SpellBreaker: First Ordinance, Book 4 (33 page)

"Who?" I blinked at Dad, expecting the name of some ally or courtier currently in favor.

"Morid of Belancour," he said.

* * *

Karathia—King's Palace

Nefrigar, Chief Archivist

Larentii Archives

Hearings at any royal court seldom begin on time. This one was no different. Valegar and I had come, as the outcome of this particular hearing could affect a great many things.

I couldn't help noting that the Lyristolyi drug played a role in the events scheduled for discussion and somewhere, I feared that more of it was available, as it had been to Dorgus, Vardil Cayetes' assistant.

Dorgus' violent death had been reported; I merely waited for official word and an accurate description.

"All rise for the King and Crown Prince," Corolan announced. All attendees rose, including Valegar and me. After all, it was wise to follow court protocol, as things were generally made easier with compliance.

Steps echoed on marble floors as King Rylend and Prince Bel Erland made their way to the throne. Rylend would sit the throne; Bel Erland sat on the step at his father's feet.

Nearby, Corolan and Erland Morphis had chairs, in case the King or Prince needed anything.

The rule of law on Karathia is that none sit the throne except the King. In his absence, should he ask someone to stand in for him, the King exchanges the throne for a replica.

On this day, I determined we'd learn why that was.

Father
, Valegar sent mindspeech.

Corinnelar had arrived, bringing two others with her. While she chose to be Zaria today, we understood she could be either or both if she wanted.

The two with her—I imagined we'd learn their identities in good time. "All are present, my King," Corolan turned toward Rylend, who'd taken a seat on the throne.

"Please, be seated," Rylend lifted a hand. All present took their seats.

That's when the coffin arrived; Lissa had arranged for the thing to be removed from her dungeon for this hearing. The Blevakian, with his son sitting beside him, frowned deeply at the elegantly carved burial box.

"Bring the prisoners," Rylend said, once the coffin was in place before the throne. Deris and Daris wore surprised looks when their powerlight cages appeared next to the coffin.

For so long, they'd attempted to open it and get what was inside. Today, perhaps, all would see what it held in its depths.

* * *

Terrett

Morrett and Gerrett sat with me in the balcony placed above the throne room. From there, we could see and hear everything easily.

Gerrett had been absent for weeks; Morrett and I learned only that morning that he'd spent time with Zaria.

What troubled him—and Zaria—was Ilya's absence. Nobody had seen him.

"This hearing will now begin," Corolan announced from the floor beneath us. All of us turned toward the events below.

* * *

Quin

Except for the weight of my guilt, I felt good. Better than good, actually. I was healthy, had all my memories and still loved all my mates.

Only one thing stood between us, and it was of my own making. Today, I intended to tell those present that I'd released Vardil Cayetes, healthy and whole, to trouble the Alliances.

It also worried me that I could be accused of aiding a known criminal for my actions. I was concerned that the Royal House of Karathia would no longer wish to be allied with me, following my announcement.

Therefore, I laced my fingers together to stop their trembling as Zaria came forward. Did I blame her for my temporary death?

Not at all. I'd not have blamed her if she'd left me dead. I considered that she likely knew what I'd done and had chosen to allow me to tell the truth of it.

It shamed me, and only hours separated it from those I cared for.

"May it please your majesties," Zaria began, "I wish to hear Wylend Arden tell of the coup against King Warlend, and how he came to the throne of Karathia."

* * *

Bel Erland

Why does she want to hear that—we already know it
, I sent to Dad.

Maybe there are some here who need to hear it for the first time
, Dad replied.
I'll allow it
. "Very well," he spoke aloud. "The court calls Wylend Arden, former King of Karathia to come forward and speak as requested."

Wylend strode toward the center of the room with confidence. I'd heard this story from him; Gran heard it much later, but it was the same story.

Wylend nodded to all present and began his tale.

"You say," Zaria stated as Wylend finished the tale, "That Warlend was King when the coup happened?"

"He was."

"Why do you lie?" Zaria asked him.

