by Duncan Lay
“They have learned fast. They are very skilled,” he said, thinking that every mother liked to talk about her children.
She glanced at him and for a moment he thought she would turn away and he would have to go and speak with Devlin instead, but she was distracted by Orhan making a strong catch.
“That was even better.” Fallon applauded.
“They have only trained with swords before, not really played these games,” Feray said reluctantly.
“Well, they have quick feet and hands and good eyes; you must be proud,” Fallon said, keeping his eyes on the boys, looking sidelong at Feray.
“I always was,” she said.
He took a deep breath. He could either keep going with these harmless statements or say something of worth. “I am sorry about what happened and about keeping you here,” he said softly. “More than you can know. Believe me, I never wanted any of this to happen. But your husband came to our village in the night and took all our wives and children. He may have had the permission of our King but we knew nothing of it until we returned home to find our homes empty. As soon as our families are back, you shall return to your husband, I swear to you.”
She said nothing and he just kept watching the game, wondering if she was going to pretend not to have heard anything.
“But can I believe you?” she asked. “Without us, you have no hold over my husband and no way to stop his vengeance.”
“I give you my word,” Fallon said. After all, they would not be staying in Gaelland and Kemal would never find them.
“Words are easy. Did you not swear you were telling the truth when you lured my husband into your trap? Would you offer Kerrin’s life on your word? Pledge for Aroaril to take him if you lie?”
Fallon hesitated. That was far more than he wanted to commit. Kerrin’s life was the one thing he could never, would never risk. Feray snorted in derision and he thought of the men he was training and how this woman might be able to save their lives by persuading her husband to make a peace deal with a new ruler of Gaelland.
“I swear on Kerrin’s life,” he said heavily. “And that is the strongest pledge I could ever make. As my wife saved him, as we battle now to save her – that is how I will fight to see you and your boys back with your husband.”
*
Feray heard Fallon’s words and hated him for them. Each one was worming its way inside her defenses, inside the wall she had put around her to survive this. When you hated your captors, it was easier to survive each day, for that warmed you and thoughts of revenge enabled you to get through whatever was needed to make the time pass. But her boys had begun to enjoy playing with Kerrin, to look forward to it as the one bright spot in each day. She could not deny them that. Yet with it had come sympathy for these people. As much as she tried to hold on to her anger, she could see herself and Kemal in what they had done. If anyone had stolen Asil or Orhan, she would have torn their throats out with her teeth, let alone threatened to hurt their loved ones.
If Fallon had still been angry and mad, the crazed man who had held a knife to Orhan’s eye, it would have been easy to despise him. But it was harder to stop herself talking to this man, the one who spoke easily about the children.
That was dangerous. She knew Kemal would come back with Fallon and his men’s families. He would not risk anything happening to her or the boys. But he would also come seeking revenge for what Fallon had done and she could see the day when Fallon, his wife and son were under Kemal’s power and she would be forced to watch them being tortured.
“I cannot do this,” she said, the words torn from her.
“What’s that?” he asked, his voice still light.
“You think that this will be over when my husband returns? I can understand what you did, even if I hate you for it, but he will never accept it. It will never be over,” she said fiercely.
Fallon turned to her. “But surely, understanding each other is the first step,” he said. “I understand your husband as I know myself. We are alike in what we feel for our families. Surely if we can find common ground there, we can find common ground for our people, our countries?”
“It doesn’t work like that,” she said irritably. “And while he might understand you, he will never forgive or forget. Can you?”
“If my wife and my men’s families are returned to us, then yes, we can,” he replied.
“Then you will never be able to rule a country, like my husband.”
“Really? I thought being a leader was putting aside your own thoughts for the good of your people?” he countered. “Look at our sons playing. Does that not say we can find a way to live together?”
She looked at the boys playing and shook her head.
“Well, it does not matter overmuch. I will be gone from this land, as will the rest of us,” Fallon said. “He can take his revenge against Gaelland but he will never find us.”
She sighed. “This was never about revenge. We hoped to help Gaelland, to see it freed from the rule of a mad king. With my husband controlling the country, life for many would get better.”
“Except for those sent to work for the glory of your empire,” Fallon said. “You have felt what it is like to be kept against your will in a strange place, away from those you know and love. Would you wish it on others?”
She bit her lip, knowing she had no answer. Things that seemed so simple back on the ship, or in the first few turns of the hourglass after being kidnapped from the ship with her sons, were now more complicated.
“Where will you go, if not to live back in your old village?” she asked instead.
“To an island far from here. Where we will never be found. We have had enough of fighting.”
“But what of your country? Will you just let it be taken?” she demanded. “You are the King’s man: how can you turn your back on him?”
He chuckled then, a harsh sound. “I will never be his man. He had me kill my Prince, my friend. And what I have seen him do … There is no man in his court fit to follow.”
