The Fractured Empire: Book Seven of the Disinherited Prince Series

by Guy Antibes

  While they waited, Pol told him what he had done to the Winnower Armies.

  “Those are just war games,” Hazett said. “Grimwell scolded me for letting Ranno send you there. Your actions caused major disruptions. He lost many men to the fighting that you caused. You might have caused a serious incident.”

  “Good,” Pol said. “The Winnowers were going to split their six armies into two units. One to reinforce Grostin’s army in North Salvan and the other to head straight to Yastan. The Daftinians and a few of the duchies are also raising a large army to invade Listya. I’m sure you can see the seat of the Empire is about to be surrounded by enemies.”

  “Ranno tells me the same things. Grimwell tells me that I should retire Ranno sooner than my Instrument wants to leave.”

  Malden and Cimet arrived, both of them breathing heavily. “Is someone ill?”

  Cimet dropped to his knees and bowed his head. “I am not worthy to be in the presence of My Emperor!”

  Hazett laughed. “Arise, Sir Healer. My son wants you to give him another opinion.”

  “Son? Pol?” Cimet said.

  Hazett smiled and nodded.

  Pol shook his head. He didn’t have time for Cimet’s gushing. “My father has a tiny ward attached to his spine in his neck. I want both of you to look at it. Don’t try to remove the thing,” Pol said.

  “I see it,” Cimet said. “It’s purple with a line of spots up the center about the size of this fingernail.” He held up his index finger.

  Malden examined the Emperor. “Ah. We agree it’s small. I see a thin silvery cover over an amber disk.”

  Pol shook his head. “Everyone sees wards differently. I noticed a blue disk with a brown woven worm on top.”

  “Woven, eh?” Malden said. He concentrated a little more. “Ah, I see striations on the cover. Those are weaves?”

  Pol nodded.

  “I’m glad everyone is having fun talking about the thing in my neck,” Hazett said.

  “This is an insidious ward, so be prepared for a reaction,” Pol said. “I think the decoration that we all see is a different ward that protects the base from removal. I’m going to take off the covering a little bit at a time. Should we put you to sleep, Father?”

  “Ah, no. I enjoy the riotous repartee you three are exchanging.”

  “I take that for yes?”

  “Yes,” Hazett said, sitting down on his chair and leaned over with his head on his arms on the desk’s surface.

  Pol put him to sleep. “Watch the Emperor while I work on each element separately.”

  Each thread of the brown worm had to be singly removed. This ward was much more sophisticated than the brute force of the compulsion ward that the Tesnans had used. Pol wondered who developed the compulsion spells, but he’d have to look later. It took another hour before Pol discarded the worm. He tried removing the rest in one tweak, and it worked. The blue ward seemed to break into tiny pieces and float away.

  “How is he?”

  Malden shook his head. “I’ve noticed no change.”

  “Same here,” Cimet said.

  Pol brought Hazett out of his slumber.

  “It is over. I can tell you that Grimwell put this on me. My Imperial Magician told me there is no problem with West Huffnya. I was more than the fool that I usually am.”

  “You are no fool, My Emperor,” Malden said.

  “Where does the Imperial Magician live?” Pol said. “We need to get him.”

  “I’ll show you,” Malden said.

  “Guards summon Ranno!” Hazett looked at Cimet and smiled. “While I wait, I’d like to know your story.” The Emperor looked at Pol. “What are you waiting for?”

  “Nothing,” Pol said.

  Malden looked just as alarmed, and they both hurried out of the Emperor’s study. As they hustled through the palace, Malden said, “He’ll tell him about Biloben, won’t he?”

  “Most likely. Cimet is a simple person, and he’s likely to say anything. But I wouldn’t worry about that,” Pol looked ahead, “We have to confront the Imperial Magician.”

  Malden picked up the pace, and they came to the magician’s domain.

  “Stop,” Pol said. Tiny wards crossed their intended path. “Do you see those?”

  “Only now that you showed me.”

  Pol waved his hand, and the wards disappeared. “I don’t mind doing that when the Emperor’s life isn’t at stake,” he said.

