Deverry #06 - The Westlands 02 - A Time of Omens

by Katharine Kerr

  “Who, Your Highness?”

  “That blond lad over there at the last table, the one who’s sitting next to that great big tall fellow with the scar on his face and not talking to anyone. Do you know his name?”

  “The tall fellow’s?”

  “I don’t mean him. Don’t tease, Nevyn. Who’s that lad?”

  “His name is Maryn. It’s a common name in Pyrdon, where he’s from.”

  “The Pyrdon blazon’s a stallion.”

  “It is, truly.”

  Her heart was pounding so badly that she felt it might thud into her mouth and keep her from speaking.

  “What made you pick out that lad?” the old man said, and his voice had dropped to a whisper.

  “I don’t know. Or, you know, I think he’s been looking at me.”

  “He has, truly. Her highness is a very beautiful lass.”

  “Oh, don’t flatter! I know I’m plain.”

  “You’re not plain in the least. I can see that until perhaps a year ago you were all long legs and stumbles, and your face must have been too thin and pinched—but that, Your Highness, was a year ago. We shall have to get you a proper mirror.”

  “I can’t have one, but I’ll make a wish that you’re telling me the truth.”

  “Well, you know, there are times when wishes are granted.” He paused impressively, “And times when they’re not.”

  “Oh, you’re only teasing me and naught more!”

  “Wait, child. Wait and be patient for just a little while longer. I can’t promise you that everything will be well and wonderful for ever and ever, but things are going to take a turn for the better and soon.”

  She hesitated, wondering why she trusted him so instinctively, but in truth, she’d simply never met anyone before who’d been kind to her.

  “Well and good, then, Nevyn. And frankly, it’d be enough to know that things aren’t going to get worse.”

  At a little cough at her shoulder she turned to find young Emryc, just twelve that summer and the head page. A copper-headed lad with squinty green eyes, he always looked down his nose at her as if he pitied her, and there were times when she daydreamed about having him beaten.

  “Cook wants to know if we should start laying on the meal.”

  “Listen, lad.” Nevyn leaned forward to intervene. “You should always add an honorific the first time you address royalty, and you should do it regularly after that, too.”

  “And just who are you, old man?”

  Nevyn caught his glance and held it, stared at him and stared him down with his ice-blue eyes.

  “My apologies, good sir,” Emryc stammered. “My apologies, Your Highness,”

  “You’re forgiven—well, for this time, anyway,” Bellyra said. “And by all means, we’ve got a hall full of men so we’d best feed them. Oh, and tell Lord Tanimael it’s time to light the torches.”

  Emryc hurried off so fast that Bellyra found herself wondering if perhaps Nevyn’s grandfather had been a sorcerer after all, and if the grandson had inherited a bit of his talent. The old man hardly looked magical at the moment; he was eating cheese and sipping ale, and yawning every now and then, too.

  “It is getting dark in here, Your Highness,” he remarked. “Must be nearly sunset outside.”

  “So I’d think, truly.”

  “Good.”

  “Is somewhat going to happen at sunset?”

  “Wait, Your Highness. That’s all I can say.”

  She had no choice but to do just that, wait and watch in an agony of impatience, as Lord Tanimael made his slow round of the great hall, lighting the rush torches in their sconces and ordering the servants to push aside the chunks of sod in the hearth and mend up the fires that had been smoldering underneath all the warm day. When the light flared up, sending long shadows like spears across the hall, the warbands fell oddly silent, and Caradoc broke off his conversation with Tieryn Elyc to turn in his chair and look at Nevyn. The old man merely smiled, as bland as bland, and helped himself to more cheese.

  “Do you bar the dun gates at sunset, Your Highness?”

  “We don’t, not till the midnight watch, because some of the townsfolk work in the dun and don’t leave till late.”

  “Ah. Very good.”

  The torches suddenly seemed to burn brighter. Although there wasn’t a trace of a breeze in the great hall, they flared up, and flames rose straight and steady with only the barest traces of smoke. Distantly, from somewhere out in the ward, she heard voices—no, it was chanting, and the sound of a soft drum. All at once bronze horns shrieked and blared.

