Ravenmarked (The Taurin Chronicles) (5 page)

Logan inclined his head. “Yes, sire.”

Braedan folded his hands and considered the news of the sayada. “The sayas—you say I shouldn’t kill them.”

“Majesty, the sayas are well-loved. Killing a few nobles who stand in the way of you taking the crown—the people can forgive that. But these women care for the unfortunate and downtrodden.” Logan paused. “If you kill them all, you will incite the people.”

“Incite them? Put fear into them, perhaps.”

“Do you wish to rule by fear or by vision, sire?”

Vision. But my uncle says it takes fear.
“Perhaps it will take both.”

“As you wish, majesty. Did your meeting with Sayana Muriel today yield any results?”

Braedan’s jaw tightened. “No. She refuses to do more than proselytize.”
Rule by fear. If I kill them, the people will fear me. Is that what I want?
He turned back to the throne. “There’s nothing to be learned from the sayas. Prepare the gallows.”

“Majesty.”

Braedan turned back.

“You may be able to get Muriel’s cooperation if you keep the other women prisoner. She would do anything to save her charges.”

“Other counselors told me to kill them all—that as long as the kirok was alive and well on Taura, I would never be secure on my throne.”

A muscle twitched in Logan’s jaw. “I’m sure your lord uncle means well, your majesty.”

Not my uncle.
Braedan crossed his arms. “And the Eiryan princess—what do you recommend I do with her?”

“Send her home. Don’t risk war with Eirya,” Logan said.

“You don’t think she’s a spy?”

A hint of a grin flickered across Logan’s mouth. “Forgive me, majesty, but no. That’s not King Cedric’s way. He dotes on his daughter. He would not send her to do such work.”

Braedan grunted an acknowledgement. “You offer wise counsel, Logan. What have you done with the sayas?”

“The sayas have been taken to the dungeons. I await your orders on what to do with them.”

Braedan nodded. “I will consider what to do with the sayas overnight. Tell the Dal’Imuri to guard them, but they aren’t to touch them unless I give orders.”
That should terrify them into submission. Grown men have soiled themselves under the glare of one of the Dal’Imuri.

“As you wish, majesty. And the princess?”

“Show her to my study. I would speak with her where we can have more privacy.” He paused. “I’ve heard she’s a rare beauty. Is it true?”

Logan’s face remained implacable. “The lady is very pleasing to the eye. Her voice leaves something to be desired, however.”

Braedan grinned. “Shrill?”

“It’s not for me to gossip about a highborn lady, majesty.” He took a wineskin from around his neck and handed it to Braedan. “From our own stores, sire. If I may be excused?”

Braedan took the wineskin. “See to your duties.” He sat down and leaned his head back against the cool ebony of the throne as Logan’s footsteps retreated. The sayada of the Order of Sai Atena posed no threat to the regency, but to a man who would establish a monarchy, they were a stumbling block. They believed the rightful heir to the Raven Throne would return one day, and they would not quietly accept any king or queen who did not have the blood of ancient King Aiden and Queen Brenna.
But that bloodline is gone—disappeared into myth or lost in history or battle.
He rubbed his chin.
Aiden and Brenna died a thousand years ago, and no one ever found their son. There’s no reason to believe this woman they say is the heir was really of a royal bloodline. But still, if they believe it, they can rally people around her. I have to deal with this woman.

Braedan picked up the wineskin Logan had left behind. He removed the stopper and inhaled. The rich aroma of a dark red wine tempted him.
Securing thrones is a messy business. I’ll do it with a clear head.
He took one drink, went to the privy, and emptied the rest of the skin down the shaft.

Chapter Four

It’s easier to treat with a bear in spring than with an Eiryan noblewoman.

— King Cedric Mac Roy, r. 5965-6007

Locks rattled on the cell doors, and the sayas around Igraine sobbed and wailed in fear. “Alshada help us,” one woman whispered.

Igraine straightened from her resting pose against the stone wall of the dungeon. “We left him in the sayada,” she said.

The woman wrung her hands, her face pale and her breath shallow. “They’ll take us and—”

Igraine resisted the urge to slap the woman. “Never fear, lass. You have me.”

The door opened, and a tall, dark figure wearing a royal hauberk and gold cord stepped into the room. His eyes fell on her right away. “Your highness. The king—”

She gave him a derisive snort. “King? He thinks himself a king, does he?”

His expression didn’t even twitch. “The king requests your presence.” He held out an arm.

She gestured to the women behind her. “And these? What will be done with them?”

“You can ask his majesty.”

She tightened her mouth and walked out the door, refusing the guard’s arm. He took her elbow and guided her through the winding underground passageways. Somewhere, a man wept, and the stench of waste and blood threatened to choke Igraine. They walked past a lithe, masked man clad completely in black and carrying a long iron prod with a barbed end. She raised her chin.
This boy-king will find himself with an armada of Eiryan pirates at his door if he doesn’t stop this immediately.

