who they were left her too weak to get off the cot.
     
    In fact, she felt too weak to eat at all, to take care of herself in any way. As soon as Castellan Lebbick spoke to her, she would tell him anything he wanted. But that wouldn't stop him. She could see his face in her mind, and she knew the truth. He didn't want to stop. Now that he had King Joyse's permission, nothing would stop him.
     
    Where were the people who had shown her courtesy or kindness, the people who might be supposed to have some interest in her? Elega had gone with Prince Kragen. Myste had left Orison on a crazy quest to help the Congery's lost and rampaging champion. Adept Havelock was mad. Master Quillon had become mediator of the Congery because that was what King Joyse wanted—and King Joyse had given the Castellan permission to do whatever he wished to her. Saddith? She was only a maid, in spite of her ambitions. Maybe she had inadvertently betrayed Terisa to Eremis. That didn't mean there was anything she could do to correct the situation.