The first of those seated beside him to arrive was Malyssa D’Chamion, who looked to be a few years older than Quaeryt himself, and that likely meant, given women’s attention to appearance, she was probably older than that. Quaeryt seated her and then turned to seat the very much younger-looking Alynae, a chestnut-haired beauty in a deep green gown enhanced by a filigreed gold neck choker. Across the table from Quaeryt were two men and a woman he did not know.
Once everyone was seated, and the ranker servers had filled all the goblets at the long table, Bhayar stood and raised his goblet. “To peace, prosperity, and order across all Lydar.”
While many repeated the toast, some merely sipped their wine.
“I did want to meet you, Commander,” offered the older Malyssa. “My husband was most impressed when he dined with you last fall. I understand you and your wife have been traveling.”
“You might say that,” replied Quaeryt, now knowing that she had to be the wife of the chief councilor of Variana. “We both traveled to Khel to meet with their High Council. My wife was made envoy.”
A quick look of confusion appeared and vanished from Malyssa’s face.
“Vaelora is part Pharsi. The High Council of Khel is entirely Pharsi, and most are women. All but one, in fact.”
“Ah … and since she is Lord Bhayar’s sister…”
“Exactly.”
“Commander,” came the almost silky smooth voice from his other dinner companion, “Lord Bhayar praised your achievements … but never mentioned what they were.”
“No, I don’t believe he did,” replied Quaeryt politely.
“If I might offer a few words, distinguished lady,” interjected Malyssa, “that the commander would be unable to offer without seeming excessively self-important, he was the one who destroyed two Bovarian armies, first at Ferravyl and then at Variana. I understand he accomplished a similar feat in Liantiago as well.” She looked at Quaeryt with the hint of a smile. “Did you not?”
“For better or worse, I did,” he admitted. “Now … you know of me, and I know nothing of either of you, except that you, Madame Malyssa, are the wife of the chief councilor of Variana, and you are either the daughter or the wife of High Holder Fyanyl, whom I have not had the honor of meeting.”
“Daughter?” Alynae laughed softly. “You’re most kind, Commander. I’m his wife, and the mother of four children.”
“I honestly would not have guessed.” And that was true enough, Quaeryt knew.
“Nor I,” added Malyssa.
“Are your lands near Variana?”
“Not terribly near-some fifty milles northeast of here. My husband was fortunate enough not to be an intimate of Rex Kharst.”
“I suspect you were the one fortunate that he was not,” said Quaeryt dryly.
“He was most careful, Commander. He presented me to Rex Kharst when I was almost full-term with our second child. I was not at my best.”
Quaeryt managed not to smile or grin, but he did note that Fyanyl sounded like a High Holder to watch. “He was most careful.”
Alynae nodded.
“My husband said that you are an imager, and the officer in command of all of Lord Bhayar’s imagers.”
“No more so than any officer is in command of those over whom he is placed,” demurred Quaeryt, before adding, “Your observation raises a question that has puzzled me for some time. What happened to the imagers who served Rex Kharst? We heard that there were such, and yet we never encountered them.”
There was a moment of silence, then the man across the table from Quaeryt spoke. “Commander, Laevoryn D’Alte. I might be able to shed some light on that.”
“Please … if you would.”
“Rex Kharst relied on less than ten imagers, and he kept most of them close … but not too close. I have heard that most of them were in the field when you and your imagers froze the Bovarian forces. Several whom I trust have suggested that perhaps three of them were either not there or somehow escaped the violence of the winter that destroyed Rex Kharst and his forces.”
“Do those whom you trust have any idea what happened to those who escaped?”
High Holder Laevoryn shook his head. “They have left Variana. Of that, I am certain. Where they might be … that is another question, and one to which I have no answer. It is not a question, I hope you understand, that I would wish to pursue.”
“I do understand.” Quaeryt did, especially given that any imagers powerful enough to survive what he had wrought were certainly powerful enough to wreak disaster on anyone who got in their way. “That does give some answer to the question of what happened to his imagers.” He paused. “He must have had some way of controlling them.”
“His usual methods,” replied Laevoryn. “He kept close watch on their families…”
Effectively holding them hostage.
“… and that is all I know,” concluded Laevoryn.
Or all you’re willing to say. “That is most useful, and I thank you.”
“My pleasure, Commander.”
After another moment of silence, Malyssa cleared her throat delicately. “It is said that you were also a scholar,” said Malyssa. “A scholar who learned much about Bovaria, perhaps?”
“Some … but I made a practice of talking to many in the course of the campaigns. I ran across a High Holder, a less than agreeable man, who had been banished to his estates … and I learned a great deal from him.”
“Fauxyn?” asked Alynae.
“I believe that was his name.”
“He died this past winter … from injuries he suffered…” Alynae’s mouth opened. “Were you the one?”
“The one what?” asked Malyssa.
“Fauxyn was … despicable, among other things. He was also a duelist who murdered anyone who displeased Kharst. Even for a duelist, he cheated. He challenged a Telaryn officer, it was said. The officer used a staff and crippled him. He never recovered. Some said he poisoned himself to punish his wife.”
At that moment Quaeryt realized that Alynae was not nearly so surprised as she should have been, but he said nothing, only waited.
Malyssa looked to Quaeryt. “Were you?”
Quaeryt shrugged. “He tried to kill me so that his wife would lose her family lands. When that failed, he tried to taunt me into killing him to reach the same goal. I wouldn’t. Now it appears he tried a third way to the same end.” Abruptly … Quaeryt turned and studied Alynae. Then he smiled. “How did you manage it?”
“I was bold enough to ask Lord Bhayar if I might be seated near you. He thought it might be interesting … I think.”
“You’re her sister? Cousin?”
“Cousin.”
“I’ll do what I can.” Quaeryt didn’t know whether to laugh or shake his head … and this was only the first dinner of what he feared might be many.
Yet, thankfully, that was the only surprise of the dinner.
It was close to ninth glass before Quaeryt and Vaelora were able to return to their quarters, and both were thankful that they only had to climb the main staircase to reach their quarters and bedchamber. While they undressed, Quaeryt told Vaelora about his conversation with Alynae D’Fyanyl-Alte. When he finished, he looked to her and asked, “Should I bring this up with Bhayar … or should you?”
“It might be best if we both did tomorrow.”
“I also want to talk to him about those missing imagers. If there were three imagers strong enough to shield themselves, they could be a problem.”
“Do you think you should…” She shook her head. “Of course, because if they show up and make trouble he’ll want to know why you didn’t tell him.”
“If they do, it will still be my fault somehow. I’d still like to know where they went.”
“It could be anywhere,” Vaelora pointed out. “They wouldn’t want anyone to know they’re imagers … or that they supported Kharst.”
“Except to others who did.”
“Or to someone who wanted to use their abilities and could protect them.”
“I can’t see that there’s anyone who could assure them of that.”
“Dearest … there’s always someone.”