Severance (The Sovereign Book 1)

by Michael Pritsos

  “What do you propose to do?” Victor inquired.

  “The next tax collection is in two weeks,” Xander replied. “For now we do our normal routine. If Daemyn was killed then it would not have necessarily been solely the cause of this man at the bar. My guess would be that he was put up to it.”

  “By who?”

  “Nicolette, the Gaian diplomat,” Xander said bitterly. “She is the only one I can think of for having a motive. Plus there’s just something about the look of her.”

  “Great backside,” the young guard commented with a grin. “Just how do you plan on exposing this anyway?”

  “I’m not sure yet,” Xander admitted, “but I have two weeks to figure that out.”

  * * *

  Autumn’s air was biting and Xander rubbed the chill from his upper arms. Marcus and George were dueling and the watchman looked on with grim satisfaction as he noted they were both improving. Murchadh looked on with an air of superiority, every so often giving coaching remarks. Tomorrow I shall have to duel with him, Xander resolved. See if he’s really as good as he thinks. Anyone has to be a challenge compared to this turd. Xander glanced at Victor sitting on the ground beside him, nursing a twisted ankle. Xander rolled his eyes over the youth’s freshest injury but said nothing. In actuality he had been getting better as well, there were just some moments of retained clumsiness that ultimately made the guardsman falter.

  Marcus took one of George’s blows on his shield and his longsword darted forward in response. George twisted away and there was a soft grating noise as the blade slid over his iron mail. He hammered back with his short-hafted ax, slamming the wide blade into his opponent’s shield again. Marcus grunted and back swung his sword into George’s awaiting block.

  “Good!” a voice exclaimed to interrupt the match. “Very good!”

  Xander turned to see that Thalassa’s newest tax deliverer had arrived. His name was Patrick, and he was recently wed to Roselyn. This made him the heir to Thalassa’s throne, though he did not look it on this day. He wore the colors of his family, House Adliger from the isle Tethys, in opposition to Thalassa’s royalty, garbing himself in rich greens and white.

  Patrick came to stand beside Xander. “The Gaians are not here yet.”

  “They usually don’t arrive until after noon,” Xander replied coldly.

  “Are you a watchman?” Patrick asked, looking at Xander’s red cloak differentiating him from most other soldiers. Altogether twenty-five men were training at that time of the morning in the yard. Five bore the red cloaks of watchmen while the other twenty wore grey ones. Over two dozen men out here, Xander thought with agitation, and the bastard chooses me for conversation.

  “Aye, that I am,” Xander answered.

  “Your men are good fighters,” Patrick said with an innocent smile.

  Xander looked about at the irony of the statement. Three of them were now talking about getting ale together at The Blue Dolphin when their shift was over, and Victor was still sitting in the dirt pulling a booger from his nose. He flicked it away and began to gaze at the clouds dotting the sky.

  “They’re getting better,” Xander allowed.

  “I never much understood swordplay,” Patrick announced. He brushed a loose strand of brown hair from his face. “I attended weapons training, of course, as is expected of nobility. I never fully understood how it’s done though. I know moves and ripostes like arithmetic equations, but it seems to come naturally to some of you soldiers.”

  Xander sighed. Patrick was clearly not going to leave. “Do you ever listen to music in court, Lord?”

  Patrick’s brow furrowed in perplexity. “Yes, while we eat sometimes.”

  “I used to be a guard in Pontos,” the watchman began, “and we had these great dances every so often. All the guards and many of the castle’s women would dance these traditional dances in Pontos’ great hall.”

  “Aye,” Patrick said with a nod. “I have seen these dances.”

  “I always thought of fighting as a dance,” Xander continued. “If you can hear the song of the blade, and know the moves of the dance, then attune yourself to what the next steps are. If one can dance to the beat of that drum, it’s a simple task to hold off an opponent in a duel. But if you can learn how to lead the dance… that’s where you win.”

  “Very interesting,” Patrick said genuinely. He held forth his hand. “I am Lord Patrick of House Adliger, son of Vladimir, husband to Princess Roselyn of House Coren.”

