Stavin shook his head and said, “I can’t win,” in a whiny tone of voice that drew chuckles from the men who were close enough to hear.
The army was ready to move when Barvil and the others returned three spans later. “They made some good choices, Stavin,” he reported as he mounted his horse. “They picked what looks like the ruins of old Chosen estates. It’ll take some work on their part to prepare for the new buildings, but they’ll come out well ahead in the end.”
“Why did you specify ten dragons of land with the houses, Stave?” Karvik asked.
“Do you remember Emperor Evand Zel’Jestan’s proclamation when Evandia was first founded?”
“No, and I’ll bet a crown no one here but you does either,” Karvik answered. “What did the emperor say?”
Stavin grinned. “Anyone who settles in the new lands will receive ten dragons of land and a mule.”
“You didn’t give them any mules, Stavin,” Barvil laughed.
Stavin grinned. “They are miners, not farmers, but I’ll bet they farm their land anyway. Next time we come through here I bet they have large gardens around their homes.”
“No bet. You have enough gold,” Karvik said with a wide grin.
Chapter 34
THE COURT ROOM WAS LOUD WITH speculation as the Royal Guards hauled the entire Council of Ministers out before the dais. It wasn’t long, however, before King Kalin arrived to tell everyone what was going on.
“My noble lords and ladies, just moments ago four men led by former Minister of Development Garrat Zel’Delvan snuck into Princess Sharindis’ suite and threatened the lives of my grandchildren, as well as the lives of several other young children of high court families, including my nephew’s son, Dahran Zel’Fordal.” The king stopped talking as the nobility started yelling. He let it continue for a moment before signaling for silence. The herald banged his staff on the floor several times until the room quieted.
“The last I saw of Garrat, he was choking on his crushed windpipe. Only one of the attackers survived, but I’m sure he’ll be sufficient to discover who else was involved in this treachery.” He glared down at the ministers. “I know at least one of you was in this with him.”
Minister of the Interior Zel’Jessel immediately stepped forward and bowed. “Your Majesty, I had nothing to do with this incident.”
“We shall see,” the king murmured. Looking to the left, he asked, “Where is Lord Zel’Sartan?”
Captain Zel’Astel stepped forward and bowed. “King Kalin, Lord Zel’Sartan was not in his suite. The servants did not know where he had gone.”
“Damn,” the king muttered. “All of the Ministers are to be detained in their quarters until we find Aldus.” There were instantly shouts of protest from the Ministers, and the king rounded on them. He bellowed, “Silence!” and the Ministers quieted.
“Four men invaded the Prince’s Suite and threatened to kill the babies unless I acceded to their demands.” He held up a piece of parchment. “Those traitors and their friends wanted me to give over control of the kingdom to the Council of Ministers, to abdicate in favor of a committee that would take the authority of the Crown unto themselves. In my eyes, you are all guilty until proven innocent.”
Minister of Agriculture Zel’Bordal stepped forward and bowed. “King Kalin, you can’t think I’d have anything to do with a plot that would threaten my own daughter and grandson.”
The king looked at him for a moment, then shook his head. “No, Fortan, I don’t think you’re that greedy for power. You’ll still be kept in your suite until we find Aldus to verify your innocence in front of the assembled Court. All of you will face the Truth Seer to see what you have or haven’t done.” The king turned away, and Royal Guardsmen stepped forward to grasp each Lord Minister by the arm.
The king went to Marina’s suite and found chaos. The mothers of the other toddlers had been summoned and were there along with maids and matrons of every rank. Fortunately, everyone but the children bowed or knelt when the king arrived.
“G’n’pa!” Karlin shouted and launched himself at the king in the certain knowledge he would be caught. Kalin didn’t disappoint him.
After a tight hug, Kalin asked, “Well, little Karlin, you’ve had an exciting day, haven’t you?”
“Bad mans.”
“Yes, they were bad men, but mama and Aunt Sora took care of them, didn’t they?”
“Unca’ Var, too! Unca’ Var got a stripe!”
