by Garry Spoor
“Ah, Mistress Veller,” he said in his less than enthusiastic voice. “I see you finally made it, and you brought your… rat… as well.”
“Yarrow,” she corrected him.
“Of course,” Jerald said.
Stepping aside, he waved her into the room but stopped Daniel before he could enter.
“You can go now, Master Leary,” he told him.
Daniel seemed surprised but wasn’t going to argue with the king’s adviser.
When the door closed, Kile was alone in the room with Jerald. This could get interesting, she thought.
“The king has been… detained,” he said, directing her to the table.
“I thought he wanted to see me,” Kile said.
“He does, and he will when he gets around to it. Until then, you must wait here.”
“Must I? How about this. I go back to my room, and you can tell Roland where to find me. I’ll even promise not to leave this time.”
“I’m afraid that is unacceptable,” Jerald said. “The king is—”
“Right here.”
Roland entered through the door on the far side of the room. He was dressed in his casual clothing with his hair slightly messed up, looking much the same as he did when Kile first met him in Windfoil. “Sorry I kept you waiting.”
“I just got here myself,” Kile said.
The king smiled and looked over at Jerald.
“I don’t think I’ll be needing you for the rest of the evening,” he told him. “See that everything will be ready for tomorrow.”
“As you wish, sir,” Jerald said with his stiff bow. He looked as surprised at being asked to leave as Daniel was.
Roland waited until the door closed before he heaved a heavy sigh.
“He’s a bit off-putting at times, isn’t he?” he asked.
Kile laughed. “That’s putting it mildly.”
“Well, he’s good at what he does. That’s why I keep him around.”
“He doesn’t like me very much.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that.” Roland pulled out Kile’s chair. “He’ll get used to you.”
She hesitated before sitting down. “Will he now?” she asked.
“He’ll have to.” Roland grinned, taking his own seat. “You look very elegant this evening,” he added.
“I feel a little out of place,” Kile said. “I’m not exactly used to these… things.”
“What things? You mean like having supper?”
“Well, maybe having supper alone with the king.”
Roland laughed. “Then don’t think of me as the king,” he said. “Tonight, I am simply Roland Waltair.”
“That’s a little easier said than done.”
“There was a time when you thought I was merely a servant.”
“And you went on letting me believe that.”
“I wanted to see how far you would go.” He smiled. “Besides, when people find out you’re the king, they get all formal on you. It was nice talking to someone who wasn’t afraid to speak their mind.”
“And do you still feel that way?”
“With you? Yes.”
“I’m sure there are a few people who would warn you about those feelings. Jerald, for one. He doesn’t like the way I speak to you.”
“As I said, he’ll have to get used to it. As far as I’m concerned, you may always speak freely with me.”
“You may regret saying that.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I have a few questions.”
Roland grinned and leaned back in his chair. “Ask away. I have nothing to hide from you.”
“Very well. Who initiated the Hunter’s offensive into the wastelands against the valrik?”
The grin slowly faded from his face. “Oh, you meant real questions.”
“You said I could ask anything.”
“Well, yeah, but, is that honestly what you want to discuss at a time like this.”
“At a time like what?”
“You know. Here. Now. You. Me. A roaring fire and a good meal and nice bottle of wine. I’m sure we can come up with something more… interesting to talk about.”
Kile thought about it for a moment and shook her head. “No. Nothing comes to mind.”
“I see.” Roland leaned forward in his chair. “Well, to answer your question. I was the one who sent the Hunters into the wastelands. It was supposed to be a recon mission to gain some information on the movement of the Uhyre. We had received disturbing reports of them massing in the north and believed they were preparing for another attack through the Denal region. When your Guild Master Parker came to me proposing that a group of Hunters could easily rectify the situation, it was not a difficult decision to make. I sent them in to do what they were trained to do.”
“I saw what they did,” Kile said. “And Hunters are not trained to do that. They slaughtered an entire city of valrik.”
“No. They defeated an army.”
“That was not an army. I know. I was there. I walked among the dead. They were not armed, they were not fighting. It was not a battle, it was a massacre.”
Roland got up from his chair and, stepping away from the table, he paced.
“You can’t seriously sit there and defend the Uhyre.” He ran his hands through his hair, something he often did when he was annoyed. Kile could tell he was trying to maintain his composure. “Do you not remember the siege of Moran?” he asked.
That was a low blow.
“Of course I do.”
“And how many men, good men, died at the hands of the Uhyre. This is a war, Kile. I’m sorry you don’t understand that.”
“I understand a war ends when one side lays down their weapons. Then it is a time for peace.”
Roland slowly shook his head. “And can you trust them to honor that peace?” he asked. “The Uhyre were savages, Kile. They were no more than wild animals.”
“There are some who say the same about me.”
“It’s not the same thing,” he said calmly. “Look, I did what I thought had to be done. With the threat of the Uhyre in the west neutralized, that leaves only Balaa.
