A King's Ransom

by Lia Black

  That possibility didn't really make sense to Kaidos either. Rheton was at least thirty years older than Veyl and once he died, who would be around to keep Veyl sedated and under control? A disturbing thought crossed his mind then as he remembered something Barlan had mentioned in passing. "The mage…" Kaidos murmured.

  "I beg your pardon, young man?" The chamberlain cocked his head.

  Kaidos turned to Engel. "Barlan said a mage had come to visit him…"

  "Barlan?" DuFallier looked between the two.

  "One of our companions. We have had some help along the way," Engel added hastily, staring hard at Kaidos.

  Kaidos felt ice forming in his veins. "Could a mage put a spell on Veyl? To make him do what he wanted?" He looked around the table at the other men, but it was the chamberlain who answered him.

  "That dark sort of magick has been banned for the last several decades…only healers and elves are allowed to practice, and then, only the white arts…"

  "Your Grace, if your brother could find a mage who had that sort of power…" Engel began but the archduke finished with a slow nod of his head.

  "He wouldn't hesitate to use it."

  "This is troubling news," the chamberlain clucked.

  "Captain Engel, can you tell me if my brother is preparing for war?" DuFallier asked.

  "I can tell you, Your Grace, that he seems to be conscripting every man of viable age in Dandre, perhaps even mercenaries, but they are not well-trained. I've seen a few lads I believed were a scant thirteen years of age. It would be a bloodbath that--should you, or whomever attacks, prevail--would certainly cause an uprising even among those who are not allies of the current king."

  "That would be…most unfortunate indeed." The chamberlain stroked his long, grey beard, looking thoughtfully at the archduke.

  Kaidos glanced at Engel, The man's face was stone, but Kaidos understood that Engel hadn't earned his status by letting his heart rule in place of his head. Perhaps that was the biggest difference between them then; Kaidos would do anything for love—anything for Veyl, even if it was the wrong thing to do.

  "Your Grace, by your permission, if I may offer a suggestion?" Engel said after a pause.

  Archduke DuFallier nodded, "Please, Captain."

  "I would suggest that we bring a small group up through the aqueducts that flow below the castle dungeons. They open to a cave that I doubt very much that the guards there are aware of even now. If a larger group can be sent to the front gates, that might distract the bulk of the military, who would be waiting for orders from the king to know what to do. My belief is that the seasoned soldiers would come to deal with what could be a more immediate threat at the gate, leaving those who are not prepared to face a skirmish to patrol the courtyard. I would prefer not to take innocent lives. If we can find Veyl, we can cripple the leadership regardless of where it's centered. They won't brave any sort of attack unless they know that their future sovereign is tucked safely away."

  DuFallier glanced at his chamberlain who gave a small nod.

  "And who do you suggest will be part of this small group?"

  "Myself, Kaidos, our associates Crow and Barlan, and a few of your most trusted men. I also believe that, if Your Grace feels it appropriate, messengers be dispatched to your allies on either side of the forest that is the Northwind Court's territory. Your allies could send aid that would be standing by should things not go quite as planned."

  The archduke sat for several moments in silent contemplation before he nodded. "All right. Let me discuss it with some of my military advisors. I am certain that they would like to speak to you as well, Captain Engel. In the meantime, I'd like to invite you both to stay at my home."

  CHAPTER FORTY ONE

  Questions and Answers

  "Sit down, Vailinn, you're going to wear a hole in the rug," Engel snapped as Kaidos paced past him again.

  "Are we prisoners here? What's going on?" Kaidos looked around the room. It was a well-appointed suite with a large fireplace at one end and a comfortable grouping of chairs. There was also a round wooden table for taking meals--currently set with plates of fruit and pastries, and a copper tub behind a screen. Two wide beds stood at the back of the suite and it was on one of these that Engel sat as Kaidos paced nearly the length of the room.

  "There is a window, Vailinn," Engel gestured to a window in the center of the south wall, "it's not barred, and I don't suspect the door is locked."

  "But can we leave?" Kaidos pointed at the door, stopping in front of Engel.

