Assassin's Price

by L. E. Modesitt Jr.

  He took a deep breath and sat down at the desk. Then he took out a fresh sheet of paper and a pen.

  29

  On Vendrei morning, the latest edition of Veritum was on Charyn’s desk when he arrived. That was a mixed blessing. It meant that Charyn had another source of information, but, unfortunately, the newssheet also contained a small story speculating on whether Charyn would marry Malyna, even though she was an imager, wondering why else she had been at the Year-Turn Ball as part of the regial family.

  By midafternoon, after meeting with all three ministers in the morning, Charyn was still struggling with what he would say at the memorial service, while Howal continued to draft—and then re-draft in final form after Charyn’s corrections—replies to the three score or more letters of sympathy and condolence.

  One of the problems Charyn faced was that his father had hated sentimentality and despised hypocrisy and empty flattery. The other was that no one, even the High Council, could understand how hard his father had worked just to hold Solidar together … and his just saying that would be ignored or dismissed, if not both.

  But do most people even remember what is said at a memorial service?

  He smiled sardonically.

  For some reason, his thoughts drifted to Malyna, and the fact that she was descended from Vaelora, who had married the first Maitre. But who had the first Maitre really been? Had he been anything like all the legends? He pushed aside those thoughts. He needed to concentrate on his remarks. Except …

  If he talked to his mother, she might have some thoughts.

  He abruptly stood from where he had been sitting at the desk and looked over to Howal. “I’m going to talk to Mother. I won’t be long.”

  “Yes, sir. Would you like me—”

  “If I’m not safe on the upper corridor of the chateau…” Charyn shook his head, then smiled sadly and left the study.

  He found his mother where she usually was, especially in recent days—in her sitting room.

  “I’m surprised to see you here now.” She smiled warmly.

  “I’m having trouble finding the words for the memorial. It’s hard to put feelings into words that don’t sound maudlin or overblown. I don’t want to do either, and Father wouldn’t have wanted that, either.”

  “You’re right.” After a moment, she said, “You could say just that as a beginning.”

  “I just might.”

  “I don’t think that’s all that’s on your mind.”

  “No … it’s not. I was thinking about Malyna … and the fact that we’re both descended from the father of the first Rex Regis, but she’s also descended from the first Maitre. There aren’t many imagers who could claim that today, just her.”

  “And her aunt, Maitre Alyna.”

  “I hadn’t thought about that. I should have. How real do you think first Maitre was?” Charyn asked.

  “I’m quite sure he was real, dear,” replied Chelia, “but that’s not what you meant, was it?”

  “No. I’ve been through a great portion of the chateau archives, and he’s seldom even mentioned. Yet all the legends suggest this giant, this titan of an imager. He must have had great abilities, but those that are attributed to him by legend are greater than could possibly be wielded by even a score of maitres with the power of Maitre Alastar.”

  “Legends can exaggerate. They usually do. What exactly is your point besides that?”

  Charyn tried not to flush. “The oldest records I can find show that the first Maitre and the founder of the Collegium was Quaeryt Rytersyn. In old Ryntaran, that means ‘the questioner of every man.’ We know Vaelora existed, and she was the sister of the first Rex Regis, but doesn’t it seem odd that the questioner of every man was married to Valor?”

  “As I recall, dear, Rytersyn was the surname given to Ryntaran orphans, and in those days children of imagers were often likely to be orphans. As my tutor once told me, latter-born daughters were often named after desirable characteristics. Again, what is your point?”

  After that quiet rebuke, Charyn found he had to concentrate before continuing. “This … legendary founder of the Collegium was not only an imager, in addition to that, he was the foremost field commander of Rex Regis. That suggests he had a great deal to do with the destruction of the armies of the Rex of Bovaria.”

  “All the histories are clear on the destruction of the Bovarian armies,” Chelia pointed out. “Aren’t the archives as well?”

  “They say that they were obliterated under a wall of ice that killed tens of thousands, and covered the western shore of the River Aluse for milles. Even Maitre Alastar never came close to that.”

