Ascendant (44 page)

"No,"
Carlana answered with a withering stare at her royal scribe.

The scribe
looked at the floor and curtsied. "No, Your Highness, Your Grace
Ambassador Ulligrapat. I was startled is all. The office of the royal scribe
has ever been discrete concerning official documents."

Carlana turned
back to the Ambassador. "This agreement will remain secret until the day
before my daughter comes of age."

The smile was
gone from Usay's face, replaced by a neutral expression. "His Majesty the
Emperor is, as I have stated, uncomfortable with this treaty remaining secret
for so long."

"And we
have explained that such secrecy protects the crown princess." Carlana's
smile was also gone. "As long as the dukes and duchesses believe there is
a possibility that Ariana will marry one of their sons,  they will remain
content with supporting the Regency. If they learned she has been promised to a
foreign prince, even a favored prince of powerful empire, some of the provinces
could be tempted into, shall we say, adventures or intrigue."

Usay openly
frowned, then regained his neutral expression. The Emperor was not concerned
about the secrecy of the treaty document, for many agreements between nations
were secret, he was concerned for the Regent of Tarador's reason for insisting
on secrecy. Carlana needed secrecy simply because her hold on power was weak. A
weak Regent was not able to provide a strong guarantee that the Empire would
receive in the future, the agreed benefit from the loan guarantees that took
effect immediately.

Ultimately, it
did not matter, Usay knew. The negotiations for the secret betrothal of
Carlana's daughter to the Emperor's second son had started with the Emperor
offering loans, loan guarantees and even part of his army and navy to Tarador,
for the Emperor feared that Tarador would be conquered by the Enemy. Against
the common demon Enemy, Tarador's fight was the fight of all peoples, and if
Tarador were to fall, Indus would not last long. Usay nodded. "Tarador's
internal political matters are your concern, Your Highness. We are agreed,
then? The terms we discussed here can be added to the treaty document now, and
my aide and your scribe can act as witnesses?"

Carlana tried
to keep her eagerness from showing. Tarador needed this treaty, she needed this
treaty. Tarador needed the money from loans, to keep fighting the war, until
and after Ariana became queen. Ariana would not be happy when she learned,
shortly before her sixteenth birthday, that she was betrothed to a foreign
prince. The people of Indus felt it was the responsibility of parents to find a
good match for their children; this match would be good for Ariana, good for
her station as queen and good to ensure the future of the realm. Ariana needed
to put aside silly girlish dreams of marrying a servant boy, or a wizard, and
think about her responsibilities. Prince Noredon would be a good companion, and
his presence in the royal household would bring strength and stability to
Ariana's reign, for she could rely on a powerful empire as an ally. With a signed
treaty in hand, Carlana could simply smile to herself when people accused her
of inaction while Acedor pressed in on Tarador's borders. Merchants would
notice their trading partners were allowing credit again. The royal army would
see new supplies and reinforcements, including foreign mercenaries. Ariana
would see less pressure on her mother from the Regency Council. All of which
would ensure Tarador's future and ease Ariana's path to the throne.

Her daughter
would be unhappy, her daughter would be furious. Her daughter would live to
become queen. "Yes," Carlana stood up and offered her hand for the
Ambassador to shake. "We shall sign the treaty today."

Koren trudged
down a hallway inside the castle, bent over by a bundle of laundry that weighed
almost as much as he did. He was dead tired, having just arrived back at the
castle that morning. Staying at Duke Magnico's guest house, a hunting lodge,
had been an idyllically peacefully couple of weeks, almost a holiday for Koren.
The Duke had been fairly bursting with pride to have the court wizard staying
at his hunting lodge, knowing the other Dukes would be burning with jealousy,
particularly as Paedris had agreed to ride back with Magnico, when the Duke
journeyed to Linden for the Cornerstone Festival. When the royal courier
reached the Duke, announcing that Paedris desired to stay at the Duke's hunting
lodge, the Duke had sent his servants into frantic action; scrubbing the
already clean lodge top to bottom, stocking the kitchen with food, filling the
wine cellar with the wizard's favorite vintages, and clearing winter leaves and
brush from the gardens. When they arrived, Paedris and Koren found fresh
early-blooming flowers planted up against the lodge, where the thick timbers
provided warmth to the soil, and a retinue of Magnico's servants ready to take
care of the court wizard, and do most of Koren's work also. Koren did not have
to chop wood, or clean anything except the room Paedris used as a study.
Staying at the lodge was a grand time for Koren, the Duke's library was
well-stocked with books and maps, the lake was full of fish, and there was an
entire countryside for Koren to explore while riding Thunderbolt. He had ranged
far and wide, sometimes staying away overnight, with the wizard's permission, although
the wizard had insisted that at least two guards accompany Koren on his rides.
At first, the guards had resented being assigned to a lowly servant, which was
unheard of. Why did a mere servant boy need to be guarded, especially deep
inside Tarador? Koren didn't understand it either, thinking the wizard didn't
trust him not to get lost, but he obeyed his master. And the guards, after
getting to know Koren, treated the rides as a holiday also, and a chance to
hunt game on their Duke's private lands. During their weeks at the lodge, the
first true signs of spring had arrived, with daffodils popping their bright
yellow flowers out of the ground, and fruit trees beginning to bloom, and bees
buzzing slowly around, as if they, too, needed to shake off their winter
doldrums. Koren had been sad when Paedris announced it was time to ride back to
Linden, and although it was fun traveling with the Duke's caravan, now that he
was back at the royal castle, there was much work to be done. Such as a large
pile of laundry, wet and muddy from long days on the road.

He stopped at
the bottom of a staircase, set the bundle of dirty clothes down on the floor,
and sat on a step to rest. Two young maids came along the hallway and paused at
a window, just around a corner. Koren could faintly hear them talking.

