Instead, the ceremony had been abruptly halted when Magistrate Caldre insulted one of the participants. It was bad form, and Daimh told himself he must talk with Caldre about disrupting his final day as king.
But even worse was when one of the governors responded in kind. What was his name? Mash? The king never really bothered to learn their names. All that mattered was that they knew him. To disturb things even further, a priest dared to show up and cause problems. Hadn’t this priest been taken away for some reason? And what did he mean by “the true heir to the throne”?
“You will not be allowed to speak here! Guardians, remove them at once!” Daimh heard his father command. Several guardians Daimh knew to be from Erd, and therefore loyal to his father, started to move toward the cloaked figures in the middle of the room. Daimh noted with some surprise that many of the older guardians remained where they were.
“This information is too important for the future of Bariwon,” Sherwyn declared. “I must be allowed to speak!”
The governor who had taken a stand against Caldre was the first person to reach Priest Sherwyn and his group. He nodded at them, and then turned to face the stage and the guardians who continued to move in.
“I say let him speak!” shouted the white-bearded man. Turning to face the crowd, he raised his arms and repeated, “Let him speak! Let him speak!”
A vast majority of the crowd started to chant along with the governor. In addition, many from the crowd stepped into the middle of the hall between the advancing guardians and the priest.
“Move out of the way! Cut down any that try to stop you!” Abrecan shouted. Caldre was by his side and also threatening the crowd to move or die.
Daimh had seen enough. He stood and walked up behind his father and Caldre. Grabbing them both by the shoulders, he startled them into silence. This got the crowd’s attention, and the guardians stopped. Everyone quieted down enough for Daimh to speak.
“I am still the king of Bariwon,” Daimh said, his voice firm. “I will not have songs sung about how I allowed blood to be spilled at the Shoginoc. I will not be considered a fool for generations. If the priest does in fact have news of a proper heir, I, for one, want to hear it.”
Abrecan looked as if he was going to explode with rage. “Daimh—” he began to say.
“No, Father,” Daimh said. “Not this time. Sit down, and we will listen to what he has to say.”
Abrecan didn’t move at first. He looked at his son for a moment, then out at the crowd. Not saying anything, he simply sat down on his chair, with Caldre following suit.
“Explain what you mean by ‘the true heir to the throne,’” Daimh ordered the priest.
The people who had moved into the center of the hall backed off, allowing the elderly man to speak.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Sherwyn said. “What I am about to confess will cost me my position with the church, and I’m most certain it will be cause for severe punishment.”
The once-boisterous crowd had quieted so that only the rain falling on the roof could be heard in addition to Sherwyn’s voice. “I am afraid, Your Majesty, that you are the victim of a terrible deception.” The priest turned in a slow circle and said to the crowd, “As are all of you.”
Daimh definitely did not like the idea of being deceived. What was the priest talking about? He folded his arms and furrowed his brow. “What deception?”
Sherwyn took a deep breath. Anemone patted him on the back in comfort. “You never married Queen Eliana,” he said.
The crowd burst into gasps and a buzzing of conversations.
This didn’t make any sense to Daimh. Surely the old man was losing his mind.
“You are wrong,” Daimh said. “I was there, and it did indeed happen. You should know that—you were the one who performed the ceremony…”
“I performed the ceremony so it wouldn’t be binding,” Sherwyn said. “Eliana made sure you took her by the left hand, instead of the right, and she did not say, ‘I do.’ The two of you never kissed. She sneezed just beforehand.”
Daimh tried to think back to the ceremony, but he couldn’t recall many of the details. He was sure he had kissed her—or was he confusing that with his wedding to Nicole?
His father jumped out of his chair and shouted, “Sherwyn, why would you do such a thing?”
Daimh took hold of his father’s arm and had him sit back down, which seemed to embarrass his father. Daimh was in charge here now, and he didn’t need his father making things worse.
“I pretended to perform the ceremony, but did it incorrectly, because Queen Eliana was already married at the time,” Sherwyn said.
Daimh continued to stare intently at Sherwyn while the crowd again reacted to the priest’s latest statement. “What are you talking about?” Daimh asked evenly, still trying to puzzle it out.