  “Why does all that disturb you?” asked Chelia. “Because it shows what power imagers might be able to raise?”

  “They can’t do that now.”

  “They can do enough, Charyn. They can do enough. Maitre Alastar turned a shore of the River Aluse to solid ice. It was a stretch almost half a mille long and a quarter mille wide. He created ice that covered all of the Aluse from the west bank to Imagisle. In an instant, he used that ice to kill an entire regiment. One imager protected your father and me. We were encircled by ice. I saw all that with my own eyes. Once the ice melted, the imagers buried almost two thousand men. They had to. There were no survivors.”

  “You saw that? You only said that he saved you.”

  “Your father asked that we not tell you until you were older. You’re older, old enough that it is dangerous for you not to understand what power they have. Little more than two handfuls of them destroyed all the cannon of the High Holder rebels and almost four regiments of mutinous army troopers and officers. It took less than two glasses.”

  “Then … why…?”

  “Your father asked the same question. The rex and the Collegium must always side with each other. I hope you can figure out why by yourself, because taking my word won’t be enough … and shouldn’t be.”

  The cool way in which his mother uttered those last words chilled Charyn, more than a little. Then she smiled, more warmly. “I did find what else you discovered very interesting, and I really liked hearing the way you put it. That ability will help you now, especially.” Her smile faded, sadly.

  Charyn knew exactly what that meant, but there was no point in dwelling on it. “I do hope so. I appreciated what you had to say as well.” And he did.

  He still had to finish composing his remarks for the memorial service.

  30

  Slightly after midday on Samedi Charyn studied himself in the mirror in his bedchamber, taking in the formal regial greens and the black-trimmed mourning sash that he wore. He picked up the single sheet of notes for what he would say at the memorial service, folded it, and slipped it into the inside pocket of his jacket. Then he turned and made his way out to the sitting room.

  “You look very somberly formal,” observed Bhayrn from where he stood by the window, where he had pulled the hangings back just enough to look out across the entrance to the Chateau D’Rex and the snow-covered formal gardens beyond.

  “Thank you.”

  “I still think I should be going with you.”

  “Strictly speaking, you should. There’s one problem, however. You’re my heir. Effectively, my only heir. That’s why I thought it wiser that you not accompany me.”

  Bhayrn looked surprised, then nodded. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

  “I’d like you to spend some time with Howal while I’m gone. Anything you can tell him about yourself or about the chateau would be helpful, and it will make things easier for me.”

  “I can do that … but Mother…”

  “Actually, it might be best if the two of you talked with him.” Charyn had already told Howal that would likely be what happened, but he wanted Bhayrn to initiate the discussion. “I’m going down to the receiving parlor. It won’t be long before Maitre Alastar and Maitre Alyna arrive.”

  The two left the sitting room, and Bhayrn walked toward Chelia’s sitting room, while
Charyn headed down the grand staircase and made his way to the receiving parlor.

  Maitre Alastar and Maitre Alyna arrived at the Chateau D’Rex at two quints past noon, and Charyn met them in the parlor. Both wore imager grays, but Alyna also wore a black-trimmed green mourning scarf across her shoulders.

  “Greetings,” offered Charyn. “I deeply appreciate your accompanying me.”

  “We would have attended the memorial in any case,” said Alastar, “and it is in the best interests of the Collegium that Solidar not lose another rex.”

  “I also appreciate your lending me Howal. He has proved to be an outstanding personal secretary, and that has made the last week far less difficult than it might have been. I’ve asked Bhayrn and my mother to spend the time while I’m gone briefing him on matters I may have overlooked.”

  “I take it that you’ve received no more messages,” said Alastar.

  “No. I doubted that there would be until after the memorial service.”

  “Your words suggest that you expect such a message,” replied Alyna.

  “I’d be surprised if I didn’t. Anyone who has gone to the lengths they have isn’t likely to stop now. Do you think otherwise?”

  “I’d like to hope otherwise,” said Alastar, “but I fear you’re right.”

