King’s Wrath (13 page)

Former Denova.
If they had shocked Barro with their story, he’d certainly surprised Corbel with a few of his own. Corbel felt he was now as well informed as he could be about the new empire and its politics. But he was on such unsafe ground now not really knowing who might be a potential ally … or enemy.

‘Are we allowed to say that now?’ he said with a wink.

The wrinkles around her eyes creased as her smile deepened. ‘I shouldn’t have mentioned it. We’re all accustomed to saying empire now. Come in, my dear,’ she said to Evie, eyes sparkling. ‘And welcome,’ she said to Barro. ‘Follow me; you all look starved.’

They glanced at each other and fell in behind her. ‘Thank you,’ Corbel said.

‘We’ll talk in a moment,’ she said over her shoulder. ‘Go in there. Be comfortable. I am going to send for some food for you. I hope a plate of soup will suffice?’

‘Soup, porridge, anything, Mother. We are grateful,’ Evie said carefully. Corbel gave a smile of gratitude her way.

The woman rang a bell and as they settled themselves into a room, sparsely furnished but brightened with fresh flowers and pretty tapestries. They heard her giving a request for food to a young nun, who quickly hurried away. The Mother returned to the room beaming. ‘There, now we can fatten you all up a bit. Where are you headed?’

Corbel had already decided he would need to be honest with her, sensing that she would see through any guile with those bright eyes of hers. ‘We are going higher into the mountains.’

‘Good gracious, without transport or supplies? Why? It might be early summertide but it’s still dangerously cold up there. Most people visit us on their way out, when they are grateful to seecivilisation again. In fact, the other man called Regor was here just a few weeks back, in exactly that situation. He came down from the mountains with a Davarigon.’

‘And?’ Corbel asked, hoping he sounded offhand and casually interested.

She frowned. ‘I didn’t discover much more. He was travelling with a woman I like — I know her family and I trust her. They were good friends and I had no reason to fear him. He seemed rather confused about his past.’

‘In what way confused?’

‘He had lost his memory. Elka believed that bringing him to meet the Qirin might help.’ ‘Did it?’

She nodded, but smiled sadly. ‘I think Elka loved the man she brought here.’

‘I don’t understand,’ Corbel said, frowning.

Evie nodded. ‘The man who left here was different. Is that what you mean, Mother?’

‘Female instincts,’ the Abbess acknowledged with a smile at Evie. ‘You see, Evie understands. Yes, the man who left here was changed. They both knew it might happen and they took the risk.’

‘Did he love her before?’ Evie asked.

The Abbess’s expression clouded. ‘I cannot say. They were close friends. Had been companions for a long time from what I gather and he had been living in the mountains with her people for anni. What he discovered I suspected changed his outlook sufficiently that it meant his whole way of life might change.’ She turned to Corbel. ‘Does this sound like someone you might know from your own family?’ He hesitated. ‘Surely you know if you have family in these parts?’ Both women watched the colour drain from Corbel’s face.

‘My friend has been away a long time, Mother,’ Barro said, rescuing him, his eyes urging Corbel to take up the thread.

‘Yes,’ Corbel admitted. ‘I’ve been travelling to different lands,’ he said carefully.

‘Did you get as far east as Percheron? Now there’s a place I’d love to see, especially as our own queen came from that region.’

‘To be accurate, she came from Galinsea,’ Corbel corrected.

‘That’s right, she did,’ the Abbess acknowledged. ‘She was so beautiful. I saw her only once. Did you ever see the royal family? So handsome. I know we’re not supposed to talk about them here but it’s history now.’

Corbel cleared his throat, threw a glance Evie’s way.

‘What is it?’ the Abbess asked, and Corbel realised she missed little.

He searched for a way of covering their self-consciousness. ‘Evie here has some Galinsean blood running in her veins,’ he said.

He wished he hadn’t. It only led to more tension. ‘Really? I thought all Galinseans were golden-haired.’

Evie looked up and calmly spoke. ‘I take my colouring from my father,’ she said, startling Corbel. ‘I never knew him. He was a great traveller though, I’m told, and must have visited Galinsea and met my mother.’

‘What did this Regor look like?’ Corbel asked, desperate to steer the conversation elsewhere.

‘Well, he had your build but the similarities end there … although to be honest it’s hard to tell,’ she said with a smile.

