"They're resourceful. I think it's best not to feel too safe, or underestimate what they might do."

"Oh, not at all, Your Majesty. Still, without the Loremasters, I wonder who they have who can stand toe-to-toe against wizard magic."

"We saw creatures of some kind on the army's left flank," said Gerin. "Maybe they're just soldiers of a different species, but something tells me there's more to them than that."

"I guess we'll find out once the real fighting starts."

Gerin wondered what was happening back in Almaris. What kind of trouble were the n.o.bles causing for Terl Enkelares because of his absence? His Minister of the Realm was a strong man, not easily intimidated, yet Gerin still worried about Sedifren Houday and those who followed his aunt's father. They thirsted to oust him from the throne with such ferocity that at times it astounded him to think of them as Khedeshians. They seemed more like enemies of the realm rather than the n.o.bles sworn to obey the king and uphold the kingdom's laws and customs.

Terl will handle them, he thought. He's well aware of what he's up against, and if need be he can throw the lot in the dungeon and wait for my return, if it makes life easier for him. I certainly won't object, and to Shayphim with any n.o.bles who try to bully him. The thought of Sedifren Houday and his haughty daughter Omara rotting in a rank, dark dungeon cell brought him far more pleasure than it should have.

"What are you grinning at?" asked Balan.

"Nothing."

"That wasn't nothing, Your Majesty. I know my grins, and there was a woman involved in there somewhere. Nyene's taken a fancy to you. Maybe you and she could...you know...in the name of improving relations between our two countries. She looks to be the type who might teach you a thing or two. Or even three."

Gerin let out a deep laugh. The G.o.ds bless you, Balan. You do always know how to brighten my mood.

"You get points for guessing right about a woman, but you lose the same number, and then some, for being completely wrong about the situation. I was imagining my lovely aunt Omara shackled in a cell below Vesparin's Hill."

"Ah, yes, I can see where that would have you grinning like Luro the Cat. Still, I like my idea better. You can't do anything about your aunt at the moment. Nyene, however..." He made a curvy gesture with his hands.

"Yes, Balan, I get the point. I think I'd be worried about cutting myself on one of her knives. She's probably got five or six hidden in that hair of hers alone."

"I'm sure you have spells that can ferret out her hidden weapons. Though, to be honest, if you have to resort to searching every nook and cranny on that b.l.o.o.d.y incredible body of hers with magic rather than doing it the old-fashioned way, then I'm afraid there's no hope for you. Your increasingly lengthy bachelorhood will just go on and on until the end of time."

"You do realize you're talking to your king, don't you?"

"Of course, Your Majesty. But seeing as it's my duty to protect you, I feel it necessary to tell you the unvarnished truth."

"I do seem to recall that a certain captain's bachelorhood is almost as long as mine..." As soon as he said it, he realized he might have made a mistake. Balan's feelings for his sister, and their desire to marry, might make his comment sound hurtful, which was not his intent.

Balandrick, however, showed no sign that the comment bothered him. "But the entire kingdom isn't waiting for me to marry."

"Please. They're not waiting for me, either."

"The many bets that have been placed in the Tirthaig alone would beg to contradict you."

"You're joking! No one's placed bets on when I'm going to marry!"

"Well, it's not just when you're going to marry, Your Highness. There are also bets on who, whether you bed her first or not, how pretty she'll be-a subjective notion, I know-whether she'll-"

Gerin threw an apple at Balan, which the captain caught deftly in his right hand.

"So what did you bet?" asked Gerin.

"Your Highness, that would be cheating! You might alter your plans for eternal bachelorhood in order to help fatten the purse of your dashing and charming captain if you were made privy to such secret and important information."

"The fact that you're pushing me toward Nyene's knife-laden arms wouldn't have anything to do with your predictions, would it?"

"Not at all. At least that I'm willing to admit."

"So what other kind of betting goes on in the palace right beneath my nose, and how come I'm never invited to partic.i.p.ate?"

Balandrick gave him a look of mock exasperation. "Your Highness, be reasonable. Since you're the topic of most of the betting, it's hardly fitting to have you partic.i.p.ate. Goes back to what I was saying about you tipping the scales, only this time it would be in your favor. Besides, you have the kingdom's treasury for a purse."

"It's not about the coin, Balan. It's about winning."

"Point taken, Your Highness."

"I want in on any bets you have about Claressa and her soon-to-be-born child. Offspring. Sp.a.w.n. Whatever it is you call the product of a woman like Claressa when she gives birth."

Balan tapped his chin with his forefinger. "I might be able to get you in on a few things. On the side, you understand. And no one can know. You'd be bad for business. No one would bet against the king."

The mention of his sister made Gerin wonder how Therain and his new bride Laysa were getting along with Claressa in Tolthean. He envied them that they didn't have to shoulder the cares and burdens that fell to him as king. They're probably having a grand time, lounging about, sailing, hunting. Therain, you lucky b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

"Shayphim take me, I could murder Gerin for running off and leaving me with this mess," muttered Therain as he waited for Terl Enkelares to arrive in the council room. He picked up the parchment from the table and read it again, then threw it down in disgust. b.l.o.o.d.y dogs, that's what they are! I should have the lot of them arrested for...I don't know, indefensible meddlesomeness. I'm sure we can come up with an appropriate charge with a little thought.

