The Immortal Renshai, page 51
Imorelda purred. *If the world’s most virulent pessimist thinks that way, I suppose I can, too.*
*Meaning me?* Tae realized he did tend to embrace the dark side of situations. Hunted by his father’s enemies nearly since birth, stabbed multiple times and left for dead as a child, he had good reason. Perhaps the time had come, though, to search for more rainbows and fewer meteors.
King Griff was still speaking and had, apparently, finally turned to the matter Tae had anticipated with some measure of dread. “. . . congratulations are in order. Prince Barrindar has passed the Pica test and will take my place upon the throne from this moment forward.”
A shocked silence gripped the crowd. Every face seemed glued to the balcony and its occupants. There followed a collective groan, the rumble of questioning voices, a few desperate sobs. Griff took a step backward to stand among the inner guardsmen, and Barrindar came to the fore, the bard of Béarn beside him.
Another unnatural hush fell over the audience. Gently, Griff removed the crown from his own head and placed it upon his son’s. Barrindar looked like a wounded deer: dark eyes wide, face pale, mouth moving soundlessly for a moment. Though tall, broad, and muscled like an ox, he seemed young and frail compared to his commanding and beloved father. Finally, he managed speech. “Believe me, citizens of Béarn. No one sees this as sudden and premature more than I do. I promise to do everything within my power to see to it you have wise, competent, and neutral decisions befitting the ruler of Béarn. As such, I vow to rely heavily on the advice of my father, the previous king, until such time as he believes my judgment has grown equal to his own.”
A great cheer went up from below, along with multiple cries of “Long live King Barrindar!”
Barrindar waited until the shouts diminished, leaving only the usual murmured speculations and conversations of a gathered crowd. “My first act as king is to pardon Matrinka Talamaine’s daughter of all wrongdoing.”
The delighted cries that followed nearly deafened Tae. Matrinka had always been a favorite of Béarn’s subjects. The populace had demanded her marriage to Griff, and they had loved and trusted the sweet-natured queen. Tae had simply not realized they had become so involved in the goings on of the high court. It only made sense for them to turn against someone branded a traitor and an adulterer, but the citizens of Béarn clearly had never lost their faith in Matrinka. That boded well for her, the kingdom, and the future peace.
Newly coronated King Barrindar waited until the noise died down to continue. “By Béarnian law, Matrinka must lose all of her titles and her positions, and her marriage will be nullified as of this moment. This cannot, of course, affect her bloodline or those of her progeny. Princess Marisole, as the daughter of Matrinka and Angus, and Prince Arturo and Princess Halika, as children of former King Griff and Matrinka, shall remain in the castle as legal heirs to the throne.” He looked down at his feet for a moment, his expression grim. By the time he raised his head, the ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. “For my second act as king, with your forbearance and that of Béarn’s Council, I would like to take Princess Marisole Angus’ daughter as my wife and your future queen.”
There was a moment of uncoordinated murmuring as the people followed the strange twists the saga had taken. It had only recently become public knowledge that Marisole was not the blood daughter of Griff and, thus, no longer inappropriately close kin to Barrindar. The announcement of marriage required them to divest the long-held image of Barrindar and Marisole as siblings. Then, as understanding spread through the crowd, another enormous cheer went up, including shouts of “Long live Queen Marisole!”
Tae released a pent-up breath he had not realized he was holding. Clearly, the citizenry of Béarn had not only accepted the change of rulership and the upcoming nuptials, but embraced it.
*I can’t believe they pulled that off.*
*Remember, my love. They’ve had the best minds in Béarn diligently working on it for a long time.*
*And yours, too,* Imorelda added, nothing leaching through the contact to suggest she was anything but sincere. The insult was, apparently, unintentional.
Tae finished the thought, *The people of Béarn love their kings and queens and truly want them to be happy. The Pica test makes no mistakes. If it chose Barrindar, the people know he’s the best one for the job and his judgment is flawless. They’re willing to permanently overlook the obvious in certain circumstances, such as the true blood father of Matrinka’s children.*
Imorelda made a noise halfway between a grunt and a single, short purr she apparently intended to sum up the positive and negative aspects of humans.
