Zoran Chronicles Volume 1 A Dragon in Our Town (64 page)

            
Damek turned and headed back inside, bumping into the unseen others. “Er, how
was that?” he asked, as Zoran and the others became visible once more.

            
“Perfect, big brother. I do believe that you are in charge. Of course, the meeting
tomorrow with your Generals will tell all, but I think that they have already accepted you
as their baron.”

            
“But how can I be baron?”

            
“Let’s worry about that later.”

            
“But I don’t really want to be baron, Zoran. I haven’t a clue about how to do it.”

            
“I know. Please, let’s worry about that tomorrow.”

            
Back in the dining room, Milan told Zoran, “Now he ought to be buried as soon as
possible. Do you want a state funeral?”

            
“No, he was a tyrant right up to the end. However, he ought to be buried in the
family burial plot.”

            
“I’ll see to that in the morning,” Damek offered. “But what do I do now?”

            
“Well, I for one am going to go to bed. It has been a long, eventful night,” Baron
Milan replied. “Zoran, I’ll come by tomorrow afternoon and we can discuss things with
Baron Damek then. Okay?”

            
After he left, seeing Zoran and friends about to leave, Damek suddenly became
fearful. “What about me? Will I be safe in here alone? What if Eckhard tries something?
I cannot even get a hold of you.”

            
“Emil, will you volunteer to stay here with Damek tonight and protect him if need
be?”

            
“No problem. I will wander the halls and make sure no ill comes to him.”

            
“Thanks, we’ll come by tomorrow and talk more Damek. I am proud of the way
that you handled things here tonight. Well done, big brother.” Zoran’s comment had his
intended effect; Damek smiled. Then, they vanished from sight.

            
Back in their tower, everyone was now totally awake, so they raided the kitchen.
For a while, everyone discussed this unexpected turn of events. Finally, sleep overcame
them all.

Chapter 28 Aftermath

Early the next morning, Zoran took a hasty breakfast, before the onrush of Zdenka’s
students. When she came down, she found him sipping his tea, deep in thought. As she
sat down, he looked up and said, “Damek didn’t want to kill Kazimir. He was resisting
Brunhilda’s orders. I know, I helped him. I was sneaky and just enter his mind and re-enforced his own choice.”

            
“You did what you had to do, Zoran,” she replied, sitting down to eat.

            
“Yes, and now I feel that I am facing the biggest decision of my life.”

            
“How so? Isn’t everything over now? I suppose Milan will have someone else
become the actual baron,” she replied, afraid that she was sounding terribly ignorant of
this court situation.

            
“I hardly know the man, Zdenka, but he is my brother.”

            
“Well, so was Radek. Look how he turned out?”

            
“That’s precisely my point. Would Damek be another Radek, if given half a
chance?”

            
Jarka walked in, her black hair a disheveled mess, sleep still in her eyes. She’d
heard the last of their conversation and chose to answer Zoran. “Oh that one is an easy
question.”

            
“Oh, morning Jarka. What do you mean easy?” Zoran turned to look at her.

            
“Yes, easy. Suppose that it was Radek there — you know, standing there with the
broadsword and not Damek. Would Radek have done it — stabbed Kazimir?” she asked,
taking a long drink of juice, and then wiping her lips.

            
“Yes, yes he would have. Radek always wanted to be the baron. With Kazimir so
— well mad — he would have seized his chance, probably sooner,” Zoran replied. He
brightened up, “I see what you mean. Damek didn’t. Well, I will give Damek a chance.
Thanks oh wise Mage,” he teased.

            
“No, it’s a thief thing, not a magic thing. Got to understand people’s motives,
Zoran. Magic can’t do that. Um, pancakes!” She helped herself to a pile from the platter
that Hana just brought to the table.

            
Zoran grinned. “Okay, here’s the plan. I think it’s time that Damek met the rest of
his family and they, he. He’s already met Lida and Rayna. We’ll take Jan, Zuza, and
Kamila to meet their older brother. Based on how that goes, I’ll work out the rest.
Thanks, Jarka.”

            
A half hour later, Zoran gathered the three together. “Gang, we have an older
brother to meet. I know, he’s our half-brother, but still he’s our brother. He’s much older
than all of us. His name is Damek Kamil, and at the moment he is acting as the Baron at
Dorumova. Shall we all go and meet him?” They had no objections and certainly were
curious to meet him, especially the young twins.

            
Zoran Shadow Walked his friends and the kids directly into the main meeting
room of Castle Dorumova. None of the three had ever been inside a real castle before
and were awestruck with what they saw here. Suits of plate armor, tapestries, fancy
tables and chairs, even the plush carpet was noticed. “Ah morning Damek. I’ve brought
along the rest of our family. We’ve one more brother and two sisters.”

            
“This is Zuza and Jan Vavrin, they are ten years old and are learning to read and
write now.”

            
“Very pleased to meet you, Zuza and Jan. I’m your big, older brother, Damek,” he
shook their small hands. Zoran watched his reactions carefully. He seemed to enjoy
meeting them.

            
“Gee, you really are old, Damek!” Zuza exclaimed wide eyed.

