The Burning Crown (Stone Blade Book 4) (33 page)

"So let it be.

"We have also come to possess certain other information of critical import to the Worlds of the Crown of Stars. Since you were instrumental in its discovery, we have asked our son and heir to relinquish his customary seat so that you might sit here this day."

Gunter took a proper knee, his ever-present grin as mischievous as ever.

"Thank you, your highness. I am most honored to join you. Please let it be known, however, that I would not be here today, and the Crown would be facing a peril too dire for words, were it not for my brother and friends."

Hartwig smiled at this. "We are aware of your circumstances, Prince Gunter, and we have made accommodation for them. Micah James Stone. Come forth."

***

Micah walked forward with a sudden, overpowering sense of caution. Ferrel warned him that he might have a part in the ceremony but gave no particulars or details.

King Hartwig stood, picked up a large sword and walked down to the floor. Micah had no worries about trouble, absolutely, but in Ferrel's universe non-trouble still left ample room for interpretation!

"Take a knee," said a smiling Hartwig. Then, to the rest of the room, "Micah James Lord Stone, blood of the Great and Noble House of Brightcrown, Blood of the Crown, we have witnessed the great and brave lengths to which you have gone to protect the Worlds of the Crown of Stars, and your brother our prince.

"It is our great pleasure this day to name you Micah James Sir Stone, Knight of the Crown, Order of Ulfric's Guard. This title is awarded only to those who have paid von Halm's price in defense of Crown and King, but to our thought you are well worthy of it." Hartwig touched Micah's shoulders with the sword, right, then left, then right. "Now stand, Sir Micah, and join your brother at our side."

Micah stood with a thousand questions buzzing inside him, but answers would obviously have to wait. He thought he heard Ferrel chuckle softly, but when he looked he saw nothing.

"My Lady Deming," said Hartwig after the three of them sat, "Please to present to us the matters to which you stood in witness."

***

Reginald watched incredulously as his son's judgment unfolded. His blood boiled at Fadding's actions and his manner. He felt a spark of anger at what n'Guirro did, but the visible outrage from the Marines told him of its severity to them. No few nobles present looked anxiously at Hartwig when they saw Micah dispatch Outremin, but the King had no concern for his safety whatsoever. The holocaster picked up and repeated Fadding's words with cruel clarity, and Reginald almost felt the seeds of pity for Fadding. Almost.

Next came more, and worse. Assisted by their friends, the Edders and McReely agents presented their findings to the Moot. Then the three League agents gave theirs. Reginald could find no words to describe the depravity of Fadding's plan and the patience with which he executed it. With the combined findings from League and Crown agents, the sum of it all came out worse, even, than the small parts of it.

Finally came the revelation of Fadding's dealings with the Consortium, and its consequences for the League Navy. Reginald's stomach turned and he tasted bile at that. At last it was done.

After a long silence, King Hartwig spoke.

"Lairds and Ladies of the Hausmoot, we have no words to describe the outrage, contempt and disgust we feel at this betrayal of the Crown and of the League. Do any here wish to dispute these findings, or our condemnation of them?"

None did.

"Do any of the Lairds of the Houses involved have aught to say in their defense?"

Laird Simmons appeared ready to say something, but quickly reconsidered it.

"This, then, is our judgment. Let the Great House of Varl be stricken from the roll or Great Houses. Let half their wealth and holdings be confiscated and presented to the Great and Noble House of Brightcrown to compense them for the dishonor and harm done them. Let half of their remaining wealth and holdings be confiscated and divided between the Noble House of Edders and the House of McReely, for damages done them.

"Let the Great House of Binkor-Sud be stricken from the roll of Great Houses and let half their wealth be confiscated to the Crown and distributed as we see fit among the Houses and others that their actions have harmed. Let the Noble House of Snughblak be stricken from the blood and henceforth known as the lesser House of Snughblak. Let the lesser House of Imix forfeit half of its wealth and holdings to the Crown to compensate the damage it has caused.

"Let the Noble House of Edders be added to the roll of Great Houses and henceforth be known as the Great and Noble House of Edders. Let the lesser House of McReely be welcomed to the blood, and henceforth be known as the Noble House of McReely. Do any present dispute this?"