A servant ushered the Minister of the Realm into the room. "The message I received said you had an urgent matter to discuss with me, my lord."

Therain slid the parchment toward him. "Please sit, and read this. Try not to gag with the absurdity of it."

Enkelares took the parchment, hooked his spectacles behind his ears, and began to read. Therain was not surprised to see the older man's brow furrow deeply. "I'm not sure what to make of this, my lord."

"I know exactly what to make of it. That son of a b.i.t.c.h Baron Houday is angling to prop his idiot grandson Marell on the throne. It won't happen-I'll see my d.a.m.ned cousin executed for treason first-but I need to know if they have any legal recourse in the a.s.sembly of Lords. He seems determined to cause me no end of grief. I want to cut him off at the knees before this gets out of hand."

Enkelares read the parchment again, then placed it on the table. Therain had read it so many times he'd practically memorized it. Just thinking about it made the blood pound in his skull. The audacity of it all!

Ten powerful n.o.bles had signed the parchment, a missive that noted Gerin's unexplained absence from the realm during a time of war. It demanded that an a.s.sembly of Lords be convened so the Minister of the Realm and the acting regent-Therain-could be questioned as to the king's present whereabouts.

...If a satisfactory answer cannot be provided, it will be the unfortunate but necessary duty of the a.s.sembly to demand that the Regent be appointed King, or, if the Regent is unwilling or unable to a.s.sume this authority, that another member of the Royal Family be named King...

The missive went on to state that this appointed king would remain in power only until such time as Gerin returned to a.s.sume his powers-but only after he made a satisfactory accounting of his absence to the a.s.sembly.

One of the ten who signed the parchment was Sedifren Houday. Therain was certain he was the man behind the entire scheme.

"You see what they're going to try, don't you?" said Therain. He tried to remain calm, but he was practically shouting at poor Enkelares. "They'll arrange it so that no matter what Gerin says, his 'account' of his whereabouts won't be satisfactory to them, so they can leave their little puppet on the throne!" He thumped his fist on the table; the parchment jumped and fluttered across the surface a few inches from where the minister had placed it, like a bird learning to fly.

"Do I have to listen to them?" Therain continued. "Is there anything they can do to compel the a.s.sembly, or am I free to ignore this rubbish?"

Enkelares rubbed his hands together, as he usually did when pondering an important question. "You could become the interim king, as they state in the letter. That would leave them no better off than they are now."

"I wondered why that was in the letter when I first read it, then I realized that I'm the brother of the king and next in the line of succession, so they have to allow that. I can be dense sometimes, but I'll get the point eventually."

"My lord? I don't understand. If you do that, you'll stop them before this grows out of hand, as you put it."

"Because I don't want to be king, for one thing! But I also don't think they have any intention of allowing that to come to pa.s.s. Mark my words, either I'll meet with an unfortunate accident that will render me unable to continue, or they'll weasel some other way to bypa.s.s me. Maybe they'll say that as the Warden of the Western Marches and Duke of Ailethon and Agdenor I'm needed there to protect the interests of the realm. I don't trust my aunt's father any further than I can throw the palace. He had a plan in place to cover all eventualities before the first word in that b.l.o.o.d.y letter was written."

"Baron Houday is ruthless and ambitious, I grant you that. But do you really think he would make an attempt on your life?"

Therain threw up his arms. "I don't know. Before this letter, I would have said probably not, but this"-he pointed a rigid finger at the parchment-"opened my eyes. The fact that it specifically mentions the regent being 'unable' to fulfill his duty is ominous. It's practically a threat, though a veiled one. One they can easily deny even if something should happen to me. The kingdom is beset on all sides, Terl. The Pelklanders, the Havalqa, even the b.l.o.o.d.y Threndish have spies here. It's an unsettled time. With so many enemies, it would be a fairly simple thing to deflect blame to one of them should anything unfortunate happen to me."

"I fervently hope you are wrong, my lord. But I also fear you are more right than not. We need to form a plan of action as well as ensure that you and your wife are well-protected."

Therain's remaining hand clenched into a fist so tight it cramped his fingers. "The G.o.ds themselves won't save anyone who tries to harm Laysa."

Therain stormed through the Tirthaig in a fury, his three personal guards trailing close behind. He was looking for his wife to tell her what the b.l.o.o.d.y scheming Baron of Lorme-nien was trying to do, and d.a.m.ned if he couldn't find her. It simultaneously annoyed and worried him. He was annoyed because she was almost never where she said she was going to be, as if she deliberately gave him false information just to throw him off balance and send him-or more usually, servants-on endless searches for her, which invariably ended with her in some remote location far, far from where she said she would be, with an explanation that was invariably the same. "I decided to go for a walk. Why is that such a problem for everyone?" she would say with a harried and exasperated look, as if the problem was with everyone else.

