Her thoughts were still focused on what could have happened when the captain of the guardians stood to speak. “To address the issue in Lewyol, I recently received word from some of my men that the missing guardians had an altercation with a farmer from Tevoil. They searched the area of Tevoil and were directed to a farm further into the district. They discovered it had been burned to the ground. There were human remains among the ashes, although they were unable to determine how many bodies. It is assumed that the guardians found the farmer in question, killed him and his family, and then burned the farm down. Although we do not know all the details, I’m sure they were justified in their actions. When they return to duty, I recommend that they are honored.”
Sunshine was stunned. She hadn’t known Rayne for long, but had liked him very much. She couldn’t believe that killing him and his father could be justified. She sat, unaware that the captain had finished and that Sherwyn had stood to introduce the next part of the agenda. She snapped out of her reverie when Alana elbowed her in the side and then stood up.
Following the noble, Sunshine walked to the end of the red carpet in front of the stage. Alana stood tall, elevated her chin slightly, and said in a regal voice, “King Daimh, Councilor Abrecan, I am proud to sponsor Savant Sunshine, from the district of Lewyol.”
Abrecan’s jaw dropped. Daimh sat up straight and moved to the edge of his throne. Pointing to Sunshine, the king said, “That’s a woman!”
Whether in shock from hearing about Rayne or something else, Sunshine didn’t think before she responded, “Very good, Your Majesty. You got it right on the first guess.”
Abrecan’s jaw dropped even more, and he looked like he was about to say something, but he was interrupted when his son exclaimed, “Yes, I did, didn’t I? Good of you to notice. I must say, you are much prettier than the rest of the savants we have here. We welcome you to the castle.”
Abrecan turned his head sharply and stared at his son. He didn’t say anything, but then turned his attention to the magistrates. “There must be some mistake! A woman can’t be a savant. Am I correct?”
The hierarchy glanced at each other blankly for a moment before they looked out to the crowd. “Savant Bertram?” one of them asked.
A tall, thin man stood. “Although it has not happened before, there is nothing in the Tome of Laws that prevents it.”
“Then it is settled,” King Daimh said. “This is a very important day in the history of Bariwon! We’ve witnessed the very first woman to become a savant. What a wonderful song this will make!”
He eyed the minstrels, who all nodded emphatically. Returning his attention to the young woman before him, the king said, “Welcome to the castle, Savant…er, what was your name again?”
Alana spoke up before Sunshine could say anything. “Sunshine, Your Majesty. Her name is Sunshine. And thank you very much.” Alana curtsied, with Sunshine following her lead, and then walked back to their bench and sat down.
***
Priest Sherwyn did his best to hide the smile on his face. When Alana had first told him about Sunshine and how she would make an excellent savant, he couldn’t help but think how this would unsettle Abrecan. The councilor seemed to have very little regard for anyone of the female gender; in fact, he had proven many times over the years that he thought women were inferior to men. To have the king trump his father by accepting Sunshine so readily was priceless—and just what Sherwyn was hoping for when he hinted to the king’s guardians that the king should be at the next court. However, the joy Sherwyn got from watching Abrecan squirm was fleeting. The next part of the court could prove to be dangerous, and it was Sherwyn’s responsibility to set the wheels in motion.
“Next on the agenda is an announcement from the Hierarchy of Magistrates.” He stood and unrolled a piece of parchment. “Since Magistrate Seanan is unable to attend, he asked me to read the following statement: ‘I, Magistrate Seanan, am very ill and do not have any illusions that I will be on the face of the land much longer. To this end, I have chosen to step down as a member of the Hierarchy of Magistrates. After much consideration, I have chosen a new member of the hierarchy.’
Sherwyn paused and spared a glance around him. Councilor Abrecan was looking at him expectantly, King Daimh was staring off into space and looking bored, Magistrate Caldre was tightening the knot on his ponytail, and Savant Bertram looked like he was going to be sick.