The king looked over at the young man and grinned. “Uncle Varik did indeed get his first stripe. It seems that Stavin’s decision to leave that Dragon’s Tongue in your hands was a good one. I’m reliably informed it’ll take two days to fix the door to the Prince’s Suite.”
Varik stood just a touch straighter as he replied, “They said no battering rams, Your Majesty. And it was Shari’s idea.”
“Her fault, you mean.” The king had to laugh at Varik’s expression.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Var!” Shari snapped, but she was laughing.
Princess Marina laughed as well. “You’re right, Dad. I did miss a lot not having my brother around to fight with.” She held Mahren close as she walked around her suite, being protective of the baby.
Kalin shook his head. “Indeed you did. We can’t find Aldus, so I can’t question the Ministers as to who else was involved. Glora, your father isn’t really under suspicion, but he has to be questioned with the others.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I suspect he’s as anxious as you are to find out who the cowards who did this are.” So he can watch them die.
Chapter 35
THE NEXT STOP FOR THE ARMY came seven days later when they reached the crossroads that would lead them home to Kel’Kavin or south to Trade Town and Skykon. They arrived early, but Stavin had Gavlin stop anyway.
“I want to look around a little, Gav,” Stavin explained when Gavlin looked at him curiously. “I’ve been by here a double-hand of times, but I’ve never really spent any time here. Even the times we camped here, I just ate and slept.”
Stavin took all of the warriors and Royal Guards with him as he explored the area. It was a large, flat expanse of the high plateau, sparsely dotted by scrub pine and juniper trees. They found the remains of a few houses, but they were mostly just the outlines of stone foundations. One foundation was very large, like an inn or manor house had stood there.
Stavin started humming as he walked, nodding occasionally. Karvik recognized the symptoms immediately. “What are you thinking, Stave?” he asked with a hint of suspicion in his voice.
Stavin shrugged. “I’m thinking that I know more about Twin Bridges than I do about this area, and this is right in front of Kel’Kavin. I also think the area is going to see a lot more travelers in the future. There used to be a settlement of some kind here. We might be able to found a new town.”
Barvil was on Stavin’s other side and shook his head as he looked around. “Maybe you could build a caravansary, but not a full town. This would be a nice place to stop at an inn or tavern, though.”
“Why bother?” Karvik asked.
“It’s just so much closer to home,” Stavin answered softly.
Karvik looked at his friend in silence for a moment before saying, “Stave, you are not homesick for Kavinston, are you? We’re not even halfway through the summer.”
Stavin hung his head and sighed. “I know it’s silly of me, but I am. I think it’s because we’re so close. It’d only take us four days to march up there.”
Karvik looked at his dad and raised an eyebrow. Barvil nodded silently, then put a hand on Stavin’s shoulder. “We could go north to Kahrant’s Pass and Haltar, and establish the border there before tackling the Traders. King Jallat’s men have probably already done so on their side of the river.”
Stavin’s expression lightened considerably at that suggestion. “We could go home for a visit,” he said, and both of his friends smiled at the sudden light of joy in his eyes.
Stavin consulted with Gavlin less than a span later. He presented the idea, and let Gavlin think about it for a moment. “We could do that,” Gavlin agreed. “The maps you provided show this area in much better detail. It would be a shorter march than circling south to Skykon.”
Stavin breathed a deep sigh of relief. “I’m so glad you agreed, Gav. Since I found out about—since I learned what the magic is doing to me, I’ve wanted to go see my mom.”
Gavlin gave him an intense stare for a moment, then nodded. “As you wish, Stave. And I want to see Kel’Kavin, both the fort and the valley. Dahvin has been telling me intriguing stories since he came back.”
It was a two-day march north to the crossroads that led west to Kahrant’s Pass. Gavlin had his force camp there while he joined the Royal Guard on the ride up to Kel’Kavin. It only took them one day, and they arrived just before dark. Alarm horns sounded and bells rang as their force came into view of the fortress. Fully fifty warriors lined the parapets of Fort Kel’Kavin to repulse any attack.
Stavin shook his head sadly. This was a result of the annexation as well. Barvil rode forward alone to speak to the guards.