  They proceeded more slowly. The Imperial Magician had wards in the strangest places, but Pol removed them all.

  They reached his office, and once Pol removed the wards to the entrance, they heard a gasp behind the door.

  “Shields,” Malden said. “You didn’t bring a sword.”

  “I’m not without teeth.” Pol reached into his boot and took out a handled knife that he gave Malden. He grabbed a Shinkyan throwing knife and a handful of splinters. “If you can manage to eliminate the protection wards that are on the other side of this door, do it,” Pol said.

  They stepped to the side. Pol unlocked the door with a tweak and then tweaked the door open. Sheets of flame lit up the doorway.

  “They have a great deal of confidence in your success,” Malden said.

  Pol could only grunt as he located men leaving at the side of the room. He jumped in, but the flames had already stopped. The bolthole in an opening in a wall panel gaped open, but Pol noticed the wards that ran around its edge.

  “Step back,” Pol said. He retreated to the corridor, still in sight of the escape route and eliminated the wards. An explosion sounded in the room, and they found debris filling the hole.

  Pol went to the window and made out a ragged column of seven men running through one of the smaller gates leading out of the Compound. He was sure he recognized Namion Threshell helping Grimwell through the gate and out into the city.

  ~~~

  Chapter Eleven

  ~

  “W e will need to purge all magicians in Yastan,” Hazett said.

  “I don’t think purge is the right word.” Ranno played with a knife as he sat in the Emperor’s Study. “Then we need to make sure magicians aren’t Winnowers.”

  “We will start with our battle magicians,” Hazett said.

  Pol tentatively raised his hands. “We can test magicians, and those magicians can test others. It doesn’t have to be one magician clearing everyone. You should have everyone tested in the Imperial Compound and change to locks to every exit door.”

  “The locks have already been changed, and that includes the subterranean exits,” Ranno said. “That’s my job. You worry about training magicians.”

  “I thought only you could remove the wards,” Hazett said.

  “Your ward, Father. The typical compulsion spell makes most magicians faint. I’ve only seen one stagger around without fainting.”

  “Biloben?” Ranno said.

  Pol nodded. “He can even help. Any black and some grays should be able to eliminate the spells. The three Seekers that accompanied us in West Huffnya—”

  “They have returned,” Ranno said.

  “All of them can do it. We will have to document who we have passed.”

  “How can you collect so much information if there are many magicians?”

  “We can use rune books. The magician’s names can be recorded in a central ledger in Ranno’s office,” Pol said.

  “If that doesn’t work, we can cut off the tip of their pinky finger,” Ranno said.

  Hazett glared at his Instrument.

  “I’m joking. You’ve got to get back to your regular self, Hazett,” Ranno said.

  The Emperor’s face relaxed. “Of course.” He sighed. “It’s hard to see one’s Empire cracking from the strain of rebellion. But I’ll endure.” He waved his hand breezily. He grinned at Ranno. “Is that better?”

  “Much.”

  “I’d like you to put Shira in charge of making rune books for now and have her train a few others after they’ve been ve
tted,” Hazett said. “She knows as much about the books as any.”

  Pol agreed, but he kept quiet. He was about to say Hazett could use his Empress to detect warded or mind-controlled servants, but he did not know how many people knew of her talent.

  They finalized the strategy to inspect soldiers, magicians, servants, nobles, and anyone else in the compound and in the Seeker and Magician schools. Pol stayed behind after the rest left.

  “You can use Mother to vet servants and visitors. I didn’t mention it with the others in the room.”

  “She actually volunteered. You and Shira are invited to dine with us tonight in my family quarters.” He shook his head. “Please teach her. I’m sure Handor would like to listen to your West Huffnyan adventure.”

  “I will,” Pol said.

  He left the Palace and found Shira inside Ranno’s office. Pol waited for her to come out.

  She smiled at him. “I am the rune book lady,” she said.

  “Sister. The rune book Sister.”

  She giggled for a second. “That is a better description. What can I do before I am overcome with work?”

