“Don’t put yourself down, Ahnao,” Julia said reaching out and squeezing the girl’s hand. “Where I come from we don’t have peasants and nobles. In your blue dress you look as much a high born lady as Jessica does.”
Ahnao didn’t look up. “Jihan is a lord’s son. He’s the heir to Malcor! How can such as me even dream…?”
“He likes you. I’ve seen him looking at you when he thinks no one can see.”
“Looking is nothing. A lord can dally with a peasant girl, but he won’t marry one.”
Jihan was different from other lord’s sons, but that different? He did like Ahnao, Julia was sure of it. The heir to a place like Malcor though would need more. Would a girl like Ahnao be able to command respect from the others in the fortress? Would they even give her the chance to try? Julia was unused to thinking along these lines, but she tried for Ahnao’s sake. Ahnao would need to speak as the nobles did, and never slip back into her usual way of saying things. Clothes were easy—the fortress would be full of them. Jihan’s regard was already turned her way, so the only thing Julia could think of was making Ahnao sound and act like a lady.
“Do you know the difference between you and me—apart from my magic that is?”
“You are beautiful, and a Lady, and strong, and—”
Julia broke into Ahnao’s tirade. “Nothing. The difference is nothing, Ahnao. If I put on your peasant dress and spoke like you, everyone would call me a peasant. Put a fancy dress on and talk like a Lady, and suddenly I’m a Lady. Do you see? You must look people in the eyes and never look down or away. It makes people think you’re timid and below them. If you listen and remember, you can learn how to sound like a noble. I’ll help you. If you ride with me, we can chat. I’ll try to teach you what to say. Half the battle is thinking about what you want to say before saying it.”
“Do you think Jihan will want me?”
“Anything is possible. Just look at me—I wasn’t even born on this world! Getting you and Jihan together should be easy to arrange compared to that.”
Ahnao grinned. “I be good at remembering.”
Julia smiled. “If someone asks you something, don’t answer straight away. You should wait a moment to collect your thoughts and then speak carefully. You would say something like this: me ma said I was to get the water. I would say this: my mother asked me to fetch the water. Do you see? I said exactly the same thing as you did, but it sounds completely different.”
Ahnao nodded. “I understand me—my Lady.”
“That’s right. When speaking, two people of equal rank should call each other by name—unless you’re being introduced for the first time or wish to be formal. After being introduced to someone like Jessica, you would say: I am pleased to meet you, Lady Jessica. Later you would say hello Jessica or good morning Jessica, something like that.”
“I should say: I understand, Julia?” Ahnao said.
Julia nodded. “When we enter Malcor, there will be servants. Try to remember how the lords spoke to Keverin’s people. Force yourself to talk to them the way Keverin talks to his servants. He treats them kindly, but you can hear the difference when he speaks to another lord.”
Julia was uncomfortable with that last part. She thought everyone should be treated the same, but that wouldn’t work for Ahnao who was so unsure of herself. She could be less formal later when she became used to speaking differently.
They spoke late into the night.
Ahnao rode with her the next day and ignored Jihan completely. He seemed puzzled about his abandonment, but he had other things on his mind. Through the rest of the journey, Julia spoke with Ahnao about anything and everything, so that she could hear how a noble spoke. When Keverin rode close, Ahnao listened carefully as Julia kept him talking for candlemarks. When Keverin rode off, she called Brian over and chatted with him. Julia felt she might be in danger of losing her voice, but she kept talking to Ahnao, or Mathius, or one of the guardsmen.
Then the day came when Malcor loomed large.
