Karlit said, “You invested heavily in these devices, Stavin. Shari provided the gold to buy a bunch of bowls and bottles. Henley and I have spent half the summer building bases for them. We’ve made fifty-seven so far.”
Stavin was once again looking at the device, trying to understand how it worked. “What happens if you move them?”
“The size of the spot of light changes, Master Stavin,” Sallin replied.
Stavin looked at his father and asked, “What have you been doing with them?”
“Stavin, this is the most popular device in the valley right now. Everyone wants one. We may reach a point where we can export them.”
Stavin hummed as he continued to study the device. “I can’t imagine any Scribe not wanting one. There would be a market for a while until the secret got out. Then just about anyone could build one.”
“True,” his father agreed.
Stavin continued to study the device carefully as he said, “Master Fel’Larin is going to want several. Most of his scribes are elderly men. King Kalin is going to want one. Lord General Zel’Enred in Coravia.” He shook his head slowly. “You’re right, Dad. Everyone is going to want one of these lights.”
* * *
It was on that same day that the Elders’ Council went up to the royal suite and requested a meeting with Princess Marina. She greeted them in the suite sitting room. “Gentlemen, thank you for coming to see me so promptly. Is Warmaster Barvil not attending?”
“Your forgiveness, Princess Marina,” Chief Elder Kel’Kaffrey said, “but Warmaster Kel’Horval has replaced Warmaster Kel’Carin on the Council. We can send for him, if you wish.”
The princess smiled at Charvil, then looked toward the door. “Dahvin, send someone to invite Warmaster Kel’Carin to join us. Invite, Dahvin, not command.” When Dahvin turned away to do her bidding she looked at the council. “With the good Warmasters competing and trading places, it would probably be best to have both of them completely conversant with my father’s proposals.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Mikal replied as he bowed in his seat.
Barvil arrived a short time later. “You wished to see me, Princess Marina?”
“Yes, Warmaster. Join us, please.” She indicated a chair that had been brought in and placed beside Charvil. “Gentlemen, the first thing I must make clear is the status of Ward Stavin.” She looked around at the council for a moment before continuing. “Stavin is a member of the Evandian Royal Family by Royal Decree. He is not in the line of succession,” she grinned at Charvil, “due to his birth in a Cat Clan, but my father and I consider him to be my little brother. It is his wish to continue his life as it is, but I must warn you that your command of him is limited. If he so chose, he could rightfully take his family to Twin Bridges and move them into the palace.”
Chief Elder Kel’Kaffrey bowed to the princess from his seat as a thoughtful expression crossed his face. “We will honor Stavin appropriately, Princess Marina. Warmaster Kel’Horval has already told us most of this.”
“Very well. I already extended my father’s invitation to any of your people who wish to join the Royal Guards. Your weapons skills are beyond any we’ve previously encountered. This brings us to my father’s next proposal: He wishes to take over Kel’Kavin.”
There was dead silence in the room. “Princess Marina, exactly what do you mean by ‘take over Kel’Kavin?’ Annex us?” Chief Elder Kel’Kaffrey asked in a husky tone. He seemed to be barely controlling his excitement.
The princess nodded her head deeply. “Essentially, yes. While we have long been aware of your warriors in their capacity as caravan guards, it wasn’t until Stavin came to our notice that we really paid attention.” She looked around, noting each man’s expression.
“Stavin made us take a closer look at you, and we are very pleased by what we see. As I said, yours are the finest warriors we have ever encountered. Warmaster Charvil and his men could have slaughtered the Royal Guards easily had they chosen to do so. Indeed, it is our belief that it was only the moons of instruction at the hands of the good Warmaster and his men that saved us from the traitors.”
“Your pardon, Princess Marina,” Barvil asked carefully, “but is this why Stavin was made a Ward of the Crown?”
The princess laughed merrily and looked at Charvil. “Didn’t you tell them?”
“The subject hadn’t come up yet, Your Highness,” Charvil answered sheepishly.
