Devan Chronicles Series: Books 1-3 (110 page)

“There you are then,” Lorcan said laughing.

“All right you two,” Julia said trying not to laugh. “Come inside, Lorcan, and tell us what we need so badly.”

* * *

Lord Halden peered into the portal. “Secret passageways, how wonderful! When I was your age, I would search for passages just like this when I visited the other lords. Some of their castles are very old you know.”

“Did you find some?” Lorcan said eagerly.

“I did, but someone had found them before me and bricked them up after only a few yards,” Halden said sadly.

Keverin listened in amazement as Lorcan and Halden chatted like old friends. Gylaren hadn’t needed to persuade Halden to help him against Ascol; he had leapt at the chance to explore the palace’s secret passageways. Instead of a staid seventy-year-old lord, Halden seemed like a ten-year-old boy eager for an adventure.

“We had better get in there and start causing Ascol some grief,” Halden said to Keverin with a mischievous grin.

“I’ll show you m’lord!” Lorcan said bolting forward.

Keverin snatched the hood of Lorcan’s robe and brought him up short. “Not so fast, Lorcan. You know the plan as well as the rest of us. If you go in there, the sorcerers will sniff you out.”

“But they didn’t before,” Lorcan said sullenly.

“You hadn’t used your magic before—I asked Mathius about it. Why do you think Julia and the others have stayed away? I know it seems unfair, but it’s important we not be discovered.”

“Cheer up young mage,” Halden said. “I’ll take you around the city tomorrow. You can borrow Davida’s horse. Would you like that?”

Lorcan’s face lit up, but then he frowned. “I can’t ride.”

“
What!
” Halden said in mock outrage. “You don’t know what you’ve been missing, lad! I’ll teach you.” He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Don’t tell anyone, but the lords always pretend that riding a warhorse is hard because they want to look clever and brave!”

Lorcan’s eyes were huge, and Keverin barely prevented a laugh escaping. It was the perfect thing to have said to Lorcan. Anything that smacked of sneakiness appealed to him immensely. Of course, he would soon learn how hard a fractious warhorse was to control, but by then he would be inaugurated into the soldier’s way of downplaying hardship and would be unlikely to complain.

Keverin clapped Lorcan on the shoulder. “I want you to keep watch here. There’s no point in sneaking in there if someone sees us do it.”

“If I see someone I’ll close the panel, m’lord.”

Halden climbed through the open portal. He had no difficulty, being not much bigger than Julia, but Keverin was another matter. He squirmed through ignoring the discomfort and was finally able to stand within the passage. As Lorcan had reported, they had been created when the old halls were sectioned into rooms. Keverin wondered if King Eagon, who was on the throne when this work was done, had known of them. According to the Histories, Eagon wasn’t a mage, but he did have a way about him that had puzzled more than a few people. Eagon would often know things he shouldn’t know. The lords of the time spent hundreds of golds employing mages to ward their castles and rooms to prevent him from scrying. It would be ironic if these passageways were the only reason Eagon knew about the schemes his lords were hatching. He could well imagine Eagon crawling through here intent on uncovering a secret.

Halden moved ahead carrying a small torch to light the way. Lorcan said the tapestries would hide the light, but Keverin didn’t want to take chances. He tapped Halden’s shoulder when they neared their destination and he doused the torch. Keverin found the catch and pressed it hearing the faintest of clicks, as it released. He and Halden held their breaths when the conversation in the room became audible, but they hadn’t been detected. He couldn’t see a cursed thing in the darkness so he reached out to find Halden intending to whisper in his ear, but he couldn’t find him. Frantically he waved his arms around until he found the man on his knees. He had his head through the portal! Panic quickly subsided when Keverin remembered the tapestries, but still! The risk of discovery was extreme enough without Halden’s foolishness.

Keverin listened intently as Ascol raged about Julia and Gylaren. He thought Ascol’s guest must be Demophon, but he changed his opinion when he heard the sound of a palm striking flesh. No sorcerer would stand for that. Ascol’s consort might it be? He aborted his instinctive urge to barge through the portal when he remembered that Ascol had arrived at the palace minus his consort. He relaxed with that realisation. If Ascol had struck a woman, then secrecy be damned. He would have been inside before Ascol could blink.

