“Of course not,” Lord Shardan snapped. “There must be at least one Chosen family in your valley.”
Stavin shook his head slowly. “Not one. The few Chosen who were sent to Kel’Kavin left the Guard and returned to their families. We of the Cat Clans had no other families to go to, so we stayed.”
“You could have done it,” Lady Rainah said in a barely audible voice. “You, Stavin Dragon Blessed, could have proclaimed yourself king. Your warriors could have put down any opposition.”
“Then we’d have all been in real trouble,” Stavin said with a wry expression. “No one in Kavinston has the knowledge or background to organize and control a full kingdom, least of all me. Oh, the knowledge is there. I spent years in the Archive, copying scrolls and books, but no one has the experience to reestablish what we had. Or the gold. I have a substantial personal fortune, but King Kalin and Princess Marina estimate that it will cost Evandia two hundred thousand gold crowns to reestablish order in this territory, and we’re only talking about the bottom two-fifths, just up to Kahrant’s Pass. And there is one other consideration.”
“And that would be?” Lady Maris asked in a suspicious tone.
“Andaria and Evandia had both sworn to go to war if either tried to take Farindia, but if Farindia reestablished a separate monarchy, either of them could have attacked and taken us.” He paused to grimace bitterly. “I’m almost certain Andaria would have. King Jallat jumped at the idea of annexing the upper three-fifths of the old kingdom. That would have been a war that none of us would have survived.”
“That is something to consider,” Lord Jonnis murmured. “Our cooks have unloaded their supplies and are fixing the mid day meal, but it will be a while. While we are waiting, I wonder if you’d satisfy my curiosity concerning your armor. I’ve heard three or four different versions of the story over the past few years, and I have to wonder what the truth is.”
Stavin sighed. It had been over two years since the last time he’d told the story. “High on the peaks surrounding the Kel’Kavin valley is a cave,” he began. Unlike the other times he’d told the story, this time he told all of it, including his reason for going to the cave and why he’d gone alone. “Things got really interesting when I got back to Kavinston.”
Barvil glanced at him, then picked up the narrative. “When we saw a gold-clad warrior walk up to the gates of Kavinston, we reacted badly. No one is supposed to be able to get into Kel’Kavin without our permission, and the idea that someone had infuriated us. I was an Elder then, next in line for the Chief Elder’s position. When the warrior stopped and said he was Stavin, none of us could believe it. Especially not me. Then he told us that he’d faced the fear and stayed in the cave, and spoken to the dragon. I was so mad I could hardly see straight.” He smiled and shook his head, then looked at Stavin.
“There was Stavin, the timid boy who’d asked for my darling daughter and been denied twice already, claiming he was braver than me. I didn’t last ten breaths in that cave when I was a boy, but he claimed to have stayed. After years of watching him get bullied and pushed around by the bigger boys, Stavin the Runt was claiming to have done what none of us had ever accomplished. I’m afraid I lost my temper and tried to take Stavin’s Dragon’s Tongue from him. When he stepped back and refused, I lost all sense of propriety. I demanded a Dragon’s Tongue from another warrior and tried to take Stavin’s weapon.” He chuckled and shook his head again.
“Little squirt matched me strike for strike. That was as infuriating as anything else he’d done, because I used to teach Dragon’s Tongue to our young men. He shouldn’t have been able to last three breaths against me, but I couldn’t get through his defense. Then he left me an opening and I dishonored myself by trying to kill him.”
Everyone was silent, and Stavin picked up the story. “I was stunned that, in defiance of all our customs, Barvil had tried to kill me. Then I got mad. I cut both points off his Dragon’s Tongue, then cut the haft in half and left him standing there in his shame. Once Chief Elder Kel’Davin had accepted me, I took possession of Barvil and his household until he could reestablish his honor.”
“It was a distinctly unpleasant situation,” Darak put in, glancing at Barvil. “Here was Stavin, the boy no one thought would amount to anything, suddenly claiming to be Dragon Blessed, and carrying his proof on his back. The blow Barvil delivered would have pierced the finest steel armor, yet it didn’t leave a scratch on Stavin’s breast plate. The oak haft of Barvil’s Dragon’s Tongue would have stopped a sword stroke, but Stavin’s weapon sliced right through it. And Barvil, the favored choice to be the next Chief Elder, was suddenly a servant.”
