Royce glared, but Gwen beamed. “I think I will. Yes, The Rose and the Thorn. It has a ring, don’t you think?”
“Oh good, I caught you!” Albert came out of the House wrapping a robe about him and squinting at the bright sky.
“It’s midmorning Winslow,” Royce growled. “You’re starting to act like a real noble.”
“Thank you. I’m putting weight back on too. Now if I could only afford a decent coat I—”
“What did you want?” Royce asked, pulling himself up on his mount and snapping his cloak behind him.
“There’s a party at Lord Harrington’s tomorrow night that I thought I should attend.”
“Uh-uh. Next outfit comes out of your share of the profit.”
“It’s not money. I was thinking that, well, I should call you two something. It’s awkward to explain that I know two men who can arrange for things to happen. It sounds amateurish and I can’t hope to establish referrals that way. I need a title, something people can remember, but of course nothing that would lead anyone to you. I don’t want to use the word thieves either. The people I deal with won’t like that. So I was thinking of giving you a name. How about the Two Phantoms or Specters—something like that?”
“The Two Phantoms?” Hadrian asked skeptically.
Gwen shook her head. “You need something special, something unique. Something short.”
“How about Riyria?” Hadrian said, climbing onto his horse.
Royce smirked.
“Arcadius was right after all, don’t you think?”
Royce shrugged. “Just don’t tell him that.”
“Who was right—about what?” the viscount asked.
“Nothing, Albert.”
“So I’m to call you Rye-ear-ah? Is that correct?”
“Good enough,” Royce said as he and Hadrian turned their horses.
Albert pursed his lips. “Well, I don’t think it’s as good as Phantoms, but it’s something I guess.”
“It’s perfect,” Gwen said.
“See you soon.” Royce waved and began to ride down Wayward Street.
“Wait! What is it?” Albert called. “What is Riyria? What does it mean?”
“It’s elvish … for two.”
CHAPTER 25
THE VISITOR
Did anyone see you come in?” Bishop Saldur asked, stepping back and opening the path to the coatrack. From the snow his guest was covered in, the bishop assumed it was still snowing.
“No, but is it a crime to visit a church?”
“Not yet, and with Novron’s help, it never will be.”
Two weeks had passed since the fire, but still Saldur had nightmares of the king drawing that sword of his. How dare he threaten a bishop of the church! His actions only showed how far Melengar had slipped into the mire of godless monarchy. This was the trouble reaped when men set themselves up as rulers—when they claimed a throne reserved for Novron’s seed.
Saldur sat down and leaned back in his desk chair. He was the bishop of Melengar, and Mares Cathedral was bestowed to his care by the Patriarch and the archbishop of Avryn, but he spent most of his time in that tiny, cramped room at that miserable desk. It wasn’t the life he’d imagined for himself when he took his vows.
“Novron was of little help this time.”
“Have more faith.” Saldur scowled. The bishop was used to disappointments. The church had a long history of waiting. For others a minor setback always felt like the end of the world. They just couldn’t understand the scope. Everyone saw themselves as the hero of their story, as if the world rotated around them. Saldur knew the truth. Such impressions were only arrogance. Individuals never managed any kind of lasting change. Real change had to be built over generations. The church worked like drops of water on granite; the impossible was achievable only through sacrifice and time.
This just wasn’t the time.
“It’s still early,” Saldur said, putting his feet up on the velvet stool before the little fireplace. “Eventually all the kings’ heads will fall.”
“What of Exeter’s killer? And that girl—Rose—who hired him? They’re still out there—still know about us.”
“They know about me,” Saldur corrected. “No one knows about you. No one could ever suspect you—not now, not after how things turned out. And I wouldn’t worry about Exeter’s killer. He’s likely some hired thug or lovesick puppy who she enchanted with those wicked eyes. Even I was taken in by her apparent innocence. He and Rose are likely long gone. I don’t expect to hear from them again.”
“What about Richard Hilfred?”
Saldur almost laughed, but laughter was unbecoming a bishop in the office of his church. Instead he raised an eyebrow. “The man is dead. What’s there to worry about?”
“He might have told others.”
“No. Richard was a solitary soul, closed off to the world. He didn’t trust anyone. That was why I chose him. He blamed the king for his lover’s death, and I knew he was an ambitious man. No real loyalty in him either. Anyone could see that. I merely showed him the path he wanted to take.”
“And gave him the blessing of the church. Knowing Novron is on your side always eases one’s conscience, even when plotting murder.”
Saldur didn’t appreciate the disrespectful tone, but what did he expect from this one? “Killing isn’t murder when done in the name of Novron. Everyone must die, and die they will—when Novron or his father Maribor decrees it. What difference does it make should the hand of Novron be a lightning bolt or a dagger? I was concerned about your ability to weather the storms necessary to take the throne and rule Melengar. Your age has always been a concern. You’re very young. Perhaps I chose poorly?”
“No.”
