Madness in Solidar (70 page)

“No, sir. He's fine.”

“Good. You will escort Lady Chelia, Maitre Alyna, and Maitre Shaelyt to the heir. Immediately. I assume that Ryentar is in the rex's study.”

“He was a quint or so ago.”

“And Lady Asarya?”

“I believe she is in her chambers or her salon.”

Alastar nodded and dismounted, as did Alyna, then turned. “Shaelyt, you'll accompany Maitre Alyna. Taryn and Warryk, you'll be with me. Lhendyr, you're in charge out here. You and Claeynd are to keep things peaceful. No army troopers are to approach. I don't expect any, but if they do, use whatever is necessary, and send word to me. If Lady Asarya attempts to leave, restrain her with shields. Rex Lorien and I will likely be in his study.” Alastar extracted the papers from the saddlebag, continuing to survey the steps and the area around the front of the chateau.

As soon as Alyna, Shaelyt, and Chelia departed with Fonteau, Alastar let Lorien lead the way up the outside steps, then up the grand staircase and to the rex's study. The chateau guard posted outside the study stared as Lorien approached.

“Sir! We thought…”

“I'm quite well,” said Lorien coolly.

“Taryn, you and Warryk are to keep this hallway secure. Use whatever imaging is necessary.”

“Yes, sir.”

Alastar then opened the study door and let Lorien enter first.

Ryentar's face showed a startled expression for less than an instant before he rose from the desk. “Well … brother, it's good to see you're alive and well.” Ryentar offered the warm and welcoming smile that Alastar found so incredibly genuine … and thus all the more deceptive. If Ryel the elder had been that effective, Alastar could definitely see how he had charmed so many people.

Lorien snorted. “Save the smiles for others. I've seen enough of them.”

“I've been so worried about you, and you're treating me like I was one of
them
.”

“Which ‘them' might you be referring to?” asked Alastar. “Those who tried to assassinate your brother so that you could become regent and eventually rex? Or those who made two unsuccessful attempts at destroying the Collegium? Or perhaps those who murdered most of the senior army commanders? Except … they're all the same.”

“I don't know what you're talking about.” Ryentar's face bore a look of total confusion.

Alastar didn't trust that expression, either.
That's the difficulty with those who are good actors. In the end, you can't trust anything.
“It doesn't matter if you do, High Holder Regial,” declared Alastar.

“High Holder Regial? What do you mean?”

“Move away from the desk,” Alastar ordered. “The rex needs to sign and seal something.” He handed the bound papers to Lorien.

“You don't order me—”

Ryentar's words were the first hint of anger Alastar had heard from the genial-appearing soon-to-be-disinherited second son.

Alastar did not speak, but placed shields loosely around Ryentar and used them to move him away from the desk to the window.

“You can't…” Ryentar's words died away as he looked at Lorien.

“I could have you executed,” said Lorien coldly. “You can thank Maitre Alastar for a less fatal solution.”

The genial expression immediately reappeared on Ryentar's face. “What might that be?”

“You're getting the grand estate in Montagne, along with the lands in perpetuity for you and any heirs you may have, and the title of High Holder Regial. If you ever approach within a hundred milles of L'Excelsis, your life and your estate is forfeit.”

“That means you can't ever be on the High Council, unlike your father,” added Alastar.

“My father…” Ryentar looked from Lorien to Alastar and back again. Then he shook his head and smiled. “I suppose that will have to do.”

“Your mother will be accompanying you as well, with the same provisos,” added Alastar.
And she won't be nearly so pleased.
Not that Alastar believed for a moment that Ryentar was at all pleased.

Ryentar maintained a pleasant, almost jovial smile, as Lorien settled himself behind the desk and unrolled the two sheets, setting one aside and smoothing the other.

“Your seal is in the drawer on the right,” offered Ryentar helpfully.

“Thank you.” The sarcasm in Lorien's voice was unmistakable as he opened the drawer and extracted the seal.

