Bhayar was silent for a time. “I sent you out to obtain the allegiance of Khel. You seem to have accomplished everything except that.” His voice was cool.
“I would respectfully disagree, sir. I believe you will be able to reach terms with Khel before long. Without taking Antiago, we had no chance of reaching such terms-except by fighting in Khel, and that would have meant fighting two lands to unite Lydar. Since Aliaro had already offered sanctuary to rebellious High Holders and attacked your warships three times without provocation, there were certainly grounds for the Antiagon campaign. Also, Antiago would have remained a threat and a temptation to the southern High Holders. Khel offers no such threat.”
The lord of three lands nodded slowly. “It is always dangerous to send you to solve a problem, Quaeryt. You solve the problem, but in ways unforeseen. And those ways further your ends as well as mine.”
“Would you rather have the problems unresolved, sir?”
Bhayar paused, as if to consider an appropriate response, when there was a knock on the small side door on the west side of the study.
“Bring in the refreshments,” ordered Bhayar.
A Telaryn ranker appeared with a tray, followed by another ranker. In moments, each of the three at the table had a goblet, a small plate, and in the middle of the table were several platters, one of fruit, one of cheeses, one of sliced meats, and one of assorted pastries. There were also two carafes of wine, one of white, and one of red.
Once the rankers had departed and closed the door, Bhayar looked to his sister. “Red or white.”
“The white, please.”
Bhayar poured her white and himself red. Quaeryt poured himself the white.
“To your safe return.” Bhayar lifted his goblet.
“To your forbearance, brother dear,” replied Vaelora with a smile, “for our exceeding your expectations.”
Bhayar’s smile was half sour and half amused. “I knew there was great danger in having you two wed.”
“It was your idea,” Vaelora pointed out sweetly.
“Enough…”
Quaeryt noticed the tiredness in Bhayar’s voice, but waited. So did Vaelora.
“Now tell me everything you left out, and the reasons why you did what you did.”
Vaelora looked to Quaeryt.
“I’ll start,” he said, “but I trust Vaelora will add what I don’t include.”
Bhayar’s lips quirked, almost as if to suggest that he would have been greatly surprised if his sister did not. Then he nodded.
“The first thing we noticed, after just a few days on the Great Canal,” began Quaeryt, “was that it had not been that well maintained…” From there he described in great detail the harsh conditions of peasants on the lands of many landholders, the factors’ deception and the problems in Laaryn, the conditions of the roads on the way to Geusyn, and what followed on their voyage to Kherseilles and the ride to Saendeol. Quaeryt deferred to Vaelora to let her describe the trial requested of them by the High Council and the subsequent meeting with the High Council of Khel.
When she finished, Quaeryt added, “Without the image that Vaelora made them see, there would have been no possibility of future terms.”
Bhayar sighed again, a long expression of resignation, then said, “I begin to see the reasons for your actions. Go on.”
Quaeryt took up the tale again.
When he got to the part where he and Skarpa, and the massed regiments, were about to leave Kephria on the ride to Suemyron, Vaelora interrupted. “I insisted that I remain with Eleventh Regiment and the troopers that would be returning from Khel. I knew that without all the remaining imagers, they could not prevail against the Autarch’s forces. I also knew that I could not accompany them. I was too close to term. As you will hear, and he will not tell you, Quaeryt almost did not survive the final battle. Had there been even one less imager, he would not have.” She looked to Quaeryt to continue.
Quaeryt went on to explain what happened in Antiago. He did not skip over his dread at discovering that Aliaro had sent warships to Kephria, and his efforts to reach there.
“He was close to being carried onto the schooner,” interjected Vaelora. “That is what Major Zhelan told me. The captain was worried that he might not live.”
“It wasn’t that bad-” Quaeryt began to protest.
“It was a week later when I saw you, and half your body was yellow and purple,” snapped Vaelora.
A faint smile crossed Bhayar’s lips.
Quaeryt finished up with what happened on the way to Kephria, then turned to Vaelora. “You should finish this part. I wasn’t there.”
Vaelora did, speaking firmly about the Antiagon attack and what she had done, and her accident, adding quickly, “I was not trying to be a hero. I left Kephria as soon as I could. I was just unlucky.”
“You were fortunate that it was not worse,” replied Bhayar. “Still-”
“We have not finished,” said Vaelora firmly.
From there the two recounted what had happened in repairing the harbor and building the trooper compound and on their journey to Variana.
When the two had finished, Bhayar looked to Vaelora. “At times, I wish you were not so headstrong as your grandmere. I cannot fault you, for the same blood runs in all our veins, but the price for these conquests you have laid before me has been high.”
“Not so high as failing to succeed,” replied Vaelora.
“I would talk to Quaeryt-”
“If it is about what has happened, I should be here,” Vaelora said firmly.
Abruptly Bhayar laughed. “I will not insist. I would that my marshals showed even the slightest hint of the loyalty for each other that you two have for one another.” After a moment he said, “I have questions. They are not about what you have done. What is done is done, and it was as well done as you could do with what you had. I would like your thoughts about what lies ahead. About what troubles you foresee.” He looked expectantly at Vaelora.
“I have had no such foresights. Not yet.”
“Then your feelings and thoughts.”
“You need strong regional governors,” said Quaeryt. “The factors cannot be trusted without someone over them. Nor can the High Holders.”
“I thought your imagers would assure that,” replied Bhayar sardonically.