Well of the Damned by K.C. May Read Free Book Online Page A

clothing that clung wetly to their thin
frames.
    The
wealthy tended to send a message asking for a private appointment, as
if they were above standing in line with the common people. They
failed to remember the king was himself common born and had no
tolerance for the haughty attitudes of the wealthy. Although Edan or
his assistant brought him these messages, they went mostly ignored,
though from time to time when Gavin was in a foul mood, he sent back
a reply stating simply, “The king receives petitioners every
morning between nine o’clock and noon.”
    The
first petitioner of the day was a frail boy no older than ten. He
shuffled forward, leaving a wet trail on the floor behind him. Water
dripped from his dark hair onto his already soaked clothes. Without
sufficient flesh on his frame, he shivered uncontrollably and
clutched his arms to himself. He wore a shirt meant for a smaller
child, and his mismatched shoes were not only different colors but
different sizes as well. A rope around his waist held up his sagging
trousers.
    He
bowed to the king and smiled. Already three of his teeth had rotted
out, and the black spots visible on the remaining front teeth
indicated they would be next. What got Gavin’s attention most
of all was the indentation on the side of the boy’s skull. It
looked like he’d been hit in the head with something very
heavy, or maybe kicked by a horse or ox. That might explain why his
right eye was turned so far to the right, only a portion of his iris
showed.
    Inwardly,
Gavin cringed and wondered if his magic could fix this old injury. He
suspected not. All the healing had already taken place. “How
can I help you, young man?”
    The boy’s teeth chattered as
he said, “Me an’ my brother… I was wonderin’
if mayhap… M’Lord King, some chil’ren on the
street says our Lady Queen oft helps us who ha’n’t any
parents.”
    Feanna
had always had a special passion for helping orphaned children, as
evidenced by her adoption of four of them before Gavin had met her.
That passion had grown since she became queen. With the power and
means to help orphaned children, she had a narrow focus every day
that sometimes left her own adopted children wondering when they
would see her. Every child deserved a loving home, enough food to
eat, and clothes to wear.
    Gavin
himself had been orphaned at the age of twelve, but he’d been
lucky enough to have an older brother who was willing and able to
take him in and feed him.
    For
all the others, there was the orphanage, but rumor had it the
children were barely better off there than they were living on the
street. In some cases, they were worse off. Stories of abuse and
neglect were too numerous to discount. In fact, she was visiting the
orphanage in Tern this morning to see firsthand the conditions there.
    “I
know it’s a kindness an’ I don’t ask fer my own
sake,” the boy said. “I can take care o’myself, but
my brother… He’s only five years old. Our papa died
afore last harvest, an’ my brother wasn’t even old enough
to lace his boots.” He hung his head and lowered his eyes. “I
promised Papa I’d look after him, but I can’t get us
enough to eat with just my sling. He ha’n’t grown any in
the last year, an’ his belly hurts all the time. Papa always
said stealin’ is wrong, but not many people throws out food.”
    Gavin
cringed. This boy was hunting rats in the street for his food.
“You’re right,” he said. “My wife has a
passion for looking after children like you and your brother. She’s
away this morning though, visiting the orphanage. Did you take your
brother there?”
    “Yeh,
m’lord— uh, Lord King, but they said they was full an’
couldn’t take nobody else.”
    What
would a king do? he thought. A king would help his people,
especially those who couldn’t help themselves. “Awright,
listen. Go get your brother and bring him here. You can wait for the
queen in the dining hall, and I’ll have my cook fix