Perhaps I should have made shift to prolong the banquet. Each new phase of the evening brought me closer to the time of my trial. But instead I wished for an escape from the masque of confidence I was required to perform. My smile felt brittle on my lips, and I had need for privacy in which to shore up my resolve. So when the minstrels had done I rose to my feet and thanked them formally. At this signal, the servants brought around brandies and richer wines to complete the meal; and the guests also rose to stretch their legs and mingle and talk while the ball itself was made ready.
But as I turned to leave the banquet hall, a servant came to inform me quietly that King Thone desired an audience with me alone before the bell.
I swore to myself because beyond question I could not afford to shirk such a request. Then I set aside my ache for respite and asked the servant to guide Canna’s king to one of the private meeting-rooms near the banquet hail.
There were several of these rooms in the manor— places where the Regals might hold discreet conversation with kings and counsellors and messengers—and it was surely known to half the ambitious connivers in the Three Kingdoms that these chambers were not in truth private. A ruler who sought to hold sway without bloodshed preserved his own secrets while at all times suggesting to his opponents that their secrets were not safe. Therefore some of the meeting-rooms were behung with tapestries behind which eavesdroppers might be concealed; others had listening slits cunningly hidden in the walls; still others possessed covert doors, which might give sudden entrance at need to the guards of the manor.
For my audience with King Thone, I selected a chamber, which displayed a brave weaving of the Ascension of the Phoenix-Regal. But I set no one behind the tapestry, neither Mage Ryzel nor any guard. Let King Thone believe himself overheard or not, as he chose; I had a need to show myself capable of facing him alone. And if Ryzel were indeed untrustworthy, I would do well to withhold as many secrets from him as possible.
Entering the room, I succumbed to my anxieties so far as to glance behind the tapestry for my own reassurance. Then I seated myself in the ornately carved chair reserved for the use of the Regals and awaited Thone’s coming.
He arrived shortly, unaccompanied by any of his courtiers or dependents. Since I did not invite him to sit, he remained standing. To make him wait and wonder, I instructed the servant to bring a decanter of the Gorgon-Regal’s choice brandy, and I did not speak to the monarch of Canna until after the brandy had come and the servant had departed again. Then, deliberately, I poured out one glass of the deep amber drink—for King Thone, not for myself—and said as obtusely as I could, “My lord, you asked an audience. Do you have some complaint? Does the hospitality of the manor displease you?”
He held his glass and gazed at it in silence for a moment. I had given it to him as a test, to see how he would choose between the courtesy of setting the brandy aside and the discourtesy of drinking when I did not. So my heart sank somewhat when he raised the glass to his mouth and sipped delicately.
His milky orbs betrayed nothing as he looked toward me at last; but his way of savouring the taste of the brandy hinted at other pleasures. “My lady,” he said slowly, “the hospitality of the manor is without flaw, as ever. You do not believe that I would trouble you on such a pretext.”
“What matters the pretext,” I replied, seeking to unsettle him, “if it gives us opportunity to speak openly to each other?’
His gaze held me as if he were blind, proof against what I did. Still slowly, he said, “My lady, what do you wish to say to me?”
I gave him a smile to suggest any number of possibilities; but I answered only, “My lord of Canna, you requested this audience. I did not.”
“My lady,” he said at once, as if nothing lay hidden behind his words, ‘at such bails it is often done that the Mages of the realm give demonstration of their prowess. I ask permission for my Mage to entertain you.
He surprised me, but I did not show it, “Cashon?” I asked in mild curiosity. “You have termed him a master of Fire.”
Thone’s plump lips implied a smile.
“Then his demonstration will be hazardous in this crowded hall, among so many guests. Why do you wish him to display his skill here?”
“My lady, you are not Regal. You are merely aspirant. You would be wise to understand the significance of my Mage’s power.”