My breath stopped. Dad leaned forward, as if he hadn't heard clearly the first time. From the corner of my eye. Grampa Erland rose from his seat; after all, he and Wylend still spent time together. Grampa had helped Wylend when he took the palace away from those who'd killed Warlend.

"I do not lie," Wylend hissed. His words hit me in the gut—no idea how I knew it, but I did. He was lying and Zaria had caught him at it.

"Wellend was King, wasn't he? Warlend abdicated in favor of his son. You were there, were you not, when Warlend made this announcement?"

Zaria waved an arm and a marble-topped table appeared between her and the glass-topped coffin. Papers were lined up evenly across the top of that table. Zaria lifted one of them, glanced at it briefly, then set it down again.

Deris and Daris, whose cages held them mute, were nodding enthusiastically.

What is happening?
I asked Dad.

I have no idea
, he replied.

"Would you like a chair?" Zaria asked Wylend, who was beginning to appear uncomfortable.

"Yes," Wylend snapped. He was angry; anyone could see it. "I wish to remind you that I am not on trial here," he added.

"But we must hear the truth before Deris and Daris' fate can be decided," Zaria said. "Back to the question at hand—did you or did you not witness the abdication of your father in favor of Wellend, his eldest son? Remember, I am Q'elindi as well as the Vhanaraszh. I can see the lies, Wylend Arden."

I don't think I heard anyone breathing in the throne room by that time. Dad's shoulders stiffened. If Wellend were King, what did that mean? For me, things were going in a direction I didn't expect, and I wasn't sure I liked it.

"Yes," Wylend gripped the arms of the chair that had been brought in with power. "Warlend abdicated on his birthday, leaving Wellend to take the throne. This filth," he hissed, turning and pointing to Deris, "Was denied the heirship—both by my father, Warlend Arden and by the Heir's ring. When Wellend pulled the ring from his finger, it disappeared. It never went to Deris or anyone else in that room."

"Including you?" Zaria asked softly.

"Yes, may the gods damn it," Wylend muttered.

"Let's move forward, then," Zaria said. "Wellend took the throne. How quickly did Helsa and Hegatt, her father, take the palace after Wellend was named King?"

"Less than a month," Wylend hung his head. "Hegatt was so sure the last Q'elindi's prophecy named Deris the King Karathia needed, that he did everything in his power to give him that chair." Wylend pointed toward the throne.

"Deris wasn't old enough," he continued, "so Hegatt decided to place Helsa there until Deris reached his majority. There was just one hitch—instead of killing Warlend, like he intended, he had to kill Wellend instead, in order to take the throne."

"What did you do during the time Hegatt and Helsa took over?" Zaria asked.

"Nothing. When I heard of the coup, I put an army together to take back the throne."

"Nothing?"

Wylend didn't speak.

"Do you mean to tell me that you didn't have an army ready before that time? That one of your trusted warlocks never ran a pub in the small village near Blackmantle Manor, where Wallend and his two children had gone to stay safe?"

"Narr was a trusted friend, that's true," Wylend admitted.

"And he was a warlock strong enough to take Wallend down, isn't that right?"

"Why are you asking these blasted questions?" Wylend erupted. "You already know the answers."

"But the others here don't," Zaria said. "After Narr leveled a spell blast against Wallend, killing him, he notified you. You came in disguise, didn't you, to march against Blackmantle Manor, kill Wallend's heirs and burn the manor to the ground."

"I never killed them," Wylend stood and flung a hand toward Deris and Daris. "You see them there, don't you?"

"Only because they were warned of your coming. All you had to do was take them and keep them imprisoned until you took the throne, and then pass judgment. Yet you did not. You intended murder, didn't you, Wylend Arden?"

"There is no way I'd let that insane bastard sit the throne," Wylend shouted, flinging a hand in Deris' direction. "He hurt people, just to make his sister laugh."

"I fully understand that, yet you went about this in the wrong way, did you not?"

"I served as a good and just King. My intentions notwithstanding, I never killed either of them. You see them standing there, do you not, with murders stacked against them to their hairlines and beyond?"

