by C. L. Scheel
Kitarisa gestured to Mar'Kess, who handed the sealed documents to the astonished council member. "I am sorry to come to you in this manner, but circumstances prevented our Ter-Rey from bringing me here himself. I hope I shall not be too great a burden to Riehl."
De'Tai took the papers from Mar'Kess. He touched the black wax seals with one tentative finger. He glanced at the scowling Councilman Sur'Mai.
"You will be most welcome, my lady. And may I say, that not only do you resemble your grandmother in looks, but you have her gracious manner as well. Riehl shall be honored to have you within its walls. We also look forward to hosting our sovereign prince, when he arrives."
"Regretfully, I must inform you that my Lord Assur has ridden west to call for reinforcements," Mar'Kess said firmly.
Councilor De'Tai expression changed from polite anticipation to worry. "Reinforcements?"
"Yes, your grace," Mar'Kess continued. "We have good reason to believe Prince Kazan will soon attack Riehl."
The thin, fastidious-looking man next to De'Tai touched the councilor's arm.
"Then the rumors were true--Kazan will force us to accept his son, Alor, as prince. Our army cannot stand against Gorendtian warriors!"
"Calm yourself, Sur'Mai. You have accepted defeat before anything has happened. Now then, Captain, how much time do we have before the reinforcements come from the west?"
Mar'Kess turned to Brekk. Only a Talesian could know how long it would take for Assur make it to their encampment and back again with enough men to support the Riehlians.
"If they are not delayed, another three days, maybe four for them to reach Prince D'Achad's camp, and then four days to return. Eight, maybe ten days, Captain, at least."
Dismay rippled among the Riehlian council members.
"Ten days!" the Councilor Sur'Mai interjected. "We will be dust and bones by then."
Mar'Kess had been studying the heavy, reinforced walls, the high towers of the Keep and the ideal manner in which the Keep and the city had been situated. The Keep itself stood on the highest ground, affording perfect observation of anyone or anything that might approach the city walls.
"Your grace, how many men does Riehl have at the ready?"
The councilor shrugged. "Two, maybe three hundred. Our armies have stood down for many turns now, since the treaty with Gorendt. There has been no need...we have kept the Ter-Rey's peace as he has wished."
"And the stored provisions?"
Again the councilor shrugged. "I am not certain...we would have to take an account."
"Can this be done?" Mar'Kess interrupted.
"Of course."
Mar'Kess again looked at Riehl's high walls and stout towers. The Keep could hold against Verlian's Chosen.
"Your grace, we have nearly two weeks to fortify and make ready for the Talesians. The Keep is excellently situated and if I am correct, we may be able to not only hold out until the Talesian tribesmen come, but even defeat Kazan!"
It seemed quite natural for Mar'Kess to take command of the situation--the Riehlians readily deferring to his skills and knowledge as a trained warrior. Councilor De'Tai ordered an accounting of the Keep's stores and granaries--weapons and supplies, the number of horses that could be utilized for battle and their upkeep, the availability of water and how many of the livestock that could be kept inside the city walls or within the Keep for ready slaughter.
When the tallies had been completed, Mar'Kess beamed at the reports.
"We are more prepared than I had hoped. May Verlian bless the resourcefulness of all Riehlians."
"How long can we hope to last, with these provisions?" De'Tai asked.
"With care, two to three moonturns. Your biggest asset, your grace, is the underground canals running from the Sherehn. However, it is also the weakest. We may have to send out sorties to protect this source from possible poisoning."
Councilor Sur'Mai looked severely at De'Tai and Mar'Kess.
"Poison our water? Kazan would not dare!"
Mar'Kess rolled the reports into a tidy cylinder, bound them with a fine black ribbon and set them on the table.
"Your grace, you do not understand Kazan. He would do that and anything else to conquer Riehl. This is war, sir, and there are no rules."
The councilor adjusted the collar of his long tunic.
"I cannot believe Kazan would actually poison us."
"He would. He is that determined."