“How about a woman? Or do you think we should wield no power?” she challenged, interested to know more about the Gaelish nobles from one who did not care for them. She had read the reports from Kemal’s agents, of course, but those were all colored by the quality of the informants.
He laughed again, but this time it was genuine. “If you ever meet my wife, Bridgit, you will see that I know a woman can easily wield power!”
“And are there any like that at court? Do you Gaelish allow women to have power?”
“There is one,” he said. “The Duchess Dina. Your husband would do well to speak to her, although I warn you, her husband disappeared at sea, thought taken by the Kottermanis. Your husband denied doing it but she does not believe it so. Convince her, or return him, and you will have an ally here.”
She pondered that. Having an ally among the nobility would be a real help. But she was sure no noble had been taken. The deal had been for ordinary people only.
“We shall see,” she said. She wanted to add that it had been good to speak to him but did not want him to know that. He was friendly enough now but that could all change. “We had better stop these boys playing before it gets dark!”
*
Fallon watched her walk over to her boys and summon them reluctantly away from the game. He smiled to himself. The ice had been broken at least and the idea about Dina had been planted. Now he had to sneak over to the Duchess’s house. She had sent him a message through Gannon that day, which the sergeant had passed on carefully, looking all around him. But what she could be concerned about, he had no idea.
CHAPTER 25
“How is your army coming along?” Dina asked pleasantly.
Fallon lifted his goblet of fresh pear juice to his lips but paused. “It is not my army, but the King’s,” he said before drinking. He was seated at a gorgeous Kottermani table, surrounded by beautiful Kottermani furniture and ornaments, in a room that was big enough to house a family in Berry’s
slums and that family could have lived happily for the rest of their life on what it had cost to furnish it. He felt uncomfortable there, afraid to leave a mark on the table or even lean back on the polished chair.
Dina chuckled. “Let us be honest about these things. Have we not been through enough to have reached that?”
Fallon put down his goblet and smiled acknowledgement.
“Good,” she said. “It is your army. Who is the King to them? Do you think they will die for him, the way they will die for you?”
“No, I do not,” Fallon admitted.
“So when will we be ready to seize the throne? Together we can rule Gaelland and bring Prince Cavan’s dream to life!”
Fallon looked at her, his mind awhirl. The training was coming along but he was not willing to risk them against Kelty’s guards yet. A pitched battle in the streets could see hundreds of ordinary people slaughtered as well, or even the King barricaded in his castle and Fallon trying to force him out before the nobles rode to Aidan’s rescue. Then there was Kemal and Feray. He could not trust her to support the Duchess yet, while if Kemal arrived here to find him ruling, then he would want revenge from the whole country. But he could not reveal all that.
She leaned forwards, her face alight, and reached out to touch his arm. “It will solve all our problems,” she said. “You already have the loyalty of a third of Kelty’s guards and your own men, plus the recruits. You could take the castle in a heartbeat. I will take the crown, with you as my captain. I can bring the nobles into line and we can finally punish Aidan and Swane for what they have done. We will find the missing children and then we can negotiate properly with the Kottermanis, so that our people are protected and your families are brought home.”
Fallon took a big swig of juice to try and moisten his dry mouth. “But you are talking about Aidan,” he said. “He will not go quietly. And what do we do with him after we have taken his throne? Every noble who wants more power will march to his aid. We’ll be fighting the whole country.”
Dina shook her head. “He sold off your families to the Kottermanis! He was behind the child snatchers and then burned a score of women at the stake, claiming they were the witches behind it. He has whipped and killed a dozen servants in the last few years alone, to say nothing of the maidens raped and the families destroyed. Then he murdered the Crown Prince – and, as for his remaining son, he has been consorting with Fearpriests! Do you think he deserves to be rewarded? Once the people know what they have been doing, they will never support them. You can leave the nobles to me. As to the Guilds, as long as they make money, they don’t care who is on the throne.”
“But even if we show the people all he has been doing, he is still the King. He controls all the courts. What would we do with him?”
Dina patted his forearm. “You would sentence him. You are an officer of the crown first. What is the penalty for his crimes?”
Fallon closed his eyes for a moment. “Death,” he whispered.
“Indeed. And with him and Swane dead, the way is clear for this country to know peace.”
Fallon moved his arm out of reach and pushed his goblet away. It was dangerously tempting… but he had made so many mistakes. Each time he had acted, sure he was doing the right thing, it had gone horribly wrong. He had once trusted his instincts, now he doubted them. Everything within him cried out to see Aidan dead but he could not take any risks. Bridgit and the other families were on the way back. Best not to rock the boat. What if things went wrong and he got many of his men killed? How could he face their families then?
“We’re not ready yet,” he said.
She reached out again for his hand. “Get them ready. How many times have you spoken of your regret for loosing the bolt that killed Prince Cavan? How many times have you said you want to atone for that? This is your chance! We can make his legacy live again. He may be gone but his dream will live on. You can tell your son that you made the country a better place. You know we can do this! The Kottermanis will go away after a year or two and we shall be left to run Gaelland the way we want, to make it better for everyone!”