After clearing his throat, Sherwyn read, “‘I am pleased to announce that the newest member of the Hierarchy of Magistrates is Savant Bertram.’”
For a moment, it was very quiet in the main hall as the announcement sunk in. The silence was short-lived as the hall exploded in objections and cheers.
“Quiet!” Abrecan thundered, standing up.
The court quickly followed the councilor’s command.
“Let me see that,” Abrecan ordered.
Sherwyn walked over and handed the parchment to the councilor. Abrecan read over the letter several times before he said anything.
He turned to the rest of the hierarchy. “I see that you all signed the document as witnesses. Are you sure that Seanan said Bertram?”
The other members of the hierarchy nodded in confirmation. Abrecan handed the parchment back to Sherwyn, but not before he had squeezed it tightly in his hands, crumpling the edges.
“Welcome then, Magistrate Bertram,” said Abrecan in a cold voice. “And on that note, I call this court to an end.”
***
Sunshine followed Alana through the castle, up several flights of stairs, and then down a long corridor to the room she was told would be her new home.
Alana opened the door. “That went better than I expected. It was a good thing the king was there and so willing to accept you. The fact that you are so beautiful didn’t hurt things, either.”
Alana walked into the room. “The castle will provide everything you need, but the items you brought with you have been moved here. I hope you’ll find it satisfactory.”
Looking around the room, Sunshine saw that it was perfect. There was a fireplace big enough to keep the room warm and to provide light to read by. The wardrobe was opposite a bed that looked quite comfortable. Next to the wardrobe sat a small table with a couple of thick books on top. Although it was everything Sunshine could have hoped for, she didn’t feel the joy she had anticipated.
Alana must have noticed something was wrong. “Is there a problem with the room? I hoped you’d be pleased.”
Sunshine shook her head. “Please don’t misunderstand. I am grateful. It’s better than I could have imagined.”
“Then what is the matter?” the noble asked. “You look as if you just received bad news.”
Sunshine walked to the table and picked up one of the books. “Do you remember during court today the report about the missing guardians from Lewyol?”
Alana walked over to Sunshine, put her arm around her, and said, “Yes, I remember. Did you know them?”
“I did, yes, but that isn’t the reason I’m…well, I’m not sure how to describe how I feel.” Sunshine carefully opened the pages of the book. “The guardians were bullies. They were threatening me one day, and the farmer from Tevoil defended me. I took him home to my family and he had dinner with us. He was very kind and wonderful—he was unlike anyone else I had met. And now because of me, he’s—”
She couldn’t say any more. Alana pulled Sunshine close and embraced her, letting the young woman cry.
CHAPTER 15
The arrow flew straight and true, and despite a strong wind, hit its mark dead center.
“Very impressive,” Kelvin said. “Even your father would have had difficulty with that shot.”
Rayne reached into his quiver and pulled out another arrow. The winter sun reflected off a layer of new-fallen snow, causing both Rayne and his grandfather to squint at the target—a painted bull’s eye on the side of a large oak tree forty paces off. “Thanks, Grandfather. He always said I had uncanny aim with a bow a
nd arrow.”
Cupping a hand over his eyes, Kelvin turned to look at his grandson. “You’ve been practicing every day since you got here. Last summer when you and your father came to visit, you told me you weren’t too sure that you wanted to become a guardian. It appears you’ve changed your mind. Is this all because of your father’s note?”
Rayne fit the arrow into the bow. “His wish for me to become a guardian does play a part, but it’s more than that.”
“In what way?”
The young man raised the bow and eyed the target. “I’ve had a lot of time to think. If it meant that much to my father, there must have been something to it. He always said the guardians were here to serve the people, but from what I saw in Lewyol and what I’ve heard from you, there are some who have lost sight of that. Father spent his whole life teaching me not only to fight, but to be a good person. Over time, I’ve come to realize that becoming a guardian is something I want to do after all.”
