Sea of Sighs (Empath Book 2) (13 page)

“Ross is currently on his way to Sha’sek
with Quinn and Maertn,” Vance answered matter-of-factly. He smirked
to himself, sipping wine as this news caused an eruption of voices
around him. He noted Eden’s stony gaze as he tried not to react to
the men around him, and whispered conspiratorially, “See lad, they
think I’m deranged. Incapable. This is going to be an interesting
conversation.”

Obrenn’s blustery bass tones were the first
to dissent. “I’m sorry, your highness, but how could you send him
away to Sha’sek?
Him
of all people. You may have confidence
that the girl isn’t going to raise arms against you, but Ross
already did
. He led
mercenaries
in the last war, and he was one of their
most effective generals. How could you let him go with your
enemy?”

“On my bidding, he is there protecting a
very precious citizen of Everfell.”

“Quinn?” Rowan ventured.

“Not Quinn. The healer.”

“Maertn? The gangly boy?”

“Gangly he may be but he’s already saved
countless lives here. I thought you’d all heard of him in some
capacity?”

“Yes, though some of those stories were
quite far-fetched for a boy of his age. Torran has been a master
for decades, and isn’t half as skilled.”

“Of course they were implausible; the boy
was Sha’sekian, like Quinn. Another one of Sammah’s orphans. He was
born to be a healer.”

This brought further vocal eruptions, and
Vance slid another glass of wine over to Eden. “If you ever loved
Quinn or Maertn, then drink this. You know exactly why I sent Ross
out, and what I think of Maertn. The rest of the men in this room
do not agree, and this is not going to be a pleasant conversation
for you. Try to ignore these hens.”

Eden took the glass and didn’t hold back
this time when the king bade him to drink. When the lords realised
that Vance wasn’t responding to them, the din died out. Vance was
just sitting there with a calm smile on his face. He reminded Eden
of a wolf, a predator, and he began to wonder, not the first time,
just how benign Vance really was. He seemed to be playing everybody
the way he wanted them. So, was the
hapless king
all part of an act?

“Now that you’ve all finished squawking, I
will explain myself, not that it’s strictly necessary.

“Maertn is the most talented healer in the
kingdom, regardless of his age. Yes, this is because of his
Sha’sekian descent, but I would be foolish to disregard such a
talent because of his ancestry. He is another who, for his whole
life, has been fully dedicated to the Everfell cause. He’s proven
this time and time again by the number of lives he’s saved. If it
comes to it, why would I want him saving the lives of the men
fighting against us?”

“What if they spell him? What if he comes
back and kills us all?” The elderly Lord Broc spoke up for the
first time. Judging by the council members around the table rolling
their eyes, no one was taking him seriously.

“He was brought up in Everfell. He’s never
even been to the islands, and when he sees what they’re like, and
the barbarians that live over there, I’
m sure
he
’ll want to come to Everfell and back home soon
enough.”

“Why did he go in the first place?”

“To protect Quinn. I could have ordered him
to stay, but that would have made the boy unruly. The two believe
themselves to be siblings, as Sammah has brought them up to be.
Quinn isn’t welcome here, so protective brother that he is, Maertn
has left to be with her.”

“And where does Ross come into this
political mess?”

Vance rolled his eyes. “I thought I’d made
it obvious, but apparently I need to lay it all out on a plate. I
do not want Maertn to die. I expect him to come back to Everfell.
Ross is going with them to make sure that happens.”

“What about the girl? What about Quinn?”

Vance shrugged offhandedly. “I couldn’t care
less what happens to the girl. Better that she dies. That way she’s
less of a threat.”

Eden made a fist around the stem of his
glass, but stopped himself. He didn’t want to break it, bringing
more attention to himself than he already had.