  Xander shook the hand. He marveled at the ring on Patrick’s middle finger. It was the only one he wore on his right hand but it was worth at least three gold coins. The ring was thick, fashioned of gold and held a dark emerald in the center the size of Xander’s thumbnail. The nobleman was evidently proud of his family name.

  “I am Xander, son of Nemo, Watchman to the Guard of Triton,” the young man said after shaking the noble’s hand.

  “Son of Nemo?” Patrick inquired. His face reddened. “Pardon, so you’re an—”

  “Orphan, yes,” the watchman interrupted. Nemo was not a reference to anyone in particular, however in the old tongue it translated to “no one.” Every orphan, when formally introduced, was a son or daughter of Nemo.

  “I was told one of my guards would be named Xander,” Patrick said suddenly. “So you are a protector of Thalassan diplomats?”

  “That I am.”

  “A prestigious title,” Patrick said dutifully. It was hardly a title of prestige, though. There was no power in a bodyguard. It was only a glorified representation of a guardsman who protected the people. Xander had been becoming increasingly negative about his job over the past month, and even earning a bit more than ten silvers a week did little for him as he found himself spending much of it on food and wine. When he had arrived on Triton, Xander had brought with him a purse filled with roughly fifty saved silvers. That was nearly enough to buy and import a well-made shortsword from Vulcan, the only city that had a blacksmith who knew the secret of how to produce steel. In spite of his ample pay, Xander’s savings had dwindled down to twenty silvers. That was still enough for a good shopping binge but he needed to get back in the habit of putting money aside. The watchman was not exactly sure what he wanted to save for, but the sword prospect was intriguing. It would be nice to one day have a sword worthy of passing down instead of the ugly standard issue blade Thalassan Military gave its soldiers.

  Xander looked off to the harbor where the Gaian vessel sailed in. He instructed Patrick to wait in the embassy and jogged to the beach. The Gaians were just disembarking as Xander took his place beside the vessel. He silently supervised the transfer of the children onto waiting wagons. When Nicolette walked down the gangplank Xander looked away from her and shielded his thoughts.

  Sophia was there, and she waved at Xander before moving to aid her daughter in unloading the infants. Ana smiled at him and the watchman felt red flash up his cheeks before turning away. He was still embarrassed at her having read his mind the month before. Thank the gods I don’t have the filthy mind some do, Xander thought as he gave one more fleeting glance in the pretty girl’s direction. She was attempting to direct traffic off the ship as things came to a close. Her heart-shaped face was gentle, yet strong, as she stood beside her father giving the crewmen commands.

  Once the last child was placed on the last wagon, Xander waved a farewell to Sophia and Ana. He started back toward the embassy. Nicolette and Patrick were already there and he worried that the meeting might take place without him so he doubled his pace. Xander opened the embassy doors and strode in to find them already in the conference room. He took his place at Patrick’s right hand and stared straight ahead at a fidgeting Gaian guard. Xander noticed that both of the Gaian’s flanking Nicolette were wearing iron. Interesting…

  Patrick glanced at the tardy watchman and turned back to the matter at hand. “Forty-four babies this month, you were saying.”

  “Yes,” Nicolette confirmed. “I trust your man’s ar
rival marks them all safe and accounted for.”

  Xander waited for his opportunity and did not stop counting his current wages and salary in his head. He had always figured that would be an appropriate mental defense if he ever met a Gaian.

  “Xander is our watchman in charge of their delivery, yes,” Patrick stated.

  “Now, the matter of money,” Nicolette began. It was her third time doing the exchange and it was already evident the diplomat preferred to dispense with any small talk.

  “Two hundred and twenty pounds of gold, as is documented, will be transferred to your ship at the end of the transaction,” Patrick assured her.

  Nicolette smiled. “I may leave early then.”

  “That’s disappointing,” Patrick said with a frown. “I had heard that William was quite the talker on matters in Gaia. I had hoped our two societies might maintain a healthy communicative relationship.”