  "And go where?"

  Kaidos stopped pacing, though his muscles tensed with his need to keep moving. "I—I don't know. I just want to get back to Veyl. I'm not doing him any good being cooped up a continent away!" Admitting that made Kaidos' belly churn with acid.

  "You won't be doing any good walking in unprepared, either. I have confidence that the archduke understands the situation. I'll know more once I meet with his men."

  "Wait—what am I supposed to do?"

  There was a knock at the door and Engel went to it as his name was called. He stopped with his hand on the knob, looking back at Kaidos.

  "I suggest you try to stay out of trouble."

  "Easy for you to say," Kaidos grumbled and sat on his bed as Engel left the suite.

  He lay down and tried to relax—tried to focus on that thread that connected him to Veyl. It was there, but the darkness was thicker, and when Kaidos tried to pull, it felt like the other end of their connection was tied to an unmovable stone.

  A sharp rapping at the door drew him out of his mind and Kaidos sat up, surprised to find that he'd broken out into a cold sweat. He sat up stiffly, scrubbing at his face with his hands. The knocking repeated, louder this time, accompanied by a man's voice.

  "Ser Vailinn, are you in there?"

  "Coming," Kaidos called and got out of the bed.

  A man a few years younger than himself stood at the door. He was very handsome and dressed not like a servant or a soldier, but in the clothing of the noble class. His medium brown hair hung loose to his shoulders and he had a well-formed face with a strong jaw, squared chin and nicely chiseled cheekbones.

  The man seemed surprised when he looked at Kaidos. His brown eyes lingered on his face, examining his features with interest. "You are a foreigner…"

  "I am foreign to your land, if that's what you mean." Kaidos was not in the mood for answering foolish questions from what appeared to be some ignorant noble. "What is it you wanted, exactly?"

  The man blinked a few times and even that looked arrogant to Kaidos. He turned and headed back inside the room, leaving the door open.

  "I am Duke Renwal DuFallier, second heir to my father, the archduke. I was asked to check up on you."

  "Check up on me?" Kaidos looked over his shoulder as he grabbed an apple from the table.

  Renwal stepped inside the room, looking around as if it was his first time seeing it. For all Kaidos knew, it probably was.

  "I mean, see to any needs, answer any questions…"

  "See if I have any ill intent towards your father or his priceless objects, you mean." Kaidos held up a silver goblet from the table to illustrate his example.

  "Yes. Something like that."

  Well, at least the duke had the decency not to pretend otherwise.

  "My father tells me that you came here with Captain Engel. How did you two come to be acquainted?" Renwal did not close the door but leaned beside it. He didn't seem to be barring Kaidos' exit, nor did he appear to be contemplating one himself just yet.

  "We met in Aaullsworthe," Kaidos said, uncertain how to handle any deeper probing. He was a thief, but not a liar—well, not with something so big, yet there were certain things he felt might not be in the best interest of their mission to reveal.

  "And that is where this prince—Veyl—also lived."

  "Yes." Kaidos discarded the apple after only a few bites. His appetite was no longer of interest.

  "Are your type more com
mon there?"

  "My type?" Kaidos leaned back against the table, raising an eyebrow as he tried not to jump to any number of conclusions about the duke's allusion.

  "Yes—your ethnic background, your coloring."

  Kaidos twisted his mouth, slightly amused by the Duke's ignorance. "You've not heard of Wanderers then?"

  "Oh!" The Duke's eyes went wide and he suddenly looked like a child who'd just discovered a sweet among the lint in his pockets. "You're one of those? I've read about them in some of my history books—nomadic tribes, deeply infused with culture and superstition, often considered thieves and swindlers…" Renwal stopped his chattering abruptly, his cheeks going pink as he looked at Kaidos apologetically. "Not that all history accounts are accurate, mind you…"

  Kaidos smirked. "Of course not."

  "But I thought you met Veyl and Captain Engel in Aaullsworthe. Did your, er, caravans stop there?"

  "I no longer align myself so strictly with the culture. I have traveled alone for many years."

