“Short of confronting Meglar directly, we have significant resources we can offer to help save as many of your people as possible. Unfortunately, once Meglar arrives in person, he sweeps aside all resistance. When that time comes, you must flee rather than stand until the last. More than survival is at stake.
“Every person he captures becomes another Chamdon he will use against his next target. Fighting to the last, while honorable, only hastens Meglar’s next attack. Every person you deny him is the same as killing a Chamdon. Make sure your uncle understands the danger.”
Listening to Erstad talk about what to expect soured Farrell’s mood. Now he wanted everyone to leave before he could no longer maintain proper decorum for his guests. “As I said before, Prince Kerstand is welcome at Haven. He can help prepare for the arrival of your people and stand as a liaison for his father. I think for now it’s best if we retire for the night and talk more tomorrow. Horgon will find someone to escort you to your quarters.”
Fortunately, everyone took the hint and started to leave. Horgon and Glaus led the way, discussing what time to meet. Farrell remained with Miceral, waiting to follow the others out. Before leaving, Kerstand turned on his heel and walked over to Farrell.
“My apologies, Farrell. I was terribly rude to you. I didn’t fully appreciate your loss.” He looked up at the picture of Zenora. “She’s beautiful. Who is she?”
Farrell caught himself before he said “My mother.” He felt Miceral reach for his hand, lending him strength to keep control.
“Queen Zenora of Yar-del. She and Master Heminaltose were always close. That picture was his. Since he died defending her and Yar-del, I felt it fitting that her picture and the royal pennant of Yar-del hang here as a reminder of who and what he gave his life for.”
“Your master was by all accounts a great and honorable man. I’m sure you miss him dearly.” Kerstand gave Farrell a deep bow. “I appreciate your hospitality, even if I do not wish to be sent away. I hope we three can be friends.”
“Prince Kerstand, you will always be welcome in our home,” Miceral said before Farrell could respond.
“DON’T GET any ideas of dumping me for a younger prince!” Farrell said to Miceral as he watched the door close.
“As if that little boy could compare to you.” Miceral swept him into an embrace. A passionate kiss followed, and Farrell stared up, feeling bemused. “Life partner to be? When did that happen? And how come no one asked me?”
“Ugh. I knew I shouldn’t have said that. I froze when I thought about how to introduce you and convey how important you are to me. Friend? Close friend? Really close friend? What should I have—” He would have continued, except Miceral’s lips covered his.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you,” Miceral said when he moved back slightly. “I’m not mad.”
“No, I’m the one who should be sorry.” Farrell freed a hand and rested it against Miceral’s cheek. “That was too personal to blurt out in front of everyone, especially before we discussed it. Hopefully it won’t spread to the five corners of Haven.”
“We could always fix it so it’s not a problem.” Miceral flashed him a wicked grin.
He laughed at the grin. “How’s that?”
“We could make it official and have a union ceremony at this year’s Winter Festival.” The smile disappeared but Miceral still seemed happy.
Farrell stared at him, trying to process what he heard. Union ceremony. Before he could answer, a smile split his face.
“Shall I take that as a yes?” Miceral asked.
“Of course it’s a yes, you big oaf.” Farrell kissed him before Miceral could respond.
Miceral scooped him up, kicked the door to their private suite closed, and carried him to their bedroom. “This calls for a private celebration.”
FARRELL COULDN’T stifle a yawn as he rubbed the water from his hair. “Someone kept us up too late last night.”
Across their room, he heard Miceral snort. “The way I remember it, when I pulled you closer so we could go to sleep, you decided twice wasn’t enough.”
Blood rushed to Farrell’s face, and other places, when he remembered how they’d ended their night. “I didn’t hear any complaints.”
“And you won’t. I just wanted to be clear it wasn’t me who kept us up with his overactive affections.”
“I never said you kept us up, just that someone did.” He went back to the bath chamber to empty the tub. “Too bad we couldn’t sleep in, but if Lisle hears this from someone else, we’ll never live it down.”