“Ho, Kel’Kavin,” he shouted. “This is some greeting.”
“Barvil!?” a voice shouted, and a man came to the wall. It was Jorvan Kel’Chamlin. “What are you doing here? I thought you were in Twin Bridges.”
“We were. The army is camped at the crossroads west. Are you going to let us in, or do we have to camp outside the gates?”
Orders were shouted through the fort, and the gates swung open. Barvil rode forward with the rest of the guards following him. Jorvan met him at the gate. “Just come visiting?”
“Stavin has to talk to his parents about something,” Barvil said softly.
“Oh. Nothing serious, I hope?”
Barvil nodded. “Very serious, I’m afraid. You’ll find out later.” With that he rode on, leaving Jorvan to watch as the warriors and guardsmen rode by. Once everyone was inside, the gates were closed and barred again.
Kavinston had prepared for the worst when the alarm rang, and was just reopening the gates when the warriors arrived. Shouted questions mixed with shouts of joy when the warriors were recognized. Barvil stood in his stirrups and shouted before everyone dispersed. “Be ready to leave at first light.” All around him, warriors bowed in acknowledgement then went to their homes.
Stavin had already ridden to his father’s house and dismounted. Karlit met him on the porch in full armor, and Farlit was right at his shoulder. “Well, this is a pleasant surprise,” Karlit said as he watched Stavin dismount.
“Hi, Dad. Hi, Far,” Stavin said as he climbed the stairs and let his father lead him inside.
Marinis met him just inside the door with an affectionate hug. “Welcome home, Stavin,” she whispered as she rocked him back and forth.
For a change, Stavin didn’t try to pull away after a few breaths like he usually did. Instead, he clung to his mother and started to cry. Marinis looked at her husband in alarm, and he closed the door.
“Stavi, what’s wrong?” Marinis asked as she rocked him.
“It’s-It’s killing me,” he stammered.
“What’s killing you, Stavi?” she asked, her whole being focused on her youngest child.
“The sword. The dragon magic,” Stavin replied, then let go of his mother and removed his helmet. “It’s changing me.”
Marinis looked at Stavin, then reached up and took his head between her hands. “What happened to your eyes, Stavin?”
“The magic.”
She moved him over to the window so she could get a better look, and hissed in surprise when the gold in his eyes glinted in the sunlight. “Gods Below, Stavin,” she whispered.
“What?” Karlit asked. When he looked over his wife’s shoulder, his curiosity turned to anger. “Gods Below, Stavin! You have to stop using that sword’s magic. Your armor alone never did anything like this.”
Stavin nodded as well as he could with his mom holding his head. “I know. And there’s more.” He went on to describe what had happened to Sallah Zel’Janvis. He whispered, “If I didn’t have the full suit of armor, I would have died that day.” Then he broke down and cried again.
Marinis looked over at Farlit’s wife and said, “Del, freshen the guest room. Stavin is staying here tonight, and damn the Council if they object.”
“Yes, Marinis,” Del replied and went to the stairs.
“Come sit down and tell us about it, Stavin,” Marinis said as she led him to a sofa.
Stavin sat cuddled under his mother’s arm and told them all he knew about what the sword was doing, and what he’d done because of it. His voice broke when he described the battle at the Zel’Hestel estate.
“They were our people, just obeying their lord. And I hit them. I broke them without ever touching them. And I felt good about it until I let go of the sword. Karvik took the sword away from me for a while. I almost told him to keep it.”
“Perhaps that would be best,” Karlit said from where he was sitting. “It might be better to let Karvik or Barvil carry it.”
Stavin shook his head. “They’re as afraid of it as I am.”
“Then why are you still carrying it?” Farlit asked.
“Because I’m afraid not to,” Stavin whispered. “I’m afraid I’ll fail without it.”
“Damn, you have changed,” Farlit whispered as he tilted his head to the side. “I’ve never heard you admit to being afraid of anything, Stave.” He was eyeing his baby brother curiously. Farlit knew his brother better than just about anyone, and he wasn’t sure he liked what he was seeing. Stavin had changed in more ways than he knew.