The guard guided her through the palace with an occasional hand on her elbow to redirect her until they reached the upper floors. He nodded to two guards in front of a wide oak door. “His majesty is expecting us.” The guards stepped aside, and the man leading Igraine opened the door for her.

Igraine entered the well-appointed room and strode to the desk. The man behind it started to stand and speak, but she didn’t let him. “You’d be the boy who thinks himself a king, then?”

He inclined his head. “Your highness,” he started. “I—”

Igraine held up a hand. “I’ve no interest in your niceties. I don’t know what you’re about, lad, but this treatment of the Order of Sai Atena is a violation of Aliom’s treaty with Taura. The Great Kirok has been guaranteed freedom to preach, guide, and comfort in the name of Alshada since the breaking of the world. I demand to see the Eiryan ambassador. Now.”

His mouth twitched at one corner. “A lot of demands for a woman in your position,” he said. He picked up a carafe and a goblet. “Wine, my lady?”

“I’ve no desire for prison food.”

He laughed. “Prison food? I assure you, no one in the dungeons is receiving wine tonight.” He poured and held out the goblet. “Take it,” he said when she hesitated. “I promise you it isn’t poisoned.”

She lifted the goblet to her nose and swirled the wine, inhaling the heady, distinct aroma of the rich soils around the Aldorean Seas. “Esparan?”

He inclined his head again. “I have connections.” He sat behind his desk once more.

Igraine sipped the wine.
Alshada’s breath, he’s easy to look at.
There was humor in Braedan’s eyes and an easy manner about him that reminded her of her own brothers. “How considerate of you to prepare for my visit.”

He swirled his own wine. “Would you like to tell me why an Eiryan princess hides in a sayada filled with misguided fools who still believe in creation myths and an ancient god-man? Or shall I just guess?”

“Myths, is it? And how would you be knowing a thing like that?”

“Few thinking men believe in Alshada. The kirok belongs to another era. The stories do little more than comfort the uneducated.”

“And women? Is that what you’re thinking, then? That only a foolish woman would take the vows of Sai Atena?”

Blue eyes twinkled over the rim of his goblet. “I’ve been thinking about it for some time. I can’t see any reason for a woman of your rank to waste her time in a sayada. If you need an education, there are other places for that. I wonder if your father sent you to watch the Taurin throne.”

Igraine gave him a cool smile. “No. He would not burden me with such trifling concerns.” She gathered her sayada robes around her and sat down.

The tilted grin widened. “You have a rare cheek for a noblewoman.”

“Perhaps you’ve not met enough Eiryan noblewomen.”

He pulled a dagger out of his belt and toyed with it. “How long have you been at the sayada, highness?”

Is that supposed to intimidate me?
“Not long.”

“Have you taken the oaths?”

“No.”

“Why not? Do you harbor doubts?”

I have nothing but doubts.
She sipped her wine. “Have I done something to offend you?”

“Not yet.”

“Then I fail to see why my religious convictions are any business of yours.”

He stood, put the knife in his belt, and went around the desk. “What was it? The vow of chastity? Or the one of poverty? What kept you from vowing to serve the sayada? I have to say that I cannot see why the Order of Sai Atena would appeal to a woman like you. I can see you are not accustomed to deprivation.” He leaned forward and lifted her hair in one hand.

She eyed the dagger in his belt. “I’m also not accustomed to men showing a woman of my rank such disrespect.”

“Disrespect? No, my lady, you misunderstand.”

She pulled her hair away from his hand and put it behind her back. “Do I? Even the boldest of suitors would not have dared touch my hair without my leave. You presume much for a thief.”

He smirked. “Your father made no secret of his support for my cousin. Did your father send you to the sayada to watch the regency and report back to him?”

She laughed. “No. My father has far better means of gathering information about foreign governments than sending his own daughter to spy.”

“Do you know of any Eiryan spies here in the city?”

“No, but if I did, I’d not tell you.” She set her wine on the desk. “I have no intention of discussing Eiryan policy with you. If that’s what you wish, you can return me to the prison.”

“And risk war with Eirya when King Cedric finds out I have his only daughter locked up in a dungeon? I’m not stupid.” He swirled the wine in his goblet, but didn’t drink. “Is it true what they say about the Eiryan army? That your father brings in swordmasters from Tal’Amun to train them?”

She smiled. “Do you see your entrails hanging from a ha’kari sword, Braedan?”

“I would be a fool if the rumors about the Eiryan army didn’t give me pause.”

“Then what do you have planned for me?”

“I merely wish to offer you the hospitality of the Taurin crown until you can return home.”

This is too easy.
“And when will that be?”

“You may write to your father as soon as you wish. Send a message with a merchant ship when I reopen the harbor.”

“And that’s it? That’s all you want? Just to send me home?”

Braedan set down his goblet and spread his hands. “Eirya has given no offense as far as I can see. You may leave when you wish.”

My father will have me married off before my trunks are unpacked.
“What will you do with the sayas?”