“My family didn’t make things any better,” Barvil said with a bitter twist to his lips. “Stavin really wanted to marry Dorvina. If I had just accepted his assertion, he would have. I’d have had a hard time telling him no after that. But now that we were bound to him, my wife had to twist the knife by pointing out that he couldn’t honorably take Dorvi as his wife because she was a servant in his household. I could almost hear his heart breaking, and the tone of his voice was just horrible.”
“I damn near cried when Sahrena reminded me of all the reasons Dorvi couldn’t be mine,” Stavin said in a near whisper. “Then my sister suggested that I marry Sharindis, and my parents seconded her recommendation. Then Barvil and Sahrena agreed, and that was that.”
“How long did it take for you to regain your honor, Warmaster?” Lord Jonnis asked.
“One season.” Barvil glanced at Stavin and smiled. “One season with the bandit magnet over there. He couldn’t free me of my obligation to him, but he ordered me and Karvik to stop serving him while we were on the expedition. I killed nineteen men that summer, and earned my fourth star. Karvik earned four red stripes with twenty-three kills. And he,” he bowed his head to Stavin, “earned his first star with thirty kills.”
“Incredible.” Lord Shardan said, then sighed.
Darak nodded. “A lot of us couldn’t believe it. Or wouldn’t believe it. And the rest of the story of their first expedition was just as amazing. What surprised many of us was that he didn’t flaunt it. There he was, the first person in the history of Kavinston to earn a star on his first expedition, and he went to work in the Archive copying scrolls. His personal fortune exceeded that of the entire valley many times over, and he was burrowing through stacks of moldering scrolls searching out bits of information. There were a lot of arguments about whether or not he’d really killed that many men. No one was foolish enough to call Barvil a liar. Not with those four stars. But Stavin? Now he was fair game.”
Stavin shrugged. “Not many people understand what I find so enthralling about the Archive. It’s not a warrior’s position. But up until I went to the cave, I really didn’t think of myself as a warrior. I thought of myself as a scribe. I planned on going to the lowlands for my required five seasons, maybe earn a stripe or two and some silver, then work on taking the place of Master Kel’Zorgan as the Master Scribe of the Kavinston Archive. That became my dream when I was twelve, two years after I’d stopped growing.” He grinned and looked straight at Barvil. “There was a lot of, ‘I’ll show you all,’ in that decision, because Master Scribe is almost as honored a position as Elder. And it’s a lifetime position that would have let me spend the rest of my life doing what I loved.”
Lady Jessen giggled. “And now you’ve really shown them all by becoming a prince.”
The butler interrupted by saying, “Lord Jonnis, the mid day meal is prepared.”
“Excellent,” Lord Jonnis said as he stood. “I was too nervous to eat this morning, and I’m famished.”
The butler led them to the dining hall and Lord Jonnis directed everyone to their seats. They were just about to start when a servant walked in with Gavlin. “Lord Jonnis, this officer says he’s supposed to be here.”
Lord Jonnis nodded. “We’re just about to eat, Colonel Zel’Fordal. Please join us.”
“Zel’Fordal,” Lady Rai
nah said softly. She looked at Dahvin and asked, “Are you two related?”
Dahvin bowed in his seat and replied, “Yes, Lady Rainah. Gavlin is my oldest brother, and Lord of Zel’Fordal.”
That drew some surprised looks from the ladies. “The Lord of Zel’Fordal? And you’re still a serving officer?”
Gavlin smiled and bowed his head. “It is tradition in our family. Most of us serve our entire lives.”
“What of your lands?” Lady Jessen asked.
“Our lands, such as they are, are run by the women of our family. The Zel’Fordal estate is in West Bridge, and consists of a manor house and about ten dragons of land.” Gavlin smiled and shook his head. “An ancestor of ours made some bad investments and lost most of our land because of them.”
“Unfortunate,” Lord Jonnis said. “So you stay in the Army your entire life.”
