He was holding her sword. When he saw that she’d noticed, he grinned and tossed it to one of the Rusties who were standing near the throne. He gestured to Alyda with a curt nod. The Rusty stalked over to her and raised the blade above his head in a two-handed grip. Alyda fixed her gaze on Corvinius.
“No, you idiot, cut the rope!” Corvinius shouted before the blade fell. “You lot are a fucking embarrassment, you really are,” he said.
The Rusty muttered something under his breath and cut the rope binding her wrists.
She sat up carefully; certain her skull would shatter if she moved too quickly. The knight backed away. She had a sly look around the chamber as she rubbed feeling back into her hands. She counted six Rusties in all. Five of them held crossbows, all levelled at her. She should have seen this. Somehow, she should have known. The Captain of the Hammer, scourge of the Brotherhood of the Redemption, had been fooled by a drunken game cock. Worse, she’d delivered the man she loved into danger, possibly death. Gods only knew what had happened to Talin and his family. She got up slowly, very aware of taut bow strings and the itchiness of fingers.
“What have you done with the Prince? You treacherous fa’cachta.”
Corvinius laughed. “Tamalak is such an expressive language. Don’t worry ‘Lyda, His Royal Spoiltness is alive and well with his mother and brother.”
“And the King?” she demanded.
“So many questions! Anyone would think I was the prisoner. Lucky for you, I’m in a good mood, so I’ll indulge your curiosity. The King is riding to his death as we speak. I promise you’ll be the first to know when his head is taken.
“How could you turn traitor? Do you even know what you’ve done, Rufus?”
“Oh, ‘Lyda, you say the word ‘traitor’ as though it was worse than Void sorcery. All I’ve done is change allegiance. I haven’t sold my soul to a demon, or feasted on the flesh of babes. I’ve swapped one master for another. Ack! You wouldn’t understand. You get to ride off and play hero while I’m left to rot in this dump.”
“I don’t call fighting for my King and country ‘playing’ and neither would any of those ancestors you’re always bragging about.”
Corvinius smiled. “Talk of ancestry is so amusing coming from a half-breed gypsy.”
“Better half-breed than in-bred if you’re what comes of a family fucking each other for centuries.”
Corvinius clapped. “That’s my ‘Lyda! Always so erudite. Now shut up and listen. I didn’t bring you here to fight with you.”
“You broke your oath.” Spots of light danced before her eyes.
“It’s nothing more than a chain around my neck—around your neck. A gilded leash to keep the fiercest hounds in check, and have no doubt, that’s all we are to them. If only you could see it, but you’ve been blinded by their lies. The myth of the hero, oath-sworn and honourable…it’s a fantasy. Wrap it up in as much braid as you like; you’re a killer, nothing more.”
He snatched up a bottle and took a careless swig before tossing it across the room. It smashed, splattering red wine across the once pristine, white marble floor. She could hardly stand to look at him.
Corvinius strutted unsteadily before the throne, evidently enjoying playing to his captive audience of one. “Oh, I wish I could tell you that I’ve heard the call of destiny. I’m sure that would appeal to your naïve sense of drama, but I’m afraid my reasons for…resigning my commission, are terribly mundane. I want power and wealth. I want what they have. You wouldn’t believe how much the Guthani and Prince Jerim are paying me, or what they’ve promised.”
“Whatever it is, it isn’t enough,” she said.
“You think? Come now, does it really matter which prince rules Antia? They’re both whelps of the same bitch.” He laughed. “If only you could see your face; eyes blazing with righteous indignation.” He stopped laughing. “Don’t you dare judge me, Captain Stenna. Hate me by all means, but do not presume to judge me. In fact, you should be grateful to me. Because of my plan, mine! the lives of hundreds, nay, thousands of good Antian subjects have been saved. Do you know why?”
“Pray, enlighten me.”
“When Daris finds out his beloved family have been captured he’ll roll over like a whipped cur and beg Jerim to take the crown—anything to save them.”
He staggered over and draped his arm across her shoulders. Her blood ran cold, she clenched her fists. The nearest Rusty saw her stiffen and raised his crossbow. Alyda relaxed. Not even a Rusty could miss from less than twelve feet away.