The princess smiled at the Elders and shook her head. “Stavin was made a Ward of the Crown because my father made a mistake. He had Stavin execute three traitors, and their families swore revenge against him. At the time of his elevation, Stavin had killed seventeen men in single combat.”
Charvil cleared his throat to interrupt. “Only five in single combat, Your Highness. The last twelve were all at once when he was mobbed. We tried to interfere, but the lords were much closer than we were and got to him first.”
The princess nodded her agreement and looked around at the stunned expressions of the Elders. “You see? Stavin was summoned by my father immediately after that fight, and appeared before the Council soaked in blood. My father had intended to order Stavin to stop accepting challenges. When Stavin pointed out to one of the councilors that he couldn’t honorably refuse to defend the honor of his house, father chose a different tactic. He placed royal protections on Stavin so no one could challenge him.” She paused as her mouth twisted into a sour grimace. “It was the only way he could think of to get Stavin to stop killing everyone he faced. No one lasted more than two breaths in the circle against him.”
All of the Elders except Barvil and Charvil were stunned speechless by the princess’ explanation. Those two just grinned. “We told you Stavin was good,” Charvil chuckled.
Elder Kel’Naril shook his head. “I still don’t understand why you want to annex us, Your Highness.”
Princess Marina gave him a sideways look as she replied, “So no one can hire you to use against us.”
Chapter 39
STAVIN AND SHARINDIS MOVED INTO THEIR own home on a sunny autumn day. He and his brothers had repaired the roof and the shutters, and, most importantly, built shelves for all of their books.
Stavin led Shari up the steps and put the key in the lock, then put her hand on the key. “Open it up, Shari,” he whispered, and she turned the key.
The house was small in comparison to the houses of their parents, but it was more than enough for their little family. It had two stories, as most houses in Kavinston did, though the three upstairs bedrooms were very small. Stavin and his brothers had turned the living room into a library, and the first thing Stavin led Shari to was his desk.
“Feel this, Shari,” he said, putting her hand on the rolled down top.
“A barrel?” she asked.
Stavin laughed. “A desk,” he said as he put her hand on the handle and lifted.
“A roller top?” she asked in an amazed tone. “You bought a roller top desk?”
Stavin chuckled. “I didn’t have to buy it. It was in one of the houses the king awarded to House Kel’Aniston, along with the books.”
Sharindis sighed and started feeling her way around the house. Her staff tapped the floor ahead of her as she learned her way around the obstacles.
Stavin took her by the elbow and led her up the stairs. “Ours is the first door on the right,” he said when they reached the top.
“Seventeen,” Shari replied. “Seventeen steps, just like home.” She pushed the door of their bedroom open and walked in.
Stavin described the room to her. “The bed is straight on, about three paces. It’s not as big as our bed in Mom and Dad’s house, but it’s more than big enough for us. Your clothing is in a wardrobe one pace from your side of the bed. A dressing table is next to the wardrobe. My side is a mirror of yours except I have an armor stand instead of a dressing table.”
“Who brought my things over?” Sharindis asked.
“Mom. Mine and yours. Sora
and Ahvana helped a little.” He chuckled. “Feel this,” he said, guiding her fingers to the dressing table.
“This feels like--Stavin, this is the table that was my desk in the Kel’Carin house.”
Stavin chuckled. “Barvil and Sahrena brought it over. Well, Barvil and Karvik carried it. Sahrena brought the mirror. Did you know that Orana is pregnant?”
“Yes. She let everyone know about a moon after you left. What about the rest of the house?”
Stavin guided her to the other bedrooms. “Boys’ room has two beds. I thought Sallin could sleep in here with Karlin. Girls’ room has two beds as well. There’s not much else up here.”
“Sallin?” Sharindis said, and the girl immediately came to her side.
“Yes, Mistress?”
“You’ll stay with Karli in the boys’ room for now. When there are more children, we’ll make other arrangements.”
Sallin bowed deeply. “Yes, Mistress Shari.”
“What else is down stairs, Stavin?” Sharindis asked.