None did.

"Do any present wish to challenge our decrees?"

None.

"Finally, lest our League brothers and sisters from outside the Crown's worlds doubt our loyalty, let it be known that we adjure and welcome their investigation into this abhorrent matter. We will gladly offer forth any assistance they require, at any length and in any detail required to expunge this foulness from our midst!

"As to the criminals here who did perpetrate treason against the League, we request and insist that League justice be visited upon them in all cases where it is more severe than that of the Crown.

"So let it be!"

Pandemonium!

***

After a week on Barinhall, Micah and the rest left for Haembrecht, the homeworld for House Brightcrown. The Hausmoot still stood in session but, assured the elder Fyrelm, only for the minor details. They had handled the important matters and they would
stay
handled now!

After the chaos following King Hartwig's pronouncement, Micah and all the rest went over what they had discovered in excruciating detail. They went over it individually, in pairs, in groups, to the entire Moot and to several smaller executive groups and finally to the Elder Guard. Ionoski appeared after the third day, presented his report and sat back to watch the others still doing so with some amusement.

Richard Ambith appeared wearing the expression of a condemned man. Per their very stringent regulations, the Elder Guards arrested him immediately. He seemed to expect that and accepted it as a matter of course, but when King Hartwig, himself and in person, pardoned Ambith and reinstated him, he burst into tears. Even better, the very Guardsmen who conducted him into custody welcomed him back with a celebration rowdy enough to banish any possible shadow, on his record or otherwise.

John Thompson disappeared as soon as their ship touched the soil of Haembrecht. When Micah and Ferrel grew concerned, Lacy Blue told them not to worry and that Thompson would appear for his ceremony.

That particular ceremony, for Thompson and Micah alike, would answer most of the questions buzzing around inside Micah's head, or so promised Ferrel. After the initial Moot session, it confused Micah that the Crown citizenry treated him like a Brightcrown. Karr and Blue explained it.

"But you are of House Brightcrown, Lord Micah," said Blue simply.

Another thing that bothered him.
Lord
Micah?!

"Aye and truth," said Karr, "When Prince Gunter swore the Brightcrown Oath to you and mingled your blood, he adopted you into his family and his House."

"Indeed," said Blue, "Not only that, Lord Micah. Since Piotr won't tell you, I shall. Prince Gunter is noble blood of House Brightcrown but also Royal Blood of the Crown. That puts you in direct line to the Crown, albeit not as closely as Prince Gunter."

"What?!"

"Indeed so, Lady Blue," said another voice.

Reginald Fyrelm joined them then. Up close he was nothing more than an older version of his son. He had the same look, the same manner, the same twinkle to his eye and certainly the same humor.

"Sir Piotr," said Fyrelm, "Lord Micah. Greetings to you all."

They gave the Laird honor due, albeit uncertainly on Micah's part.

"Men of integrity, strength and honor are always welcome into the blood of House Brightcrown," said Fyrelm, "Gunter has spoken much of you, my new son. His words did nothing, however, but confirm my conviction that he indeed did the right thing. He tells me that you have served the League with honor and distinction."

"As has he, my Laird," said Micah. Then, lowering his voice, "For pure truth, sir, he
works
at it quite often!"

That elicited a laugh. Something, Fyrelm's ancient butler informed Micah, that was far to infrequent until now.

"He also informs me that your parents will soon be leaving their home world. Caustik, is it?"

"Yes sir." Micah's expression fell. "As soon as I can convince them. They're stubborn."

"Heh. In that case, my son, you must welcome them to their new home here! I hope your brother will visit us as well. Gunter says he has a deft touch with computers. I suppose if we can handle Gunter, we can handle him."

"I'll make certain he's ready," said Ferrel, who had joined them then.

***

Micah fidgeted in his unfamiliar formal finery. The day of the ceremony arrived, along with Micah's Brightcrown uniform. It fit him perfectly but Osbury still found the smallest of details that needed one final touch.

Thompson showed up a few hours earlier, tired beyond belief but more relaxed than Micah had seen him since before they left Azure. He brought a group of McReelys with him, or they him, and Kidwell smiled at several of them.