“I’ve missed you, ‘Lyda,” Corvinius slurred.
She shrugged him off. “I haven’t missed you.”
His mouth contorted into a snarl. “I have the keys to the kingdom!” he bellowed into the vault. “When the Guthani arrive on the ‘morrow and drag that bitch and her get to Cathlan it will all be over, and I will have won! Me!” The echo of his treacherous confession reverberated around the chamber. It was an ugly sound.
“Have you got the guts to kill me, Rufus? Or will you get the Guthani to do it for you? You’ve never been one for getting your hands dirty. Despite all the whining, you’ve no stomach for bloodletting.”
Half a dozen emotions flitted across his face before he shook his head, defeated. “I don’t want to kill you, ‘Lyda,” he groaned. “Why do you think I sent orders for you to come back with the Prince?”
“Because you missed me?” she offered.
“Yes, damn you. I’ve missed you from the moment you left Weyhithe after the parade. That’s when I knew I wanted you. I don’t even care who your family are, or where you come from: I want you, ‘Lyda.”
“I’m touched. But is this really the time to discuss our failed relationship, given that you’re trying to destroy the kingdom?”
Corvinius’s face darkened. Bow strings creaked ominously. She was about to find out if she’d pushed him too far. He rounded on her. She braced for the bowshot, but it didn’t come.
“If I want to talk about it, I fucking will. I’m in charge now! Not Daris, not Thea—me!” His expression suddenly changed from furious to confused. He turned away. If she didn’t know better she would have said he was feeling guilty, or it could be that he’d lost his mind, in which case she was entirely fucked.
He paced, idly kicking at the broken glass scattered across the floor. “I know it’s my fault, ‘Lyda, I didn’t give you the slightest hint that I cared. In truth, until you left last time I didn’t think I did, but I know now. Jerim has promised me governorship of Tamalan. You can rule there with me as my Queen. Think of it; a Tamalak Queen in the Ice Halls after centuries of Antian rule. The people would rejoice.”
He really is deluded. She had to laugh. “You don’t know much about Tamalaks, do you? They dislike half-breeds more than you Antians do.”
“Fuck them, then! You will rule by my side. I love you, ‘Lyda.”
She waited for him to laugh, but he didn’t. This new sincerity was almost as disturbing as his treachery. Was it possible that he meant it? She was still alive; perhaps in his own twisted way he really did think he was in love with her. If nothing else, it was an opening and she would seize it. She had to turn his weakness to her advantage before the Guthani arrived. The very thought of feigning disloyalty disgusted her, but for Talin’s sake—possibly the entire kingdom’s, she had to try.
“I can’t believe you tricked the King,” she said, wincing at her clumsy attempt to appeal to his ego.
Corvinius didn’t notice and rewarded her efforts with a smug grin. “It was embarrassingly easy; these things are when you’re dealing with people as arrogant as Daris. The fool ordered me to take messages to you and Vorsten, and like a good little Rusty, I did.”
“Only you changed them.” It was hard keeping the contempt she felt for him out of her voice.
He sketched an extravagant bow. “I know it sounds like I’m bragging, but I am rather pleased with my forgery skills. I pocketed the King’s seal for long enough to make a copy a
nd nobody noticed a thing. You know, I think I may have missed my calling.” He laughed alone. “So, with Daris’s messages destroyed, and mine sent in their place, I watched our glorious King and heroic Commander ride off to Cathlan, straight into a trap.” He smiled coldly. “It would have been remiss of me not to inform Jerim that Daris was on his way. I’m afraid the surprise attack probably wasn’t much of a surprise.”
“You’ve thought of everything,” she said, unable to look at him in case he saw the hate in her eyes.
Oblivious, he continued with his tale. “Starting the rumour that there’d been an outbreak of swamp fever in the city was a stroke of genius. I even arranged for a few bodies to be found looking like they’d died of the disease. People are easy to control when they’re scared, so when I ordered a curfew, not many objected. Those who did… were dealt with.”
“You killed people just to give credence to a lie?” His callousness shocked her.
