Gerald did as he was bid, picking through the stack of wood to select a suitable log, which he then tossed onto the fire, watching as the flames caught.
"There," said King Halfan. "Now, where is my wine?"
As if in answer, the door opened, and Harcourt strode in bearing a tray with four cups and a bottle. He set it down on a small table by the bookshelves.
"Would anyone else care to partake?" the man offered.
"No, thank you," said Anna.
"Come then," said Halfan, "fill up my goblet, man, and leave us in peace."
Harcourt did as he was told, filling a goblet, then carrying it carefully over and placing it in the hands of his king.
Halfan took a sniff, then smiled. "Ah," he said, "the Burnford Red, an excellent choice. Is it fresh?"
"It just came in last week," said Harcourt, retreating to the door. "If there is anything else, please don't hesitate to call."
"Get out with you," grumbled the king, though the smile on his face betrayed his affection.
The door closed, leaving them in solitude.
"He's a bloody nuisance sometimes," said the king, "though he means well."
"Has he served you long?" asked Anna.
"Harcourt has been with me far longer than I care to admit," Halfan said, "and that's saying something, these days."
"I take it you have few people you can trust," said Anna.
"I seem to have outlived all the servants I grew up with," he admitted. "Such is the fate of those that live to my age."
"Tell me, sire," said Aubrey, "have you ever been treated by a Life Mage?"
"No," said the king, "and even if we had them here in Norland, I wouldn't trust them."
"Why is that?" asked Aubrey.
"The mages are all pawns of the earls," explained the king, "and as such, have their own motives. It is no secret that I am old and without heirs. When my time comes to pass to the Afterlife, I shall leave behind no legacy."
"Except for peace with Merceria," added Anna.
"I see you understand me now," said Halfan. "I have done little enough during my reign, but I wish to see my kingdom better off than the way I found it."
"How long have you been king?" asked Gerald.
"Let's see, it would be close to forty years now. You, on the other hand, I understand, have only been queen for a short time."
"Yes," said Anna, "my coronation was just over a year ago, though I reigned for a few months as a princess."
"I envy you," said Halfan, "for you are at the beginning of your reign, while I am at the end of mine. Live the best life you can, Anna of Merceria, for one day you will look back and judge your actions from a new perspective."
"I shall endeavour to do just that," she promised.
King Halfan sat forward in his chair. "See that you do," he said. "Now, shall we get down to business?"
"There is little business to conduct," said Anna. "The proposal you sent us was very straight forward. You wish each of us to acknowledge the river as the boundary of our respective realms."
"Yes," said Halfan, "and in addition, we shall renounce our claim against your throne."
"And your nobles are in agreement?" asked Gerald.
King Halfan winced, though the action was subtle. "Most," he said, "but I think the rest can be convinced."
"There is another matter I'd like to address," said Anna.
"By all means," said the king. "It is, after all, what we're here for."
"It concerns the Orcs," she began. "I'm led to understand that you have been at war with them for some time."
"War? With the greenskins?" said the king. "I'd hardly call that a military campaign."
"Nevertheless," said Anna, "it is something that must be addressed. You see, the Orcs are our allies."
"Surely not! Such creatures cannot be trusted, they are nothing but savages."
"I admit they are a unique culture," said Anna, "but they fought beside us to put me on the throne of Merceria. I shall not abandon them now."
"And so you would expect us to what? Retreat before their raids?"
"I understand that they were driven from their home in Ravensguard," continued Anna.
"Ravensguard is a fortress," said Halfan, "and the earl has fought hard to tame the territory."
"The Orcs were defending their homes!" declared Anna.
"What are you proposing?" asked the king. "That we simply give away our castles?"
"No, but a general cease-fire would help, and hopefully a resolution to this conflict? I'd be happy to act as an intermediary."
"Fascinating," said the king, "but tell me, how did you become aware of this problem?
"We learned about it through our allies," said Anna. "They have a well-developed communication system."
"They would have to, to bring word to Merceria," said Halfan.
"Will this be a problem?"
King Halfan sat a moment, staring at his goblet as he thought. He took a deep drink then savoured the taste, swirling it about his mouth before swallowing.
"No," he said at last. "I will have to talk to the Earl of Ravensguard, no doubt, but I think I can convince him it's in his best interest to fall into line."
"And the other earls?"
"That may be a bigger problem," said Halfan. "The truth is, I need four earls to sign off on this treaty, and five would be even better."
"I thought a simple majority would be sufficient," said Anna.
"You don't know Norland politics," said the king. "I could sign the treaty now, but then my successor might just repudiate it."
"Who's your successor?" asked Gerald.
"That's just it," said the king. "I haven't named one, nor do I intend to any time in the immediate future."
"Is that wise?" asked Anna.
"It is necessary! As a king without heirs, I must select an earl to rule after me. Once I name one, the others will become unmanageable, making it impossible to get anything done."
"And so you keep them guessing," said Anna.