Tae focused on Barrindar’s next words, spoken in a sad and wistful tone.
“Though our former queen no longer has a place at Béarn Castle, we will not toss her into the street. We will see to it she has a place to live and enough funds to keep her until such time as—”
Darris leaned in to whisper in the new king’s ear, and Barrindar stopped abruptly. Even from a distance, Tae could see the smile broadening on his face. He said something inaudible back to Darris, they conversed briefly, then Barrindar explained to the crowd. “Now that Matrinka is no longer royalty, our very own bard, Darris, has requested her hand in marriage.”
Another great cheer erupted from the crowd.
Barrindar lowered his head until the noise dissipated, then raised it and looked over the crowd as if to meet every eye. “Given the situation, and all its complications, I am leaving it to you to decide. If you approve of both of these marriages, I ask that you shout out ‘yah’ on my three count.” He started immediately, “One . . . two . . . three.”
An enormous cry of “yah!” followed in myriad voices, including Tae’s own; though, as a citizen of the Eastlands, he had no real right to vote.
Barrindar followed with, “If you disapprove of either of these marriages, I ask that you shout out ‘nay’ on my three count.” Again, he paused less than a moment, “One . . . two . . . three.”
A spattering of “nays!” followed. Tae could see glares directed at the current shouters, mostly from the Béarnian women, and it died out much more swiftly.
Barrindar directed his next comment to Darris but easily loud enough for all to hear. “It would appear the populace approves of the marriages. And, as the bard of Béarn has quarters for self and family within the castle walls, we will not need to find housing for our former queen.” He added, “If it works for you and Matrinka, I would like very much to combine the weddings into one. That will save the kingdom money at a time when the coffers are still recovering from a massive war and we have waived taxes from our allies to allow them to recover as well.”
*Women and their wedding plans.* Tae considered. *I wonder how Marisole will feel about sharing an anniversary date.*
Imorelda buffeted his mind with waves of disdain. *Under the circumstances, she’ll be thrilled.*
Tae supposed Imorelda knew better than he did. He recalled how guilty Marisole had acted when her ill-considered pregnancy had nearly resulted in her mother’s execution. She had even offered to rescue Matrinka by placing her own head in the noose. Then, the bard’s heir had compared her love for Barrindar with Matrinka’s lifelong passion for Darris. Imorelda was right; she would be thrilled.
The crowd did not meet that pronouncement with the enthusiasm they had displayed for Matrinka’s pardon or Barrindar’s intention to marry Marisole. Tae felt certain they would have preferred two elaborate celebrations and ceremonies. Listening to the conversations around him, he knew they were gradually realizing the marriage between Darris and Matrinka, if celebrated alone, would not be a fancy gala, given both participants were now only minor nobility, at best. Barrindar had not only made a sound fiscal decision, he had found a roundabout way of making the Matrinka/Darris marriage the memorable event it deserved to be.
Tae’s respect for Barrindar grew. He would miss having Griff on the throne of Béarn, but the younger man would prove a suitable replacement. And, in the end, it had been the only reasonable way to save Matrinka’s life.
As the curtain closed around the balcony, and the crowd dispersed, chattering animatedly, Imorelda patted Tae’s neck with a plushy paw. For the first in a very long time, genuine joy radiated across their mental contact. *And we have the best wedding present Matrinka could ever receive.*
Tae grinned, patting the tiny heads poking from his pockets. One thing he had noticed about the new kittens was he did not have to worry about losing or hurting them by accident. He or Imorelda could explain to them, in a way they fully understood, the necessity of remaining safely in the pockets during transportation. *Which one will we give her?*
They had debated the relative merits of each, without coming to a definitive conclusion. Matrinka would dote on either one, and whether the female’s resemblance to Mior would raise expectations or would particularly delight the former queen was still unresolved. This time, Imorelda did not hesitate. *The girl. Girls deserve more spoiling. And, if anything happens to me, I’d rather the boy got stuck with you.*
Tae gave each of the kittens a final, fond scratch before tickling Imorelda’s neck. *You’re going to outlive me, my dear.*
Before Imorelda could respond, a breathless Darris caught Tae’s arm. “They’re preparing the diplomatic group for Heimstadr and want to know if you want to be part of it.”