Corbel scratched at his unruly beard. ‘I know. I hope you’ll indulge me with a bath, Mother. We will gladly pay,’ he said, thinking of the money given to him by the King that he had buried in a park near the hospital for all those anni and had to dig up just before they left. ‘I hope you take the same coin,’ he commented absently.

The Abbess frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

He felt colour at his cheeks. That had been a mistake. His hesitation was about to undo him, he was sure, when Barro suddenly joined the conversation.

‘Oh, my cousin has been away many anni. Wait until my mother catches up with you, Regor! I suppose you’ve been dealing with different coin in strange parts. Let me guess: you only have money from the days of Brennus.’

Corbel swallowed. ‘Er, yes. Ridiculous, isn’t it?’

The Abbess blinked. ‘You have been away a long time. We haven’t used that currency for six anni. Nevertheless, it is still accepted, particularly here in the north.’

Barro warmed to his theme. ‘And you can always exchange the coin at Woodingdene at the imperial mint.’

‘But for now,’ the Abbess smiled, its warmth touching her eyes and making Corbel feel safe, ‘you have nothing to worry about. Our food and our water are free.’

Corbel’s relief was huge when they heard a knock at the door.

‘Refreshment,’ she said happily. She looked at the door. ‘Come.’

A woman entered carrying a tray. The hood of her habit was up so they could not see her face. She set the food down between them. The tasty aroma of a steaming, meaty soup made Corbel’s belly softly grind. Warm buns and oil to dip them in was provided, along with a soft herb paste he hadn’t tasted in a decade.

‘I hope you like beef and colac?’ the Abbess enquired.

Evie glanced at Corbel. ‘Er, yes, delicious, thank you.’

‘Help yourself to the sherret. I wasn’t sure if you preferred it with or without,’ she added, smiling at Evie.

‘Without would be an insult to the fine soup of the region,’ Barro said, waving a hand widely and smiling somewhat wolfishly at the Abbess. Corbel inwardly smiled at Barro’s passing a disguised message to Evie.

‘May I?’ murmured the newcomer. Corbel watched the nun dollop a small scoop of the dark green paste into the stew and give the gravy a stir. Then she stepped back, gesturing for them to taste. Corbel’s first mouthful transported him back many anni.

The nutty taste of the sherret paste mingled perfectly with the beefy richness of the meat stew, the slightly bitter crunch of the colac and the bright tang of citrus from a squeeze of lemon.

‘Delicious!’ he said, meaning it.

‘This is so good that if we were in an inn I would feel obliged to leap up and give you a kiss, Mother.’

Corbel looked over at Barro quizzically and yet unable to hide the amusement that creased across his face as the Abbess gave Barro a searching glance.

‘I suppose I should feel deeply complimented,’ she finally said.

‘Indeed you should, for I reserve my kisses for only the most beautiful women.’

The Abbess shook a finger at him but she was smiling. ‘Lo knows just how to deal with helpless flirts, young man. And you are a guest in his house.’

Barro held up his hands in mock defence.

‘Mmm, this is good,’ Evie added, giving a grateful look towards the Mother and a grin to Corbel. ‘Thank you,’ she said, turning towards the woman who served them.

‘Eat, eat,’ the Mother said. ‘Let me pour you some water,’ and she busied herself fetching the pitcher of cold water that was already in the room and pouring each of them a cup. ‘The convent’s well provides the sweetest water,’ she said and watched as they ate and drank with vigour. ‘And while you eat, let me introduce someone to you. I would like you to meet Valya, our empress.’

Corbel dropped the knuckle of bread he was holding into the soup, his mouth open in astonishment as the woman who had served him pulled back the hood of her robe.

Janus took advantage of Loethar’s unconscious state.

‘Well, that won a strong reaction,’ Elka said, concerned.

‘It’s good fun hurting the barbarian.’

‘Is that your illness speaking?’

‘No, it’s all me. This is the man who slaughtered hundreds of innocents.’ When she raised her eyebrows doubtfully he added, ‘You are aware of the poem that begins “And the Set ran awash with its children’s blood"?’

Elka pinched her lips together. ‘Yes, I am aware of it,’ she answered tersely. ‘But isn’t it true that Loethar only attacked soldiers who attacked his army?’

‘His army attacked our soldiers first,’ Janus replied, looking incredulous. ‘They were the invaders.’

She ignored his remark and his expression. ‘I wasn’t aware that he allowed any of his people to kill randomly.’

