Memory's Wake Omnibus: The Complete Illustrated YA Fantasy Series (51 page)

After three sleepless nights, Roen found himself waiting outside the Council’s chambers for an audience.
If I dare to try for her, I have to do it properly.

It took some time before he was ushered in, and only Hayes and a small handful of Councilors were in attendance, but it was enough to make a decision.

None of the Council members seemed happy to see him. They put down the paperwork that they had been seeing to.

Roen swallowed hard and bowed deeply.

“How can we help you, your grace?” Hayes asked. “I’m afraid that we’re very busy, please be brief.”

Roen still wasn’t used to the title, now that he was the son of a duke once again in good standing. He wasn’t sure he’d ever feel worthy of it.

Standing tall, Roen delivered the speech that had chewed away his ability to sleep through its repetition in his head. “Esteemed Council, I have asked for your time today in the hope that you will sanction my courtship of her majesty, Queen Eloryn.”

The Council said nothing at first, merely looking at one another. One of them smirked before correcting himself.

“For what reason would we grant such sanction?” Hayes asked, his eyelids lowered.

Roen bowed again, and spoke from his bent position, the words too hard to speak to these stern men face to face. “Because you can trust me to always be there for her. To protect her as I have done and to love her truly as I forever will do.”

Roen stood up straight again, awaiting their answer.

Hayes paused, his face hardened and eyes twinkling, as though he relished what he was about to say. “In short, the answer is no. Did you seriously believe we could allow such a thing? Negating the fact that you have been dashing court protocol by seeing both the queen and the princess whenever you so desire, and putting aside your questionable behavior in general, you are the seventh son of a seventh son. Your connection to magic is null, and your offspring will have the chance to carry the same burden. What good would you be to our queen? What semblance of an heir could you provide?”

Hayes stood, walking down the long table toward Roen, thumping his walking cane with each step.

“Hayes, if you would—” Roen attempted to interrupt, but wasn’t sure what argument he could give. It was all true, and he had known this would be the outcome. His mouth spoke of its own accord, trying to give some miracle reasoning in his defense that his brain couldn’t find.

Hayes reached Roen and looked down his nose at him. His voice had grown soft, a friendliness in it that mocked him. “No, Roen. No. You’re young, handsome, and I know you do well with the ladies. Forget these foolish feelings for the queen and find someone else. And do it soon. Need I remind you where an obsession with someone you cannot have can lead? Of Thayl’s path to revenge over someone he was never worthy to possess?”

Roen lifted his chin. “No matter what I am, I am not Thayl, and would never take an action against the queen or the Wizard’s Council.”

“Or the man we choose to be her king?” Hayes’s voice dropped lower, threatening. “Remove yourself from the queen’s company. That is not a suggestion. It is an order.”

Roen turned and left the room, unable to say or hear any more.

He made it back to his chambers where he sunk into a seat, his hands shaking.

At least now he knew that nothing could ever be. Even if he were lucky enough to woo her to love him in return, it could never be. But at least this way, knowing that was the case before declaring his feelings to Eloryn, it would only be him who suffered.

Between the blast and the clean-up, the Round Room looked like it had an inch of stone-work scrubbed off its walls. What had been ancient grey rock had been sheered away, leaving pale limestone. All the original furniture had been removed, replaced with one long, straight table. Hayes sat at one end and Eloryn at the other, with the rest of the Council spread along the length.

Memory had the seat closest to Eloryn and shot her sister a smile.

“You’re excited to be here?” Eloryn observed.

“You can tell?” Memory whispered back while the rest of the Wizard’s Council arrived for the meeting.

“You are bouncing in your seat.”

Memory chuckled. “This is my first official invite to a meeting I’ve received since longer than a lying puppet’s nose. And I actually know some things now. I might be able to contribute, worthy member of society like!”

Bedevere arrived and took his seat, and Memory smiled warmly to him. He appeared to be the last of them, and Hayes began the meeting.

“Thank you for attending,” Hayes said, indicating Memory particularly. “We have a number of important agenda items to discuss, beginning with the matters of marriage for the queen and princess.”

Memory’s seat felt suddenly unsteady. “Matters of ma-what?”

Eloryn had turned pale beside her and looked down at her lap.

Hayes continued as though Memory’s outburst hadn’t happened. “Both of you are of a suitable age to be married, and given the current political climate, it’s been decided that the process be given a high priority.”

“Okay, slowing down here.” With all the reading and studying Memory had been doing, marriage had not been anywhere on her radar. “For one thing, some might not agree that seventeen is an appropriate age to get married. And what the hell process are you talking about?”

Eloryn spoke softly from beside her. “Memory, for hundreds of years it has been the responsibility of the Wizard’s Council to select a suitable partner and arrange marriages for the Maellan line.”

Memory spoke mostly to Eloryn, wanting her guidance and not wanting the rest of the room to hear her ignorance on the subject. “I thought that was just some weird thing with Loredanna and Thayl because those guys didn’t like him? You mean they pick the husband for every Maellan woman?”