Councilor De'Tai appeared grave, fine lines creased his brow as he pondered Mar'Kess' warning. He appeared to like Mar'Kess and appreciated his ability to clearly assess the situation and make sensible decisions. From the highest ranking council member to the most lowly stable boy, Mar'Kess commanded not only their respect, but a growing, unswerving loyalty.
"Would it be wise to send our children elsewhere, perhaps into some kind of sanctuary?" De'Tai asked cautiously.
"No." Mar'Kess' firm response made the councilor acknowledge his error. "They would only be more vulnerable, not only to Kazan, but to marglims and the oncoming winter. The best we can do is to store and conserve until the Talesians come. By then, we should be able to stand against Kazan and defeat him."
"Are you certain they will come?" Sur'Mai asked skeptically.
Mar'Kess nodded. It was clear Councilor Sur'Mai disapproved of Talesian intervention from the moment Mar'Kess and the others had set foot on Riehlian soil and unwilling to believe Assur's armies would come to their assistance in spite of numerous reassurances.
"Your grace, I have witnessed Talesian loyalty and there is none greater than to Prince Assur. They would rather die before failing his orders. They will come. Besides," he added with a slight twist of a smile, "Talesians love a good fight."
De'Tai's responded with a short nod and then turned to Sur'Mai. But Sur'Mai remained unconvinced and showed his displeasure by gathering the many scrolls from the table and prepared to leave with them.
"This whole business would not have occurred if His Highness had been watching Kazan in the first place. We have done our part. We have kept his peace and now we are paying for that obedience in a meaningless war."
Sur'Mai stopped his noisy paper shuffling to look at both De'Tai and Mar'Kess with ill-concealed annoyance. "We have been accused of inciting this war on the flimsiest of excuses. Now our land will be overrun with savage barbarians, Gorendtian warriors, and Maretstanis. This entire incident could have been avoided, as I have stated many times."
The councilor re-creased the edge of his collar so that it lay in perfect alignment to the rest of his tunic. He pressed his mouth in a neat line of determined resistance. Sur'Mai would not be swayed--the responsibility lay entirely with the Ter-Rey.
"I suggest you cool your temper, Sur'Mai," De'Tai warned sternly. "His Highness will soon be here. Do you wish to arouse his anger with your ranting?"
Sur'Mai raised an indignant eyebrow. "I will do nothing of the kind, De'Tai. However, I will point out to His Highness of the extreme difficulties he has placed us under. Of course, there is the other matter of the princess..."
"Princess Kitarisa?"
"Exactly so," Sur'Mai went on in his meticulous voice. "When this debacle is over, will he expect us to be ruled by Kazan's ill-begotten offspring or a princess of whom we know nothing? I, for one, will have my reservations."
"The Princess Kitarisa is our lawful sovereign," De'Tai snapped, his temper beginning to rise with Sur'Mai's fussy reasoning.
While Sur'Mai appeared to be an excellent Council member, it was apparent De-Tai had little patience for his habit of scrutinizing the best of ideas down to minute fragments.
"Need I remind you, De'Tai," Sur'Mai went on in his unperturbed manner, "the Princess Kitarisa is Kazan's daughter, too. We have no idea as to how he has corrupted her or influenced her. She may well be our ruler by right, but what kind of ruler?"
"To that, I can answer you," Mar'Kess interjected. "The Princess Kitarisa is truly a daughter of Riehl. I have known her for many years and
she despises Kazan. He has treated her shamefully, cruelly. You need have no fear as to her loyalties. Remember, your grace, it was the princess herself who asked for Lord Assur's help to escape Gorendt."
"Indeed," Sur'Mai murmured, still unmoved. With crisp, short movements, he gathered up the remaining documents and performed the slightest of bows to each of them. "We shall see," he said, turning on his heel and striding out of the room.
"I am afraid my colleague will remain unhappy and unconvinced of Princess Kitarisa's worth until he has spoken to her and seen the end of this trouble," De'Tai apologized quietly. "He was devoted to Prince Murliff and is now reluctant to see change, of any kind."
"It is understandable, but you need not fear the princess or her loyalties."
De'Tai surveyed him coolly. "You remind me a great deal of Prince Murliff. The fair hair and gray eyes, too. You have the same dignity and command unquestioned authority. You are an excellent leader, Mar'Kess."
