“You saw something in the water. I can see it written on your expression, tell me.” His expression was stricken, and the desperation in his tone was one I had never heard before. I forget how young and untried he is as a king. I squashed down my pity. He was just as much the enemy as was the specter.
“More attacks are coming. He wants to divide your army to break you down piece by piece.”
Adair nodded. “Well, I shall not let him.” He turned to look at the basin. He stared for a long moment at the dark water, black as night and full of mysteries. “Thank you for your assistance, Maea. I will not forget your service to the crown.”
He touched my hand in a featherlight caress.
Do not thank me. I have not forgotten, and I will be your destruction.
Chapter Sixteen
The council convened in the audience hall. It was a long room flanked on all sides by columns, and at the far end was a table set for twelve. In the center sat Adair. Today he wore a silver crown studded with sapphires upon his chestnut hair. He wore the midnight blue of House Raleban, with a cloak trimmed in white fur that draped over his shoulders and onto the floor. His hands were resting on the table as I was brought into the council room, flanked on both sides by palace guards. The members of the council sat on either side of him, each representing the different households of old. A few spaces were missing, including Slatone, which had been Johai’s house.
A new face sat in Jon’s place upon the council for House Sixton. The man who took his place was a stranger, and I felt a pang of regret for my onetime husband, who had died to protect me. My father, Duke Wodell, sat at the right hand of the king, and on the other side was Layton. Both Layton and my father had been exiled after I fled Keisan, but war and necessity had brought them back to Adair’s good graces. As I entered, I felt Layton’s green eyes watching me, assessing. There was no hint of the friendly smile that I remembered. He believes I killed King Dallin, I despaired. Duke Algernon Magdale had passed while I was gone, and in his place sat his son, Payton Magdale, the new duke of House Magdale. He had the cast of his father, with dark black hair and a widow’s peak. His expression was severe and his mouth thin.
The palace guards stopped a few feet from the foot of the council table and me with them. I stood before the council, looking over the men, who watched me with varying degrees of contempt and curiosity. More than a few of them were the men who had condemned me to death before.
Adair stood. “Here stands Lady Diranel, once convicted traitor to the throne. She has come before this council with news of our enemy and seeks to clear her name of the crime of which she was accused.” Adair’s voice rang across the chamber.
This was all another step in the dance we played. Like players upon the stage, he was portraying me as innocent to use me to his own ends. I knew the steps, though I did not want to dance. My tongue was dry, and my hands were sweaty. I can do this. I have spoken before many councils. This is no different. I put a protective hand on my belly. I must succeed for her sake.
I kept my eyes downcast to appear chastised. It would go better for me if I appeared humble before the council, my father had counseled me before the meeting. Come in brazen, and they would not believe the lies we would spoon feed them. Spring was almost upon us; time was running out until the day the moon swallowed the sun. It was now that I must win the trust of the council so I could influence them to prepare for the promised day.
Adair was telling the council of what I had told him about Johai’s plans for war. “We’ve ordered men west to meet this threat. Make no mistake, Neaux has declared war, and I think this woman has the key to help us win.”
The council muttered amongst themselves, their voices overlapping one another. Layton did not join the conversation but continued to watch me from his seat beside Adair. My father was tugging on his beard, speaking in low tones with the man next to him, a graybeard from the southern regions. I kept my hands folded, and my eyes glued upon the ground.
“What say you, council?” Adair asked the assembled men.
“How can we be certain this woman is true?” the graybeard beside my father asked. “The council does not forget that she was found guilty of regicide.”
The men nodded their heads in agreement. My father scowled at the man beside him but did not speak out; our connection was as of yet a secret. It was my father’s idea lest his vote on the council be counted void for bias. Not that it matters, they will argue and shout, but in the end Adair is the one who makes the final decision. If Adair wants to set me free of my crimes, then so it will be. This is all just another part of the show.
“Let the lady speak for herself.” Layton spoke up.
