20
“Tayron! Wait!” Anni shouted as the bodyguards followed the councilor, who had been mumbling disconsolately about “Lord Jaksen has succeeded in quieting this court.” Tayron and Yunas held their tongues about the proceedings, hoping to avoid prying ears until they reached the Jaksen quarters. But Havelin had come close to declaring his own part in their conspiracy, and they were anxious to discuss how best to involve him. His appearance in court was almost certainly a signal to them.
“Anni!” Tayron said, feeling the fondness that came with absence. They embraced and kissed heedless of the two onlookers. “I think we’ve a lot to talk about, but let’s get inside first.”
Anni cast a suspicious glance at Terilon, obviously deriving a bad impression of him from his words in court, though she must have heard them from a contact since she had not been in attendance. Tayron hesitated a moment, then said, “he’s all right. He knows everything and he’ll try to help as much as he can. Havelin said all there was to say, anyway, and if Terilon, I mean Lord Jaksen here, had said it, it would have been civil war.”
On entering what Tayron was increasingly thinking of as home, carrying Terilon’s baggage in, they found Bathis and Havelin in the living room having a calm drink. Uncertain of how to take this, Terilon told Bathis, “You are my other bodyguard, yes? I don’t think you’re supposed to be able to allow unauthorized people into these quarters. I might be wrong . . .”
“You’re right, of course, sir,” Bathis said, “but I . . .”
“But he didn’t let me in,” Havelin said, “the lock on the door is a magic lock. I’m an exceptionally powerful mage. Do the math.”
Terilon mumbled, “not very secure . . .”
“The whole palace is the same way,” Havelin said dismissively. “The chamber, for instance. The whole edifice is based on the way mages are cloistered away from the echelons of power. That’s why rogue mages are dangerous. But now the king risks turning even the carefully trained mages into dire threats to his own power. Unwittingly, of course. People usually don’t think these things through.”
“But a king should. And the only reason he would have made a mistake like that,” Tayron reasoned, “is if his judgment is impaired or controlled.”
Havelin nodded. “It seems we’ve come to it. Why don’t you all drop those bags and take a seat.”
There were just enough seats to accommodate everyone, but Yunas took a place on the floor anyway, allowing Bathis to sprawl.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Anni started, “but I think I ought to go first.” Even in this company, there was the hint in her voice that she didn’t think she needed to ask permission.
“I didn’t see you in the audience chamber,” noted Tayron, hoping she wouldn’t take the interruption badly.
Anni paused for a moment, then shrugged. “Guess that’s as good a place to start as any. The king banned any non-noble from the audience chamber – except for people vouched for by a lord. That mainly restricts reporters – we have nobles, but no lords on our side – and we think it was because of a less than flattering report about the peasant situation printed by one of the capital’s dailies. Anyway, that didn’t matter since I’ve got a few nobles willing to tell me what’s going on. I even asked one of them to look for something in the emergency audience today.”
Havelin’s drink parted from his lips. “Look for something?”
Triumph on her face, Anni said, “that’s what I had to tell you right away. I believe that someone has put something in the water the king drinks in court. Every time he really gets worked up, it’s when he’s just taken a drink of that water. He becomes somewhat sensible after a while, then he asks for another glass of it. I don’t know if it’s possible, but it’s the clearest idea I can come up with.”
Everyone else speechless, Terilon said, amazed and impressed, “that’s incredible. I don’t know if it’s possible to do that to the king’s water, though. Is it?”
Havelin nodded. “Never thought of that since I haven’t been in court much, but yes. From the magic side of things, there are compounds that can be made undetectable in water that can do quite a number of insidious things. If someone was going to do the worst – and if you’re going to do it to the king, you might as well – then there’s a special potion that can allow an especially gifted mage, specializing solely in psychic skills, to control the mind of another person for a limited amount of time. Either the mage is only moderately great, in which case he must be in line of sight, or the mage is equal to myself, and can do it from great distances. But no mage that specializes in a variety of skills can manage the psychic strain – it requires years of training and at least one willing subject to try the skill on. No rogue mage has been known to be even moderately great in any area, but if one was shielded appropriately, it is possible for such a rogue to slip detection.”
“There’s also a good chance to get away with it just looking at the security end,” Bathis concluded. “They only see if the tasters die. In fact, even if the tasters could detect more than just poison, the mind controller could convince them that the water was clean. Amazing no one thought of it before.”
“Not amazing,” corrected Havelin, “since there are so few mages that have even been able do it, and none before now that would have had a desire to. Actually, I don’t think any official mage can today. All schooled mages study a variety of areas, and one would need to focus solely on the magic of the mind to be able to accomplish this. This is the work of a rogue who wanted this ability to the exclusion of all others, and a rogue of strength previously unheard of.”
Terilon said, “that’s some news, then, but it’s not enough to move on. That is, unless our mage friend here can do something to find the culprit, or to verify that the water is tainted.”
Havelin shook his head. “On the former, I can’t interrupt mental connections or anything like that, and I can’t just point out a rogue mage in a crowd. On the latter, I doubt the king’ll let me test his water – not after my exchange with him today.”
