“From Svetlana and her idiot husband, yes. If you failed in your mission. Remember, never rely on one plan, Tal. Always have two or more in place when you undertake something perilous. If the first one fails, go to the second plan. If the second plan fails, go to the third.”
“If the third plan fails, Your Grace?”
Kaspar laughed. “Then run like hell if you’re still alive.”
Tal laughed, though his heart wasn’t in it.
Kaspar said, “If I had gone to Svetlana with a reason-able demand, insisting Salmater stop working on behalf of my enemies, she would have insisted we talk, and by the time I left, I would have a concession from her that Salmater would stop working for my enemies every other week.
“By demanding fealty and a complete surrender to my rule, I knew they’d be so busy wondering what madness had taken possession of me, they wouldn’t give much thought to the possibility I had a different ambition.”
“To rid yourself of Princess Svetlana.”
Kaspar nodded. “Yes, as much as I regret it. She’s never had the resources to challenge me directly, Tal.
She’s always had to depend upon others to bolster her position. At various times she’s acted in concert with Roldem, the Isles, and this time it was Miskalon. She really never forgave me for refusing to marry her.”
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Tal sat back, his expression betraying his thoughts.
Kaspar said, “Yes, a lot of what passed between Svetlana and me was over my refusal to take her as my wife.
Not that she was in love with me, you understand.” He chuckled. “We were two of a kind, in many ways: ambitious, remorseless, unrelenting. Had she been a man, I’d have taken her for my first general without hesitation, then watched my back. But as a wife . . .” He shrugged.
“She needed a puppet like Janosh to control. But her most recent intransigencies were beyond forgiveness.
Working with Miskalon to take Olasko Gateway . . .
that was too much. It was the first time she’d attempted to abet a direct attack on Olasko soil, and that I could not tolerate.” He slapped the table with a grin. “But it is of no matter. She is gone, and soon I will have a new treaty with Salmater, and it might as well be Olasko’s southern province by the time I’m done with them.”
He sat back. “Now I can turn my attention to other matters.”
Tal said nothing, merely sipping his wine and taking a small bite of food.
Kaspar did likewise, then after swallowing said, “Do you discern any plan here, Tal? Any pattern that leads you to believe you understand what I’m trying to do?”
“In truth, Your Grace, I do not. I think there are some obvious things, such as securing your borders and making sure you’re protected from potential enemies, but beyond that, nothing obvious.”
“Good, because you are a very astute young man, and if you see nothing obvious, then there is nothing obvious to see.
“Now, about your next undertaking. I want you to rest and enjoy your new rank for a week or so. Then, when I tell you, I wish you to voyage to Salador. I have a variety _______________
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of errands and tasks for you in that city. But I want you established by the Midwinter Festival as a resident of that city.”
“That will be no difficulty, Your Grace. I have resided there before and can easily revive old friendships and establish myself again.”
“Good. Because Duke Varian Rodoski will be attending a festival hosted by the Duke of Salador. Do you know him?”
Tal said, “I have seen him and was briefly introduced to him once, but I do not claim to know him.”
“Do you know his importance to the throne of Roldem?”
“He is the King’s cousin, and in line for the crown after . . . Prince Matthew?”
“And Prince Michael, Constantine, and the Princesses and the Queen. In short, he stands sixth in line of succession. So, he is among Roldem’s most important dukes, if not among the more powerful.”
“So, Your Grace. I am in Salador and so is Duke Rodoski. What is your pleasure?”
“My pleasure, young Hawkins, is to see you leave Salador after the festival, while Prince Rodoski doesn’t.”
“You wish him not to return to Roldem?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“And how long do you wish the Duke to remain in Salador, Your Grace?”
“For the rest of his life, my friend,” said Kaspar. “As short as it may be.”
Tal said nothing for a moment, then said, “I will see what I can do, Your Grace.”
“I know you will not displease me, Baron Talwin,” said the Duke with a cruel, thin smile.
Tal sat back and watched the distant harbor. The cold _______________
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air caused his breath to steam as he exhaled, but for the first time since sitting down he felt the chill.
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Tal sat at the table three seats away from Lady Natalia.
With his elevation to the rank of court baron came his as-cension to the Duke’s head table at supper. To his immediate left sat another young baron, Evegeny Koldas, and between him and Natalia sat Captain Quint. Everyone had congratulated Tal on his new rank, though Tal could see Quint was only being polite. There was a distance between the two men that had existed from the moment they had met, and Tal did not know if it was caused by some sort of personal aversion, a rivalry for Natalia’s attention, or a sense of Tal’s ultimate hostility, however well masked it might be.
If fate permitted, Tal would see Quint and Kaspar dead, then . . .
Tal had no idea what he would do after that, if he survived. He realized he was dwelling on that overly long when Evegeny Koldas said, “Baron?”
“Sorry,” said Tal. “I’m just a little overcome by His Grace’s generosity, and my mind wandered. You were saying?”
