“I did lose her at Kephria.”
“You expect another,” said the Eleni flatly.
“I do,” admitted Vaelora.
“She will be an imager. I do not know if she will have your sight. That comes later.”
“Thank you.”
“I would not wish thanks for that, Lady. A woman who is an imager … she will face great trials, even with the protections you and your consort can provide.”
After another sip of the wine, Khaliost went on. “I took the liberty of also talking to Marshal Calkoran after he came to escort us. He insisted that I meet with Major Eslym. The major presented me with a dagger. He insists it is the dagger that Erion threw to protect you against the remaining imagers of Rex Kharst when you faced them while trapped in a chamber lined with lead and iron.” The older man smiled cheerfully. “Is it?”
“It was thrown by a figure that looked like Erion,” Quaeryt admitted.
“It is stronger than iron and lighter, and the edge is sharp enough to shave a man or behead him. The major says that it also pierced an iron-lined door.”
“That is true. It pinned Submarshal Myskyl to the door.”
Khaliost nodded. So did the Eleni.
For several moments, there was silence.
Then Quaeryt asked, “Are you empowered to agree to the final terms you work out, and will the Council be bound by those terms? Or will we work out something only to discover that the Council will reject it, and then we’ll have to invade Bovaria?”
“That is why Chiana is here. Whatever terms we agree on, the High Council will accept.” Khaliost sighed. “I hope we can agree, because I cannot agree to what would amount to a complete surrender of who and what Khel is.”
“Lord Bhayar is generally reasonable.”
“The Council knows that of you. We hope that of him.”
“Might I inquire as to what instructions the High Council gave you?”
“To obtain the best terms possible, and to obtain assurance from you that you will support those terms.” Khaliost paused, then opened the leather folder and extracted several sheets, which he handed to Quaeryt. “Here is an outline of what the High Council would suggest for terms, based on what you said in Saendeol. Chiana and I realize that these are what the High Council wishes, but the more that Bhayar wants beyond these, the more unhappy the Council and the people of Khel will be.”
“I can only promise that Vaelora and I will go over the suggestions first before presenting them to Lord Bhayar. Although we will have to read your proposed terms, there will doubtless be some provisions that will need to be added.”
“Such as?” inquired Khaliost.
“I would not wish to prejudge what the Council has proposed,” replied Quaeryt. “I’m only stating that such additional provisions may be necessary.”
Khaliost nodded, then asked, “Might I ask what laws will govern Khel if Khel agrees to terms?”
“Lord Bhayar is considering a new legal codex that will merge the past laws of Bovaria with those of Telaryn, with certain additional changes to provide some protections … and possibly some limitations on … certain individuals. He intends that, in general, all laws and tariffs across Lydar be the same, with no special provisions for traders or factors from one part or another.”
“There are differences in customs…”
“We know,” replied Quaeryt.
More than two quints later, Quaeryt and Vaelora exchanged glances.
“There are quarters for you…” Quaeryt looked to Chiana.
Khaliost laughed softly. “She is my cousin.”
“We have more than enough rooms for your party,” said Vaelora. “We don’t have the chateau fully restored, and the smaller dining chamber is rather bare. Its sparseness is not a lack of respect, but a lack of time and golds to complete the refurbishing of the chateau.”
After another quint of discussing arrangements, Vaelora had one of the maids, essentially serving as a footman, escort the two to their quarters, while one of the administration clerks dealt with the six guards that had accompanied them.
Then Vaelora and Quaeryt retreated to her ministry study and began to read through the terms proposed by the High Council.
Two quints later, they looked at each other.
“Bhayar will never agree to all of this,” said Quaeryt.
“They know that,” replied Vaelora, “and we know that they know that.”
“So what do we do? Separate out the provisions into groups-those that are acceptable, those that are unacceptable under any conditions, those that we can soften to acceptability, and those Bhayar needs that they haven’t addressed and we need to add?”
Vaelora smiled. “That’s a start.”
Quaeryt had the feeling that long days and nights lay ahead of them.
63
Neither Quaeryt nor Vaelora felt comfortable bringing the terms of the agreement with the High Council of Khel to Bhayar until midafternoon on Meredi, when they had finally considered all the provisions and then written out their recommendations for changes to those provisions that they thought were unacceptable or needed improvement.
The terms suggested by the Khellan High Council only comprised three pages, the actual terms consisting of little more than a page and a half, but when Quaeryt and Vaelora entered Bhayar’s study, both carried leather folders filled with other papers, ranging from tariff reports to the proposed legal code Bhayar was considering … as well as other calculations that Vaelora and the clerks had worked out.
Bhayar walked from the window and sat down at the conference table. “Before I read it, tell me what you think their terms mean.”
Quaeryt settled into the chair on Bhayar’s left, and Vaelora on her brother’s right.
“They accept your sovereignty and protection on both land and sea,” began Quaeryt, “but will not pay any reparations, since they have done no damage to either Bovaria or Telaryn. They agree to the same tariffs as levied, by category, on merchants, factors, holders, and growers in Telaryn, and paid at the same times and collected by local councils. They agree to your building military establishments as necessary in Khel, provided the land or other property is purchased at a fair price. They wish you to agree that the ruler of Lydar will not use his position to require any specific form of belief or worship…”
Bhayar nodded. “So far … so good.”
“Those are the provisions that we thought you would generally agree with. There are others, however…” Quaeryt cleared his throat. “The Council agrees that all Khellan troopers and officers who served you may now return to Khel if they wish, but that they must not be compelled to do so. There is one exception. Former Marshal of Khel Calkoran must never set foot on the lands of Khel for the rest of his life.”
“What?”
“He disobeyed the Council’s orders in dealing with the Bovarian invasion. Rather than break his army into smaller units and fight scattered battles against the Bovarians, he massed his forces at Khelgror. He was defeated and lost most of his command-except for those he brought to Telaryn. But in doing so, he also almost won and killed nine out of ten Bovarians-one reason why Kharst couldn’t hang on to Khel once you attacked.”
“They feel strongly about this?”
“Yes,” said Vaelora.
“I suggest that you give him a small high holding, sir.”
“You have one in mind?”
“Vaestora. High Holder Seliadyn is failing, and he requested that I intercede with you to find a proper successor. It is not that large, but prosperous and well managed. It has a walled keep whose gates are never closed, and Seliadyn tariffs his underholders less than other High Holders … and that will likely be necessary for his successor.”