Prisoner (37 page)

"Twenty-one for three sets of seven," Sol continued. "
Seven to watch the home. Seven to watch the yard. Seven to watch the neighbors.
The Brotherhood of the Seven Star is a network of spies and officials who manipulate the country from behind the scenes. Even the king, it's said, bows to the dictates of the Seven Star."

He fell silent as Beraht continued, "In all of Salhara, only the Seven Star and those with their sanction are allowed to use orange and red arcen. They hold the only full license for arcen—a star with seven points on the small of their backs."

Sol nodded. "The easiest way to mark a Brother is by his eyes—most are dark yellow at least, more often orange. The oldest have red eyes. Jaspar, the leader of the Brothers, has eyes that are nearly black."

"I knew it," Iah said. "I could tell, just listening to him. He won't live much longer, will he?"

"Don't underestimate him," Sol warned. "He's addicted to arcen, but that makes him as deadly as it does weak. I have yet to meet anyone else who can drink black arcen once a day and live to do it the next day—and he's been in that condition for the past five years."

Beraht hissed. "I knew he was bad, but—" He shook his head. "I'm not sorry I'm gone."

"That's the first sensible thing you've said since you fell into my keeping," von Adolwulf said. "Perhaps the arcen hasn't rotted your brains entirely."

"Don't get too lofty, Wolf." Beraht set his tea cup down with a sharp clack. "It was arcen that saved both of us, and it's arcen which helped make your sword. Don't lecture me."

"Arcen doesn't give me my skill," von Adolwulf snarled. "If I could strip my sword of it, I would."

Beraht sneered. "You keep telling yourself that. Don't like being as dependant as the rest of us on outside forces?"

"I'm not," von Adolwulf said. "If you don't shut up, I will be more than happy to prove it."

"I always forget the thrill you get out of beating me."

Von Adolwulf let out a short bark of laughter, and his grin was a challenge. "It's the only thing that shuts you up."

"Enough!" Matthias snapped. "If you two want to kill each other, take it elsewhere. Not here and especially not when we've got more important things to deal with." He nodded when they both subsided, though their resentment still hung heavy in the air. "So I am going to assume the obvious and say you are both members of this Seven Star Brotherhood?"

"Yes," Sol said. "It is how I was able to gather so much information and move freely between countries." He slid a look at Beraht. "Beraht is newer. He was a Brother for only a few months and was ordered to slaughter as many Scarlet as possible if he wanted to keep both his life and be given a name."

"Be given a name?" Esta repeated.

"I will explain that custom later, if you like, Lady Esta." Sol smiled. Beraht began to pick at his food again. "Iah's unit was killed by the Scream their captain used in hopes of preventing the Breaker from being taken further away. I believe he was in your charge at that time, Dieter?"

"Yes," von Adolwulf said. "We were headed for the Winter Palace. I don't understand the Screaming—wouldn't it have killed the Breaker as well?"

"No," Matthias said. "He can resist it because his untapped power is stronger than that which is used to Scream. He's too strong for it."

Beraht glowered. "Figures."

"Anyway," Sol pressed on. "I met Iah when he was taken prisoner by another Seven Star Brother—one who is named Tawn deVry, my brother-in-law." His face tightened for a moment before he forced it to relax. "We are not on friendly terms. He did not like that I took Iah from him, and by now it is obvious that he—and likely the other Brothers—have figured out what we did."

Von Adolwulf laughed. "So there's an angry Kaiser looking for me, and the most powerful force in Salhara is out for your necks."

"Your sense of humor is as warped as the rest of you," Beraht snapped. "At least your Kaiser is too much of a coward to come after you." He shifted in his seat, still feeling an ache at the small of his back.

"We'll need to take cleansers," Sol said, looking at him. "It will be impossible for Tawn to touch us if there is no arcen in our systems." He explained quickly what had occurred that morning.

"But we can't alarm people by stripping him of it completely," Matthias said, drumming his fingers in thought. "With the dropped levels, too many are already starting to notice something is amiss." He looked at Beraht apologetically. "Not that I want to keep you drugged…"

Beraht laughed. "Highness, I've been keeping myself drugged, at far worse levels than this, for years. A few days at such a low level are barely even noticeable."

"But remaining at even those paltry levels will possibly prove dangerous, if not fatal, should Tawn work up the strength to try it again," Sol said firmly.

Matthias nodded and stood. "Then you'll have to excuse me. It looks like our search for the counter stone must become a much higher priority." He began muttering to himself as he limped from the room. He was the only one not startled when von Adolwulf stood up and followed him out.

Esta watched them go then shook her head gently back forth, sending the soft curls of her hair bobbing. "It's far too early in the morning for all of this gloominess, even if there is good cause. Would anyone like some more tea? Ring for more pastries."

Obeying the silent command, they set to managing a less serious conversation.

*~*~*

"Why has your father changed his mind?" Dieter asked. "I thought he was the one who started the search for the Breaker?"

"He was, however, I think he is letting his fears get the best of him," Matthias said as he limped along the hallways, nodding to, but otherwise ignoring, everyone he passed. "It is not a happy thing to learn to live without magic." He sighed. "We don't use it here in the palace much, but the moment everyone steps beyond the palace boundaries that changes." Matthias laughed. "That's actually why so few come to the palace. Only in winter and only until the worst of the snow is gone. Not like Kria—you remain together the entire season, don't you?"

"Yes," Dieter said. "Many have debated the advisability of the tradition, but generally only after they get caught playing the favorite winter sport."

Matthias laughed. "How many did you have to kick out of your bedroom?"

"None," Dieter said. "Everyone was too scared either of me or the Kaiser."