"Yes," admitted Halfan. "You must see my dilemma."
"I do," said the queen, "but surely there's also a risk. If you were to die before naming an heir, what would happen?"
"Norland would fall into civil war, I shouldn't wonder. I'm afraid at this point, it's almost inevitable."
He sat back, leaning his head against his chair and looked upward. "Saxnor, give me strength," he said, then started to shake.
Aubrey immediately moved towards him. "Something's wrong."
"What is it?" Anna asked as the king began frothing at the mouth, spittle falling onto his chest.
Aubrey had already started casting, the words of power pouring from her mouth at a rapid pace. Moments later, her hands glowed with a pale blue light. She placed them to either side of the king's head and watched as the magic flooded into him. It dissipated rapidly, restoring the king to a more healthy hue.
Halfan opened his eyes to see Aubrey standing over him.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Someone tried to poison you," said Aubrey.
"It was fortunate that she was here," added Gerald.
"Fortunate indeed," said the king.
"Have you any idea who might have attempted such a thing?" asked Anna.
"Too many to single out just one!" said Halfan. "It seems that one of my earls wishes to expedite my demise, and that can mean only one thing, war!"
* * *
Anna looked across at Gerald, who was fidgeting nervously. They had returned to the queen's quarters and now sat, waiting for their next meeting.
"What is it, Gerald?" she asked.
"I don't like this," he replied. "Someone tried to kill the king, and they chose the exact moment we were with him to do it."
"You think someone's trying to blame us?" said Anna. "I thought the same thing."
"They won't fail a second time," he warned.
"I doubt they'd try poison a second time," said the queen. "The king will be looking f
or it."
"That means they'll likely have to take a more direct approach."
"Agreed," she said. "Is that what's bothering you?"
"To a certain extent," said Gerald. "We're trapped here, Anna. If we're blamed for this, there won't be an easy way out. We can get you to safety, certainly, but we brought a lot of people with us, and I have to think of them as well."
"Time to draw up a contingency plan," said Anna. "If things do go badly, you'll need a way out."
"I've already been giving it some consideration," he said, "and I think I have an idea, but it hinges on some unknowns."
"Anything I can help with?"
"I'm afraid not unless you can provide me with detailed maps of the castle?"
"I wish I could," said Anna, "but I'm reasonably certain that's a request that King Halfan would refuse. Perhaps we can figure out who tried to kill him?"
"A difficult task, I should think," he said, "and we know very little about the earls, other than their names."
"Then it's time we changed that," she said.
"What are you suggesting?"
"We are here to negotiate a treaty of peace. I think it only proper that we should meet with each of the earls to gather their thoughts and opinions, don't you?"
Gerald smiled, "That's very clever, Anna, but not something I can really assist with."
"That's all right, I'll have Aubrey's help. You and Beverly find out as much as you can about the defences here, and we'll worry about the earls."
"I can do that, but where will you start?"
"We already know Lord Hollis," said Anna, "so we'll start by sending out requests to the others and see who responds first."
* * *
Lord Waverly, the Earl of Marston, waited as his guests were shown in. Sitting in a massive high backed chair, his giant frame dwarfed by its immense size, the earl prided himself on showing no emotion, and so remained still, stone-faced, as his guests were let in.
"Your Grace," said Queen Anna, "so good of you to see us."
He merely nodded his head in greeting, trying to look as imperious as he could.
"Please sit," he said, indicating the additional seats that were arranged so that he could look down on them, increasing his towering presence even more.
Queen Anna sat first, giving no sign of being intimidated. "I thought," she began, "that given the importance of our mission here, I might seek your counsel, Your Grace."
Waverly raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise. "You wish my counsel?"
"Indeed," she continued, "for I understand that you are a man of influence."
He leaned forward, intrigued by what this young monarch wanted. "Go on," he urged.
"If you were to support the cause of peace, it would go a long way towards convincing the others."
"What makes you think I would support it?" he asked.
"Marston is a fair distance from the Mercerian border," said Anna, "and therefore, we are certainly no threat to your earldom."
"Agreed," said Waverly, "and yet you seem to think that automatically makes peace desirable."
"There are many economic benefits to peace, including goods flowing across the border between our two lands."
"An interesting idea," he replied, "but what has that to do with me?"
"Might I ask where your lands lie, Your Grace? We are familiar with those earldoms on our borders, but the rest of your kingdom is unknown to us."
"Marston lies to the northwest of here," said the earl. "It is mostly flat land, but the northern plains stretch into the mountains. Tell me, have you ever heard of Dragon's Peak?"
"I have not," said the queen, "but it sounds quite fascinating. Are there actual dragons there?"
The earl laughed, a sound that came out as a snort. "No," he said, "it is so named for the ridge that looks like a dragon, at least from a distance."
"I would imagine the land there must be fertile," added Aubrey.
"Why would you say that?" he asked.
Aubrey straightened her back. "I would suspect the runoff from the mountains would bring fertile soil to the area. Would crops be your primary source of wealth?"
