True Fire Book 2.
THE FALL OF
BELVEDERE
B. Cameron Lee
Copyright © 2016 B. Cameron Lee
All rights reserved.
ISBN-10: 1536859680
ISBN-13: 978-1536859683
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to Gina Fuleki.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Once again my thanks to Robyn for her assistance with editing and to Paul and Fran and Gina and Lisa for always being there in support.
Prologue
Preparations.
Raleen sat alone in the study. Scattered on the desk in front of her, held down by various paperweights, lay maps of the City of Belvedere. She really should be studying them but her mind wandered. She could not understand it. Everyone she’d met since arriving in Belvedere, who had any knowledge of her brother, treated Arwhon as a hero. It niggled at her. Sure, the boy was kind-hearted but he was a real daydreamer, six years younger than her and not the bravest person she’d ever known. Besides, Arwhon had set off from their home in Trugor on an aging horse, with a rusty old sword and decrepit chainmail and now people were speaking of him almost reverently. And what was the arrangement with the servant Chalc? How did a young lad with virtually no money end up with a servant who rode a Barsoomi horse and appeared to actually miss the company of his master? Then there was the arm, or rather, the Arm as Kuiran named himself, a huge intriguing man who’d volunteered as Arwhon’s bodyguard and felt guilty for not being present to protect him.
How did her snot-nosed little brother manage to fool all of these people? The Arwhon she knew couldn’t keep the loyalty of his horse let alone these folk.
The worst thing of all was their Grandmother, Cristal, with her ‘Arwhon this’ and ‘Arwhon that.’ Even the strange Barsoomi woman, Lareeta, who acted as Cristal’s bodyguard, constantly shadowing her, had a good word for Arwhon. Raleen was suspicious of her, the woman looked dangerous.
Raleen was jealous of her brother. She’d arrived in Belvedere during a hectic time and heard intimations of war. Chalc had been sent off into the lower city with some rather dubious looking people, probably thieves and rogues if the truth be known, to try to find the forges and moulds used for weapon making during the last war. Apparently in the intervening twenty years they had fallen into disuse and disrepair and there was now an urgent need to have them returned to use but it was all so hush-hush.
In between times, along with Kuiran, Chalc was training the City Guard to use their weapons more effectively. Lareeta too was assisting in that task on the odd days when Cristal was at home all day. Cristal’s own guard had been beefed up with the addition of Redbeard and twenty hand-picked men. Feeding them must cost a fortune but Raleen had overheard the bargain her Grandmother had struck with Redbeard and as a Trader, she had to admire it. Redbeard was on contract to guard the estate and go wherever he was called upon to go. His men were garrisoned in the large attic over the tack and carriage rooms in the stable block around the back of the mansion and fed themselves tolerably well, as one of their number was a passable cook. It was a lucrative contract for Redbeard who received more than a fair amount of gold each month for his loyalty. Raleen supposed it was pretty much all the same to the mercenaries, just another hire but without so much of the riding. The arrangement Cristal had wisely made however, took the pressure off the house servants, especially the cook and the mansion was free of mercenaries. Old Billit, the head groom, wasn’t too happy at having all the extra horses in the stables but Redbeard’s men were looking after their own. Raleen knew twelve of Redbeard’s men quite well, having ridden with them for five weeks on her trip across from Trugor. She took the time to chat with them whenever she happened to see them, grateful for getting her through the horror of the town of Forbidden.
Mendle bustled into the study bearing food and drink on a tray.
“Daydreaming again girl! There’s a possibility of war coming soon and your Grandmother wanted you to go over those maps to see if any sewers run from here to the harbour and what size the pipes are. She has to return the maps shortly. The City engineer thought it passing strange when Cristal wanted to borrow them but a place on the Council of Ten is always useful at times like this.”
Raleen looked up at Mendle as she placed the tray on the desk. She hadn’t made up her mind about Mendle but the no nonsense, bosomy woman held a lot of sway with Cristal.
“I was just thinking about Arwhon and how popular he is. I mean, he’s six years younger than I am and barely an adult but everyone seems to have a good word for him.”
Mendle’s eyes narrowed slightly. She may appear to be an old housekeeper of no account but others had learned to their regret that there was much more to Mendle.
“Perhaps he’s been given more opportunity to develop his potential since leaving Trugor,” she replied.
Ouch. Raleen felt the barb in Mendle’s retort and resolved to be more circumspect. She really should be happy her brother was doing well. It would take a little effort to change her attitude but she vowed to be more positive about Arwhon’s achievements.
“Mendle, do you think I could make an appointment to spend time with my Grandmother? There are many things I need to discuss with her but she doesn’t have time to spend with me due to her involvement in endless meetings during the evenings. I’ve hardly seen her since I arrived here over a week ago. All this talk of war has me worried. We lost our father less than six months ago, a victim of the only Draakon Reaver raid along the entire coast of Myseline in the last eighteen years.”
“That’s what I’ve come to see you about Raleen. Your Grandmother advised me this morning that she’s caught up with all her current business and is now free to spend this evening and all tomorrow with you. She’s truly looking forward to it and is sorry the demands of her work have kept her from you. Just remember, she’s a Council member and an important, if unsung, leader of the City. Belvedere wouldn’t be near as ready for war as it is, without her tireless work.”
