Treason's Shore (119 page)

“It shall be as you wish, Father,” Hastred said.

He and Tanrid turned toward one another uncertainly. There was no custom for this moment. Most Marlovan kings had died by violence, only one by old age. Evred sensed constraint as Tanrid faced the window, fingers tapping nervously at his thigh, and Hastred looked down at the rug. All three knew that the moment she discovered she would be Gunvaer in fact, Fabern would be up in the royal suite, ordering the women to pull apart Hadand’s rooms to be reorganized to her satisfaction.

And of course she would have the right.

Evred embraced his sons there in his study, then left them alone to talk it out in what would be the new king’s room. He walked back to the royal suite, which seemed larger and emptier than ever.

He still had his old academy coat, though it had gone so threadbare he had laid it aside some years ago, saving it for an occasion he then could not quite define. He would wear it again on the morrow.

He looked around at his few personal possessions. The magic rings he had given to his sons; Hastred and Tanrid seemed to like knowing where the other was. On the mantel in his private chamber he still had the carved box that had once held his horsetail clasp. Since then he’d stored in the box his few treasures, mainly a ribbon-tied roll of Inda’s letters. There were a couple of scraps left from his boyhood days, and there at the bottom Tau’s last letter, written in Old Sartoran:
Don’t force Inda to fight his friends
. How many times had he written answers to that in his mind, to reject them in the light of day?

Evred took the box down and laid it on the fire.

It had not quite burned away when there was a quick knock at the door. One he recognized. “Enter,” he called.

In came his cherished daughter-in-law, Liet. For years everyone had exclaimed over Fabern’s beauty—so much like her father Cama—but Evred had only seen the Ola-Vayir calculation in her eyes, the smirk of meanness that had appeared when she was scarcely able to speak.

Liet was tall, with the Toraca sloped shoulders, her large ears pushed forward by heavy braids. She looked so much like her father, Nightingale—and sometimes there were echoes of Noddy in her face—that her appearance transcended trite terms like beauty, in Evred’s eyes.

“Papa Evred,” she said. “I smelled something odd out in the hall.”

“Merely some tidying.” He rose, dusting ash from his knees. “I told Hastred and Tanrid, and now I tell you: I am laying aside the crown.”

Her eyes widened, then her brow crimped with unhappiness. “What will you do?”

“I plan to ride north.”

She bit her lip, but as always, did not remonstrate. “I was writing to Ki,” she said. Evred thought of his daughter Tdor-Kialen, living up in the north with Cama’s son. How much she resembled her mother!

“I waited to add in about the memorial. I think the news will hurt less, when I tell her all the good things people said about Mama-Hadand. Will you be going that far?”

“I don’t know,” Evred said slowly.

“It’s all right. I’d planned to send my letter with—oh, it doesn’t matter, I just thought—oh, Papa-Evred, I will miss you.” She opened her arms, and he hugged her wordlessly. As he looked down at the neat parting in her brown hair, he thought,
You will be Gunvaer in all but name, and you will be as good as you have proven to be a good Harandviar, young as you are
. But such things were better left unsaid.

He and Vedrid departed at dawn the next day, and Hastred kept his word: there were no bells, no trumpets, though the sentries on the walls, men and women, saluted when they saw the king riding. He saluted them back, meeting eyes with grave deliberation. They would find out after he was gone that the gesture was a farewell.

He had not realized how melancholy he had felt until the royal city sank behind him, leaving crackling snow lying in broad, pale blue layers all the way to the horizon. It was good to be riding again. How many years since he had taken to horse? Since the desperate days he rode beside Inda to defend the kingdom.

The terrible winter was ending at last when he reached the outskirts of Ala Larkadhe. When he approached the castle, he was pleased to see alert guards. He and Vedrid rode with no markings on their coats, so again there was no fanfare.

Word had gone ahead, of course—they had shared an inn with a few of Hastred’s Runners—so Evred’s arrival was quiet, his welcome by the new commander genuine, though he could see that they were uneasy. No one was quite sure how to behave around a king who was not a king.