“I was saying that should you have the time, I would enjoy taking you up the river, to the wilderness beyond the Broken Lands. Your reputation as a hunter makes me desire to see what I can learn from you.”
Tal judged Koldas a sincere sort, not given to empty flattery, so he smiled at the compliment. “If time permits, I think I would enjoy that.”
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in residence. The Duke was an unusual ruler insofar as he didn’t require his courtiers to be in constant attendance.
A fair amount of Kaspar’s time was spent in the company of Leso Varen, who almost never left his quarters, but on those rare occasions he did, it was always in the Duke’s company.
Tal watched closely on those occasions, and attempted to learn as much about the man as he could on behalf of the Conclave. He decided that his best choice at first was to be entirely passive in the matter. He never brought up Leso’s name or asked about him. He merely listened if anyone else spoke of it.
After months in Opardum, Tal now began to think of Leso Varen as The Man Who Wasn’t There. His name never came up in any context, save one: when the Duke was not around, occasionally someone would mention,
“He’s up in Varen’s suites.”
Tal was not in any hurry, but he was curious. He decided the day would come when he asked questions, but that day wasn’t here yet.
Amafi had also been instructed to do likewise with the other servants in the citadel. To listen, but not to question. All he could discover was that twice a day a meal was left outside Varen’s apartment door, and every week a pile of clothing to be laundered was left outside. No servant was permitted inside except on rare occasions, always at his request, and always involving a particularly repugnant task. One servant had been overheard to complain that if Leso Varen wanted another corpse dragged out of his quarters in the dead of night, he could
bloody well do it himself, and another once remarked that whatever the black stains were on the walls of one of the rooms up there, they were nearly impossible to scrub off.
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found him to be Pasko’s rival in the common matters of the day. Tal’s clothing was always clean, laid out impecca-bly, and his messages were delivered in a timely fashion.
The man could blend into the background, despite his somewhat colorful choice of clothing upon occasion, and he remembered everything he saw and heard.
After supper, Natalia motioned to Tal to join her and whispered, “Have you some time for me later?”
Tal nodded and replied in low tones, “As much as you require, m’lady.”
With a smile, she accepted her brother’s invitation to depart with him, and over her shoulder said, “I’ll send word.”
Tal nodded. Captain Quint Havrevulen turned to Tal and said, “Getting ambitious, Baron?”
Tal pretended not to take the Captain’s meaning.
“Sir?”
“Just watch yourself, Baron. Our lady has many suitors, and some of them do not abide competition well.”
“I am merely our lady’s servant, sir,” Tal said, then with a smile and nod he turned and walked away.
Amafi fell into step beside his master, and said, “Our dear captain wants you dead, Magnificence.”
“Well, then, the feeling is reciprocated.”
They reached Tal’s apartment, and Amafi said, “What is your pleasure, Magnificence?”
“Our master has no need for me, it seems, tonight.”
“Shall we go into the city?”
“No, tonight I wish to explore for a short while,” said Tal. “Kaspar has no need for me later, but I suspect Natalia will, probably after the eleventh hour. So I need to be back here should the call arrive.”
Amafi said, “Magnificence, that’s less than two hours away.”
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“Should it come before I return, send word I am . . .
bathing . . . have some hot water drawn, and I will be along shortly.” Tal quickly stripped off his ornate tunic and donned a plain one of dark grey. He went to the door and glanced out, looking quickly each way. “I’ll be back shortly,” he said.
When Amafi looked out a moment later, he saw that the corridor was empty. “Very good, Magnificence,” he said softly, and shut the door.
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Tal moved quietly through the dim hallway. Every chance he had since the first day young Rudolph had guided him into the servants’ network, he had explored on his own.
He had already discovered two cave networks, apparently unknown to the servants, that ran back into the cliff for miles. One ran downward, and Tal had ceased exploring due to time constraints. The other ran slightly upward, and ended at a loose fall of earth and stone, and Tal was convinced that with a little digging he might have found another way to the surface of the plateau above the citadel.
Now he was seeking a hidden entrance into Leso Varen’s private apartments. He had unsuccessfully tried several hallways that ran parallel to the halls leading to that part of the citadel, and now he was exploring an old hallway above that. He had almost taken a punishing fall trying one of the other ladders to the upper levels, for as Rudolph had warned, the wood was old and rotten.
But he had found three sound ladders that took him to a series of halls higher than any other he had seen. They started in the distant wing of the citadel that was sealed off, and worked across the highest level of rooms. He had _______________
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mentally mapped every room in the citadel he could see, and had a firm grasp on his location every step of the way.
He also knew he was running out of time and would have to be back to his quarters quickly. He came to a door.
Tal paused. If he judged direction and distance correctly, on the other side of this door would be a hallway, one that should lead within a hundred feet to some sort of servants’ entrance to the hallway outside Leso Varen’s private apartments. He inspected the door, and as soon as he touched it, the hair on his neck and arms stood up.