“Never live what down?” Lisle’s voice caused him to lose control of the spell, flooding the room.
Silencing a curse, he cleaned it up before she could see what happened. “Us leaving early without emptying the tub.”
Miceral appeared from the bedroom, struggling to control his smile. “I’m trying to get him up early enough so we aren’t in your way, but sometimes things keep us up.”
Lisle stared down her nose at Farrell. Feeling himself turning crimson, he quickly offered a less embarrassing reason. “Unplanned state visit from the Prince of Honal.”
The mock frown turned into a real one. “By the Six, you had those people here?”
Lisle dashed toward the formal room, and Farrell and Miceral followed, shaking their heads.
“Child.” She turned on him the moment he set foot in the room. “Next time you have guests—royal guests—you let me know in advance.”
“Lisle—” Miceral stopped when she glared in his direction.
“None of your lip, either.” She snapped her fingers at him, then pointed until Miceral seemed to submit. “Just because you’ve kept him neater and made sure he wakes at a respectable hour, that doesn’t give you a free pass. To think, everyone in Haven….”
Farrell waved his hand, and her voice trailed off. Her body stiff and her eyes barely open, she glared at him. “If you’re finished… oh wait… you are.” If he thought she was ready to spit fire at him before, now he expected her to grow scales, wings, and a tail. “Would you please join us in our private area? We want to talk to you about something important.”
Snapping his fingers, he turned without waiting for her to answer. If nothing else, he knew she’d follow just to lecture him. Farrell motioned toward an overstuffed chair against the wall, and it slid toward him. Under a withering stare he ignored, he held it out for her as she eyed him suspiciously.
“What did you boys do this time?” She scanned the room before taking the offered seat. “And how dare you use magic on me like that? I ought to walk out and leave you to clean up after yourselves. Then who’d take care of you? No one, that’s who. Tell me why I shouldn’t leave now.”
“If you leave, you won’t be the first to know Miceral and I are getting joined at the Winter Festival. I suppose you could get the details from the gossipy old women, but if you want to go, there’s not much we could do to stop you.”
For the first time he could remember, Lisle was speechless. She looked from him to Miceral and back. Then, to his complete shock, she began to cry.
“Great Mother Lenore.” When she started to wipe hers eye with her sleeve, Farrell conjured a silk handkerchief for her. Dabbing her face, she smiled despite the tears. “Lads, you don’t know how happy I am for you. Look at me gushing tears like you’re my own children. Well, I’m thrilled beyond words. And thank you for letting me know before I heard it from those old biddies who do nothing except gossip all day. I mean, if they found out first, they’d run around Haven clucking like a mother hen about how you two didn’t tell me.”
Miceral laughed first, causing Farrell to lose his control. She stopped talking and cocked her head at them before joining in. It took a few moments to settle, but Farrell decided he needed to tell her the rest before he lost his nerve.
“Who else would I tell first? You’ve always been something of a mother to me. Great Honorus, why else would I put up with your lip if I didn’t feel that way?” Seeing her face go from a happ
y smile to a stony frown brought a mischievous grin to his face. For three seconds he had the upper hand.
“Now you listen here. Just because I clean your rooms and look after you doesn’t give you the right to treat me like that. If it wasn’t for this nice child who’s taken a liking to you—why, I cannot understand, other than you put one of your little spells on him—I’d short sheet your bed and see to it your towels were as coarse as sanding paper.”
Farrell walked over and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you, Lisle, for watching over me when I had no one. Whether you meant it or not, you were my lifeline when I needed one. You were the one constant in my life before Miceral. I’m not sure I’d have survived if you hadn’t been there for me. I’ve never given you the thanks you deserved, but let me say it today. Thank you for everything you do for me.” He bent and kissed her cheek again.
“Boy, you had to ruin a perfectly good lecture by saying something sweet like that. If what I did meant that much, then you are welcome to every last bit of it. It has always been my pleasure watching over you and a tremendous joy to see you so in love. I’m happy for you both.”