  “I see no point in that,” Nicolette replied. “You are a vassal kingdom. You owe us taxes, and I am here to collect them and deliver the children to your care. William was old with little else to do than spend a week on Triton. I have a home and relatives in Gaia.”

  “I see,” Patrick said. He stood from his gilded chair. “I suppose we are done here then.”

  “I suppose so,” Nicolette said. She stood as well. “Again, I would like to give my condolences over the prince’s death.”

  A death you caused, Xander thought. He had been waiting to reveal that thought for the past two weeks. Its effect was immediate. Through the cluster of brain activity undoubtedly occurring in the room at that time, Xander’s was picked up instantly. The Gaian woman glanced at him with a flicker of fear in her green eyes. That was all he needed to know. Xander gave the Gaian diplomat a smirk. Nicolette did not notice Patrick’s extended hand when she picked up her green skirts and left the room. She never met Xander’s gaze again. Her two guards followed her example but one tilted his head in confusion when he passed the Thalassan watchman.

  Xander began to ponder over what he would do with the information. She would have to stand trial, for there was no legitimate proof but only guesses. He knew he would have to tell Constable Aldous but how would he go about it delicately? The old man was ever cautious with the Gaians, forever trying to ensure their comfort to balance out Daemyn’s recklessness. Xander could not be seen as filling his friend’s place as an instigator, but this was a serious crime. His blood was boiling just imagining Nicolette’s face as she gave the order. Perhaps just one cup of watered wine to calm my nerves before I tell Aldous, Xander concluded. He recalled that the possible assassin had watered wine as well. Maybe a cup of ale would taste better.

  The sound of Patrick slumping back into his chair snapped Xander’s mind off Nicolette’s treachery. “Well, that was odd,” the nobleman said. “Did I do something to offend her?”

  “Those are her typical manners,” Xander assured the man. “If you had offended her, trust me, you’d know.”

  Ana

  “Why don’t you go to the tavern, love? It’s been quite a long day.” Sophia smiled at her daughter.

  Ana glanced around the room at the infants and noted that half of them were dreaming peacefully while the other half were making enough noise to potentially wake the rest. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather have me here to help?”

  “I think I can manage. Besides, I’m not the only woman who works here… there should be others…” Ana read that her mother was wondering where most of her staff had wandered off to. A few women walked about sporadically between the rows of cribs, but typically there were at least twice the amount.

  “It’s all right, mother. I don’t mind staying a little longer.”

  Sophia gazed upon her daughter with stern eyes. “Go, Ana.”

  Sensing that Sophia was not going to change her mind, Ana kissed her delicately on the cheek and said her goodbyes. Once she was outside, the warm air instantly revived her. The smell of the ocean was quite possibly her favorite scent, and she paused on the steps of the nursery to take it all in. She heard the waves lapping against the nearby docks and crashing against the rocks along the coast. For a moment she toyed with the idea of just taking a walk along the beach, but decided to take her mother’s suggestion and go to the tavern.

  When she walked through the doors she noticed that the place was having a busy night. Jed will be pleased. She thought with a smile and a nod in the owner’s direction as he served a drink from behind the bar. She noticed that it was Xander whom he was serving, and she made her way through the small crowd of locals to sit in the vacant seat on his right. Her heart started beating faster and she swallowed hard to calm her nerves.

  “Good evening,” she said as she sat down.

  Xander smiled. “Good evening to you as well. Can I buy you a pint?”

  “Thank you, I would appreciate that. Whatever you’re having is fine.”

  “Jed, we’ll have another pint of ale for the lady,” Xander called out and nodded when Jed acknowledged that he heard the order.

  Xander drummed his agile fingers on the wooden bar. He was trying to think of something to say to her. She smiled to herself as she listened to the many topics that he considered discussing before discarding them for whatever reason. Underneath the mundane small talk that he was considering, Ana also noted that heavier concerns were weighing on his mind. He sighed inwardly and smiled at her, thinking, Well, this is a nice change.

  “What’s a nice change?” Ana asked, unintentionally answering Xander’s thought.