"Farming is certainly important to us," he replied, "but no, horses are our major export."
"How very interesting," said Aubrey. "My family has been raising horses for generations. Tell me, do you train warhorses?"
He sat back, intrigued by this well-spoken woman. "We do, as a matter of fact."
"So you must be familiar with the Eldred method."
He found himself smiling, despite his pledge to remain emotionless. "Yes, I am quite familiar with the writings of King Eldred. He laid down the concepts of training horses hundreds of years ago, long before Norland was founded, but things have changed substantially since then."
"I'm afraid I'm not following," said the queen.
Aubrey turned to face her monarch. "King Eldred was a man who was very forward-thinking," she explained. "He organized a system of breeding to improve the horses that our ancestors brought to this land. It was his foresight that brought cavalry to the forefront in later years."
"Yes," agreed the earl, "and he laid out the instructions for training war horses."
"And all this was done by a king?" asked Anna.
"I'm sure he consulted others," said Aubrey, "but he was the one that insisted it be recorded and made available to all."
"Thus improving all breeds," added Waverly.
"Do you sell your horses to all the other earls?" asked the queen.
"I do, though not in great numbers. I have also developed my own breed of warhorses, one that I use exclusively, due to the great cost."
"Fascinating," said Aubrey, "for I find myself in the same situation. My family helped develop a very large breed. You may have seen Dame Beverly's horse?"
"Mine are bred for speed," said Waverly, "something that took many generations."
"They must be worth a fair amount," said the queen. "Have the other earls shown no interest at all?"
"They have," he declared, "but they lack the funds necessary. After all, I cannot just give them away."
"Merceria is wealthy," said the queen, "and always looking to expand its herds. It's a pity that our two nations are at war."
Waverly grinned, "Oh, I see what you've done there. Well played."
Queen Anna continued, "I think we both see how peace could be mutually beneficial."
"We do," he agreed, "and I see now why you are a queen. I will support your push for peace, though I daresay the others will not be so easily persuaded."
"What can you tell us of them?" asked Aubrey.
"Hollis looks on the treaty as no kindness," said Waverly, "for he, alone, of all the earls, traces his ancestry back to King Galburn."
"Wait," said the queen, "are you telling us that King Halfan has no claim?"
"It's true," continued the earl, "for you see the line of kings was broken back in the late six hundreds, while Hollis traces his lineage through the king's sister."
"That's why he's not king," said Anna.
"Precisely," said Waverly. "Agreeing to the peace would mean forever surrendering his claim to the throne of Merceria."
"Has he support for his claim?" asked Aubrey.
"Rutherford is certainly on his side," noted the earl, "though I cannot speak for the others."
"Thank you for your candour," said the queen.
"You're welcome," replied Waverly, "though I will, of course, deny it should anyone ask."
"As is only fitting," Anna agreed. She turned to her companion, "Have you any other questions, Lady Aubrey?"
"None that I can think of," the Life Mage replied, "though if peace comes, I would certainly welcome the chance to visit your herd."
"If peace comes," he said, then corrected himself. "No, WHEN peace comes, I shall be delighted to host you."
Queen Anna rose, followed by her advisor. "You have given us much to think on, Lord Waverly. I thank you for seeing us."
&n
bsp; "Not at all," he said, rising from his own seat, "it is I that should thank you."
Eighteen
Return to the Tower
Fall 964 MC
* * *
Aldus Hearn pulled another volume from the bookshelf. "This looks interesting," he muttered.
"What does?" asked Albreda.
"Notes from Andronicus, in his own hand from what I can tell."
Albreda stepped closer, bringing the lantern to bear. "It's a large library, Aldus, far larger than the one in Wincaster. I'm sure there are lots of books in his hand."
"This looks a little different," he said, flipping through the pages, "and it mentions quite a few dates."
"Interesting to historians, but we're looking for clues as to Revi's condition."
"Still," said Hearn, "I'll put this aside. I have a feeling it's important, it must be the scholar in me."
"This would be easier if there were some sort of system to the organization of the books."
"You mean like at the Library of Kendros?"
"Yes," she agreed, "at least there you could find what you were looking for."
"Only if we understood their system," he said. "Perhaps this tower has its own way of categorizing books?"
"The tower has no such thing. It is people that organized them, not a building."
"You know what I mean," he grumbled.
Albreda looked up. "That's it!"
"What is?" he asked.
"There is a system, I should have seen it sooner."
"There is?"
"Yes," she said, closing the book in his hands. "Look at the cover of this volume."
Hearn looked down, examining the leather binding. "I don't see anything of interest."
"It looks new," she said, "or at least reasonably so."
"I still don't understand what bearing that has on how it's organized."
"Don't you see? Every book on this shelf is in a similar state. I'm willing to bet that the books are organized by date."
"That's a rather silly way to arrange things," said Hearn.
"Not necessarily. It depends on the purpose of this library."
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