“Please father!” said another voice followed by the sound of another blow.

Keverin tensed again. Ascol hitting his son was marginally better than hitting his consort to his mind, but only just. Adrik was old enough to fight back if it became too bad. The sound of a door opening came through the portal clearly.

“Ascol! We need to talk. Stop playing with him and listen, we have important things to discuss.”

“I’m busy!” Ascol snarled, “Wait outside.”

“Send the boy out, or I’ll remove the problem myself,
permanently.
”

“How dare you—” Ascol screeched.

“If you try to use that on me again, I’ll kill you. Once was enough. I won’t warn you again Ascol, sheath it now!”

Smackkk!

“Father!”

“Don’t try it boy,” Demophon said slowly. “You should be grateful to me for keeping your latest beating so short.”

“I deserved it for speaking out of turn. My father is an Ascol. I’m an Ascol, but you… I’ll find a way to make you pay for hurting him, sorcerer,” Adrik said in a voice that sounded very young.

Keverin shook his head at the boy’s foolishness. Talking to anyone that way was bad enough, but to a sorcerer… well, Adrik was dead lucky not to be feeling the man’s fires right now. If Adrik had been his son… but he wasn’t. He had no sons, would he ever?

The door slammed.

“Enough of this, we have things to discuss. Your son takes after you in his stupidity, but that could be useful if turned upon the right target.”

“Plans you said,” Ascol said. “What need have I of a sorcerer who fouls himself in fright at the sight of a mere woman? I will deal with the whore in my own way.”

Keverin’s eyes blazed, but he checked his instinctive urge to attack. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in rage. If the wall hadn’t been so thick, he would have smashed through and wrung the bastard’s neck for talking about Julia that way.

Demophon snorted. “Underestimating her will be your downfall… unless I am. Yes, I
was
scared that day, if you had seen it… but you can’t. Lady Julia was
this close
to destroying us all. The amount she was holding would have seen Devarr turned to a smoking pit in the ground. Mortain—may he live forever—would be less than ash if he tried to hold that much power, but what did Julia do? She laughed in joy!
Joy!
Do you even have an inkling as to what that
means?
”

Ascol obviously had no more idea than Keverin did. The awe and fear in Demophon’s voice worried him. What
did
it mean?

Halden wriggled backward like an eel, and stood to whisper in Keverin’s ear. “Let us go. I have heard enough.”

“But we haven’t heard their plan,” Keverin whispered in turn.

“It doesn’t matter, I have what we need,” Halden said grimly.

“What? No, tell me later,” Keverin whispered and moved carefully back along the passageway.

* * *

16 ~ Party

Julia could hear music and the sound of voices as she walked through the palace. She held Keverin’s arm intent on appearing like a noble woman born. She was determined not to disgrace him before the other lords. She was wearing her white dress, the one Jessica had given her to wow Keverin. She was pleased to see that it hadn’t lost any of its appeal through familiarity. Her jewellery, diamonds and sapphires, contrasted the pristine white of her dress and had dazzled many an eye before now. Although she was biased, she thought hers outshone any she had seen previously barring Jessica’s emeralds, which her late consort Kevlarin had given her. Jessica was wearing them now.

She smiled and Jessica returned it from her place on Gylaren’s arm. She whispered something and Gy glanced over. Julia raised an eyebrow in enquiry.

“Dazzling as ever, Lady,” Gy said inclining his head without checking his stride.

She blushed.

Keverin chuckled fondly. “It’s your own fault. You know what that dress does to people.”

“He’s right, Julia,” Lysara said from her place on Lucius’ arm. “It’s like bashing them on the head!”

“You can talk!” she said with a gurgle of laughter. “Yellow silk? I’ve never seen you looking so glorious!”

“I have,” Lucius said with a grin. “I will never forget our first meeting. She was like a vision. I couldn’t look away.”

“Oh that old thing,” Lysara said with a negligent wave of her hand. “It was just something I threw on that morning,” she said but she was inordinately pleased with Lucius’ comment.

Julia laughed gaily.