  Immediately the watchman shuddered into his mug of ale. “Sometimes it escapes me that I need to watch my thoughts around your kind.”

  Ana immediately regretted her shortage of tact. “My apologies, it is merely reflexive. You don’t need to answer. I understand.”

  “I, too, understand. You have no need for apologies. I was thinking that it was a nice change to buy a drink for a pretty lady.”

  Even though he surely did not mean to, Xander let on to more than he said in his mind. Ana gathered that he could not buy drinks for someone else, but she didn’t know who. She tucked that bit of information away, and mentally scolded herself for prying into the Thalassan’s mind. “Oh, well thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Ana smiled graciously at Jed when he brought over her pint and she sipped it gingerly. It had been a while since she had last come out to drink, and realizing how good it tasted she took another large gulp. Xander laughed and she blushed. She dabbed the corners of her mouth with the edge of her blue woolen cloak. Ana suddenly felt warm and reached for the sapphire brooch at her neck to free the heavy fabric from her shoulders. As she pulled off the cloak and draped it over her lap she caught Xander’s thoughts again. She looked up to meet his appreciative gaze and this time it was his turn to blush. His dimples showed before he took another sip of ale.

  “Are you feeling better?” Ana asked, remembering their meeting in the nursery when he was mourning the loss of a friend.

  He had a flash of a memory which stung her in empathy. The dimples faded. “I do my best, but it’s been hard.”

  “Well, if you’re ever in the mood to talk…” she smiled at Xander and his returning smile was empty in comparison. She wanted to change the subject to something that would cheer his mood, but did not want to push away from a subject he may need to speak about.

  “I’ll keep that in mind, but why should I talk? You can hear me even when I don’t.” Xander’s eyes showed his jest and he took a generous swig of ale. He nudged her companionably with his shoulder. “Thank you for the sentiment.”

  “You’re welcome.” Ana remembered her nearly full mug of ale and took another drink.

  Xander was finished with his pint and sitting patiently. He waved off another and pushed a few coppers across the bar to Jed. She could sense that the topic of his friend’s death had exponentially altered his mood for the worse, and it appeared that after only one drink he was ready to leave the p
ub.

  Ana finished her pint and watched as he rose from his stool. In spite of her best efforts to pry into his mind’s depths there was little to be gained. He was counting. She tried not to take offense to this evasive measure. Many of Thalassans guarded their minds around her all the time, so why should this time be any different? Xander was entitled to some privacy. He lifted his cloak from the barstool on the other side of his own and threw it onto his back. With a small smile, she took the hand he held out for her and stepped down from her stool.

  Xander was intending to walk her home, and Ana hoped that she could use that opportunity to lighten his mood. As they stepped out of the tavern she threw her own cloak over her shoulders and set the brooch at her neck. The night air was again refreshing. The tavern had gotten stuffy over so short a period of time. She could hear the sounds of the beach mingled with her own heartbeat. The two walked along the streets of Triton, for a few moments neither of them saying a word.

  Xander was the first to speak. “Were you working at the nursery with Sophia today?”

  “Yes,” Ana answered. “For the entire day, except when she left to tutor you. How are you improving?”

  “I think I might be getting better. Hopefully your mother agrees.”

  “She was complimenting your efforts just the other day.” Ana hoped the flattering remark would further raise Xander’s spirits. She smiled when his thoughts portrayed exactly that.

  “What do you do when you’re not helping at the nursery?” Xander asked, changing the subject.

  “I love to read, as well as keep a journal. The beach is one of my favorite places to just be by myself. I love listening to the ocean. And the smell! I love that smell.” Ana giggled in spite of herself. “Other than that, I just spend as much time with my mother as possible before I have to leave her again.”

  Xander smiled fondly at her. “It must be hard to depart for Gaia without her.”

  “Quite,” Ana confirmed. “Only more difficult with Nicolette in charge of our diplomacy. She plans on leaving in the morning, whereas Lord William always wished to stay for a week. He had taken a liking to your people and getting away from the politics of Gaia for a while.”