The men at the council table swiveled their heads in his direction. Layton was looking directly at me, and I found I could not turn my gaze away from him.
Adair was watching me as well, his expression difficult to gauge. I recalled that expression on the day of my trial when he had sentenced me to death. “Lady Diranel, do you have anything to say in your defense?”
The echoes of the past rippled through me, and I felt a shudder. “I am innocent of the charges that have been laid before me. As I spoke to you on the day of my conviction, I did not have any part in King Dallin’s death.” I paused. This next part made me sick to say aloud, but I knew it must be done. Goddess forgive my lies. “I saw on the night of the king’s death, Jon Sixton slipping into the king’s chamber. He and the king argued, and then he stabbed him with his dagger.” I looked at Adair as I spoke, delivering the lies he had given me, the lies that condemned a dead man. Jon was a hundred times the man you are. It makes me sick that I would muddy his name to keep your secrets.
“It is easy to accuse a dead man,” Payton Magdale said. His voice was high and full of disdain. “I have heard it told you were his wife. How do we know you did not plot the murder together?”
I fought the urge to ball my hands into fists. Any show of anger may give away my true feelings. These men were looking for any excuse to condemn me, even if Adair did not do so. There are possible allies among the council. Layton was a friend once, my father, and perhaps a handful of others. A few of them have no love for Adair. I can see it in their eyes. I made note of all of them before answering.
“I went to Neaux in search of the true killer. I tricked Jon into marrying me so I could learn the truth. My only regret is that I could not bring him back here to pay for his crimes. He died of wounds he took in the battle at the Palace of Mirrors.”
“You have spent time among our enemies. How do we know you are not a spy for Neaux? There are rumors that a diviner helped Queen Arlene take the throne,” Duke Quince asked. He was a round man with a bald head and a neat trimmed beard, which he styled into a point.
How do they know this far from Neaux? I glanced at the council members, considering my answer, when my eyes fell on the Order’s emblem. It was the Order. They’ve been feeding Danhad information from Neaux. I told them as much of the truth as I dared, “I was kidnapped by the queen and forced to assist her in her rebellion.” I fed them half-truths. Many swallowed my lies down, a few made sour faces, and among them I saw my chief enemies: Payton Magdale, Duke Quince and the graybeard, Duke Nanore.
The questioning went on for some time. My tongue was heavy, and my limbs ached by the end of it. My nausea had returned along with a deep fatigue. A chair was brought for me to sit in as the council withdrew. I waited with my hands in my lap and my heart in my throat. The soldiers stood over me as the council deliberated. Though I knew the outcome, I still feared Adair would change his mind and decide to get rid of me. I know too much, and he knows it. He’ll let me live because he needs me. I only need to kill him before he kills me. It was easier to think about than to actually do, I knew.
The men filed back into the chamber, taking their seats. There were more than a few unhappy faces among them. Payton Magdale looked as if he had eaten something unpleasant. Duke Nanore’s nose was scrunched up, and Duke Quince scowl
ed down at me as Adair resumed his place in the middle of them.
“We have come to a decision. Please rise.”
I stood on shaking feet. I met Adair’s gaze. He smiled, and I knew it was meant to reassure me, but all I felt was fear.
“Lady Diranel, we, the council, have deliberated, and we have decided to absolve you of all blame for King Dallin’s death. You shall henceforth be freed from captivity.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” I said with a stiff bow.
Adair held up his hand. “There is more.” His smile widened to show his white teeth. When he smiled, I remembered the handsome young man I had first met when I came to Keisan. There’s danger in that smile, I know that very well. “For your suffering you shall be given lands in the north, along with the estate of Graystone. And you shall also henceforth be known as Duchess Maea of House Diranel.”
“I—” It was too much. He wants to win me with favors. “Your Majesty is too gracious.”
“You have not heard the best part. Along with the reinstatement of your title and lands, I would have you reclaim your place as counselor to the throne of Danhad. I would give you a seat upon this council.”
