Arrows of Revolution (Kingmakers Book 3)

by Honor Raconteur

  There was a half a second where he was surprised, pleasantly so, then his mouth spread in a rakish grin. Closing in, he held a hand at her waist that didn’t quite touch but gave the impression of doing so. “No, my lady, truly I am enchanted by your beauty. And such a lovely voice. Surely the heavens are conspiring against me, to place such a temptress before my eyes.”

  Deep down, Riana was not really that comfortable with such attentions, and if they had been more sincere, she would have been looking for an exit right about now. However, she recognized that he was testing her by playing this game of flirtation, and she wasn’t about to cower, so upped her own smile a notch and closed her fan with a flick of the wrist. “You say so, but consider my feelings, my lord. I find myself quite out of breath on our meeting. Pray, what is your name? I want to know what to call you when you appear in my dreams tonight.”

  “Cyr Woelfel,” he responded, moving closer still so that their faces were barely inches apart. “My lady, I beg of you, your name? I must know it.”

  She almost slipped, an automatic habit of saying her true name, but caught herself in the nick of time. “Saira Vaulx, ever at your service, Lord Woelfel.”

  “Lady Saira, your name was perfectly crafted for you. I cannot imagine one more fitting.”

  From the behind Riana, Ash cleared his throat, the sound irritated. “The two of you can stop any moment.”

  Biting back a smile—or trying to, and likely failing at it—Riana took a full step back. Ash radiated jealousy and anger like a bonfire, and while it was fun to tweak his nose, she didn’t want the men at odds with each other. The situation was dangerous enough as it was; there was no need to add fuel to the fire.

  Ash stood, his movements sharp and agitated, brows taut in a borderline frown, but he still held out a hand. “Ashtian Fallbright. Harmony find you, Woelfel.”

  The spy took this in stride and grasped the hand in a firm handshake. “Fallbright. You are to be our backup, I take it?”

  “I am.”

  “Forgive me for saying so, but I’m not sure how useful you’ll be. I can’t take anything magical in with me that doesn’t have a frivolous purpose to it. It’s a sure sign to my enemies. How are we to signal if we do need a rescue?”

  “That is partially why I was chosen to come in,” Riana explained, not at all surprised he didn’t know the basics. There had been no time to send word to him, not without risking the message being intercepted. “Our bond is such that I can send him a signal.”

  The playboy façade fell away and Woelfel’s eyes sharpened on the two of them. “I have heard reports that a wizard pairing can hear each other, if they are close enough.”

  “We’re not quite there yet,” Riana informed him cheerfully before Ash could take umbrage at the ‘if’ of that statement. With the mood he was in, he would. “But we feel each other’s emotions very strongly. Given a bit more practice, we’ll progress to that level.”

  “Ah?” Woelfel now regarded them with an indecipherable expression that masked some emotion Riana couldn’t put a finger on. “Such a close partnering is rare. I take it, then, that I can flirt as much as I like? You’re close enough that petty emotions won’t mix in.”

  Ash smiled. It was not a nice expression. “Are you trifling with a wizard, Woelfel?”

  Proving that he had a warped sense of humor, Woelfel beamed back at him. “Perish the thought. Merely establishing the boundaries.”

  Ash’s lips drew further back. It was not a smile. “I trust they are set?”

  “Perfectly, old chap, not to worry.” Woelfel’s expression was both rueful and highly amused.

  Riana tried very hard not to burst out laughing. She had just known that Ash would not react well to this situation, but seeing it play out in front of her eyes was another matter entirely. Woelfel didn’t have an ounce of sincerity towards her, but still it had been enough to stir Ash up. What would it be like if a man truly did try to court her?

  “Don’t even wonder that,” Ash warned her, a visible tic at the corner of his eye. “The idiot wouldn’t survive.”

  Riana regarded him with frank amazement. “Did you hear that?”

  “I didn’t have to, your emotions were painting a clear enough picture. And this situation is not at all amusing, Riana.”