“Balaa? What do they have to do with anything?”
Roland hesitated as if trying to decide how much he could share. “It’s not common knowledge, but Anwar Shaheed of Balaa was trying to take advantage of our war with the Uhyre. With most of our men fighting on the western front, our fields went untilled. We were forced to import more food and other needed supplies from our neighbors to the east. Shaheed saw it as a way to cripple us financially. We even received information he was planning a full-scale invasion.”
“Balaa? That’s impossible. They’ve always been our allies.”
“Things change, Kile. Shaheed has been trying to expand into our territory for some time now. Our war with the Uhyre was his best chance. We now believe he was even involved with the Rojan incident last year.”
“But the Rojan attack was a misunderstanding. They believed we crossed into their territory, destroyed their villages. They were provoked by Ravenshadow. Balaa had nothing to do with it.”
“That’s what we thought at first, but we’ve received new information that said Shaheed promised the northern territories of Aru to the Rojan Empire. We believe the initial plan was for a three-prong attack. The Uhyre from the west, Rojan from the north, and Balaa from the east. If you hadn’t stopped the Uhyre at Moran and prevented the Rojan from reaching the pass of Lutmorli, Balaa might have succeeded.”
“That sounds too unbelievable.”
“Tell me about it, but it also explains why Galan was trying to bring the Heart of Nilak to Shaheed, so he could use it as leverage against us. Unfortunately, you know how that turned out. Master Boraro and Master Heaney got to Galan before he could reach Balaa, and so he released the Maligar in the Shia Province. Again, if you hadn’t stopped it, there’s no telling what would have happened.”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t make any sense.”<
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Roland laughed. “It’s not supposed to make sense, Kile. It’s politics.”
“I guess I’ll never understand.”
“Leave understanding it to me,” he said, returning to his chair. “For now, let us enjoy the meal and the company.”
The meal was an assortment of the finest fruits and vegetables the kingdom could provide. There was a little something from every province and Kile was determined to try them all. Roland even went as far as to serve up a small plate for Vesper, so the yarrow wouldn’t keep stealing food from theirs.
The rest of the evening was filled with pleasant conversation. They covered a wide variety of topics from Coopervill to Baxter’s Bay, from Alex’s shows to Kile’s sea voyage. They even discussed the Veller Hunters and spent some time coming up with alternate names for the new group, but always, Roland steered the conversation to Kile’s past. He wanted to know everything about her. Where she grew up, who her parents were, why she chose to become a Hunter in the first place. Her personal life was not something Kile wished to delve into, especially since learning her father might not have been her father and she was simply a stray found in the forest. She would casually change the subject when the questions became too personal until Roland decided to venture into the one area she feared the most.
“You know, you never answered my question,” he said, leaning back in his chair. He was either not hungry or not much of a vegetarian since he hardly ate anything.
“What question was that?” Kile asked. She didn’t look at him. Instead she concentrated on the food in front of her. It just so happened to be a taka fruit.
“The question I asked you before you headed off to the Tower. Don’t you remember?”
Of course she remembered. How could she not? It was in the back and in the front of her mind at various times over the past few months.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to refresh my memory,” she said.
“I asked about your plans now that the war is over. Where are you going from here?”
“Is the war over?”
“The valrik are defeated, my brother is dead, the pass to Rojan is sealed off, and as for Anwar Shaheed of Balaa, well, that will be taken care of soon.”
Kile looked up from her fruit. “What do you mean, soon?”
“There are plans in progress, nothing that you need to concern yourself with. For you, the war is over. So, what now? Are you going back to the Tower?”
“The Tower? No, there’s nothing more they can do for me there.”
“I see. You’ve already told me you couldn’t go home, and you’ve already seen Baxter Bay, so, what’s left?”
“I’ve always had a problem with taka fruit. Have you ever tried it?”
“Yes, I have, and you’re avoiding the question.”
“What was the question again?”
Roland grinned. “What are your plans now that the war is over?”
“I hadn’t thought about it,” she answered.
“Still taking one day at a time?”
“Something like that.”
Roland pushed himself away from the table and casually walked around to Kile’s side. “You know what I’m asking you.”
“I know.”
“So. Stay with me. Be my queen and we can rule this kingdom together.”
Slowly, she looked up at him. “Why?”
The question took him by surprise. “What do you mean, why?”
“I’m only a… farmer’s daughter, some say cursed with Orceen blood. I’m a failed Hunter. Twice. I’m pretty sure you could do a lot better than me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re much more than that and you know it. You’ve done a lot for me and my people,” he said, taking her by the hand. “I care about you, Kile. I want you by my side, and I know that’s what you want as well. The Accolade will be tomorrow. Will you at least give me your answer by then?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Then I will wait until tomorrow,” he sighed, releasing her hand.