‘What about the boys murdered across Penraven?’ he demanded. She looked at him in query. He rolled his eyes and explained. ‘They say he would have killed every boy within a certain age group to be sure he had finished off the Valisar heir.’

‘Janus, I’m not disputing that the man is capable of stunning ruthlessness but I would argue that any ruler is capable of the same, given the right circumstances.’ She watched him stitch Loethar’s skin angrily. ‘Brennus might have done the same to save his people, his family.’

‘I can’t say,’ the physic said, shrugging. ‘The fact is, this man did do that and did kill a lot of our sons.’

‘It was war.’

‘That
he
brought to the Set,’ Janus said, his voice gruff.

‘Granted,’ she replied, feeling torn. She stared at Loethar, vulnerable, near naked, totally at the mercy of Janus, she herself his only protection. ‘I’m sorry, Janus. I know this must be hard for you.’

He sighed. ‘No. When I’m working on a patient, everyone is equal. I could easily take this man’s life but I won’t, be assured. I’ll leave Lo to make that decision.’

‘Thank you,’ she said as Loethar groaned. ‘You know, when your ire is up, or you’re very focused on work, your ailment leaves you alone.’

He nodded as though he’d heard that remark before. ‘Here,’ Janus said, offering her a tiny, silver cup. ‘Get this down him. He must sleep. He will heal faster if his body is at rest.’

‘It is too dangerous here,’ she warned.

‘If that’s the case you should carry him to higher ground and hide him. But he needs a day of being still.’ She nodded. ‘And during that time you will tell me how it passes that I am repairing the body of Emperor Loethar.’

‘Have you finished stitching?’

‘Yes. There is little more I can do now. I’ve realigned the bones in that hand. They’ll hurt for a while. His ribs I can do little for but he’s bound. And those other wounds are now closed properly. I had to clean them though or disease would have taken him faster than you can imagine.’

She nodded. ‘I know you had to do that. Hopefully he will forget the pain you inflicted without dulling it. I know you had the soporific in your bag.’

He made a fist. ‘Call it a small triumph for the Valisars.’

‘You’re a royalist?’

He shrugged. ‘I don’t know what I am. I was incensed, though, like most Penravians, at what was done to our royals.’

‘I understand. But you admit life is prosperous beneath this man’s rule?’

‘Not for me,’ he said, stretching from his concentrated work.

‘It wouldn’t be, though, with your problem. Your fall from grace has nothing to do with Loethar.’

Janus sighed. ‘True. I have to blame someone. Perhaps you’d let me feel —’

‘And it seems you’ve calmed enough to be offensive again. Perhaps you should blame Lo, for cursing you with the affliction.’

‘Seems rather pointless.’

‘That’s right, it is. There’s nothing to be gained by shaking a fist at a god. Nothing to be gained by drinking yourself to an early death. Why not make your life count?’

‘I don’t know how.’

She smiled. ‘But you just did. Not only have you helped a man in need but the man you aided is a powerful one. He will reward you for your compassion.’

‘I don’t want his money. I want to feel the sensation of your —’

‘It’s as good as the next person’s. And it’s not money I’m talking about. Take some time to get to know Loethar and I swear, Janus, your opinion may change. Things are not always as black and white as we think.’

He sat back and stared at their prone patient as Elka dribbled the dark liquid into Loethar’s mouth, gently drying his lips when it was done. ‘You like this man,’ he stated.

She shook her head in slight bemusement, admiring Loethar’s wiry physique. In clothes he looked surprisingly undaunting but she imagined, as she stared at him, that he was probably small and fast, probably a cunning fighter too. There was no spare flesh on his body and while it was obvious that the gauntness in his face was due to recent events, she rather liked the way his cheeks looked slightly hollow, accentuating the lines on either side of his mouth. ‘I do,’ she admitted. ‘There is a darkness to him but also something very pure.’ Janus looked surprised, and she gave an embarrassed smile. ‘I can’t think of any other way to describe it. There is an honour to him that I like very much.’

‘Honour, my arse!’

She nodded despite his insult. ‘I don’t believe Loethar lies. Maybe I’m wrong but from what I can tell he is not only a man of his word but he has no reason for guile. He is what he is, he makes no apology, he hides from no one and I regard that as a kind of purity that is attractive in a person.’

Janus shook his head in confusion. ‘The barbarian is asleep. Move him carefully.’