His tone made me stiffen. I knew now that I was being threatened, but I did not yet grasp the nature of the threat. Carefully, I responded, “It is undeniable that I am merely aspirant. But I am also the daughter of my father, the Phoenix-Regal. I need not risk harm to the guests of the manor in order to understand Cashon’s magery—or the meaning of Fire.”
He played his gambit well. His voice was that of a polite man who sought to disguise his boredom, and his eyes gave away nothing, as he said, “Perhaps if you better understood the uses of Fire, you would not risk the entire realm on a foolish attempt at Ascension. Perhaps if your eyes were opened, you would see that there are others better placed than yourself to assume the rule of the Three Kingdoms.
You dare? I wished to retort. You dare say such things to me? I will have you locked in irons and left in the coldest cell of the manor, and you will never threaten man or woman again. That power I still have while this evening lasts!
But I uttered none of those words. I kept my anger to myself. Instead, I said quietly, “You speak of yourself, my lord Thone. Please continue.”
As if he had already won, he emptied his glass, then refilled it from the decanter. The faint twist of his mouth suggested that I was a fool not to share this excellent brandy.
“My lady”—now he did not trouble to conceal his sarcasm—.”I had not thought you in need of such instruction. Mage Ryzel has taught you ill if you do not understand me. But I will be plain. Canna feeds the Three Kingdoms. Lodan and Nabal provide them with luxuries; Canna gives them life. And I am served body and soul by a Mage who has mastered Fire.”
I did not let my gaze waver from the milky secret of his eyes. “That much is plain. Be plainer.”
King Thone could not stifle a grin. “My lady, you are charming. This girlish innocence becomes you. But it does not render you fit for rule. However, you have commanded plainness, and while this evening lasts, you must be obeyed. Plainly, then, you must not attempt to Ascend the Seat of the Regals. Rather, you must give way to those better suited for rule. If you do not—I speak plainly at your command—if you set even one foot on the steps to that Seat, my Mage will unleash his Fire.
“Not upon the manor,” he said promptly, as if I had questioned him. “Assuredly not. That would be hazardous, as you have said. No, he will set Fire upon the fields and crops of Canna. My secret storages will be spared, but Nabal and Lodan will starve. They will starve, my lady, until they see fit to cede their crowns to me.”
Happily, he concluded, “You will find yourself unwilling to bring that much death upon the realm by defying me.
He made me tremble with shock and anger; but I did not show it. For an instant, I feared that I would. I had been trained and trained for such contests—but training was not experience, and I was not yet twenty-one, and until this night Mage Ryzel had always stood at my side. The peril to the realm, however, demanded better of me. Here the only question, which signified, was not whether I would later prove Regal, but rather whether I would be able to serve the realm now.
From my seat, I said softly, “You are bold, my lord. Apparently you care nothing that by these tactics you will make yourself the most hated man in the history of the Three Kingdoms. And apparently also,” I continued so that he would not interrupt, “you have given careful thought to this path. Very good. Perhaps, my lord”—my courtesy was precise—”yow will tell me how you intend to respond if I summon the guards of the manor and have you thrown without ceremony into the dungeon.”
He stared through me as though I were trivial; but his mouth betrayed a smirk. “That would be ill advised,” he replied. “M
y commands to my Mage have been explicit. If I do not shortly appear at the ball to restrain him, he will commence the razing of Canna.”
“I see.” I nodded once, stiffly, acknowledging his cleverness. “And if I imprison Cashon also, what then?”
“My lady,” Thone said with elaborate patience, “I have told you that he is a master. And surely Ryzel has taught you that a Mage need not be free to wield his power. Neither distance nor dungeon can spare the realm from my will.”
I paused for a moment, marshalling my thoughts. Thone’s plotting depended upon Cashon—a man whose integrity and scruples had never been questioned. Yet the monarch of Canna was certain that Cashon would commit such massive wrong. The idea was appalling. Still I preserved my composure. Facing my antagonist squarely I asked, “Would you truly commit that abomination, my lord of Canna?”
“My lady,” he replied in his tone of patience, “do not insult me with doubt.” His eyes concealed everything. “I mean to rule the Three Kingdoms, and you will not prevent me.”
