Silver Mage (Book 2) (9 page)

CHAPTER IX

Queen Maria of Farlan was the first to arrive, along with Queen Eloen and King William of Abla. To Bren’s surprise they arrived three full days before the round table, making Bren glad that he had Phena get their lodgings ready early.

The mages had been looking for the arrival of the delegates so Bren was alerted a few hours before their arrival and was ready to greet them at the edge of the town, along with master Turneal who had been chosen to attend the roundtable with Bren. The master was his last choice for an escort, but if it helped earn points with the council, then he was willing to make the sacrifice.

When the carriages appeared, it was all Bren could do to keep from laughing. His mothers and Eloen’s carriage were side by side and even from a distance one could tell that both were going far faster than necessary. “We better get out of the way,” Bren told Master Turneal, as he quickly moved out from the center of the street.

Turneal gave a derisive humph and ignored Bren’s warning. When it became clear that neither carriage was willing to slow, a wild look came over the master’s face. Bren could tell that he was torn between stopping them with magic, or moving out of the way. Thankfully the master opted for the later. Bren didn’t know how his mother would feel about being forcibly stopped.

“What is wrong with them?” Turneal asked, as he dusted himself off.

“I can think of many things wrong with them, but in the end I think I will stick with one of Thuraman’s favorite sayings…They’re women,” Bren said, before breaking into a fit of laughter.

“I have seen children act with more decorum,” master Turneal said hauntingly.

“I wouldn’t let them hear you say that,” Bren told the master. “Neither my mother nor Eloen like to be scolded by others and doubly so if the other is about. Take it from someone who has dealt with both women, duck your head and try your best to come out alive.”

“I will take your advice under advisement,” master Turneal said, before marching down the road after the two speeding carriages. Bren let out one
longer laugh before rushing after the elder mage.

When they caught up with the carriages, they found two women in their forties arguing over who had been the first to arrive. As Bren watched, it reminded him of some of the arguments he and his sister used to have. “I see that you two are doing well,” Bren said loudly, drawing both of the women’s attention.

Bren was surprised to find that his mother seemed more than a little embarrassed about her actions when she noticed him. On the other hand, Eloen didn’t even pause to say hello, she rushed over to where he stood and wrapped him up in a tight hug. “Bren, you have grown up so much since the last time I saw you,” She said, nearly lifting him off the ground. “You look so much like your father. If I was ten years younger, I would kick my useless husband to the curb and grab you up in a heartbeat….I might just do it anyway, be a lot easier if I raised my own husband. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about him embarrassing me.”

“Embarrassing you,” A deep voice said from behind Eloen. Bren couldn’t tell where it was coming
from, but there was a hint of laughter in it. “Who was it that was yelling like some child for the driver to go faster? Telling the poor man that she refused to lose to the red haired devil queen.”

Eloen let go of Bren and turned in the direction of the voice.

“They say act as old as you feel, and I still feel as if I’m twenty,” She said defensively.

“If we were going by how you act, your age would be more around nine or ten at most dear,” King William said laughing.

“Say that again and you will spend the entire trip sleeping in the carriage with the excess luggage,” Eloen said in a serious voice. “That is if I decide to let you live when I got such a cute replacement right here.”

“Bren, if she kills me, I would suggest you run and hide until she finds another fool to marry her,” King William said, shaking his head.

“Aunt Eloen, please don’t kill the king. It would make me look badly to have a monarch die, even if he was killed by his wife while he was visiting,” Bren said, trying his best pleading look.

“You’re no fun,” Eloen said with a wry smile. “Looks like you got a protector this time dear, but don’t push it too far or I might forget that he asked me to keep you safe.”

“I shall guard my tongue every waking moment and at least half of those while I am sleeping,” King William said laughing.

While they waited for the other carriages to arrive, Bren explained the lodgings and protection he had arranged for them. Eloen pouted a little that she wouldn’t be allowed to stay in his official palace, but he quickly explained that allowing one to stay and not the others would be paramount to a political slap
and that he just didn’t have the room to accommodate everyone.

Luckily for Bren, she didn’t press the issue. Bren did well dealing with many of the women in his life, but Eloen didn’t care what someone said. If she wanted something, she went straight after it. Bren’s heart was still thumping in his chest about her jest about marriage earlier, because no one could ever be certain when she was joking and when she was serious.

As the other carriages began to unload, Bren noticed a lot of familiar faces. His sister had come as well as his father’s adopted sister. She had graduated at the top of her class from the royal school and taken up an office with Maria, now she worked as the queen’s right hand in foreign affairs.

Bren looked around, but was glad to see that Eloen had left her children at home. It was bad enough to have to deal with Eloen, having to deal with her daughter would have made the roundtable nearly unbearable for him.

Once everyone was settled, Bren escaped back to his own palace and let master Turneal handle the greetings. He knew that formalities demanded more from him, but he was already past his limit.

As soon as he stumbled through the door of the palace, Bren found a nice comfortable chair and collapsed into it. Looking around, he noticed that Elyse wasn’t with him. She must have lost track of him in all the fuss and been left behind. For a brief moment, Bren felt sorry for her, but even if her life was in danger, he didn’t think he had the nerve to go back and save her. There were just some fates that were worse than death and dealing with those two women at the same time were one of them.

“You look as if someone drug you through town behind a warhorse,” Lillian said, placing a cold glass of wine on the table in front of him. “Did it go that badly?”

“It went better than anyone could hope, but even then, dealing with Eloen is tiring. She is like using a lit fire in a building full of lamp oil. You just have to pray that she doesn’t destroy everything,” Bren said, laughing at his own joke. “Add my mother into the mix and then it is more like trying to juggle fire in the same building.”