Tae had not realized it was leaving so soon. “Do they need me?”
“You’re the only one of us who speaks the language with any fluency. Prince Arturo’s got the spoken language down pretty well, but he can’t do the mental piece and he’s worried he’s going to sound dim.”
Tae sighed. His ability with languages had proven a colossal gift but also a curse. He had been preparing to return to the East. He spent too little time in his own castle to suit his citizenry, and something else was drawing him back as well, something soft and caring and feminine. “Who else is going?”
Darris’ gaze fell on the kittens peeping from Tae’s pockets. “Captain’s piloting, of course, along with a Béarnian crew. He’s the only one who currently knows the way, but others need to learn it. Prince Arturo, Kentt and Mistri, a couple of other elves, including Chan’rék’ril. And one of the mages is going, too, the one who helped in the Pirate War.”
That surprised Tae. “Chymmerlee?”
“She’s Béarn’s magician now. And, between you and me, I think there’s something between her and Chan’rék’ril.”
From a Renshai to an elf. It seemed like quite a leap to Tae, but when it came to courtship, there was no accounting for taste. His first instinct, to accept the adventure delightedly, passed swiftly. The decision was not that simple anymore. He still had a taste for excitement and still secretly craved risk, but he had traveled to Heimstadr before, under far less positive circumstances. “They don’t need me, Darris. Arturo speaks well enough, and the magical types have ways to translate for anyone now. They can fill in any lapses. Anari isn’t necessary for communication, and the island peoples will have to get used to the fact our people don’t use it. Kentt should have no difficulty explaining the situation.”
Darris nodded. “I just thought you’d want to . . .” He broke off, clearly surprised by Tae’s response. “I mean, you’ve always . . .” He stopped and started again. “Are you going back to the East?”
“I am.” Tae found himself unexpectedly smiling at the thought. An image of Alneezah filled his mind’s eye, all kindness and curves and smelling of cloves. “I’ve been glad to help; you know that, but a king can’t rule from a distance. My people need me, and I deserve a permanent home.” He had no idea if a romance would work between him and the castle maid, but he certainly intended to get to know her better. “You really don’t need my services anymore. You have the elves’ translation spell now. And if you require a mental speaker in the future, I believe your fiancée can stand in for me.”
Now it was Darris’ turn to blurt a name stupidly, “Matrinka?”
“She has the ability.” Or will once she bonds with her wedding gift. “And, now, she has plenty of time on her hands to practice.”
Darris bowed deeply, as if suddenly aware he addressed a king. Their friendship precluded such gestures in the past, but many things had recently changed. “Thank you for all you’ve done for Béarn. Let us know if there’s anything we can do to make your journey as pleasant and easy as possible.”
“I will, thank you. When are the weddings?”
“One week.” The words seemed to startle Darris as much as Tae. “The citizenry doesn’t want us to wait and, quite frankly, I’m at least as eager as they are.”
“It’s been a long time coming, Darris. Congratulations.”
Darris beamed like a child. “You’ll stay for that, won’t you?”
“Of course,” Tae promised. “Nothing could make me miss it.”