  Patting him fondly on the cheek, she whispered for his ears alone, “I disagree, partner-mine.” Then with a wink, she disengaged and switched tracks entirely. “Lord Woelfel, since we are to play cousins, should I address you by your given name?”

  “You certainly should, Saira.” He said her cover name pointedly even as he gestured them all into chairs. “I shall of course do the same. The situation stands as such: Troi was able to give me enough warning of your coming, and your identity, that I could start laying down the groundwork. I have been mock-complaining that I had been volunteered by the family to introduce a backwater cousin to Court. Those that know me are amused about this and anxious to meet her. Just in the interest of tweaking my nose, you understand. I shall, of course, play the part of an older, put-upon cousin.”

  Having never had a cousin, and with limited experience in regards to extended family, Riana wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but could play it by ear. She would simply react to whatever he did and play the part along with him. “I understand. Did you give them any hints of my personality?”

  “I said that I hadn’t seen you since you were three, and had no idea what you’d be like, as I wasn’t sure if Troi had crafted your identity down to that detail.”

  Smart of him. “He didn’t. I’m simply to be naïve and a bit of a chatterbox. Those were his only stipulations.”

  Woelfel gave her a frank appraisal. “You do not strike me as a chatterbox.”

  “Not at all,” she admitted ruefully. “So this will likely take a stretch on my part. But I’ll do my best.”

  “A person pushing themselves out of their comfort zone can only do it for so long before they need a break.” Woelfel said this with a knowing tone, as if he had experience with it firsthand. “When you need a rescue, or simply a few minutes, splay your fan in front of your heart. I’ll provide it.”

  Riana was very glad to hear this. She needed such help and having a signal was very welcome. “I shall, thank you.”

  Turning to Ash, Woelfel frowned, tapping a finger against his knee. “I have no idea where to install you.”

  “You can’t,” Ash told him bluntly. “My face is too well-known in Court, for various reasons. I’ll wear a minor glamour and be in the outer palace courtyards, or thereabouts, so that I’m close if needed. But there’s no way I can enter freely even with a disguise. Magic has its own aura and the magicians of the Court, if they spot me, will see through any disguise in a thrice.”

  “I see. In that case, I shan’t worry about you.”

  “Don’t. I’ll see to myself.” The words were saved from being curt by Ash’s reassuring nod to the two of them. “That said, don’t hesitate to call me if something does go awry. I have several methods of getting in and out of the palace that I can use if need be. I’d just rather not use them unless an emergency demands so. Most of my methods can only be reliably used once.”

  “Understood, old chap, we’ll be careful.” Woelfel rocked back on his heels, wheels spinning hard. “I’d rather not be found out at this juncture at any rate. Troi would be hard pressed to replace me and I’d find being a normal citizen dreadfully dull.”

  That did beg the question, “Then what will you do when Estole wins and this is all over?”

  “Rather a good question, isn’t it?” Woelfel responded, smile suggesting that he wouldn’t really mind the ‘tedium’ of a normal life. “But let’s set that aside for now. Fallbright, if you’re going to be separate from us, you’ll either have to find your own way there or wear a glamour of some sort. It won’t do for you to be in the carriage with us.”

  “Of course. I’ll wear a glamour throughout the trip. I brought my horse just in case, however
. If something happens, I’ll go in ahead of you.”

  “We’ll leave the day after tomorrow,” Woelfel continued. “Saira, that doesn’t give you much time here, but I’ve narrowed this place down to the highlights that anyone in the capital would know, so we’ll just tour those. I’ve also prepared a few family stories from the aristocracy here that will be taught to you over dinner this evening. Family anecdotes and such are always the most convincing to a fake identity.”

  It was an excellent suggestion and Riana fully intended to take it. “I’ll meet the whole family over dinner, then?”

  “All but the oldest brother, who is actually in the army. But he’s been notified about you and I’ll make sure the two of you meet if he hasn’t been sent out with Maddox.” Woelfel’s eyes glanced toward the window and the day passing outside. “For now, let’s walk and talk, as we have precious little time.”

