John Flanagan - Erak_s ransom

Halt shrugged. That would be fine with him.

Then Duncan added, in a frustrated tone, 'But I can't at the moment. I'm supposed to be organising the peace talks between four of the six Hibernian kings. They'll fall apart if I don't arbitrate among them.'

'Then give me your seal and I'll go in your place. We'll say I'm your long-lost cousin,' Halt said. He had very little time for the proper way of doing things. Duncan sighed and looked at Crowley.

'Have you never explained to your wild man how the system of royal seals and signets works in the civilised world, Crowley?'

Crowley raised his eyebrows. He suspected that Halt had engaged in numerous fraudulent activities to do with royal seals over the past twenty years. But this time, they couldn't take the risk.

'The royal seal can only be used by a member of the royal family, as you know, Halt,' said Lord Anthony. 'If you were to use it, any negotiations you carried out, and any agreements you reached, would be fraudulent and therefore void. If that were exposed, it would take years for Araluen to regain the trust of other countries. We can't risk that.'

Halt snorted, his usual reaction to formalities and protocols. Lady Pauline placed a calming hand over his own and he looked at her and shrugged apologetically. Then, trying to keep his voice reasonable, he asked: 'Couldn't you give me a warrant to act on your behalf, signed over your seal?'

'If it were another country – Teutlandt or Gallica, for example – that's exactly what I'd do,' Duncan replied. 'But unfortunately, even though the Arridi speak the common tongue, they have their own alphabet and written language, which bears no resemblance to ours. We have nobody who can write or read it and presumably they have nobody who can read ours. So a warrant authorising you to act on my behalf might just as well be a shopping list given under my seal.' Duncan paused, chewing his bottom lip in frustration. 'No. I'll have to go myself,' he said. 'But it'll have to wait till I've dealt with these damned Hibernians. No offence, Halt,' he added, remembering that Halt had originally come from that irrational country. Halt shook his head.

'None taken, your majesty. But there must be some other way,' he insisted.

'The answer is staring us all in the face,' Cassandra said. 'I'll go.'

All eyes turned towards her. There was a moment of silence in the room as those present considered her suggestion. Then the King answered brusquely.

'You will not. It's out of the question.'

Colour rose in Cassandra's cheeks as he spoke. Controlling her anger with a great effort, she spoke very calmly. 'Why? Why should it be out of the question? Our family, our country, owes a debt of honour to Erak. The Skandians are our allies because of him. So why shouldn't I be the one to negotiate his release?'

'Because… ' The King hesitated and she cut him off.

'You've said that the task requires a seal-bearer. A member of the royal family. Well, I don't see any others around here. Why shouldn't I go in your place?' She paused, then added with greater intensity, 'Dad, this is exactly what we were discussing a few weeks ago. One day I'll be Queen. If I don't start taking on some of these duties now, I'll never be ready to be a real queen – someone you'd be proud of.'

'Cassandra, you will not go and that's an end of it. Now let's stop this discussion. It's embarrassing.'

She sensed the weakness in his argument and knew what was behind it.

'It's only embarrassing because you know you're wrong about this. I owe Erak my life. I have a right to help rescue him.'

There was a matching flare of anger in the King's face now and she sensed that she had scored a point. There was no rational reason why she shouldn't undertake the mission. His objection to it was purely personal. It was understandable, she realised. But it was wrong.

'The problem is, Cassandra,' he said, also working to keep his voice calm, 'you're… '

'A girl,' she interrupted.

He shook his head doggedly. 'That wasn't what I was going to say. I was going to say you're inexperienced and young. You've never carried out negotiations like this.'

'I negotiated the Skandian treaty,' she shot back and he shook his head like a clumsy bear frustrated by a small dog nipping at its heels.

'You had Halt to advise you then,' he said and she answered immediately, giving him no respite, knowing she had to press her advantage if she were to have any chance of winning this argument.

'He can advise me on this,' she said. She looked at the Ranger. 'Halt, you'd come with me, wouldn't you?'

'Of course I would, your highness,' he said. Unlike the King, he saw no good reason why Cassandra should not go on the mission. In Skandia, she had proved to be brave and resourceful. And she was no shrinking violet. She'd shown that in the battle line against the Temujai, when she had calmly directing her group of archers while the fierce horse soldiers overran her position. He had no doubt that she could look after herself.

'Halt… ' the King began, looking angrily at his old friend. But Lord Anthony now interjected as well. 'Actually, your majesty, there is a certain merit in the idea. The Arridi are a matriarchal society. Succession is through the mother's line. So they have no objection to dealing with women – unlike some countries. That makes the Princess an excellent choice as your representative.'

The King came to his feet abruptly. The heavy high-backed chair he had been sitting in teetered for a moment on its back legs with the force of his movement. Then it crashed back onto a level footing again.

'I will thank you all to stay out of this!' he said, in an rather loud voice. 'This is a family matter. It is between my daughter and myself and it is of no concern to any of you! Is that absolutely clear?'

The last four words were delivered in a shout and there was an awkward silence in the room for several seconds. Then Baron Arald spoke.

'No, your majesty. I think you're wrong,' he said firmly. The King's furious gaze swung to him. Arald met it unflinchingly.

'Baron Arald, this does not concern you. Do you understand?'

Arald shook his head. 'No, sir. I don't. On the contrary, it does concern me. It concerns all of us.'

'I am the King, Baron Arald, and I say this matter is – '

Will watched Baron Arald with some awe. He had seen the burly knight's courage in battle several times but this was something different. This was a far greater form of courage – the moral courage to speak out when your conscience told you to do so.

'And those two statements contradict each other, your majesty. Because you are King, this matter cannot be private. Because what concerns you and your family concerns the country. In the past, you've said you valued my advice – '

'Well, I don't value it now!' the King snapped.

Arald shrugged. 'If you only value my advice when I agree with you, you don't value it at all,' he said bluntly. The King flinched as if Arald had struck him. He realised that the other man was right. But still…

'Arald, you don't understand. You don't have children. She's my daughter and this will be a dangerous journey…

Cassandra snorted derisively but Arald glanced quickly at her to silence her, then spread his hands in understanding. 'Granted, your majesty. Just as it was dangerous when you led the army against Morgarath. Just as it was dangerous when Rodney and I fought the Kalkara. This is the price we pay for our privileged rank. We enjoy the privileges because, when the time comes, we have to face the danger. And your daughter is no exception. She knew that when she and Will destroyed Morgarath's bridge, and allowed themselves to be captured.'

The King was a relatively young man but at the mention of that terrible time, his face seemed to grow haggard and old. That had been the worst time of his life, he thought. He sat down slowly. Arald softened his tone a little.