“Or the Royal Guard,” Dahvin supplied.
“They are well connected in spite of their lack of real estate,” Stavin said, grinning at his friends. “Gavlin and Dahvin are King Kalin’s nephews. Queen Carissa was their father’s youngest sister.”
That made the younger Chosen sit up a little straighter. “So you’re Prince Stavin’s cousins, even if it is by adoption.”
Both Gavlin and Dahvin bowed in their chairs, and Gavlin said, “Yes, we are. King Kalin thought someone needed to watch over him and see if we could keep him out of trouble.”
Barvil chuckled and said, “Good luck. I’ve never managed it.”
Chapter 29
“ONCE AGAIN, LORD ZEL’WALVAN,” SHARI SAID to the Minister of Health in a tightly controlled tone, “Farindia is not a barbarous vestige of a kingdom. The people have carried on to the best of their ability, and in many cases they have succeeded admirably.”
“Princess Sharindis, I beg to differ,” the minister said in a tone that set Shari’s teeth on edge. “There is no Ministry of Health in the former kingdom. No one monitors the people for disease. No one certifies that the people who call themselves Healers are in fact anything of the kind.”
“Except the people they treat. Healers are held to a much higher standard in Farindia. They have to perform up to expectations, or they are likely to be killed.”
“My point exactly,” the minister said in a smug tone.
“What are you trying to accomplish, Lord Zel’Walvan?” Princess Marina asked.
“Your highness, these so-called Healers must be brought before the certification panel to be tested and their actual qualifications determined. The Ministry of Health cannot allow unlicensed Healers to operate in Evandia.”
Shari asked, “Who is to see to the needs of the people while you have their Healers in Twin Bridges?”
“That is not our concern.”
“Make it your concern,” Shari snarled, and even King Kalin was surprised by the venom in her tone. “There are few Healers in Farindia. You want to deprive the people of their Healers, but don’t care what happens to them while their Healers are gone? Before anyone is forced to come here for your certification tests, one of your qualified Healers will be in their place.”
“That is unacceptable,” the minister said in a stuffy tone.
“Make it acceptable,” King Kalin commanded. “Princess Sharindis is correct. No community will be deprived of its Healer. If you want to test someone, send a replacement. Or go there yourself and test them in place. Perhaps your team of Adept Healers and Herbalists should go anyway. That way, you can see to it that everyone who needs Healing in our new province can be seen.”
“Your Majesty, that is—”
“That is what you are going to do, or your successor will.” King Kalin looked at his ministers and glared for a moment. “Does anyone else want to say something stupid?” There was silence all around the table. “Didn’t think so.”
Princess Marina was glaring at the ministers in a fine imitation of her father. “You lords all seem to think that Farindia and our new people are beneath your concern. Let me assure you, that is not the case. Right now, Stavin is leading his force up the Kavadian border, and establishing the law of our kingdom in those lands. Minister of Justice Zel’Ginsel and his subordinates have sent Magistrates and Sheriffs into those lands to establish Evandian law. If any of you feel that you have a need to exert your authority in these lands, you are welcome to do so. But you may not jeopardize the health, safety, or financial well-being of our people while doing so.”
“Princess Marina,” Minister of Development Zel’Delvan began.
“Shut up, Garrat,” Marina snapped. “You have the most to do of any of the ministries in this area. Farindia needs to be redeveloped. What plans have you made? Don’t bother answering. You’ve made no plans.”
“Princess, what plans can be made?” he asked, holding his hands up helplessly.
“Have you looked at any of the maps Stavin provided us? Have you considered what it will take to rebuild some of the destroyed cities? Have you made any inquiries among the lords about getting people to move into these lands?”
“No, Your Highness, I haven’t done any of those things.”
King Kalin asked, “Why not?”
“Your Majesty, why bother? The lands are marginal at best. No one with any sense would even consider moving out into the hinterlands like that.”
