Darksong Rising (97 page)

through them, until she had a stack of a dozen, which she set beside the serving tray on the bench

at the foot of the high bed. Then she nodded and went to the door, opening it.

“Rickel. . . if you would have someone summon Lord Jimbob for me? I’d like to see him now.”

Rickel tightened his lips, as if concealing a smile. “My pleasure, Regent.”

Anna closed the door—except not quite all the way—and listened.

“Regent... good for that boy. Full of himself until she took hold of him... had that look in her

eye... bet she’s going to straighten him up proper again..."

Not quite in that way. Anna eased the door closed all the way and returned to the latest scroll

from Lord Clethner.

 
...being that Wendell sits near-astride the border with Nordwei and Lord Genrica’s consort is

the cousin of one of the counselors.

Thrap.

Anna looked up at the knock. “Yes?”

“It’s Lord Jimbob, Lady Anna.”

“Come on in.” Anna set down Clethner’s scroll and stood behind the table, waiting.

Jimbob stepped inside gingerly.

Anna motioned for him to close the door. “You see those?” She pointed to the scrolls on the

bench.

“Yes, Lady Anna.”

She smiled. “You’re going to get a better understanding of something else. Jimbob... I want you

to read every one of these. Right now, while I go through some of the others." She pointed again

to the stack of scrolls she had preselected. There were a few, such as those from Tybel, Jecks,

and Clethner, that she didn’t want him to see.

“Me, Lady Anna?”

“You were the one who told me you learned more by doing. These are what I have to deal with. I

want you to think over each, and then write down two or three lines of what you would do if you

were in my boots."

Jimbob swallowed.

Anna smiled. “Oh. . . and you’ll do it here, because those scrolls aren’t leaving me. You can also

ask me questions, if you need to."

“Ah... yes, Lady Anna." The redhead pulled a straight-backed chair next to the bench and sat

down. Slowly, lie picked up a scroll on the side, almost as if the parchment were fire that might

burn him.

Anna searched to find the scroll from Lord Tybel. After she read it, she was seething. She took a

deep breath, and a swallow of water, then studied it again.

 
...while it is most commendable for a female Regent to attempt to maintain the lineage of the

lords of Defalk from father to son... under the ancient and honorable traditions of Defalk, all

lands must pass from fathers to sons, or nephews or brothers. Otherwise and one might as well

say that Defalk is no more...

The sorceress-Regent forced herself to take another slow breath.

 
...first you as Regent have let women hold lands for sons, and now you would have women hold

lands for daughters... the Thirty-three cannot accept such a perversion of what has always been

and what must be for Defalk... I will raise the entire south against the Regency should this

continue...

She shook her head. Was Tybel an idiot? Hadn’t he heard what had happened to Dannel? Or was

he so isolated that he couldn’t believe it? Or did he truly believe in some sort of harmonic divine

right of primogeniture? She slowly rolled up the scroll. Somehow, she had the feeling that Tybel

wasn’t going to back down, that his beliefs justified the murder of his daughter and her children.

So your beliefs justify his death?

She didn’t have the armsmen to force him to submit, and she couldn’t risk those she had, and she

couldn’t risk another attack like the one that Dannel had led. And that doesn’t leave a lot of

options.

She looked helplessly at the wall for a long time before picking up the next scroll.

After more than a glass, Jimbob set down the last of the scrolls he had been poring over and

looked at Anna. “These are not all, are they?”

Anna set down the goblet of water she had been sipping. “No. You’ll see some of the others as

you get more experience. Now... remember, you have to draft a short suggestion on each for

me.”

Jimbob nodded.

Another knock sounded on the door. “Lady Anna... the saalmeister would like to inform you and

Lord Jimbob that dinner will be ready in a quarter glass... unless you would like it later.”

“No... we’ll be ready.” Anna looked at Jimbob. “You can think about the scrolls tonight and

write up your suggestions in the morning. I’ll be writing most of the day, I suspect.” She stood.

“We shouldn’t keep the others waiting.” Most of them didn’t get snacks....