There was a ward on the door. Even in this forgotten passage, the wizard had ensured his privacy. Tal quickly pulled away. He hoped that merely touching it hadn’t alerted the spell-caster. He thought it improbable, since enough rats traveled these halls to make it likely he’d be up here checking to see if someone breached his privacy two or three times a week.
Tal decided to call it a night and return to his quarters.
He took the shortest route back and after climbing down half a dozen ladders and traveling nearly half a mile of hallways, he cracked open the servants’ door across from his own rooms. He peered out, saw the hall was empty, and quickly crossed the hall.
Letting himself into the apartment, he saw Amafi waiting. “The Lady Natalia sent word.”
“How long ago?” asked Tal, stripping off his very dusty tunic.
“Ten minutes, perhaps. I said as you instructed that you were bathing and would be along shortly.”
Tal tore off his remaining clothes and climbed swiftly into the tub. “I can’t very well show up covered in dust.”
He washed rapidly and was soon drying himself with a large towel a minute later. Amafi tried to comb as much water as possible out of Tal’s shoulder-length hair.
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Still feeling slightly damp, Tal said, “This will have to do,” and left the room.
He hurried along as best he could without drawing attention to himself. He reached the door to Lady Natalia’s suite and knocked. The two guards on either side of the room ignored him, so he knew he was expected.
A servant girl opened the door and admitted him. As Tal stepped into the apartment, the girl exited through the same door, leaving him alone. He found his way to the door to Natalia’s bedchamber and opened it.
“You bastard,” she said sweetly. “You kept me waiting.” She sat propped up by a mountain of pillows, covered to her shoulders by a snow-white sheet. Her bare shoulders and neck were bathed by the light of a single candle, as she had chosen to pin up her long black hair.
“I was in my bath,” said Tal. He crossed the room and sat next to her.
She let the sheet drop as she reached out and pulled him toward her. “Most men are not so fastidious.”
“Any complaints?” he asked just before she kissed him.
After a lingering, deep kiss, she said, “No, though I will admit I like your smell—in moderation—better than the soap you use. I shall have to send some I found in Rodez that I like.”
“I’ll be happy to use it.”
“Now, shut up and take off those clothes.”
“Yes, m’lady,” said Tal with a grin.
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As morning came, with the sun lingering just below the eastern horizon, Natalia stirred as Tal tried to disentangle himself from her. She woke and clutched at him. “Don’t go.”
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“I must. If your brother summons me, it would be better for everyone if the page found me in my quarters.”
“Oh, bother,” she said, pouting. At times Tal thought she really was a little girl.
As he dressed she lay on her back, staring at the canopy above the bed. “I wish sometimes you were a prince or at least a powerful duke somewhere, Tal.”
“Why?”
“Because then my brother might consent to us marrying.”
Tal felt an unexpected stab in his stomach at those words. He turned and said, “Natalia . . .”
She laughed. “Don’t look so panic-stricken, Tal.” She rolled over and sat up, hugging a pillow in front of her.
“I’m not in
love with you.” She narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know if I could be in love with anyone. I think it’s been bred out of me. And I know you’re not in love with me. I don’t think either of us is that sort.
“But you are great fun. If I must be married to a man I don’t love, it might as well be to one whom I enjoy. You know so many things and have done so much for a man of your few years. And I think you might be . . . I don’t know, something special.”
“You flatter me, Natalia.”
“Yes, I do, but you deserve it. You are the youngest man ever to be named Champion of the Masters’ Court—
I had a clerk research it. The way you saved Kaspar from that bear. You speak many languages, know food and wine, and what else do you do? Play music?”
“Poorly,” Tal admitted as he pulled on his boots.
“What else?”
“I paint a little.”
“You must do my portrait!” she said with glee. “See, you are so many things most of the men in my life are not.
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You are not dull. I am never bored when you are around.
Oh, do something truly great, Talwin Hawkins, so my brother will have to consent to our marriage. Go conquer a country or overthrow a dynasty for Kaspar.”
Tal laughed. The girl’s uncharacteristic romantic impulse amused him. “Your brother might consent if I could lay a nation at his feet, but short of that, I suspect we must plan on going our separate ways in the future.”
As he made ready to stand up, she lunged forward and threw her arms around his shoulders. “Not for a long time, Tal. I may not be able to love, but if I could, it is you I would love, deeply and with all my heart.”
For a brief, uncomfortable moment, Tal didn’t know what to say. He had bedded many women in his time, but he didn’t claim to understand them beyond that point.
This was something he had never encountered: Natalia was unlike any woman he had known, and he wasn’t sure if she was indulging herself in a fanciful moment, or if she were revealing a hint of something that lay buried deep within. He sought a facile way out of this uncomfortable moment and kissed her, then said, “If a woman like you could love a man like me, deeply and with all her heart, that would be a truly remarkable thing. Even the gods would notice.”
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