My head was swimming. This is too much, too fast. It was everything I needed and more. I could not help but think there was a trap hidden behind his generosity.
I bowed my head. There was only one answer to such an offer, however. “It would be my honor.”
I returned to my new chamber, escorted by the palace guards. My quarters were not much different than the ones I had stayed in when I had last been in Keisan. They were near the royal apartments, in a place of great position and honor. I knew what the placement betokened. Adair would not settle to make me just a councilor. He wants every part of me, I thought as I sat on the bed. There was a light knock on my door, followed by soft footsteps upon the stone floor.
I looked up as Elenna entered. She wore a loose gown in the style of the Biski, with a hem decorated in oak leaves and vines. She had refused to wear the Danhadine-style gowns with their corsets and layers of lace and beading. She claimed they were too constricting. I envied her and her loose-fitting gowns, but if I was to garner acceptance, then I must act the part of a court lady. And now I am a duchess, and he gave me Johai’s old seat, Graystone. There’s a message here, I am sure of it.
“I can assume the council meeting went well?” Elenna said as she set a tray of mint tea on the nightstand. She mixed in a bit of honey before handing the cup to me. I sipped on it to avoid answering.
I held my cup in my lap and stared at the tendrils of steam rising from my cup. “Adair has made me a duchess and given me a place on his council.”
Elenna laughed. The sound tinkled around the room and surrounded me.
“This is not a laughing matter. I am playing a dangerous game here,” I chastised her.
“I am sorry. It is strange to me. If a man murders your son among the tribes, you would not marry him to your daughter.”
Because the Biski are honest folk who do not play games. This is just Adair’s way of controlling me. Besides I did not kill anyone, not yet. “He might if he wanted to make sure that man stayed loyal to him,” I said.
Elenna shrugged. “Who wants the loyalty of one who would slay another?”
Who indeed. I turned the cup around in my hands. There was blood upon my hands, invisible to the naked eye. I felt the stains upon my fingers just the same. Having Adair take on the specter in order to kill them both would just be another death on my hands. However, no matter how I looked at it, I was left with a feeling of guilt. I will add more stains before the end. What would my daughter think if she finds out the truth someday?
“Has there been any word from Queen Sabine?” I asked instead to change the topic. As soon as I had been given quarters outside the tower, I had dispatched a message to Sabine. I had missed my friend, but in the three days since I had written, no word had come. There was much I wanted to talk with her about. Like why she had sent Jon to Neaux, and to tell her about Beau’s imprisonment. His trial date had not been set, and for now he would languish in the tower until Adair decided what he wanted to do with him.
“There was a servant that came around. They delivered a few gowns for you. When I asked who they were from, they said they were a gift from the queen,” Elenna replied.
I jumped to my feet and hurried over to the wardrobe. I threw it open. Inside were half a dozen gowns. I touched the silk and velvet and chiffon. They were in an array of colors from gray to a deep violet that echoed the color of my eyes. She has not forgotten me. Why has she not sent me word?
“I want to go and see her,” I told Elenna.
“You cannot.”
I spun around from Sabine’s gift to face Elenna. “What do you mean? The king has given me permission to go anywhere within the palace walls.”
Elenna shook her head. “Not to the queen. She has gone to her lie-in. The magiker thinks the child will come soon. She has gone into isolation to prepare for the birth. Only her lady’s maids and the magiker may see her.”
I was her lady’s maid once. But that meant nothing now. I had been gone too long. She would not have held my place forever. The child of two crowns will soon enter the world. The prophecy is coming nearer every day. I had a want for fresh air suddenly. The room seemed to be suffocating me. The chamber led out into an inner courtyard shared by the royal family. Sabine’s chambers were across the courtyard from me, I knew. As were Adair’s.