Kelvin smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. You can’t live your life based on other people’s expectations.”
“And”—Rayne pulled back the string—“there’s someone from Lewyol I want to see at the Mortentaun this spring.”
Changing his focus to the target, Kelvin said, “Well, it sounds like there are several reasons why you are training so hard. You’ll need to practice sparring, and I’m way too old for that. But I know someone who can help you.”
Rayne let go of the bowstring, and the arrow raced toward the tree. It struck the target right next to the previous arrow. “I’d be very interested in meeting this person. Thank you, Grandfather.”
***
Explain why this plan failed,” Abrecan said, sitting at the table in his room, holding a drink.
Caldre wasn’t sure which was more frustrating—the fact that Abrecan didn’t seem disturbed by this latest failure, or that his plan to frame Magistrate Bertram had failed again.
Throwing his hands up in the air, Caldre said, “I don’t know why it failed. It should have worked. What man wouldn’t take payment for such a seemingly innocent favor?”
“And then you would have caught him in the bribe and had him removed, correct?” Abrecan looked smug.
Caldre nodded. “Of course. I should be on the hierarchy, not him. I’m sure if we can get Bertram removed, I could pressure the other four old fools to select me to take his place. Are you sure I can’t just have him killed?”
“It’s not that simple.” Abrecan frowned. “Bertram doesn’t leave the castle, ever. We’ve tried to lure him out so he could meet an unfortunate end, but he won’t go. We don’t have any power to make him leave, either. If he were to be murdered in the castle, it would reflect very badly on us. There was quite a backlash when Queen Eliana died here—I don’t need to remind you of all the headaches that caused, and that actually was an accident.”
Caldre reached back and tightened the knot on his ponytail. “Yes, I remember how people didn’t feel safe in the castle and it took a long time to calm their fears.”
“Why not get rid of one of the other hierarchy members?” Abrecan asked.
“Because it was Bertram that got my spot, and so he must go. In addition, over the last few months, the new head of the hierarchy, Magistrate Aldous, has become very impressed with Bertram. If another spot were to open up, I think Bertram could persuade Aldous to exclude me. After my several attempts, I suspect Bertram knows I’m out to get him.”
A solid knock on the door made Abrecan stand and say, “You will drop any more plans to get rid of Bertram, at least for now. You will instead help me with another important matter.”
Caldre realized now why Abrecan wasn’t getting upset—it didn’t really matter if Caldre was on the hierarchy or not. Unless Abrecan felt like he personally benefited from something, he showed little interest in it. It was obvious now that Abrecan already had something else in the works.
As he walked to the door, Abrecan said, “This should be the man that holds the key to my future.” He opened it and said, “Ah, Governor Eadward. Welcome! How was your trip?”
***
“And this is the room I told you about,” Bertram said, trying to keep his voice from cracking. Sunshine gasped softly when she entered the large room. It was nearly as long as the main hall, though the ceiling was not nearly as high. Bookshelves lined the walls and ran down the center. The shelves contained not only books, but various objects of different sizes and materials. Rolled-up tapestries were scattered around the floor, leaving just enough space to walk around.
“I thought you were embellishing, but obviously you were not.”
Bertram took a few tentative steps into the room and pointed to the top of a bookcase by the door. “That’s where I started looking, oh, I’m guessing before you were born. Over the years, I worked my way around the room and I’ve discovered many interesting things, but never the answer to my original question.”
“Did other savants help you look?” Sunshine asked, following Bertram into the room.
He shook his head. “No, none of them did. In fact, you are the first savant to ask me about the seemingly missing word in the Tome of Laws.”
Sunshine frowned. “I find it hard to believe that none of the other savants discovered the error when transcribing.”
“To be fair, I didn’t notice it either, at first,” Bertram said. “It was only when I was teaching the young nobles one day that I discovered it. I have learned over time that most people’s minds fill in the missing word automatically when reading the passage.”
