‘I would like you to go to a small province southeast of Cos and recover an artefact for me.’
Almorante stared at her, his hooded eyes inscrutable. ‘Why do you want me to do this? You have many able men in your employ.’
‘It is family business.’
‘Then send Bayard.’
Tatrini drew in her breath slowly. ‘I would prefer for you to do it.’
‘I am loath to leave Magrast at your directive,’ Almorante said. ‘I wonder why you want to send me away and what you will do in my absence.’
Tatrini smiled ruefully. ‘You think so badly of me, Mante. I have no wish to get you out of the way. My request is genuine.’
‘It is uncommon. You have never asked for my aid before. What is this artefact?’
‘I can only tell you about it once I have your oath you are committed to my desire.’
Almorante laughed coldly. ‘What do you take me for? I need more coercion than that.’
Tatrini inclined her head. ‘Of course. However, you must appreciate why I am wary of taking you into my confidence. What I have to tell you must go no further. The future depends on it.’ She had his curiosity now. He would think that she needed him, and that she had asked him here out of desperation.
‘Then I will speak frankly,’ he said. ‘It is no secret you’d prefer Bayard to take Gastern’s place on the throne. You must know I oppose that planc’
‘You have your own aims, of course,’ she interrupted.
He dismissed her words with a curt gesture. ‘Whatever my aims, it is doubtful they are in accord with yours. I have to ask myself what you seek to gain by asking this of me. Naturally, my first assumption is that you need to remove me from Magrast to initiate some scheme or another, which I might otherwise obstruct. If this is not the case, then I can think of only three alternatives. One is that you genuinely need my aid, another is that you seek to discredit me in some way, but the third is more sinister. Perhaps you plan for me never to return from wherever you send me.’
Tatrini laughed lightly. ‘Oh, what a warren of intrigue and suspicion Magrast has become! I am your mother, Mante. Are we really deadly rivals?’
Almorante’s eyes were cold. ‘I hope that was an attempt at humour. Now is not the time to act the part of doting mother. You have too many sons and in circumstances such as ours, competition is inevitable, as is favouritism. Your own security rests on such matters.’
He had always been the outsider, the dark one, eyed with suspicion. Tatrini did not resent his words. She respected his honesty. Her other sons, including Gastern, would not have spoken so bluntly and would have attempted to pander to her. She drew herself up straight. ‘I thank you, Mante, for being yourself. Now, I will speak frankly too. I do not think Gastern is the most suitable inheritor of your father’s crown, but you are mistaken if you believe I am motivated solely by a desire to see Bayard take his place. The truth is: I care very greatly about the fate of our empire, which is fragile at present.’
Almorante pulled a sour face. ‘I do not totally agree with that statement, but we perhaps are in a precarious state. Gastern, once he settles into his role, will seek to root out any potential adversaries. Dare I consider you have decided we should close ranks? If so, what can I gain from the alliance? You don’t want me to become emperor.’
‘Perhaps it is irrelevant who actually becomes emperor,’ Tatrini said. ‘We should think more about our dynasty and its continuance. By that, I mean our true dynasty and not the ascetic travesty represented by Gastern.’
‘Yet you championed Rinata to become empress. Why do that? You have only given both of them more power.’
‘I was simply laying the way for the future. Rinata is a cipher, a nothing, and will never be anything else. Her watery blood has created Linnard, who will grow into a mean and spiritless man. He must never take his father’s place.’
‘He is your grandson.’
‘Are you attempting to question my morals?’
‘No. You have none and that is that.’
Again, Tatrini laughed. ‘You have created an image of me, Mante, but it lives solely in your frightened head. And you are afraid, my son. You cannot hide it from me.’
‘I am cautious, that’s all. Again, I have to ask: why should I help you?’
‘Perhaps I have something you want.’
‘And what is that?’
‘Tayven Hirantel,’ she answered.
Almorante shrugged. ‘If you thought that would come as news to me, you’re wrong. It’s very difficult to keep secrets here. I’ve known for some time you had him concealed somewhere. Why do you suppose I want him? We have had no contact for a long time.’