“That bad?” Lillian said with a worried look on her face. “Will everything be ok?”

“Nothing that will look badly on me will happen,” Bren said, giving Lillian an honest smile. “They have known each other for years and have loved to hate each other for just as long.”

“When do you expect King Killian to arrive your majesty?” Lillian asked.

“Killian is a prompt man, but one who also likes to be early, but not too early. In all the years he has visited my mother, he has always arrive the day before the meeting without fail. He is the one I am least worried about during this affair,” Bren said dismissively.

Behind him, Bren heard as the door to the palace opened. “Bren Farlane, just where did you run off to?” A loud voice yelled from the doorway.

“Miss I don’t know who you are, but you cannot just…” Bren heard one of the guards say before the air was filled with a loud groan.

“Get in my way again and I’ll cut you into small pieces,” the voice said and was quickly followed by another groan. “Good boy.”

“So she did come,” Bren said, letting his head fall onto the table with a loud thud.

“Who came?” Lillian asked, her face troubled.

“Brenda, an Abla princess, but it would be better to call her a walking natural disaster.”

“I heard that,” a tall girl with light brown hair and blue eyes so dark they nearly looked black. “And here I came all the way to visit you and even brought a few others who missed you at the reception.”

Nearly as soon as the words had left Brenda’s mouth, Shariel walked through the door, dragging behind a very angry looking Sandrea. “I see that you have your father’s knack for disappearing,” Shariel said with a warm smile.

Out of the three visitors, Shariel was the only one he wanted to see, but now that they were here, it wasn’t going to be as easy as asking them to leave. “My apologies for my hasty departure, but I have many other things to organize and the tower has taken over the duty of entertaining the royalty. I am sure that if you were to head over to the tower, there would be plenty to keep you…”

“What are you talking about?” Brenda said, slapping Bren hard on the back. “I have to spend half my life at those stuffy parties. Now, where is my room?”

“I have prepared quarters for you and your mother at one of the local inns,” Bren said, trying to hold a smile.

“Mother has given me permission to stay with you during the visit,” Brenda said with a sly smile. “She told me the reason that all of us couldn’t stay with you, but I am sure that you can accommodate the three of us. If you are short a room I could stay in yours.”

“Lillian, would you please prepare three rooms for our guests,” Bren said quickly.

“As stingy as ever,” Brenda said with an amused look on her face.

“Brenda leave the poor boy alone,” Shariel said, her lips twitching into a smile. “I am sure that you will simply sneak into his room once everyone goes to bed, no matter how much he objects.”

“Oh, good idea,” Brenda said, happily getting a deep groan from Bren. “Don’t complain, I won’t ruin you for the other maidens. I just need a good pillow.”

“Are they joking my lord?” Lillian asked with a shocked expression.

“I hope they are,” Bren said, his head still lying on the table. “When I was younger and Queen Eloen would visit, Brenda decided that I would make the perfect slave and drug me around everywhere.”

“I see,” Lillian said, her face turning serious. “Princess Brenda, I am sure that you understand that my lord has certain responsibilities and a reputation to uphold as this is his land. It would be best for all those involved, if you were to conduct yourself in a manner fit for your station during your stay.”

“Is that so,” Brenda asked, her face taking on a devious look as she walked around Lillian. “I have met few elves before, but from what I heard, you were pretty light spoken people. You must have some designs on my pillow if you are being so straightforward about it.”

“I have no such thoughts toward my lord,” Lillian replied, slightly flustered.

“If you say so,” Brenda said, passing by Lillian and draping her arms around Bren’s neck. “Make sure that you keep us entertained while we're here,” Brenda whispered, her mouth so close to his ear that her breath tingled his ear.

“Bren, how dare you leave me behind to deal with that mess,” Another voice yelled as the door to the palace banged open. As soon as Elyse entered the room and saw the three gathered, her face blushed a light red. “My apologies my lord, I didn’t know you had guests.”

“Oh, who is this?” Brenda said, rushing over to the Elyse and running the tips of her fingers across Elyse pale skin, getting a flustered look from the young mage.

“Brenda, please don’t tease my staff too much,” Bren said, rising from his chair.

“Oh…you finally ready for another match?” Brenda asked, her lips twisting up into a feral grin.

“Will that calm you down?” Bren asked, sighing heavily.

“Couldn’t hurt,” Brenda replied, shrugging her shoulders.

“Follow me,” Bren said as he walked toward the front door of the palace and out into the courtyard.

“Try not to kill me,” Bren said as he pulled his sword out of its sheath.

“Try not to die,” Brenda responded as she crouched slightly, before launching herself at Bren with a speed that would make a horse envious.

Bren watched carefully as Brenda darted toward him with both her hands held tightly to her side. He had been forced to fight her numerous times when she made her first visit to the palace. He had only been ten years old at the time, but Brenda had enjoyed beating him, Bren guessed that it came from growing up in a country that highly prized fighting skills over everything else.

Brenda’s right hand darted first, a small dagger aiming for Bren’s stomach. The strike was fast, leaving Bren no time to get his sword in line and forcing him so take a step back. Brenda was ready for him though and struck with her left hand that now held a short sword that was only about a foot and a half long. Bren expected the attack and had started moving his sword as he stepped back, making it easy to knock the smaller blade aside.

Bren noticed a large smile on Brenda’s face as she continued her lightning fast attacks. Bren tried his best to block the fast blades, but while his movements slowed to defend, Brenda’s only seemed to increase and within a minute she had a blade pressed against his soft throat.

“I yield,” Bren said, holding his hands out to his side.