Lord Soth (24 page)

The night was cool, but Lady Korinne hardly felt its chill. She walked through the rows of the keep’s small garden, her eyes open but seeing nothing through the emotional storm cloud that hung over her like a pall. It was made up of many different parts: rage, disappointment, sorrow, fear.

When the maid first told her what she had seen, Korinne’s first reaction was to deny it. And in fact she’d tried to tell herself that it simply was not possible, that the great Lord Soth, Knight of the Rose, was bound by the Oath and the Measure and would surely never betray her in such a way. But as the maid continued to speak, Korinne knew in her heart that she was telling the truth. She had no proof, but evidence of Soth’s waning love was always there, in the way he talked to her, in the way they kissed, in the way …

She was losing him … to an elf-maid.

But maybe it wasn’t too late. Mirrel had seen the two kissing. Kissing, that was all. He was still her husband. Perhaps it wasn’t too late to pull him back, catch him before he strayed too far.

It was worth a try. And one thing was for certain, she wasn’t about to lose him without a fight. And she knew just what form the fight would take.

“You called for me, milady?”

Korinne turned and saw the young man named Engel Silversword. He had been sent to Dargaard Keep from Palanthas by Korinne’s mother. He had high hopes of someday joining the Knights of Solamnia. Due to the fact that he had ties to Palanthas and the Gladria family, his loyalty to her would be assured, and since he had yet to become the squire of any knight, she could arrange to have him sponsored in a matter of days. If he served her well, she might even be persuaded to speak as a witness to his honor.

“Yes, I did,” said Korinne. She sat down on a bench. The young man moved closer to her but remained standing at a distance of two paces. “I have a task for you.”

“Anything, milady.”

Korinne nodded.

“I wish you to travel to Vingaard Keep.”

The squire immediately stood straighter as he realized this task was one of significant importance.

“When you arrive at Vingaard Keep, I wish you to contact my cousin, Lord Eward Irvine, Knight of the Sword. When you see him you will tell him that his cousin, Lady Korinne has asked that he call Lord Soth to Vingaard Keep on a matter of urgent business and that he keep him there for no less than two days. If he doubts you in any way, you may give him this as proof that I have sent you.” She handed him a locket emblazoned with the Korinne family emblem.

Engel nodded. “Yes, milady.”

Korinne rolled forward on the bench and spoke in a lower voice. “As you might have guessed, this is not something I wish others to know about.”

“Of course not, milady.”

“And if you speak of this to anyone I will deny everything. No one will believe your word against mine.” Her words trailed off and she was silent for a long while, allowing the magnitude of what she’d said to settle in.

“I understand,” Engel said. “I will not fail you.”

“I know you won’t.”

Korinne’s faith in the young man prompted him to stick out his chest with pride.

“You will leave tonight,” she said. “Under cover of darkness. Now get out of the garden before someone sees you.”

The young man was gone in seconds.

Korinne arched her neck and looked up into the sky. Solinari and Lunitari hung full in the sky like a pair of watchful eyes, one a bright and shimmering white, the other tinged with a slight crimson, the color of blood.

Chapter 14

Istvan sat hunched over his mixing table, dropping pinches of blue
hyssop into a small pile of powdered comfrey. According to the journals he’d read, the hybrid mixture was supposed to do wonders for easing the pains in joints brought on by the passage of time. Old age.

He drew his mixing stick in circles through the reddish-blue powder until it was a deep-purple hue. Then he scooped it off the table with a flat stone and gently shook the mix into a small leather pouch. After closing one end of the pouch, he tied it around his waist so the mixture would always be close-at-hand.

He’d been taking the powder for several days now and couldn’t yet decide whether it was working or not. He would continue the treatment for two more days. If his pain didn’t lessen by then he’d end the experiment and dismiss the exercise as being nothing more than the wishful thinking of an old fool.

There was a knock at the door.

“Who is it?” asked Istvan.

“Parry Roslin,” said a voice from the other side of the door.

Istvan’s eyebrows arched. Roslin was the captain of the keep’s guards. At this time of night, Roslin’s visit could only have to deal with official business. “Come in.”