The king growled, “You are dismissed, Garrat,” and the room fell deathly quiet. No one seemed to even breathe. The king continued after a moment. “I will dismiss and replace every one of you if I have to. The decision has been made: We are annexing the southern two-fifths of Farindia. I count on my ministers to make that a smooth transition. You will all take an active interest in this matter, or I’ll replace you with someone else who will. Have I made myself clear?”
There were murmurs all around the table as the ministers agreed to keep their jobs. All except Garrat Zel’Delvan. He was silently weeping in his chair.
*
“Something has to be done!” Lord Zel’Walvan said as he paced around his suite. He was still in his council clothes, though he had cast aside the constricting collar that current fashion decreed.
“What can be done?” Lord Zel’Cordas asked as he raised his hands to his sides. “The king is within his rights.” He stood and striped off his vestments, revealing a simple blue silk shirt. “There is nothing we can do about this.”
“But that girl is disrupting our kingdom,” Lord Zel’Corvis snapped. “Her husband was bad enough, but at least he knew his place and didn’t make a point of challenging everyone.”
Lord Zel’Cordas said, “We must make the king see that she is overstepping herself. He must admit that the kingdom runs smoothly because we run it!” in an angry tone as he clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly.
“There must be something more important for her to do,” Lord Zel’Walvan said in a calmer tone as he paced around the room once again.
“The only things anyone thinks are more important are her daughters. She leaves any time that other woman sticks her head in.” Lord Zel’Corvis said as he shook his head slowly.
“Then perhaps she needs to worry more about her daughters,” Lord Zel’Walvan mused as an unpleasant expression crossed his face.
Chapter 30
THE PACIFICATION FORCE LEFT THE ZEL’ESTEN estate early the next morning. Stavin was quite happy with how smoothly things had gone and smiled as he talked to Karvik about it. “I’m very pleased the Zel’Estens have accepted the annexation. They seem relieved that they can keep their land. Apparently, the rumor is that we are going to kick out the old families and install new families from Evandia.”
“No rumor has ever been right. That’s going to make all of them fight us,” Karvik replied with a sad shake of his head. “How many times do you think you’ll be able to just walk in and say, ‘Hi, I’m your new prince. Carry on,’ to the Chosen families who sent that force to Kel’Kavin?”
Stavin sighed. “I don’t know, Kar. I don’t want to slaughter our people. An
d I mean our people of Farindia. These are the families that made Farindia great.”
“They’re also the families that attacked Kel’Kavin and killed Bahr. I asked, and the younger Lord Zel’Esten was one of the lords who first approached Kel’Kavin demanding to see you. They were also missing men from their warriors. They were supposed to have one hundred, but we only saw about seventy. Where do you think those other thirty warriors went?” he asked in an exasperated tone.
Stavin was quiet for a long time, just staring at his horse’s ears. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely audible. “If I hold that grudge we lose it all, Kar. If I demand retribution for Bahr and the others, then we become what they fear: a conquering army.”
Karvik nodded. “And we just might have to.”
*
Three days later, a scout from the Zel’Hestel estate saw the Pacification Force coming up the road and spurred his horse back to his lord. Lord Cevin had received a report that the Evandians had reached the Zel’Esten Estate, and the fact that no one from Zel’Esten had made it to their force spoke volumes: The Evandians must have slaughtered them to the last man.
“My lord,” the scout said as he reined his horse to a stop, “they are coming. I’d guess they are no more than twenty dragons behind me.”
Lord Cevin glared at his peers as he turned around. “They’ve slaughtered the Zel’Estens, now they’ve come here. I warned you this would happen.” The other lords nodded their agreement, and Lord Cevin hissed at his men. “They must be stopped. Our very lives depend on our driving them back.”
All down the line, shouted orders had men moving into position. One thing about the common farmers and herdsmen of their estates was in their favor: Every one of them was a good shot with a bow. Hunting for food made all of them keep their skills as sharp as their arrowheads.
*
It took the Pacification Force three days to reach the outskirts of the Zel’Hestel estate. As they came around a curve in the road, arrows showered down among the leading riders. Horses screamed as men shouted, and Karvik yelled, “Get down,” as he pulled Stavin out of his saddle.
Farindian Summer (Stavin DragonBlessed Book 4) Page 18