Crown of Destiny (12 page)

Palben nodded sympathetically, but the truth was, he did not understand. He wondered what kind of a god the Twilight Lord worshipped. It certainly wouldn't be the Celestial Actuary. And in Hetar there was no holy book of which he knew. "Of course, if your holy book directs you to the House of Ahasferus, then it is there you must go," he said to Kolgrim. "The current patriarch of that house, Grugyn Ahasferus, will be one of my guests tonight. He is a magnate, and his family can be traced to the earliest days of Hetar. Will you allow me to speak with him first, my lord Kolgrim? Then I will introduce you. He has several granddaughters who are of marriageable age. The women of that family are noted for their beauty, too. While it is said all cats look alike in the dark, a man lives more in the light with his wife." Palben chuckled, giving Kolgrim a friendly poke.

Kolgrim joined his host laughing and gave him a friendly wink.

"You will want to see your quarters now," the Lord High Ruler said. He clapped his hands, and his majordomo appeared immediately. "Take Lord Kolgrim to his quarters. His servants are already settled, I hope."

"Indeed, my lord, aye," the majordomo said.

"A servant will come to fetch you and bring you to the banquet," Palben said.

Kolgrim bowed with an elegant flourish, and then without another word went off with the majordomo.

Palben rubbed his hands together, delighted. He could hardly wait to tell his wife of the reason for the Twilight Lord's visit.

But Laureen said, "Thank the Celestial Actuary that he did not want our youngest child, my lord! I could not bear it if she were so far away." In actuality she was relieved, for she had watched the Twilight Lord's arrival from a window that fronted on the palace entry. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen, but he had made her shiver. She remembered that when she was small and misbehaved, her grandmother would say,
"If you do not behave, Laureen, you will be sent to the Twilight Lord, and live in his Dark Lands forever."
It was a common threat made to children of her generation.

"Well," Palben continued, unaware of his wife's genuine relief, "Grugyn Ahasferus will certainly be in my debt now. A match between one of his granddaughters and the Twilight Lord will bring our Hetar and the Dark Lands closer. I cannot speak for the citizens of that far place, but this ruler is a man of excellent breeding and good taste. Did you see his train, Laureen? The horses' manes were braided with silver! The musicians and dancers were garbed in the finest silks. There have been rumors of great wealth in the Dark Lands." Palben paused, thinking. "I wonder," he continued slowly, "how we can profit financially from this possible marriage?"

"I am certain you will find a way, my lord," his wife answered.

"Aye, I will," he agreed, nodding. "Wear something beautiful tonight, my dear. I would have you shine before our guest."

He would sell me to this dark lord if he thought he might profit by it,
Laureen thought to herself. "Of course," she answered her husband. "I have just the gown, my lord." Then she curtsied to him and hurried off.

The Lord High Ruler sat alone, and considered to himself what possible riches the Dark Lands held. He rubbed his hands together again gleefully. Tonight would be just the beginning of his personal triumph. Palben II would be remembered as Hetar's greatest ruler for bringing the Dark Lands into Hetar's circle of power. He could hardly wait for his guests to arrive. It was a small party, but the guest list was made up of the most influential men in Hetar. They would be fascinated by the handsome and urbane Twilight Lord. They would be astounded to learn what had brought him to Hetar.

And they would be fiercely jealous of Grugyn Ahasferus's good fortune. He would have to keep a tight line on his old friend Grugyn. There would be no marriage celebrated without the permission of the Lord High Ruler Palben. And it was going to cost the House of Ahasferus a goodly sum to gain their lord's formal consent. Palben chuckled to himself. He had been considering taking a second wife for some time. Perhaps he would wed another of Grugyn's granddaughters. Then he would have a blood tie with the Twilight Lord.

"My lord."

He looked up to see his body servant. "What?" he demanded, irritated at having been interrupted in the midst of his musings.

"You must come now, my lord, if you are to be ready on time to receive your guests," the man said, bowing low for he saw the annoyance in his master's eyes.

Palben arose. "Thank you," he said to the servant. "Is that new gold-and-silver robe ready for me to wear this evening?"

The servant nodded in the affirmative as he led his master away.

