Free The Broken (The Lost Words: Volume 2) by Igor Ljubuncic

sure if she could handle the pleasant dinner, the smiling and friendly people. They parted with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
    James returned in the evening, his uniform torn and bloody, but the blood was not his. The squad dragged a pair of filthy, rabid bandits behind them, shackled and hobbling. Bailiff Edmund congratulated the squad.
    Mali waited patiently while her son scrubbed bits of flesh and mud off his skin. He wiped himself clean and let her hug him lightly.
    “I missed you, Son,” she whispered. He grimaced and hissed, pushing away. “What’s wrong?”
    James stroked his side. “Got a nasty blow there. Nothing broken, I think.”
    “Who were those bandits?” Alexa asked him when they sat down for supper. James nursed his side when he sat down, but he tried his best to pretend nothing was wrong.
    “Deserters from the army, it seems. Now that the rumors of a new war are about, the weaklings are already fleeing the ranks. The forest is teeming with brigands. We intercepted three pockets, two common brigands and then this lot. There were seven of them. Only those two surrendered. They knew it was the noose awaiting them if they got caught alive. Craig wanted to kill them back there, but I wanted to bring them back so everyone will know. So they go before the magistrate tomorrow and they hang for everyone to see.”
    Mali nodded, dunking bread in her broth.
    “I’ve made up my mind,” he said suddenly.
    She looked up. For a moment, she hoped he would refuse. But she knew he would not. Not her son. He was the deputy bailiff, a man of the law, and he would not let crime and injustice reign if he had any say in the matter.
    “I can talk to Edmund about your leave,” Mali offered. “And I’ll talk to Celeste’s father—”
    “No.” He cut her off. “No. I’ll do it. I’ll talk to Celeste. And I’ll sort things out with Edmund. He won’t like it, but he’ll understand.” His resolve wavered. “I’m not sure about Celeste. What do I tell her? How long will I be gone? A month? A year?”
    His mother reached over and squeezed his hand. She didn’t have all the answers.
    Neither did he. But she knew her son. His mind was set. He didn’t like any of this. It was all too sudden, all too big. But if he had as little as a pinch of his father’s madness, he would find a way and figure things out.
    “I will do my duty,” he said stubbornly. They ate in silence after that.

CHAPTER 6
    E mpress Amalia was leaning on her desk, hunched over, writing in her diary. She had never quite lost the habit, ever since she was a little girl. The bloodstaff leaned against the desk’s edge, never far from her grasp. She paused writing.
    She looked at the terrible magical weapon, wondering what it really felt like using it. What did her father feel when he defeated the entire Parusite army in one night, single-handedly? Now that he was gone, would she ever be forced to use it?
    There was a knock at the door.
    “Enter,” she said.
    Gerald, commander of the City Guard, the captain of Roalas, stepped in. He bowed slightly, as befitting his rank. “Your Highness.”
    “Amalia,” she insisted. Her father had never liked honorifics. He said they were like a salve for piles. They might reduce the swelling, but not the smell.
    “Your Highness Amalia,” the man blurted, obviously uncomfortable with the lack of etiquette.
    She had known him for many years, serving as her father’s shadow, which probably made the situation more awkward. He had held the captain’s rank ever since his own dad had retired, leaving the commander’s post open. In his role, he had often met the princess, but never quite talked to her. And now, he was the city’s top officer, reporting to a young girl he had known before her breasts had budded. Well, they hadn’t really grown much since. She banished the useless thoughts. It had been only a few months since she had become his empress. He would get used to her style. They all would.
    “Can