“For what it is worth, let me add my thanks.” Miceral kissed the other cheek. “He’d be impossible to live with if you hadn’t taught him some sense.” Miceral leapt back to avoid Farrell’s swat.
“Just be sure you find a replacement to clean our rooms on Winter Festival day,” Farrell said with a smile.
“On your most important day, you want me to find someone else to take care of you? Are you mad?”
Farrell smiled at Miceral before turning back to her. “I don’t have a sponsor, unless you count my father, but he is too busy trying to conquer the Seven Kingdoms to attend the ceremony. What I’m trying and failing to say is I want you to be my sponsor. I meant what I said. You’ve been there for me just as my mother would have. Anyone else would be a stand-in, not someone I thought of as family.”
She started to cry again before she stood up and hugged him tight. A moment later, she pulled in Miceral. When she stepped back, she used the yellow handkerchief Farrell had given her to clean her face.
“I would be honored, but if you tell anyone you saw me cry, I’ll make your lives miserable, and don’t think I can’t.” She glared at them. “Now get out and let me clean that mess you made in the other room. You must have better things to do than bother me while I’m working.”
Laughing at how quickly she reverted to her gruff persona, Farrell nodded to Miceral and they left. They found Horgon in his office near the audience chamber.
“Both your mentors will be upset to hear this,” Horgon told him after congratulating them. “They bet me you wouldn’t announce it today, and I told them you would. I just won another case of old wine.”
“You need to find someone other than your future son-in-law to bet on, Father. It’s not seemly.”
Grabbing them both by the shoulder, Horgon beamed like a proud parent. “My only question is: What took you both so long to figure this out?”
Farrell exchanged blank stares with Miceral. When his partner smiled, he did as well. “We were being mindful of Farrell’s virtue.”
The roar of laughter from Horgon brought a clerk to the office. Taking advantage of the timely arrival, Horgon dictated an official announcement.
Erstad and Wesfazial joined them, and they held a brief celebration in Horgon’s office. The revelry ended with the arrival of the Honalese delegation, eager to discuss the proposed alliance.
After a short round of pleasantries, the two sides discussed what aid Haven could offer and the logistics of an evacuation, should it come to that. Farrell’s mind drifted, causing him to miss most of the details.
During a short break, Horgon leaned toward him. “Why don’t you go to weapons practice? We’ve long since passed the general topics of aid and shelter. All that remains are the details.”
Farrell did his best to keep the grin from his face but failed. “You’re a gift from the Six, Horgon. I’ll tell Miceral we can leave.”
“Miceral needs to stay,” Horgon said without malice. “He needs to take a more active role. This will be good practice for him. Run along. I’ll explain it to him.”
Ignoring the angry daggers Miceral shot at him, Farrell thanked the Six. Miceral must have forgotten they could speak mind to mind, or no doubt he’d be “shouting” at Farrell about the unfair situation. When he made it to the door, Prince Kerstand followed a step behind him.
“Congratulations are in order, I hear.” Smiling, he held out an arm, which Farrell clasped. “Your people talk of nothing else. They appear quite happy for you both.”
“Better happy than upset.” Farrell noted Kerstand didn’t seem eager to return to the meeting. “I’m off to weapons practice. You’re welcome to join me if you like.”
“Much as I’d like to accompany you, I fear my cousin wants me here.” He looked as unhappy as Farrell had felt during the meeting.
Before his guest could return to the room, Farrell grinned at him. “If you want to come with me, I think I can arrange it. Being Lord of Haven has to have a few perks.” A conspiratorial wink later, Kerstand nodded his agreement.
Farrell stuck his head in the door and waited for the participants to notice him. “Baron Glaus, could you spare Prince Kerstand for the afternoon? I’d like to get to know him a bit better, and this is an ideal time for us to talk.”
The baron seemed more than happy to let Farrell take his cousin. “Most certainly, Lord Farrell. Spending time learning about Haven and our hosts is a good use of his time. I hope he isn’t too disappointed to be torn from these meetings.”
Everyone except Miceral laughed or smiled.