  “Delegate. See if you can get Deena to help. You can also get some scribes to read the rune pages to other scribes who will write the names down.”

  “Ranno and I have already decided to do just that, thank you.”

  “Good. We have an invitation to dine with my family tonight. I’ll not get in your way.” Pol took her hand and squeezed it before he left to groom Demeron, who had been neglected ever since they arrived. He didn’t know when he’d get another chance.

  Pol found Demeron in the Seeker stables finishing off a bucket of oats. Someone had cleaned him up, but Pol took a brush and began to make Demeron’s coat shine.

  I am glad to see you. What has happened? The horses here don’t talk much. Amble and I communicate, but she’s in another stable, Demeron said.

  “Biloben was right. The Imperial Magician by the name of Grimwell placed a tiny ward on the Emperor, enough to make him question Ranno and doubt that the West Huffnyans were creating an offensive army. We took care of it,” Pol said. “Grimwell knew his time ended subverting my father’s mind and escaped. I’m sure Namion Threshell was with him.”

  The Seeker from Volia? Demeron asked.

  “Yes, he’s the one. I’d like to know if they went west or east,” Pol said.

  West would mean they head for the army, and they would head east to join Grostin. What about south to Daftine?

  “Daftine has got to be a diversion. If we headed to Daftine, we’d be doing what the Winnowers wanted.”

  When do we head for Redearth?

  “Not quite yet,” Pol said. “We may have to fight the West Huffnyan army. I’ll bet they will still split up with half going to the northern part of the empire to Tarida, and we will fight the army that is headed for Yastan. If that happens, then we will need to go to Redearth to defend Queen Isa’s country.”

  Amble likes Redearth. She thinks I will like it, too.

  “I will like it as long as Shira is there,” Pol said smiling. “And you, of course.”

  ~

  “Is he thinking better?” Pol asked Malden before Shira and he headed to the Emperor’s mansion.

  “Hazett? He is indeed. He met for some time with Ranno and Ben this afternoon. A good part of the Imperial Army is heading for West Huffnya. We’ve already sent a few Seekers armed with rune books to monitor their progress.”

  “So we will be fighting the Winnowers before long. I thought so,” Pol said.

  Malden looked at Pol with curiosity. “What else have you thought?”

  “Daftine is a diversion. I would send a small force, permitting the loyal dukedoms and Landon to raise a citizen army. Abbot Pleagor could empty out some of Deftnis as a support, collecting troops from the southern dukedoms who are, last I heard, loyal. Then let those forces fight. Daftine is not that populated. A Southwestern war would not last long.”

  Malden grinned. “Ranno and I had a similar approach planned, but we didn’t include Deftnis. We could pinch the Daftine army that way.”

  Pol smiled back. “That’s the pattern.”

  “I’ll pass that by Ranno. It’s time you both headed to dinner.”

  Shira was waiting just outside the Instrument Administration building when Pol walked out. She had her hair piled up on her head and she had worn the yellow dress when they met at Deftnis.

  “I forgot you left clothes at Yastan before we headed to West Huffnya,” Pol said. “You look very nice.”

  Shira looked at Pol’s travel-worn tunic. At least someone cleaned it, he thought. The sun had just gone down, and they strolled through the Imperial Compound hand in hand.

  “You were a little late. It’s not polite to keep a lady waiting.”

  “Is that the case in Tishiko?” Pol said. He never had the time in Tishiko to notice.

  She laughed. “It’s generally the other way around. Did you have an impromptu meeting?”

  Pol nodded, “With Malden. He’s certain we will go to war.”

  “I’ve already been at war.”

  “With the West Huffnyans,” Pol said. “With Grimwell away from the Imperial Compound, they might try an attack on Yastan sooner than later. Imperial forces are already on the move. They carry rune books.”

  “We will see how that goes,” Shira said. “They might not work well for the first few conflicts.”

  “The Imperial Army doesn’t have the luxury of testing them out. I think we will end up joining them. If we do, I’ll make sure we can return to Redearth to defend our land.”