The councilor stroked his jaw thoughtfully for a moment.
"Mar'Kess...that is a Riehlian name, I believe."
Mar'Kess nodded. "My grandfather was Riehlian, but left Riehl as a young man and came to Gorendt to seek his fortune."
De'Tai placed a hand on Mar'Kess shoulder and nodded.
"I am grateful we have you, and I believe you, my friend, in spite of Sur'Mai's worries. However, we must wait and see how things occur when we finally meet this disowned princess."
He passed a hand through his silver hair and sighed. "I wish the Ter-Rey were here. I am weary of decisions--decisions only a prince has the right to make."
"I am sure he will be here as soon as possible. Their horses are swift and the desperate situation will urge them on even faster."
"I hope you are right, my friend."
THE APARTMENTS given to Kitarisa were by far the most sumptuous she had ever seen, but the most pleasant surprise were the ladies presented as her tiring women. The three of them spread the bright silk of their gowns and sank into deep curtsies. They were all about Kitarisa's age and cheery as little birds. The moment she arrived they immediately took her cloak and gloves, clucked over the condition of her riding dress, and prattled on about foolish things. She had never been around such animated, happy women. They arranged and fussed over her, until finally overwhelmed by their attention, Kitarisa had to sit down.
"My lady, you have such beautiful hair. Allow me to brush it, while Tiasma draws your bath. Are you hungry? Leti, fetch Her Highness a tray."
Her Highness. It sounded so strange now as if they were making some kind of mistake or speaking of someone else.
The oldest one, Lady Davieta, the senior tiring woman, brushed her hair, making it snap and shine. "You have hair like the Princess Pelia, may Verlian keep her."
"You knew my grandmother?" Kitarisa asked, genuinely surprised.
"Oh yes. Of course, she was an older lady when I attended to her. But I remember her when I was little. So lovely and kind. You resemble her a great deal, if I may say so, Your Highness."
"I never knew her, but I remember my grandfather Murliff--when I was allowed to see him at Sherehn Keep."
"I recall Her Highness wanting to go along, but she was so frail toward the end. It caused her much sorrow that she could never see her granddaughter."
"Perhaps there is a portrait of her, somewhere in the keep that I might see?"
"Of course--in the gallery. Whenever you wish, I will be glad to take you," Davieta said happily, delighted at having pleased her new mistress so well.
It took Kitarisa a day or two to accustom herself to the deferential treatment, not only from her maids, but from every individual in the Keep. At first she thought it was because of her affiliation with Assur, but she soon discovered, by accident, their courtesy was quite genuine. Unintentionally, she came upon two young girls hurrying to their duties with their arms full of linens.
"Have you seen the princess?"
"I have. They say she is like the old princess, only prettier and kinder, too. I saw Tiasma in the kitchens fetching her tray. She said Princess Kitarisa is the sweetest lady to attend to and never scolds."
"Maybe Verlian will smile on us and she will stay and rule."
Kitarisa never heard the rest of their conversation, as the two hurried off to finish their tasks.
She had plenty of time to explore Riehl and her tiring women were only to happy to show her around. In the long picture gallery, she finally saw the portrait of her grandmother, painted when she was still fairly young. Her dark hair, so much like Kitarisa's was pulled back in the old-fashioned style with heavy curls falling over her shoulders.
"I remember Lady Terjett, the princess's companion, telling me how many hours it took to curl her hair with the tongs," Lady Davieta explained, looking up at the portrait.
Kitarisa's grandmother did look remarkably like her, only her eyes were brilliant blue and full of mischief.
"Was she happy?" Kitarisa asked a little wistfully.
"Oh yes, if you mean was she happy with His Highness. They loved each other dearly. It was only later she became rather sorrowful. When their daughter was forced to marry your father, she became withdrawn. She worried constantly about her. Of course, when Princess Liestra died, she was very upset and heartbroken."
"It was good then that she never knew about my mother."
"How is that, Your Highness, if I may ask?" Davieta asked politely.
