The Archmage Unbound (13 page)

Breathing heavily I got myself back on
task and made sure the king was still waiting a few rooms away. He was. He
must have realized that no amount of running would allow him to escape once his
four aces were broken. I strode across the room and opened the door that led
to his bedroom. A short hallway faced me and I continued onward till I reached
the final door that separated us. I still had a shield around myself but it
was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain it.

That was a bad sign; normally the strain
of my shield was not something I’d even notice, even after a long day. It
meant I was surely close to the end of my reserves, not a good thing when
you’re surrounded by enemies. I decided to try something I had only done once
before, when I had needed strength to chase the remaining soldiers of Gododdin
back to the river. Focusing on the deep heartbeat of the earth below me I
opened myself and drew upon it.
Please share your strength with me,
was
my conscious thought, but it was not communicated in words. Instead my mind
connected with something far greater than myself, something so much larger as
to be entirely alien to my experience as a human being… for a moment I was part
of it. I felt stronger and weaker simultaneously… energy was coursing through
me now, yet my mortal flesh was weak, nothing like my normal stone and iron.
Then I broke the contact and my mind came tumbling back to the present.

I reeled for a second as I became
re-accustomed to my humanity again.
That didn’t happen the last time I did
that,
I noted. Apparently even small uses of my new gift could be
dangerous. I had accomplished my goal though; my body was filled with new
energy. I felt light and fresh, as if I had slept a full night.
There must
be some limit to this.

Now wasn’t the time for inner debates
and soul-searching so I drew myself up and opened the door in front of me. A
long step took me into the personal bedroom of King Edward Carenval. I have to
say I wasn’t disappointed by the furnishings. It was every bit as well
appointed as one would expect of the room of a king. Silken tapestries adorned
the walls and beautifully upholstered furniture graced the room. His bed was a
work of art, each of the four posts being lovingly carved to represent one of
the shining gods.

I took a moment to stare at the
opulence… even the floor was a masterful artwork of wooden parquetry. Finally
I settled my eyes upon the man waiting quietly in a comfortably designed chair.
He was sitting beside a small table and had a glass of wine in hand already.
His outward appearance was remarkably calm, considering how I had arrived but
when he sipped at his wine I could see the liquid trembling. “Come, have a
seat,” he invited me.

Remembering our last meeting I couldn’t
help but smile at being invited to sit. “Some of your servants were a bit rude
out there… I hope you train them better in future,” I replied and took a seat
on the other side of the table.

“It is difficult to get good help these
days,” he agreed. “Care for some wine?”

The last thing I needed was to be
poisoned after all my effort to get there. “No thanks, I’m not thirsty at the
moment.”

“We can understand that,” said King
Edward. “Fortunately that is one worry we don’t have at the moment.” He
raised his glass to me and took a long drink, finishing over half of it at one
go. I couldn’t blame him; if I were in his shoes I’d have been incredibly
nervous as well.

“I trust Cyhan reached you with my
message?” I asked.

He looked sharply at me, blue eyes
locking onto mine for a moment, “Yes he did. We are surprised you released
him.”

I smiled in a rather unfriendly way,
“You yourself just mentioned how hard it is to find good help. I thought it
would be a gesture of good will to return him to you unharmed.”

A saw a flicker of hope cross his
features but it was quickly hidden. He was perhaps realizing that I hadn’t
come to assassinate him. “Can we take that to mean you are still concerned
with things such as good will?”

I laughed, “Your majesty, you do me a
disservice, surely you do not doubt my loyalty?”

“We would be lying if we said we weren’t
wondering. Your action in defeating the incursion from Gododdin has left us in
an awkward position. Our relations were already strained and now we must
either acknowledge you as a hero of the realm or see you vilified and replaced
quickly. We could not help but notice you made no move to bow or recognize us
as your liege when you entered the room,” he responded.

I was shocked at how quickly he had gone
on the offensive once he realized I didn’t mean to kill him. I suppose being a
sovereign all these years had made him a tough negotiator. I decided to put
him in his place quickly, “We are alone here, with none watching. I saw no
need for formal gestures.” It was both a statement and a challenge. After a
long pause I added, “...sire.”

Edward’s eyebrows went up, “You play a
dangerous game Mordecai. Are you sure this is what you want to do? It might
be easier for you if you ‘simplified’ your situation now.”

Did he just suggest I’d be
better off if I killed him?
I
wondered.
That certainly took guts.
After a moment I answered him,
“Every choice leads to its own consequences. I would rather look to the safety
of the realm. Civil war would only lead to our downfall at this juncture; it
is in everyone’s best interests if we cooperate.”

I could almost see the gears in his head
turning. “Do you and James still keep close counsel?” he asked. For King
Edward it was a very direct question, and its meaning was clear. He wanted to
know if I had an older, ‘wiser’, head advising me.

I nodded, “Of course, James and I have
never been closer. The man has been like a father to me, especially since my
own loss.” It was a statement loaded with double meanings.

The king’s eyes flickered for a moment
as he remembered, then they assumed an expression of deep sympathy. “Ah yes,
we had heard about your father’s death. You have our condolences. It was an
unfortunate accident, or so we are told.”

My father had been wounded by arrows
from a royal guardsman while we were ‘liberating’ supplies for the defense of
Lothion from the king’s warehouses. Edward had to be wondering if I held a
grudge, even though I bore as much responsibility for that event as he did.
Swallowing I kept my tone even, “Yes your majesty, it was a terrible accident.
I’m certain that everyone involved regrets what happened.”

