The Archmage Unbound (60 page)

Closing my eyes I fought the urge to sleep and sent
my mind outward again. Briefly I checked on Dorian… he was still breathing
steadily and his heartbeat was strong so I moved on. Searching the grounds I
finally found the man I was searching for, Edward, King of Lothion.
Soon to
be the late-King,
I added mentally.

He had had plenty of time to escape, but for the
stone column that had fallen and pinned him beneath a pile of rubble. Moving
steadily through the palace and across torn gardens I drew closer and I could
tell that his left leg had been crushed. I had trouble imagining a better man
to suffer such misfortune. As I neared him I felt Cyhan approaching from a
different direction and I paused to wait for his arrival.

He saw me standing amid the rubble and changed
direction to meet me. I called out to him when he was close, “Thank you.”

Cyhan frowned, “What’s that for?”

“You freed Penny and Dorian didn’t you? I’m fairly
certain Edward wouldn’t have had him locked up with his armor and weapons,” I
said as if it were a matter of plain fact. “I also appreciate your help
getting Rose and the girl out of there,” I added.

The older warrior’s eyes appraised me silently but
he only grunted and gave a small nod. “Have you found the King?” he asked,
ignoring my gratitude.

“He’s close by,” I said guardedly. I still had
doubts regarding Cyhan’s motivations. “First I’d like to know where you and I
stand.”

A ripple went through the big man’s shoulders as his
muscles twitched. “Twenty years ago I gave my oaths to the king and I have not
yet broken them. So long as that remains true the only thing that can change
between us is either your death or my own.”

I felt a surge of anger at the other man’s
irrational behavior. Clinging to his outdated vows he wouldn’t be satisfied
till one of us was dead, even though he obviously no longer believed in the
reasons behind those vows. “Why don’t we just settle things now then,” I
ground out. “I’m sick of waiting for you to try and kill me.”

Cyhan glanced at me and then looked away, scanning
the area for some sign of Edward. “I’m not a fool, nor do I plan to issue a
challenge and face you in some knightly bout. My only chance of killing you
will be when you are either unconscious or badly wounded. Pray I do not find
you so. Where is the King?”

“What’s to stop me from just killing you now then?”
I said bitterly.

The large man spun around and glared at me as if I
had just caught fire. His eyes were lit with fury. “You should have done that
long before now!” he almost shouted, spitting the words from his mouth as if
they had left a bad taste there. “Since you won’t, why don’t you tell me where
my King is.”

I fought down the impulse to give the other man what
he so obviously desired… a quick death. Taking a deep breath I answered him,
“I want to talk to him first. You can see him after that.”

“Then hurry, I grow impatient,” Cyhan replied.

I bit my tongue rather than reply and began walking
to the north. Crossing a ruined garden and stepping over a fallen wall I found
the large stone pillar that had fallen upon the king of Lothion. Edward was
lying quietly near the base, wedged between the stone column and a heavy bench
that had kept the massive weight from completely crushing his lower body. He
was losing blood slowly for the heavy weight had effectively compressed his
torn blood vessels. It would take him hours to die, unless he was healed.

Watching me approach he gave me a pained smile.
“Count di’Cameron, it is a pleasure to see you again. Have you come to finish
your business or just gloat over an old man?”

I had no intention of healing him. After a long
pause I spoke, “Time will finish our business. I merely wanted to ask your
advice regarding the succession.”

“A cruel reply, Mordecai, you would let me bleed to
death while in considerable pain. Why should I give you advice? The world is
done with me.” There was a tone of resignation in his voice.

Leaning down I touched his throat and uttered a few
words quietly. Standing straight again I disguised myself as the King and
answered him in his own voice, “If you care about Lothion you should want her
ruler to act wisely.”

His eyes went wide and anger grew in his features.
“It appears you have no need of my advice if you simply intend to usurp my
place,” he said acrimoniously.

I resumed my normal features and voice. “This
kingdom will go on without you Edward, and someday they will remember you as a
wise ruler. Your life is ebbing away as we speak and I will not heal you.
Given the choice you should do what you can to prevent a civil war… if you love
your people at all.”

“I badly underestimated you, young Illeniel, but I
do not care one whit for those I leave behind. I will help you only on one
condition… that you give me a swift end afterwards,” he responded with pain in
his voice.

“That I will not do, but your servant is close at
hand. If you advise me well I will let him see you and perhaps he will grant
your wish,” I answered.

“Very well,” he replied, “What would you know?”

“Who is next in line for the throne?”

A choked laugh escaped the dying monarch, “You
really didn’t prepare for this did you? You should have known that already.
My second cousin, Brian Southwell, the Earl of the Eastern March is next in
line since I have no surviving children of my own.”

“I had not planned to kill you until a few days ago
Edward. This is your own doing,” I said. I was surprised that such a minor
noble was his heir. I had thought one of the members of the greater families,
such as Tremont or Lancaster would have been more closely related. I learned
later that the royal family had avoided matches with the more powerful noble
houses to avoid giving them more influence. “I’m afraid that the Earl simply
won’t do,” I added.

Edward smiled wickedly, “Then you must kill him and
dozens of others besides him if you wish to clear your path to the throne.”

I stared down at him without compassion. “I do not
intend to take the throne; I will install James Lancaster in your place.”

“His claim is little better than your own. If you
want him as king you will have to issue a royal decree naming him as my heir
and simultaneously declaiming the rights of more than a dozen men that would
come before him. You would then have to have me die, or rather give the
appearance I had died recently if you are still deceiving people with my
likeness.” He paused for a moment as a sharp pain stole his breath away.
“Once you have my doppelganger die, the noble houses will revolt and it will
take a bloody war to enforce your decree making James king.”