“Cheer up, Ral. I’ll make it up to you tonight.”
Farrell stifled a laugh when he saw Miceral start to answer out loud. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
Closing the door behind him, he turned to his guest. “Done. You’re coming with me. Do you have practice clothes, or do I need to round some up?”
“I do, but they’re in my chambers.” Kerstand looked right, then left and shrugged. “Not that I can find them without Glaus.”
Farrell laughed. “Come on. I know a guide who can help you find your way.”
THE DOOR opened onto the practice field, drawing the attention of Masters Thomas and Baylec.
“Nice entrance, boy. Next time don’t be late so you can arrive like everyone else,” Master Thomas said from across the field. “Oh, and congratulations on your pending nuptials. That lad of yours is a fine man. I’m happy for the both you.”
Farrell waved at the comments, pointing Kerstand to the bench area.
“That man has no respect for your position,” Kerstand said, still staring at Thomas. “No servant should yell at you like a common trainee.”
Farrell pulled his dress tunic over his head and shrugged. Grabbing the shirt he’d brought with him, he said, “Master Thomas has been with me since I was a boy. He and I have an agreement: I get to be prince everywhere else, but when I step foot in the practice area, he’s in charge. I take nothing he says during practice personally, no matter how badly he insults me.”
“You let your servants insult you?” Kerstand acted as if Farrell had said snow was green. “If my weapons master insulted my brothers or me, he’d be lucky not to be executed.”
“Then your house must retain inferior weapons masters.” They both turned to find Master Baylec standing behind Farrell, smiling. “Allow me to express my joy at your pending union. I believe I’ve come to know you well since we’ve met, and I’m pleased for you both. Miceral is as lucky to have you as you are to have him.”
He clapped Farrell on the back, sending the half-dressed prince sprawling. The hand mark on his skin made a bright red contrast to his pale skin. Baylec rushed over, only to be waved off by Farrell. The older man stood with his mouth open, carefully running his eyes over his student. “Lord Farrell, I’m truly sorry. Given how we train and your close re
lationship with Miceral, I forget you’re not a Muchari.”
Farrell noted Master Thomas looking his way, but he quickly smiled when Farrell gave him a small wave. Kerstand, however, appeared shocked, and even more so when Farrell laughed.
“Thank you. I’ll be sure to let Miceral know you wish us well. Let me finish dressing and I’ll meet you on the far field.”
Baylec nodded and walked off as if nothing had happened.
“How can you let him get away with that? He was completely out of line.” Kerstand twisted, seeming more agitated when he met Farrell’s gaze. “You have his handprint on your back! The whole of Haven will know he touched you.”
Farrell laughed, yanking on an undershirt before pulling his leather vest over his head. “Baylec is a boyhood friend of Horgon, my soon-to-be father-in-law. He was also Miceral’s teacher and his friend. There’s no finer teacher in the Seven Kingdoms, maybe even the world. It would be a tremendous loss if I missed my chance to train under him over something so trivial.”
Kerstand didn’t look convinced as they finished dressing. Shaking his head, Farrell put his hands on his guest’s shoulders.
“Try to keep in mind this is Haven, not Honal. Haven was founded as a wizard’s school. Rank among wizards and weapons masters is similar; respect goes to the person with the greater skill. I try to remember that every time I come here. Set aside your rank while you’re here. You may find it refreshing.”
When Kerstand nodded, Farrell smiled back and grabbed his staff. “Master Baylec.” He waited until his teacher looked over. “Can you accommodate Prince Kerstand, or should I send him to Master Thomas for sword practice?”
“Start him with Master Thomas so we can get started.” He pointed toward the group working with Thomas. “After we’ve sparred a bit, he can join us, and I’ll go over sword work with you both.”
“There you have it. You’re off to Master Thomas.” He reached out for Kerstand’s arm before his friend could leave. “I would count it as a personal favor if you would be polite to him no matter what he says. He’s an old and trusted friend who has always watched over me.”
Champion of the Gods, Books 1-2 Page 19