‘Some years ago, you attempted a quest with Hirantel. I have no idea what you sought to gain from it, because you certainly were unaware of why you should have been undertaking it. But perhaps Hirantel was more astute. Last year, he undertook the same quest with Khaster Leckery.’
‘Leckery?’
‘Yes.’ Tatrini made a languid gesture. ‘Two men supposed dead reappear in our lives. They are difficult to kill, it seems.’
Almorante’s expression had changed from bland condescension to something far more animated and bare. Tatrini’s spies had informed her that after Leckery’s supposed death, Almorante had searched Cos thoroughly for traces of both Leckery and Tayven. The latter had eventually surfaced in Mewt, but Leckery had managed to remain hidden. Clearly, Almorante had not known he had survived. ‘The artefact you want,’ he said. ‘Tayven found something in Recolletine, didn’t he?’
‘You are correct.’ Tatrini replied. ‘It was left in the keeping of a sorceress of Breeland. I expect you would like to speak to Tayven about it, wouldn’t you? That quest was stolen from you. Instinctively, you were led to Recolletine with a desire to experience the lessons of the lakes. Consciously, you didn’t know why, but perhaps you were driven by ancestral memories in your blood. At that time, you lacked the knowledge to complete the quest, and in your disappointment sought never to attempt it again, but Tayven used the experience to his advantage.’
‘I admit I knew none of this. All I sought to achieve was to instil Tayven with the properties of the lakes, to make a magus of him.’
‘You succeeded in that, my son, and never knew it. Now you must talk to him about it.’
Almorante grimaced. ‘He will not speak to me. Since I learned he’d been paying visits to our governmental offices in Akahana, I asked Darris Maycarpe many times to arrange a meeting, but Tayven wouldn’t hear of it.’
‘Perhaps,’ Tatrini said, ‘but it may be that Maycarpe himself was opposed to your seeing him. Tayven was both your concubine and your most trusted agent. You gave him everything, yet he repaid you with scorn. He nearly lost his life in your service, but that was his choice. He is not stupid and knew the risks. As far I can see, there is no debt between you. Tayven is older and wiser now. His bitterness has ebbed and, like the rest of us, he seeks only to secure his own future. I have no doubt he will speak to you. He is, after all, reconciled with Bayard.’
Almorante uttered a surprised grunt. ‘Impossible! If it appears that way, he is deluding you.’
‘I am not easily deluded, Mante. Go to the window. You will see him in the garden. You and he were on the right track all those years ago, and none of us knew it.’
With a hard glance for his mother, Almorante got up from his seat and went to the window. For some moments, he did not speak. Tatrini attempted to divine his feelings. Did the sight of Tayven rekindle old memories? Perhaps he was sad to see Tayven had grown from a beautiful fey boy into a man. It could remind him of his own mortality. When Tayven had first gone into Almorante’s service, the prince had been little more than a boy himself.
When Almorante returned to his seat, he made no comment on what he’d seen other than to say, ‘What is the artefact Tayven recovered?’
‘A crown,’ Tatrini said. ‘A symbol of kingsh
ip. It was found at Lake Pancanara.’
‘Tayven reached Pancanara?’ Almorante shook his head in wonderment. ‘I trained him well, it seems. Why is this crown important to you? If it is a symbol, then a copy could be made.’
‘Mante, you talk of training, but where is the fruit of yours? An artefact, which has remained inaccessible for centuries, recovered from the most mystical site in our country at this time of flux, will possess magical properties. Influential people believe in its powers. We must have it.’
‘We?’
‘Yes, we. Together we represent a formidable force. I want you to go to Breeland and recover the Crown of Silence for the Malagashes.’
‘And you trust me not to crown myself with it?’
‘Perhaps you are already crowned with it,’ Tatrini said. ‘Our family is emperor. Our blood is empire. We who are the vessels of it should not spill it in simple spite. Gastern denies all that we stand for. In him, our blood is turned to milk. We must take action, but not in fragmentation and fear. Together. ’
Almorante studied her for a moment. ‘If you can countenance the disposal of one son, you can countenance the disposal of any of us,’ he said. ‘And you still haven’t denied you want Bayard on the throne. What exactly are you offering me, Mother?’
