Shad laughed harshly.
"Still, that's better than the version of the tale we have heard," he said. "What we've heard is that the New Kelvinese want the slaves in order that Melina might sacrifice them to some dark end."
King Tedric raised a hand to halt further discussion.
"What this does tell us is that there is increased trade between New Kelvin and Waterland. That in itself is interesting. New Kelvin has always feared Waterland's greed would extend to taking over the farm, rather than buying the cattle. Thus, she has done much of her trade through us, rather than give Waterland too great a foothold. However, there have always been such signal differences between those lands that direct trade was restricted."
"Signal differences?" Sapphire asked with a sigh. "Father Tedric, I must admitùagainùmy ignorance. I know they are different, but we trade with both, how could they not trade with each other?"
King Tedric started to answer, began to cough, and when the coughing was under control said in a slightly weaker voice than previously.
"Elise, answer Sapphire for me. You have always loved foreign lands."
Blushing slightly, Elise turned to Sapphire, fearing that Sapphire would be offended. Indeed, once she would have been, but apparently several moonspans as crown princess had proven to Sapphire how little she knew and how much she needed advisors. All Elise saw on either of the heirs apparent's faces was studious interest.
Still, she stammered as she began, unused to being an authority.
"Everyone knows… I mean, you know that New Kelvin is ruled by those who practice, or believe they practice… The thaumaturges, that is…"
Sapphire leaned forward and put a hand on her arm.
"Relax, Elise. Yes, we know that New Kelvin is ruled by people who call themselves thaumaturges and are dedicated to restoring magic. We know that Waterland is ruled by an oligarchy of its wealthiest citizens, and that they have very complicated ways of assessing who is the richest and such. What we don't know is why these things would put them at odds."
Shad nodded. "That's it in a nutshell."
Elise closed her eyes, trying to find words for something she herself understood almost more intuitively than rationally.
"It's a question of values," she said at last. "New Kelvin values old ways and old things because those things come from before the Plagueùthey call it the Burning Deathùcaused the Old Countries to withdraw from the New World. Their Healed One is supposed to be a descendant of the last of their Old Country mages, one who survived the Plague and, though weakened, helped them preserve their lore until his death.
"Waterland doesn't value much that's old. Maybe it's because so much of their land is at sea level and is subjected to storms and hurricanes. Maybe it's just that most old things aren't worth as much as new. However, they do respect old things that are worth something because of their artistry or materials. New Kelvin just has to have hoards of such things."
Shad interjected, "More than anywhere else, probably, because most countries destroyed the relics of the original settlers, either out of malice or out of fear that they might hold magical powers. So New Kelvin doesn't just have industriesùlike their glassworks and silkùthat Waterland would like to have. They'd love a chance to plunder the New Kelvinese treasuries. There are those in many lands who would welcome thatùespecially if the Water-landers melted everything down for raw materials."
Elise nodded. "That's how I see it. After last winter's events, I'm not certain the New Kelvinese even know how to use what potentially magical things they still have. It seems that their own original settlers were treated much as our own were. Colonials with magical talent were trained across the sea and bound against telling how to train others in their lore. When the Plague came and the rulers retreated to the Old Country, they took their magical things with them. This doesn't change that the New Kelvinese have lots of old things left, however. And far from making them a less tempting target for Waterland's greedy oligarchs, it makes them more tempting."
"Because," Sapphire said, "they need not fear they'll stumble on too much dangerous magic."
"That's right," Elise said. A thought came to her. "You know, the ban against teaching magic here in the New World seems to have been followed by several different Old World nations. Our founders had it, so did the New Kelvinese's, the Waterlanders' and the Stoneholders'. I wonder if they made some sort of compact to keep our ancestors in ignorance?"
"It makes sense," Shad said. "I haven't sailed much beyond the Isles, but those who haveùmostly meeting small settlements south down the coast, there isn't much northùreport that similar beliefs are held, and a similar aversion to magic. New Kelvin's attitude may not be unique, but it's very rare."