Saldur got up and placed another log on the fire. Feeding his own hearth was just one more indignity he had to endure, but he certainly couldn’t allow anyone in his office during this meeting, and they couldn’t meet in the high tower anymore. And it was cold. He hated winter. This looked to be a long, dark one, made colder by the fact that he’d expected to be spending it in the luxury of the castle.
“It seems like a defeat,” Saldur said, trying to sound positive, “but we’re actually closer. Much closer.”
“Maybe.”
“So skeptical.”
This brought a smirk.
“The next time we won’t miss. We’ll wait a few years, let things settle down, let people forget.”
“We can’t have another fire. There’s already been two.”
Saldur considered this. “And we can’t afford to miss again. We’ll have to literally stab him in the back.”
“If we do that, the people are going to want us to find the killer.”
“That won’t be a problem.” Saldur smiled. “We’ll just pin it on someone.”
“Not another traitor. I’m not sure people will stomach that either.”
“No, we’ll find someone else. Someone without a name, someone unimportant and easy to attach the blame to.”
“Like who?”
“A couple of thieves perhaps—that way nothing can go wrong.”
GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND NAMES
ABBY: Prostitute at Medford House in the Lower Quarter of Medford
ALBERT WINSLOW: A landless viscount hired by Royce and Hadrian to arrange jobs with the gentry
ALRIC ESSENDON: Prince of Melengar
ALVERSTONE: Name of dagger used by Royce Melborn
AMRATH ESSENDON: King of Melengar
ANN ESSENDON: Queen of Melengar
APELADORN: The four nations of man, consisting of Trent, Avryn, Delgos, and Calis
AQUESTA: Capital city of the kingdom of Warric
ARCADIUS VINTARUS LATIMER: Professor of lore at Sheridan University
ARISTA ESSENDON: Princess of Melengar
ARTISAN QUARTER: The geographic region of Medford where most of the goods are produced
AVON: Former prostitute at The Hideous Head Tavern and Alehouse, killed by Stane<
br />
AVRYN: The central and most powerful of the four nations of Apeladorn, located between Trent and Delgos
BA RAN GHAZEL: The dwarven name for goblins, literally “Goblins of the Sea”
BERNUM RIVER: Waterway that joins the cities of Colnora in the north and Vernes in the south
BLACK DIAMOND: International thieves’ guild centered in Colnora
CALIAN: Pertaining to the nation of Calis
CALIANS: Residents of the nation of Calis, with dark skin and almond-shaped eyes. An isolated people, not much is known about them in the northern and eastern kingdoms of Avryn, except that their women are among the most beautiful in existence, but the suggestion of their use of magic makes them reviled and outcast.
CALIS: Southern- and easternmost of the four nations of Apeladorn, considered exotic and strange as most in the north have little interaction with people from that part of Elan. The region is in constant conflict with the Ba Ran Ghazel.
CARTER: A person who makes their living by moving goods from place to place, usually employing a horse-drawn cart
COLNORA: Largest, wealthiest city in Avryn. A merchant-based city that grew from a rest stop at a central crossroads of various major trade routes.
CROWN TOWER: Home of the Patriarch and center of the Nyphron Church
DELGOS: One of the four nations of Apeladorn. The only republic in a world of monarchies, Delgos revolted against the Steward’s Empire after Glenmorgan III was murdered and after surviving a goblin attack with no aid from the empire.
DIXON TAFT: Carter operating out of Medford and employee of Medford House
DROME: God of dwarves, second son of Erebus
DUSTER: Person (or persons) responsible for a gruesome set of murders one summer in the city of Colnora
ELAN: The world
EREBUS: Father of the gods Ferrol (god of elves), Drome (god of the dwarves), Maribor (god of men), Muriel (goddess of nature), Uberlin (god of darkness)
ERVANON: City in northern Ghent, seat of the Nyphron Church, once the capital of the Steward’s Empire as established by Glenmorgan
ESSENDON: Royal family of Melengar
ESSENDON CASTLE: Home of the ruling monarchs of Melengar
ETHAN: Sheriff in the Lower Quarter of Medford
ETTA: Least attractive prostitute at Medford House in the Lower Quarter of Medford
GENTRY QUARTER: The geographic region of Medford where the wealthiest (usually noble or rich merchants) reside
GHENT: Ecclesiastical holding of the Nyphron Church
GLENMORGAN: Historical figure and a native of Ghent who reunited the four nations of Apeladorn 326 years after the fall of the Novronian Empire. He initiated the new Steward’s Empire, founded Sheridan University, created the great north–south road, and built the Ervanon palace (of which only the Crown Tower remains).