"Well don't think you'll be so fortunate here. Once you're established as
my
general, there'll be more than a few who will be plenty happy to set aside old grudges." Matthias grinned. "Though I don't think you'll have to worry about chamber maids overstepping their bounds." Dieter just shook his head.

"Here we are," Matthias said, nodding to the guards as they opened the wide set of double doors for him. Dieter ignored the looks they gave him—a mix of curiosity, fear and not-quite hate. Well, that was progress. Though it would all backslide the first time he sent them to bed with too many bruises to count.

The King's Chambers were opulent and far more ornate than anything else he'd seen in the palace. They were purple and blue and gold and still somewhat dark as his windows faced the west. It was also warm; quite a feat given how open and large the room was. There were two fireplaces: one on the west wall, one on the east. Both were lit and currently being tended by servants.

Near the eastern fireplace, the king sat on a chair while more servants fluttered around him. Some helped him dress, arranging his hair and the various accoutrements of office, while others flitted to and fro with things for him to read or sign, and the last man adjusted and reordered the king's schedule.

"Good morning, Father."

Everyone stopped as they realized Prince Matthias was in the room—and more than a few muttered a quiet exclamation when they saw that Dieter was with him. Matthias motioned them from the room.

"What do you want, Matthias?"

"We're running out of time. I need the counter stone."

The king turned around. His eyes were palest blue, his hair short and white hair, carrying only a hint of the silvery shine it had once had. Once he had probably been strong, but age had sapped it away, leaving only a skeletal thinness. "No. I've told you. We're making a mistake."

"No, we're not!" Matthias snapped. "Is that what you want to tell your uncle? Your brother?
Your son?
When you meet them in the afterlife? That killing them to give us magic was the right thing to do? Benji had a lover! He had dreams—a life. Yet he gave it all up because you promised he would be the last, that we would never have to make that sacrifice again. Now you stand there and tell me letting him die was the right thing to do?"

"You're going to be king someday, Matthias." His father spoke coolly, as if he had either not heard Matthias' words or simply did not care. "I do not need to tell you that making hard decisions is part of being a leader. You're as foolishly idealistic as I was at your age. But with age comes wisdom—and wisdom tells me it is foolish to take away our greatest strength."

Matthias clenched his hands into tight fists. "We can build a new strength; that is why we have General von Adolwulf."

"Yes. I have heard a great deal about the Bloody Wolf you have invited in." The king looked him slowly up and down. "He is certainly a beast." Dieter laughed.

"He's agreed to teach us to fight in the Krian style."

"Disgraceful!" The king snapped.

"Certainly you are!" Matthias snapped back. "What happened to you? You've become nothing but a cowardly ghost, some sad imitation of my father! I don't like you, not one bit."

The king said nothing for several minutes, merely glared balefully at Matthias. When he at last spoke, he sounded weary. "I wish I could make you understand, Matthias. Yes, I once thought getting rid of everything was the right way to go, but I was young and righteous and stupid. To get rid of it would cripple us. Looking back, don't you wish you had not broken that leg? It's weakened you. Do you enjoy it?"

"I've learned to live with it," Matthias said, though his face had paled slightly. "Climbing that cliff was a mistake—one I wish I'd never made, and it is exactly like the decision to increase the power of our magic: a mistake that shouldn't have been made."

"Except," his father replied coldly, "we haven't fallen off the cliff—we're holding on just fine."

Dieter startled them both when he spoke. "The higher you climb, the greater the cost when you finally fall. What happens when you reach the top?"

"Nothing," the king said. "From the top we'll be the strongest." He recoiled at Dieter's chilling laugh.

"The strongest?" Dieter looked at him in contempt. "Hardly. Merely unable to go higher, though you'll no doubt try to do so anyway. You would not be the first. A smart man is the one who falls and realizes that to try again would be stupid."

Matthias snorted. "A smart man wouldn't have tried in the first place."

"Some things are only learned the hard way," Dieter said, almost offhandedly. "This is a point that could be endlessly debated. What will it take to obtain the stone?"

The king looked at him in contempt. "I will not give it to you. Its location will go with me to the grave. I am doing this for my people; when you're older, Matthias, you will understand."

"I know for a fact that Essie and I would never consign a child of ours to Benji's fate. Essie cried for
days
father. She never cries. Nor has she ever forgiven us—or herself—for doing that to him. Nor will she, not until we make sure it never happens again. Do you think it makes me happy to do this to my people? We'll be crippled for years until we raise a generation that doesn't know what it's missing."

"In the meantime you will get our country killed."

Matthias bit back a curse. "Why, father? Why are you letting me down when I need you most?"

"I am not the one offending the ministers every single hour of the day. Nor do I spend the rest of my time harassing a recalcitrant woman into being my bride."

Matthias froze. "So now you're claiming I don't work? Father—this isn't like you. More than anyone you should know how hard I work. My time is spent making up for the duties you neglect! It's easy to forget sometimes that you still run the country!" He turned away. "Mother would be ashamed to hear that you've given up."

"You have no idea what your mother would think."

Ignoring him, Matthias motioned to Dieter and led the way from the room. Out in the hallway, Matthias released a long sigh. He slid Dieter a glance. "Do you see what I have to put up with?"

"He is old and scared. Lecturing him will gain you nothing."

"I know," Matthias said. "Thank you for supporting me, by the way." Dieter shook his head, brushing the words aside. "So what do we do now, I wonder." Matthias mused allowed.

"It's not in the palace," a voice said from behind them. Matthias rolled his eyes as he turned around. Kalan grinned back then sobered. "I've been watching him. As agitated as your father is… He's the type to check on something like that; if it were nearby, he'd want to make sure it was safe, so I don't think it's on the premises. Or if it is, the damnable thing isn't where even he can easily access it."