“Beg your pardon, healer,” said the large and stout, red-haired guard. “There are four elf-maids at the gate wanting entrance to the keep.”

Istvan nodded thoughtfully. “So why are you telling me this?”

“Milord and milady have retired for the night.”

“And what of knights Caradoc and Farold?”

“The women say they are here only to see Isolde and no other. They say they’re here to bring her back to Silvanesti.”

Istvan looked at the guard a moment. “I see.”

“And because the elf-maid is in your charge I thought I’d bring the matter to your attention first.”

Istvan was silent, considering the situation. He glanced down at the mixing table and saw the speckles of blue hyssop that had fallen in the cracks between the wood, blue hyssop on which Lord Soth had spent a tidy sum.

“You’ve done well,” Istvan said at last.

Roslin smiled, as he’d probably had some doubts about whether he was doing the right thing coming to see Istvan first.

“Let them in, but take them directly to the elf-maid. Keep a guard posted throughout their visit, which is to be conducted in private. When they are done, escort them to the gatehouse. If Isolde is with them, call me. If not, send them on their way and deal with me no more.”

Roslin nodded, and left the room.

Istvan got up from his chair, suddenly feeling much older and stiffer than when he’d first sat down.

“It’s good to see you, Isolde,” said one of the elf-maids.

“And you too,” answered Isolde. “All of you.”

“We missed you in Palanthas,” said another of the maids. “It was unfortunate that you couldn’t have been there with us. You would have liked it there.”

Isolde made no comment.

The maids chatted for a while before the elderly elf-woman joined in. “So,” she said. “Now that you have recovered from your injuries we can all return to Silvanesti the same as we left—as a party of five.”

“I won’t be returning to Silvanesti,” said Isolde.

The other three maidens had been chatting between themselves while the elf-woman spoke, but now upon hearing the response from Isolde they grew quiet and the room had suddenly filled with tension.

“What did you say?” asked the elf-woman.

The silence in the room was complete.

“I said I won’t be returning to Silvanesti. I have decided to remain here in the keep. For a little while longer at least.”

The elf-woman rubbed a thin bony finger across her wrinkled forehead. Obviously, Isolde’s decision didn’t rest lightly on the woman’s shoulders.

“Leave us alone for a moment,” said the woman.

Without hesitation, the three elf-maids rose up and left the room leaving Isolde and the woman alone.

When the door was closed, the woman spoke. “You can’t be serious.”

“But I am.”

“What possible place does an elf-maid have in the keep of a Knight of Solamnia?”

Isolde didn’t have an answer to the question, or at least didn’t have an answer she felt like relating to the elderly elf.

“Have they put you to work?”

“Not really. I help the healer in his herb garden, but it’s not really work.”

“Do you sing for milord?”

“No.”

“Do you do any entertaining in the keep?”

“I play the healer’s harp, but it’s more for my own pleasure than anything else.”

“Are you tutoring children?”

“No.”

She looked at Isolde curiously. “Have you been made one of milady’s maids?”

“No.”

“Then why must you remain here when you belong in Silvanesti?”

“Milord needs me … to talk to.”

The old elf-woman stared at Isolde with narrowed eyes for a long, long time. Finally she said, “Have you been
intimate
with the lord of the keep?”

All she had done was hold him in her arms and comfort him. At least that was all she had done in the beginning. Then she had kissed him, and then …

She felt in her heart that she had done nothing wrong. She had merely provided some comfort to a soul in pain, but she knew she couldn’t tell that to the elf-woman with any amount of conviction. So, instead of answering the question, she merely lowered her head in silence.

The woman drew in a long breath. “May the great god Paladine take pity on your soul.”

“This seems so sudden,” said Korinne. “Must you go away again?”

“I’m afraid so, Korinne,” said Soth. “Lord Irvine says my help is needed at Vingaard Keep on a matter of great urgency. Exactly what the problem is he did not say, but judging by the tone of his message, I think it’s best that I depart as soon as possible.”

“Very well, then,” Korinne sighed, feigning disappointment.
“If you must go, then Paladine be with you.”

“Thank you, my love.”

Korinne nodded and did her best to smile. “Give Lord Irvine my regards.”

“I will.”