“I’ve never felt like this before, Far. I’ve been afraid. Hells, I faced Barvil twice asking for Dorvi, and damn near wet myself both times.” He shook his head a little. “But this terrifies me in a way death never has. I’m afraid I’ll turn into a monster. That killing will become somehow pleasing to me. That life will mean nothing.” Farlit finally recognized what he was hearing from Stavin: there was a tremble of real fear in his voice.
“You have to give the sword to someone else, Stavin,” Karlit said in a soft but firm tone.
“I will, Dad. But I want it to go to the Heir of Zel’Hallan. To Shovar’s son. I should have given it to him last year, after the war. But I wanted it. I wanted that power. That feeling of invincibility.” He took a deep breath. “I wanted the respect I saw in people’s eyes when they looked at me.”
Marinis reached up and pulled his head against her. “Stavin, they don’t respect you because of that sword, or what you’ve done with it. They respect you because you’re respectable. You earned your stars before you got that sword. You crossed the Zel’Horgan alone to face the entire Andarian Army with the gifts you were given, not knowing what would happen. That sword means nothing.”
Stavin started crying again as nearly a moon of fear and heartache finally found release. He cried and deep, heart-wrenching sobs tore through him. When he had finally purged his fears against his mother’s side, he sniffed hard and said, “I need to lie down.” Marinis led him up the stairs and put him to bed, expertly stripping his armor away before letting him onto the bed. She pulled a blanket over him and kissed his cheek before leaving him alone. Stavin didn’t notice. He was fast asleep, feeling safe and secure for the first time since Zel’Hestel.
*
Dahvin came looking for Stavin late in the evening. Karlit opened the door and bowed when he saw who it was. Dahvin bowed his head and said, “Good evening, Karlit. I’ve come to take Stavin to the royal suite.”
Karlit shook his head. “No, Lord Dahvin. Stavin is asleep, and he’s remaining where he is.”
Dahvin was surprised by that. “Karlit, Stavin has to be in the royal suite for protection.”
“It’s you he needs protection from, Lord Dahvin,” Karlit growled. “You and the rest of the Chosen.”
Dahvin stood frozen by the by the content
and tone of Karlit’s reply. “What do you mean?”
“He’s worn out. You’re demanding more from him than he can give.”
Dahvin shook his head slowly. “He’s demanding it of himself, Karlit.”
“Then you have to stop him,” Karlit snapped. “He’s your friend. You can’t let him kill himself like this.”
Now Dahvin began to understand why Karlit was angry. “We’re trying. Karvik and Barvil are as well, but Stavin is convinced that he has to do this by himself. He’s convinced that the annexation rests on him alone.”
“Then you must disabuse him of that notion. And come back tomorrow. From the look in his eyes, he hasn’t had a good night’s sleep in a long time.”
“Karlit, he has to be in the royal suite for protection.”
Karlit smiled and almost laughed. “Lord Dahvin, he’s as safe here as there. Remember where you are.”
“Karlit, be reasonable. He’s—”
“Lord Dahvin,” Marinis interrupted, “he’s not going to be awakened just to go up to the fortress. Kel’Kavin is secure. Kavinston is secure. And this house is secure.”
Dahvin shook his head. “Marinis, I have a responsibility to keep Stavin safe.”
“Then sleep on the porch,” Marinis snapped, “but Stavin is staying where he is.”
Dahvin took a deep breath, but Karlit’s shaking head stopped him from saying anything. “I wouldn’t argue with her. It’s her house. And you don’t want to come between a mother and her son. You’d soon find yourself facing every woman in the valley.”
Dahvin looked Karlit in the eye, then sighed. “Very well. I’ll come for him in the morning.”
“Sleep well, Lord Dahvin. Stavin will be ready at first light.”
Chapter 36
BARVIL CALLED FOR AN EMERGENCY MEETING of the Elders’ Council as soon as he’d seen his family. Chief Elder Kel’Kaffrey gave him a curious look as soon as he arrived, but he remained silent until all of the Elders had joined them.
Farindian Summer (Stavin DragonBlessed Book 4) Page 21