After taking a few steps further into the room, Sunshine turned around in a slow circle, looking both high and low at her surroundings. “When was the last time you were here, Magistrate?”
“Ah,” he said, avoiding her gaze. “It must have been weeks ago. Between overseeing the training of the new savants and learning my duties as a magistrate, I’ve been quite busy. I’m glad you came to me with your question about the omitted word. It reminded me of this place. I miss coming here.”
“And you wouldn’t mind if I spent time looking around?” Sunshine asked, taking a pyramid-shaped glass object from one of the shelves and peering into it.
Bertram paused before he answered. He had always enjoyed this room because it was away from everyone else. Only the late Magistrate Seanan and Priest Sherwyn knew he spent time here. But when Sunshine came to him, on a suggestion from Priest Sherwyn, he realized that he was being selfish and should share this room with someone else. Soon after Sunshine was titled a savant, it became apparent she was very bright and curious, reminding him of himself when he was younger. She also wasn’t interested in the power or fame that many in the castle sought, so Bertram felt that if he would share the knowledge of this room with anyone, it would be her. If only he could relax in her presence. After all these years, beautiful women still made him nervous.
“Oh, no. Not at all,” he said finally, probably sounding less convincing than he intended. “I’m glad someone else has taken an interest in this room. There are many things to be learned here. Take, for example, the prism in your hand. The overcast sky won’t allow you to use it today, but on the next sunny day, follow the instructions next to where you found it. You’ll be in for a pleasant surprise.”
Sunshine smiled at Bertram. “Thank you.”
“Thank me for what?” he asked, shying away from her.
She returned the prism to the shelf. “Thank you for showing me this place. Not only that, but thank you for making me feel welcome to the castle and for taking me seriously.”
Bertram blushed at the compliment. “You are more than welcome. When I came here, I felt the same way you do now, but for other reasons. Please let me know if you have questions about anything you find in here, or if you find the answer to the question that brought me here in the first place. I fear my duties will keep me from spending any time here for a while.”
Sunshine smiled and nodded. “I promise.”
***
> Governor Nash of Lebu laughed heartily. He slapped his knee while tears ran down both cheeks into his snowy-white beard. Then, the thickly built man clapped his hands together and quoted, “‘Because the sun only comes out during the day!’ Yes, very funny. I hadn’t heard that one. Very funny indeed!”
Kelvin bowed slightly. “I see you haven’t lost your sense of humor since you became governor.”
“Ah, just the opposite.” Nash motioned for Kelvin to take a seat next to his desk. “I’ve found I need my sense of humor now more than ever. But I’m sure you didn’t come just to tell me a joke, old friend. What brings you here?”
Kelvin crossed the room and sat in the padded chair. “When my son Rinan wanted to become a guardian, you taught him what he needed to know from your days as a guardian. Thanks to your help, he did quite well in the Mortentaun.”
“Ah, yes, Rinan.” Nash sat down, leaned back, and placed both hands behind his head. “He was a natural, that one—quick as lightning and surprisingly strong for someone of his build. I heard a rumor that he left the castle not long after Queen Eliana’s death, rest her soul.”
Kelvin nodded. “That’s correct. Rinan moved to a different district and had a son.”
Nash’s eyes lit up. “Why, that makes you a grandfather, you old dog! How is Rinan doing?”
“Rinan’s dead. He passed away a few months back.”
The governor got up from behind his desk and sat down in a chair next to Kelvin, then put his muscular arm around him. “I’m so sorry to hear that. Having buried two children myself, I know the pain you feel. What of your grandson and Rinan’s wife?”
Kelvin thought a moment before he spoke again. “Rinan’s wife died during childbirth. My grandson, Rayne, is the reason I came to see you.”
Looking intently at Kelvin, Nash said, “Why’s that?”
The Hidden Sun (Bariwon Chronicles Book 1) Page 16