“Yes, Ross was a mercenary. But he’s been my
chamberlain since the end of the war, and he’s been very useful.
He, too, was instrumental in saving me from Sammah’
s collusions. He
’s already done more to protect me
than any of you have, so I wouldn’t be so quick in jumping to
accusations if I were you. I already have an idea, which ones of
you are truly loyal. What you will need to do, each one of you, is
convince me that you’re not against me.
That
is why you are
in this meeting.
That
is why I am telling you what I have
planned. Not to keep you informed, and not through any politeness.
I’m telling you, so I can see for myself how you react; who is cool
to my reign and leadership, and who believes in what I am doing. I
don’t believe for a second that Shiver acted on his own, and I
don’t mean the baron Sammah. I will find who you are, and I will
act accordingly. I won’t be scared to put an axe through your
treacherous necks.”

A shocked silence settled over the group,
and Eden thought he’d never heard Vance speak with such force and
temerity. In those words, he was the king everybody had wanted him
to be, not the king everybody believed him to be. Eden knew then,
beyond doubt, that Vance knew exactly what he was doing to keep
hold of his throne. The sham had been just that, and now he’d been
threatened, the real Vance was showing his strength.

“So, Ross is going to protect my most
skilled healer and bring him home. What I need in the meantime is a
chamberlain, and that person has to be somebody I trust. As I have
made myself
immeasurably
clear; I don’t trust any of you
sitting
here. Well
…” Vance swatted his
hand as if batting a fly. “Most of you, at any rate. Eden of
Sevenspells is to be my chamberlain until Ross returns.”

“
You can
’t put him
in that position! He’s just a boy! He barely knows Everfell, let
alone the court.”

Vance shrugged. “Ross hadn’t been a
chamberlain before I appointed him either, and he’s been a fine
addition to my retinue. Obrenn, again, despite everything I’ve
said, you are still questioning my judgement?”

A nervous silence settled over the lords
present.

No one else wanted to be seen showing any
dissent, especially since Vance seemed in a very militant mood.
Result part in proceedings, Eden said nothing. He kept his gaze
steadfastly on the table, avoiding the ferocious looks he was sure
the other lords were giving him. He could feel their eyes burning
into his skull. Yes, he was Vance’s pawn, but as far as the rest of
the men in this room were concerned, he’d just been promoted to be
the king’s right-hand man. That made him target number one, both
for those seeking to forge new alliances, and those looking to oust
the king from his throne.

“If you have any serious objections to this
appointment, I suggest you raise them now. If you want to moan and
whinge like old women, you can do so in the privacy of your own
rooms and with your own people. I have not consulted you on this,
and the decision is already made. Eden has already agreed to take
the role, and it is not going to conflict with the interests of the
upcoming investigation into Shiver. I assume that I have the full
support of Sevenspells in this, Lord Rowan?”

Rowan shifted uncomfortably as the stares of
the lords fell onto him. He cleared his throat. “Of course, your
highness, Sevenspells is with the throne in any decision it
makes.”

Vance nodded once, firmly. “That’s the best
answer you could have possibly given Lord Rowan. I’m sure you can
appreciate that Eden has never been a chamberlain before. However
he is familiar with Everfell, despite Obrenn’s misgivings, and the
people within it. I expect you now to afford him or the decency and
honour deserving of his new role. Eden, do you have any questions
or words for the men before you?”

It was Eden’s turn now to look uncomfortable
under the scrutiny of the others. Instead of clearing his throat
like his brother had done, Eden took a sip from the wineglass,
concentrating on keeping his hands from shaking. He thought he did
a credible job of it, seeing as no one laughed, but he couldn’t be
completely sure. After a few seconds of contemplation, Eden spoke.
“All I can do is thank the king for the faith he has placed in me.
I will be sure to complete my duties in the manner to which the
king has become accustomed, because I’m not going to want to
explain to Ross if everything goes to shit whilst he is gone.”

As Eden had hoped, the tension in the room
snapped as the lords broke down in raucous laughter. Vance gave him
a smile of approval, probably not expecting the humour from his new
appointment, and Eden was delighted that he’d handled the other
lords much more effectively than his older brother the new, albeit
temporary, Lord of Sevenspells. Eden had been thrust into this game
without preparation, nevertheless he would play as well as he
could.

Eden stared in wonder at the chaos around
him, and saw the centre of that chaos, was his brother Rowan. He
looked more like a boy, then, than a man. He was overwhelmed by the
meeting, and by the boisterous cries of the lords around him.

