Fren opened her eyes and bent to study the blackened and smouldering remains on the hearthstone, while Keira stood and retreated a few steps to wait beside Lord Henry.
Danger and threat was always easy to read in the hearthstones, and Fren hadn’t seen a threat like this in all her years as high priestess. It took a moment to gather her senses sufficiently before she felt able to relay the message.
“The princess has been called by the one named Cargius. Her blood has been touched and she will begin to know herself within the day. She boards the royal barge this very hour for Ra’majum, and the ancient temple below the ruins. The ceremony will reveal that she bears the purple aura.”
A murmur of fear whispered around the chamber. Fren felt the chill on her skin and her throat had temporarily closed, preventing her from continuing. In eight hundred years, only three incarnations of Druid’s Bane had been born with this destructive aura and the suffering those three had invoked still raised fear in the minds and hearts of every child of Maig.
“There is a further warning. Our prince now has the death mark over his head.”
The whispers of fear were louder and laced with panic this time around.
Fren moved to rise, and Henry helped her up—her aged bones suddenly felt stiffer than usual. The passage to the chamber of the high elders was opened and those of the council filed out, Fren and Henry walked at the head of the column in silence.
“What is to be done?” Keira demanded once they had gathered around the council table.
Fren had taken her seat and was drinking a broth to revive her faculties. This particular ritual drained her strength like no other, and it was always worse when the news was bad.
“As a precaution I think we should make ourselves more invisible than ever,” Henry said, his calm clearly forced.
“I disagree,” Keira said. There was an excitement in her eyes. “It’s clear we can no longer hide in the shadows. The Lord Protector will know that the princess’ dream is as she has claimed, and be moving against us even as we speak. And more troubling is the predicament we will face if Danielle de Brie proves to be compliant to the will of the white druids.”
“So what are you suggesting,” Albert asked.
“I am suggesting we move to kill her now. Then we summons the truth in her blood, find out the name of her sister who is of the nature of Aquitius, capture this woman, and retrieve the book so the Archbishop can find it. We can’t wait for her visit to Amthenium. With her of the purple aura we may not have two weeks before she is beyond our power. And we all know what it will mean if the assassination fails.”
Lord Mason was pushing tobacco into his pipe, his fingers trembling. “I fear you exaggerate, Keira, and Lord Kane is hardly ready to be involved in the capture of a woman who could already be walking the path of enlightenment.”
“She is of the purple aura!” Keira bellowed at them all. “And since there are only three at this table who have lived long enough to know these things first hand, I suggest you are not well placed, Lord Mason, to make that statement.”
“With all due respect, Keira,” Bruce Galloway said, his countenance grey with stress, “You may very well be right. But in Fredrick’s defence and I dare say most sitting at this table, if we act off the cuff and fail then the Lord Protector and the plight of the Book of Minion will be the least of our worries. We will have white druids at our throats as well. This needs to be planned carefully, whatever we decide.”
Fren was reading her sister’s thoughts and was pleasantly surprised by what she found there. For once she did what was rare in this council chamber, she waded into the discussion on her sister’s side. “Gentleman, I fear that Keira might be right. We need to move quickly and concisely.”
“And how do we do that without being discovered?” It was Lord Brachard that spoke this time, though the question resonated in the faces of the others that were now directed in Fren’s direction. She motioned to her sister to explain. Keira seemed pleasantly surprised that Fren was supporting her for once.
She grinned and leaned forward. “We seize her before she can reach Ra’majum.”
There was instant fear around the table. Fren called for order and told all that they should listen to her sister and not interrupt. For now was the hour to strike.
As Keira explained the rest of her plan, Fren motioned to Henry to come with her. They stepped into an antechamber. Once they were alone he went to protest, but she silenced him before saying, “I need you to secure me a man of Lord Kane’s height and build, and I need him before sunrise.”
He frowned for a moment, then realised what she was up to. “A subterfuge?”
Fren nodded. “Once it is in place, spend the day helping our prince organise the murder of his father. And after the Archbishop’s celebration tonight, see him safely out of the city. I’ll inform him that the schedule has been brought forward, and ensure he is ready for you first thing in the morning.”
Henry agreed, and then hurried off to secure her a new sacrifice. Fren returned to the council chamber. The mood around the table had lifted considerably in the short time she’d been away. Keira had called for the vote, and every hand was raised in unanimous consensus.
On noticing her return, Keira said, “If our high priestess agrees, the princess will be dead before sunrise and we will have the name of the one we need to retrieve the book of Minion for our blind priest to find.”
Fren took the bones from her leather pouch and tossed them onto the timber tabletop. A moment to look them over was enough to bring a relieved smile to her wrinkled face; the waters were muddied again, nothing certain or fixed, and more importantly, the death mark no longer hung over Kane’s head.
“I concur. Do whatever it takes. Every resource of the council is at your disposal. And remember, I need her alive and at Angles Cliff top before dawn and be ready to summons the Twenty-Three to hunt down this other woman once we have her name.”