The ceremony itself was short and simple, albeit conducted in a large hall full of people garbed as splendidly as Micah and Thompson. Nor were all of them Brightcrowns! Laird Edders and Laird McReely joined Fyrelm at the head of the hall and each of them had numerous of their House members present.

Laird Fyrelm confirmed his son's actions and welcomed Micah again to his family. He and Thompson both swore fealty on the hilt of a truly ancient sword. Then, reluctantly, Kidwell stepped forward at the behest of Savn Laird McReely. She swore fealty then knelt before him and he dubbed her into McReely's House Knights.

What happened next amazed Micah for weeks to come! Luther Laird Edders called Ionoski forth and bestowed on him an honorary knighthood. Micah knew Ted would refuse anything more, what amazed him was how he managed to make that refusal stick!

Then the celebration began!

***

"It's quite simple, my brother," said Ferrel over lunch the next day.

Micah and most of the others slept through breakfast; an act that scandalized them more so than any of House Brightcrown. The three Houses had had little enough to celebrate and, by Micah, they made up for the fact in grand style! When Micah finally roused himself and showered, most of the others in the House had returned to their ordinary routine. This was the first time Micah had to speak to Ferrel in relative privacy.

"You gave me back my family," continued Ferrel, "That's a debt I can never repay so I've done my best to pay it forward. Besides, it's as Father said. Our House will always welcome men and women of honor and integrity, and that's you down to your bones!"

"Full truth and no blather that," said Thompson, "Sergeant Stone, I promise you I will not ask any of the three of you about Protocol again!"

Ferrel laughed at that. In addition to his own adoption into Brightcrown, Thompson received an honorary commission into the Elder Guards with a guaranteed position teaching at their flight academy, should he ever desire it. Judging from the sizzling looks one of the McReely master pilots, a gorgeous lady with a feisty manner, gave him frequently, Micah suspected Thompson would find his way back to the Crown as often as he could!

Lairds Fyrelm, Edders and McReely joined them then, each much less formal than the day before.

"Did they tell you about your wedding yet, Micah," asked Kidwell impishly.

"Nay, Lady Vera," smiled Fyrelm, "I thought it best not to overwhelm him."

Micah looked at him quizzically.

"It is a duty of nobility," explained Fyrelm, "and a responsibility that can weigh heavily. The ordinary folk look up to us in times of trouble and times of fear. Regardless of our own feelings, we must care for them and theirs. We must give them courage and strength and the assurance that, no matter how dire the circumstance, we shall all fight for them and with them so long as there is breath in our bodies."

"Slib, sir," said Micah, "But what does that have to do with my wedding?"

"Why, everything, my boy! When news of this horrible affair reaches the streets it will shock our folk to their very cores! Even though the worst is past, hard times are yet to come. Many will leave House Varl and seek fealty elsewhere and many more may face uncomfortable times ere things improve.

"Weddings, my new son, are one of the few things that bring unabated joy and happiness to all who witness them, especially when they involve royalty. Since Gunter does not seem inclined to oblige, the duty falls to you. You must give the folk of the Crown Worlds a wedding to lighten the heaviest burden and warm the most worried heart! Never fear, though, we shall handle the matter splendidly when the time comes."

From the twinkle in Fyrelm's eye, and that of his son, Micah didn't know just how much of that to believe! He suspected Kidwell too, but he knew he'd never prove any of them.

***

After another week on Haembrect, Micah, Kidwell, Ionoski and Thompson left for Faircoast, and thence back to Azure. It surprised Micah that Ferrel joined them.

"Of course I'm going," exclaimed Ferrel, "I may have my family back, and thank you again, my brother, but I also have a duty to the League. Besides, as I've said before, Sergeant Stone, since I met you my life has had a great deal more excitement than boredom! I'm not giving that up!"

Once they left Faircoast, Ionoski reasserted his authority by demanding reports from each of them. He included Thompson, which made the pilot very nervous.

"Because you were a part of this mission, Commander Thompson" said Ionoski calmly, "Even though you did not have written orders."