He shook his head. “No, not just for that. I killed some of my knights who were too stupid to join me and weren’t worth keeping alive to ransom. I also dealt with some unlucky fools who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Oh, and the Queen’s favourite dog; just for the fun of it. You always said I didn’t pay attention to detail. Well, I did this time. Aren’t you proud of me? I ordered the curfew, dealt with the issues in the Company, and when I had the Arth locked down I took the Queen and threw the court leeches in the dungeons. Checkmate, I believe.”
“Only when you trap the King. Someone will warn Daris.”
“Who? The only ones who were inclined to that are either dead or in the dungeon and as you’ve seen, I have the city sealed. There are over two hundred mercenaries plus the majority of the Fifth controlling who leaves and who enters. Nothing is going to get by me. I only have to keep the city under curfew until the Guthani arrive tomorrow, then they’ll take dear old Thea and her sons and leave me an enormous sack of gold.” He looked at her expectantly. “You’re surprised, I understand. You’re not the only one who’s underestimated me. That bastard Trease won’t live long enough to regret passing me over so many times. Sweet Asha! I wish I could be there when they kill him. I’ve asked that they take their time, make him suffer… and tell him why.” He folded his arms.
I can’t do this. There was no way she could phrase a lie plausible enough to convince him she was as faithless as he was. The very thought made her want to vomit. Come on Ali, say something damn you! “There’s too much to take in. I…I need some time…” she mumbled.
“There isn’t any time, you’re either with me or—”
“Don’t make me decide now. Not if you love me as you say you do.” She was close to failing. She couldn’t bring herself to say she’d join him; sure the lie would choke her.
“Teril!” Corvinius barked at the knight who had her sword. He shuffled forward. “See if you can take Captain Stenna to my quarters without fucking it up, and make sure she can’t get up to any mischief. That doesn’t mean kill her.” He turned to Alyda. “I’ll give you an hour, ‘Lyda. Please, don’t disappoint me.”
“Is what he’s offered you worth it, Teril?” she asked the knight as they walked through the ransacked halls. He answered her with a dig in the back with her own blade.
Corvinius’s quarters were as much of a sty as the rest of the Arth, if not worse. Only a sick animal lives in its own filth. Corvinius certainly fit that description.
“Take off the armour, Captain, and don’t try anything,” said Teril.
“Don’t worry, I won’t. I’ve seen how eager you are to kill me. When I’m crowned Queen of Tamalan you will not be invited to the ceremony.” She unbuckled her armour and tossed each piece on the rumpled bed. “Did you kill your comrades, Teril? Or did you let the mercenaries do it?”
His face reddened and he drew back her sword as if to strike.
“Shut up!” he shouted. “They should have surrendered, just…just shut up.”
For all his threats, his hands were shaking. Teril was a traitor and a coward. If she could goad him a little more, make him come closer…
Before she had chance to try, the door flew open and another Rusty barged in, crossbow at the ready.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, eyeing Alyda from behind a fringe of black hair. “I heard you shouting, d’you need a hand?”
“No, I mean…yes,” he mumbled. “Tie her up, would you? She’s to wait here for the Captain.” Teril fled the room.
The Rusty pointed to a chair with the bow. “Take a seat, Captain Stenna.”
“You know my name, who the fuck are you?” Alyda asked.
“None of your damn business. Put your hands behind your back, nice and slowly or I’ll stick you like a pig.”
When she’d finished tying Alyda’s hands to the spindles of the chair, she came around in front of her. The crossbow hovered inches from Alyda’s face. She didn’t flinch; she wasn’t going to be intimidated by a Rusty.
“I’ll wager you aren’t feeling cocky now, are you, Captain Stenna?” The crossbow drifted closer, the tip of the bolt a finger width from her eye. “I could kill you, and say you were trying to escape. Who’s to say otherwise?”
Alyda tried to focus on the bolt. “Do I know you? I haven’t killed a friend of yours have I?”
“No, although thanks to darling Rufus, I feel like I know you. He’s called out your name more than once when we’ve been fucking.”
