The Crown conspiracy trr-1

by Michael J. Sullivan

  – 7 -Once long ago, the great hall of Drondil Fields was the site of the first court of Melengar. It was here that King Tolin drafted and signed the Drondil Charter, officially bringing the kingdom into existence. Now, old and faded, the parchment was mounted on one wall in a place of honor. Around it, massive burgundy drapes hung tied back by gold chords with silken tassels. Today, the hall served as the council chambers of Count Pickering; Royce and Hadrian hesitantly entered the hall.

  At a long table in the center of the room sat a dozen men dressed in the finery of nobles. Hadrian recognized most of the men and could make some good guesses at the identities of those he did not know. There were earls, barons, sheriffs, and marshals; the leadership of eastern Melengar sat assembled before them. At the head of the table was Alric and, at his right, Count Pickering. Standing behind his father was Mauvin, and as Hadrian and Royce entered, Fanen took up position next to his brother. Alric was dressed in fine clothes, no doubt borrowed from one of the Pickerings. Less than a day passed since Hadrian last saw the prince, but Alric looked much older than he remembered.

  "Have you told them why they were summoned?" Count Pickering asked his son.

  "I told them the princess was to be executed," Fanen replied. "Nothing more."

  "I've been summoned by Archduke Percy Braga," Count Pickering explained holding up the dispatch, "to report to Essendon Castle as witness for the immediate trial of Princess Arista on the grounds of witchcraft, high treason, and murder. He has accused her not only of killing Amrath but also Alric." He dropped the dispatch on the table and slammed his hand down on it in disgust. "The blackguard means to have the kingdom for his own!"

  "It is worse than I feared," Alric summarized for the thieves, "My uncle planned to kill me and my father and then blame both murders on Arista. He will execute her and take the kingdom for himself. No one will be the wiser. He'll fool everyone into thinking he is the great defender of the realm. I'm sure his plan will work. Even I was suspecting her only a few days ago."

  "It's true. It has long been rumored that Arista has dabbled in the arcane arts," Pickering confirmed. "Braga will have no trouble finding her guilty. People are afraid of what they don't understand. The thought of a woman with magical powers is terrifying to old men in comfortable positions. Even without the fear of witchery, most nobles are uncomfortable with the thought of a woman monarch. The verdict will be assured. Her sentence will be handed down quickly."

  "But if the prince were to arrive," Baron Enild said, "and show himself alive then-"

  "That's exactly what Braga wants," Sir Ecton declared. "He can't find Alric. He's searched for days and couldn't locate him. He wants to draw him out before he has a chance to gather an army against him. He's counting on the prince's youth and lack of experience. He wants to manipulate the prince to react with emotion instead of reason. If he can't find Alric, he will lure the prince to him."

  "Less than half our forces have mustered so far," Pickering grumbled despairingly. He walked to the great map of Melengar, which hung opposite the ancient charter, and slapped the western half of the map. "Our most powerful knights are the farthest from here, and because they have the most men to rally, it will take them longer to report. I don't expect them for another eight hours, maybe as long as sixteen.

  "Even if we resign ourselves to employing only Galilin's forces, the earliest we could be ready to attack wouldn't be until tomorrow evening. By then Arista will be dead. I could march with what troops I have, leaving orders for the others to follow, but doing so would risk the whole army by dividing our forces. We cannot jeopardize the realm for the sake of one woman, even though she is the princess."

  "Judging from the mercenaries we encountered at the inn," Alric told them, "I suspect the archduke anticipates an assault and has strengthened his forces with purchased arms loyal only to him."

  "He will likely have scouts and ambushes prepared," Ecton said. "At first sight of our march, he will tell the other nobles assembled for the trial that we are working for Arista and that they need to defend Essendon against us. There is simply no way for us to march until we have more forces."

  "Waiting," Alric said sadly, "will surely see Arista burned at the stake. Now, more than ever, I feel guilty for not trusting her. She saved my life. Now hers is in jeopardy, and there is little I can do about it." He looked at Hadrian and Royce. "I can't simply sit idly by and let her die! But to act prematurely would be folly."