  "Ah." Renwal said. He moved to sit in one of the chairs by the fire and Kaidos reluctantly joined him.

  "Is it common in that region for men to claim love for other men?"

  Duke Renwal certainly wasted little time in getting directly to the point. Although Kaidos might appreciate a political leader with such qualities, he wondered if Renwal's father felt the same.

  "No more common than anywhere else, I would guess." Kaidos shrugged. "And no more accepted, if that's what you're wondering."

  "Oh. Then I would have to say that you are quite brave to admit to it then."

  Again, Kaidos shrugged.

  "Have you always loved men?"

  Kaidos stood up as the question made him bristle. He wasn't certain what Renwal was trying to get at. His attitude suggested genuine curiosity, but perhaps it was a ruse that would be used to further some prejudice and refuse to help them rescue Veyl. Although that didn't seem very likely, Kaidos wasn't certain how these political games were played. "I'm not certain what you mean by that question."

  Renwal sighed and slumped his shoulders a bit. "I…am curious about how something like that happens. I realize that there are times when men will find…solace, with one another, but it is usually only under certain circumstances--when women are not available. I have never heard of a man choosing another man over a woman."

  Kaidos sighed and raked his fingers through his hair, "If I am going to answer such personal questions, I'd at least like to have an idea of why you're asking."

  "I…know someone who has always been with women. But lately he is…he's started paying attention to men."

  Kaidos wondered if the someone was Renwal. He sat back down. "I have enjoyed the company of women. I always believed I would marry and have children with one because I was…unaware?" Kaidos asked himself the question as well. Had he been unaware, or was it his fear that had kept him from exploring the answer before he'd met Veyl? "I was following the expectations of what it means to be a man. Veyl seemed to live free of those expectations. I can't say that I love him just because he is a man—I love him regardless of his sex."

  "You find him pleasing to look at?"

  Kaidos chuckled softly, "Anyone would. I find it more astounding that he finds me pleasing to look at."

  Renwal's brown eyes again looked Kaidos over, but he gave no indication of how he felt about Kaidos' appearance.

  "This person I know, many people find him pleasing to look at as well. Women swoon to see him, but most men admire him for how attractive he is to women and for his status…the ones I know of, anyway." Renwal shook his head. "Forgive me, I just find it difficult to fathom. I have been acquainted with many men in my time, but never met any who set my blood boiling." Renwal rose from his seat and Kaidos rose as well.

  "I thank you for being so candid. I will be riding with the party to Dandre. Captain Engel says we may be meeting the rest of your group along the way?"

  "Crow and Barlan. Crow is an elven scout. He helped us get through the Northern Wind's territory at great personal peril. Lucania Barlan is…well…a bear. At least sometimes." Kaidos thought it best to warn the Duke ahead of time, assuming Engel had done as much with the men to whom he'd be speaking.

  "He is the elf's pet?"

  "He's…" Kaidos tried to figure out how best to say it. "He's sometimes a man and sometimes a bear. No, not a pet." Although Kaidos didn't think Barlan would protest such a suggestion if it meant remaining close to Crow.

  Again, Renwal got that odd expression of glee. "You mean he can change from bear to man? What an extraordinary adventure this will be! My brothers will be beside themselves with envy!"

  Kaidos opened his mouth but snapped it shut when he realized he had nothing to say. Middle brother; perhaps that was what explained it.

  "Ren?" Another man's voice called in from the open doorway accompanied by the sound of a fussing infant.

  The young Duke hopped to his feet, "Oh, Teyrim…"

  The man who appeared in the doorway looked like an older brother to the young duke—perhaps a year or two older than Kaidos. Dressed in black, he had the same coloring and facial structure as Renwal, though his hair was longer and pulled back and he was taller. Some of his hair had come loose and hung in tendrils around his face; the skin around his eyes looked nearly bruised from his obvious exhaustion as he held the squirming baby against his chest. Despite his slightly less than polished appearance, he was remarkably handsome and he seemed surprised by Kaidos. The man's gaze moved to assess him, lingering perhaps longer than was prudent before he offered a tiny smile.