“Not much beyond the library and kitchen,” Stavin replied. “We have two south-facing windows, up here in our room and down stairs in the library, and some old furniture. It’s seen better days, but it will do for us.”
“You can ask for new furniture to be made, Stavin,” Shari pointed out.
“Only when what we have becomes unusable,” Stavin replied, but she raised her hand to stop him.
“You can pay Harrel and Kestan for new furniture now, Stavin. Remember, Mary and Dahvin are going to visit. You cannot have the Crown Princess of Evandia sitting on a chair with a mended leg.”
“You’re right,” Stavin said, and then sighed. “I’ll see them tomorrow.”
“What about the kitchen?” she asked.
“Farlit and Delia left all of the old cookware and crockery that our family has been handing down for generations. There’s enough for us, but only so long as we have fewer than three children.”
Sharindis frowned at him. “You will see to that tomorrow as well. Really, Stavin, Mary deserves better. And so do we. You can, and will, order good crockery from Hari and Kala. I’m sure she’d appreciate the silver. Hari hasn’t gone on an expedition in five years.”
Stavin was just barely able to keep from laughing as he answered, “Yes, Mistress Shari.”
* * *
As fall turned to winter the mood in the valley turned somber. Three full groups, thirty-three men, had not returned. They had been among those sent to Trade Town, and were known to have taken service with caravans going to Andaria. When the snows had closed the gap once and for all, Chief Elder Kel’Kaffrey called a town meeting. He looked tired and drawn, as if he hadn’t slept much lately. Which he hadn’t. Those men were missing because he had sent them.
“I think we are all aware of the reason for this meeting,” he said as the people milled about in front of the fortress, his voice projecting to the back of the crowd in the cold air. “We have lost three groups of warriors. It can be hoped that they are simply detained in Andaria due to the war with Evandia, but we cannot be certain of that.”
“Chief Elder,” a man shouted from the crowd, “what can we do about this?”
Mikal shook his head slowly. “At this point in time, nothing. We are as sealed into the valley as everyone else is sealed out. In spring that will change, but for now all we can do is hope for the best.”
“Chief Elder,” a woman said as she pushed her way to the front, “what have the Evandians to do with this?”
Again, all Mikal could do was shake his head slowly. “As far as we know, nothing. Andaria attacked Evandia with the aid of traitorous lords in Twin Bridges. We were not officially involved.”
“But Evandia wants to annex us!” a man shouted.
“Indeed they do,” Mikal agreed, “but that information is only known to a few people outside the valley. It is possible that the Andarians have learned of it, but unlikely. What we believe is that Andaria has simply restricted all travel. That is not unusual in times of war. They may have even conscripted our warriors into their army. Again, that is not unusual in times of war.”
“Chief Elder, what are we to do?” a young woman asked as she held her baby. “My husband has never even seen his son.”
Mikal closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, he let loose a gusty sigh. “As I’ve said, we can do nothing until spring. What we do then will depend on what we can find out in Trade Town. The Traders have sources of information that can aid us in tracking our men.”
Almost as one the people turned toward Stavin. He stepped away from Sharindis and bowed a little. “I will use every resource at my disposal to find our men once we can get to Trade Town.”
Chief Elder Kel’Kaffrey took control of the meeting again before anything unfortunate could happen. “The subject of Evandia annexing Kel’Kavin and Kavinston is still under discussion, but everything we’ve heard so far has been positive. Our discussions with Princess Marina have been encouraging, and the information will be available to anyone who wants to keep informed. There is no need to decide immediately, so we’ll keep the discussion open until spring.”
Warmaster Kel’Horval stepped forward next. His normally craggy face was lined with worry. “King Kalin has issued an open invitation to any of us who wish to join the Evandian Royal Guard. We, however, will not let anyone who has not proven himself apply. The honor of Farindia may only exist among us, but it is our honor. We will also be training the Royal Guards who accompanied Princess Marina to our standards. It may be that we’ll be training others in the future.”