“Whoever the mage is,” Yunas piped in suddenly, “there has to be someone in the palace introducing the potion into the water. Maybe that person is the mage, and all, but whoever it is, that’s the person we can use to stop this thing. The servant should be the first suspect.”
Uncertain of himself concerning magic, Terilon asked Havelin, “what can you do for us in this matter? Just in general, I mean, I know better than to make any demands. I can organize the rest of my resources, but . . .”
“But I’m not one of them, and that’s how I’ll stay. I’ll do what I can, but I can’t employ my full powers, since then I’ll be intimately involved in the workings of this place in exactly the way I don’t want my fellow mages to be. I seek knowledge, so my knowledge is what I’ll put at your disposal. Ask, and if I know, I’ll answer.”
Nodding satisfied, Terilon replied, “just wanted to know where we all stand.”
Havelin, suddenly standing, said, “I think you have enough to go on. I came to see where you stood, and whether you were up to speed, and it seems you were further along than I was. I had better be getting along.”
“Thank you for coming. I would appreciate your advice whenever you’re willing to give it.”
Havelin exited without comment, though he always seemed uneasy about allowing someone else the last word. Yunas murmured, “he was a lot more serious than I remembered him as.”
Tayron tousled his hair and leaned back. “What do we do now?”
“Can you come up with a trick that we could trap the enemy with?” Bathis suggested.
“I can’t think of anything.”
“I’ll look into the servant and other people who come into contact with the water before it’s served,” Anni offered, “I can get personnel files – they more or less keep those public. I can probably get most other information you might need, so long as it’s the type that gets written down by clerks.”
Terilon stroked his chin. “How about finding the whereabouts of Lord Quenari? Though I don’t think it’s the type of thing to get written down.”
“What?” Anni and Tayron exclaimed in unison.
“Can’t shake the feeling that he has something to do with this. Thinking about it, he almost has to be. He wouldn’t just give up and fade into the background.”
Tayron laughed. “You think a lot like your father, more than I thought you did.”
Smiling indulgently, Terilon asked Anni again, “can you?”
“Y-yes. I mean, it’ll be difficult, and might be impossible, but I’m your best bet for information like that. My company’s huge, and thanks to the stories I got thanks to Lord Jaksen, your father, I have access to everything it gets its hands on.”
“Good. You’ve already been of great help. Thank you. Unfortunately, we will not get answers in time to prevent the battle against the peasant army. I doubt that the battle could have been prevented anyway – not at this stage. We have to make every attempt to keep it from becoming too bloody. Havelin is no doubt going to try to convince his fellow mages not to go too far. We have to hold back the fist of the king. It’s too bad my father gave up command of the knights in the field. If you have any ideas, I’d be eager to hear them.”
After some discussion on battlefield tactics that left Anni silent, followed by talk of the position of the court, which allowed her and Bathis to give a full report on each courtier and council member, the group adjourned for the day. Terilon had to make visits to the more important lords, to introduce himself and make first impressions. Bathis went as his guard, leaving Tayron free to take Anni out for dinner.
It was a date. Too weary to do much more, they spent most of the time staring fondly at each other. Tayron mentally caressed her hair, and she marveled at the intricacies of his eyes. Anni had convinced him to allow her to order the food, and Tayron had never felt his taste buds in such bliss, at least not at a table at which the king did not dine.
“I made friends with the head cook, and she offered to fix me up a few specialties if I asked. I usually don’t ask unless I’m trying to charm one of the nobles.”
“And are you trying to charm me, too?”
“You more than anyone else.”
“Not trying to get information from me, are you?”
She smiled sweetly. “Nothing of state importance. Just looking for the best way to get you . . . well, you know, get you.”
Tayron raised an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t I be doing that?”
“You’re not nearly as good at it as I am.” She fished a key from her jacket pocket. “I got a spare room here. It’s tiny – barely more than a closet – but I’ve made it cozy and it’ll be more privacy than we’ve ever had here.”
Ever more impressed, Tayron admitted, “you are better at this than I am.” He chuckled. “You’ve really got this place covered. You’ve made yourself more a part of this place than the nobility has. You’re probably the most dangerous commoner in the kingdom, however big the False Adenor’s army is.”
“Just doing my job.” She waved the key in front of him. “After we finish up with dinner, you want to check it out?”
“The rebellion would have to be at the palace gates . . .”
She held up her hand. “No more of that now. You know if you start I’ll have plenty to say.”
“Got it.”
They hurried through the rest of their meal, and were at the room before the sun had set. They left the lights off as they entered. The room held a bed and a couch that could only accommodate them both if they held each other close. Cuddling in the dark, on the couch, in silence, they enthusiastically lost track of time. Tayron set his light armor aside and, in shorts and undershirt, strove to feel less like a knight and more like a human. Passing his fingers through Anni’s fine hair, he marveled at her softness.
Though both of them had been thinking about the bed, they fell asleep in each other’s embrace before they could move a muscle. For a while they were both convinced that the world could look after itself.
Then shouting came from the corridor outside. “Emergency! The rebellion has reached the outskirts of the capital! Everyone is requested to attend the king’s audience! Emergency!”