  Riana automatically took the arm he extended her and walked with him out of the room and toward the outside. It was, fortunately, a mild day for winter and the cloak, muff, and hood kept the worst of the chill at bay. She was able to walk down the streets without shivering. With the dusting from the night before, there were patches of ice, all of it covered in a thin layer of snow so she had to watch her step. Still, she tried to study the place as much as she could and memorize it. The buildings were charming, with tiled roofs in different colors, like well to-do cottages.

  The ‘highlights’ that Woelfel mentioned were all regarding different spots that a child would know well—parks and ponds for ice skating, different sweet shops. Then he deviated and went to other places a young woman would spend time in such as a hat shop, a music school, and the like. Riana didn’t just speed past these places but stopped into each one, gaining an impression of them, and spoke with the people that worked there. It helped cement it all a little better in her mind.

  They spent the entire day in this pursuit before Woelfel steered her back toward the castle. “You make a natural spy,” he complimented her, ignoring Ash who tagged along behind them. “You just charm people into talking to you.”

  While Riana appreciated the compliment she didn’t quite understand what he meant by that either. “But I wasn’t trying to be charming?”

  Woelfel gave her a slight double take, slowing in his tracks so that he could study her more frankly. “Oh dear. I now understand why your partner is worried.”

  “At least someone does,” Ash grumbled to the world in general.

  Giving Ash a sympathetic nod, Woelfel prodded them back in motion. “So, then, tell me why you spoke to them as you did, dear cousin.”

  “People respond best if you look them in the eye and truly give them your full attention,” she responded, not at all sure why this was even a question. Wasn’t this obvious? “My da—ah, father always said that giving a compliment opens doors. It’s the best way to start a conversation with a stranger.”

  “He is not wrong.” Woelfel had that calculating look in his eye again. “If you use this technique at Court, then you’ll do swimmingly. They won’t know how to defend themselves against sincerity, having never experienced it before.”

  Ash choked on a laugh.

  “Well, cousin dearest, I am considerably relieved to see that you do indeed have at least some of the social skills necessary. I trust that your court etiquette is simply nonexistent, but not to worry, I’ll give you a crash course on that and whatever blunder you’ll make will be excused by your background. For now, let’s go meet your ‘family,’ shall we?”

  Chapter Ten

  “Shall we begin?” Woelfel asked with a certain dryness to his tone.

  Riana struggled to bring her full attention to him. Something about traveling just exhausted her. Even though she sat in a carriage the entire time (and it was a plush, comfortable one), and wasn’t doing anything that could be considered strenuous, she always arrived at the inn beyond tired. Was it the constant change of environment? The unfamiliarity of the place where her brain felt the need to analyze and catalogue everything as she moved? Or was it a consequence of basically only living in two places the majority of her life? She’d felt similarly when they’d moved the academy to Estole, but it hadn’t been this bad.

  The constant lessons every day also contributed, as Riana wasn’t used to studying. She’d been doing little else for the past two weeks straight. The drain had apparently become noticeable, as she had Ash looking at her with some concern, and even Woelfel had picked up on it.

  With a mental slap, she forced her brain to stop wandering. “Yes, please do.”

  There was an undertone from Ash, a query of are you alright? She reached over and grasped his hand, squeezing in reassurance.

  “Did you hear me?” he asked hopefully.

  “No,” she denied patiently.

  Ash let out a sigh, half-resigned.

  “You two still working on that, eh?” Woelfel asked knowingly. “Granted, it would be handy to have the ability by the time we arrived in Kremser, but it’s not absolutely vital, alright? We spies have our ways of sending information to each other without handy magical links.”

  “I know.” Ash might have said the words but his tone implied he absolutely was not giving up anytime soon. Perhaps ever.

  Wisely, Woelfel decided to leave it alone. “Then let’s continue our lessons. We’ll review court etiquette later when we stop for lunch, and put all of those manners to practice. That will help more than me rattling them off, I think. For this morning, why don’t we talk about the players in this dramatic play?”