  She squeezed his arm. “Our land. I like to hear that. Unfortunately, it comes at a cost.”

  “And the Winnow Society doesn’t care about the human suffering that accompanies their ambitions,” Pol said.

  They walked in silence until they were ushered into Hazett’s family residence. They ate at the big circular table again.

  “Pol saves the Empire!” Hazett said as he entered the room with his wife. “Handor is meeting with the ambassador from Hentz, along with my Social Welfare Minister, and our other children will eat in the breakfast room. Jarrann and I thought it would be nice to have a more intimate dinner.”

  “With this table, it works best if we each skip a chair,” Jarrann said.

  They spent few minutes chatting about mundane things until dinner arrived. Jarrann leaned over towards Pol, seated across from her. “Thank you for setting my husband straight,” she said. “We all knew something was wrong. He started to change about the time you left for West Huffnya. I didn’t think Grimwell would betray the Empire so thoroughly.”

  “He must have been behind the bank robberies,” Shira said. “It all fits, doesn’t it?”

  “Including Namion’s behavior four years ago,” Pol said. “Grimwell is probably a master with wards,” Pol said. “Did he teach at the Imperial Magician academies?”

  Hazett shook his head. “No. He acted as an advisor, but I didn’t use him as much as Ranno and now, Malden. Grimwell wasn’t a strategic kind of person. He won his position as a result of his magical power.”

  “He had a circle of magicians?”

  “Gone, all gone with him.”

  “Hazett said you had something to ask me?” Jarrann said.

  “We have to stay vigilant to avoid the taint of mind-control. I wondered if we could teach you to detect mind-control or wards. If you are unable, we can still train you to remove any spells that might exist.”

  Jarrann looked at Hazett. “I am to do this surreptitiously?”

  “Of course. A brush of the hand works. Even in talking range will work. A touch is surer and easier,” Shira said.

  “Can you see inside? I don’t remember,” Jarrann asked Shira.

  “No. I’ve tried, but I can’t. I have removed the spells, though. If you were able to see the magical patterns in a Shinkyan carving, you should have enough power to remove the spells. It’s still different with every ma
gician,” Shira said.

  “You can practice eliminating wards. I can even put one on the table. It doesn’t have to be in a person’s mind,” Pol said.

  Jarrann nodded. She looked nervous and kept glancing at the Emperor.

  “It is all right, Jarrann. Pol is family, and Shira will soon be, I imagine.”

  The Empress looked a bit more relieved. Pol guessed that she wanted to keep her abilities secret, so she had to be very careful about what she did and how she did it.

  “We aren’t exactly betrothed yet,” Pol said. “Not until all this is over.”

  Hazett snorted. “Good as. Whenever you wish to make it official is fine with us.”

  Shira gave the Emperor a dazzling smile. “I want to tell my mother first.”

  “Confront her, you mean?”

  She nodded. “I haven’t had any contact with her since I left Shinkya, although I’ve been in contact with certain factions.”

  “We know. Barian keeps complaining that you haven’t returned to Tishiko,” Hazett scratched his head, “for some reason that I have never been able to understand.” He grinned as he said it.

  “I will go back,” Shira said, “but only with Pol. So if he is headed off towards West Huffnya, I am, too.”

  “We will want you to take rune books to Queen Isa when you go. I’m afraid we will need every edge we can get with these massive armies roaming about,” Hazett said. “Oh,” he put a hand to his mouth. “Jarrann didn’t want to talk business the entire time. Is your horse, Amble, as smart as Demeron? Our young son wanted to know.”

  “She is as smart, but she doesn’t have magic, and Demeron does,” she said. “Demeron is unique in that respect, just like his master.”

  “Not a master,” Pol said. “I am Demeron’s best friend. He can be as independent as he likes.”

  “You’ve never had a disagreement?”

  Pol had to think. “Not that I can remember. Often he does more than I suggest. We are great partners.”

  “Partners. That’s what I’ll tell Corran. If he has magic, he wants a Shinkyan.”

  “Only if a Shinkyan wants him,” Shira said. “The bond is always mutual; at least it is with the Shinkyan horses at Deftnis.”