* * *
Jihan and Julia rode toward Malcor’s south gate. The light was fading now, and it made the fortress seem made of shadow. It was a huge dark mass brooding on its foundations waiting for the unwary to come too close. What was he doing back here? Jihan tried not to let her know how badly he wanted to gallop in the opposite direction, but he didn’t think Julia was so easily fooled. He had felt torn with indecision when Keverin had told him the plan. On the one hand, he would have the chance to rule Malcor as it should be ruled. He knew how important it was for a loyal lord to hold the fortresses. On the other hand, there was his father to think of. He had often fantasised about challenging Athlone, but now the time was here he found himself uncertain. Before meeting Ahnao he would have taken any chance to see his father dead for hurting his mother, he had reasoned that he had nothing to lose, but now he found himself thinking about the risk. He had a future with Ahnao to look forward to now, but he couldn’t turn his back on his mother. Her ghost cried out to him for justice.
“We’re nearly there. Have you thought how you’ll handle your father where I’m concerned?”
Jihan turned in his saddle to look at his only companion. Keverin and the others were camped out of sight in the woods close to where he killed Luther. Malcor dominated a large plain, which allowed its approaches to be watched for leagues in any direction. They would be seen if they came any closer.
“Are you all right Jihan? You look ill.”
“There’s nothing wrong with me that galloping a few hundred leagues wouldn’t cure.”
Julia laughed as if he had made a joke. Perhaps to someone as powerful as she was this was all an amusing adventure. To him, it wasn’t funny in the least.
“Be serious will you?” Julia said grinning. “Have you decided what you’ll say?”
“There’s not much to say. If they let us in, they might not, but if they do, my father will most likely set a punishment. If he asks why I came back, I’ll say Keverin turned me out.”
“Kev would never do that!”
“You and I know that, but my father hates Keverin. He would believe the worst of him rather than accept him as the better man.”
“What kind of punishment is he likely to set?”
“He’ll most likely order his cronies to beat me—it’s his standard punishment for my disobedience. As if a beating could teach me discipline,” Jihan sneered. “All it ever taught me was how to hide and fight when cornered. That’s over with now. I swore not to put up with such things. I’ll kill them if I have to.”
Julia nodded, and stayed quiet for the rest of the trip.
Jihan reined Jezy to a halt when they reached the gate, and Julia eased up by his side. “Ho the gate!”
“Who comes?”
“Jihan, son of Athlone and heir to Malcor!”
Jihan waited wondering whether his father was aware of his arrival. The thought was soon answered when the gate swung open on well greased hinges. One thing Athlone was good for was keeping the fortress in fighting trim. Julia and he rode through the gate and into the courtyard. He dismounted handing his reins to a stable-hand, and lifted Julia down. The groom took their horses away, and Jihan turned to his father.
Athlone looked old. The man was only fifty two, but the perpetual frown he wore, as if dissatisfied that the world did not do his bidding, made him look wrinkled and worn. Athlone was still a man to be wary of, but his father’s ageing made Jihan feel his youthful strength that much more keenly.
“Well boy? Where is Haiger?”
Jihan took pleasure in ignoring Athlone and instead turned to Julia. “Lady Julia, I would like to present my father, Lord Athlone. Father, this is Lady Julia. We met on my travels.”
“I am delighted to meet you at last, Lord Athlone. Your son has told me sooo much about you,” Julia said sweetly.
Athlone was visibly trembling in anger, but to Jihan’s great delight he swallowed it.
“Delighted,” Athlone said through his tee
th. “It has been long since a lady so lovely has graced my halls. You are most welcome. If you will excuse me for just a moment, I wish to speak to my son.”
“Of course. It must be hard when a son leaves to go adventuring. You must have missed him awfully.”
Jihan tried not to let his amusement show. Anyone who had spoken with Julia would realise her sugar-coated words concealed an intense dislike for Athlone. Fortunately his father was entirely unprepared for a lady to begin with, let alone an intelligent lady sorceress.
“Where are Haiger and the men I sent?”
“Dead,” Jihan said. He gave no further information, and watched his father struggle with his temper. Athlone was not one to hold his temper, but Julia’s presence seemed to restrain him for some reason.
“All six?”
“What did you expect me to do? Allow myself to be brought back like a runaway dog?”
“What I expect is some respect boy!”
Jihan shrugged.