“Without an anointed hand to lead them?”
“We have no choice.”
CHAPTER SIX
James looked out the window at the royal barge, Arkaelyus, as the carriage rolled onto the stone quay at the southern end of the Illandian wharves where many of the realm’s military vessels were moored. The mammoth vessel with its two towering masts and ninety oars protruding from its hull was little more than a spectral shadow in the thick foggy night, though there was sufficient light from the lanterns onboard and the torches that burned along the wide stone quay to see that all haste was being made to get the ship ready for departure. As a sailor he wasn’t certain this was the best mode of transport. The Arkaelyus was fast and manoeuvrable with ninety oarsmen, and a flat bottom well suited to the notorious shifting sand bars of the Illandian River, but even the best captain would be dubious about setting out in fog so thick, let alone in the dead of night. He had mentioned his concerns to Danielle as she quickly packed with the aid of several of her maids for the trip, and she’d suggested he’d be better served getting himself ready, because if he were not ready to leave within the hour, she’d go without him. They hadn’t spoken more than a dozen words since and he knew better than to raise the matter again. Not that he was any more convinced.
The carriage drew to a gentle stop and a royal groomsman opened the door, a lantern in hand to light their way. James stepped out into the cool night air and handed Danielle down. She glanced up at the ship with a troubled frown as she buttoned up her long coat. Then without a word she squared her shoulders and strode across the quay and up the gangplank.
The captain had been conversing with several of his officers on the aft deck, and was now coming down the stairs to the mid deck in order to greet them.
“Welcome aboard, your highness,” Captain Farus said with a bow that was about as stiff as his white bearded smile. It was well known the good captain wasn’t exactly fond of Danielle on account of her ‘liberal’ ways. “Your quarters are prepared and we’ll be ready to cast off soon as Prince Ed
en and his company arrive.”
“Thank you, Captain. How long to the head waters do you think?”
“Couldn’t say with any accuracy. The fog’s thicker than usual for this hour and only likely to get worse as dawn approaches, and it will be very slow going because of it.”
“As that may be, we do not have time to dally, so as fast as you safely can, thank you.” She excused herself and made to go.
“Might I ask what this is about? The message from your father was … well, brief.” There was a barely concealed annoyance in his tone.
James saw Danielle bristle for a moment before she turned to face the captain. “No, you may not. Oh, and please tell my brother I wish to talk to him as soon as he arrives.”
“Of course, Milady.”
She nodded her thanks and headed for the entrance that led to the royal cabin below the aft deck.
James saw the man glance back at his officers and give a small shake of his head. “Its true that you two aren’t friends.”
“Young women are supposed to be seen not heard, and apparently that includes the king’s daughter.”
The clatter of hooves on cobbles came to them softly over the bustle onboard. Danielle drew up at the door to the passageway and craned her neck back the way they’d come. “Gods, I do wish they’d hurry up.”
In a few moments Eden led a column of mounted knights and swordsmen out of the fog and along the stone quay to the ship. A company of crossbowmen marched behind. In the darkness it was difficult to make out exact numbers but the king’s demand that his daughter be well protected was not being taken lightly. An order was shouted and those on horseback dismounted and followed the Prince Regent up the gangplank. He hastily greeted the captain, who gestured in his sister’s direction, and then strode across the deck.
“Dee, you wanted to speak with me?” The clamour of armour and weapons, drumming of boots on the deck and talk as men flowed past made it safe to speak.
“Would you please remind Captain Farus that this excursion is undertaken at the bidding of our father and the Aquarius brotherhood, and thus, secrecy is paramount? I know that look in his eyes.”
“Dee, the man is loyal.”
“Still, remind him please.”
“If it eases your mind, of course.”
“And when we arrive at the head water this is how I want things to be handled …”
Eden raised a hand stopping her. “We’ll discuss that over breakfast. For now, I suggest you get some rest. You clearly need it.” He kissed her forehead, dismissing her. “Go on.”
She bristled, but complied. James nodded his good evenings to the Prince Regent and turned to follow his charge into the passageway.
“James, just a moment,” Eden said.
Danielle stopped and turned in the timber-panelled passageway. “What do you want with him?” The well-lit passage cast her in silhouette, darkening her features, but it wasn’t hard to imagine the expectant frown on her face.
“Just a word or two. I won’t keep him long.”
“Is it necessary?” Her tone made it clear she would prefer he did not.
“It is.”
James felt her attention shift to him. “I expect your loyalty.”
He gave a nod. “Of course, Milady.”
Eden called to Sir Hamdlesome. “See our lady to her quarters, if you will.”
The knight ran to obey, following Danielle down the passageway before Eden reached out and closed the door. He suggested they go to the aft deck where they might have some privacy. Most of the soldiers had settled down wherever space allowed. Many were filling a pipe or taking a swig of liquor to ward off the cold night air as they quietly speculated about the nature of this early morning excursion or other such gossip. Sir Jeffery and a few other knights of Eden’s retainer were organising a watch to guard the ship’s railing. Though with a man armed with a loaded crossbow every six feet, the word watch was probably slightly understated. Not that James was about to complain. Not after what he’d seen in Danielle’s chambers an hour past.