  That sounded good to Riana. She felt sure that she could retain people’s names better than arbitrary manners that Court demanded. “Certainly. Who do we start with?”

  “Let’s start at the top and work our way down. Queen Rosalind, Savir, and Maddox you of course know.”

  “Actually,” she corrected, “I haven’t heard much at all of Queen Rosalind.”

  “Ah?” Woelfel had been on some sort of rehearsed spiel but with her interruption he had to reset himself. “Troi didn’t explain all of that? No? Shame on him. Then again, it’s rather common knowledge I expect he thought you already knew and forgot that you were politically out of touch with the world until recently. Let me start there, then. Queen Rosalind is in fact the second queen for Zelman. The first died when the twins were barely two years old. The actual cause of her death is a state secret but she was found dead at the foot of the stairs with a broken neck, so…” he trailed off suggestively.

  Riana’s eyes threatened to fall out of her head. “Zelman didn’t kill his own wife, did he?”

  “She was not well loved by him and was not well behaved, either. It is an interesting question. Regardless, Zelman was quick to re-marry—a little too quick by anyone’s standards—and Queen Rosalind became his wife before his mourning year was out. It took her a year to bear him Hendrix, and she hasn’t been pregnant once since. Quite honestly, I don’t think she wanted to bear him a child at all, not seeing how he treated Savir.”

  And considering how he did treat the one child she gave him? Riana didn’t blame her at all. “But this queen, is she liked?”

  “Yes indeed. And she’s a good mother to the older two princes as well. She just won’t take an active role in trying to quell Zelman’s temper, which is what we all wish she would do.” Woelfel sighed. “Even when Hendrix was banished at Court she didn’t seem capable of stopping her husband in any way. If she were a stronger queen…well, regardless.

  “There are two other contenders for the throne aside from Hendrix. And it’s an interesting mix, shall we say. First, we have a retired general by the name of Quillin. He’s not actually that old—fifty-six this year, I believe—and he’s more retired because he took an arrow to the knee in the last campaign than anything else. He’s actually a good man, if all the reports about him are to be believed, and he’s personally not interested in being king.”

  Riana blinked. “If he’s not interested, why is he a contender?�
��

  “Because there’s quite a few people that want him to be king. Quillin has been protesting for at least a year now that he has no desire to be embroiled in politics and people are stoutly pushing him forward anyway. It’s mostly the older generation that is supporting him, understandably, as he’s someone they know well.” Woelfel gave a shrug. “Personally speaking, if we didn’t have Hendrix, I’d throw my vote in for him as well. The problem is, he’s not directly blood-related to either king or queen, and while he has a great deal of power and influence, I’m not sure if legally he can even ascend the throne without it being considered a revolution.”

  Ash gave a thoughtful hum. “Knowing this, people are still supporting his candidacy?”

  “Many illegal things have been happening in Kremser,” Woelfel drawled, mouth drawn up in a crooked sneer. “What’s one more?”

  “Ah. Point.” Ash gave him a small wave of the hand, encouraging him to continue. “Who else is contending?”

  “Axley, cousin of the three princes, son of Zelman’s younger brother.” Woelfel had a look of absolute disgust on his face as he answered. “He’s the last person that anyone should want on the throne. He’s worse than Zelman in many ways and has many a perverted hobby on top of it all. Zelman’s bad but at least his tastes in pleasure aren’t in the gutter.”

  That did not sound at all pleasant. “This is well known?”

  “It’s certainly not a secret.” Woelfel gave a dark shake of the head. “I really don’t understand what people are thinking, supporting him. He’s convinced some of the younger generation by promising them an ‘exemption’ to the Inheritance Law. He can’t undo it completely, of course, that brings Hendrix back into the running. So instead he’s using it as a bargaining chip. The older generation despises him, the younger ones are hanging on him like he’s their only hope, and everyone else is praying for a better option. It’s quite the political mess.”

  “Isn’t it always?” Ash responded, looking tired and world-weary for a moment. “It’s what drove Edvard and Tierone to split from Iysh to begin with. Are those the only contenders?”