Dina sat back, triumphantly.
“I just want my family back, and all the other families,” Fallon said.
“Don’t be a fool!” she snapped. “You have the chance of a lifetime here, Fallon! You have the fate of our country in your hands: you can’t let it just fall from your grasp and walk away!”
He sighed. “But that is exactly what I want to do.”
She stood and began pacing around the room, nearly knocking over half a dozen rare Kottermani vases as she strode about the expensive furniture. “You need to think about this,” she said impatiently. “Gaelland can come out of this so much better than before. We can come out of this as heroes!”
“My mind is made up,” he said, his voice firming. “I will exchange families and that will be it.”
“Don’t be a fool! Do you think Kemal will leave it there, shake your hand and tell you that you played a good game? He will demand revenge and come hunting for you. A Kottermani ship will return to Baltimore but this time it will rain fire and death upon you! Only by taking the throne can you protect yourself.”
He shook his head. “Where I am going, he will not be able to find me.”
She stopped suddenly, the wind of her passage setting a delicate vase to trembling on a small table beside her. Without looking she reached out a hand and settled it. “You think to leave here?” she said quietly. “What will happen to Gaelland then? To your army? To me and your other friends?”
Fallon spread his hands helplessly. “I can think of no other way to protect the country from Kemal’s revenge. If I am not here, he has nobody to threaten.”
She smoothed her hair, flicking it back from her face, then walked over until she was right in front of him. “Listen to me,” she said gently. “You are making a terrible mistake. I won’t say any more to convince you now. You have to listen to that small voice in the back of your head. Talk to your friends, think of what Prince Cavan would have wanted. And then come and tell me your decision. But do not leave things too long. We have to act soon.”
Fallon pushed back his chair carefully, not wanting to damage it, and stood.
“I will,” he said, knowing his own decision but thinking he had better humor her, or she would never let him out of there.
“Good,” she said softly and took his hand. “We can do this, Fallon. We can change this country and make history. You just need the courage to join me.”
*
“The King needs to see you now!”
Fallon turned away from the recruits with a groan. This was becoming wearying. At first the reports to the King had been formal enough but, as the men got better and word spread around Berry of the training, King Aidan was becoming more and more enthusiastic.
“Keep working, I’ll be back as soon as I am able,” he told them, signaling for Gallagher to take over the lesson.
The King was not in his private rooms but instead in the throne room, a score of nobles and double that of Guildsmen standing around. As soon as Fallon walked in they broke into applause.
“Here he is, my champion!” Aidan announced, standing up and walking through the crowd towards Fallon. Instantly the nobles and Guildsmen redoubled their efforts to cheer him and roared their approval as Aidan strode right up to Fallon and embraced him.
Fallon stood awkwardly. He was becoming better at hiding his revulsion, at least.
The King drew back and raised Fallon’s right arm into the air.
“This is the son I never had,” Aidan announced, his voice thick with emotion.
Fallon glanced towards the King, fighting to keep the shock and horror from his face. How could the man say something like that, after ordering his eldest son killed? But Aidan was not looking at him, instead addressing his audience.
“My lords, I commend him to you! The man who will lead the defense of Berry and help our men create an empire, one to rival th
e Kottermanis!”
The cheering redoubled and Fallon forced a sickly smile to his face. An empire? From where? Holding off the Kottermanis would be victory enough.
Aidan shook his arm in the air and patted him on the back. “He has done more than I hoped, more than I imagined. He has proved that we were right to defy Kotterman and that we deserve not just to be free but to stand above all other countries!”
Fallon thought that some of the nobles were looking tired from all the enthusiastic applauding they were doing, but none dared to slow down.
“Whatever he needs, give it to him, for he speaks with my voice!”
Fallon nodded and bowed his head, keeping the smile fixed on his face.
Aidan patted him on the back once more. “Now, come and tell us how training progresses,” he said.
“Sire, I really need to get back to watching the recruits,” Fallon said. “Could I not just tell you tomorrow, at our regular meeting?”
There was a collective gasp of breath from around the room and the applause faltered.
For a moment Fallon thought he had gone too far, then Aidan smiled and nodded.
“Indeed, my champion. Every moment is precious! Please, get back to work and we shall relax, knowing you are there to be our shield.”
He embraced Fallon once more and again Fallon had no idea what to do, except bow and back out of there once he was released.
As the doors shut behind him, he breathed a sigh of relief. This was getting stranger by the day.
*
“What are you going to tell the Duchess?” Padraig demanded. “Are we going to get rid of Aidan?”
“Aroaril knows I would love to. The man is now talking about creating an empire! He’s utterly mad! But it’s too risky. I’m just going to avoid her, tell her I need more time, or that I am too busy training the army if I meet her,” Fallon said.
The old wizard scratched his belly irritably. “I don’t like this much,” he said.