"The Isles," King Tedric said, changing the subject with those two words. "Have you heard any rumors about them?"
Elise shook her head. "But then the Archer Grant is well inland."
"I thought traffic along the Barren River might have brought some news," the king said.
"Father has heard nothing important from the Isles," Shad offered, "and he would tell you, you know."
"I know," King Tedric assured him. "I trust Allister as I trust myselfùand maybe more so. He is young and strong whereas I am old and suspicious. So maybe Valora is lying low and licking her wounds. Your defeat," his nod included all three of those present, "of the pirates last winter may have robbed her of a good part of her army."
Sapphire crooked her arms behind her head and stretched.
"I certainly hope so. May I suggest that we take a recess? I am growing stiff and hungry. The rest of you must be too."
The king concurred. "Elise will, of course, remain for lunch and perhaps for dinner as well. Yes, that would be best. Send a message to the Archer manse and tell them not to expect you. Have your maid bring your dinner gown and plan to remain."
Elise agreed. Hearing that she had a small amount of time before the meal and sensing that the young married couple wanted some time to themselves, she excused herself to go off to the gardens and visit Holly Gardener.
She spent a happy half hour there, nearly ruining her taste for lunch with strawberries and fresh cream, made richer by the news that Firekeeper and Derian had been through back in mid-Horse Moon before heading west so that Firekeeper might visit her wolves and Derian keep his vow to place markers on the graves of Prince Barden's expedition.
Before the meeting resumed after lunch, Elise took an opportunity to visit Queen Elexa. Elise was pleased to see that while Elexa was frail, she seemed no more in danger than she had a score of times before.
"It is simply that," the queen said, "when you are my age and have my history of ill health, the doctors grow more and more careful with every illness."
They chatted until a messenger came, saying that Elise was needed by the king.
As Elise rose to go, Queen Elexa motioned her close and, under the cover of their parting embrace, said, "Don't let Tedric talk you into anything you think unwise, child. There are things in this world just as important as international politics."
When Elise, surprised, would have asked for clarification, the queen waved her away.
"They're waiting, dear, and Tedric has promised to be fair with you."
More mystified than ever, Elise left, wondering what else there was to discuss. Certainly, as Grandmother Rosene had said, there were others who could advise the king about New Kelvin. She had just about concluded that King Tedric wanted her to become a tutor to Sapphire and Shad, and that Queen Elexa didn't think it was right to so demean the heir to a barony, when King Tedric opened the discussion.
"I suppose you have heard about young Citrine?"
Elise nodded. "I know what Queen Elexa told my mother in a letter, that Citrine's spirit was badly wounded by the time she spent among the pirates at Smuggler's Light, and that, despite best attempts to heal her, Citrine has become worse, rather than better."
"So much," the king said, "is fairly common knowledge. You kno
w that Citrine was given by her mother to Baron Wain Endbrook of the Isles…"
"Formerly of the Isles," Sapphire hissed, and there was angry satisfaction in her voice. "Queen Valora has disowned him."
"As an assurance that Melina would not act against either him or the Isles," the king continued as if he had not heard. "As you know, Melina violated that assurance. It is likely that she planned to do so from the start. Certain things reported by Grateful Peace, once of the Dragon Speaker's Three, make clear she had laid the foundations for her treachery well in advance.
"Baron Endbrook did not know this, of course, and in a rather crude attempt to remind Melina of the hold he had over her, he sent her two of Citrine's fingers. We now know that he cut them from the child without offering her anything to dull the pain, nor did he see that she was given any treatment other than what was needed to make certain that she did not die from contamination of the wound.
"The injury itself would have been horrible to a child of eight. What aggravated it was Citrine's gradual realization that her mother must know what had been done to her and did nothing to avenge it. To make matters even worse…"
Shad muttered, "If that is at all possible."