Elder Kel’Naril stepped up next. His narrow face was twisted by a frown. “Something that all of you should consider is that if we are annexed by Evandia, our isolation will end. That, as far as I am personally concerned, would be the greatest benefit to annexation.”
Elder Kel’Caval stepped up next. He seemed the least worried of the Elders, and his round face was serene. “An end of our isolation may also mean an end to our way of life. I’m not speaking against the annexation. I am personally in favor of it. I’m just pointing out that not every aspect of being annexed would be positive.”
Elder Kel’Vardil spoke next. He was one of the oldest men in the valley, but he stood straight and tall as he addressed their people. “For two hundred and sixteen years we have lived in isolation, sending our men out to earn gold to buy what we lacked. This was a self-imposed isolation, decided upon by my ancestor, General Kel’Vardil. We, the Elders’ Council, will not make such a decision. We will listen to you, our people, for you have earned the right to be heard.”
Elder Kel’Vardil stepped back as Chief Elder Kel’Kaffrey stepped forward once again. “The majority of the adults will decide on accepting annexation, but we will not force anyone to leave the valley. Princess Marina has agreed that it would be a waste to abandon our home. This will simply give those who wish to leave somewhere else to go. Return to your homes now and let us hope for better news in the spring.”
Chapter 40
THE CHANGES THAT HAD OCCURRED WITH and around Stavin had far reaching consequences in Kavinston. While he didn’t take much notice of his change in status, others did. Especially the Elders’ Council.
During the regular session of the Council, Chief Elder Kel’Kaffrey voiced his concerns. “I have to tell you that I’m not comfortable with Stavin’s new status,” he said as he looked at his colleagues. The room was dimly lit, but he could still see the expressions of dissatisfaction on their faces
“No you don’t,” Elder Kel’Caval said as he grimaced. “We’re all aware of it. Most of us,” he glanced at Charvil, “share your discomfort.”
Charvil shrugged. “I’m not all that happy with it, either, to tell you the truth. King Kalin is using Stavin. The fact that it seems to be to the kid’s benefit aside, the king is up to something. While there are good reasons for him to have done the things he did, I can’t help but think there’s more to it.” He shook his head slow
ly and sat down, but it was obvious that there was more he wanted to say, but didn’t dare.
Chief Elder Kel’Kaffrey nodded his agreement, but he was obviously thinking of something else. “And we have no way of knowing what it is. Gods Below, he’s just eighteen! He’s got two more years on the expeditions, but how can we even send him out again? He’s a member of the Evandian Royal House. How can we order him on the expedition?”
“Because he’d never forgive us if we didn’t,” Charvil said softly. “He’ll feel forsworn if we don’t make him complete all five of his expeditions. I agree that sending him out is not our best course of action, but he’s got to at least go to Aravad for our supplies.”
“There is that,” the Chief Elder said with a sigh.
“There is the issue of our missing men as well,” Elder Kel’Naril said as he looked around. “We’ll need his status as a Master Trader in Trade Town to find out what happened to them.” All of the elders nodded their agreement.
“Very well,” Chief Elder Kel’Kaffrey said with an air of finality. “We’ll deal with Stavin when the time comes. I’d like to discuss the annexation right now. I think all of us are for it, but it is going to have far reaching consequences for us, and for Farindia. Laral,” he said, looking at Elder Kel’Vardil, “what did you and Arlen find out?”
Elder Kel’Vardil sat up straight in his chair and looked at a parchment in front of him. “The Evandian Royal House and the Farindian Royal House were related to seven degrees before the fall of the empire. At the time of the rebellion, that relationship had fallen to just three degrees. Now, by our calculations, that has been reduced to just two degrees. It is only the fact that, as far as we know, no one of the pure blood survived the rebellion and civil war that gives King Kalin any standing in Farindia at all.”
Elder Kel’Naril chuckled. “That, plus the fact that we have no king, no government, and no army. There are just a few Chosen clans left in Farindia. We’re nearly as bad as the Kavadians. The damn Traders control Farindia.”
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