The King of Anavrea (Book Two of the Theodoric Saga) (16 page)

“Gather them,” the leader ordered Kolp. The boy
dismounted hastily to obey. Ireic noted the wary look in Kolp’s eye
as he approached. When none of them moved to intercept him, he
focused on his task. Once he had returned to his mount, balancing
the unwieldy bundle, the leader turned to the silent man at his
left.

“Go tell Prince Trahern that we have discovered
some trespassers who request his attention. We will walk them to
the camp. Ask him to meet us outside the main pavilion.”

Without a word, the man turned his mount and
galloped back toward the camp raising up a cloud of dust in his
wake.

“Come,” the leader said. “We don’t want to keep
Prince Trahern waiting.”

~~~~~~

Lirth listened with all her might. The measured
tramp of marching men, the clang of metal against metal, and the
occasional roar of male laughter filled her ears as they walked
through camp. Strangely there were no calls of recognition or other
indications that anyone knew that their king walked among them.
Perhaps the humble attire and the growth of beard Ireic had
developed disguised his features more than they had suspected.

She was thankful for the steady strength of
Ireic’s arm around her waist as he led her through it. He seemed
more eager than usual to keep her close. She wondered at the
uncertainty she sensed from him. Up until now, he had been
confident and sure of himself. Something was shaking his poise. It
concerned her.

Kurios, protect us.

Someone approached them on horseback. He drew
his mount to a hasty stop. The animal protested with a snort.

“Captain Yule.” The rider addressed the man
commanding them. “Prince Trahern requests that you bring them to
his tent. He is in the midst of the meeting.”

Ireic tensed slightly. Lirth wasn’t sure if it
was surprise or concern.
Why now?
she asked the Kurios.

“This way,” the captain ordered and they changed
direction.

Within moments they were ordered to stop. She
heard the boy, Kolp, announce their arrival to someone.

“His Highness, Prince Regent Trahern of
Anavrea,” a bass voice proclaimed. With a rustle of fabric, someone
stepped out of the tent.

“Ireic!” Trahern’s voice broke forth in joy.
Ireic stepped away from her to be greeted. Suddenly Lirth found
herself engulfed in a warm hug. “I am so glad you are both safe,”
Trahern said as he drew back. “We feared the worst.”

“You should know I am more resilient than they
give me credit for,” Ireic replied. Trahern stepped away from
Lirth, but kept a hand on her arm.

“Come inside and sit down.” Trahern guided her
forward. “You all look exhausted and hungry.”

~~~~~~

Ireic didn’t get a chance to speak with his
brother alone until late into the evening. After introductions were
made, Trahern escorted them into the house and ordered rooms
prepared for all of them. After the meal, Lirth retired, Ipore took
Aarint on a tour of the keep, and Liam disappeared in the direction
of the guard barracks. Trahern led Ireic to their late
grandfather’s study.

Firelight created a soft flickering glow on the
dark mahogany-lined walls. Ireic paused a few feet into the room
and closed his eyes against the onrush of memories. He had only
visited his grandfather once, his eleventh summer, but he savored
the memories of those three months.

“
Call me Grandfather,” the old man had
muttered gruffly. “I will not answer to any other title, boy. Do
you understand?”

“Remembering him?” Trahern asked, breaking into
Ireic’s thoughts. He opened his eyes to find his brother watching
him carefully.

“You never met him, did you?” Ireic asked.

Trahern shook his head. “Father wasn’t about to
risk Grandfather messing with my thinking and changing my
loyalties. They weren’t exactly on good terms then.”

Ireic sank gratefully into the large overstuffed
chair before the fire and sighed deeply. “When were they ever on
good terms?”

“Shouldn’t you be in bed?” Trahern asked as he
crossed to the desk in the shadows to the left. “You have had a
grueling week.”

Ireic leaned his head back against the
upholstery and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “I
probably should, but I am not going to get any sleep until I know
what our situation is.”

“Fair enough. Where shall I begin?”

“Begin where you disobeyed my orders and left
your pregnant wife.”