“And man. The royal line flows through Maellan blood whether it be a male or female heir. It has simply been the case that there have only been female heirs for the last few generations. And it is the role of the Wizard’s Council to…” Eloryn’s voice grew scratchy and she stopped, paused, then looked up at Hayes at the other end of the table. “I knew this was coming, but I hadn’t expected it so soon.”

Memory shook her head, staring at everyone around the table. “I hadn’t expected it at all. I want it known that I am not cool with the idea of arranged marriages. Not cool at all.”

Hayes quirked an eyebrow up. “Your temperature is duly noted. Understand, while we want to begin taking action on this straight away, we will not force you hurriedly into anything. Taking into consideration your unique circumstances, and the considerate upheaval of both your lives recently, we have made a plan that we believe to be acceptable. We’re providing unprecedented leniency in allowing you to court and select from a list of pre-approved candidates.”

A few of the Councilors nodded like this was some kind of grand charity on their behalf.

“Thank you for this considerate clemency, Hayes. Council,” Eloryn said.

Memory hissed, “Don’t thank them! You’re encouraging their backwards ways.”

“Mem, please don’t,” Eloryn whispered. There was something desperate in her tone, something exhausted. She knew this was coming. The way she’d been avoiding Roen made sense now to Memory. She doubted she was going to find Roen’s name on this list of approved dates. But even if the list was filled with steamy hotness, it didn’t sit right with her.

“Why should I have to date who you say? What if I don’t want to get married at all?” Memory challenged Hayes with a stare.

“The reason this needs to be done, your majesty and princess, is because after all they’ve been through, the people of Avall need assurance that the royal line will be stable and ongoing. There has already been an increase in civil unrest, with the flurry of vagrancy and the amount of beggars ever increasing.” Hayes scowled at the notion. “This, in itself, is a massive risk. Our political opponents will rally the poor and the discontent and they will target the queen – she is unmarried, female, and inexperienced as a ruler.” He motioned to Eloryn who listened with a blank face. “That is what they will say. Marriage is merely a way to smooth this all over.”

Memory shook her head. “If you’re worried about the discontent rising up against you then maybe try and make them, you know, content? I don’t think a wedding is going to do that. What they need is assistance to get their lives back together.”

Hayes thumped his walking cane on the floor. “What we really require is to increase the town’s police force and clear out the undesirables. We should be establishing a stronger, more robust militia under the control of the Wizard’s Council throughout the city in order to resolve this issue. The middle and upper classes who support us will think better of Eloryn should we clear the streets of the poor.”

“The poor need help, not clearing off the streets!” Memory said.

“Some action needs to be taken, whether it be the wedding of our queen or a display of military force.” Hayes turned his attention to Eloryn. “Your majesty, would you put this issue to rest and give the Council authority to build a militia, so that we may handle it for you?”

Eloryn seemed to think for a moment and her brow twitched. When she spoke, her voice was empty. “At this time, I do not think it is the correct option for control of a military to be within the purview of the Council.”

Memory nodded encouragement to her sister.

“Very well,” Hayes sighed. “Then that leaves us with marriage as the only recourse. The matches, of course, will have to be the most appropriate, so that we can establish the strongest channel of magic. You are the very last of Maellan blood, and it must be kept strong.”

This Memory did know. Her reading of history texts revealed one scary thing — those of Maellan blood didn’t live long lives. Accidents, illnesses, disappearances, it was like they were cursed. Memory and Eloryn were the last little twigs clinging to their family tree.

Memory rubbed her forehead. “So you think you need to match us up with someone who has lots of magic going on? I don’t see the point. Thayl supposedly had little magic, but Eloryn and I seem powerful enough.”

“You are a fool if you believe everything you hear, princess. It was just a vicious lie that died with your treacherous uncle,” Hayes said.

“Why aren’t I surprised that he’s dead?” Memory said.

“Mem, what are you talking about?” Eloryn asked.

Epic face palm.
Memory realized what she’d let slip. She hadn’t told Eloryn yet, hadn’t told anyone. Didn’t know if it was true enough to tell, only that it was too hard to tell.

“Our uncle, before he was
killed
,” Memory threw a harsh look at Hayes, “told me that Loredanna never, you know, did it with the king.”

Eloryn’s voice was tiny. “And you think that means our father was Thayl?”

“I don’t know if it was the truth. Even Thayl didn’t know, but I’m leaning towards it.” Memory paused. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to find out this way.”

“Hayes?” The way Eloryn looked to him for reassurance made Memory queasy.

“Lies, your majesty. A desperate man will say anything to survive,” Hayes declared.

Memory stood up, slowly, firmly, in control. “I’m just trying to make the point that there are other ways to be powerful, rather than forcing people into relationships that ruin lives. Like Caliburn, both a metaphorical and physical tool of Maellan power.”