  "Have you seen Eadre? He was supposed to take Ronwyn for a few hours. I had to take her with me to meet Father and Captain Engel and she spit up all over the poor man!"

  Kaidos snickered, and looked away, trying to banish the image of Engel cooing at an infant a moment before she covered him with curdled milk.

  "No, I'll find him." Renwal said but Teyrim stuck the baby in his arms before the younger man could slip past. He then entered the room, his eyes on Kaidos.

  "Good day to you; you must be ser Vailinn." The man offered a tip of his head.

  Kaidos did likewise and suddenly realized that he'd neglected to lace up his shirt completely as the other man's eyes grazed his bared chest for a moment.

  "I am Duke Teyrim DuFallier, eldest son of the archduke. It seems that you have journeyed a long way to seek my father's aid."

  "Yes, we have. Please, you look like you need to sit down." Kaidos offered him a chair near the fire which Teyrim gratefully settled into.

  "I do hope that my brother was not bothering you with questions. Occasionally his manner can be a bit…indelicate."

  Kaidos shrugged, inconspicuously lacing up his shirt before he sat in the other chair, "Not really. I can be quite indelicate myself, Your Grace." He wondered if he should have mentioned it when Teyrim raised an eyebrow.

  "I wish I could accompany you all to Dandre, but family obligations and my obligation as heir keep me tied here. I am told you are the prince's consort?"

  Again, Kaidos felt his cheeks heat, "Yes, Your Grace," and Teyrim's gaze became more appraising.

  "He is a lucky man to have someone who cares for him so much." Teyrim's expression was wistful.

  Thinking about Veyl made Kaidos' heart ache and he quickly changed the subject. "That is your daughter then?"

  "Yes," Teyrim smiled with a father's pride. "My only child, Ronwyn."

  "You and your wife are not planning for more children?" As soon as the question left his lips, Kaidos wished he could have retracted it.

  Teyrim looked away, his features becoming more drawn. "Unfortunately, my wife did not survive long after Ronwyn's birth. I am in mourning for her still."

  "Oh," Kaidos' eyes fell to the black tunic, "I'm very sorry."

  "Thank you." Teyrim took in a deep breath, letting it out in a sigh as he stood. He wobbled a little and Kaidos instinctively jumped to his feet to steady him. He nearly drew
back when he felt the prominent ridges of bone against Teyrim's sternum, indicating that the man hadn't eaten in quite some time.

  Teyrim offered him a weak, though appreciative smile, "Thank you," he said again, "I do hope that we might meet in the future, after you are reunited with your prince."

  The sound of someone running from down the hall grew in volume and a guard appeared, his face was red from exertion as he stopped in the doorway. He panted as he spoke, "Duke Teyrim, here you are…I was concerned…" He gave Kaidos an odd look that seemed to border on a glare.

  "I'm fine, Amon. It was nice meeting you, ser Vailinn. Give my regards to my cousin the prince." Teyrim approached the guard who looked upon the young Duke with intense fondness as he passed. He shot Kaidos a final possessive glance over his shoulder and escorted the man down the hall.

  CHAPTER FORTY TWO

  The Plan

  On the night before Kaidos and Engel had left for Parthus, Crow began his deep introspection. He was confused by his own thinking too much to understand what was in his heart, and he sought to find some logic among it all. Lucania had been patient, moving around as silently as the giant could muster, and giving Crow the space he thought he needed.

  "Crow."

  It was late in the afternoon on the second day of Crow's self-imposed punishment that Lucania finally spoke up.

  "Crow, you need to eat."

  "Not hun—" Crow began but met Lucania's eyes over the autumn berries he'd picked. Those blue eyes, the color of the sky, looked back at him with something that looked very much like concern.

  "Thank you." Crow looked away and hastily took a handful of the sweet fruit, pushing several pieces into his mouth and swallowing without tasting.

  Lucania settled down beside him, lying on his side, and propping his head upon his hand. "Now you're going to talk to me and tell me what's troubling you."