Athlone’s face darkened and he turned back to Julia. “Perhaps you would like to refresh yourself, Lady. If you will follow me, I will show you to your rooms.”
“Thank you, you are most considerate,” Julia said and followed him inside.
Jihan looked around the courtyard once, before trotting up the steps and entering the citadel.
* * *
“She didn’t look like much,” Athlone said. “Good looking I grant you, but dangerous? I hardly think so. She’s nothing but a child.”
“Don’t be fooled by her appearance,” Abarsis warned. “That child as you call her has enough power at her command to level Malcor. Rile her my lord, and you will have the citadel coming down upon your head—upon our heads I should say.”
Athlone grunted and poured himself some wine. “I’ve sent for Jihan. He will be here shortly. You have a plan?”
Abarsis nodded and turned to his two companions. “You felt it?”
“Yes my lord sorcerer. She is strong in the magic.”
The other mage nodded. “It sings.”
“It does,” Abarsis agreed. “Take no chances. Mortain, may he live forever, orders her taken and brought before him. I order you to kill her at the first sign of her escape.”
“As you say, my lord sorcerer.”
“It will be done.”
“Go,” Abarsis said and the two mages bowed then left.
“That’s it? That’s your entire plan?”
“There are two ways to take a mage my lord. One is overwhelm him with superior power. The other is by surprise. No one has enough power to overwhelm Julia by himself—not even Mortain could do so. Surprise then is the plan.”
“What after?”
“Mortain wants her for himself. A spell to hold her, another to bend her to his will, and Julia may well be the mother to a new generation of true sorcerers.”
“I would sooner bed down with a snake,” Athlone said in disgust.
Abarsis nodded in agreement.
* * *
Jihan found his room exactly as he had left it. He took the time to wash and change his clothes before pulling his armour on again. With his sword bare, he sat in a chair watching the door. Why was Athlone waiting? The only thing he could think of was that he was trying to make him edgy. It was working.
The room was in darkness and the sun had been down for at least a candlemark when he heard the knock. Jihan didn’t bother to hide his readiness as he opened the door to find four guardsmen waiting.
“Your lord father is waiting.”
Jihan slipped into his old unresponsive attitude and did not speak. Instead, he sheathed his sword and walked unhurriedly to the training rooms.
“You took your time,” Athlone said and Jihan shrugged. “That was a pretty piece you brought back with you. At least you take after me in your tastes where women are concerned. It’s about the only thing we do have in common. If I didn’t know better, I could almost believe your mother had been whoring to the guards.”
Jihan fumed at the traitor’s slanderous words about his mother. If only Keverin had been his father instead of this foul traitor.
“You don’t answer? I think it’s time you had another lesson in who rules here.”
“You were never interested in my opinions before now,” Jihan said. “What has changed? As for the lesson, how many of your cronies can you afford to lose?”
“Boy...” Athlone growled. “You aren’t man enough to even inconvenience me, let alone take my place. I ought to disown you. See how you like living as a peasant.”
“I’m tired. Are you going to be long? If you want to teach me something, why not do it yourself?”
Jihan drew his sword, but he was disappointed when Athlone stepped back. He could run his father through right now and save himself a lot of bother later, but Athlone was unarmed. The guardsmen though were not. They circled him with their swords bare. He knew he would win. There wasn’t a doubt of it in his mind, but he had promised himself he wouldn’t put up with this kind of thing anymore.
“I swore I would not play your games any more, father. I will kill them if you don’t call them off,” Jihan said but Athlone remained silent. He tried the guardsmen, “I don’t want to kill you. Please… let my father fight his own battles.”
“You’re a cocky bastard, Jihan,” the sergeant said. “You always was. You ain’t got a chance against all of us.”
“I will not tell you again. Back off,” Jihan said in a cold voice.
The guardsmen attacked together. Their first mistake was to get in each other’s way, and Jihan took full advantage by gutting the one who had spoken. The stunned look on the remaining guardsmen’s faces said it all. Jihan had killed their sergeant so fast they hadn’t seen him land the blow. One moment there had been four guardsmen confident of their skill, the next only three.