"Citrine apparently kept the pirates at a distance by invoking the specter of her mother's sorcery. Early in her days in the Smuggler's Light, someone tried to steal her gemstone headband. Her reaction was so extreme that most kept at a distance after that. Their cruelties were verbal rather than physical.
"Still, it was enough. Some of the time, Citrine is quite herself. Others she is smothered in a terror so acute that she cannot bear any companionship; others she clings to whoever she trusts. Yet others, more disturbing still, she babbles oddly, saying things that contain some kernel of truth but strangely twisted. There are those among the servants who say her mind has been pushed so hard that she now sees the future mingled with the past and present.
"I think," the king continued, "that Citrine merely hears more than people think and in these moods sends it out again. I am continually astonished by what people will say in front of the ill."
Sapphire, seeing the king was looking a bit drawn and coughing again after his long recital, poured him more tea and, as she spooned in a generous amount of honey, took up the story.
"You may believe that we have tried everything we could imagine. We have summoned healers and physiciansùeven Sir Jared Surcliffe from the North Woods. All concur, the damage is not organic. It is to Citrine's mind."
Elise tried not to color when Sir Jared's name was mentioned. She knew perfectly well that Sapphire knew of their mutual attraction and thought sometimes that the princess was trying to make a matchùan unusual and uncomfortable thought, for Elise had had it repeatedly drummed into her that she must think of the Archer Barony as much as herself when considering marriage. The idea that the future monarchs of Hawk Haven might consider Jared suitable was very tempting indeed.
She found it easy to push such thoughts from her mind, however. Citrine was one of her favorite cousins and the idea that the once cheerful child was so tormented was almost more than she could bear.
"Can I help?" she asked.
Sapphire gave a thin-lipped, worried smile.
"We hope so, but let me finish."
Elise nodded.
"As you can imagine, we tried everything. When Hazel Healer was here…"
Sapphire shrugged at Elise's small exclamation of surprise. Hazel lived far south of Eagle's Nest, in the border town of Hope.
"I told you we tried everyone. Perhaps we should say everyone proven both skilled and discreet. Hazel is certainly both of those."
"I'm sorry," Elise said. "I didn't mean to interrupt. Please go on."
"When Hazel was here, we tried a similar ceremony to the one that freed me of the bond Melina put on me. We had no success. There are so many reasons why this might have been the case that I can hardly offer a single guess. Perhaps Citrine depended on her mother's protection for so long that she could not bear to break the thread, even when it was proven untrustworthy. Perhaps she, like me, had come to equate herself with the stone she wears. For whatever reason, nothing we did sufficed. Citrine remains bound."
"Hazel believes," Shad added, "and as she is as much of an expert as we know in such matters, we must place some weight on her words, that even if we did succeed in removing the stone from Citrine, it would not cure her. Citrine has been driven mad by her mother's betrayal and by the cruelties done to her in that mother's cause. Hazel thinks that the only chance there is of returning Citrine to herself is to allow her to confront Melina. The girl may not even need to speak with her mother, just see her, transform her from a powerful specter into a living woman once more."
"I wish," the king said, "I thought it would be so easy."
He sounded hoarse and he looked tired. Elise realized how grueling today had been for him and felt suddenly frightened. A year agoùless than a year agoùKing Tedric had been strong enough to travel to Hope in order to negotiate with his nephew Allister. Only this past autumn he had been strong enough to travel to Silver Whale Cove for Sapphire and Shad's wedding. Today she knew that if she were one of his doctors she wouldn't let him travel beyond the castle.
With a sudden burst of insight, Elise realized that if either King Tedric or Queen Elexa were to die, their deaths would be blamed on Sapphire, used as proof of her mother's evil influence on her.
And never mind that a year ago every noble in the land was after the king to name an heir lest he die and leave the kingdom in confusion. They'll forget that easily enoughùat least the ambitious will.