Raleen felt a little guilty at Mendle’s words, she’d been thinking totally of herself again but at last the opportunity had finally come for her to spend time with Cristal.
“Thank you Mendle; for everything.”
Mendle nodded and left, closing the door behind her. The girl would be fine, she had a brain.
To be expected, coming from good stock.
1. Uncovering a Spy.
Cristal leaned back into one of the comfortable, overstuffed, plush chairs in the drawing room, her comfortably booted feet resting on a footstool and scrutinised her granddaughter. During her activities over the past few weeks Cristal had gradually changed from an elegant elderly widow into something entirely different. To the dismay of her refined friends, she now rarely wore long expensive gowns, choosing instead the practicalities of trousers. She had also taken to wearing pocketed shirts, sturdy boots and a longknife stuck through her belt. The longknife was not for show. Due to Lareeta’s tutelage, Cristal had become proficient in its use and her muscles were becoming toned. She now moved with a spring in her step which belied her true age. Her hair was no longer coiffured but hung down her back in a single grey plait. When the situation required, Cristal nasi Tsalkini could climb back into all her finery but more often now, it behoved her to dress for comfort and practicality.
Raleen, seated opposite Cristal, remained uncertain of her grandmother and the strange Barsoomi woman who was her bodyguard. The grand, well-bred old lady she’d expected, full of refinement, was now somewhat hidden by the external trappings of practicality. Off to one side, Lareeta sat in another chair, gazing out of the window, seeming to pay no attention but nothing escaped her.
“Lareeta, if you don�
��t mind, I would like to spend this evening alone with Raleen please.”
Lareeta nodded and stood.
“I understand Cristal. I’ll be outside the door if you need me.”
After the door had closed, Cristal turned to Raleen.
“First of all, I apologise for not being available to spend time with you over the last week since your arrival. It’s extremely difficult to make certain members of the Council aware of the possibility of a war starting soon. If Jorgen de Frie, he’s the Commander-in–Chief of the army, had not sent me a missive regarding Dominion military activity along the border with Graswyn, I would still be arguing with those dunderheads on the Council. Especially Willem. I smell a rat there but I’ve no proof as yet. Once I do have it, I’ll act. However, that’s not your concern. Secondly, I apologise for dragging you away from Trugor into a possible war here in Belvedere but there are things which are important and if there is a war, it doesn’t matter whether you are here or there, it will still affect you. Now watch this closely.”
She held up her hand, index finger pointed upward and a small green flame sprang from the end of it. Raleen gasped and her jaw dropped further still as more fingers were held up, each with a small flame dancing on the end. Cristal closed her hand and smiled broadly at Raleen’s consternation.
“Makes a good parlour trick don’t you think? Seriously though, I don’t let many folk know of my abilities. Some people are frightened by what they don’t understand and tend to become aggressive and nasty.”
She cocked her head to one side as Raleen’s jaw worked, trying to speak.
“How, how did you do that?” her granddaughter spluttered.
“With magic, the same Earthmagic which runs in the veins of all in our family, except Arwhon, only it’s usually stronger in the womenfolk. Do you have magic?”
“Not that I know of. I can’t make flames.”
“The magical force is slightly different in all of us and it appears naturally in various ways. Kuiran tells me the M’Herindar utilise spells which concentrate the force of Earthmagic for different tasks but Man is not allowed to know them. Your mother had a way with animals. I once saw her approach a vicious guard dog which was attacking a man and in two seconds it was licking her hand. She had that effect on people too. She radiated peace and serenity when she wanted to and could calm any situation. I’ve no idea what her range or power was, I saw her magic only rarely, in small doses. You look just like her. About the same age as she was when she went off with your father.”
Cristal leaned forward and picked up a goblet of wine, taking a draught before she continued.
“Don’t blame Arwhon for your mother’s death. An infant is innocent. He feels the burden of the blame you and Staril have placed on him. He’s an honest young man with an unenviable task. I’ll tell you what I know of his deeds since you saw him last and you can be the judge.”
As evening became night, pausing only for wine and a bite to eat, Cristal told the story of Arwhon, including the twenty minutes he lay seemingly dead with his own dagger through his heart. She told of the Ring, the dagger, the sword and the helm and of Arwhon’s unwavering responsibility toward the task he was chosen for. A task fraught with mystery and mortal danger, unknown as yet but one that could certainly kill him, permanently. Raleen started to grasp the reason for the respect his companions showed Arwhon, a young man so changed from the little brother she knew in Trugor such a short time ago. Cristal smiled at her.
“The boy is constantly evolving into something new but he remains himself, honest Arwhon. Maybe that’s the reason the Truth Ring chose him. It’s grown into him and his flesh into it. Literally. You would have to chop his finger off to get the Ring. The last we heard of Arwhon was news brought by Lareeta, who’s guarding our door. She’s an extraordinary woman. Rode almost non stop for five days to bring me the news Arwhon was still alive after he disappeared rescuing the Barsoomi heirs. His memory’s gone due to the injuries he sustained when he plunged into the Blackwater River making his escape from Empress Martine’s forces. His M’Herindar Shield, Shiri, was taking him into the Darkwood where it’s possible he may be healed. While she lived here, with me, Shiri was seen as a young girl but she may, through magic, be other than that now. I hope they have managed to heal him. That boy is precious to me.”