Remaining straight and tall, Sherwyn said, “Queen Eliana was going to renounce her title rather than marry you. You see, she was actually in love with someone else.” The priest took another deep breath before he continued. “I was fearful of having you and Councilor Abrecan take control of the kingdom. Everything I had heard about the conditions in Erd made me fear for the overall well-being of Bariwon. Looking at what has happened to the castle and the kingdom over the last twenty-one years, those fears of mine were justified.”
A burst of anger cut through Daimh’s confusion. Did he hear correctly? Did Sherwyn actually criticize how he had ruled Bariwon? How could he, after all the good Daimh had done? The songs written in Daimh’s honor were proof that he was the best king Bariwon had ever had. At that moment, Daimh wanted to order the guardians to remove Sherwyn, but there were still too many questions unanswered. However, the priest must be made to know that he was only allowed to speak because of Daimh’s good graces.
“You are on dangerous ground, Sherwyn,” Daimh growled. “You will only be allowed to speak until I stop you. I suggest you continue recounting your mistakes for all to hear.”
Sherwyn flinched, but then continued, “Very well, Your Majesty. I convinced Queen Eliana to stay so she and her father would remain in power. In return, she could marry the man she truly loved, and I would falsify the marriage between the two of you.”
Now he knew the priest had lost his mind. Daimh had fathered a child with Eliana, even though he been unable to with Nicole. “But she was carrying my child when she died!” declared Daimh. “She wouldn’t have—”
It didn’t happen very often to Daimh, and when it did happen, it was a shock. Based on what he was told here today, he actually was able to put the pieces together and come to a conclusion.
He turned his attention to Anemone. “The child wasn’t mine, was it? You must have given me something on my wedding night so I wouldn’t remember.”
“That’s right, Your Majesty.” Anemone looked at the floor after she responded.
Daimh felt anger start to rise inside him as he saw his legacy slipping away. “You both have made me into a fool after all. Before you are taken away, answer me this. You said you were here to reveal the true heir. I don’t see how that is possible, since Eliana died before she could give birth.”
Anemone looked up. “After Queen Eliana’s fall, she was very near death. I was able to remove the baby boy before she died and give him to the baby’s father, who took him away from the castle.”
“And who was his father?” Daimh demanded.
“Her personal guardian,” Sherwyn said. “Rinan.”
***
Until this point, Rayne had stood by, silently observing as the events unfolded around him. When Sherwyn announced there was an heir to the throne, he was understandably curious to find out who it was. Perhaps this heir would decide that Rayne didn’t need to be put to death.
With Sherwyn’s last statement, however, all other thoughts fled Rayne’s mind. His father was married to the queen? That meant he was…
Wide-eyed, he looked at Sherwyn and Anemone, who nodded at him in response. His gran
dparents emerged from the crowd and walked toward him, smiling and nodding as well.
It was Governor Nash who spoke first after Sherwyn’s announcement. “Why, that would make Rayne the heir to the throne!” he exclaimed, slapping him hard on the back.
Stunned, Rayne simply stood there as the hall once again exploded in cheers and protests. Magistrate Caldre and Councilor Abrecan were back on their feet, shouting and pointing.
“Quiet!” King Daimh yelled. “Quiet! You will all be quiet!”
Turning to face the king, Rayne waited for the ruler of Bariwon to speak. But it was Abrecan who spoke next. Although doing so appeared to cause him pain, he asked his son, “If I may, Your Majesty?”
Daimh nodded curtly in response.
“This is all too convenient, Sherwyn,” the councilor said. “There is no proof, aside from your word. And by your own voice, you’ve admitted to lying in the past to further what you consider to be best for the kingdom. It’s obvious that nothing has changed.”
Kelvin and Nadia had taken positions next to Rayne and Nash by this time. Kelvin said, “I will testify that what Sherwyn says is true, as will my wife.”
“These are Rayne’s grandparents,” Nash explained.
Abrecan threw his hands up. “Not good enough. Even if these people are who they say they are, I won’t accept that as sufficient proof.”