  “Priests!” Elyc whispered. “What by every demon in hell is happening out there?”

  Before he could get up to see, the huge carved doors into the hall were flung open. The horns rasped out another shriek; the drums pounded; the chanting swelled. Walking four abreast the priests of Bel came marching into the hall, so many that Bellyra could only assume that every temple from miles around had assembled there in Cerrmor. They were shaven-headed and dressed in the long plain linen tunics of their calling, and round every neck was a solid gold torc, and at every waist glittered a golden sickle. In a long line they maneuvered their way through the crowded hall in time to the pounding drums and the long wailing chants from the Dawntime. At their head was Nicedd, the ancient leader of the temple, so old that he rarely walked abroad anymore, but that night he stepped as firmly as a young man up to the dais. Shaking a little, Tieryn Elyc rose to confront him.

  “Your Holiness! Why are we honored this way?”

  “Save your words, Regent! Where is the one true King?”

  “What, Your Holiness? I don’t know—I only wish I did—but I don’t know.”

  “You lie! All the omens say that at this moment the one true king of all Deverry dwells within this dun. Where is he?”

  The horns shrieked once; the drums fell silent. Every man in the great hall turned to stare at Elyc as if accusing him of the worst treason. The regent could only stare back, bewildered and terrified both.

  “Bel has spoken this very day. Bel has given us omens. Bel has blessed us with true speaking.”

  “Blessed be the name of the Holy One,” murmured the priests behind him. “Blessed be the Light of the Sky.”

  “When the Lawgiver speaks, all men and in truth all women too must listen. The one true king is within these walls, Regent.”

  Elyc tried to speak but failed miserably, and sweat was beading his forehead. Bellyra found herself considering her detailed knowledge of the dun; surely if the king was being held prisoner in some hidden chamber, she’d be the one to puzzle it out. Then she realized that during this mind-gripping ceremony Nevyn had slipped away from the table, and for the second time that evening, her heart started thudding in her throat. As Nicedd climbed up the three steps to the dais, the gold sickle swinging at his belt like a weapon, Elyc sank to his knees.

  “Where is the one true king of all Deverry?” The priest turned on his heel to face the crowd. “He sits among you! Do you know him not?”

  At the back of the hall Maryn stood up, a simple gesture, just a very young man standing up and tossing aside a dirty, torn cloak, but at that moment every person in the hall, noble lord and serving wench alike, caught their breath with an audible gasp. It seemed that the sun had returned to shine on him, just for a moment before it hurried about its business in the Otherlands; it seemed that a summer wind sprang up to breathe upon him, ruffling his golden hair and filling the smoky hall with the scent of roses; it seemed that the very air around him came alive, as if his simple presence were enough to fill the great hall with as much snap and power as a summer thunderstorm.

  “Who calls for the king?” His voice rang out firm and clear.

  “I do.” Slowly and carefully Nicedd knelt beside Elyc. “Your Highness.”

  The crackling of the fires in the hearth seemed louder than thunder as the one true king of all Deverry strode the lon
g way from the back of the hall and up the steps to the dais. Bellyra could neither cheer nor move nor even think clearly. Like a priestly chant words ran through her mind of their own accord: this is my husband, why didn’t I comb my hair? When Maryn reached the dais, he stopped in front of Elyc and smiled at him with a boyish innocence that was like a flash of light.

  “Am I welcome here, Regent?”

  “My liege.” Elyc tried to say more, but he was crying too hard. “O my holy liege.”

  Maryn bent down, caught the tieryn’s hands in his, and raised him to his feet. At that the warbands could stand it no longer. They cheered and called his name and howled war cries; they stood and climbed on benches and tables; they began to stamp their feet while they cheered and screamed the more. Maryn smiled that same bewitching smile at them all, then flung up one hand for silence. As if they’d been rehearsed, every person in the hall stopped shouting. All at once Bellyra was afraid of him, this beautiful boy who seemed half a sorcerer himself, that he should ride in so suddenly and conquer them all without even unsheathing his sword.