  The prince stood and walked over to the thieves. "I have inquired about you two since we arrived. You've been holding out on me. I thought you were common thieves. So, imagine my surprise when I discovered you two are famous." He glanced around at the other nobles in the room. "Rumor has it you two are unusually gifted agents known for taking difficult, sometimes nearly impossible assignments of sabotage, theft, espionage, and, even on rare occasions, assassinations. Don't bother denying it. Many in this room have already confided in me that they have used your services in the past."

  Hadrian looked at Royce and then around at the faces of the men before them. He nodded uncomfortably. Not only were some of the men past clients, some had been targets as well.

  "They tell me you are independents and are not aligned with any established guilds. It is no small feat to operate with such autonomy. I have learned more in a few hours from them than I did after days riding with you. What I do know, however-what I discovered for myself-is that you saved my life twice, once to honor a promise to my sister and once for no reason I can discern. Last night, you challenged the might of the Lord Chancellor of Melengar and came to my aid against a superior force of trained killers. No one asked you to, no one would have faulted you for letting me die. You could expect no reward for saving me and yet, you did it. Why?"

  Hadrian looked at Royce who stood silent. "Well," he began as he glanced at the floor. "I guess…we'd just grown kind of fond of you I suppose."

  Alric smiled and addressed the room. "The life of the Prince of Melengar-the would-be king-was saved, not by his army, not by his loyal bodyguards, nor by a grand fortress-but by two treacherous, impudent thieves who didn't have the good sense to ride away."

  The prince stepped forward and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "I am already deeply in your debt, and have no right to ask, but I must beg you now to display the same poor judgment once again and save my sister. Please, steal her from Braga's clutches and you can name whatever price you wish."

  – 8 -"Another last-minute, good-deed job," Royce grumbled as he stuffed supplies into his saddlebag.

  "True," Hadrian said, slinging his sword belt over his shoulder, "but this is at least a paying job."

  "You should have told him the real reason we saved him from Trumbul-because we wouldn't see the hundred tenents otherwise."

  "That was your reason. Besides, how often do we get to do royal contracts? If word gets around, we'll be able to command top salaries."

  "If word gets around, we'll be hanged."

  "Okay, good point. But remember, she did save our skins. If Arista hadn't helped us out of the dungeon, we'd be ornaments for the Medford Autumn Festival right now."

  Royce paused and sighed. "I didn't say we weren't doing it, did I? Did I say that? No, I didn't. I told the little prince we'd do it. Just don't expect me to be happy about it."

  "I just want to make you feel better about your decision," Hadrian said. Royce glared at him. "Okay, okay, I'll see about the horses now." He grabbed his gear and headed for the courtyard where a light snow was starting to fall.

  Pickering had provided the thieves with two of his swiftest stallions and any supplies they thought they might need. Ella had a late night snack and a sizable travel meal prepared for them. They took heavy woolen cloaks to brace against the cold and dark scarves that they wrapped around the lower half of their faces to keep the chill of the wind off their cheeks.

  "I hope we will meet again soon," Myron told them as they prepared their mounts. "You two are the most fascinati
ng people I have ever met, although I suppose that isn't saying a lot is it?"

  "It's the thought that counts," Hadrian told him and gave the monk a bear hug, which caught the little man by surprise. As they climbed into their saddles, Myron bowed his head and muttered a soft prayer.

  "There," Hadrian told Royce, "we've got Maribor on our side. Now you can relax."

  "Actually," Myron said sheepishly, "I was praying for the horses. But I will pray for you as well," he added hastily.

  Alric and the Pickerings came out to the courtyard to see them off. Even Lenare joined them, wrapped in a white fur cape. The fluffy muffler was wrapped so high on her shoulders that it hid the lower portion of her face. Only her eyes could be seen.

  "If you can't get her out," Pickering said, "try to stall the execution until our forces can arrive. Once they do, however, you'd better have her secured. I am certain Braga will kill her out of desperation. Oh, and one more thing, don't try to fight Braga. He's the best swordsman in Melengar. Leave him for me." The count slapped the elegant rapier he wore at his side. "This time I'll have my own sword, and the archduke will feel its sting."