Alastar imaged a flame at the tip of the candle wick under the small brazier that held the sealing wax. Lorien had to wait more than several moments before the green wax melted. Then he stirred it with the spoon before lifting the spoon and deftly depositing the circle of wax on the heavy paper. Then he raised the seal, turned it, and breathed on it before making the impression.

“There. Your grant of lands with the conditions. You'll get the original after the chateau scrivener makes copies.”

“You're most kind, brother.”

“I'm not. Maitre Alastar is. Don't forget that, either.”

“I suppose that wouldn't be wise.”

The study door opened, and Taryn said, “Lady Asarya insists on seeing the rex, Maitre.”

“Then escort her in,” said Alastar. “She certainly deserves it.” He didn't keep the heavy irony from his last words.

“Lorien! What are you doing?” demanded Asarya, looking at Alastar and then at Ryentar.

“Exiling me to Montagne,” said Ryentar. “As High Holder Regial, no less. I believe you are to accompany me, according to Maitre Alastar.”

Asarya turned back to face Alastar. “You wouldn't do that to a grieving widow, would you?”

“I might have, were you grieving for Ryel the elder or even for poor deluded Desyrk, or the thousands of dead troopers, or officers and dead imagers, but since your grief doesn't extend to them, but only yourself.”

“Desyrk?” questioned Lorien.

“Another of your mother's conquests,” replied Alastar, adding, “You'll also need to request a company from Marshal Wilkorn to escort them both to Montagne.”

“I'm about to draft that right now,” replied Lorien.

“You wouldn't … I cannot believe that my own son…” Asarya's words were quiet.

“Your older and less-favored son. The one you conspired to replace.” Lorien's words were cold. He picked up the pen.

“Why not? You look like your father. You act like your father. You'll end up as worthless as he did.”

Lorien paled and his jaw set. “For that—”

“No,” said Alastar. “That's exactly what she wants. The last thing she desires is a long life hundreds of milles from L'Excelsis, thinking of how close she came. If you execute her, deserved as it may be, that will soil your name more than hers. Right now, all the blood is on the hands of the Collegium. It's best to leave it there.”

Asarya's eyes turned cold as she looked at Alastar. “You think I'll stay there in a hill country holding?”

“If you want to live. Frankly, I'd just as soon you attempted to leave, or to escape on your way there. That would make matters
so
much easier. Both for Rex Lorien and for the Collegium.”

“Perhaps I won't give you that satisfaction.”

“That's your choice, Lady Asarya,” replied Alastar.

Asarya smiled and turned to Lorien. “You know … in the long run, now it doesn't matter at all.”

Lorien looked puzzled for a moment.

Even Alastar was … until he realized what she meant. “In that respect, you're perfectly correct, Lady Asarya, but it also points out that some means to an end are acceptable, ethically and to the Nameless … and some are not.” He looked to Taryn. “Escort her back to her quarters, and have Warryk guard and shield the door until a detachment of troopers arrives.”
Or until we can make other suitable arrangements.

As Asarya and Taryn left the study, Ryentar was not quite smirking, until Alastar glanced at him. The smirk vanished.

“You'll also be under guard,” Alastar said.

“I didn't expect any less,” replied Ryentar. “Under guard until I reach my gilded prison.”

Alastar thought of pointing out that Ryentar had no idea how privileged he was, but realized that any words like that would mean nothing to him.

The door opened, and Alyna stepped into the study, her eyes sweeping the room before centering on Alastar. “Everything's settled with Charyn.”

“Good.”

“And here?”

“Lady Asarya just left. High Holder Regial will be leaving shortly for protective custody.”

Alyna's eyes turned to Ryentar. “You know, I've never trusted pretty boys. You've given me another reason why.”

Alastar smiled faintly.

 

41

In the end, between making various arrangements and then waiting for Wilkorn's troopers to arrive, Alastar and Alyna, and all the others from Imagisle, did not return to the Collegium until well after fourth glass. By the time Alastar and Alyna had turned over their mounts to the stable boys outside a shed roughly imaged into existence by Petros and his seconds and thirds and walked back to the Maitre's residence, the sky had darkened, the wind had picked up, and fat droplets of rain were splatting on the paving stones of the walk leading up to the porch. The two hurried up onto the covered porch.