Trahern shook his head as he came to stand
before the hearth. “Eve is no longer pregnant. Ian Lucas was born
shortly after you left us.”

“Is all well?”

“Yes, praise the Kurios! But, I wish the birth
announcement came to you under better circumstances. I followed you
the moment I got your first message about disbanding the council. I
alerted my contacts with the reserves and informed them that you
might need reinforcements. We reached just south of Ana City when I
intercepted the news of your disappearance.”

Ireic closed his eyes. “So they are saying that
I have disappeared.”

“No, they said that you were dead. In a flowery
language, their messenger ordered me to bring Seth and come to the
capitol at once.”

Ireic opened his eyes in time to watch his
brother place another log on the fire. It was as he feared. “They
must have opened and read my will. I am not surprised.”

“Or one of them was wise enough to remember how
close we are. Either way, I didn’t believe their claim, especially
when I found out that Lirth had disappeared as well. I figured you
would run here since this is the only land that you own separate
from the crown and the most defendable position. General Tremont
met me on the way with five hundred men. I found about three
hundred green troops gathered through the efforts of the service.
Another hundred have trickled in over the past two days.”

Trahern sat down. Leaning forward to rest his
elbows on his knees, he continued. “Tremont reports that a Lord
Yorn and a former councilmember named Siver are keeping an eye on
the rebels’ plans and movements. They will provide us with any
intelligence that we might need. Overall, I think you are in a
sound position, considering the circumstances.”

“I can’t think clearly about this tonight.”
Ireic closed his eyes again. “Do you think that General Tremont
would meet with us tomorrow morning to plan our next move?”

“I will have word sent to him tonight.”

Ireic nodded.

“How is Lirth handling all this?”

“Better than I am.” Ireic sighed at the memory
of their last conversation. “She seems to have an inner peace that
escapes me. One would think that she would be frightened
considering the strange place and her lack of sight. Instead, she
takes each new development, good or ill, calmly. She has remarkable
reserves of composure and strength that are not apparent on the
surface.”

“I suspected as much.” Trahern leaned forward
and stirred the logs, causing a shower of sparks.

Ireic watched his brother as he stared into the
flames. The shadows flickering across Trahern’s features played
with Ireic’s memory, tugging at something. Then he realized the
connection. Trahern looked like their father.

“It keeps coming back to me.” Ireic’s voice
sounded weary, even to his own ears. “The possibility that I could
walk away from all of this keeps whispering in my thoughts. A part
of me dreams of peace and quiet, without the burden of running a
country.”

“Why don’t you?” Trahern asked.

Ireic rolled the question around in his mind. “A
larger part of me knows I wouldn’t be able to walk away. Something
inside of me would die as I watched those men run Anavrea into
chaos.”

“You have never been one to stand and watch
suffering when you could stop it.” Trahern turned his head. His
eyes glimmered in the shadows, catching the light and reflecting it
back. “You are not alone, Ireic. This castle is surrounded and
filled with men who love Anavrea and are willing to die because
they believe you should be their king.”

Ireic knew it was true. Still, he doubted he
should be the one to wear the crown. He fell so far short of the
best choice.

“Go to bed,” Trahern suggested. “Go comfort
Lirth and rest well. Tomorrow will come soon enough. You will find
hope in the morning.”

Acknowledging the wisdom in his brother’s
advice, Ireic pulled himself to his feet and went in search of his
wife and his bed. He left Trahern sitting in the chair before the
fire, watching the dance of the flames over the logs.

~~~~~~

Lirth struggled for breath. Something bound
her hands and her feet, contorting her limbs against a framework.
It burned cold against her skin and remained resistant to her
tugging.

“
It is rare that I catch the same hare
twice.” The voice filled her ears, rasping and low. A freezing
liquid poured through her veins. It was the voice of her
nightmares, yet this wasn’t her usual dream.

Something struck the lattice of metal close
to her head. Instinctively she turned away from the sound, but her
captor grabbed her hair and yanked brutally upward. A cry fell
unbidden from her lips as tears of pain sprung to her eyes.

