Assassin 3 - Royal Assassin (64 page)

I am sure I was not the only one who noticed
that Queen Kettricken was not invited to the council. Neither was I
present, being also uninvited. But it is not often that a Queen is
relegated to the same social standing as a bastard nephew.
Kettricken kept her equanimity, and went on showing Brawndy's
daughters and Shells a Mountain technique for weaving beads into
embroidery work. I hovered near the table, but doubted that their
minds were on their craft any more than mine was.

We had not long to wait. In less than an hour,
Duke Brawndy reappeared in the Great Hall with all the bluster and
chill of a storm wind. To Faith, he said, Pack our things. To
Celerity: Tell our guard to be ready to depart within the hour. He
gave Queen Kettricken a very stiff bow. My queen, I excuse myself
to depart. As House Farseer will offer no aid,
Bea
rn
s must now tend to
its own.

Indeed. I see your need for haste, Kettricken
replied gravely. But I shall require that you attend me for but one
more meal. It is not good to depart on a journey on an empty
stomach. Tell me. Do you enjoy gardens? Her question was addressed
to his daughters as much as to Bea
rn
s. They looked to their father. After a
moment he gave a curt nod.

Both the daughters admitted cautiously to
Kettricken that they enjoyed gardens. But their puzzlement was
plain. A garden? In winter, during a howling storm? I shared their
misgivings, especially as at that moment Kettricken gestured to
me.

FitzChivalry. Attend to my wish. Rosemary, go
with Lord FitzChivalry to the kitchens. Prepare food as he directs
you and bring it to the Queen's Garden. I shall escort our guests
there.

I widened my eyes at Kettricken desperately. No.
Not there. The climb to the tower alone was taxing to many, let
alone taking a cup of tea on a storm-lashed tower top. I could not
fathom what she thought she was about. The smile she returned my
anxious look was as open and serene as any I had seen. Taking Duke
Brawndy's arm, she steered him out of the Great Hall, while the
daughters trailed behind with the Queen's ladies. I turned to
Rosemary and changed her orders.

Go find warm wraps for them, and catch up with
them. I'll take care of the food.

The child scampered merrily off while I hastened
to the kitchen. I tersely informed Sara of our sudden need, and she
quickly created a platter of warmed pastries and hot mulled wine
for me. Take these yourself, and I'll send more with a boy in a
bit. I smiled to myself as I took the tray and hurried off toward
the Queen's Gardens. The Queen herself might refer to me as Lord
FitzChivalry, but Sara the cook would never think twice of ordering
me off with a tray of food. It was oddly comforting.

I took the stairs as quickly as I could, then
paused to breathe at the top landing. I braced myself for the rain
and wind, and pushed the door open. The tower top was as miserable
as I had expected it to be. The Queen's ladies and Brawndy's
daughters and Shells were huddled in a bit of shelter offered by
two adjoining walls and a stretch of canvas that had been set up as
a shady spot last summer. It broke most of the wind, and diverted a
great deal of the freezing rain as well. There was a small table
within its pathetic shelter and here I set the tray of warm food.
Rosemary, snugly bundled, smiled smugly as she snitched a pastry
from the edge of the tray. Lady Modesty presided over serving the
food.

As quickly as I could, I secured mugs of warmed
wine for the Queen and Duke Brawndy and, on pretext of serving
them, joined them. They were at the very edge of the parapet,
looking out over the crenated wall at the open sea below. The wind
had lashed it to white froth, and was flinging seagulls about with
a fine disregard for the birds' attempts to fly. As I approached I
could see they were speaking softly, but the roar of the wind
frustrated my attempt to eavesdrop. I wished I had thought to get a
cloak for myself. I was soaked through almost instantly and the
wind blew off what heat my body generated by shivering. I tried to
smile past my chattering teeth as I presented them with the
wine.

Lord FitzChivalry is known to you? she asked
Brawndy as they took the wine from me.