“Ah. It sounds like your issue is with Corvinius. Why don’t you do both of us a favour and put a bolt through his eye?”
The knight laughed, but the bow stayed where it was. “Maybe one day, when he’s of no further use. You know, if I thought for one minute that you were going to join him, I would finish you, and damn the consequences, but you’re not going to, are you?”
Alyda didn’t answer.
The Rusty smiled and put up the bow. “My name’s Karla Lystrom, for what it’s worth. We’ve never met, but I’ve seen you and the Hammer many times. I could never decide if you were the great warriors everyone said you were or just a bunch of big-headed, swaggering thugs.”
Alyda allowed herself a slight smile. “A little of both, but I’ll tell you this; any one of us would gladly lay down our lives to defend any member of the Guards, no matter what we thought of them.”
Lystrom’s smile faded. “Then you’re fools,” she said, and left the room.
Alyda waited until she heard the key turn before trying the ropes. They were tightly bound around her wrists, but the spindles were long and slender. She took hold of the dowels and pulled. The wood bent and was about to snap when she heard footsteps outside, and the key turn. She froze. The door opened.
Much to her surprise a librarian walked in. He cast a furtive glance down the hall before closing and locking the door behind him. As he turned, she saw that he had a blade in his hand.
So Corvinius has taken the coward’s way out and sent someone else to do his dirty work. She wasn’t going to sit there and wait to have her throat cut. She heaved on the spindles. One snapped, but the other stubbornly refused to break. She jumped up, her right wrist still tied to the chair. She swung it at the would-be assassin. He leapt back and caught the improvised weapon. Before she had chance to wrench the chair from his grasp and beat him to death with it, he cut the rope, freeing her wrist.
“Captain Stenna,” he whispered urgently. “My name’s Garian Tain. I work for Lord Hyram.”
While the knight searched for weapons, Garian explained what had happened, carefully omitting that neither he nor his master had suspected the Captain of the 5th of anything more daring than an affair with Princess Matia. It was a mistake that had cost them dearly, and one he would much rather keep to himself. Stenna listened to his tale, while she ransacked Corvinius’s room. After enough cursing to make a sailor blush, all she’d managed to find was an old hunting knife.
“Where’s your master?” she demanded.
He’s in the dungeons with those they thought wor
th keeping to ransom.”
There had been nothing he could do when the Rusties came for Hyram, but it didn’t stop him feeling guilty that he was free and his master was a prisoner.
“They didn’t kill him?” She sounded surprised.
“I don’t think Corvinius has the guts to kill the King’s cousin. The Queen and her sons are being kept under guard in her apartments. I think they’re still trying to pretend it’s for her safety, not that there’s anyone left to convince.”
“I don’t suppose you’ve got a sword hidden under those robes, have you?”
“I’m afraid not. I’ve got a spare knife if that’s any use?”
The knight snorted. “Knives are for eating with. I’ll make do with Corvinius’ pig-sticker for now.” She flipped the blade in her hand. “What I’d give for a decent sword and twenty knights. Liberating all the prisoners isn’t going to be easy with just the two of us.”
Her arrogance didn’t surprise him. Garian hadn’t expected her to thank him for the rescue; the Captain of the Hammer wasn’t renowned for her good manners, but he was irritated that she seemed to think she was in charge.
“Corvinius didn’t consider us lowly servants worth rounding up,” he said. “There are about half a dozen of the King’s agents at large in the Arth. But we have to focus our efforts on rescuing the Queen and her sons. Everyone else is expendable.”
Stenna raised an eyebrow. “Says who? We must free the other prisoners, as well as the Queen and the Princes. I won’t leave them to the mercy of the Guthani. Trust me, with a few good people we can get them all out. The Rusties can’t fight for shit.”
“We can’t risk it.”
“I won’t leave those people to be butchered, Master Tain. Don’t look so grim, I know a way we can do this. I did a stint of training with the Rusties when I first joined the Guards. I learnt nothing of tactics, but I did learn the lay of this Arth. There’s a tunnel under the dungeon.”
“Aye, I know the one. It leads to the sewers.”
The Red Knight Page 21