  “What I don’t understand is how anyone thinks that the rex can do the impossible.”

  “I might have an idea what you mean,” said Alastar, “but a little more explanation might make your question clearer.”

  “I’ve been looking into the shipbuilding, building warships, that is, and there’s no way to build very many more much faster. If I built a large shipyard, then over the next ten or fifteen years I could build quite a few more ships, but there’s really no way to do that now.” Charyn laughed nervously. “And that’s not even counting the fact that the regial treasury doesn’t have the golds to build that kind of shipyard or that many ships. If I can figure that out in a few days, surely someone who deals with ships all the time must know that, shouldn’t they?”

  “Just because they should,” returned Alyna, “doesn’t mean they do. The High Holders should have known that attacking the Collegium and Imagisle was a very bad idea. Those that did seemed surprised at what happened. They should have known better … but they didn’t.”

  “That might be because … well … it’s something else I’ve been thinking about—” Charyn stopped abruptly as he saw Marshal Vaelln approaching the open doors of the receiving parlor.

  “Your escort company is ready, Rex Charyn,” declared Vaelln when he stopped just inside the doors. “I trust you don’t mind, sir, but you felt strongly about the possibility of someone attacking the regial coach. I’d prefer not to risk officers’ lives either. So I brought two figures dressed in formal greens. My men are strapping them in place. I didn’t tell anyone until the last thing this morning.”

  Alyna raised her eyebrows.

  “We’ll be in the coach following the regial coach,” Charyn explained.

  The two maitres exchanged a quick glance, but said nothing.

  “We might as well leave,” Charyn said, nodding to Vaelln.

  With all the arrangements, it was almost a quint later before Charyn, Alastar, and Alyna were seated in the plain coach as it started out of the rear courtyard behind the regial coach.

  “I know it’s not been long,” said Charyn, looking across at the two imagers who sat on the backward-facing seats, “but how is Aloryana doing?”

  Alyna smiled. “It’s been good for both her and Lystara. Lystara was always the younger one with Malyna. Now she gets to explain, and Aloryana is very quick. She’s also very sweet.”

  “What about her … imaging?”

  “It’s too early to tell, but she’s learning the basics quickly, and she’s very interested in personal shields, which we’re encouraging … for obvious reasons.”

  “Could she become a maitre?”

  “She has the ability. If she continues to work as hard as she has been, she likely will be, but not for several years. Lystara and Malyna were among the youngest maitres in a very long time, and they became maitres less than a year ago.”

  Charyn frowned. “I thought Lystara was only sixteen.”

  “She’s the youngest ever, I’ve discovered,” admitted Alastar. “It’s worried us greatly. Frankly, we’re hoping that Aloryana will be helpful in that regard.”

  That confused Charyn even more, and his face must have showed it, because Alyna immediately replied.

  “Lystara is the one teaching Aloryana. Teaching educates the teacher to limitations and concerns more than it does the one learning. By making Lystara responsible for Aloryana … and with the understanding that Aloryana is the sister of the rex … that requires Lystara to be more cautious.”

  “I’m glad Aloryana is providing a benefit as well. Does she seem happy?”

  “Yes.” The single word came from both maitres simultaneously.

  “Good.”

  The coach was silent for a time that seemed almost endless to Charyn before he finally said, “Oh … just before we left the parlor, I was about to mention something that occurred to me the other day. I’d like your thoughts on the matter. After thinking over everything that’s happened, and how quickly Malyna acted, and then what happened when you saved my parents years ago, it dawned on me that most people, even most High Holders, have little knowledge of imagers and even less contact with them. That might be why some of those High Holders were in fact surprised by what the Collegium could do.”

  “That has been a problem,” Alastar said. “It’s one of the reasons why we’re in the process of establishing a branch of the Collegium at Estisle, and why we’re having imagers do more and do so more obviously. Part of that difficulty is that there are so few imagers.”

  “If less than two thousand High Holders cannot understand what imagers can do,” added Alyna, “the problem becomes even larger when we consider the thousands of factors and the tens of thousands of others who have little contact with imagers—except to believe that we’re the offspring of the Namer.”

