The Icemark Chronicles: The Cry of the Icemark (29 page)

“My father always impressed upon me the need for discipline and drill among the housecarls of the army. In that way, even mortals can face and fight the undead.”

The Vampire King and Queen gazed at her in silence and she continued. “But the need for allies when facing danger is equally great, and the chances of victory are increased many-fold when your friends stand with you.”

She stepped aside slightly, allowing Their Vampiric Majesties to appreciate fully what she knew they must have clearly seen. The werewolves had instinctively formed a circle of their own, enclosing the shield-wall of her soldiers and facing out in readiness to fight off any attack by the Vampires.

“You have no need to display your fighting prowess here,” the Vampire Queen said. “This is a palace, not a fortress. There are no soldiers here apart from your own.”

Thirrin nodded and gave another order. The spears were grounded, and the escort snapped to attention.

“I believe mortals feel the cold,” the Vampire King said, and casually cast a glance at the huge fireplace that stood halfway down the hall. Immediately flames belched out into the cold air, then settled down to burn steadily, quickly warming the atmosphere. Thirrin had never seen such a fireplace before. In Frostmarris, the Great Hall was warmed by a huge central hearth and the smoke found its own way out, eventually, through vents in the roof. But she had no intention of appearing a bumpkin to these cold and sophisticated creatures, so she merely nodded her thanks.

“Now, I believe this is a diplomatic visit. So shall we get down to business?” the King said, reminding Thirrin for a moment of Maggiore Totus. But this illusion was soon dispelled when she looked up and saw his sharply pointed teeth.

“Yes, by all means. I’ve come to warn you that the Icemark has been invaded by the Polypontian Empire, and my father has died in the act of destroying their army.”

“Oh, well done,” said the Queen. “You obviously don’t need our help, then, if you’ve already defeated them.”

“Unfortunately they still occupy the southern half of the Icemark, so come spring they’ll be able to send another army to attack us.”

“Which you will also destroy, I suppose.”

“Of course!” Thirrin answered with fire.

“Then I ask again, why do you seek our help if you so obviously can deal with anything the Polypontian Empire sends against you?”

Thirrin tried to hold the cold gaze of the Vampire Queen, but she suddenly became aware of the enormous weight of time and experience that lay in the horrendous depths of the Vampire’s icy blue eyes. This pale woman had existed for probably hundreds of years, murdering her way down the centuries and maintaining her inhuman nonlife with the blood of countless numbers of people. She was loathsome, hideous, and deeply evil, and Thirrin felt an overwhelming need to be away from the Blood Palace. To be anywhere but here in the sick green light, surrounded by these pale, undead courtiers.

“Well,” the Queen continued, “do you or do you not still say that you need our help?”

“Well, yes, we do,” Thirrin blurted out, afraid that her diplomatic mission had failed before it had properly begun. “We’ve destroyed one army, but they’ll send another…. That’s how they fight, they just keep coming…. They won’t stop. Not until we’re destroyed. Then they’ll come for you! They’ll kill you all, burn your palace, exorcise your ghosts….” She stopped, feeling every one of her inadequate fourteen years, and tried not to blush.

“So you haven’t defeated them. Just slowed them down a bit,” said the Vampire Queen’s sweetly vicious voice. “And
now you want to forget nearly a thousand years of hostilities and become our friends. How convenient … for you.”

“And also for you, Your Majesty,” said Oskan, coming to Thirrin’s rescue. “The Queen of the Icemark is perfectly correct when she says that if we fall you will be next. The Empire prides itself on being modern, on being
scientific
and
rational.
Monst — people like yourselves and your subjects are the exact opposite of their ideals. To them you’re abominations of nature, and they’ll destroy you if only to make their idea of the world tidier.”

“What is this
scientific?
What does it mean?” the Vampire Queen asked.

“It means believing only what logic tells you is true. In some cases, it means believing only what you can see and what you can weigh or measure. It means denying that something exists unless it’s already recognized by science, and in most cases that means only if it can be weighed, measured, or seen,” said Oskan, impressing Thirrin enormously with his cool and calm approach.

“Stupid!” the Queen spat. “Doesn’t it occur to them that some things can’t be measured or weighed?”