  “Men,” Maryn was saying. “For this day I was born. For this day we were all born. This is the beginning. Some fine day there’ll be a true king on the throne in Dun Deverry, and all the kingdom will be at peace. For the kingdom’s sake far more than mine, let’s every one of us pray that day will come soon.”

  When the cheers broke out again, a near-demented howling, Bellyra’s fear turned to blind panic. No one noticed as she left the table and made her way through the shadows on the dais and slipped out the little door that led to a corridor. She stood in the darkness for a moment and felt the walls around her trembling from the cheers as if the very dun were in ecstasy at the coming of the king. Then she bolted, running down the corridor and up the stairs at the far end, round and round, up and up, until at last she could plunge panting into the safety of the nursery and her silence.

  Out of habit some servant had lit the candles in the wall sconces and laid her childlike supper out on her writing desk: a bowl of bread and milk, another of dried apples soaked in watered wine and honey. Bellyra took the bread and milk to Melynna, then sat on the floor nearby and watched her eat. The cat’s sides bulged, and she stood all spraddle-legged to lap her meal.

  “You know what, Melynna? The king’s here. His name’s Maryn.”

  She actually looked up, licking her whiskers briefly, before she went back to work on the milk.

  “Soon I’ll be married, I suppose. And then one day I’ll look like you do now. I’ll only have one kit at a time, though. I’ll bet men would like it if women could have litters like you do. They’d know straightaway how many heirs they’d have.”

  All at once she realized that she was crying. Even as she sobbed, she wondered at herself, that she would weep. Maryn was handsome, young, awe-inspiring, far more wonderful than she had any right to expect—she had never allowed herself to hope for so much, even to dream of so much in her husband. He’ll never love someone like me, she thought, that’s why I’m crying.

  “Your Highness!” It was Nevyn’s voice, soft and sympathetic, from the doorway. “What’s so wrong?”

  “He’ll never love me, but he’ll have to marry me anyway.”

  Although the room was all swimmy from her tears she could see the honest pity on the old man’s face as he walked over, hesitated, then sat down next to her on the floor. Melynna looked up and went tense; normally she ran from everyone but Bellyra, but when Nevyn held out his hand, she sniffed his fingers, considered for a moment, then went back to slurping up the milk. Nevyn pulled an old rag out of his brigga pocket and handed it to Bellyra as solemnly as a courtier would hand over a square of fine linen. She blew her nose, wiped her face, and still felt completely miserable.

  “Your Highness, Maryn is never going to love any woman, but he’ll grow fond of you. I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart, but that’s the way it will be. His one true love will always be the land and people of Deverry. I raised him, you see, so I know.”

  “You raised him?”

  “I was his tutor from the time he was a child.”

  “Are you a sorcerer? Don’t you put me off this time!”

  “Well, as a matter of fact, I am.”

  “That’s somewhat to the good, at least. I did so hope you were.”

  “I’ll ask you, though, to keep the secret to yourself.”

  Much to her relief, Nevyn restrained himself from lecturing further. Unlike every other adult she’d ever known, he didn’t wag his finger and tell her she should be grateful that the Goddess had chosen her for such a splendid Wyrd, or point out that most women would be glad to have any husband at all, much less a handsome one. He merely got up and stood looking round the nursery with a slight frown.

  “Why don’t you live down in the women’s hall? You’re certainly old enough.”

  “My poor mother is very ill. Or, well, to tell you the truth, she drinks Bardek wine all day, and then she weeps and throws herself from side to side and keens for my father, and then she starts in mourning my elder brother, and everyone says it’s worse for her to have me there, because it bothers her that I lived when he didn’t.”

  “Maybe I can cure her, once things settle down a bit. But I’ve brought jewels from Pyrdon to use as your dower-gift, and I think we’d best turn some into cold coin and outfit you a set of chambers of your own, splendid ones befitting your rank. Lyrra—may I call you Lyrra?”