Cristal paused for a moment, looking inward, contemplating, before she continued her explanation.
“The magic our family possesses comes from a union between one of our forebears and a M’Herindar from the Darkwood, although that was a long, long time ago, countless numbers of generations in the past. It’s why the magic is so diluted. Try to think of anything unusual in your life where there was a possibility of magic being involved. Sleep on it and we will continue our conversation in the morning. Tomorrow we’re going to dress up, so I can take you around the City to meet a few important people and see the sights. Try to get a good night’s sleep, we’ll be busy tomorrow.”
With that, her Grandmother rose and gave Raleen a kiss on the cheek.
“I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve wanted to meet you for so long, ever since......”
She turned away, fingers brushing her cheek as she headed for the door. Raleen saw the glistening of tears and her heart softened.
“Goodnight Cristal and thank you so much for sending Redbeard for me. I’m truly glad to be here.”
A little wave of Cristal’s hand as the door closed and Raleen was left with her thoughts.
The sun shone brightly in the clear morning air when the carriage and four drew up at the front of the mansion steps. Raleen, Cristal and Lareeta exited the large front doors and walked down the steps toward it, Cristal carrying a walking stick. They were all dressed up. Raleen, tall for a woman, wore a dress borrowed from her Grandmother which fell rather short of her shoes. Cristal, for a change, was wearing one of her own gowns and Lareeta wore a robe Cristal had specially ordered for her, in house colours of blue with a white border. Her trusty longknife shoved into the belt at her waist. Lareeta was never without it.
Chalc and Kuiran had left the mansion at dawn on their daily tasks and would not be accompanying the women. It was a ladies day out. They boarded the coach for the drive to the central plaza where Cristal planned to show Raleen the Council Chambers and other official buildings before proceeding down the hill to the shops and markets in the lower town. It was to be a rare day of leisure and observation for Cristal.
The three women alighted from the coach in the main square and Raleen was introduced to the grandeur of Belvedere, walking around slowly with Cristal, who now leaned slightly on her walking stick. Raleen thought it odd, as Cristal was not lame but she said nothing. After touring through a number of the fine buildings she asked about the imposing structure towering high above one end of the square.
“It’s a church,” answered Cristal, “but religion is not strong in Southland any more. We tend to get on with our lives without asking help from unseen deities. They never answer anyway and the priests always have their hands out. Most of the population have better things to do with their money. The church was built long ago when life was much harder than today and people needed religion more.”
Raleen had never been one for religion either and nodded her understanding. As she did, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickling and felt as if someone was watching her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw a scruffy looking man observing the three of them but didn’t think much of it. Probably one of the less fortunate denizens of Belvedere with nothing better to do. Finished in the main square they boarded the coach and rode the short distance down to the market and retail area of the city to do a little shopping. After a few minutes Raleen once again felt the same eyes upon her and this time mentioned the man to Cristal. Lareeta stiffened a little and both she and Cristal stopped in front of a store selling shoes, with many pairs visible on display through the small panes of glass in the front window.
“Where is he now Raleen?”
“Across the road, in the leather shop doorway.”
Cristal turned to Lareeta.
“I see nothing, how about you?”
Lareeta answered in the negative.
“Right.” announced Cristal “We’ll go for a little walk. Do you have cord Lareeta?”
“Yes Cristal, I always have a bit around me somewhere.”
“What’s going on Grandmother, who is that man?”
“Shush child and walk with us. In the end of this cane is a lump of lead. We’re going to turn into a side street shortly and I want you to take the cane and hide in the first doorway we come to just around the corner. When the man passes you, crack him on the head and sit on him. We’ll do the rest.”
Raleen was horrified. “But, but....”
“Stop spluttering girl and do as I say. There’ll be time for explanations later.”
Cristal spoke with authority and shortly, as they rounded the corner into the narrow side street, she handed her stick to Raleen. It was indeed weighted at the end. Raleen ducked into the indicated doorway and waited. Shortly, the man she had seen observing them sidled past and she fetched him a resounding whack on the back of his head. He crumpled to the ground, boneless. Cristal and Lareeta heard the blow and came back but Raleen had to warn them against tripping over his body. Lareeta handed her the cord.
“Tie his hands and feet good and tight so he can’t get away when he wakes up.”
“Why don’t you do it?” Raleen asked.
“Because I can’t see him and neither can Cristal.”
Raleen goggled. The man was obvious, lying on the footpath in front of them all, plain as day and now he was starting to move a little. She bent down and securely tied him hand and foot while Lareeta slipped off to get the coach. Before long, with Raleen’s help and by feel, they had carted the man the short distance to the end of the street and bundled him onto the floor of the coach for the trip back to the mansion.
The Fall of Belvedere Page 1