  “As you pointed out in the chateau,” Alastar continued, “people often don’t even fully consider the implications of what they know. It has to be worse when they’re demanding you or the Collegium act on something they know nothing about.”

  “My father was always talking about that,” said Charyn. “He kept saying that too many High Holders didn’t understand.”

  “High Holders are no different from other people,” replied Alastar. “Often people don’t want to understand.”

  “Someone certainly doesn’t want to understand that I can’t build all the warships they want, and if Marshal Vaelln is right, even that probably wouldn’t be enough to stop all the losses unless we go to war with Jariola.”

  “You’re not…” began Alyna.

  “No,” replied Charyn. “Right now, we’d lose a naval war, and we don’t have a big enough army or enough ships to carry the soldiers to Jariola. But that’s the problem. Nothing I can do immediately is going to satisfy either the factors or the High Holders. And if I do nothing, I’m concerned that the attacks on regial properties and the regial family will continue. I’m just glad Aloryana is on Imagisle.” Charyn thought about saying more, but decided against it as the coach turned off the Avenue D’Rex Ryen and began to slow as it neared the entrance to the Anomen D’Rex.

  “You do have your hands full,” said Alastar.

  And then some.

  Charyn nodded to Alyna as Yarselt opened the coach door. The Maitre D’Image positioned the mourning scarf over her brown hair, hair that showed a few streaks of gray, quickly adjusted the scarf, and stepped out of the coach, followed by Alastar and then Charyn.

  Two soldiers in dress green uniforms formed up before the two imagers, and another two fell in behind Charyn. Then the soldiers began the march up the paved walk to the entry, a walk guarded on both sides by troopers in dress uniforms.


  A horn fanfare blared across the chill afternoon. For an instant, Charyn wondered why, before realizing that it was announcing his arrival.

  Once inside the anomen, the troopers took a narrow side corridor that led to a door that accessed the sacristy dais. They stepped back as Alastar led the way, opening the small door. Alyna eased behind Charyn, and the three moved through the door. Alyna eased the door closed, and joined Alastar and Charyn in position against the wall and even with the pulpit.

  Moments after the chime of the anomen’s bell died away, Chorister Saerlet stepped forward, standing silently for several moments before offering the invocation.

  “We are gathered here together this afternoon in the spirit of the Nameless, in affirmation of the quest for goodness and mercy in all that we do, and in celebration of the life of Lorien D’Rex and in memory of his service to the land of Solidar.”

  The opening hymn was traditional—“The Glory of the Nameless.” Charyn sang softly, not really wanting his less than adequate voice to be heard. He did not hear Alastar singing, and Alyna was singing as softly as Charyn was.

  Next, Saerlet skipped the confession, as requested by Chelia, and delivered the charge. “Life is a gift from the Nameless, for from the glory of the Nameless do we come…” Another hymn followed his words, not a traditional one, but the one Chelia had insisted upon—“In Vain a Crown of Gold.”

  “All words of praise will die as spoken

  As night precedes the dawn unwoken …

  To claim in vain a crown of gold,

  Belies the truth the Nameless told…”

  Only a fraction of the congregation knew the words, much less the melody, and Charyn was among them. Why did Mother want that hymn? Sometime, he’d ask her, when it wouldn’t be too painful.

  Then Saerlet announced, “Now we will hear from Rex Charyn…”

  For a moment, Charyn didn’t move, caught by surprise, even after Saerlet’s statement. Then he eased out his notes and stepped forward to the pulpit, where he laid out that single sheet, and looked out across the anomen, largely filled, although most of those in the back of the anomen were most likely working men and women who doubtless had only come in hopes of obtaining some of the coins they knew would be scattered. The forward third of the anomen was reserved, of course, for those of position, but besides those in front, the three ministers and their wives, and Marshal Vaelln, Charyn could only make out Factor Elthyrd and his son Estafen, and High Holder Delcoeur and Ferrand. The only High Councilor he could see was High Holder Fhaedyrk.