Lady-Protector
Page 50
After a knock on the door, Chalmyr peered in. “They’re ready for you, Lady.”
“Thank you.” Mykella crossed the study, then the anteroom, and walked to the staircase.
The lower level of the palace had been cleared glasses before, and as she paused at the top of the ancient steps, a short trumpet fanfare echoed from the entry foyer below. Mykella walked down the steps alone, between the Southern Guards stationed at the top and bottom in their dress uniforms of cream and dark blue. Once past the two trumpeters, beside the staircase, Mykella turned right until she reached the doors on the west side of the wide corridor.
Two guards opened them, and she walked through the double doors into the small receiving room off the grand dining hall, whose doors were closed. Before those doors was a low dais with four chairs on one side for the ministers and two on the other side for the First Seltyr and the chief High Factor. Set in the middle of the dais and forward of the other chairs was a tall high-backed chair, not quite a throne, covered with pale green shimmersilk, placed there to set off the nightsilk blacks she wore.
Mykella nodded to the ministers and to the Chief High Factor and First Seltyr before settling into the high-backed chair.
The receiving room doors opened, and a man not all that much older than Mykella stepped into the chamber, bowed once, then walked forward, stopping a yard short of the dais, where he bowed again.
“Lady-Protector.”
“Greetings, Lord Dhevan. Welcome to Tempre. I trust your journey was uneventful.” Mykella projected a feeling of welcome.
“It was refreshingly so, Lady.”
“You have come to formally present and acknowledge the terms of the agreement between our lands. Is that not so?”
“Yes, Lady. I have presented the signed and sealed agreement to your Minister of Justice.”
“You have indeed.” Mykella looked to Gharyk, who stood and, lifting a gilt-edged leather folder, opened it to display a signed and sealed document.
“Lady-Protector … Prince Karolyt has agreed to the terms, but I must note as a matter of fact that we had no choice.”
Mykella could sense the young lord’s unease, but she needed to impress him in a way he would never forget. “You’re correct, Lord Dhevan, you had no choice. None. Your former ruler attacked Lanachrona without provocation. His acts cost us thousands of lives and destroyed three towns for no real reason other than the fact that they refused to turn over all their harvests and goods to him. Defending ourselves against this unprovoked aggression cost us dearly. The plots in which your former ruler was involved also cost me my father, my brother, and my uncle, and the war cost me my sister.” Mykella smiled. “I was exceedingly generous in requiring you pay a mere ten thousand golds. Will you and Midcoast be a loyal friend and hold to the terms of the agreement? Or do you wish me to march into Midcoast and tear down Salcer, then Hafin, stone by stone? You have no forces remaining to stop me, as you well know, and whatever forces you may gather in the future will not suffice.” She projected absolute power and assurance.
Dhevan swallowed, paling slightly.
“I am not trying to make Midcoast a part of Lanachrona. I am simply requiring a partial repayment for great wrongs.” Mykella’s voice turned cold and icy. “Do not be foolish enough to make me require a full repayment from Midcoast.”
“Yes, Lady.”
“You have brought the golds required, and the agreement” Mykella nodded at Gharyk, who closed the gilt-edged case and seated himself. After a moment, she continued. “We will honor that agreement in good faith, as witness the fact that we have neither invaded nor attempted to tariff Midcoast beyond its means.” Mykella let her voice warm. “We are far better as a friend than as an enemy, Lord Dhevan. Please convey that to Prince Karolyt.”
Dhevan nodded. “Yes, Lady.” He bowed deeply.
Mykella could sense he was shaken to the core. Good.
Once Dhevan had left the chamber, the two Southern Guards opened the doors, and a tall and lean man in the green and gold of Northcoast strode in, his entire posture and being radiating arrogance.
Mykella did not speak but merely looked at him, this time projecting both power and withering contempt. She watched as the arrogance evaporated under the unseen Talent assault.
The Northcoast envoy stopped several paces short of where Mykella sat in the tall chair. He offered a bow, then straightened. “Lady-Protector. I bring you greetings from Northcoast and Prince Dalcaer.”
“I trust you have brought more than greetings, Envoy Keseyn,” Mykella replied dryly. “Or have you forgotten that you have an agreement signed and sealed by Prince Dalcaer?”
“Ah … yes.” After a moment, the envoy continued. “We have presented it to your Minister of Justice.”
At Mykella’s nod, Gharyk stood once more and displayed a document in a green leather case.
Mykella nodded again, and Gharyk seated himself.
“We trust that Prince Dalcaer had no problems with the agreement.”
“Prince Dalcaer has no choice … but being a man of great and goodwill…”
Mykella again smiled coldly, letting the greenish light flood from her. “It is not a question of his goodwill, but of mine. Given all the wrongs done to Lanachrona by the late Prince Chalcaer, I am showing exceeding goodwill by not wiping out the entire lineage of your ruling family. I am requiring ten thousand golds and a pledge of good faith. Your prince has provided those golds. Now all he has to do is to keep his word. He fails, and his life is forfeit. It’s very simple.”
“Lady … you are most powerful…”
“Could the Ancients not reach every land in Corus? Do not try me, Envoy Keseyn. Nor should your prince. His predecessor plotted against my sire and helped steal thousands of golds from our Treasury to build his army. I destroyed him and that army. Ask any of those who survived that battle what I did … if you dare. Because Prince Dalcaer is new to his throne, I am being generous and showing goodwill by my limited requirements of him. Do you understand?”