Lysara was still waging her campaign to win Lucius. From the way he kept glancing at her when she wasn’t looking, Julia thought Lysara was winning. Purcell and Isolde were walking arm in arm just behind Lysara, but they were close enough for her to see Purcell’s wink. He grinned at his daughter’s back. He knew Lucius’ days as a bachelor were numbered.

Jihan and Ahnao completed their group. Ahnao wore a simple dress of blue cotton and lace that would outshine many a lady’s more expensive and gaudy dress. She had a quiet beauty that none could fail to see. Where Ahnao’s dress was simple, Jihan’s was the opposite. Everything about him was black—from his shiny boots to his leather trousers, from his silk shirt and velvet doublet to the single onyx earring he wore. The doublet was particularly fetching. It sported rows of pearls down each arm. He looked splendid, and knew it. He grinned at Julia whenever she looked his way.

“You should have worn the green, Kev,” she said eyeing Jihan for the umpteenth time.

“I prefer the russet.”

“I know, but Jihan’s so pretty. He’ll steal the show!”

“He is, isn’t he?” Ahnao said smiling lovingly at her consort. “If we had a prize for the most handsome lord, he would win.”

“He can have it,” Keverin grumped over Jihan’s splutters.

Jihan seemed to think being called pretty was somehow undignified, but everyone knew Ahnao was right.

“I can’t believe we’ve been here all this time and still haven’t chosen a king,” Jihan said trying to steer the conversation away from his looks. “The decision should have taken no more than a tenday, two at the outside.”

“Stop being so negative,” Julia chided. “Tomorrow or the next day will see it over and done, and we can go home.”

“Nothing is certain,” Gylaren warned. “Raising a king is only the first step. We have to change the trade situation, and the treasury needs addressing. Taxing is a big issue, and then there’s the Protectorate to worry over. We need standing armies on the same scale as the legions if we hope to hold out against Mortain for long.”

I know, I know,” she sighed. “But tonight is for celebrating. Let’s make the most of it.”

They entered the bunting decked hall without ceremony. If the king had been alive, the lords would have entered in order of seniority. The Four were first of those lords given land to hold. As the first lords raised within Deva they had the right to enter first. Athione had seniority among the Four—it was the oldest. Next came Malcor, which was also the strongest of the Four in military terms. Meilan and Elvissa were built at the same time not long after Malcor was completed and were equals in theory. In practise, all four wielded the same influence. They regarded themselves as equals and more—they were brothers in arms.

Julia and the others paused on the threshold to study the lords as if studying armed camps. They very nearly were. As with every argument, there were two sides to the issue and this was apparent from the stance the lords had taken. Those siding with Gy had gravitated to the right of the hall and those with Ascol were more to the left. The so-called Undecideds were enjoying their brief notoriety and popularity by holding themselves aloof from either camp in the centre.

She watched lord Karel detach himself from his allies and speak to a lord of the undecided camp. It was a kind of courtship she was witnessing. Lord Horlen received Karel as a king receives an ambassador. He inclined his head politely but made it plain he was the one being courted. He listened to Karel for a short while then acquiesced to follow him back to Ascol to hear more. Ascol was holding court with his allies and received Horlen with apparent good will, but Julia could see the anger in his eyes. Courting a lesser lord would be distasteful to him, necessary perhaps, but still distasteful. She hoped it soured his stomach.

“Don’t glare at him, my love. It will only spoil your evening,” Keverin said guiding her inside the hall.

“I wish I could be there when you stick it to him!” she growled, but she allowed herself to be led toward Lord Halden and their other friends.

“Stick it to him?” Keverin murmured. “I like that! Shame I can’t use my sword.”

“A dagger is sharp enough. The one I have in mind will do the job nicely.”

Keverin agreed with a nod.

Julia offered her hand to Halden to kiss and then his son Davida. Davida was a good friend. He and Keverin had known each other for years.

“You look…
amazing
,” Davida breathed.

Keverin smiled down at her. “She always does.”

Julia blushed. She wished she had a spell to help her with that. “Have you decided what you will say tomorrow?”

“Indeed, Lady,” Halden said. “Have no fear on that. Ascol does not know it, but his own actions have doomed him to the block. Let him try to sway the lords to him, it matters not. We have already won.”

“Confidence is good, my lord, but overconfidence can lead to unexpected places,” she warned.