“
Oh, look, that
’
s Kyre Falco. He is soooo
handsome.
”
One
girl said with a sigh.

“
You keep dreaming,
Mariska.
”
The
other girl laughed.
“
He
is cute.
”

“
Did you hear about Kyre?
Susan, you know Susan, she
’
s
a maid for the Falco
’
s,
she told me the truth is, it was Kyre
’
s
idea to look for the Cornerstone in the moonlight.
”

“
No!
”

“
It
’
s true, Tasha! Kyre heard
Ariana was searching for the Cornerstone, and he reminded her about the guards
in the old tower, the ghosts who only come out in a full moon? Kyre figured out
the Cornerstone had never been moved, he could tell by the marks in the floor
there.
”

“
He is clever, that one.
And more clever to let the princess take the credit.
”

“
You know, the princess is
sweet on him?
”

“
Ariana? No!
”
Tasha laughed.
“
She
’
s a Trehayme, he
’
s a Falco. Like oil and
water, they are, never will mix.
”

“
Say what you will, but I
’
ve seen the way she looks
at him.
”

“
You, Mariska? When are you
ever around princess Ariana?
”

The girl named
Mariska sniffed.
“
Well,
I am, sometimes, and I know what I
’
ve
seen. Sweet on him, she is.
”

“
Ha! Time to get moving,
the dining hall won
’
t
clean itself. Oh, hello, um,
”
Tasha was startled to notice Karen around the corner,
“
You
’
re, uh, Koren, is it?
”

Koren
’
s ears were burning. Kyre was
getting credit for his accomplishment? Angrily, Koren jumped to his feet and
slung the bag of laundry over his shoulder, but it was too heavy, and he fell
against the wall, spilling dirty laundry on the floor.

The two girls
laughed.
“
Maybe
you should take two trips, next time.
”
Mariska laughed, while Tasha bent down to help him scoop sheets back into the
bag.

Koren mumbled
thanks, picked up the bag, and staggered up the stairs as fast as he could.
Kyre Falco had girls in the castle dreaming about him, while Koren was hauling
firewood and laundry, and the maids couldn
’
t
even remember his name!
“
Ariana,
sweet on Kyre Falco? Ha!
”
Koren muttered to himself, then froze on the stairs. He remembered Ariana
talking about marriage, she'd said she would probably marry the son of a duke.

Kyre was the
son of a duke.

Perhaps much
had happened while Koren was away.

Oh no.

Had Ariana
been trying to tell him something, that day weeks ago, while he was stuffing
his face with honey cakes and not really listening to her? Ariana was his
friend, and Kyre was his friend, so he should be happy for them. He wasn't. He
wasn't happy to think about Ariana with another boy, even though he knew it was
useless for a peasant boy to dream about the princess. He was a peasant, a
lowly farmboy, a common servant. The class structure in Tarador was rigid, if
you were born a commoner, that's where you stayed, and you should know your
place.

Koren knew his
place, but he didn't have to like it.

Around the
corner, the two maids paused to look out the window.
“
He
’
s cute too.
”
Tasha said softly.

“
Who?
”
Mariska asked. The only
men she saw in the courtyard below were a pair of guards, their faces hidden
under shadow by their helmets.

“
Koren, the wizard
’
s boy. He
’
s cute. And everyone knows
he
spends a lot of time with the princess.

“
He
’
s cute,
”
Mariska admitted.
“
I don
’
t know why the princess
invites him to dine with her, he
’
s
just a servant like us. I don
’
t
take tea with Ariana.
”

“
Koren does. If the
princess if sweet on anyone, it
’
s
Koren.
”

“
What? Oh, such talk! Where
do you get these ideas, Tasha?
”

“
If she
’
s not sweet on him, and he
’
s a commoner, then why
does she spend so much time with him, huh?"

Ariana forced
a smile to freeze on her face, and she waved appropriately. But she was bored,
terribly bored. With all the Dukes and Duchesses gathered in Linden and such
Barons, Baronesses and lower-ranked royalty as had been able to make the
journey for the Cornerstone festival, Ariana had to endure endless dinners,
parties, receptions and, worst of all, watch spoiled royal boys show off for
her. At least when they were racing horses across the field, she could get
interested in watching the horses, regardless of the riders. Sitting in the
royal box above the sparring ring, watching the sons of Dukes and Barons play
fight and hoping to catch her favorable eye, she was completely uninterested.
She did her duty; smiling, waving, congratulating the winners, engaging in
small talk with the parents who were so hopeful the future queen would find
their eligible sons appealing. She found none of them appealing. Not in
that
way. Oh, to be sure, some of them were handsome, and charming, and well-spoken,
and quick with a blade or skilled with a bow, and she appreciated any person
who could handle a horse with grace and not brute force.

But none of
them were as quick with a blade, nor skilled with a bow, as Koren. Not one of
them could have ridden Thunderbolt, nor even gotten close to that horse without
catching a hoof in the belly, or a bite on the arm. For all their well-polished
and well-practiced charm, none of them had the simple, honest grace of Koren.
For all their play-acting in the sparring ring, none of them had ever faced
true danger, had ever stood up to an enormous bear, nor plunged into a raging,
icy river, nor faced a gang of bandits with only a small knife. None of these
royal brats had risked death to save the life of a girl they didn't know,
risked death when no one was watching, for no gain but because it was the right
thing to do. None of them had saved her life, not even once, while Koren had
done it thrice in a single morning. And for all their cleverness, their witty
words, none of them had solved an ancient mystery, found a Cornerstone that had
been hidden for centuries in the spirit world, and given hope to a weary nation
that they might someday see victory in a war that had lasted over a thousand
years.