She held his gaze with her own. ‘I have favoured Bayard because, of all my sons, he has been the most dynamic. He has proved himself upon the field of battle. He is strong and would hold the empire together, not just through might and ruthlessness, but also from the fire that shines from his eyes. He is like a glorious barbarian in his self-indulgence. But what is the strategic advantage of placing a barbarian upon the great throne of Magravandias? Qualities other than might are equally desirable. I’ve tried to instil these qualities into Bayard, and to a degree I have been successful, but I do not believe in focusing upon a single goal – a course that seems doomed to disappointment. Go out into the world, Almorante, and prove to me that you too are dynamic, mighty and strong. Earn the prize you think you deserve.’
Almorante’s expression remained hard. ‘What has happened recently to make you change your mind? You have betrayed no interest in my affairs or well-being before.’
Tatrini gestured languidly with one hand. ‘There was much for me to consider. Bayard has an interest in magical matters, but as in all things, he tends to charge at them like a berserker. You, on the other hand, are cautious and careful. I know little of your activities, other than that you are involved in the mystic arts. Also, Bayard has scant regard for Mewt and the power it could offer us. You, on the other hand, are inextricably linked with it. You have made firm contacts there. I think you should know that Darris Maycarpe was involved in the lakes quest. He did not participate directly, but he certainly helped plan it. The other names involved are someone called Shan and Khaster’s brother, Merlan.’
‘Shan,’ Almorante said thoughtfully. ‘I recall meeting a youth of that name in Mewt last year. I remember him because he reminded me of Tayven and also because he wore a talisman in which Maycarpe showed great interest. Presumably he recruited the lad because of that.’
‘From what I’ve heard, Shan is Khaster Leckery’s apprentice. We can only presume a cabal operates from Mewt, whose workings are as yet unknown to us. It might be prudent for you to include an investigation of Maycarpe’s activities in your expedition to locate the Crown.’
‘This will take time,’ Almorante said. ‘Breeland is a long journey away, and if I am to go to Mewt afterwardsc’
‘There are matters that need my attention here at home that will also take considerable time. Do what is expedient. There is no rush.’ She paused. ‘Can I take it you are with me, then?’
Almorante’s mouth twitched. ‘I am surprised at myself, but yes. You have pricked my curiosity, and I appreciate your frankness. But – and I’m sure I don’t need tell you this - if you should betray mec’
‘Mante, please! Let us not talk of betrayal.’
‘How will Bayard feel about my involvement? Or aren’t you going to inform him?’
Tatrini leaned back in her chair. ‘Bayard does not yet know of the Crown. For the time being, I prefer to keep it that way. Bayard does have a role in the empire’s future, but I’m not sure of its nature yet. You must bear in mind that whoever sits upon the Fire Throne will not necessarily be the one to wield true power.’
Almorante stood up and bowed to her. ‘I will do as you ask,’ he said, ‘but know that if you attempt betrayal my retaliation will be swift.’
‘You are a true son of my heart,’ Tatrini said.
Oblivious to what was taking place so near to them, Tayven and Rav sat in the garden waiting for Tatrini to come out to them. Over the past few weeks, Rav had spent a lot of time in Tayven’s company. He was like an older brother, who always had an answer to every question and never got tired of his queries. Prince Leo had faded in importance since Rav had met Tayven, a fact of which the young prince was well aware. It had made him spiteful, but had also encouraged him to spend more time with Rav. It was hard to shake Leo off nowadays. He was nearby, tormenting frogs and newts in the ponds at the end of the hedged walk. Rav could hear him laughing cruelly and splashing about with a stick.
From Tayven, Rav had learned the true history of the Dragon Heir. Sometimes, it scared him, because he realised that even by knowing the story he had broken the oath his ancestors had made to Madragore. But when Tayven was around, it was as if nothing bad could touch him. Rav had asked questions about the vision he’d seen of Tayven crowning his father, but sensed that Tayven was being economical with the truth in his responses. ‘All you need to know is that your father will do all that he can to keep you and your family safe, no matter what happens here in Magrast.’