“My father’s sword and his copy of the Tome of Laws,” Rayne said suddenly. “I have them both here. The sword has the symbol of royalty on it. I never understood why until now.”
“Where are these items?” Nash asked.
“They’re in a trunk, at the foot of my bed,” Rayne said. “I hid them under a canvas blanket at the bottom when I came here.”
Nash headed to the exit. “I’ll go get them. But I’ll need some help to find the room.”
Alana came forward from her place among the nobles. “I’ll go with you. I know where the guardian’s rooms are. We’ll find Rayne’s.”
“It’s the room with the window bricked up,” Rayne offered in way of help.
Nash smiled. “That’s my old room! If Alana can get me to the general area, I’ll know which one it is.”
“I can do that.” Alana exchanged a smile with Rayne, and then led Nash from the hall.
Caldre leaned forward in his chair. “If I may, Your Majesty, there is something important that makes all this a moot point.”
“Yes?” Daimh asked.
Pointing a crooked finger at Rayne, the magistrate said to the crowd, “Rayne was convicted of a crime, and even if he becomes the king, by law he will be stripped of his title.”
His head still swimming from the revelation about his parents, Rayne was rudely brought back to reality with Caldre’s statement.
“About that,” Sherwyn said. “I suggest you hear what these people have to say.”
The two figures next to Sherwyn and Anemone slowly removed their hoods.
“This is Barclay and his daughter Arlie,” Sherwyn explained to everyone. “They are the people Rayne was protecting from Guardian Cameron. They will testify that Rayne drew his sword only to protect them.”
“Impossible!” Caldre blustered, getting to his feet. “Are these people who they say they are, Cameron?”
Caldre turned to ask the guardian, but only found an empty space where Cameron should be standing. “Where did he—” Caldre started to ask.
“That’s Barclay!” shouted a voice from the crowd.
“Aye, that’s him!” another voice called.
Magistrate Aldous stood. “Is this true? Did Rayne lift his sword only in defense of the innocent?”
“Yes, sir,” Barclay said. “Guardian Cameron was trying to collect taxes from us after he had done so only a short while before. He demanded payment and drew his sword when we refused. Rayne got him to back off.”
“And what of Guardian Ivor?” Aldous asked. “He supports Cameron’s story.”
Barclay blinked and then looked at his daughter. “There was no other guardian there, Magistrate.”
Bertram tugged on Aldous’s sleeve and said something to him that the crowd couldn’t hear. Aldous nodded, and then turned his attention back to Barclay.
“Tell us, Barclay, why didn’t you come forth earlier?” asked the aged magistrate.
Barclay took a step forward and looked directly at Magistrate Caldre. “My daughter and I were taken in the middle of the night from our home and put in the dungeon. Large sacks had been put over our heads so we couldn’t see who had taken us, but the voice of one of the men was definitely that of Guardian Cameron. He has a very particular way of speaking.”
“That he does,” Aldous agreed. “Magistrate Caldre, Captain Sullivan, what do you know of this?”
Caldre gave Sullivan a warning stare. “Nothing,” the captain of the guard said. “It appears that Cameron was working outside our authority.”
“You say you were taken, but here you are,” Caldre stated. “No one escapes from the dungeon. How is that possible?”
Barclay shared a meaningful look with Sherwyn. “We were set free by Guardian Oakleaf.”
“Impossible!” Caldre said. “I personally requested that Guardian Ivor watch over the dungeon. Oakleaf couldn’t have gotten by Ivor.”
“But he did,” Sherwyn said. “However, not until he was nearly killed. We were able to get him to help, and he is being treated. It’s our hope that he will live.”
The knot in Rayne’s stomach tightened. Oakleaf had done this for him! Rayne would never ask anyone to make such a sacrifice.
“And what of Guardian Ivor?” Caldre asked.
Barclay chuckled. “Let’s just say he’s resting uncomfortably in one of the cells he was guarding.”
Before Caldre or Sullivan could protest, Magistrate Aldous interceded. “I’ve heard enough. Until a proper court can be held to clear Rayne officially, we will suspend the charges against him.”