Indeed, I have had the pleasure of having him at
my own table, Brawndy assured her. Rain dripped off his bushy
eyebrows while the wind had set his warrior's tail to
flapping.

You would not mind, then, if I asked him to join
us in our conversation? Despite the rain that soaked her, the Queen
spoke calmly, as if we basked in spring sunshine.

I wondered if Kettricken knew that Brawndy would
see her request as a veiled command.

I would welcome his counsels, if you consider he
has wisdom to offer, my queen, Brawndy acquiesced.

I had hoped you would. FitzChivalry. Fetch
yourself some wine, and rejoin us here, please.

As my queen wishes. I bowed low and hurried off
to obey. My contact with Verity had grown more tenuous with each
passing day that he journeyed farther away, but at that moment I
could sense his nudging, eager curiosity. I hastened back to my
queen's side.

There is no undoing what has been done, the
Queen was saying as I returned to them. I grieve that we were not
able to protect our folk. Yet if I cannot undo what the Raiders
from the sea have done already, at least, perhaps, I can help to
shelter them from the storms to come. This, I bid you take them,
from their queen's hand and heart.

I noticed in passing that she made no mention of
King Shrewd's evident refusal to act. I watched her. She moved
leisurely and purposefully at once. The loose white sleeve that she
drew back from her arm was already dripping with cold rain. She
ignored it as she bared her pale arm, to reveal a snaking of gold
wire up her arm, with the dark opals of her Mountains caught here
and there in its web. I had seen the dark flash of Mountain opals
before, but never ones of this size. Yet she held out her arm for
me to unfasten the catch, and with no hesitation at all, she
unwound the treasure from her arm. From her other sleeve, she drew
a small velvet bag. I held its mouth open as she slid the bracelets
into it. She smiled warmly at Duke Brawndy as she pressed it into
his hand. From your king-in-waiting Verity and me, she said
quietly. I barely resisted Verity's impulse in me to fling himself
on his knees at the feet of this woman and declare her far too
royal for his insignificant love. Brawndy was left stuttering his
amazed thanks and vowing to her that not a penny of its worth would
go to waste. Stout houses would rise once more in Ferry, and the
folk there would bless the Queen for the warmth of them.

I suddenly saw the reason for the Queen's Garden
as a site. This was a Queen's gift, not contingent on anything
Shrewd or Regal might have to say. Kettricken's choice of place,
and her manner of presenting it to Brawndy, made that clear to him.
She did not tell him to keep it secret; she did not need
to.

I thought of the emeralds hidden in a corner of
my clothes chest, but within me Verity was quiet. I made no move to
get them. I hoped to see Verity himself fasten them about his
queen's neck one day. Nor did I wish to lessen the significance of
her gift to Brawndy by adding another from a bastard. For that was
how I would have had to present it. No, I decided. Let the Queen's
gift and her presentation of it stand alone in his
memory.

Brawndy turned from his queen to consider me. My
queen, you seem to hold this young man in considerable esteem, to
make him privy to your counsels.

I do, Kettricken replied gravely. He has never
betrayed my trust in him.

Brawndy nodded, as if confirming something to
himself. He permitted himself a small smile. My youngest daughter,
Celerity, was somewhat troubled by a missive from Lord
FitzChivalry. Especially as her older sisters had opened it for
her, and found much there to tease her with. But when she brought
her misgivings to me, I told her that it is a rare man who so
candidly admits to what might be seen as shortcomings. Only a
braggart would claim to go fearless into battle. Nor would I wish
to give my trust to a man who could kill and not feel heart-lost
afterward. As to your physical health -he clapped me suddenly on
the shoulder- I would say a summer of pulling oars and wielding an
ax had done you good. His hawk's eyes pierced mine. I have not
changed my assessment of you, FitzChivalry. Nor has Celerity. I
wish you to be sure of that.

I said the words I knew I must. Thank you,
sir.

He turned to look over his shoulder. I followed
his gaze through the blowing rain to where Celerity gazed at us.
Her father gave her a tiny nod, and her smile broke like the sun
from behind a cloud. Faith, watching her, said something, and
Celerity turned blushing to give her sister a push. My guts turned
to ice when Brawndy told me, You may bid my daughter farewell, if
you wish.