When he was done with the expected interview and meal, at last they left him alone, assuming he was going to one of the guest chambers to rest. His heartbeat drummed as he trod the back corridors of the castle to the white tower. He had hoped that time and a peaceful approach would once again grant him access to the morvende archive, where he had hoped to live out his days in peaceful study.

But when he crossed the well-remembered landing and laid his hand to the door, he found it closed.

He stood there on the landing, head bowed. When he had got control of the almost devastating disappointment, he realized he was not alone: from behind came the rustle of cambric and silk, then a quiet step. He breathed a long familiar scent, a little like sage and wild thyme.

He turned.

Taumad Dei stepped out from the archway adjacent. “I caught ship when I got word about Hadand, and landed last week at Lindeth. I thought you might come here.” He stretched out his hand. “Your work is done, and well done. Whatever the Morvende think.”

Evred made the old flat-handed gesture of negation on the word “Morvende.” Then faced Tau. “There are many things I regret. Most I made peace with. But this one I cannot, how I disclaimed your honor in that treaty you made.”

“But you accepted it anyway.” Tau smiled. Age had only refined his splendid features. His golden hair had lightened to silver. “You did right by your Marlovans and by the rest of the world at the last, and I know what that cost you. You gave us peace.” He stretched out his hand. “So now it’s my turn to give a gift. Are you ready to see the world?”

Evred drew in a slow breath, and the tension left him as he lifted his own hand. “Yes.” Their fingers closed and tightened. “Show me the world,” Evred said.

Jarend, Adaluin (prince)

Fareas Fera-Vayir, Iofre (princess)

Tanrid, Laef (heir), killed by secret order of Sierlaef, 3910

Joret Dei, betrothed to Tanrid, then to Inda, married Prince Valdon na Shagal of the Adranis

Hadand, betrothed to Sierlaef, married Evred-Harvaldar and became Gunvaer (queen)

Indevan, (“Inda”), future Randael, exiled nine years, appointed Evred’s Harskialdna, eventually Adaluin

Branid, son of former Randviar Marend, two generations previous, became Adaluin after Jarend

 

Kendred, (“Dewlap”), former Cavalry Captain, Jarl of Olara, died defending Sala Varadhe Castle in the Venn War

Liet Tlen, Jarlan, died defending Andahi Castle in the Venn War

Tlennen, (“Flash”) Randael, died by the hand of a spy in the Venn war

Ndand, Jarlan, daughter of a guardswoman, so “of Tlen” or just Arveas, wife of Flash,

Kethadrend, (“Keth”), much younger brother of Flash, now future Jarl, name changed to Arveas-Andahi

Gdir Tlen, once Keth’s betrothed, killed by Idayagans in the Venn War

Radran, baker’s son, survived the Venn attack

Hadand Tlen, (“Captain Han”), survived the Venn attack

Lnand, cook’s apprentice, survived the Venn attack

Haldred Mon-Davar, (“Hal”) (brother Moon), survived the Venn attack

Ingrid Tlennen, serving as interim Randviar until the Andahi girls grow.

 

Senrid, Jarl

Ivandred, Randael

Ndara, second cousin to Jarl, married to Anderle-Harskialdna

Tanrid, Laef

Carleas Ndarga, betrothed—later wife—to Tanrid, the heir

Jarend, (“Rattooth” or more commonly “Rat”), future Randael

Kialen, intended Harandviar to Evred-Laef Montrei-Vayir, took her own life after the Hesea Hills Conspiracy

Mran, grand-daughter of Ivandred Cassad, brother to Jarl, married to Landred Marlo-Vayir

 

 

Camarend, (“Horseshoe”), Jarl

Manther, Laef, died at Ghael Hills battle in 3907

Marend, (betrothed to Savarend Montredavan-An (“Fox”)

Ivandred, (“Vanda”), new heir

Retren, cousin to Vanda, now to be his Randael

 