“What if you abdicate?” I suggested. “I could have
you retire due to declining health and advise the new king from your sickbed.
After a year or two you could pass away quietly in your sleep.”

Edward’s face grew thoughtful. “That might work,
though I doubt I would ever have thought of it. Such a peaceful solution makes
me wonder whether you have the mettle to rule at all. I think I agree with
you, James is a better choice. You are too soft to govern.”

“You’ve earned your reward,” I said suddenly, not bothering
to acknowledge his backhanded insult. Turning away I walked back toward where
Cyhan stood and beckoned for him to approach. As he passed me I warned him,
“He will not leave this place alive.”

Cyhan paused and then responded, “I cannot allow you
to harm him.” He had misunderstood the meaning of my words.

I simply shook my head, “You’ll understand when you
see him.”

The veteran moved past me and found his king lying
where I had left him. I gave him plenty of space but I stayed close enough to
hear their words.

“You again,” said Edward as he registered Cyhan’s
face.

“Your Majesty,” answered Cyhan kneeling and bowing
his head.

“Ever the faithful lapdog aren’t you?” said the
King, insulting his guardian even as his own face twisted with pain. “Do me
one last service and finish me,” he said after a moment.

The man who had spent his life training
Anath’Meridum and then royal guardsmen and assassins answered in a voice that
could have been cut from solid granite, “I am sworn to preserve your life sire.
I cannot do that.”

Edward’s face clouded with anger, “You are sworn to
obey me! Do as your king commands!”

Cyhan’s voice remained neutral, “My oath to protect
your person supersedes my oath of obedience your Majesty.”

The King’s voice grew desperate for his pain was
unbearable. “Cyhan, please, do not leave me like this? Cut me loose from this
agony! I would be done with the world.”

The warrior’s face remained still but his tone
became sympathetic, “Release me from my oaths your Majesty.”

“Just kill me damnitt!”

“I cannot. Dissolve my oaths your Majesty… release
me,” Cyhan replied softly.

“Very well, I absolve you of your duties and release
you from your oaths. Now please, for the love of whatever gods are left, stop
this pain!” cried the dying king.

Cyhan laughed and stood looking down on the man he
had served for so long. “I would sooner give mercy to a dog,” he said with
disdain, and then he spat upon his former master. “You are not worth the
effort to lift my sword and cut out your black heart.” Bringing his foot down the
big man stepped on the King’s hand and ground the bones into the hard earth
until the older man began screaming.

Sickened, I wanted to look away but I forced myself
to watch.

The large warrior left him then and marched toward
me, ignoring Edward’s pitiful cries. “Let’s get some air,” he said as he drew
near. “Listening to him disgusts me.”

I followed him a good hundred yards until we could
no longer hear the sounds of the King’s suffering and then he turned back
toward me and drew his sword. I drew back reflexively and readied my shield.
I hadn’t expected him to attack me after everything that had occurred, but I
supposed that recent events might have unhinged his mind. I was utterly
surprised and confused when instead of attacking the massive warrior instead
went down on one knee and held up his sword, hilt first.

“I have spent my life serving a worthless master and
bound by vows that I believed were worthwhile. Now I am free and I find that
my life has been wasted,” he said in a voice that was filled with emotion.
This was a side of Cyhan I had never seen, or even suspected. As I looked down
on his face I saw there were tears welling in his eyes. “I have watched you
Mordecai Illeniel and I know your heart. I cannot live as other men do for I
have been bound by honor and vows my entire life. If you will have me, I will
serve you for whatever remains of my life, in the hope that I can atone for the
wrongs I have been forced to witness and commit.”

A sadness and deep melancholy came over me as I
looked on this man who even now could not live free. “I do not want your
service Cyhan. You deserve to live your own life.”

“You will have it or I will die here. I will not
live otherwise,” he answered determinedly.

“Very well,” I said at last. Taking his sword I
thrust it into the ground and placed his hands over the hilt before covering
them with my own. Looking into his eyes I spoke, “I Mordecai Illeniel do take
you into my service. Will you swear to serve and protect me as your solemn
duty?”

“I will.”

“I would have you take service as one of the Knights
of the Stone, an order sworn to protect the people and serve the greater good.
Will you accept a place among them?” I asked formally.

“I will if you so wish,” he replied.

“I do,” I answered. “I have one last oath I would
have from you before I will accept you fully.”

“I am willing,” he responded.

“Will you swear to listen to your own conscience?
Should fate and events conspire to such an extent that your past vows no longer
make sense in the face of the present, I would have you swear to act according
to your best judgment, rather than blindly follow your oaths.”

He paused for a moment before replying, “I will
gladly swear it.”

“As your lord I have certain duties and
responsibilities on your behalf and I shall endeavor to remain worthy of your
service. We will hold your knighting in a few weeks once Sir Dorian is well
enough to attend,” I told him. “Now get up, I get uncomfortable when people
kneel for too long,” I added with a smile.

Cyhan stood and sheathed his sword. “If you don’t
mind I’d like to wait here until it’s over.” Although he didn’t elaborate I
knew he meant Edward’s dying.

I nodded. “Meet me at my house in the city when it
is done,” I said and then I left him there. I wanted to check on Rose and then
I needed to find Penny.

Rose’s condition hadn’t changed much when I returned
though she seemed warmer. Elaine still lay beside her, but her eyes were now
open and she watched me silently as I checked on Rose.