            
Damek laughed, “Yes, I’m three times older than you, but not so old that I can
still tickle you guys.” She let out a squeak.

            
“Can you show us the castle, please? We’ve never see a real castle before,” Jan
pleaded.

            
“You bet.”

            
“And this pretty teenager is Kamila Lota.”

            
“Hi, Damek. I’m learning to read and write too.”

            
“You are going to be a very pretty lass. Yes, I know, our dad never did much for
us. I didn’t learn to read and write until I was twenty-one and in the army. As a soldier, I
had to learn to read the orders. I must admit, Kamila, I don’t read very well. I get
stumped on the big words. Would you like a tour of the castle too, Kamila?” Damek
asked.

            
“You bet! I’ve heard adults sometimes talk about this castle. I never dreamed that
I would ever be inside it!” Off they went. Jarka decided to tag along, just in case, while
Zoran and the others headed for the study. The sounds of three excited children echoed
through the halls.

            
A while later, the jubilant kids returned. Jan said, “Zoran, guess what? Damek
says that we can come and visit him anytime we want. I told him that we can all Shadow
Walk here. How comes he can’t do that? Is he really too old to learn?”

            
“Yes, Kazimir ought to have given him the proper ceremony, like I did with you
kids. He didn’t. However, Damek might just possible be able to learn some magic spells.
Of course, he’d have to learn to read and write much better.”

            
“Zoran? Are you teasing me? I’m thirty years old,” Damek replied.

            
“You have our father’s blood in you. I know it is rather old to get started, but
there is always the chance, if you are willing to try.”

            
“Thanks, brother. I owe you. I have to meet with the Generals in a few minutes. It
shouldn’t take too long. We can talk more then.”

            
“Okay, I need to get the kids back to their lessons. Zdenka here will have my hide
for keeping them from their studies. We’ll drop by in a couple of hours, round lunch
time, okay?”

            
With that, the group returned to their tower, just in time to meet Baron Milan
and Baron Viktor, who had come to meet with Zoran. They took tea and biscuits in the
second floor dining room.

            
“We’ve been going over the Federation Legal Rules,” Milan began, “to try to figure
out this mess.”

            
“Yes, it is highly irregular for a baron to die and his appointed heir also to be at
that time technically invalid. There is no question that at this point in time, Damek will
not be permitted to become Dorumova’s baron. He is not a Duska and no longer has a
Duska wife,” he explained.

            
“Now if Damek can marry a Duska woman before the Spring High Council meets,
he would then become qualified to be the baron,” Viktor added. “Is there any real chance
of that?”

            
Zoran shook his head. “Damek does not know any one that meets that criteria.
He’s already had one arranged marriage which did not work out well. I doubt that he
could be convinced to do it again, even if we could somehow find someone in time.”

            
“Yes, that is the conclusion that we both reached. He’s thirty. It would be criminal
for us to marry a teenager to him,” Viktor admitted.

            
“So what do the rules say happens next? Does the High Council just vote someone
to take over Castle Dorumova?” Zoran asked.

            
“Well, if all else fails, yes. It will take a majority of the High Council to approve
such an appointment, once such a person is found,” Viktor answered.

            
“But before it goes that far, the rules clearly state that, in the event the appointed
heir is invalid at the time of appointment, then the eldest remaining son, who is valid,
may become the heir. Failing any valid remaining sons, then any remaining eldest
daughter, who is valid, may become the baroness. If none meet that criteria, then it falls
to the High Council to pick someone, as Viktor said,” Milan finished up.

            
“Well, that is interesting. There is one more valid son and two daughters,” Zoran
explained. “I took your advice and rounded up the other known offspring of Kazimir’s.
Jan Vavrin is only ten, but he is Duska now. Priestess Anezka performed the Ceremony
of Ascension. I had her conduct it for all three. His sister, Zuza, is also ten. Finally,
Kamila Lota is fifteen. We’ve got three valid candidates.”

            
Milan grimaced. “Bastard son and daughters will be the argument our enemies
will put forward.”

            
“Can we argue for them?” Zoran asked.

            
“Certainly,” Viktor replied. “Jan would be the likely candidate, though he is too
young. Isn’t there a regency rule for under-aged heirs?”

            
“Yes, somewhere, let me see.” Milan produced his copy of the rules, a hefty sized
manual, which he had shrunk to transport it. Unshrinking it, he began to rifle through
the pages. Zoran noted that the pages were well worn from extensive use. He realized
that he ought to have a copy of the Federation Rule Book. Viktor promised to send him
one soon.

            
“Ah, yes, here it is under Regents. It says that, if the valid heir is not yet eighteen,
then the Circle can be held for him by an appointed Regent,” Milan read.

            
“Yes, that’s all well and good, Milan,” Viktor complained, “but who can be the
appointed Regent? And who appoints him?”

            
“One moment, I haven’t been over these rules in years, Viktor. Let’s see here.” He
rifled the pages back and forth. “Ah, a Regent can be anyone whom the under-aged, valid
candidate chooses, subject to the following. A Regent cannot at the same time be
another baron. While it is preferable for the Regent to also be a Duska, it is acceptable if
he or she is not. If the Regent is not Duska, some provision must be made for the
protection of the Circle of Ascension.”