~~~~~~

Ireic woke instantly when the bed shook. It took
him only a moment to realize the cause. Lirth’s slender form stood
outlined by the moonlight coming from the balcony windows. They
overlooked the castle gardens. Her whole body trembled beneath the
thin fabric of her nightgown.

“Lirth,” he whispered as he eased slowly to the
edge of the bed. Slipping from the welcome warmth of the bedding,
he padded across the cold floor. She didn’t turn at his approach.
“Lirth?” He reached out and cautiously laid a hand on her thin
shoulder. She continued to shake.

“No, Kurios, please no…” Her broken plea ended
in a shuddering breath that tore at his heart.

Slowly, so as not to startle her, he gathered
her against him. She was frigid and stiff as he drew her gently to
him. Burying his face in her hair, he brushed the strands with his
lips.

__________

Gradually the dream fell away and grew distant
in the glow of Ireic’s presence. Lirth leaned willingly into her
husband’s strength.
Please don’t let it come to pass,
Kurios.
It had felt too real… Sharp… Hard. I was like she had
witnessed something to come.
Let it be a dream.
Even as she
thought the words, Lirth felt strongly that it had not been only a
dream.

“Come to bed, darling.” Ireic’s breath brushed
her ear. “You are freezing and the floor is cold.” His large hands
slid up and down her upper arms, warming them slightly.

Obediently, Lirth let Ireic lead her back to the
bed. He gathered her close. Finally, when she snuggled against him,
he spoke.

“Now tell me about your dream. Was it the one
about your brothers?”

“No,” she whispered, pressing close to his
warmth and soaking in the smell of his skin. “This one was
new.”

“Tell me,” he urged.

The words came haltingly as she fought against
the fresh fear that came with the memory.

“The scariest part was that it felt too real to
be just a dream. I think Kurios is warning me about what is to
come. I think something bad is going to happen to me, Ireic.”

Ireic’s arms tightened. “Not if I can prevent
it.”

“If the Kurios wills it, no one can stop it.”
Lirth pushed away. “We can only pray for deliverance and trust Him.
He works all things out for good, even the trials.”

Ireic grew still. Lirth closed her eyes and
buried her face against his chest.
Kurios, please make him to
understand. Please give me the words.
The dream washed over her
again.
Please keep me strong. I cannot do this alone.

Ireic drew Lirth’s face up gently between his
hands. “I know that, Lirth. I have read in the Manuscripts about
how the Kurios deals with men and kings who oppose him. I have no
desire to do that, but I also will not lose you.”

“I don’t want to leave you,” she assured
him.

Ireic relaxed slightly. “Then there is hope. As
of tomorrow, you are never going to be alone. Either Liam or I will
be with you at every moment. I hope and pray that the Kurios will
spare you. I will do everything to be ready for that opportunity,
no matter how small.” His right thumb stroked her cheek gently.
“You are precious to me, Lirth.” His voice grew slightly husky. “I
love you.”

“I love you too, Ireic.” Lirth reached out to
touch his face. From the soft skin over his cheekbone to the
roughness of his scruff, she relished the sensation.

“May I kiss you?” His question was soft and
eager.

Lirth found herself smiling. “I am your wife.”
She felt his smile beneath her fingertips the moment before he drew
her face closer and kissed her deeply.

~~~~~~

About mid-morning, General Tremont and his staff
left the study to carry out the plan and Ireic let out a deep sigh.
They were going to be moving out immediately. He had been hoping
for a day of rest before they started the trek toward Ana City, but
it didn’t make tactical sense to delay.

Closing his eyes, he willed his head to stop
throbbing. The stress headaches were growing worse, and his lack of
a full night’s sleep didn’t help. Despite the pain, a bittersweet
smile pulled at his mouth as he recalled why he hadn’t gotten
adequate rest the previous night. Awakening to the aftermath of
Lirth’s dream had not been pleasant, but her warmth and sweetness
afterwards–

“Now, I can understand the grimace.” Trahern’s
voice broke through the memories. “But that other expression, I
can’t read.”