Douglas Niles - Goddess Worldweaver

“Borand Houseguard, I know you-I thought-as a loyal soldier, one of my ferr’ell masters. Is this true?” asked King Lightbringer, fixing the elder brother with a stern glare. “Explain yourself.”

“Sire, I am innocent of treason,” Borand declared. “My brother and I were working to prevent treachery, to uncover truths that we might bring to your attention.”

“Cease your impudence!” Nayfal snapped, taking a step toward the prisoner.

“Lord Nayfal!” the king barked. “Let him speak.”

“Of course, sire,” replied the nobleman with a deep bow. “But beware of his sweet words. All these men, here, will testify that he was taken in league with the goblins. There is blood on his blade-the blood of your own guardsmen!”

“What is the treachery of which you speak?” Lightbringer said, addressing Borand.

“There is a plot at work, sire… a plot to convince you that the goblins are our enemies. It began forty years ago, with the attempt on your life… the scheme that claimed the life of Cubic Mandrill. And it continues to this day, with the murder of the dwarfmaid beyond the ghetto wall. That was not the act of goblins, Your Majesty.”

“I have heard these allegations before,” said the king impatiently. “But no one has brought proof.”

Darann stood and found herself speaking loudly, her words carrying through the great hall. “I have proof, Your Majesty!”

The king looked up, shocked, while guards shouted in alarm and started running toward the balcony.

“Guards, to the stairs!” cried Nayfal, blanching. “Sieze her! Beware another attempt on the king’s life!”

“Stay!” roared King Lightbringer, and the lord, the guards, the prisoners, Darann, and her companions all froze at the force of that one word. The monarch squinted up at the balcony as Darann stepped to the top of the stairway leading down to the floor. “I know you, too,” Lightbringer said. “You are Darann of clan Houseguard, wife of the hero Karkald,” he said. Then he frowned. “These would be your brothers.”

His scowl deepened. “Your brothers are prisoners, and your family is accused of treachery. Strong proof is required against these charges.”

“I bring proof and a witness, sire,” she replied, as Greta and Konnor came up to stand beside her. As the king waved them forward, they descended toward the floor, and an escort of guards flanked them as they approached the throne.

“And who are these?” asked the king.

“Konnor is another of your loyal soldiers, sire, one of your Rockriders. He has seen to my safety, when there have been those who would have killed to prevent me coming here.”

“I see. And the maid?”

“This is the daughter of Cubic Mandrill, Your Majesty. She knows the true story of how he died.”

Darann addressed the king, but her eyes were on Nayfal as she spoke. The lord’s face twisted in fury at her words, and he looked about frantically, no doubt seeking some escape from the net closing about him.

“Your father was a great hero,” said the king to Greta. “I did not know he left behind a child, else I would have taken care to see that your needs were met. I am sorry to learn this so late.”

“I have done fine by myself,” Greta replied calmly. “And I seek no bounty on the name of my father. I tell you truly: he was no hero-he was a traitor who schemed to fix our people’s hatred against the goblins.”

“Liar!” shouted Nayfal, growing pale. He drew his dagger and lunged forward with shocking speed. “I will silence your slanderous tongue.”

Konnor reacted faster than Darann-or their guards-could see, stepping forward and knocking the lord’s weapon hand to the side. Nayfal twisted away and raised the weapon for another strike when the king’s words held him.

“Let her speak, my lord. And know that such impetuous displays do you no favors!”

Darann saw that Greta was shaking, and she stepped forward to put an arm around the younger dwarfmaid. “Show him the coin.”

Still trembling, Greta drew the leather bag from her belt pouch and tugged at the drawstring, finally opening it. She stepped forward, Darann at her side and Konnor behind, while alert Royal Guards closed in from either side.

“It is a forgery, sire! An attempt to smear my name!” cried the nobleman, hurrying forward as well. Apparently sensing that the king was not listening, he lapsed into worried silence, his fingers caressing the hilt of his dagger.

“Your majesty, this was given to my father as payment for his part of the scheme. He was to discover the goblins in your palace. They were exactly where Lord Nayfal told him they would be, since the lord had paid them to be there. My father arrested them, but when Lord Nayfal came to claim the prisoners, a scuffle ensued. Cubic Mandrill and the goblins were killed. The lord was credited with saving our king, and my father was labeled a hero for uncovering a plot, when in fact he was paid for his presence at that exact time and place.”

King Lightbringer took the golden disk and studied it for a long time. Lord Nayfal started to stammer something, but the monarch gestured him to silence. Finally, he raised his eyes, his gaze falling directly onto Nayfal.

“Why?” The word was short, as abrupt as the fall of an executioner’s axe. “Why would you betray me, betray us all, thus? Do you know the evil that has been wrought in the last forty years, because I trusted you?”

Nayfal shook his head frantically. “That’s just it, Your Majesty. There is no good reason for me to go to such lengths!” He stared pleadingly at the king, but for a second his eyes shifted to Darann-and in that second, she understood.

“He did it because he lied about the battle at Arkan Pass-and that means Karkald is alive. He must be in Nayve!” she declared suddenly. “The marshal must realize this; that’s why he has turned the whole of your attention inward, sire! It is always the goblins that must be controlled, or defenses prepared against the Delvers massing just beyond the range of our light beacons! Who has fought your efforts to commission the Worldlift more urgently than Nayfal? It is because his secret will be revealed if ever we open up travel between our world and Nayve!”

“More lies!” shrieked Nayfal.

Once again the dagger was in his hand. In a bestial fury, he charged at Darann. This time Konnor met the blow with his own sword drawn-a quick slash that cut the lord’s wrist to the bone. Nayfal screamed and stumbled back, and the infuriated Rockrider closed, knocking him to the ground with a punch. Shaking with rage, Konnor stood over the fallen lord and pressed the tip of his blade through the tangle of the noble dwarf’s beard.

“Tell the truth!” he snarled. “Or by all the Seven Circles, I’ll cut your heart out. What happened to Karkald?”

Nayfal started to blubber a denial, then screamed and gurgled as the sword sliced the skin of his throat. “No-I will tell!” he shrieked.

Konnor eased the pressure of his weapon enough to allow the dwarf to draw a gasping breath. Blubbering, Nayfal squirmed, finally speaking when the sword pressed down again. “Magic-he was taken by blue magic after Arkan Pass… the Delvers, too… all of them raised up… the blue magic came and surrounded them-and they were gone!”

“To Nayve!” Darann repeated with certainty, her hopes rising to heights they had not attained for decades. “That’s where they were taken!”

“Yes-at least, it stands to reason. The barrier itself is blue magic,” Borand declared. “It comes from the same source.”

“Your Majesty!” Nayfal croaked. “Do not be misguided-the goblins-”

“The goblins have suffered and died to bring you this information, sire,” Darann interrupted. “Make no mistake; hundreds of them have perished in the last few hours, and more are being killed every minute-in Your Majesty’s name!”