A
T THE APPOINTED HOUR
the Lord High Ruler of Hetar stood on the wide steps of his palace with Kolgrim the Twilight Lord greeting his guests. He was dressed in a light gray velvet robe with stripes of cloth-of-gold and cloth of silver. It glittered with his every movement. The robe had long wide sleeves with cuffs of gold. It was not a flattering design for it made him look leaner and more angular. But the robe was saved by a wide collar fashioned from gold and studded with rubies that sat upon his shoulders and his chest. Each of his long thin fingers was decorated with a bejeweled band, the ring of his office on the middle finger of his right hand. About his forehead was a gold band with a center ruby. His dark hair was close-cropped.

His guest of honor wore a robe of black-and-silver silk. It was simple in design, but elegant. About his neck was a heavy chain of gold and silver from which hung a round silver locket studded with sapphires. A band of silver with a center sapphire was set about his golden head. Kolgrim had about him an air of command that needed no luxurious ornament. The Hetarian magnates recognized it as they entered the palace with their women and were introduced.

Palben looked about his banquet chamber and felt well pleased. None of his guests was as well dressed as he was. Most had brought younger second wives, which but pointed out to him that without a beautiful young bride by his side he was losing prestige. Aye, he would have to take another wife. Laureen, while a pretty woman, was simply past her prime. And she had never been a great beauty. But her pedigree was without par, and her wealth was most satisfactory. She had been obedient and dutiful, giving him two sons and four daughters. However it was time her face was retired into the background where it belonged so he might enjoy a nubile, beautiful, young wife. She would probably be relieved for he knew she didn't enjoy these state dinners.

He had placed the Twilight Lord at his right hand at the table. Laureen sat on the other side of their guest of honor. Grugyn Ahasferus was seated at the left hand of the Lord High Ruler. As the meal progressed Palben leaned toward his friend and said, "You should know that Lord Kolgrim has come to Hetar to seek a bride."

Grugyn Ahasferus grunted an acknowledgment as he chewed on a piece of capon. "What has it to do with me?" he asked low, knowing Palben would not speak to him of this without a reason.

"He wants one of your granddaughters, Grugyn. Do you know what a coup, an honor, this is for your house?"

"Why one of my granddaughters?" The magnate's voice sounded disinterested.

"He will tell you himself. I have arranged for you to meet privily with him while my other guests are being entertained after the sweet is served. When I tell you, you will go to my own privy chamber. You know how to reach it, Grugyn, for you have often shared conversation and frine with me there."

"He's handsome. The girls would like that. Is he rich?"

"His train was magnificent when he entered The City," Palben responded.

"I heard. Men-at-arms in livery, banners, musicians and dancers. A goodly show to be sure, but such can all be hired," Grugyn said. "I need to know if he has the kind of wealth needed to ally himself to our house."

"An alliance between your granddaughter and the Twilight Lord would mean an alliance between Hetar and the Dark Lands. I am sure Lord Kolgrim is worthy, and such a marriage could mean great new wealth for us," Palben said meaningfully.

Grugyn's eyes narrowed briefly in thought. "Such an alliance would add to both your prestige and mine," he replied. "I would become richer than any in Hetar."

"And my position upon the throne could never be challenged," Palben murmured to his friend.

"I will listen to him with care and seek to gain the best advantage, but, between us, he can have one of the girls. A union between my granddaughter and the Twilight Lord will mean greater matches for her cousins." He smiled. "We are in agreement, my lord."

A
S THE SWEET
was served, and the guests distracted by an entertainer with a troupe of small dogs, Grugyn Ahasferus discreetly left the banqueting table. The Twilight Lord still sat murmuring in conversation with Palben. But when the magnate reached the Lord High Ruler's privy chamber he found Kolgrim awaiting him. "How...?" he began.

"Magic," Kolgrim said to him with a charming smile. "Sit down, my lord. My cousin, Palben, has told you why I have come to Hetar, has he not?"

"
Your cousin?
I was not aware that Lord Palben was your kin," Grugyn said.

"He does not know it," Kolgrim said with a chuckle. "It would be difficult for him to reconcile that his grandmother, Zagiri of Terah, was my half sister, that we shared the same mother, the faerie woman, Lara. After all, he rejects magic, doesn't he?" Kolgrim laughed aloud. Then he said, "But you know magic exists, Grugyn Ahasferus, for you are a descendant of Ulla."