Rayne felt as though a dark, gloomy sky had suddenly been replaced by bright beams of sunlight. With Barclay and Arlie here to testify on his behalf, and with Cameron’s disappearance, Rayne felt confident he would be cleared of the charges against him. He heard the crowd cheering, and for the first time he noticed Sunshine in the crowd. She was giving him a smile that almost made him melt. Barclay and Sherwyn shook Rayne’s hand, while Anemone and Arlie each gave him a quick embrace.
At that moment, Nash and Alana returned. Nash held Rinan’s sheathed sword in his hand, and Alana carried the Tome of Laws. They walked directly to the stage and handed the items to the Hierarchy of Magistrates.
Bertram carefully removed the sword from its scabbard and placed it on the table before them. Each of the magistrates investigated the sword closely. They spoke quietly to each other, a couple of them flipping through their copies of the Tome of Laws and pointing to certain passages. They then opened Rayne’s copy of the Tome and turned over the first few pages. Bertram frowned.
Everyone in the hall, including those on the stage, waited expectantly for the hierarchy to say something. Magistrate Aldous stood once again. He pointed to the sword. “We have determined that this is indeed the sword that would have been given to Eliana’s personal guardian. While the Tome of Laws is bound in a fashion reserved for the royalty, it is missing the page that names the original owner. It appears to have been torn out. Since copies of the Tome of Laws are only given to savants, royalty, magistrates and governors, it is curious as to how Rayne would have obtained it, especially if it is indeed a copy only given to a member of the royalty.”
Alana spoke up. “I verify that the Tome of Laws before you is indeed one given to royalty. Queen Eliana was my cousin, and I recall seeing a book just like that in her room on many occasions.”
“Be that as it may,” Aldous said, “there isn’t any proof that it was Eliana’s.”
Anemone stepped forward. “I know how you can verify it was Eliana’s. I was her nursemaid, after all. When she was young, her father and I found
that she had drawn in her Tome of Laws because she felt it needed pictures. If the copy you have before you has passages circled with hearts and flowers drawn around them, it would have to be her copy. I believe it was in the chapter that discusses her becoming queen. If it is her copy, Rinan could have taken it with him when he left the castle.”
Bertram turned the pages until he reached chapter eleven. His frown was replaced by a large smile. “Yes, it is just as you say.”
The Hierarchy of Magistrates then consulted again in quiet voices before Aldous stated, “Based on the evidence, it is the opinion of the hierarchy that Rayne is indeed the son of Eliana and Rinan.”
King Daimh sat down heavily on his throne, his wife Nicole looking at him with obvious concern. Abrecan sat down and grabbed the armrests of his chair, while Caldre looked stunned.
“However,” Aldous continued, “that does not make him the heir to the throne.”
Governor Nash’s voice boomed over the noise of the crowd. “What are you talking about?” he asked. “Rayne should be king! He is the only one here who carries the true blood of kings!”
Aldous shook his head slowly. “I’m sorry, Governor, but the Tome of Laws is quite clear on this point. The heir is the offspring of the queen and king. While Rayne’s mother was the queen, his father was not. Daimh was officially crowned as king. Only a child of Eliana and Daimh would be the heir.”
“Then this changes nothing!” Abrecan exclaimed. “The Shoginoc must go on, correct?”
The head of the Hierarchy of Magistrates merely nodded in agreement and sat back down. Caldre took that as a cue and jumped to the front of the stage. “Then let us continue. Everyone not involved with the Shoginoc needs to leave the center part of the hall.”
Nadia gave her grandson one last quick hug, while Kelvin squeezed Rayne’s arm in support. Sherwyn, Anemone, Barclay, and Arlie moved to the side closest to Sunshine and the rest of the savants.
“Lots were drawn earlier, and we’ll first see the presentation from Regne, followed by Lebu, and then conclude with the joint districts of Erd and Lewyol,” Caldre instructed. “Governor Uaithne, the floor is yours.”
The Hidden Sun (Bariwon Chronicles Book 1) Page 29