“Yes,” said Jordan. “That’s what we were supposed to think. But his demise was too convenient for too many people for it to have been a natural event. So, I’ve been thinking about who stood to gain most by his death. Lewis and Dominic spring to mind, but Malcolm’s end was too subtle for it to have been either of them. My brothers were many things, but subtle was not one of them. Then there was you, sir Regent. But everyone said you were honest, and you made no attempt to seize power for yourself when you could have. That leaves only one other person who wanted the king dead, and had the means and opportunity. You, Gabrielle.”
They all looked at Jordan as though he was mad. Gabrielle held her head high, and stood a little closer to her husband.
“Of all the people I’ve spoken to,” said Jordan evenly, “you were our family’s most outspoken critic. You hated Lewis and Dominic, despised me as weak, and abhorred our father’s preoccupation with war. Over and over again, I heard you say that our line was corrupt: that none of us were fit to hold the throne. It was an obsession with you, Gabby. You believed that Redhart needed an honest man as king if it was to survive. And who do we all know that everyone agrees is honest beyond question? Your husband, Count William. I don’t think for a minute that he knew anything about this. If he’d even suspected you meant to murder your father, he’d have stopped you. So you didn’t tell him. You waited until you and Dad were alone together, and then you killed him. With him gone, William would become Regent, and after you’d had time to work on him, eventually he would have taken the throne by popular acclaim. If the will hadn’t gone missing, and with it the clue to the crown and seal, your plan might have worked. William would have been king, and you would have been queen. All for the best of reasons, of course.”
“Tell him he’s a liar, Gabrielle,” said William. “Tell him.”
“How could I have killed Dad?” Gabrielle asked Jordan calmly. “There wasn’t a mark on him, or a trace of poison in his body.”
“You used your magic,” said Jordan. “Your air magic. You use it so rarely people tend to forget you have air magic by your Blood. You used it to suck the breath out of his lungs. Just like I saw you use it against the Unreal birds at Court.”
“All right,” said Gabrielle. “You worked it out. What are you going to do about it?”
William looked at her, and all the color went out of his face. “What are you saying, Gabrielle?”
“There’s no need for you to be involved in this, dear. I killed Father. It was all my idea, and no one else’s. Redhart needed a strong king.”
“And you as queen,” said Jordan.
“Of course,” said Gabrielle. “But what are you going to do, Viktor? If you put me on trial, it would be a major scandal. It could even lead to civil war, and you can’t afford that. Not when your own grasp on the throne is still so precarious.”
“He was my friend,” said William. “Malcolm was my friend. How could you do it, Gabrielle?”
“My father never had a friend in his life,” said Gabrielle. “He was pleasant enough to you because he needed your counsel. But if he’d ever found out that you and I were cousins, he’d have annulled our marriage without a second thought.”
“So that’s why,” said William softly.
“Well, Viktor,” said Gabrielle, “what are you going to do?”
“I can’t let you stand trial,” said Jordan. “You’re right about that. And I can’t banish you, either. You wouldn’t go without your husband, and I need him. I could have you killed, but William would never forgive me. So, you’ll remain here in the Castle, in your quarters, under unofficial house arrest. William will be your guard. For the rest of your life you will never leave your quarters, or talk with anyone other than your husband. Break my rules, and I will have no choice but to have you killed.”
“No need for threats, Viktor,” said Gabrielle. “I accept your conditions. It’s more than I expected. You might turn out to be a worthy king after all.”
She turned away and headed unhurriedly for the doors. William looked at Jordan. He nodded, and William bowed quickly and went after his wife. They left the Court together.
Jordan let out his breath in a long sigh of relief. Then he yawned widely, and stretched till his arms ached. He slumped back in his throne again and stared around the empty hall. It seemed very large and echoing with everybody gone. He’d never really thought about what he was going to do once he got this far. He hadn’t had a chance. Everything had happened so quickly. One day he was just another traveling player, wondering where his next meal was coming from, and then suddenly he was part of a conspiracy to impersonate a prince of the Realm. And not very long after that, he was playing the part for real.
He didn’t regret killing Viktor. The alternative would have put too many lives at risk. But that was as far as his thinking had gone. He had no training in politics, or the art of ruling. His only experience of Courts had been acting before them. And what he knew about enforcing the laws of the land could probably be engraved on his left thumbnail without undue difficulty. But he could learn. He had time, and good advisers. He looked at Gawaine, and grinned at him.
“How does it feel to be a king’s champion, Gawaine?”
“At my age, somewhat dangerous,” said the knight dryly. “Not that I don’t appreciate the honor, but I would have settled for a less risky position, like collecting taxes single-handed, or fighting a dragon with both my arms tied behind my back.”
“Moan, moan, moan. I’ve got to have someone in this Court I can turn my back on without wincing, and you’re it.” Jordan’s smile suddenly faded, and he looked seriously at his champion. “Gawaine, you once swore an oath to protect … a certain man. I killed him. Where does that leave us?”
“The man who died was not worthy of my oath. I still serve and protect the true Prince Viktor.”
“Am I supposed to understand any of that?” said Taggert.
“No,” said Jordan.
“I thought not.”
“Thank you, Sir Gawaine,” said Jordan. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like a private word or two with my steward.”
“Of course, sire.” Gawaine’s mouth twitched. “I’m so glad you agreed to return from exile, Your Majesty. You’ve been a new man since you returned to Court.”
He bowed formally, and then turned and walked chuckling out of the Great Hall.
“What was all that about?” said Taggert, as the doors closed quietly behind the new champion.
“Nothing important,” said Jordan. “I need to talk to you, Kate.”
Taggert smiled, and stepped forward to sit on the arm of his throne. “You can always count on me, Viktor. My life is yours.”
Jordan grinned back at her, and slipped an arm around her waist. “I was hoping you’d say something like that.”
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Chapter 1 - Hidden Faces
Chapter 2 - Bloody Bones
Chapter 3 - Real and Unreal
Chapter 4 - Unexpected Visitors
Chapter 5 - Sanctuaries and Damnations
Chapter 6 - Wolves At The Gate
Chapter 7 - Wolves in the Fold
Chapter 8 - A Few Last Truths
Blood and Honor (Forest Kingdom Novels) Page 35