  “I’d be honored, Nevyn.” She got up and curtsied, pleased when he bowed in return.

  “Lyrra, your life will offer compensations, as I say, and there’s no reason in the world that you shouldn’t have them. For the first one, we’ll get you out of this dismal nursery. Now, do you have any fancy clothes?”

  “Lots, actually, but they’re all on the shabby side.”

  “No doubt. Well, I know naught about such matters myself, but doubtless you’ll know what you want once you’ve got the coin for fine cloth and all. Oh, and don’t forget, now that you’re going to be queen, you’ll get to pick serving women of your own.”

  “Can I ask anyone I want?”

  “Just that, and I’ll wager they’re all going to jump at the chance to live at court.”

  “Then Elyssa could come! That’s Elyc’s daughter from his first wife, you see, and she’s my best and only friend. When it looked for a while like I’d have to marry him, the only good thing was she’d get to be my stepdaughter, which would have been truly odd, because she’s fifteen. But anyway, after she’s here, she can help me with clothes and furniture.”

  “It gladdens my heart that at least you won’t be marrying Elyc, good man though he is in his way. Now, put on your best dress, and comb your hair down like a lady’s. You can’t wear it in a braid anymore. I’ve come to fetch you back to the great hall. Since the priests are here, Nicedd wants to solemnize your betrothal this very night.”

  “Are we to marry soon? I’ll wager they all want me to get started on producing the beastly heirs.”

  “Considering your age, they may have to wait a bit, which will serve them right. But Maryn’s going to have to go on campaign this summer. We’ve got to get you two married and him solemnized as king before Beltane.”

  While Bellyra changed into her purple dress and arranged her kirtle to hide the gravy stains from its previous incarnation as a banqueting cloth, Nevyn wandered off and found a serving lass to press into service as a lady’s maid to do her hair. Since she had no mirror, Bellyra had to accept their word for it that she looked both lovely and years older with her hair combed down and clasped at the nape of her neck.

  “Why don’t you have a proper mirror, anyway?” Nevyn said.

  “I’m not supposed to look into them. Since I was born on Samaen everyone’s afraid that if I look into a mirror, I won’t have any reflection at all, or maybe even I’ll see a fiend looking back at me or some such thing.”

  “O ye gods! What utter n
onsense!” He turned to the servant. “Here, lass, you run down to the dowager’s hall and get a mirror. Now don’t you argue with me! No doubt the dowager’s fallen into a drunken sleep, and she’ll never even know.”

  Even though she crossed her fingers to ward off witchcraft first, the lass did follow his orders, returning in a few minutes with a hand mirror of polished bronze glazed in Bardek silver. It took Bellyra a few minutes more, though, to overcome her fear and look. Although she knew she wasn’t a fiend, she truly was afraid that she’d see nothing at all. Instead she found a remarkably pretty lass with wavy blond hair and big green eyes staring back with her delicate lips half-parted in surprise.

  “Is that truly me?”

  “It is.” Nevyn got behind her and looked over her shoulder. “The reflection I see looks just like the princess I see.”

  Only then could she believe him.

  As they came down the stairs she could hear a happy uproar, loud talk and louder laughter, from the great hall. At the little door she froze. If Nevyn hadn’t been right behind her, she would have turned and bolted again.

  “Come now, child, you know you’ve got the strength for this. When the priest asks you if you’ll take him as your betrothed, all you have to do is say I will and let him kiss you—Maryn, I mean, not the priest. Kissing Nicedd would give me pause, too.”

  Bellyra managed a giggle, but only just.

  When they walked out together onto the dais, men gasped and turned to stare. Everywhere she heard whispers: Is that the princess? Has to be, couldn’t be, why here we never noticed how beautiful she is. She would never forget that moment; no matter what happened later in her life, she would always be able to pull it out of her mind like a jewel out of a treasure chest, the moment when she stepped through the little door into her womanhood, and the entire great hall fell silent to watch.