Марк Ньютон - Drakenfeld

No incidents had occurred with her: she had been an intelligent and polite companion, and not at all as I had expected. It was obvious to see how she would have worked her brother’s policies through the Senate so effectively, and made the hearts of many a senator skip a beat or two in her company.

On the morning of the sixth day, an entourage of Sun Chamber officials and soldiers were spotted approaching, so Callimar – strangely nervous – arranged for his veterans to tidy the place up as if it was on military parade. We saw to it that Lacanta was put in her room with two guards; her eunuchs, too, were under watch.

The rest of us stood on the front lawn, looking up to the dirt track, waiting for the arrival of our officials.

Eventually, they came: there must have been twenty horses at least riding down to meet us, with a dozen soldiers on foot. On the horses rode officials in resplendent Sun Chamber robes: largely black or dark colours, but with bold, yellow detail, and a huge embroidered golden sun upon the chest and back. They passed the line of trees and down into view, the officials at the front riding towards where we were standing.

One woman raised her palm for the entourage to stop. A man behind slipped off his horse and moved around to ease her down to the ground. She must be the commissioner.

After she had dismounted, the others followed suit. Two women and four men, each of them much older than myself, stepped in alongside her, each garbed in their fine silken robes of office.

The commissioner stepped forward to greet us. She was a woman of at least fifty years, with a good posture and ferocious, dark eyes. Her shoulder-length grey hair contrasted with her tanned skin; her nose and face were broad, and she had clearly become used to a good meal or two in later years.

‘Which one of you lot is Lucan Drakenfeld?’ she called out above the noise of the sea.

I stepped forward and descended to one knee.

‘Oh do get up, Drakenfeld,’ she said. ‘You’re the bloody reason I’ve come all this way. Save the ceremony for Free State.’

‘Thank you for coming so soon, ma’am,’ I replied.

She waved away my politeness and regarded the villa. ‘Does this place have couches? Does it have a stove?’

‘It has both,’ I said.

‘Good. My arse is sore and I’ve not had anything decent to eat since we left land.’ She stormed inside, the others following in a long, equally glum chain. I suspected I was not the only one who didn’t like travelling by sea.

We commandeered one of the studies, which did not have too many scrolls or books – but there were chairs and desks, which was enough to claim this as a base for operations.

I stood before the group of officials and the rather miserable commissioner, who introduced herself as Commissioner Tibus, third in rank of the entire Sun Chamber. Like Callimar, I had never met someone so senior, and I found myself quite nervous. It didn’t help that her temper could have been improved.

I set out the scene for the officials, starting with the night back at Optryx where Senator Veron summoned me because of the murder of Lacanta, sister of the king. I took her step by step through my findings and methodology, discussing the trail down-city to investigate the actors, Drullus’ death, my observations around the king’s residence, discussions with other senators, the picture of deceit that had been cleverly built up over a long period of time, Maxant’s death and, finally, the missing priestess of Ptrell – whose symbol I had seen in Optryx.

Commissioner Tibus regarded me without expression as I continued. I said I had confirmed that the body of the priestess had piercings, but that wasn’t enough to go on, which was why the only proof was to track down Lacanta herself. Which is, I concluded, why we were all here, and I informed them of what Lacanta had told us so far – largely of her relationship with Licintius.

Commissioner Tibus nodded. ‘Is there anything else?’

‘There is, ma’am.’ I took a deep breath before revealing my father’s role in the set-up: that he supplied a lookalike for Lacanta so that everyone could be fooled, and that he did this to pay off his gambling debts. I concluded my story with Licintius’ soldiers creating carnage in my home and our hastily arranged exit from the city.

‘Licintius was obsessed with the theatre,’ I added, ‘and only now do I realize that everything had been staged, and he was busy scripting my own story.’

‘The theatre, indeed.’ Tibus whispered to one side, ‘I never did have him down as a man of taste.’

‘I suppose at first he had not wanted me there. But, as long as I was investigating the case – visibly – and trying to solve a murder that never actually happened, I was helping him to demonstrate his innocence. So long as I didn’t make the connection, I would have been a boon to his case. He welcomed me there, but he had people watching my every move. He probably relished his own theatrics, attending public events lamenting Lacanta’s death…’

Commissioner Tibus cleared her throat. ‘Well now, have you anything else to add to this saga?’

‘Only that for my family’s role in this affair,’ I said, ‘I apologize. To you and before the wise gaze of Polla.’

Each of the gathered Sun Chamber officials regarded me with a cold stare; some made notes, others whispered something to the person beside them. I could not read the situation at all.

‘Now you’re quite sure of Calludian’s – your father’s – involvement?’

‘I am, unfortunately.’

‘Such a shame.’ Tibus shook her head. ‘He was a good one. Didn’t we pay him enough?’

‘As I said, he formed a habit for gambling – he had huge debts.’ I left out the question of how my brother might have led him astray.

‘So it goes,’ Tibus declared. ‘Still, that business could prove rather tricky to cover up. It won’t go down well, I can assure you. That said, having the man’s son expose him does seem to put a nice, honest spin on the matter.’ Some of the officials nodded in agreement.

I had no intention of being seen as someone who exposed him; my father ought to be remembered for all his good points.

‘Is Lacanta here still?’ Tibus demanded.

‘Yes, we’ve looked after her well. Someone remains with her at all times.’

‘Good. I’ll want to see her later. She must remain alive if I’m to bargain with Licintius. We must tread carefully – Detrata has a vicious streak of nationalism in it, more than any other nation in Vispasia. If we try to arrest Licintius outright, they could see it as a threat, and I daresay that will raise the chances of separatism from the Royal Union. Which we’re honour-bound to prevent, lest anyone forget.’

‘What should our next move be?’ I asked.

‘It’s a tricky thing, dealing with royals,’ Tibus said. ‘It is through national donations that the Sun Chamber does so much. Yes, we help facilitate stability and trade, and all of those pretty things we say to each other when we’re in council; but generally speaking we are meant to help kings and queens. The law is designed around the protection of such individuals and their property. We’re not really supposed to arrest the buggers.’

‘Ah,’ I said, fearing that Licintius may go unpunished for the sake of diplomacy.

‘So then,’ she continued. ‘I think that it is best this business be dealt with by Detrata’s own Senate, and in Tryum. But we must present Licintius to the Senate in such a way that they can sentence him appropriately. These two siblings – do they claim to love each other?’

‘As far as Lacanta tells me, they’re obsessed with each other. They’d have to be to go to such great lengths.’