David Coe - Bonds of Vengeance

“Lord Dantrielle,” the regent answered, dismounting in turn. “It is you who do me the honor with this most gracious greeting.”

He stepped to where Tebeo stood and the two men embraced.

Glancing up at the rest of the regent’s small company, Evanthya saw that Pronjed jal Drenthe had come as well. This surprised her, thought she couldn’t say why. Pronjed had served as archminister under Carden and continued to serve the kingdom in that capacity. It wouldn’t have been at all unusual for a king to bring his minister on such a journey, but at least nominally the archminister served Kalyi, the young queen. Evanthya couldn’t help thinking that the minister belonged with her rather than with Numar, and once more she was struck by the degree to which the regent seemed to consider himself Aneira’s rightful leader. In point of fact, Tebeo enjoyed greater status in Aneira’s courts than Numar. He was a duke, while the regent, by grace of his birth and his position in House Solkara, was only the marquess of Renbrere. But Numar’s appointment as regent changed everything, bestowing upon him power and rank that had nothing to do with bloodlines. He was, in essence, a creation of Aneira’s Council of Dukes, one who now controlled a vast army and great riches, the like of which even the realm’s most powerful dukes could only dream.

The archminister was watching her and she nodded to him, feeling vaguely uncomfortable even as she made herself smile. It remained to be seen if Numar controlled this man as well. Fetnalla trusted Pronjed and had built something of a rapport with him during the days just before and after Carden’s funeral. Evanthya, however, thought him dangerous, perhaps even a traitor. At each of their previous encounters Pronjed had given every indication of disliking her and now he nodded to her in return, but his expression did not change. A moment later he returned his gaze to Numar and Tebeo.

The formal introductions went quickly, both men hurrying through them to escape the storm. In a short while they were riding back through the city to the castle, acknowledging the cheers of the men and women who lined the city streets.

After the horses of the regent’s party had been left in the able hands of Dantrielle’s stablemaster, and the small contingent of Solkaran guards was housed with Dantrielle’s men, Numar and Pronjed accompanied the duke and Evanthya back to Tebeo’s chamber. The wood in the fire had been replenished, and the room glowed with a bright, warming blaze. Numar and Tebeo took the two large chairs by the hearth, while Evanthya and the archminister remained standing, Pronjed near the duke’s writing table, she closer to the fire. Pronjed was watching her again and Evanthya, uncomfortable under his gaze, tried to keep from glancing his way.

Two servants were placing food and hot tea on the low table before the two nobles, and a strangely expectant silence enveloped the room. Once the servants were gone, Numar leaned forward and took a sip of his tea. Then he sat back, smiling at the duke.

“You’re wondering why I’ve come.”

“Yes, my lord. Given the weather and how early it is in the new turn, I’ve feared the worst.”

“War, you mean?” the regent said with a small laugh. “No, it’s nothing that dire. At least not yet. Actually, Lord Dantrielle, I’ve been abroad for some time now. I’ve just come from Orvinti, and Bistari before that.”

“My lord?”

“After all that happened following Carden’s death, in particular the poisoning and the decision of the dukes to pass over Henthas in my favor, I thought it best to speak privately with all of Aneira’s dukes. To reassure them. I may only be regent, but for the next several years, I’ll be leading this kingdom, commanding her armies and protecting her people. With your help, of course. I thought it best that we take the time to become better acquainted.”

Tebeo eyed the man with unconcealed surprise. “A most noble endeavor, my lord. I never. .” He hesitated, as if uncertain as to how he should continue. “All leaders should think as you do.”

Numar smiled. “You never thought a Renbrere would do such a thing. Is that what you were going to say?”

Tebeo’s round face shaded to crimson.

“It’s all right, Lord Dantrielle. Your friend Lord Orvinti was as astounded as you are. And the new duke of Bistari nearly choked when I told him why I had come.”

Tebeo laughed. House Bistari and House Solkara had been bitter rivals for centuries. Any gesture of friendship between them would have been cause for astonishment.

“You intend to go to all the dukedoms, my lord?”

“In time, yes. I’ll return to Solkara from here. When the planting begins I’ll ride north to Mertesse. The lesser houses can wait, but I wanted to visit our most powerful houses as soon as possible.”

Tebeo gave a modest smile. “Again, my lord, you honor us.”

“I merely point out what we both know to be true, Lord Dantrielle.” The regent paused. “May I call you Tebeo?”

“Of course, my lord.”

“One of the things my eldest brother never understood, Tebeo, is that in order to rule Aneira, a king must seek to unite its most powerful houses. As it happens, my father, as great a ruler as he was, never understood this either. Both of them remained so committed to Solkara’s foolish feud with Bistari that they never allowed our kingdom to realize its true promise.”

Tebeo shifted in his chair, looking uncomfortable. “Its true promise, my lord?”

“Yes. Right now Aneira is considered a secondary realm in the Forelands. Oh, most would say that we’ve a more formidable army than Caerisse or Wethyrn, but when compared to Braedon or Eibithar, or even Sanbira, we’re seen as a lesser power.”

“Forgive me for saying so, my lord, but I’m not certain that I agree with you.”

Numar raised an eyebrow. “Really.”

“No one doubts that the Eibitharians hate us as much as we hate them. Yet they’ve done nothing to provoke a war. In fact, it seems to me that they’ve tried their best to avoid any conflict with us in recent years. Why would they do this if they thought us weak?”

The regent gave a brittle smile. “You don’t like to speak of war, do you, Tebeo?”

The duke’s gaze remained steady, though his face appeared to pale slightly. “No, my lord, I don’t. Regardless of how strong we are, Aneira is surrounded by hostile realms. I fear that any war with Eibithar would be harmful to our kingdom.”

“What if we had the support of the empire? What if we could prevail upon the king of Caerisse to join our cause? We wouldn’t be surrounded then.”

Evanthya glanced at Pronjed, who was gazing at the fire, his face impassive. After a moment, as if sensing her eyes upon him, he looked her way, but she could gauge nothing from his expression.

“It seems you’ve given this a good deal of thought, my lord,” the duke said, his voice low.

“As leader of the kingdom, I have little choice but to think in such terms.”

“Does the emperor of Braedon continue to make overtures regarding an attack on Eibithar?”

“Harel has made it clear to me,” Numar began, seeming to choose his words with care, “as he did to my brother before me, that the empire views a conflict with Eibithar as inevitable. The two realms are party to so many disputes that a negotiated peace is out of the question. I suppose we could simply stand by and await the outcome. But if Eibithar manages to prevail, then our most bitter enemy in all the land will also be the preeminent power in all the land. Or we could join with Braedon, ensuring her success, and sharing in the spoils of that victory.” The regent shrugged. “It seems an easy choice to me.”

Tebeo looked deeply troubled, but he nodded and murmured, “Yes, my lord.”