Jimbob stood. “I am hungry.”

Anna smiled. She hadn’t known many thirteen or fourteen year-olds who weren’t hungry. “Let’s

go.”

105

In the gray that preceded sunrise, Anna looked at the lutar case on the bench at the foot of the

high carved bed. One full day in Synfal really hadn’t been enough, although the redheaded

young Lord of Synfal who had just stepped into her chamber had probably thought so with all

the scrolls Anna had pushed at him.

She studied Jimbob, but he looked back steadily.

“I wanted to talk to you again before I left,” Anna said. “Do you understand why I don’t think

you ought to be on this journey?”

Jimbob nodded, and his longish red hair flopped over his ears. “You don’t think I should be

involved when you have to decide who inherits lands?”

“Whoever does what I’m going to do isn’t going to be popular for a while. It’s better that people

look forward to your rule than feel that you won’t be any different from me.”

“Grandsire says you’re the best ruler Defalk has ever had.”

“I appreciate his words, and his support. But you have to remember that what people feel isn’t

necessarily the way it should be. Sometimes, when you do what is right, it’s not very popular,

especially with the Thirty-three.” Is that ever the truth. “I think you’d do fine on the trip. You’ve

done well so far, but you need more time with Herstat, and more time here to learn about Synfal

and so that the people will come to take you as their lord in their hearts as well as their heads."

“Their hearts as well as their heads..." Jimbob smiled shyly. “Sometimes, your words... they

sound... well, I wish I could talk like you do.”

“You have time to learn. Just listen. Words help, but actions speak as well, sometimes better.”

Anna cocked her head. “Any last questions?”

“I can’t think of any."

“I need to saddle Farinelli. You can come with me if you’d like.”

“I’d like to." Jimbob picked up the saddlebags and the mirror case. “I can carry these down.”

‘Thank you.” Anna glanced at the saddlebags that held the two sets of riding gear, the single

gown, and only the scroll from Jecks. The one from Tybel she had folded into her belt wallet.

Bersan and Fielmir followed them down to the stable.

There Bielttro was waiting. “Lady Anna. . . here are two sacks of grain, and they fasten behind

the saddle with these loops. They’re not heavy, and you can feed him one tonight, and one

tomorrow night.”

“In short, you’re telling me that he really ought to stay a few more days under your care and

feeding?” Anna grinned.

Bielttro shifted his weight and looked down at the straw, then at Anna. “Mayhap your care and

my feeding, lady?”

“We’ll try to do better, Bielttro.”

“You do better than many, Regent... but he is a good mount.”

Anna accepted the reproach. “I know.”

Bielttro nodded, then smiled. “Will you be back soon?”

“I hope so.”

The ostler glanced toward the courtyard.

“I understand, Bielttro. You can deal with the other problems.”

“Thank you, lady." The young ostler slipped away from the stall.

“He told you that you should handle your mount better,” Jim-bob said.

“He was right,” Anna pointed out. “And he was tactful about telling me. He is a good head

ostler, and he will get better. Treat him with respect, and listen to him, and he’ll save you horses

and coins.”

Jimbob nodded. “Many would take umbrage.”

“Just because I’m Regent doesn’t mean I’m always right. People will tell you you’re right

because you’re a lord. You have to know which are telling you the truth and which are flattering

you.” You’re probably laying it on too thick, but he needs all the reinforcement he can get on

that point.

“Grandsire said that, too. But an ostler never told him—”

 
“Your grandsire is far more experienced with horses than I am. He wouldn’t make a mistake like

that. I’ve heard Dythya and Herstat correct him on coins and numbers, though.”

“Oh... I had not thought...”

You'd better...

“I need to get moving, Jimbob,” Anna suggested as she finished tightening the girths and

adjusting the saddle.

“I know.” The young lord handed her the saddlebags, the small grain bags. the mirror case and

then the lutar. “I’ll watch from the hall door.” He stopped. “You be careful, Lady Anna.”

“I will.” She watched as the embarrassed young man bowed and darted out of the stall.