A whistle sounded, sharp and piercing in the quiet, and a shout from somewhere forward gave the order to cast off. The vessel shuddered under their boots, as deep below deck oars were made ready to push them away from the stone quay and begin the long haul up river.
On reaching the stern railing, Eden slipped a sliver flask out of his armour and offered it to James.
James declined. He was watching the fog and trying to imagine what awaited them over the next day or so and, as with the shapes of other ships in the gloom and the dim lights of the buildings that lined the waterfront, nothing was clear. “Not exactly the best conditions.”
Eden took a sip from his flask and nodded his agreement. “Unfortunately it’s the only way to the head water in the small amount of time we have and I guess when the risks are pitted against what happened in my sister’s chambers tonight, they pale in comparison.” The prince slipped the container back into his armour. “So, I see her mood hasn’t improved any?”
A lantern hanging from the rigging gave enough light to see how worried Eden was.
It was a sentiment James shared. “She’s understandably anxious. And then there’s whatever else was written on the walls of her chamber that she’s keeping to herself. You know your sister.”
Eden’s teeth flashed in the gloom. “Said nothing to you either then?”
The ship creaked and swayed as the wash of oars got them underway. From somewhere aloft and forward, the watchmen began to call directions back to Captain Farus, who was steering blind at the helm a dozen yards away.
“Not a word regarding the writings, though it’s clear little else is on her mind.”
“You likely don’t know, but Joseph summoned her. She was supposed to see him before she left.”
This was news to James.
“Since she refused to come, he said to give this to you to hand on.” Eden had dug a hand inside a pocket of the long wolf pelt coat he was wearing over his armour and now he pulled out a folded message with the Lord Protector’s seal on it. He also had a small black leather pouch in his hand. “Apparently you’re to read the letter at the earliest convenience. There’s an amulet inside the pouch, I did not ask about its purpose and Joseph didn’t comment, so I suspect the answer is in the letter also.”
James accepted the items. “I’ll see that it’s done. If there’s nothing else, I shouldn’t keep her waiting.”
Eden nodded his agreement, and they shook hands. “Keep her safe, James, and if you get a chance, Joseph would like to know what it is she’s keeping from us. Not saying you should pry, but if she’s going to talk to anyone, I suspect it’s you.”
James felt the burden of that. “I’ll do my best.”
Stepping inside the passageway below the aft deck, James acknowledged the respectful nods from the three knights of Eden’s retainer, who were standing further down the hall in quiet conversation, before turning to close the door against the damp night. Oil lanterns swayed from timber beams overhead and using the light he quickly broke open the seal on Joseph’s message and read its contents. It confirmed just how seriously the Lord Protector was taking this unexpected development. He hoped that would please Danielle a little at least. Using one of the lanterns he burnt the message as instructed and continued down the hall to where the knights were standing in a cabin doorway.
James had met the largest of their number when Eden and Michael had taken him on a hunt during his visit to court. “Sir Jeffery, would you be good enough to show me in the direction of the royal cabin?”
“Of course.” The blonde haired knight pointed a meaty finger down the passageway. “Just round the corner, James. You’ll see two palace guards at the lady’s door.” He sniffed then said, “Not meaning to pry or anything, but do you know what this is about? A lot of glum faces and urgency never bode well, particularly a few hours after the witching hour.”
James offered an apologetic smile. He expected Jeffrey ha
d made the mistake of asking Danielle the same question. “Best talk to the Prince Regent on that account. Are we well secured below decks?” he asked, continuing on his way.
“Four knights of the royal guard watching the opposite passage, and another four in the galley below.”
That seemed sufficient. James bid them good evening. He soon realised the passage was shaped in a U, and returned back to the mid deck on the starboard side of the ship. The entrance to the royal cabin was situated at the apex, and opposite the door with the de Brie crest carved into it was a staircase, which went below to another deck—he presumed the galley and other cabins. One of the two guards gave him entrance to the royal suite. The well-appointed dinning cabin he stepped into was brightly lit with lantern light. It was also deathly quiet, the only noise coming from the door as it closed behind him. Velvet curtains had been pulled across the windows at the stern of the vessel and to his left a door was open offering a glimpse of a sleeping cabin as large as the captain’s quarters onboard the Alabaster. Another door stood ajar in the starboard wall, and from what James could see it led to a lavish sitting room.
“Danielle?”
“I’m here.”
He followed her voice into the cabin on the starboard side of the ship and found her sitting at a magnificently carved bureau, quill in hand, frantically writing in that journal of hers.
She didn’t look up at his entry, only said, “You’ll find your cabin through a door off the royal sleeping quarters. It’s usually for maids, but it will serve you well enough. The ship’s galley is down the stairs if you’re hungry. Mr. Liptal will see to any needs you have.”
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