Elise could not see her parents acting to undermine Sapphire and Shad, but then they had little to gain if the crown heirs fell from grace and much to gain if they did well. But there were others, in both Bright Bay and Hawk Haven, who would all too much enjoy a new scramble for the throne. And there were neighboring countries who would do anything to halt the projected union of Hawk Haven and Bright Bay.
Suddenly, Elise was very glad for the silent, hovering figure of Sir Dirkin Eastbranch, for her knowledge that the Royal Physician was a very good, very skilled healerùeven if he lacked Sir Jared's talent.
"Don't take King Tedric and Queen Elexa quite yet," she silently pleaded with the ancestors. "We still need them."
Sapphire had risen and tended to the king, for all the world as if he really were her father, not merely an honored and often distant great-uncle. Now she returned her attention to Elise.
"We want you to take charge of a group that will escort Citrine into New Kelvin, somehow get access to her mother, and do whatever you can to heal her. If we can break Melina's hold on Citrine and heal her madness, then we will be able to answer those who claim I am under her influence."
Elise wanted very much to yelp "Me?" but she swallowed the word and managed a serious nod. Shad gave a tired grin.
"And, Lady Archer," he said, "as if that isn't enough, we want you and your companions to find out exactly what is Melina's position within the New Kelvinese government. We need to know how much influence she has. Moreover, we need to know how much truth there is to these rumors about increased trade in slaves with Waterland. If it is true, we need to know why New Kelvin needs more slaves. Is it merely for increased industrial capacity or is there any truth to the rumors that they are wanted for their blood?"
Elise stared at her rulers.
"And you want me to do this," she said.
"You and a few others," Sapphire replied. "Elise, except for a few diplomats mostly interested in trade concessions and keeping New Kelvin sweet while we fought with Bright Bay, Hawk Haven really hasn't bothered with New Kelvin. They were a small power with no real military strength, though able to offer unique and interesting trade. New Kelvin wasn't interested in us except for sending the occasional tattooed, pointy-shoe-wearing representative to some major event.
"We don't just want you for your knowledge of foreign languages and customsùthough I'll admit rig
ht out and up front that those are rare enough. We want you because you are one of about a dozen people who know the truth about what my mother did to me and to Citrine. Do you want the full list?"
Elise said nothing, but Sapphire continued on, nearly raging.
"There's you, Ninette, Derian Carter, Firekeeper, Sir Jared, Hazel Healer, King Tedric, Queen Elexa, King Allister, and Queen Pearl. Sir Dirkin probably has guessed, but he's as trustworthy as an oak. Then, of course, there are my esteemed birth-siblings who cannot speak of the matter and would not do anything if they could."
Elise wondered if perhaps Sapphire was being too harsh on her siblings, but knowing what she did of Jet and thinking of the apparently frivolous young ladies Opal and Ruby were becoming, she could not be certain.
"Now," Shad said, laying a settling hand on his wife's arm, "you see why we need youùand some of those othersùso much. This would be the absolutely worst time I can imagine for taking someone else into the secret. A wink or a nod from the wrong personùand diplomats who make their living trading secrets are very much the wrong peopleùand suddenly there would be confirmation."
"But," Elise burst out, "Melina no longer has any hold on Sapphire!"
The look of pure gratitude Sapphire turned on her made Elise color.
"Well, it's true," Elise repeated, "and you defied her when she could have done terrible things to you. I have not forgotten your courage."
"And I haven't forgotten your part in setting me free," Sapphire replied. "The sad thing is, the only reward I can offer you is asking you to put your hand in the mad dog's mouth again."
Elise nodded, thinking that this sounded very much like something she had heard her father say once.
"Can I guess," she said, "who you suggest my companions should be?"
Sapphire grinned. "Try."
"Firekeeper, Derian, Docùthat is, Sir Jared. Essentially, the people you mentioned already, those who are in on your secret. I don't know if I could ask Ninette. She's a good woman and I trust her with my life, but the road to Dragon's Breath is a hard one and she isn't up to it."
The Dragon of Despair Page 14