"My mother was never happy and yearned to come home to Riehl. Except for me, she was loved by no one."
"Then I am sorry, my lady, but they are together now in Verlian's Hall and I am sure they are happy."
Kitarisa smiled at Davieta's kind thought.
"Yes, I guess they are. Thank you, Davieta."
THEY WERE HEARD before they were seen--thousands of horses pounding over the Northern Pass making the ground tremble. From the outermost reaches of Riehl to the very gates of the Keep an endless column of proud Chalisets, swathed in their long furs, the scarred Siarsi eager for a fight and the Ponos from the far north--the outer corners of their eyes stained in red instead of black, giving them the terrifying appearance of being marked in blood--all streamed into the city.
The horde descended from the Adrex as their ancestors had done three hundred turns ago, sending a chill of terror throughout all of Riehl.
Banners representing each tribe and bright pennons for the sub-clans, fluttered from spears. Heavy saddle cloths held the deadly knives and the tasseled bridles, adorned with red and gold ornaments, bedecked their horses' heads. They flooded into Riehl, sweeping over the low outer wall turning the great meadows into a colorful, restless war camp.
In a matter of hours, the Talesians had settled into a routine of disciplined patrols sent out to guard the defensive walls and sentries were posted at the four heavy gates.
Stepping from the mass of bustling Talesians were two men, both clearly in command of the seething army. Splendid in furs and gleaming swords, the two strode across the inner courtyard toward the knot of people waiting to receive them.
Wary Riehlians bowed low to the Ter-Rey and to the other man they did not immediately recognize. He was as tall as Assur, his dark hair liberally shot with gray. His resemblance to Assur was startling, only instead of dark blue, his eyes were black as his eye-markings, full of mischief and reckless humor.
Kitarisa stood back and a little to one side, still wary of the barbaric invaders. Even within the few days she had not seen him, Assur had changed. She now saw him as he truly was--not the trained mercenary, but as a prince. He still wore the leather jerkin, dark trousers and fur, but there were now marked indications of his rank.
The plain silver neck collar had been replaced with one of gold, each linked plate enameled in black crowns. The hilts of his swords were now embossed in gold and breok horn and from his left ear, dangled Verlian's Tear, a blood-red ruby that glinted like a drop of fire in the bright morning sun. There was no question as to who he was or of his author
ity.
Kitarisa touched the smooth pearl she wore, remembering the day he paid her bride-price and took his Oath--and the night in his tent. She eased a step behind Mar'Kess hoping she would not be noticed. She did not want him to see her face, or the hot flame of embarrassment that touched her cheeks. As soon as the time allowed, she would release him from his Oath.
Lady Davieta nudged her, reminding her to curtsey.
De'Tai was all smiles and courtesy, even the sour-faced Sur'Mai looked pleased.
"My Lord Prince and Ter-Rey, we are deeply honored and pleased to welcome you to Riehl," De'Tai said. "And I must confess, relieved to see your legions."
"Your hospitality is greatly appreciated," Assur responded formally. He glanced at the assembled Riehlians, the council members, Mar'Kess, and finally his gaze rested on Kitarisa. "I pray Verlian we have brought enough."
The tall man at his side cleared his throat.
"Well, we even brought along the Ponos. They have grown lazy with their boats and fishing--it is time they earned their claim as sons of Ponosel." The tall man beamed at De'Tai. "The boy told me to bring everyone. So," he shrugged, "I brought everyone who could ride."
Kitarisa felt her cheeks go pink at his referral to Assur as `the boy'.
"Did you leave anyone to watch the women and children?" Assur scowled him.
The warrior made a brief dismissive gesture with his hand. "I gave your sister a sword. If anyone is foolish enough to cross with her, they deserve what they get."
Arms across his chest, Assur looked away--his expression indicating his displeasure.
"And who is this?" the older man went on warmly. Seeing Kitarisa, he shouldered his way past Assur and the gaping De'Tai to take her hand. "A Daughter of Verlian, no doubt. Were you smart enough to pay her bride-price, boy? If you did not, I will."
His warm, dark eyes caressed Kitarisa causing her to look down.