“It's been quite a day,” mused Alastar as he paused, not really wanting to go inside and explain everything, although, he realized after a moment, it was Solayi afternoon, almost evening, and Dareyn was most likely not there. In fact, for both Dareyn's sake and his own, he hoped the dutiful second was not. He turned to look back toward the anomen and along the green.

“Quite a month,” said Alyna, taking his hand, but standing beside him and looking south along the occasionally still-cratered green, bordered by the cottages of married imagers, some of which had already been at least partly image-repaired. “I'd say it would be one never to be forgotten, but people always forget.”

“Unless it's special to them.”

“Oh?”

“It's been special to me, but not just…” He shook his head. “You know what I mean.”

“I might, but I like to hear it.”

“You've made it special.”

“So have you.”

Neither spoke for several moments as the rain began to fall more heavily, pattering on the porch roof and on the steps and stone walk.

“You're still thinking about Lorien and Chelia, aren't you?” asked Alyna.

“I am,” Alastar admitted. “In some ways, Lady Asarya was successful, in spite of everything.”

“You mean because Lorien married Ryel's daughter, Charyn's bloodline includes Ryel as well as Lorien's mother and father? Does that bother you?”

Alastar laughed softly. “Not that much. No matter how worthy the end, some means of achieving it will destroy its worth.”

“That's why you had to let Ryen and Demykalon and Petayn attack the Collegium.”

He nodded. “I still don't like the fact that it had to go that way, but I couldn't find another solution, not in time. Another question that puzzled me was why Asarya was working with Desyrk. I can understand why Desyrk wanted me dead. I can even understand why Asarya did, but was Desyrk the only way she could find of removing me and Lorien?”

“Dear … who else besides Desyrk would be foolish enough, and egotistical enough, to think he could prevail against you?”

“He and Asarya very well might have. Without all the information you provided I wouldn't have known where to look and what to look for.”

“You're kind.”

Alastar laughed and shook his head. “As I told you once, I'm not that kind. I try to be as fair as possible.”

“You're kinder than you let on, if with an imaged iron fist behind the velvet glove. You could have had both Ryentar and Asarya executed. And Bettaur, too.” Her voice turned more serious. “He's Ryel's son, too, isn't he?”

“How did you know?” Alastar paused. “I don't know for certain, but he looks so much like both Chelia and Ryentar…”

“After I saw them both, I decided he couldn't not be. It also explains a few things.”

“Such as Fhaen's excessive protectiveness?” Alastar shook his head. “The elder Ryel must have been quite a charmer.”

“Power and charm make most men extremely attractive to most women. I prefer fairness and power.” She smiled. “You're also handsome in a way that doesn't remind me of pretty boys.”

“I'm glad that—”

She turned to him. “You've also been kind enough to let me decide when. That's now. The other explanations can wait.” She put both arms around his neck and drew him to her.

 

42

On Lundi morning, some two quints before seventh glass, Alastar stood outside on the porch of the Maitre's residence, waiting for Alyna, Akoryt, and Bettaur and Taurek.
Just another detail to straighten out before you brief all the maitres.
The early morning definitely felt like winter was around the corner, especially with the wet raw cold that resulted from the rain of the night before and the bitter northwest wind. He could have waited inside, but he would have paced back and forth. Besides, he could watch Alyna for longer.

After dealing with Bettaur and Taurek, he'd have to conduct a meeting for all the Collegium maitres, since he had opened the seniors' meeting to all maitres so that he could brief them all in detail on what had happened both on Solayi and earlier. While Akoryt and Cyran knew most of that, even they didn't know everything, and some of the more junior maitres knew very little except what they'd seen in the two attacks on Imagisle. Alastar also wanted everyone to hear all the facts at the same time, not that each wouldn't take away a different impression. He just hoped those impressions would not be too different.