Nadran, Jarl

Nadran Toraca, (“Noddy Turtle”), Randael to his cousin Nadran, killed in the Venn war

Indevan, (“Inda”), Noddy’s son

Branid Toraca, (“Nightingale”), Noddy’s brother, married to Hild Sindan

Aldren, (“Buck”), Jarl

Landred, (“Cherry-Stripe”), Randael

Fnor, Jarlan to Buck

Mran, Randviar to Cherry-Stripe

Camrid, (“Scrapper”), former Randael to Hasta—Buck and Cherry-Stripe’s uncle

Hastred, (“Hasta”), former Jarl of Marlo-Vayir

Hastred, (“Hot Rock”), Buck and Fnor’s son, future Jarl

Indevan, (“Buttertub”), Cherry-Stripe’s son, future Randael

Rialden, Cherry-Stripe and Mran’s daughter, sent to Algara-Vayirs at age two, will be future Iofre

 

Tdor, Iofre, wife of Inda Algara-Vayir

Ramond, cousin to Tdor, future Jarl (deceased)

Ander, (“Mouse”), cousin to Tdor, Jarl

 

Savarend, Jarl

Lineas Sindan-An, Jarlan, cousin to Tlennen Montrei-Vayir

Savarend, (“Fox”), heir; Inda’s second in command of Fox Banner Fleet, also captain of
Death

Shendan, (“Shen”) Fox’s sister, old friend to Tdor and Hadand from queen’s training days

Marend Jaya-Vayir, Fox’s betrothed, later wife

 

Tlennen, former king, Evred’s father, died by assassination

Anderle, former Harskialdna, or Marlovan Shield Arm during wartime, died by assassination

Ndara Cassad, former Harandviar—in charge of queen’s training and royal guardswomen, murdered by her spouse just before he was assassinated

Tdiran, former king’s sister, died in riding accident, married to Jarl of Yvana-Vayir

Wisthia Shagal, former queen, retired to Adrani homeland on death of husband Tlennen; appointed ambassador to Bren

Aldren, royal heir (Sierlaef), died by assassination

Evred, (“Sponge”), Harvaldar (king), intended at birth as future

Shield Arm (Varlaef) but became king on father’s and brother’s assassination)

Barend, son of Anderle and Ndara—cousin to Aldren and Evred—interim Harskialdna, also shipmaster for Fox Banner Fleet at sea, later Cam mander of Navy

 

Dauvid, (“Horsepiss”), King’s Dragoon Captain, later interim Randael to Algara-Vayirs, then defender of Fera-Vayir Harbor)

Senrid, (“Whipstick”), future dragoon captain, promoted Randael to Algara-Vayirs

Kendred, (“Dogpiss”), included in first Tvei class—died in academy accident summer 3905)

Flatfoot and Goatkick Noth, sons of Horsepiss’s brother, Flatfoot personal runner to Whipstick, Goatkick runner-in-training for King’s Runners

 

Stalgrid, (“Horsebutt”), Jarl

Imand Sindan-An, Jarlan

Dannor, (“Mudface”) married to Aldren “Hawkeye” Yvana-Vayir, then to Branid Algara-Vayir)

Camarend, (“Cama”), Randael, later Jarl of Idayago, new name, Idayago-Vayir; his wife Starand “Honeytongue” Ola-Vayir

Hibern, Imand’s mate and First Runner

Dauvid, (“Honeyboy”), new Randael

Stalgrid, heir to Horsebutt

 

Anderle, (“Hawkeye”), heir, Jarl after father’s execution for treason, killed in the Venn war

Tdiran Montrei-Vayir, Hawkeye’s mother, sister to Tlennen-Harvaldar, died in riding accident

Dannor Tya-Vayir, (“Mudface”), wife to Hawkeye

Camrid, (“Mad Gallop”), Hawkeye’s father, Jarl who led an attempted coup, regicide, died a traitor’s death at the post

Tlennen and Haldred, (“Badger and Beaver”), twins, sharing Jarlate

Fala, potter, (life mate to Hawkeye)