There were few things I wished less to do. But I
would not undo what Kettricken had so laboriously wrought. I could
not. So I bowed and excused myself, and forced myself to cross the
rain-pelted garden to present myself to Celerity. Faith and Shells
immediately withdrew to a not-quite-discreet distance to watch
us.

I bowed to her with absolute correctness. Lady
Celerity, I must thank you again for the scroll you sent me, I said
awkwardly. My heart was pounding. As was hers, I am sure, for a
completely different reason.

She smiled at me through the falling rain. I was
glad to send it, and gladder of your reply. My father explained it
to me. I hope you do not take it amiss that I showed it to him. I
did not understand why you would belittle yourself so. He said,
`The man who must brag for himself knows that no one else will.'
Then he told me there is no better way to learn the sea than at the
oar of a boat. And that, in his younger years, the ax was always
his weapon, too. He has promised my sisters and me a dory of our
own, next summer, that we can take out on the sea on fine days ....
She faltered suddenly. I chatter, do I not?

Not at all, my lady, I assured her quietly. I
much preferred that she do the talking.

My lady, she repeated softly, and then blushed
as furiously as if I had kissed her right there.

I looked aside from her, only to find Faith's
wide eyes on us, her mouth an O of scandalized delight. Imagining
what she imagined I had said to her sister brought the color and
heat to my face as well. As I went scarlet she and Shells burst out
giggling.

It seemed an eternity before we left the
storm-battered Queen's Garden. Our guests sought their rooms, both
to change from sodden clothing and to prepare for their journey. I
did likewise, dressing hastily lest I miss anything of their
departure. I was at the outer courtyard to see Brawndy and his
guard mount. So was Queen Kettricken, in her now familiar purple
and white, and her honor guard had been turned out as well. She
stood beside Brawndy's horse to bid him farewell, and before he
mounted, he went down on one knee and kissed her hand. Some brief
words were spoken, I know not what, but the Queen smiled as the
winds lashed her hair about her face. Brawndy and his troops set
off into the teeth of the storm. There was anger yet in the set of
Brawndy's shoulders, but his obeisance to the Queen showed me that
as of yet not all was lost.

Celerity and Faith both looked back to me as
they rode off, and Celerity dared to lift a hand in farewell. I
returned the gesture. I stood watching them go, chilled by more
than the rain. I had supported Verity and Kettricken this day, but
at what cost to myself? What was I doing to Celerity? Was Molly,
perhaps, right about all this?

Later that evening, I went to pay my respects to
my king. He had not summoned me. I did not intend to discuss
Celerity with him. I went, wondering if Verity willed it in me or
if it was my own heart cautioning me not to abandon him. Wallace
grudgingly admitted me, with a stern warning that the King was
still not feeling completely himself, and I must not weary
him.

King Shrewd was sitting up before his fireplace.
The air of the room was cloying with Smoke. The Fool, his face
still an interesting landscape of purples and blues, sat at the
King's feet. He had the good fortune to be below the most pungent
level of the haze. I had no such luck as I took the low backless
stool that Wallace so thoughtfully provided for me.

A few moments after I had presented myself and
sat down, the King turned to me. He regarded me blearily for a few
moments as his head swayed on his neck. Ah, Fitz, the King greeted
me belatedly. How have your lessons been? Is Master Fedwren pleased
with your progress?

I glanced at the Fool, who did not meet my eyes,
but poked morosely at the fire.

Yes, I said quietly. He has said my lettering is
good.

That's fine. A clear hand is a thing any man may
be proud of. And what of our bargain? Have I kept my word to
you?

It was our old litany. Once more I considered
the terms he had offered me. He would feed me, clothe me, and
educate me, and in return he would have my complete loyalty. I
smiled at the familiar words, but my throat closed at how the man
who said them had wasted away, and what they had come to cost
me.