*And you’ll invite him to yours, right?*
For an instant, Tae confused the conversations, stiffening. Then, realizing Imorelda had made the last statement, and no one else could hear it, he relaxed and sent back swiftly, *My wedding? Way too early to consider that, my love. Alneezah and I haven’t even courted yet.*
*But she loves you. And she loves me. What more could you want?*
Tae did not wish to rehash the old argument. *Just because you love someone doesn’t mean you can live with them. Let’s give Alneezah a chance to really get to know me, to decide if I’m really worthy of her love.*
Imorelda’s tail lashed wildly. *Wouldn’t it be better to capture her while you can? Before she can change her mind?*
Tae did not allow a trace of humor to appear on his face. *No, Imorelda. If I love her, and I’m starting to believe I do, I couldn’t do anything to hurt her. It would be wrong on so many levels. She needs to know exactly what she’s getting if she decides to commit herself to me. It would be vile to return her devotion with misery.* He did not add he needed to assure himself she wanted him for the right reasons. Any woman might pretend to adore a king for the wealth and power the position accorded, whether or not she took the title of queen. Imorelda had vetted her, and the cat’s assessment of human motivation was seldom wrong, but he had to make certain.
The tail ceased its angry motions to flop quietly onto his chest. *I suppose you’re right. This time. But don’t take too long or she may find someone better.*
Imorelda so rarely gave him a win, Tae threw her one of her own. *That wouldn’t be difficult, but I hope she chooses me anyway.*
Darris caught Tae into a warm and sudden embrace, whispering into his ear. “I can hardly believe this is actually going to happen.”
Tae ignored the nails Imorelda sank into his flesh for balance. “I know, my friend. And may all the gods bless it, I want only the best for both of you.”
* * *
Thialnir and Saviar rode home from Béarn in a silence interrupted only by occasional bursts of casual conversation: about the many announcements, the weather, the successful conclusion of the rescues. Never one for deep discussion, Thialnir seemed jumpy and uncomfortable, measuring his every word and Saviar’s responses. His rare smiles were strained. The last time Saviar had seen any display of true emotion from the leader of the Renshai was when Saviar had asked to accompany him to the Council meeting. Then, the aging face had registered clear surprise and a brief glimmer of delight. Since then, he had tiptoed around Saviar like a starving hunter terrified of frightening away a twitchy deer.
Saviar wanted to put Thialnir at ease, but he found himself incapable of speaking the necessary words. Until he resolved his issues with Subikahn and his feelings about becoming a Knight of Erythane, he did not have a definitive answer for Thialnir. Worse, he had little to no idea how to handle either of those problems. The mere thought of confronting Subikahn made his blood boil, and the issue of how to balance knighthood and Renshai teachings had plagued him for most of his life. Colbey’s thoughts on that particular matter had proven of little use to him. The immortal Renshai could do both because the knights had essentially forgotten him and, even when they finally remembered, only dared to bother him in the most dire situation. Saviar would not have that luxury, even if he had wanted it. To become a knight meant dedicating himself to their honor and conventions, and it clashed impossibly with the Renshai training he had embraced since infancy.
All too soon, they arrived at the Fields of Wrath. The familiar sounds of clanging steel, shouted commands and curses filling the air, and the home-defining outline of simple cottages made Saviar smile despite his turbulent thoughts. Subikahn met them at the edge of town, where the woodlands touched the barren plains on which they had built their town, greeting them both with a delighted grin and happy gestures.
Nausea bubbled up in Saviar’s stomach. Thialnir bellowed a welcome, Saviar silent beside him, lips pursed, gaze dodging his twin’s. The leader of the Renshai did not appear to notice Saviar’s reticence, instead speaking fondly. “I’m sure you two want some time alone to reunite. I’ll carry all the news to the others.”
Saviar wanted nothing less, but he did not contradict Thialnir. As much as he hated what Subikahn had done to him, he could not bring himself to tell anyone else what his brother had confessed. The penalty was just too harsh. While Subikahn deserved it, Saviar found himself incapable of being the mouthpiece for his twin’s utter and terrible destruction.
Saviar paused while Thialnir rode on ahead, then shifted to urge his horse onward. As he did so, Subikahn caught the cheekpiece of his bridle, holding fast. He who controlled the head, controlled the horse. It occurred to Saviar if he kicked the beast hard enough, he might get it to either break free of Subikahn’s hold or drag him alongside until he realized the prudence of releasing it. What stopped him was not the image of Subikahn bouncing over rocks at a full gallop but the concern the horse might be harmed in the process.
