Queen (Brotherhood of the Throne) (36 page)

BOOK: Queen (Brotherhood of the Throne)
3.89Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

“And what of Beldyn?” Dasid asked.

“He’s recovering and is still in
Kingsreach. He’s agreed to hold the throne until Brenna can get there,” Kane
said. Now that he knew she was alive he wasn’t going to mention their
discussions about what would have been done if Brenna was dead. “Duke Ewart and
Guild Master Brunger are advising him.” Kane looked up when Madelay appeared at
the door. “She’s awake?”

“Yes, you can have fifteen minutes,
that’s all.” The four of them rose and followed Madelay to Brenna’s room.

 

Brenna sat up in bed and her heart
lifted as the men filed into the room but she only had eyes for one of them. She
gestured to Kane and he came over. She sighed when he sat down and she slid
into his warm embrace.

“Fifteen minutes,” Madelay said and
closed the door.

“I’ll start then,” Kane said
reaching for her hand. He recounted what had happened, starting with the death
of the High Bishop, which she knew, and Duke Thorold, which was not unwelcome
news.

“How did Beldyn take the death of
his father?” she asked.

“I think he knew his father was
lost to him a long time ago. When I told him he just nodded and asked if there
was anything he could do for Carolie. Who is fine,” Kane said when she would
have asked about her. Brenna shuddered. Even she’d had no idea how evil Thorold had become.

 “Ewart and Gaskain are staying in
Kingsreach?” she asked.

“As well as Jemma,” Kane said with
a smile.

“She’ll be very good for him.”
Brenna nodded, happy for the two youngsters. “She’ll help him revive trade in
Comack.”

“And you know about Eryl,” Kane
said. Brenna nodded and clutched his hand. “And Martyn.”

“He’s dead?” Brenna looked at Pater,
who seemed to deflate, just a little.

“Yes,” Kane said gently. “We found
his body, along with his mother’s.”

“He was a good lad,” Brenna said.
And she meant it. He
was
a good lad, no matter what he might have done
at the end. She looked up and met Kane’s gaze. He nodded and she sighed. It was
true, what Larkly had said, Martyn had betrayed Eryl. She would talk to Pater
later, when they were both stronger. He deserved to know what had really
happened.

 “And now for Dasid’s tale,” Brenna
said. “I haven’t heard it yet myself.”

“There’s not much to tell, really,”
Dasid said. “Brenna seemed to fall into a deep sleep. Then our old steel
weapons flared red hot before they shattered. It was a bit of a surprise to
King Mannel, as well as us, but he allowed us to stay when it became clear that
Brenna wasn’t waking up. A few days ago Madelay arrived with Yowan and Russel
in tow. Thankfully Madelay took charge of Brenna’s care.”

“All the old steel shattered?”
Brenna asked. “That could be why I don’t feel any, other than the coronet and
the mortar and pestle.”

“All the old steel shattered,” Kane
confirmed. “Gaskain tells a similar story. Their weapons flared to life and
then the light streamed towards the sky.”

“I remember,” Brenna said. “I was concentrating
on finding you and I reached out for all the old steel. The magic - the blood
magic in the old steel - I called and it came. That’s how I was able to get to
Kingsreach, that’s how I was able to kill the High Bishop.” She looked around
the room at the four men who were part of the Brotherhood. “Without the old
steel magic I have no direct connection to the Brotherhood.”

“I think the Brotherhood has been
disbanded,” Kane said. “The goal has been achieved - Brenna will sit the throne
of Soule and restore Wolde’s full bloodline to power.”

 

Brenna patted her horse’s neck. It
had taken them four weeks to get here since they couldn’t travel across the
mountains - the passes were closed by snow and in any case Brenna was still too
weak to chance the elevation.

Two of those weeks she’d been
forced to spend on Captain Chaffer’s ship, the Sea Sprite, but Kane had been at
her side, helping her stay on her feet.  Since landing at Dryannon, in Comack,
they’d traveled towards Kingsreach at a leisurely pace. She still tired easily
but not from either her ordeal or the travel. She smiled. Neemah would probably
realize the cause of her morning queasiness soon enough. But enough time later
to tell Kane he would be a father.

“Are you ready?” Kane pulled his
horse up beside her and she smiled at the fine figure he cut, his gray uniform
showing his trim form.

“I’m a little nervous, but yes, I’m
ready.”

“Then let’s go meet your subjects
Queen Brenna.”

 

 

 

BOOK: Queen (Brotherhood of the Throne)
3.89Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

The Killer Touch by Ellery Queen
The Gallows Gang by I. J. Parnham
Determined to Obey by Cj Roberts
Last Light by M. Pierce
Agamemnon's Daughter by Ismail Kadare
Sundance by David Fuller
My Little Armalite by James Hawes
The Werewolf of Bamberg by Oliver Pötzsch
The Dead Drop by Jennifer Allison