Tayron forced his eyes open. Anni shifted contentedly to indicate she was awake.
“I suppose we’ll call the outskirts of the city enough?” Tayron said.
“You sure you don’t want to hold out for the palace gates?” She tickled his chest.
He shook his head. “I think it’s time for us to get back to the real world. Will they let you into the audience chamber now?”
“Not a chance. But I should look into the whole Quenari thing. It’ll take a lot of work.”
Tayron untangled himself from her and started assembling the light hide armor. Anni grasped him from behind, and he turned around within her embrace, held her at the shoulders and kissed her deeply, but briefly.
“I’ll see you again soon, don’t worry,” Tayron said. “You’ve given me something to come back for.”
Stifling any overt sign of the fears she had, but still unable to get words past the stone in her throat, she let him go and straightened up her clothes and hair. Being presentable was essential to her work as much as armor was to his.
Parting without another word, Tayron checked if Terilon was still in the residence area, correctly assuming that the councilor would be waiting for him. Even if there were no new instructions to be given, Terilon would want to know the status of his cadre before stepping into the fire.
“Good to see you’re all still alive,” the councilor greeted dryly, “let’s get this over with.”
They marched to the chamber as if to a funeral. Yunas went in front, followed by the councilor, and then the other two bodyguards. No chances would be taken, and all three guards would protect the lord into and through the duration of the war.
Everyone in the court nobility was present in the chamber, making the place marginally more crowded than the last time the king held audience. Only whispers could be heard this time, though, as if everyone was half listening to everyone else’s conversation, or maybe listening for gunfire outside.
The king was fatigued. His eyes were bloodshot and his back reclined in his throne as far as dignity would allow. He looked lost. When his eyes touched Terilon, they saw some hope, and the councilor shied away from the gaze, feeling like a traitor. If the king’s water had been drugged, Tayron guessed that the after-effect of the drug was wild disorientation. As unbalanced as that left the monarch, now was the best time to get something constructive done – before the king called for his drink.
The high councilor understood this as well. After the king made a quick statement ordering the units that had gathered in the city out to the field, Terilon took his opportunity by right of rank. All command assignments except that of the knights had been announced by the king, and this was taken as a sign by all the courtiers that the king wanted to hear from his most valued advisor.
“Permission to speak, your highness?”
“Of course, Lord Jaksen.”
“I commend your highness for your choice of commanders, especially for returning those who showed their merit in the last war to the roles in this one. I have not missed the fact that you omitted the knight command. I will refrain from making any suggestions on that matter. However, I propose we first extend a final offer to the enemy – amnesty for those who join the side of the king in the upcoming battle, and the minimal period of imprisonment for those who surrender now, but do not wish to fight on the king’s side against their former comrades. We should set up defense lines well outside of the city center and order the evacuation of the areas outside of an hour’s march radius from the palace. The army should employ a strong first charge instead of the orderly confrontation to use the intimidation factor to its fullest. These peasants have not been in a real battle, and they will expect the normal ordered formations from us. In fact, it would be best to have the knights lead the attack, immediately sweeping down on the enemy flank. We should keep the enemy rear clear, so they can be free to retreat. If we are not going to surround, then we must necessarily seek a breakthrough, separating the peasant forces into two or more. The mages should both support our center and create diversions on the flank not attacked by the knights, to draw the peasant forces apart.”
After three heartbeats, the king said, “is that all?”
Terilon couldn’t read the king’s reaction, so he simply answered, “yes.”
The king paused, as if struggling with something, then decided, “There is no reason to think any of that is unreasonable. Done, done, and done. We . . . we do not have enough prisons to contain them all anyway, and sending them to the executioners would be too grisly, so surrounding them would be useless.
“Now, as for command of the knights in the field, that presents an interesting problem. As you know, your father gave up that command so that he would be free to retire at this troubled time. We would not have allowed him to pass the responsibility on to someone inexperienced with skill being so presently necessary. You said correctly, though, that command has been returned to those who proved themselves in the war against Damial, which means the only tested commanders not yet tasked are all on the border with Rath’rainol, fighting skirmishes there. So, a message was sent to your father asking him if he would like to return purely as a general, just for the one battle.”
“You . . . my father . . . what did he say?” stammered Terion, fearing the worst.
“He said that you are lord high councilor now, and he cannot allow himself to overshadow you. He claims that you are as capable as he ever was, and that his responsibilities are safe in your hands.”
Terilon breathed a sigh of relief. “My father is very gracious and perhaps overestimates me.”
“Nevertheless, will you take this post? Understand, of course, that it is only for this battle and your father’s renunciation of the permanent position still stands. He made a selfish choice, and some penalty for it must remain. Also, if you fail in the battle, there should be no question that you will be replaced. There are many commanders that would like the chance to prove themselves, all urging me to give them this post instead.”
“I understand. And I will take the position.”
“Good.”
The king signaled for this water, but before the glass was in his hand, Terilon asked, “when should the formations be ready in the field, sire?”
“General Feradac had said six hours.”
“Then I should be in the field to acquaint myself with the troops and the landscape. Permission to leave, sire?”
“Granted.” The king sipped at the water as the three bodyguards followed Terilon out.