"Did you kill Helsa or Hegatt?"

"I never saw either body. Both were dead when I walked into the palace."

"So this was a bloodless coup on your part, if you don't count Wallend, that is."

"Yes. I walked into the fucking palace and everybody there went to their knees. End of story."

"Why did you lie about Wellend being King?"

Zaria's voice had gone soft.

"Because of the fucking Q'elindi and the fucking prophecy. That he'd father one who'd be the ruler Karathia waited for. He was weak and childless with two wives, because," Wylend didn't finish.

"Because you created the spell that left him sterile when he married his first wife," Zaria said.

I'd only imagined the stillness in the room before. Now it was more silent than a tomb. Wylend Arden was guilty of fratricide and of treason against the Crown Prince and the throne of Karathia.

"Then who would have taken the throne?" Wylend snapped. "The Heir's ring disappeared that night. It didn't come to me or Deris. Or Helsa or Daris, for that matter. It's gone forever," he added. "There wasn't anyone to take the throne after Wellend and Warlend died. So I took it."

"You say the ring's gone forever?" Zaria asked.

"It never reappeared. I always assumed it made its way back to its maker."

"Do you know who that was?"

"No. I only know it came from Grey House."

"Did you know the throne was also crafted by Grey House?"

Dad's and my eyes went straight to the throne upon which he sat. We'd never asked that question. We knew, however, that the throne was far older than the Heir's ring.

"So the ring disappeared when there was no Heir for it to choose, yet the throne remained. Can you explain that?"

"I cannot."

"Perhaps I can, then." Zaria sighed before reaching into the bosom of her silk tunic and extracting the bauble on the end of a necklace.

With power, she removed it from the chain and set it on the table beside her.

I knew it from written descriptions.

Zaria held the Heir's ring
.

"Do you not recall that Warlend asked all servants to come to the dining hall to witness his abdication in favor of Wellend?" Zaria's gaze leveled on Wylend once more.

"Helsa had so many servants, some lasting as little as a day, that I paid them no mind," Wylend stuttered.

"I was there," Zaria said. "The ring came to me."

* * *

Lissa

"What the hell is this supposed to mean for our son?" Erland demanded. Already he'd distanced himself farther from Wylend, who wore a lost look as he stood beside a window in the palace library.

"I doubt it means anything," I said. "I don't believe for a nanosecond that Zaria intends to take the throne away from Ry."

Charles had been right, of course. This was a problem for me, because I'd just learned my grandfather was guilty of having one brother murdered and committing treason against the other.

Ry had called a short recess; I imagined it was to allow him time to digest what he'd just learned.

"Wallend was a prick," Erland picked up the thread of our discussion.

"Honey, pricks are everywhere. It doesn't mean you get to murder them anytime you want," I pointed out. I think what irritated Erland most was that Wylend had done his misdeeds right under Erland's nose and Erland hadn't seen it.

"His children were criminals—even before they reached their majority," Erland went on.

"And that will be dealt with soon, I'm sure," I said dryly. "Honey, you loved Wylend so it was difficult to see those things in him. You saw only good, and that's what he wanted you to see."

"Fuck." Erland was far from happy. Wylend always did have a dual-sided personality; it had appeared before, when he'd alienated Reah.

At least he was sorry afterward for that one.

This—he wasn't sorry at all. He'd gotten what he wanted—the throne of Karathia. I had a feeling there was more to this story and Zaria was waiting to tell it.

* * *

Quin

"From Zaria," a note was placed in my hands by a white-gloved servant.

I was afraid to open it. What if she called me out just as she'd called out the former King of Karathia? Would I have to sit in the chair next, while answering questions that would surely destroy me?

With shaking hands, I unfolded the paper to read.

Quinnie B
, she wrote,
people make mistakes. You meant to do a good deed and I name you blameless in this. Never fear, we will catch Master Cayetes—together
.

Z
.

Wiping tears away, I tucked the note in a pocket. "Dearest," Kaldill suddenly stood before me, a beautiful, white silk handkerchief in his hand. I accepted it gratefully.