Heart of Fire (37 page)

The king’s guard greeted her as she
approached. “Fair lady, how does the day find you?”

“Well, Reginald, and
you?”

“Fine, fine.” He opened the door and
swung it back for her.

She hesitated, feeling Ertemis’s
hand leave her back. She paused to give him time. “How is your lady
wife? Did she find the salve I sent her useful on that
burn?”

“It healed without a scar. We’re
both much obliged to you.”

Patting his arm, she smiled. “Tell
her I asked for her.”

“I will, miss.”

With that, she went inside. Reginald
shut the door behind her.

“Ertemis!” she whispered.

“Here.” His hand returned to thee
small of her back and she reached behind, covering his hand with
hers for a moment.

Laythan opened the sitting room
doors. “Jessalyne! I thought I heard the doors. Oh, child...” He
reached to embrace her. Ertemis’s hand left her back.

“I have not seen the king in such
fine form in many years. You did a wonderful thing. He’s waiting
for you in the library.”

Laythan reached for the second set
of latches, and she caught his arm. “Sir Laythan, wait. I need to
talk to you first.”

“What is it?”

“What have you told the king about
his son?”

“Nothing. I thought it best if it
came from you.”

“Ertemis is here.”

Laythan’s eyes widened. “He’s in
Shaldar City?”

“Yes, and he’s here.”

“In the castle?”

“In the room.”

His eyes narrowed as he glanced
around the foyer. “I’m not a young man but my eyesight is still
sharp. I believe if the Black Death were here, I would
know.”

Jessalyne wondered if Laythan could
hear the low growl Ertemis gave in response. “Trust me, he’s here
and he doesn’t care for that name. Would you like to meet
him?”

Laythan crossed his arms.
“Indeed.”

Jessalyne looked behind her.
“Ertemis?”

The light in the room seemed to
shift and the air shimmered as Ertemis emerged from the shadows
against one wall.

Laythan clutched his chest. The
color drained from his face. “Saints and sinners! I meant no
disrespect.”

Ertemis nodded. “So long as I don’t
hear that name again, it’s forgotten.”

“Ertemis, this is Sir Laythan. He’s
your father’s man and a good friend to me as well.”

“Anything you have done for
Jessalyne is greatly appreciated.”

Still wary, Laythan smiled weakly.
“She’s been a welcome addition to life here at Castle Ryght.” He
hesitated and then spoke again, not quite making eye contact with
the dark elf before him. “I knew your mother.”

His face softening a bit, Ertemis
stared at Laythan. “You knew her?”

“Aye. Shaylana was the light of the
king’s life.”

“Hmmph.”

Laythan pursed his lips. “You may
not believe that but it’s true. He loved her very much. I believe
he still does.”

“If he loved her so much why did he
do so little for her when she found out about me?”

“Perhaps this is a conversation
better had with your father.”

Ertemis crossed his arms. “Very
well.”

Jessalyne moved between the two men,
facing Ertemis. “Let me speak to the king with Sir Laythan first. I
fear seeing you without being properly prepared might shock
him.”

“Whatever you think best. I’ll wait
here.”

“Thank you.” She reached up to kiss
his cheek and whisper in his ear. “I love you.”

His lips curved up in a smile that
she knew was for her alone.

“I won’t be long.”

Nodding, he stepped back into the
shadows and vanished.

She turned to face Laythan. “Shall
we?”

He opened the library doors and
stepped aside to let her pass, then shut them with a wary glance
into the foyer. “The king is in the map room.”

As Laythan led her through the
library, Jessalyne realized the king’s chambers comprised almost an
entire wing of the castle.

The king closed the book he was
reading as they entered the room. Laythan bowed before him and
Jessalyne followed with a deep curtsy. “Your highness, Jessalyne is
here.”

“So I see.” He rose to greet her, a
wide smile on his face. “Greetings, child.”

He looked like a different man. His
cheeks were flush with color and his eyes had a new sparkle. “You
look well, your highness.”

“Because of you.” He clasped her
hands in his. “I owe you my life, Jessalyne. I’m in your debt.
Whatever you need, whatever you desire, you shall have
it.”

She smiled softly. “Then perhaps
today will be easier than expected.”

He looked at her
quizzically.

“May we sit?”

“Of course, of course.” He pulled
another chair close to his and waited until she sat before joining
her.

“I don’t quite know where to start
so I’m just going to begin and hope for the best.” She ran her hand
along the chair’s leather arm. “When you were ill, you called me
Shaylana.”

Emotion flickered across his face.
“She was a very special woman.”

Jessalyne smiled. “I know who she
is.”

“You know her?”

“I don’t know her, but I know her
son and that’s what I want to talk to you about. Shaylana’s child,
your son, is very much alive.”

“The child is alive? A son? It
cannot be.” He sat back. “Shaylana sent a message not long after
she disappeared that the child had been dealt with. I knew enough
of elven customs to know what that meant.”

She laid her hand on his arm. “I
promise you, he’s alive.”

His eyes locked onto the ring
glinting from her finger.

“Where did you get that?” Emotion
edged his words.

“From your son. His mother wanted
him to give to me.”

King Maelthorn stared at the gold
band. “I gave that to her on the night of the Hunter’s Moon. She
was so beautiful in the warm golden light. I thought my heart would
break from the sight of her. I promised as soon as the treaty was
signed, we would wed. She was gone a month later.”

He looked up, eyes liquid. “Where is
he? Where is my son?”

“He’s here.” She stood, happiness
filling her. “I’ll get him.”

The king jumped up, almost knocking
his chair over. “Yes, please, immediately.”

She ran back to the foyer and burst
through the door. “Ertemis, come now, your father wants to meet
you.”