"Magic is one of those subjects most Hetarians avoid these days, my lord Kolgrim. The Lord High Ruler does not believe, and therefore it is not fashionable to believe in it. But aye, I believe in magic and accept its existence in our lives." He motioned Kolgrim to a comfortable chair, seating himself opposite the Twilight Lord. Then, leaning forward, asked, "Why one of my granddaughters? If you wanted a Hetarian wife, there are any number of suitable young women available. Why one of mine?"

Kolgrim observed Grugyn Ahasferus carefully. Then he said with a candor that surprised even himself, "Because I have been directed to choose from among your family, my lord. The Twilight Lords live by the Book of Rule. And the book has instructed me to take a wife from among your three granddaughters. I don't know why, but I must follow what is written. These maidens are all sixteen. A good age for marriage. I do not know which I will choose, but it must be one of the three. And the decision must be mine. It cannot be made for me." Kolgrim glanced at his companion to see if he would accept his explanation. Oddly he had told the truth. He had just not told all of it. He hoped what he had said was enough to satisfy the Hetarian's curiosity.

"I understand," Grugyn Ahasferus said, and he did. When magic directed you, you followed whether you understood it or not. "Will your wife hold a place of honor in your kingdom, my lord Kolgrim? Will she be free to visit her family now and again?"

"First she must produce my son and heir," Kolgrim said. "Then she is free to do as she pleases, my lord. Her duty is to birth this child. It is a great honor, you know, for Twilight Lords have only one son. My wife will be showered with riches, and live like the queen she will be. I will never mistreat her," Kolgrim said.

"Perhaps I can help you to choose," Lord Grugyn said. "What sort of woman pleases you best?" Of his three granddaughters, two of the trio pleased him greatly. They were high-spirited maidens with a passion for pleasures that would certainly please any husband. The third girl, however, worried him. She was the most beautiful, it was true, but she was quiet and shy. She had, if his son was to be believed, never had a lover. She was definitely not the kind of girl a powerful ruler like the Twilight Lord would choose for a wife. Still, he would have to present her to this princeling, for Kolgrim knew there were three. But he would wait until the other two had had their chance to dazzle Kolgrim.

"I have no preconceived notions with regard to my wife," Kolgrim lied smoothly.

"Excellent, excellent!" Grugyn said, smiling. "Come to my home tomorrow afternoon, two hours after sun's peak. I will introduce you to my granddaughters, and you may take your time knowing each of them." He leaned forward and offered Kolgrim his hand in friendship. Then he added, "Of course your bride will be costly, my lord."

"I would expect it no other way," Kolgrim replied, smiling. "A perfect jewel is always well worth its price, my lord." Greedy, fatuous fool, he thought to himself.

The two men returned to the banqueting chamber. Grugyn as he had come. And Kolgrim using his magic. The Twilight Lord had left a replica of himself seated within his chair, drinking, smiling, speaking. No one was aware that he had ever left the table. He nodded imperceptibly to Lord Grugyn as the other man reseated himself.

Grugyn Ahasferus smiled just ever so slightly in acknowledgment. He was not as stupid as Kolgrim thought he was. The magnate did indeed, as he had admitted to the Twilight Lord, believe in magic. And he knew the history of his family very well. The powers his ancestress Ulla had possessed passed into a single female in each generation of his family. Obviously one of his three granddaughters was the current host of this power, and Kolgrim wanted that power. Well, Grugyn Ahasferus thought to himself, he will pay dearly for it. I will want a monopoly on all the mineral rights in the Dark Lands, he thought to himself. There was surely gold and silver in those mountains as well as valuable gemstones to be had. And they would all be his. He would become the richest man in Hetar.

Of course there was Palben to consider. He would expect a substantial portion of Grugyn's spoils in exchange for his permission to allow a marriage to take place. Grugyn would not defy his old friend. Palben's power base was too strong. One enormous bribe, and Palben's cooperation would be far easier to obtain than with several large bribes, and an eventual betrayal. No. The Lord High Ruler and the magnate were old friends. They understood one another.