“Despite how well you thought he was
prepared for leadership…” Vance nudged Eden again. “See him,
between those fat old men?”

Eden nodded, not wanting to bring too much
attention to himself with a verbal answer.

“He looks like a hare about to be caught in
the horses’
hooves. He
’s a cocksure lad,
and I’ve met him enough times to know. He’s just like your father,
virtually identical to Shiver when he was that age. There is,
however, one major difference between Rowan and Shiver. You know
what that is?”

“No, your highness, I don’t.”

“I think you do, you just too scared to
answer. That’s because you’re not the firstborn, not even the
second. You’ve got more balls than both of your brothers combined,
but because they’re above you in the succession, you’re not going
to point that out.”

Eden blushed again but Vance continued,
either not saying or ignoring his new chamberlain’s reaction.

“You see, what you’ve already done in this
court has caused ripples. Lords speak about you. Ladies gossip
about you. You’re already being considered more important than your
brother, the man who is set to inherit Sevenspells. Rowan doesn’t
like that. He’s used to being the heir, and the one courts fawn
over. He is spoiled and used to being able to use his age against
people. Well, he can’t any more. He’s a ruler now. His age becomes
largely irrelevant He is also very conflicted.”

“Conflicted?”

“Yes. I think many of the lords have been
guilty of it, which is why Shiver has never made a case of it. But
Rowan isn’t married yet, and for a lord expected to sire heirs,
that is not acceptable. Trust me, with what is on the way, that’s
going to change. All of the unmarried sons of noble houses will be
having marriages arranged. We’ve been complacent, but we can’t
leave our provinces without heirs.”

Eden’s heart shuddered. Forced to marry?
Without Quinn here? No, that couldn’
t
happen.

“You see Rowan’s conflicted because he loves
his father. I know that, and you know that. Even a blind man could
see that. But he’s in the same conundrum every firstborn son has
faced for hundreds and hundreds of years.

“Rowan isn’t going to get into power without
your father dying. He doesn’t want Lord Shiver to die, but he does
want power. He has a taste of it here in his hands already, without
having to see his father go to the Beach of Bones. That is a
rarity, and it’s going to be Rowan’s undoing. Why? Because despite
the fact you think of the Lord of Sevenspells takes his position in
life for granted, he is an exacting man with high standards. Rowan
has been made aware of what his father expects from him, almost
from the cradle. He knows his father was constantly there watching
him, judging him, looking at every single decision he made. Now the
moment has come for Rowan to become a lord, he’s acting like a
firstborn son, and he’s going to make mistakes. You’re not behaving
like that because you’re not Shiver’s heir, and you’ve never had
the pressure of succession on your shoulders. You’re just living
with the loyalty that your brother feels. Can you understand what
it means to be Rowan now, with the pressure that’s been thrown on
his shoulders in the last few days?”

Eden shook his head. “I have no idea your
highness. I never expected to find out.”

“
Well
, you’ll have
a sense of it somewhat with your position as chamberlain, that’s
for sure. You won’t just be pleasing one lord, you’ll be herding
dozens of them, and you have to keep the kitchens running. Of
course, you’ll have to keep me in check, too.”

Eden glanced across too see a sparkle in
Vance’s eye. So, the king was still toying with him. This was a
good sign, surely? With all of the furor surrounding them, Vance
was still taking the time to bring Eden into his confidence, and
still jesting with him? Yes, it was obvious. Vance trusted Eden.
The first part of this plan has already succeeded, but with the
chaos around him, Eden really didn’t know what was going to happen
next.

“Alright you two, you
can close your mouths now.”

Quinn and Maertn closed their mouths in
unison. They were standing on the shoreline of Port Kahnel, staring
out at the sea. Quinn had seen the bloodied sea in her dreams, and
Maertn had come to find her, but that had been a thing of dream and
fantasy. This was not; it was tangible. The land, sky, and sea
stretching out before them was magnificent. It was the first time
they’d seen such a thing with their own eyes.