Jihan watched the warily backing men. He didn’t move to attack—not until his father’s voice rang out.
“Did you think I didn’t know that you betrayed me Jihan? I’m disappointed in you, but then I always was. I gave you everything, and you repay me by running to my greatest enemy. Kill him!”
Before the guardsmen could even attempt to comply, Jihan was on them. Attacking one with a cut diagonally downward, he followed through to kill the man’s companion. Both men fell dead without a sound. The last guardsman was clearly panicking, which made Jihan more wary. A man pushed too hard could be unpredictable. In this case, he was almost taken by surprise, but not through the actions of the guardsman. Athlone had retrieved a fallen sword and attacked him from behind. Jihan ducked under the guardsman’s panicked swing at the same time as he threw himself clear of Athlone. His father was good with the sword. He couldn’t afford the added distraction. He charged and knocked the guardsman off his feet. One thrust of his dagger and the guard fell dead.
A slow clapping came from across the room.
Jihan turned to see his father standing next to a black robed sorcerer calmly applauding. It was Abarsis. Jihan was stunned. He had expected the sorcerer to be with the legion in Camorin not here at Malcor. Did he know about Julia?
“You have met Abarsis, but I don’t believe you know his two friends.” Athlone gestured toward the entrance.
It was a trap, and Jihan had led Julia right into it. With his heart sinking, Jihan turned as the door opened.
* * *
Julia slipped from her room and crept silently along the corridor. She had been careful to note the turns Athlone had taken when he escorted her to the women’s quarter, and now she retraced her way through the citadel. She ducked into an alcove when two serving women approached chatting and giggling about Jihan coming home, but she wasn’t seen. The corridors were even darker than Athione’s. She reached out with that sense that told her when Mathius was coming to scold her, but she felt nothing. Unlike Jihan, she wasn’t willing to take it for granted that Athlone didn’t have a pet sorcerer on call, but she detected nothing of the sort within her range which was considerable
. Julia felt better about her escapade knowing that she was the only mage within the fortress and made her way to the south courtyard with more confidence.
Before stepping out of the citadel and into the night, Julia searched the courtyard for guardsmen with her mage-sight. She was scanning the darkness for the telltale auras that would indicate a guardsmen standing watch. She spotted them immediately. There were none in the courtyard, but she counted an even dozen on the gate towers and along the short stretch of wall over the gate itself. Jihan said twelve was normal practise, but it never hurt to check. The gate to the north was likewise guarded he said. Any disturbance would bring thousands of guardsmen boiling out of their barracks when the alarm was given. It was Julia’s job to ensure the alarm was never sounded.
Julia stayed in the shadows close to the wall as she nervously made her way toward one of the gate towers. The night was very dark... she gritted her teeth and swallowed the panicky feeling back. She could do this. If she could fight thousands of soldiers in the pass, she could cross one stupid courtyard! She wished there was some kind of magic she could use to take away her fear of the dark. There were some very real things to fear in this world, fearing the night itself was stupid.
Julia hesitated outside the tower door, and went over what she was expected to do. The machinery that operated the gates was in the towers, as were the locks. She needed to get one of the gates open, but she also had to prevent the guardsmen from giving the alarm. Taking a deep breath, she pasted a smile on her face and entered the tower. The room was dimly lit—thank God!—and filled with machinery. There were long chains disappearing into the darkness overhead with massive stones attached. The lower stone was resting on the floor. Julia could not see a way up to the battlement at first, but as she rounded the counterweight she saw a wooden stairway leading up to a shadowy balcony almost lost to the darkness.
“Hey! You ain’t allowed in here.”
Julia jumped and spun toward the voice. She tried to keep her voice meek when all she wanted to do was scream at him for scaring her. “I only wanted to see how the gates work. You won’t tell any one will you?” She didn’t quite simper, but her coy little smile had the desired effect.
Devan Chronicles Series: Books 1-3 Page 34