‘But why does my grandmother want us to work magic together? Are we helping to get rid of Gastern?’ Rav had learned some of the political undercurrents that tugged beneath the surface of royal family life.
‘We are making contact with the elemental dragons,’ Tayven said. ‘All you need to think about is Foy. If you are strong in heart, there is nothing to fear. One day, you will be lord of Caradore, and think how good it would be to have Foy’s power at your command. We do not know the future, but we can work towards the best possible outcome.’
Since this conversation, and many others like it, Rav went to Tatrini’s regular rituals in the Fire Chamber with less trepidation, because he knew his friend, whom he trusted instinctively, would be there. Nothing as dramatic as the events of the first ritual had occurred, but now Rav had a sense of Foy and felt connected with her. Tatrini had given the elemental avatars speaking parts in the rites. She was training them, and told them their work was going well. When Rav stood up to invoke the Dragon Queen, he sensed her near him, although she hadn’t actually spoken to him in his mind since the first time. Prince Bayard had called upon the fire drakes and it had been magnificent, like a play. Leo had also invested his part with drama, perhaps to make up for the fact that his invocation produced no strange effects like those of the first ritual. But despite the ringing words and staged gestures, Rav knew that only he and Tayven really felt a connection to the dragons. It was their secret.
Garante clearly suspected nothing, which invested the weekly excursions to the Fire Chamber with greater excitement. Rav enjoyed having a hidden life, which others knew nothing about. He looked forward to the meetings in the old dark chamber and the powerful and beautiful words Tatrini was teaching them. He enjoyed the shivery feelings that coursed through his body and made the hairs on his arms stand up. But sometimes, alone in his bed, waking from haunting dreams, he was terrified and wished he’d never gone with Leo to the old Fire Chamber. His life had changed, and he knew it was irrevocable. Tatrini had said to him that his eyes had been opened forever, and at night that image scared him. He imagined what it would be like never being able to close your eyes, even when something hideous was in the room with you and you didn’t want to l
ook at it.
He had not yet told Tayven about the dragon daughters, because some part of him was ashamed of knowing about them, but the dreams were increasing in regularity and intensity. Sometimes, Misk and her sisters never quite went away when he woke up. That morning, a spectral face had hung over his own for several minutes after he’d opened his eyes, fading gradually until only a pair of serpentine eyes remained, which had eventually winked out like distant lights. He could no longer keep silent.
‘Tayven,’ Rav began, ‘will I always have horrible dreams now? Is it part of what we do?’
‘Dreams?’ Tayven said. ‘What kind of horrible dreams?’
Rav shrugged awkwardly. He still felt embarrassed to be talking about this. ‘Well, after the first ritual we did, I dreamed of Foyc’ He paused, unable to mention the daughters.
‘That is not a bad thing,’ Tayven said in a coaxing voice. ‘Has anything else happened?’
Rav rubbed his nose. ‘I’ve had lots of dreams of being in a dark cave, and something is in there with me. I’ve seen them. Three women with scaly skin. Their hair’s made of snakes and their teeth are pointed. They circle round my bed, hissing and laughing. I don’t like them. The funny thing is, I always know I’m dreaming, but it feels like I’m awake.’
Tayven regarded him with a strange, speculative expression. ‘A lot of people can sort of “wake up” in their dreams,’ he said, ‘especially if they’re involved in magic.’
‘But I don’t want to have dreams like that,’ Rav said. ‘Even if I know I’m really only asleep, I can’t make myself wake up.’
‘Then just think of me I will be there with you,’ Tayven said, reaching out to ruffle Rav’s hair. ‘I’ll chase your demon women away. They are only faces of your own fear. They’re not real.’
Rav thought Tayven was only saying that to comfort him. He could tell Tayven all of it, reveal the dragon daughters’ names, and all that they had said to him. Tayven knew a lot about Foy, but seemed to be ignorant of Misk, Jia and Thrope. Rav didn’t like the way they made him feel. They belonged to him, yet he felt that he belonged to them.