I went and opened the double doors that looked out onto the garden. A breeze blew through. The fresh air felt cooling on my skin. I smelled the salt in the air and wet earth. It had been raining off and on for days. The sky overhead was purple and gray. The winter is coming to an end; spring will be here soon. Everything is coming to a head. In the center of the garden was a fountain. The statue in the center depicted the Goddess with a pitcher of water, pouring the oceans across the world. I went to sit down beside it. I ran my fingers through the chilled water and listened to the plink of water falling in the fountain.
“The water calls to you, daughter of the sea.”
I startled and looked up. A woman with dark tangled hair stood over me. Her eyes were a pale blue, the pupils wide and crazed. Her clothes were a size too big, and she clutched a shawl about her to keep it from falling from her fragile shoulders. For a moment I did not recognize her; then I remembered her.
“Princess Florian?”
“No. No. No! She is dead.” She shook her head, and her tangled hair flew around as she did so. Her shawl slipped and revealed long scratches on her shoulders. Her skin was pink and raw in places. Princess Florian, Adair’s mother, had once been a beautiful woman I was told, but the rape which impregnated her with her daughter, Princess Edalene, had addled her wits. She never did recover.
“I’m sorry. I did not mean to upset you.” I stood up and tried to reach a hand out to her. She struck at me, and I took a step back away from her.
“It is your mother. She wants you to come home. To join them,” Princess Florian said. She pointed to the fountain.
How did she escape? The princess had a walled garden of her own and a caretaker that was meant to keep her from wandering off and getting hurt. Should I call for help? I don’t want to leave her alone like this.
“Let me take you back to your chamber,” I said in a soothing tone.
“You are the key. The key that opens up the door,” she said in a singsong voice as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet.
That gave me pause. My mother had told me I was the key long ago. Was it mere coincidence, or did this madwoman know something of the prophecy?
“What do you mean I am the key?” I asked.
“You are the key that unlocks the door. The child of two crowns walks and destruction follows in his footsteps. The day is coming. Coming. Coming.” She clutched her arms tight to her chest as she rocked back and forth, holding her shawl close.
How could she know anythi
ng? She’s just a madwoman babbling nonsense. It’s a coincidence. I looked about for her caretaker, but we were alone. Even Elenna had stayed behind in our chambers.
“I am broken,” Princess Florian muttered. “I birthed the destruction of man.” Her eyes brimmed with tears, which spilled down her cheeks.
She started to wail, a high keening sound. I wasn’t sure what to do. I could not leave her here lest she wander off and get hurt, but I feared to touch her in case she lashed out again. She slumped to the ground and continued to chatter.
“They forced me and broke me. Now I only see shatters and shadows.”
I kneeled beside her. I reached out a hand to comfort her, but she hissed and pulled away from me. I put my hands back to my sides.
“Shatters and shadows,” she repeated over and over.
I sat down beside her and let her nonsense words wash over me. I felt a tingle at the base of my neck. I twisted around. A man with white hair and shifting eyes was standing over me.
“You return home upon the eve of battle,” the priest of Mrawa said.
I jumped to my feet. I had almost forgotten about him in my quest to save Johai. The priest had first made allusions about the war and the power that lay dormant inside Johai. He is also possessed by a specter. Does he feel the coming prophecy as I do? The priest seemed to know things that he shouldn’t, and it could be no mere coincidence that he approached me now. “I am glad to see you remain in Keisan. I have need of your council,” I said by way of greeting.
“The prophecy is in motion, and you have found the Sea Chamber. I thought you would be seeking guidance.” He smiled. His eyes crinkled. The ever-changing color had settled on a stormy gray, like the clouds overhead.
His uncanny ability to know without being told sent a shiver down my spine. “I have, and there is a complication.” I rested my hand upon my flat stomach.
His ever-changing eyes glanced at my hand and then back at my face. “You carry the specter’s get?”
“No!” I was surprised by my own vehemence. “This is the child of mine and Johai’s.”
[fan] diviners trilogy - complete series Page 78