But this time he was worried as well. His concerns about the letter, and what Houday might try, had gotten to him, sending his thoughts to very dark places. What if she's been kidnapped and spirited out of the castle, and one of the conditions of her return is that I make no claim to the throne? No, that would obviously tip their hand; our enemies wouldn't make such a condition. So what if she just disappears, and the devastation of her loss is supposed to wreck me and my ability to rule? What then?

d.a.m.n the woman for disappearing like this. They were going to have a serious talk about it this time. It was no longer an amusing way for her to play with him. Things were growing dangerous. If he was going to have to live with an armed escort, then by Shayphim so was she.

A breathless servant appeared to tell him that the Lady Laysa and his sister Claressa were having tea on the covered balcony outside of Claressa's chambers. "I'll take you there at once, my lord."

"There's no need, I know the b.l.o.o.d.y way," muttered Therain. His worry evaporated and was replaced with a much stronger sense of annoyance.

"Laysa, what in the G.o.ds' names are you doing here?" he said as he stepped onto the balcony. His wife and sister were sitting in rocking chairs with a small table between them. Shayphim take me, Claressa is positively huge. She looks ready to burst. "You said you were going to be in the courtyard."

His wife flashed him her own look of annoyance, which shifted his mood from one of irritation to outright anger. He fought it back as best as he could. She doesn't know about the letter or the danger it represents, he told himself. Don't take your own fears out on her.

"I was in the courtyard, Therain, and then decided I wanted to stretch my legs a bit and visit your sister. Why are you so irritated by that?"

"Because something's happened that makes everything a lot more dangerous than it was, and I was worried about you."

Her expression softened instantly. She rose from her chair, kissed him, then hugged him close. "My brave husband, always worrying about me."

"What's happened?" asked Claressa. "What's dangerous?"

Therain explained about the letter. While he was speaking, the expression on Claressa's face grew stony, but at the same time he noticed her fighting not to smile.

"Do you find this amusing?" he asked her when he was done. His irritation had found a new target.

"Not at all. But I also don't think it's dangerous."

"And what makes you think that?"

She shrugged in an offhand way he knew all too well. "I just don't. Baron Houday isn't going to try to take the throne. He just wants to see certain changes made."

Therain straightened. "How would you know what the baron wants?" Though he already knew the answer.

"I'm just guessing. It seems reasonable."

"It doesn't seem reasonable at all." He shook his head in disbelief. "You were part of this. You knew about the letter. Admit it, Claressa. You've all but come out and said you spoke to him about this."

She stared at him coldly. "And what if I did? Someone has to save the kingdom before it's parceled off and we have nothing left. I gave the baron my a.s.surance as an Atreyano that I would back his attempt to force changes in our policy by means of the a.s.sembly of Lords."

"You idiot," said Therain. "He's using you. He's trying to steal the throne from us, and you gave him your seal of approval."

"You won't speak to me that way again, Therain!"

"I'll speak to you any d.a.m.n way I please."

He took Laysa's hand. His wife was wide-eyed with horror over what Claressa had done. She understands exactly what's going on, he thought with more than a little pride. Claressa is blinded by her vanity. She's still furious that we didn't charge to the rescue of her husband and his family. She thinks that's something she deserves, and that anything less is somehow an insult to her lofty station. d.a.m.n her arrogance! She may doom us all if I can't figure a way out of this mess.

"You told me that Father would be ashamed of what I did to defend the kingdom," he said, "but I did it so we could get Baris and his parents back safely without destroying ourselves in the process. Maybe he would be ashamed, but I did what I did for you. So that your husband would live and your child would know its father. That you wouldn't become a widow before you became a mother."

He stepped forward. He could feel the look of fury on his face. Claressa drew back from him a little, frightened by what she saw. Well, there's a first.

"You thought the bargains I made with the Pelklanders were cowardly. So be it. I thought they were prudent, and so did the lords who approved them. But you've betrayed your family. Me. Gerin. Our heritage and birthright. If Father's ashamed of me, how do you think he feels about you?"

He did not wait for her reply. He feared he might lash out and strike that oh-so-smart mouth of hers if she dared to utter anything but the sincerest of apologies.

He and Laysa left the balcony. Claressa, mercifully, remained silent.

31.

Gerin and Balandrick were still in the gate tower when they heard shouting from above. They took the stairs two at a time until they reached the roof.

"What's happening?" Gerin asked Hollin.

"Look there," said Hollin, pointing toward the sky above the Havalqa encampment.

Gerin saw a number of winged shapes rising into the air. While he watched, three more materialized above the army's left flank, conjured into this world by some dark power.

"Are those the things that attacked us near the Watchtowers?" asked Balandrick.

"Demons," said Hollin. "Yes, I think so."

"d.a.m.n," said the captain. "That's trouble."

Gerin created a Fa.r.s.eeing. It was difficult to keep the power trained on the shapes-they were moving very quickly-but it was clear they were the same demonic creatures they'd encountered in the Hollow.

We beat them there because of the power of the Telchan, Gerin thought. We didn't do so well on our own. I hope the wizards are better prepared for this than we were.

"G.o.ds above, there are a lot of them," said Balan.

"They can break through Wardings," said Gerin, remembering how one of them had clawed its way through his magical protection.

"How are they conjured?" asked Warden Khazuzili.