Lynn Flewelling - The Oracle's Queen

“Be it known, Zygas, son of Morten, Duke of Ellsford and Fire River, that by your obdurate and ignoble disloyalty, you have incurred the displeasure of the Crown. If you do not this day desist from such action and ride at once under safe passage to Atyion to swear fealty to the rightful queen, forswearing all other loyalties, then you shall be declared a traitor and stripped forthwith of all titles, lands, rents, and chattels. If you hold your gates against these, the queen’s chosen lords, your fields will be burned, your livestock taken, your gates broken, and your house razed. You and your heirs will be taken prisoner and carried forthwith to Atyion to face the queen’s justice.

“Queen Tamír, in her wisdom, abjures you to seize the hand of mercy extended today and turn your back on all other erroneous alliances. Delivered this day by my hand.”

A lengthy pause followed. Ki craned his neck, trying to make out his opponent’s face, but Zygas had stepped away from the battlements.

“What do you think?” he said quietly to Jorvai as they sat their horses, waiting.

“Erius guested here often, and Zygas fought for him across the sea. I don’t know that he knows any more about Korin than he does Tamír, though.”

They sat there as the sun rose higher and the air grew warm. Sweating in his armor and tabard, Ki listened to the barking of dogs and bleating of sheep from beyond the keep walls. The drawbridge across the moat was pulled up to shield the doors. It was fashioned of thick timbers, and studded with brass bosses the size of bucklers. It would probably take catapults and fire to breach the place, if it came to that.

The shadows cast by his horse’s legs had clocked nearly an hour’s passage before they heard the sound of riders coming around the keep from the left at a gallop. Zygas had a back door somewhere, and had used it to ride out.

He was mounted on a tall bay warhorse, but wore no armor. Instead, he was accompanied by his own herald under a sacred banner. He galloped up to them, head high, and reined in. He nodded to Jorvai, then gave Ki a cold, appraising look. “I don’t know you.”

“Allow me to present Lord Kirothieus. He’s the queen’s man, same as I am,” Jorvai told him. “Well, what do you say? You haven’t gone north, so perhaps you’re having a few doubts?”

“You believe this nonsense about a boy turning into a girl, do you?”

“I saw it with my own eyes, and you’ve never known me for a liar, have you? It happened on the very steps of Atyion castle. Lord Kirothieus has been friend and squire to her since they were both younglings.”

“On my honor, Your Grace, it is true,” Ki said.

Zygas snorted at that. “On the honor of a stripling lord raised by the so-called girl queen, eh?”

“You have only to come to Atyion and see for yourself. Would you call the priest of Afra a liar to his face, as well?” Ki replied evenly. He glanced up at the battlements again. “I don’t see Korin’s banner flying there, only your own. Are you waiting to see them clash, then back the winner?”

“You watch your tongue, you young upstart!”

“He’s right, Zygas,” Jorvai chided. “I never put you down as anything but a solid man, but it seems you’re growing indecisive in your old age.”

The duke glared at them both for a moment, then shook his head. “I’ve waited months for Korin to march and defend his throne, but he sends me nothing but excuses. Instead here you two are. You were always an honest fellow, Jorvai. Can I trust this offer of hers?”

“You can trust her to accept your fealty if you ride today, just as you can trust us to set fire to every field and byre and cottage the moment you say otherwise.”

“Aye, and you’ve brought a force to do it, too, haven’t you?” Zygas sighed. “And if I say that I will go, to see for myself?”

“Not good enough. If you take the right path and offer fealty, I’m to tell you to ride at once under the protection of my own men, and that you must take your wife and children with you. You have a son on his own lands now, as I recall, and a few younger ones still under the roof?”

“She requires hostages, does she?”

“That’s for her to say when you get there. You shouldn’t have waited so long. It’s only her kind heart that’s kept your lands untouched today, but her patience has reached its end. Decide now, and let’s get on with it.”

Zygas looked around at the fields and steadings that lay beyond the line of armed riders. In the distance the foot soldiers were coming on fast, raising the dust from the road as they jogged along with weapons ready. “So she really is the princess’ daughter, hidden all this time?”

“That she is. You’ll see Ariani in her. It’s clear as day. The lords of the southlands are flocking to her. Nyanis is with her, and Kyman. You don’t think them fools, do you?”

Zygas rubbed a hand over his grizzled beard and sighed. “No, nor you either. If I do go, will she take my lands?”

“That’s for her to say when she’s seen you,” Jorvai replied. “But it’s sure as the Maker’s rain in spring that she will if you don’t.”

Ki could see the man warring with himself. At last Zygas said, “I’m to take my little girls, as well? How will I protect them on the road, with no escort of my own? I won’t have them abused.”

“Tamír would kill anyone who touched them, and so would I,” Ki told him. “I have women among my warriors. I’ll send some of them as your escort. They won’t let anyone touch your girls.”

Zygas took one more look around at the armed fighters massed at his gate. “Very well, but my curse will be on all of you and your queen if this is a trick.”

“Tamír wants nothing from you but your loyalty,” Ki assured him.

Zygas gave them a resigned bow. “If this queen of yours is as merciful as you paint her, then perhaps she’s worth backing, rightful or not.”

He rode off the way he’d come and Ki let out a pent-up breath. “That wasn’t so hard.”

Jorvai chuckled darkly and pointed back at their forces. “That’s a persuasive argument. So, you’ve seen how it’s done. I hope you find Lady Alna as amenable.”

Unfortunately, she was not. Ki and his company marched three days through sweltering heat, only to find the village deserted, the fields harvested, and the noblewoman ready and waiting.

She was a widow of middling years, with long yellow hair and a proud, hard face. She rode out, as Zygas had, but listened with thinly veiled impatience as the herald read out his missive.

“Lies or necromancy? Which is it, my lord?” she sneered, clearly less than impressed by Ki. “I have a thousand men-at-arms behind my walls and my grain is safe there, too. King Korin has sent assurances that my lands will be expanded and my title protected under his banner. What do I have from your queen, but threats?”

“You were summoned more than once and given every chance to align yourself with the true queen,” Ki replied, keeping his temper in check.

She sniffed at that. “True queen! Ariani had no daughters.”

“She did and you have heard the tale of her changing, I’m sure.”

“Then it’s necromancy. Are we to bow down to an overlord backed by dark magic like the Plenimarans do?”

“It wasn’t dark magic …” Ki began, but she cut him off angrily.

“Half my kin were wizards, free wizards of Skala, boy, and powerful ones. They could not do such magic as you describe.”

Ki wasn’t about to tell her that a hill witch had done the deed. “You have your choice,” he told her. “Go to Atyion with your children now, under safe conduct, or I will not hesitate to carry out my orders.”

“Won’t you?” Alna took a long look at him. “No, I don’t suppose you will. So be It. I was loyal to King Erius and I will not forsake his son.” With that she wheeled her horse and rode back to her own gates. Under the rules of parley he had no choice but to watch as they closed heavily after her.