Keseyn’s forehead was damp and his face pale.
“You might also tell your prince that I am inclined to become vindictive if he is the kind to punish envoys and messengers for news he does not wish to hear. For that reason, I would request that you not depart Tempre until I provide you with a missive that stresses to your prince my interest in your continued good health. Now that I have met you, I will know if anything ill befalls you.”
“You … are … most kind, Lady.”
“I am not necessarily kind, Envoy Keseyn. I do try to be fair and just. It is anything but fair for a ruler to punish an envoy or a messenger for the faults of another. As you please, you may carry my words to Prince Dalcaer. He might recall the fate of his sister and his elder brother.”
“Yes, Lady Protector.”
Mykella smiled, then projected warmth and softened her voice. “Take care on your journey home, Keseyn.”
“Thank you, Lady.”
When Keseyn was well out of the palace, Mykella led the six men back upstairs to her study. She remained by the door, trying not to look at Areyst, who managed to keep a politely professional smile on his face. She wasn’t certain how he could do it.
“There’s no need to sit down. This will not take long. I’ll be back in just a moment for the last matter.” She stepped back into the anteroom and closed the door behind her.
Rachylana had entered the anteroom and was waiting. This time, she wore the dark blue and cream dress uniform of the auxiliaries, a uniform she had designed, with captain’s bars on the collar. “I don’t know why…”
“Because you’re my only surviving relative, because I wouldn’t be here without you, and because I refuse to make the announcement myself.”
Mykella stepped back into the study, followed by Rachylana.
Rachylana closed the door, and Mykella nodded to Areyst, who stepped forward to stand beside the Lady-Protector.
Mykella could see immediate comprehension o
n Gharyk’s face and a dawning understanding among several others. “I believe you all know my sister, Captain Rachylana. Because she is my sister, and because she served with distinction in the Battle of Viencet under Arms-Commander Areyst, I thought she should be the one to make this announcement.”
Rachylana didn’t bother to hide a wide smile that was almost a mischievous grin. “I never thought this day would come, but I would like to tell you all of the matching betrothal of Mykella, Lady-Protector of Lanachrona, and Arms-Commander Areyst. The wedding will take place on the afternoon of the ball for the turn of fall.”
As Rachylana spoke, Mykella reached out and took Areyst’s left hand. Then, after the momentary silence, she looked to Khanasyl. She said nothing.
The tall Seltyr smiled, then laughed, shaking his head and looking to Areyst. “You’re a braver man than I, Commander, and more fortunate.” Then he looked to Mykella. “Lady … we all are grateful for your perseverance, courage, and strength. We wish you both the greatest of happiness together.”
Is true happiness always purchased with pain?
Mykella squeezed Areyst’s hand, and the return pressure of his fingers—and the joy behind that pressure—coursed through them both. And this time, her tears and Rachylana’s were for hope and love.
TOR BOOKS BY L. E. MODESITT, JR.
THE COREAN CHRONICLES
Legacies
Darknesses
Scepters
Alector’s Choice
Cadmian’s Choice
Soarer’s Choice
The Lord-Protector’s Daughter
Lady-Protector
THE SAGA OF RECLUCE
The Magic of Recluce
The Towers of the Sunset
The Magic Engineer
The Order War
The Death of Chaos
Fall of Angels
The Chaos Balance
The White Order
Colors of Chaos
Magi’i of Cyador
Scion of Cyador
Wellspring of Chaos
Ordermaster
Natural Ordermage
Mage-Guard of Hamor
Arms-Commander
THE SPELLSONG CYCLE
The Soprano Sorceress
The Spellsong War
Darksong Rising
The Shadow Sorceress
Shadowsinger
THE IMAGER PORTFOLIO
Imager
Imager’s Challenge
Imager’s Intrigue
Scholar*
THE ECOLITAN MATTER
Empire & Ecolitan
(comprising The Ecolitan Operation and The Ecologic Secession)
Ecolitan Prime
(comprising The Ecologic Envoy and The Ecolitan Engima)
The Forever Hero
(comprising Dawn for a Distant Earth, The Silent Warrior, and In Endless Twilight)
Timegod’s World
(comprising Timediver’s Dawn and The Timegod)
THE GHOST BOOKS
Of Tangible Ghosts
The Ghost of the Revelator
Ghost of the White Nights
Ghost of Columbia
(comprising Of Tangible Ghosts and The Ghost of the Revelator)
The Hammer of Darkness
The Green Progression
The Parafaith War
Adiamante
Gravity Dreams
Octagonal Raven
Archform: Beauty
The Ethos Effect
Flash
The Eternity Artifact
The Elysium Commission
Viewpoints Critical
Haze
Empress of Eternity
*Forthcoming
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
LADY-PROTECTOR: THE EIGHTH BOOK OF THE COREAN CHRONICLES
Copyright © 2011 by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
All rights reserved.
A Tor® eBook
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
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New York, NY 10010
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Tor® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Modesitt, L. E.
Lady-Protector : the eighth book of the Corean Chronicles / L. E. Modesitt, Jr. — 1st ed.
p. cm. — (Corean chronicles ; bk. 8)
ISBN 978-0-7653-2804-5
1. Corsu (Imaginary place)—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3563.O264L33 2011
813'.54—dc22
2010036535
First Edition: March 2011
eISBN 978-1-4299-8406-5
First Tor eBook Edition: March 2011