“Yes, I suppose. But in that case they’d probably believe their science has not yet developed the means of measuring or weighing the thing in question.”

“Then by that argument, young mortal, their science will have to accept us, because we most patently
can
be weighed and measured.
Ergo,
they will have to accept our reality and our right to exist,” said the Vampire King with a triumphant smile that revealed all of his sharply pointed and glittering teeth.

“You would think so, wouldn’t you,” Oskan answered conversationally. “But you’re forgetting the woefully mortal ability
to be unfair. You see, they don’t like you. They don’t even like the idea of you. And when some rational people of science don’t like something and believe it shouldn’t exist, they either ignore it or try to destroy it. In your case, they’ll try to destroy you, and not only because they don’t like you but quite simply because you occupy a rich and plump country that they want.” Oskan shrugged. “In my fifteen years of life and experience, I’m afraid I’ve had to come to the conclusion that sometimes people just aren’t fair.”

Their Vampiric Majesties gazed at them for a moment, then both began to giggle. Quietly at first, but then with more and more force until their cold laughter was echoing around the vastly high ceiling of the hall. “Oh, my dear, how precious! How perfectly glorious they are,” said the Queen. “I’m so glad we allowed them to come. Do make them do it again, I could listen all night!”

“Now, now, sweetness,” said the King in mock annoyance. “You’re being most
unfair.
Please remember their ambassadorial dignity. They have every right to our respect and good manners!”

Their Vampiric Majesties looked gravely at each other, then spluttered into uncontrollable laughter again. The undead courtiers now joined in, until the hall was filled with the hideous sound of mocking laughter and the King and Queen were leaning weakly against each other wiping their eyes.

Thirrin and Oskan felt like foolish children who’d attempted to impress some sophisticated adults and had only succeeded in making complete idiots of themselves. The longer the laughter went on, the worse they felt, until eventually they could only think of running away from the humiliation. Thirrin’s face blazed crimson, and Oskan stood
hunched as though a weight of shame were bearing him to the ground.

“Enough!” a deep and guttural voice suddenly bellowed, rising powerfully over the laughter and snuffing it out like a candle flame. “Queen Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield, Wildcat of the North, is my ally and my friend, and I will not have her mocked!”

Thirrin turned toward the source of the voice and watched as a huge wolfman marched down the length of the hall. Immediately the Wolffolk guard threw back their heads and howled in greeting and salute as their King approached.

Grishmak Blood-drinker the First raised a paw in acknowledgment as he walked by the escort of werewolves, and then stopped in front of Thirrin. As she craned back her neck to meet his eye, she realized she’d forgotten just how tall he was, and she almost flinched as the huge paw took her hand and raised it to his lips in courtly greeting.

“Your Majesty, may I be the first to welcome you correctly to the palace of Their Vampiric Majesties. They themselves seem to have forgotten the rules of etiquette and decorum that should be displayed between rulers. But some are stupid enough to believe that mere physical immortality somehow excuses them for their ill manners and boorishness.” He turned to face the twin thrones where the Vampire King and Queen sat glaring at him. “Some kings and queens have made the mistake of believing that the long number of years they have sat on a throne will never end, and that nothing could topple their power. I would remind such rulers that wars have been fought for much less reason than an insult to a valued friend, and I would also remind such rulers that they lost that war and were very nearly destroyed in it, immortal or not!”

Grishmak’s anger stemmed from a genuine affection for Thirrin that had grown since he’d first formed an alliance with her. Of course, at the time, accepting her offer of friendship had simply been the most sensible thing to do, especially as refusal would have meant being hanged, drawn, and quartered by Redrought’s housecarls. But alongside all of the political and military good sense of having a strong alliance against the Polypontian Empire, Grishmak found that he quite simply liked Thirrin.

Grishmak glowered at the Vampire King and Queen, challenging them to say anything else insulting to the young human girl.

Thirrin, for her part, found herself warming to the Werewolf King enormously, and she was very happy to see Their Vampiric Majesties turn aside their eyes as if observing something down at the other end of the hall.