“I’m afraid the sayas will remain my guests for now.”

“Why?”

He gave her a tilted smile. “Ah, my lady, I fear I can’t share that information.”

She crossed her arms. “You need something from them. Otherwise, you’d kill them or exile them.” She leaned forward. “Perhaps I can help you, if you tell me what it is.”

“Perhaps another time.” He straightened and held out an arm. “I’ll see you to quarters where you’ll be comfortable until your father sends someone for you. You’ll have every comfort due your rank, your highness.”

Damn it.
“You’re making a mistake,” she said.

“A mistake?”

“Persecuting the kirok will only bring you trouble, I promise you.”

He folded his arms and tipped his head to one side. “All right,” he said finally. “I’m listening.”

Igraine’s stomach fluttered when her eyes met Braedan’s steely blue gaze. His lithe build and strong, steady posture spoke of an accomplished athlete, and she had a sudden, unwelcome picture of what he might look like without his tunic.
Well, not entirely unwelcome.
She wet her lips.
Don’t be a fool. Pull yourself together, lass. He’s just a man like any other
. “As you point out, it is your country and you can do as you wish. But the kirok is more powerful than you seem to realize. It may be wiser to cultivate that alliance than to sever it. You threaten to take away a source of comfort and guidance for the common people. Peasants may not be well-armed or organized, but they can still cause problems if they don’t support you. If you wish to head off the revolt that may be coming by your coup, it might be better to get the kirok to support you rather than to condemn you.”

“And how do you propose I get the kirok to support me?”

“The kirok in Aliom has powerful connections to merchant money. You want to see money flow into Taura? Ask Aliom to build and repair kiroks here. When they brought their kiroks to Eirya, my father’s treasury overflowed without raising a single tax.”

“How so?”

“The kirok brings plans and money and little else. If they build kiroks on Taura, they’ll need timber and stone and all manner of other materials, as well as craftsmen and builders. Elders and kirons will come to Taura as well, bringing families and money with them. When they draw people away from the countryside and into the holdings of your nobles, the nobles will become wealthier, resulting in more for your treasury without raising taxes.”

He tilted his head. “You have a sharp mind.”

She bristled at the condescension in his voice. “Does that surprise you?”

He offered a crooked grin. “It’s rare to find such a sharp mind in such a beautiful woman.”

He’s baiting me!
“Would you be surprised to find thorns on a rose?”

“Thorns. I don’t see how that’s possible.”

“I am an Eiryan princess with three older brothers. I can assure you, Braedan—I have thorns.”

“I can’t just let the sayas go. They and the kirok have hidden someone they believe can challenge my authority. I can’t allow them to influence the people against me, nor can I allow such dissidence to remain unpunished.”

“Keep the sayas imprisoned until you establish a treaty with Aliom. Send them somewhere else as part of the treaty.” She paused. “You should know that if you have the sayas tortured, you will call down the wrath of the kirok on yourself.”

He laughed at that. “Should that concern me?”

“I would be concerned if I were you. The kirok employs its own Dal’Imuri.”

A single eyebrow rose. “Igraine, you push the truth too far.”

She lifted one shoulder and sipped her wine. “They’re your entrails. I can only tell you what I’ve heard.”

“And what is that?”

“That nobles who challenge the kirok have a way of disappearing.” She thought his face paled. “I have no reason to lie to you. You have told me I’m free to go. You fear war with Eirya. I don’t have to tell you any of this. I could just let you anger the kirok and find out for yourself. But, if you intend to rule Taura, you should do it with your eyes open.”

He frowned. “And who would arrange this new treaty?”

Keep yourself together,
she thought.
You have him. And if you play this well, you won’t ever have to go home.
“Have you ever been to Aliom?”

“I have not had the desire or the need to visit the kirok’s headquarters.”

“I have. And my father has hosted kirok elders many times. He is close to Prelate Johanan, and the kirok has a strong presence on Eirya.” She kept her hands folded so he wouldn’t see the tremor in them. “You need someone to treat with the kirok. I know the kirok. Let me treat with them for you.”

“I have nobles loyal to me. Why would I need an Eiryan noblewoman to do the work of an ambassador?”

“It gives the appearance of neutrality. Use your own nobles who have been bought or threatened, and the kirok elders will not take you seriously. Use me, and they will see a foreign princess with a long history of service and loyalty to the kirok who has no reason to support your ascension but does anyway.”

“How do I know you will not betray me?”

“You don’t. But if I am here in your presence every day you can ensure that I am working in your favor, can’t you?”

Silence hovered. “Why would you do this, Igraine?”

“Why do you seize the throne this way?”

“For the good of Taura. To build something great.”

“I can help you do that. You were right, Braedan. I was not raised for the life of the sayas. I was raised to be a noblewoman. But a life of playing court does not appeal to me. I wish to do greater things than marry and bear children.”

He turned away, folded his arms, and walked to the window. “A woman ambassador. Such things are unheard of.”