Kile quickly got up from her chair. “I should probably go now,” she said, grabbing Vesper from the table. “I have a lot to think about.”
“I’ll have someone take you back to your room.”
“Good night, Roland.”
“Until tomorrow.”
24
Tomorrow came too quickly. Kile lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. She hadn’t slept much. Roland’s question kept her awake. It wasn’t until the wee hours of the morning, she finally reached a decision; but was it the right one? Was she making another mistake, or was she finally doing what she wanted to do and not what others wanted her to do?
“What do you think, Vesper?” she asked, turning to where the yarrow was curled up on the pillow beside her. “Do you think I’m making the right choice?”
His head shot up and he quickly looked around the room. -Breakfast?-
“What is it with you and food?” she asked, although she had to admit, she was pretty hungry herself. Last night, she hadn’t eaten much. The conversation successfully cut the evening short. She’d thought about grabbing a few pieces of fruit before leaving but it might have been in poor taste. No need to give Jerald something else to complain about.
“Maybe we should send for our new servant,” she joked. “We’ll have Daniel bring us food from the kitchen, and we’ll send him to the stables with an apple pie for Grim. I wonder how someone goes about doing that.”
There was a quiet knock on the door. “Wow, that was a lot easier than I thought,” she said, sitting up in bed. “Enter.”
The door opened, but it wasn’t Daniel, who came in. Instead, it was two nonays armed with grooming supplies. Pulling her bedsheets tighter around her, Kile started having flashbacks of her time in Moran.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded.
The elder nonay, a tall militant-looking woman, set a few bundles down on the table before acknowledging Kile’s existence. “We have been sent by Master Jerald,” she said, her hands on her hips and a fiendish grin on her face.
Kile had a feeling Jerald chose this woman personally. “Well, I don’t care who sent you. You can leave now.”
“I’m afraid that won’t be acceptable, my lady. Master Jerald has ordered us to prepare you for the Accolade this afternoon.”
“Yeah, well, I can prepare myself, thank you very much. You can go now. I’ll tell him you were here.”
“Master Jerald was quite clear: you are to be made presentable for the ceremony… no matter what.”
That last part sounded like a threat.
“Look, lady. I’ve taken on bigger and uglier things than you, so if you don’t want to get hurt, I’d advise you to leave now.”
“Master Jerald told us—”
“I don’t care what Master Jerald told you. I’m telling you to get out. Good-bye. So long. See ya. You can leave now.”
“I’m sorry, my lady. You’re not getting rid of us that easily. We will get you ready for the Accolade whether you like it or not.”
The two women started moving toward the bed but stopped when they heard the distinct sound of something growling behind them. Now it was Kile’s turn to grin fiendishly.
“I think my friends may have something to say about that,” she said, pointing over the woman’s shoulder.
The nonays turned to see three large grey dogs sitting on the floor behind them. No one moved until the center dog got up and advanced a few steps toward the women. For every step she took forward, the nonays took a step back. Kile was delighted to see something scared them as much as they scared her.
-Are you in need of some help, sister?- the dog asked.
“Do you think you could… you know… escort these women out of my room?”
-But of course,- the dog said, and all hell broke loose.
The dogs started barking, the women screamed, and Daniel chose that moment to enter the room. The nonays nearly ran him down as they made for the door. Two of the dogs chase
d the women down the hall, while the third kept Daniel pinned to the wall.
-I don’t like the smell of this one,- the dog said, eyeing Daniel suspiciously.
-He seems… false.-
“No, he’s all right… sometimes,” Kile said.
The dog backed off, but only slightly. She kept a wary eye on him. -I don’t trust him.-
Daniel slowly slid along the wall, trying to put some distance between him and the watchful dog. “Kile, what’s going on here?”
“Jerald decided to send a few of his minions to torture me,” she answered.
Closing his eyes, Daniel took a deep breath. “You know they were not here to harm you.” His tone was condescending. “They were sent to help you get ready for the ceremony.”
“I don’t need help getting ready,” Kile retorted.
“They were only doing their job.”
“Well, let them do their job elsewhere.”
“Kile, you’re being stupid.”
“Stupid,” Kile exclaimed, and the dog started barking.
Daniel pressed himself even farther up against the wall.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. I just meant… you were being… uncooperative.”
“Yeah, well, I found cooperating with the vir often gets me into more trouble than out of it.”
Climbing out of bed, she approached the table and looked through the bundles the nonay brought. “What are you doing here anyway, Daniel? Don’t you have better things to do?”
“I just came to see if you needed anything.”
Kile thought for a moment. “Well, you can get me and my pack something to eat.”
“Your… pack?”
“Yeah, my brother and sisters,”
Daniel looked toward the door where the other two dogs were sitting. “I can do that.”
“Great, and make sure you bring something out to Grim. An apple pie would be nice if you happen to have one already made.”
“An apple pie?”