“I think it should be remembered,” Grishmak Blood-drinker went on, “that the dignity of a true monarch is born, and can sometimes be found in the youngest Queen, whereas others who have ruled for centuries have yet to acquire it, and perhaps never will.”

Thirrin smiled at the Werewolf King, her poise and confidence now completely restored. “I am so glad to see you, King Grishmak Blood-drinker. Baroness Grin-Skull told me you would be here, and I am most happy that she was right.”

“Ah, the Baroness! How is she? I really must visit her caves when next I make Royal Progress.”

“She is well, and was most courteous in giving us shelter after my party got lost in the fiercest blizzard. Her werewolves
rescued us from certain death and led us to the caves of the Baroness. Her hospitality was both warm and deeply polite,” Thirrin answered, not deigning to glance at the Vampire King and Queen. “She also told me the interesting origin of her family name. I only wish I could have witnessed the young Baroness Padfoot ripping the face off the standard-bearer after the defeat of the Vampire Army.”

“Before my time, too,” King Grishmak answered. “But it must have been a glorious sight!”

“Now that you two have exchanged pleasantries, perhaps we can get on with the business at hand,” the icy-cold voice of the Vampire Queen interrupted.

The huge wolfman winked at Thirrin secretly, and then turned to face the twin thrones. “Business? Isn’t it already settled? Surely none of us has any choice. In alliance we have a chance against the Empire. Alone we have no hope whatsoever.”

“There are things to discuss, details to finalize,” the Vampire King insisted.

“Work for clerks,” Grishmak snarled. “Draw up a treaty and we’ll all sign it. Now,” he said, turning to Thirrin, “I’ve got a comfortable and warm set of caves away from this morbid labyrinth. There’s plenty of space for all your party, and lots of good red meat. Oh yes, I know you people like it burn — cooked, but I can arrange that, too.”

“You’re so right, of course,” the Vampire Queen simpered knowingly. “Alliance between us is an obvious solution. Especially when the Queen of the Icemark has such a high-ranking adviser, who is more akin to our people than to hers.”

“What do you mean?” Thirrin snapped.

Their Vampiric Majesties smiled to see they’d scored a point, and the Queen continued. “The boy, Oskan Witch’s
Son, I believe you call him. We have many witches in our land, so he’s almost a citizen.”

“His mother was a
White
Witch. They fought against you, and still protect our lands from your evil!”

“Oh, I admit there are a few rebels who resist us. But magic power is still magic power. It comes from the same source as ours. And he is strongly connected to that source; anyone can sense it.”

“I’m no wizard of the Black Arts!” Oskan exploded, his face red and eyes blazing.

“Wizard? Who said anything about being a wizard?” the Queen asked, her voice heavy with contempt. “I’m not talking about all that male mathematics and mumbo jumbo. Your source of Power comes through your mother, through the female line. And as for your father — well, he was hardly what you’d call mortal, now, was he? But besides all of that, my dear Oskan Witch’s Son … you have a Power from a very female source; you are a warlock. You are a male witch.”

Now it was Thirrin’s turn to rescue her adviser as he floundered in a sea of mixed emotions. “Do you really think this news is some sort of shocking revelation?” Thirrin asked, her voice as deeply contemptuous as the Vampire Queen’s had been. “Any who have seen my chief adviser helping in our struggle over the last few weeks will have plainly seen his power at work. But I do have Your Vampiric Majesties to thank for giving it a name,” she said, her voice steady and strong. “If Oskan Witch’s Son is indeed a warlock, then we know that his abilities work for good against evil, and we all have reason to be grateful for his powers.”

A silence fell, and as the atmosphere crackled with hatred and resentment, King Grishmak faced the thrones squarely. “Have we all finished scoring points now? Because I’m getting
hungry and quite frankly I find your taste in palace decor cold and morbid. The sooner I get back to my cave, the better. Let’s all just admit that we need one another and tell the clerks to get weaving on the treaty so that we can have it signed and be out of one another’s company as soon as we can. Agreed?”

After a smoldering moment, Their Vampiric Majesties nodded, and Grishmak let out a weary sigh. “Good. Now, Thirrin … I mean, Your Gracious Majesty, my invitation still stands. Would you care to join me at supper?”

Thirrin smiled. “I’d love to.”