  "I will be leading the attack on Essendon," Alric informed them. "It is my duty as ruler. So if you do reach my sister and if I should fall before the end of this, let her know I'm sorry for not trusting her. Let her know…" he faltered for a moment, "let her know I loved her and I think she will make a fine queen."

  "You'll tell her yourself, Your Majesty," Hadrian assured him.

  Alric nodded and then added, "And I'm sorry about what I said to you before. You two are the best Royal Protectors I could ever hope for. Now go. Save my sister or I'll have you both thrown back in my dungeon!"

  They bowed respectfully in their saddles, then turned their horses and urged them into a gallop. They rode out the gate into the cold black of night.

  Chapter 8: Trials

  The morning of Arista Essendon's trial arrived along with the first snow. Despite not having slept, Percy Braga did not feel the least bit tired. Having set the wheels in motion the previous morning by sending the trial announcements, he had a hundred details demanding his personal attention. He was just rechecking his witness list when there was a knock at the door to his office and a servant entered.

  "I'm sorry to disturb you, sir," the man said with a bow. "Bishop Saldur is here. He said you wanted to see him."

  "Of course, of course, send him in," the archduke replied.

  The elderly cleric entered, wearing his dress robes of black and red. Braga crossed the room and kissed his ring as he bowed. "Thank you for seeing me so early, your grace. Are you hungry?" May I arrange for some breakfast to be brought for you?"

  "No, thank you, I've already eaten. At my age, one tends to wake early whether one wants to or not. What exactly did you want to see me about?"

  "I just wanted to make sure you didn't have any questions about your testimony today. We could go over it now if you do. I've scheduled some time."

  "Ah, I see," the bishop replied, nodding slowly. "I don't think that will be necessary. I have a clear understanding of what is required."

  "Wonderful, then I think everything is in order."

  "Excellent," the bishop said and glanced toward the decanter. "Is that brandy I see?"

  "Yes, would you like some?"

  "Normally I wouldn't indulge so early, but this is a special occasion."

  "Absolutely, your grace."

  The bishop took a seat near the fire as Braga poured two glasses of brandy and handed one to the bishop. "To the new Melengar regime," the archduke proposed. The crystal rang clear like a bell as their glasses touched. Then each took a deep drink.

  "There's just something about a bit of brandy on a snowy day," Saldur remarked with a tone of satisfaction in his voice. The cleric had white hair and gentle looking eyes. Sitting in the glow of the fire, casually cupping the glass in his wrinkled hand, he appeared the quintessential kindhearted grandfather. Braga knew better. He could not have risen to his present position without being ruthless. As bishop, Saldur was one of the chief officers of the Nyphron Church and the ranking clergy in the kingdom of Melengar. He worked and resided in the great Mares Cathedral, an edifice just as imposing, and certainly more beloved, than Castle Essendon. As far as influence was concerned, Braga estimated that of the nineteen bishops who comprised the leadership of the faithful, Saldur must be in the top three.

  "How long before the trial?" Saldur asked.

  "We'll begin in about an hour or so."

  "I must say you've handled this very well, Percy." Saldur smiled at him. "The Church is quite pleased. Our investment in you was substantial, but it would appear we made a wise choice. When dealing with timetables as long as we are, it's difficult to be sure we've put the right people in place. Each of these annexations needs to be handled delicately. We don't want anyone suspecting us of stacking the deck the way we are. When the time comes, it has to appear as if all the monarchies voluntarily accept the formation of the New Empire. I must admit, I had some doubts about you."

  Braga raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised to hear you say that."

  "Well, you didn't look as though you had the makings of a king when we arranged your marriage to Amrath's sister. You were a scrawny, pretentious, little-"

  "That was nearly twenty years ago," Braga protested.