Waving my hand, I dismissed this assertion as if my ability to prevent him were sure. “And Cashon?” I inquired almost casually. “He has earned a goodly reputation in the realm. Will he truly obey your atrocious commands?”
“You may rely upon it,” said the king. I had not ruffled him.
“That is preposterous!” I snapped at once, probing hard for a point of weakness. “We speak of Cashon, my lord—not of Thornden’s sycophant or Damia’s ferret. He was not shaped in the same gutter, which gave birth to your lordship. Why will he obey you?”
King Thone’s response lacked the simple decency of anger. Pleased with himself, he said, “He will obey me because his wife and his three daughters are in my power. He knows not where they are—but he knows that I will have them slain if he fails me. And he fears that I will find other uses for them before they die. Do not doubt that he will obey me.”
His wife and daughters? I wished to cry out. Are you so base? And do you call yourself fit to rule? The nature of Thone’s machinations horrified me; his revelation explained much.
But the sheer intensity of my outrage served as self-command. “In that case,” I said, my heart pounding, “perhaps you will be so kind as to summon a servant.” I indicated a bell-pull near him.
A slight faltering exposed him. Behind the veil of his gaze, I felt him study me closely. But I offered him no reason, and my countenance told him nothing. Perhaps now he sensed his peril, yet he had come too far to retreat.
After a moment, he shrugged slightly and gave a condescending tug to the bell.
When a servant answered, I said clearly, but without inflection, “Request the Mage Cashon to attend us.”
I was pleased to see that Thone now found he could not speak again, in protest or in warning, without appearing foolish. To keep himself still, he chewed upon his lower lip.
Cashon came to the chamber promptly. As he entered, his bearing was wary. Now that I knew his plight, his pain and his fear were unmistakable. Beneath its flesh, the courage which sustained his face was being eaten away. In his life, he had given up much which a Mage might find desirable for simple love of his wife—and it was plain that he had never regretted the loss. But now she and their daughters were threatened, and fear for them consumed him. It ruled him. He did not look at me; the suffering in his eyes was fixed on King Thone. His hands at his sides closed and unclosed uselessly.
For his sake, I spoke as soon as the door had been closed behind him.
“Mage,” I said evenly, “this unscrupulous king has told me of the means by which he thinks to make himself monarch of the Three Kingdoms. You are the sword, which he thinks to hold at my throat. But my word is otherwise: I say to you that you need not fear for your loved ones.” At that, Cashon’s attention wrenched toward me.
Thone opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again, waiting to hear what I would say.
“You are reputed a master of Fire, Mage” I continued. “Therefore King Thone seeks to compel you to his use. And therefore you are able to defy him. Turn your Fire upon him, Mage”—now at last I allowed my ire to rasp in my voice—”upon this heartless fop who threatens thousands of innocent lives merely to serve his own ambition. Should you simply surround him with flame and let him feel its heat, he will reveal where your family is held to save himself pain. And he will go further. He will give you his written command for their release, so that you may free them this night.”
That was my gambit for the protection of the realm.
But I saw no hope leap up in Cashon’s eyes; dread had dissolved all his strength. And the lord of Canna did not falter. His gaze did not shift from the Mage as he addressed me softly.
“You are a fool. Do you conceive that Cashon has not considered such threats for himself? But he knows that my men have been given command to first rape and then slay his wife and daughters, should harm of any kind come to me. If they hear any report that I have been hurt or defied, they will act. And I will never command any release.
“Look upon him.” Cashon appeared to wither under Thone’s scorn, so acid was the Mage’s fear. “He counts himself fortunate that I will permit him to save his family by obeying me.” Then Thone turned to me. “And I will achieve the same fate for you”—the calm of his demeanour broke into a shout—”if you do not submit to me now!”
My heart went out to Cashon in pity; but the safety of the realm hinged on him, and I could not afford to spare him. He had once been stronger. I gambled that he had not forgotten.