Edward drank another long swallow of
wine. His hand no longer shook, so I could only assume he had at last
relaxed. “You have presented us with an interesting conundrum young Illeniel.
The clergymen of all four churches have been after me to have you executed.
They claim you committed some sort of heresy during the battle. Meanwhile I
have received report after report detailing your astonishing victory against
the army of Gododdin. Cyhan tells me that you have broken your bond and have
likely gone mad.”

I nodded in agreement. “I have broken
the bond and it is no secret that the gods have turned against me. Apparently
they do not like their chattel to show signs of independence.”

“You do not seem like a madman, despite
your dramatic entrance today,” he observed.

“I like to think that I am not,” I said,
then glancing at the door I added, “Your men are about to charge the door…
there are quite a few of them out there.” In fact there were twenty men
preparing to rush the room and more were taking up positions throughout the
royal suite. “It might be best if you let them know you are alright before
some of them hurt themselves.”

“One moment,” said the king. Striding
to the door he threw it open and began bellowing. I was impressed. I hadn’t
realized such a volume of sound could come from such an unimposing frame.
“Anything that was going to happen has already happened no thanks to you lot!
Get back to your posts… and someone clean up this mess out here!” I could only
assume he was gesturing at the bodies of the four channelers. He returned to
his chair and refilled his own cup. “Did you have to make such a mess?
Between the blood and the fire the room is ruined out there.”

I could only wonder at a man who could
be so droll in commenting on the deaths of four of his retainers, well… allies
at least in the case of the channelers, but I wasn’t there to reform the man.
“They forced my hand. I would rather not have killed anyone,” I told him.

Edward looked at me oddly for a moment,
“We do believe you, but sometimes one must break a few eggs to make an omelet.”

“They were your eggs, or doesn’t that
bother you?” I asked.

“No, they were borrowed at best and
since you’re being so sociable we are beginning to think perhaps we are better
off without them. They were beginning to get a bit unreasonable,” he replied.

“The church would attempt to force
concessions from the king?”

“They have been over-bold since your
father’s death. Without a wizard we have been forced to rely upon them
whenever magical assistance was required. Especially when we thought we might
need protection,” he gave me a pointed stare as he said that last part.

Something about his statement rang false
however. I could not put my finger upon what exactly, but I could tell he was
not telling the truth… or at least not the complete truth. “If you had a
source of magical support you would not be quite so beholden to them… at the
very least you could seek balance by focusing their energies upon a different
opponent.” I wanted to make it clear that I was aware of my value in other
regards… assuming we did agree to get along.

“That fact had not escaped our
consideration, though we must confess that we have been very curious regarding
your motivations. We understand you care more for the people than your own
power, but although avoiding a civil war is a good reason, we still wonder that
you think it alone is sufficient reason to follow this course… given your
advantage at the moment.” It was a very direct question; the king had just
openly stated his own vulnerability, something I would have thought
unthinkable.

“It is enough for me,” I responded. “My
wife is expecting our first child and I would rather seek a peaceful solution
than bring him into a world torn by strife. The real question is whether you
wish to settle our differences or not.”

“We did not think it a possibility before
now, but you have been persuasive Mordecai. The proclamation branding you an
outlaw was certainly a misunderstanding, we shall move to remedy it
immediately. Similarly we must think of a suitable reward for the hero that
saved our realm. Would two weeks’ time be enough for you to prepare for a bit
of pomp and circumstance? The crowd does love to celebrate a true hero,” he
gave me a smile that sent chills down my spine. I might be forced to hard
decisions now and then, but this man made them without compunction or regret.
I could see him smiling just as easily after sending an army to its death. The
callousness of his regard for his people lit my anger again.

“That sounds lovely your majesty. I
would be pleased to take this news to James Lancaster as well. I would remind
you though… I will not respond well to a betrayal. What happened here today
was no mistake. Do not forget it,” I gave him a feral grin to answer his cold
smile.

Edward stood straight up at that point,
his eyes flashing with true anger. “We do not take kindly to threats young
Illeniel. Remember that well. Nor will we rule as a puppet to some other
master. If you would prefer that you should make a more direct resolution of
this matter… now!” He slapped his chest lightly to punctuate his remark. “Can
we count on your oath of fealty… or not?”

I might not like the man, but I had to
respect his courage. I waited a moment before replying, “Yes your majesty, you
can.” I stood up and prepared to leave. I still did not bow to him.

His eyes narrowed, “Did anyone see you
enter here today?”

“No, unless you count the four
channelers,” I told him.

He grinned, “Excellent… that makes
things easier for me then. We’ll keep this meeting a secret. Do you think you
can leave without being recognized?”

“Of course,” I replied drawing my hood
up over my head. I didn’t plan on relying on such a simple disguise, but I
still wanted to keep my methods to myself. No one had seen my remove my
disguise, although I was certain that a recount of Ruth’s use of magic against
the guard would lead to a lot of interesting speculation.

“Perfect,” he told me. “We shall look
forward to seeing you in the capital again in two weeks’ time.” I left after
that, but as I walked I could hear him bellowing orders. “Someone get the
Baron of Arundel… I would have words with him!” I could only wonder how he was
going to explain the reversal of fortunes to Sheldon. The last time I had seen
the Baron I robbed him of the entirety of his wealth… putting aside the fact
that Penny had made a fool of him in front of his men there was no way he could
possibly forgive me, without even considering the fact that I had ‘stolen’ all
of his retainers as well.

I could only wonder how interesting that
conversation would be. I made my way carefully through the palace using the
stolen visage of a guard. Leaving was much simpler than entering had been.