He reappeared and she grabbed his
hand, pulling him into the library.

Ertemis dug in his heels.
“Jessalyne, I’m a grown man. I prefer to walk like one, not be
dragged in like a child.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just that your
father wants to see you so badly.”

Ertemis straightened the hem of his
new tunic. “Lead on.”

She could barely contain herself as
she walked back into the map room. When Ertemis entered behind her,
she was torn between watching his face or the king’s.

Neither one said a word. Ertemis’s
face was unreadable. He might as well have been carved of granite
for all the emotion he showed. The king’s chest heaved at the sight
of his son. His mouth came open as if to speak but nothing came
out.

Jessalyne felt the need to break the
strained silence. “King Maelthorn, meet your son, Ertemis
Elta-naya.”

King Maelthorn’s face froze. “No one
calls my son a bastard.”

Ertemis narrowed his eyes. “You
understand elven?”

“Well enough to know what elta-naya
means.” The king faced Ertemis without fear.

“Then my name should come as no
surprise to you.” Ertemis’s voice ground down to a low growl. “It’s
what I am. Bastard born halfling, mixed breed, muddled blood. The
product of an unwed mother.”

Jessalyne cringed. She had hoped for
a more peaceful meeting. “Stop it!” she hissed.

Ertemis glared at her, his face full
of uncertainty. “He needs to know what my life has been because of
what he denied my mother.”

“He can imagine, I’m sure. But he
didn’t even know you existed.”

Ertemis’s face steeled. All trace of
emotion disappeared again.

“What Jessalyne says is true. I
never denied your mother,” King Maelthorn countered. “The last I
heard from Shaylana was a brief message sent by a courier who had
no recollection who’d given him the message or where he’d come
from., but he’d been paid in elven gold. Your mother erased herself
from his memory.” He sank into his chair. “At times I wished she’d
done the same to me.”

He shook his head at the memories.
“The message came around the time she would have delivered. It was
all of six words but I understood perfectly. ‘The child has been
dealt with.’”

“She told you—” Ertemis paused. “You
thought I had been killed at birth?”

King Maelthorn nodded, his eyes
focused on the distance past. Sir Laythan stepped forward and put
his hand on the king’s shoulder. “Your father suffered greatly. I’m
sure it cannot compare to the life you’ve led, but you must
understand, he too has suffered.”

“Before your mother came here, he
had already lost a wife and child. Shaylana seemed liked a new
beginning. The alliance with the elves was eminent. It was an
unparalleled time in the history of Shaldar.”

Ertemis spoke softly, “I didn’t
know. She never told me that part of it.”

The king looked up. “Perhaps we
might start over. I am an old man and very aware of what little
time I may have left. I am not willing to waste that time. You must
have questions. I know I do.” The corners of his mouth turned up in
a slight smile. “I want to get to know my son.”

Ertemis swallowed hard. He moved
slowly across the room and sat in the chair next to King Maelthorn.
“I do have questions.”

Jessalyne covered her smile with her
hands. The sight of Ertemis and King Maelthorn sitting side by side
pleased her to no end. She caught Sir Laythan’s gaze and he
motioned toward the door. Nodding, she slipped out of the room
behind him.

“We should give them time alone. I’m
sure there’s much they would like to discuss in
private.”

“I agree.” She couldn’t stop
smiling. “It’s wonderful, isn’t it? I’m so happy for both of
them.”

“Aye. I never would have thought to
see such a day. The king is like a man reborn. His health restored
and now this…” His face darkened. “He still doesn’t know about
Sryka. Just that someone was poisoning him. She must be dealt
with.”

Her smile turned into a scowl.
“Indeed. I would prefer not to have to see her again. I had to
spend this morning with her as usual, pretending I knew nothing of
what she’d done to his majesty.”

Laythan nodded. “Once the king finds
out what she’s been about, he will deal with her. He may seem a
kind old soul but he has a fierce temper, especially when it comes
to disloyalty.”

“So that’s where Ertemis gets it.”
Jessalyne twisted a bit of hair around her finger.

“Why don’t we sit in the parlor for
a bit and I’ll send one of the squires to fetch some
lunch?”

They entered the parlor and Laythan
tugged the bell pull. Jessalyne sat near the window overlooking the
gardens and the swan pond. She smoothed out the folds in her skirt.
Laythan took a chair near her and tried to make conversation, but
she couldn’t focus. Her mind kept wandering to what Ertemis and his
father were discussing. The sun slipped lower and still they
talked. She stared out the window, watching the swans glide across
the purple-glazed surface of the pond.

The doors into the parlor swung open
to the sounds of animated conversation. Jessalyne and Laythan
turned in unison to see Ertemis and King Maelthorn enter, engaged
in passionate discourse.

“I agree you have nothing to worry
about from Myssia. It’s the Akuza that pose the most
threat.”

King Maelthorn clapped Ertemis on
the back. “We have nothing to worry about, you mean.”

Ertemis shook his head. “That will
take some getting used to.”

He turned to face Jessalyne and she
greeted him with a smile. He winked back, obviously in good
spirits.

The king beamed. He kept his hand on
Ertemis’s shoulder as he spoke. “Jessalyne, I promised you a boon
earlier and I mean to honor that. However, when I tell you my plans
I believe you’ll have little left to ask for.”

He glanced at Ertemis, a determined
cast settling over his face as he continued. “Laythan, call my
scribe. I have a proclamation to write and Ertemis needs a message
sent to his squire. Also, send a royal emissary to the Legion to
establish a reasonable price for my son’s bond. He is now a free
man.”

Ertemis lifted his chin proudly, but
kept his eyes on his father.