For the second time this night, I mustered a laugh. Smoothly, I rose from my chair. As I moved toward the door, I said, “Cashon, I leave him to you. You are a master. I trust you will, do no harm to the manor. His command against your family will not be obeyed.
“Canna has not forgotten that he came to kingship through the suspected murder of his uncle—and that from the first moment of his rule all the laws and commands of the Kingdom were altered. When word of his death reaches those who hold your loved ones, they will not dare obedience for fear that they will lose favour with the next monarch.” I threw my whole weight into the scales on Cashon’s side. “And you will be the next monarch— should Thone fail to satisfy you here.”
At the door, I paused to look again at the king of Canna and smile. “I trust you will enjoy the ball, my lord,” I said in my sweetest way. Then I left the meeting-room and closed the door after me.
There my legs nearly failed me. Dismay at the risk I took made my head whirl with faintness. If Cashon did not take courage from my display of confidence—if he did not conquer his fear—I Hardly able to stand, I clung to the door and listened and did not breathe.
Through the panelled wood, I heard the first muffled roar of Cashon’s magery—and King Thone’s first shout of panic.
A servant nearby looked toward me in alarm. To calm her, I said. “Be not concerned.” In an instant, my faintness became the light-headedness of relief “King Thone and the Mage Cashon will resolve their differences well enough alone.” I wanted to shout with jubilation. “And I wager that when King Thone emerges he will be unscathed. Leave them to themselves”
Turning in the direction of the ballroom, I walked away. For the first time, I felt that perhaps I was fit to become Regal over the Three Kingdoms.
A moment later, Ryzel appeared in the passage and came hastening toward me, barely able to hold his dignity back from running. “Chrysalis,” he breathed urgently, “are you well? There is power at work in that chamber.
He was unusually sensitive to the vibrations which spread from any exertion or presence which touched upon the Real. Any magery or Magic anywhere in the manor was known to him instantly. By that means, among many others, he bad determined that I was no Creature. Now as he approached his alarm was briefly plain in his face— concern for me, perhaps—or perhaps anxiety that something had transpired to undermine his own intentions. But when he saw that I was unharmed—and that I was grinning—he drew himself to a
halt, stifled his haste. “My lady,” he asked cautiously, “what has happened?’
Before I could consider my reply, the door of the meeting-room leaped open, letting the reek of brimstone wash into the passage; and Cashon came out, alive with energy and hope. In one hand, he gripped a scrap of paper. He waved it toward me, then sped in the opposite direction, running to gain his horse.
Firmly, I took Mage Ryzel’s arm and turned him away from the aftersmell of Fire. Despite my inexperience, I knew that it would be unwise policy to humble King Thone further by forcing him to make his exit from the chamber before witnesses. Let him repair his appearance and attend the ball as he saw fit; the mere thought of how he had been weakened would give me hold enough over him. To answer Ryzel, I said softly, “It would seem that Cashon is no longer bound to the lord of Canna.” But I gave him no explanation. He had his own secrets; I would keep mine. Also—to be honest—I was young yet and did not wish to give him opportunity to chastise me either for the risk I had taken or for bragging.
My silence made him frown dourly, but he did not question it. Instead, he said, “Then I am no longer chagrined that I learned nothing of Cashon’s circumstances to aid you.”
As we walked, I asked, “Is it not the custom of Mages to talk at these rare gatherings?”
“It is,” he replied. “But Cashon spoke no more than three words from first to last.”
Something in his tone alerted me. In an instant, I set King Thone’s defeat aside and turned my attention to the Mage. “If Cashon did not speak, who did?”
He mulled his answer for sometime, chewing it around in his mouth as if he loathed the taste of it but feared to spit it out. Then, abruptly, he said, “Scour.”
His dislike of Queen Damia’s Mage was of long standing; but it did not account for his present vehemence. And my own apprehensions concerning the lady of Lodan were many. Carefully, I inquired, “And what did this Scour say?”