GWEN DELANCY: Calian native and proprietor of Medford House
GWENDOLYN: Given name of Gwen DeLancy
HADRIAN BLACKWATER: Originally from Hintindar, he left home at fifteen, spent two years as a soldier (with multiple armies) and three years as an arena fighter in Calis
HEAD, THE: Nickname for The Hideous Head Tavern and Alehouse
HIDEOUS HEAD TAVERN AND ALEHOUSE: Brothel and tavern run by Raynor Grue in the Lower Quarter of Medford
HINTINDAR: Small manorial village in Rhenydd, home of Hadrian Blackwater
HOUSE, THE: Nickname used for Medford House
JOLLIN: Prostitute of the Lower Quarter working at Medford House
LADY BANSHEE: Large fishing boat operating out of Medford
LOWER Quarter: The geographic region of Medford where most of the impoverished reside
MAE: Prostitute of the Lower Quarter working at Medford House
MANZANT: Infamous prison and salt mine, located in Manzar, Maranon
MARANON: Kingdom in Avryn, rich in farmland and known for breeding the best horses
MARES CATHEDRAL: Center of the Nyphron Church in Melengar
MARIBOR: God of men, third son of Erebus
MEDFORD: Capital city of Melengar. The town is divided into four distinct quarters: Artisan, Merchant, Gentry, and Lower.
MEDFORD HOUSE: Brothel in the Lower Quarter of Medford run by Gwen DeLancy and employing prostitutes who once worked at The Hideous Head Tavern and Alehouse
MELENGAR: Small but old and respected kingdom of Avryn ruled by King Amrath
MERCHANT QUARTER: The geographic region of Medford where most of the goods are sold
MERRICK MARIUS: Former best friend of Royce Melborn, known for his strategic thinking
MONTEMORCEY: Excellent wine imported through the Vandon Spice Company
MURIEL: Goddess of nature, only daughter of Erebus
NOVRON: Savior of mankind, demigod, son of Maribor, defeated the elven army in the Great Elven Wars, founder of the Novronian Empire
NYPHRON CHURCH: Predominant church of mankind. Worshipers of Novron and Maribor.
PATRIARCH: Head of the Nyphron Church, lives in the Crown Tower of Ervanon
PERCEPLIQUIS: Ancient city and capital of the Novronian Empire, destroyed and lost during the collapse of the Old Empire
PICKLES: Street urchin from Vernes and former companion of Hadrian
RAYNOR GRUE: Proprietor of The Hideous Head Tavern and Alehouse in the Lower Quarter of Medford
REUBEN HILFRED: Son of Richard Hilfred. After the death of his mother, he was raised by an aunt until the age of fourteen, when he came to Essendon Castle to live with his father and become a member of the castle guard.
RHENYDD: Poorest of the kingdoms of Avryn
RICHARD HILFRED: Father of Reuben, member of the king’s bodyguard
ROSE: Prostitute of the Lower Quarter working at Medford House
ROYAL PERMIT: Legal paperwork allowing a proprietor to operate a business
ROYCE MELBORN: Thief, assassin, and former inmate at Manzant Prison
RUE: Nickname of Reuben Hilfred given to him by his father
SENTINEL: Inquisitor generals of the Nyphron Church, charged with rooting out heresy and finding the lost Heir of Novron
SERET: Knights of Nyphron. The military arm of the church, commanded by sentinels.
SHERIDAN UNIVERSITY: Prestigious institution of learning, located in Ghent
SIGHT, THE: Ability, usually possessed by Calian women to see the future
SONG OF MAN, THE: Poem that tells the history and mythology of mankind
SPADONE: Long two-handed sword with a tapering blade and an extended flange ahead of the hilt allowing for an extended variety of fighting maneuvers. Due to the length of the handgrip and the flange, which provides its own barbed hilt, the sword provides a number of additional hand placements, permitting the sword to be used similarly to a quarterstaff and as a powerful cleaving weapon. The spadone is the traditional weapon of a skilled knight.
SQUIRE: Errand runner or servant of a knight
STANE: Net hauler for the Lady Banshee, killed a prostitute of the Head
TENENT: Most common form of semi-standard international currency. Coins of gold, silver, and copper stamped with the likeness of the king of the realm where the coin was minted: 1 gold = 100 silver; 1 silver = 10 copper.
THREE CRUELTIES OF HUMANITY, THE: As described in the poem “The Song of Man,” they are age, disease, and hunger
TRENT: Northern mountainous kingdoms of Apeladorn, generally remote and isolated
UBERLIN: God of darkness, born from the rape of Muriel by her father, Erebus
VERNES: Port city at the mouth of the Bernum River
WARRIC: Most powerful of the kingdoms of Avryn, ruled by King Ethelred
WAYWARD INN: A defunct establishment that used to reside at the end of Wayward Street in the Lower Quarter of Medford
WAYWARD STREET: Road leading to the most impoverished section of the Lower Quarter in Medford
WILLARD: Bartender at The Hideous Head Tavern and Alehouse in the Lower Quarter of Medford
WINTERT
IDE: Chief holiday, held in midwinter, celebrated with feasts and games of skill
WOLVES: Street gang of children; Royce Melborn was once a member
Riyria Chronicles 02 - The Rose and the Thorn Page 32