  "True enough. However, at the time, all I noticed about you was your skill with a sword and your staunch Imperialist view. I was afraid, being so young you might-well, who knew if you'd stay loyal, but you proved me wrong. You've grown into an able administrator, and your ability to adapt in the face of unexpected events, like this sudden timetable shift Arista caused, proves your capability to manage problems effectively."

  "Well, I'll admit it hasn't gone exactly as I planned. Alric's escape was unexpected. I clearly underestimated the princess, but at least she was good enough to provide me a convenient means to implicate her."

  "So, exactly what are you planning to do about Arista's little brother? Do you know where he is?"

  "Yes, he is at Drondil Fields. I have several reports of the mustering of Galilin. Troops are converging at Pickering's castle."

  "And you're not concerned about that?"

  "Let's just say I wished I could have caught the little brat before he reached Pickering. But I'll be turning my attentions to him as soon as I conclude with his sister. I hope to take care of him before he can bolster too much support. He's been quite elusive. He slipped through my fingers at the Wicend Ford. Not only did he escape, but he also took horses from my men. I thought he would be easy to find, and I had scores of troops watching every road, valley and village, but for several days he just vanished."

  "And that's when he got through to Pickering?"

  "Oh, no," Braga said. "I actually managed to catch him. A patrol picked him up at The Silver Pitcher Inn."

  "Then I don't understand. Why isn't he here?"

  "Because my patrol never came back. An advance rider brought the news Alric was captured, but the rest of them disappeared. I investigated and heard some amazing rumors. According to my reports, two men traveling with the prince organized the locals and staged an ambush on the men bringing Alric in."

  "Do you know who these two men were who came to Alric's aid?"

  "I have no names, but the prince called them his Royal Protectors. I'm certain, however, they're the same two thieves I setup to take the blame for Amrath's death. Somehow, the prince has managed to retain their services. He must have offered them riches, perhaps even land and title. The boy is more clever than I thought. But no matter, I have made adequate arrangements for him and his friends. I've been bolstering the ranks of the Melengar army for the last several weeks with mercenaries loyal to my money. Amrath never knew. One of the perks of being the Lord Chancellor is not having to get the royal seal on all orders."

  There was another knock at the door, and the servant once again entered. "The Earl of Chadwick is here to see yo
u, my lord."

  "Archibald Ballentyne? What is he doing here? Get rid of him."

  "No, wait," the bishop intervened. "I asked the earl to come. Please send him in." The servant bowed and left, closing the door behind him.

  "I wished you had discussed this with me," Braga said. "Forgive me, your grace, but I have too much going on today to entertain a visit from a neighboring noble."

  "Yes, yes. I know you are quite busy, but the Church has its own matters to attend to. As you well know, you're not the only kingdom we administer to. The Earl of Chadwick possesses a certain interest to us. He is young, ambitious, and easily impressed by success. It will do him good to see firsthand just what kinds of things are possible with the right friends. Besides, having an ally on your southern border has benefits for you as well."

  "Are you suggesting I try and sway him away from King Ethelred?"

  "Ethelred is a good Imperialist, I admit, but there can be only one Emperor. There's no reason it couldn't be you, assuming you continue to prove yourself worthy. Ballentyne has many assets that could help in that endeavor."

  "I'm not even king yet and you're talking Emperor?"

  "The Church hasn't lasted for three thousand years by not thinking ahead. Ah, here he is. Come in, come in, Archibald." Archibald Ballentyne entered, brushing the snow from his cloak and stomping his feet. "Toss your cloak aside and come to the fire. Warm up, lad. The carriage ride must have been a cold one."

  Archibald crossed the room and kissed the ring of the still seated bishop, "Good morning, your grace," he said, then turned and bowed graciously to the archduke. "My lord."

  He swept off his cloak and shook it out carefully. Perplexed, he looked around. "Your servant left before taking my cloak."

  "Just throw it anywhere," Braga instructed.

  The earl looked at him aghast. "This is imported damask with gold thread embroideries." Just then, the servant reentered with a large comfortable chair. "Ah, there you are. Here take this, and, for Maribor's sake, don't hang it from a peg." He passed his cloak to the servant, who bowed and left.