Sovereign

Something moved in the middle distance. As he watched it he realised it was Barys returning with the knights, and his oldest and most determined foe,

Charion of Hume. What should he do with her? Was it treason to think of anything but helping her to return to her Kingdom?

In the dark the column looked like a snake sinuously weaving its way through grass.

He did not want these decisions forced on him now. Or at any time. What was wrong with the way things were before?

He looked at the letter. Could he ignore it? Even before he tried to answer the question he had picked it up and was turning it over in his hands.

Such a little thing with such terrible consequences. To read a few lines and set a whole nation on a new course.

He heard the distant clattering of hooves on stone. Barys had reached the outskirts of the city. He and his charges would be at the palace soon. He must make up his mind now. He could not honourably offer Charion sanctuary if later he must desert her.

He was startled by a knock on his door. He immediately thought of his champion, but Barys could not have reached the palace that quickly. 'Who is it?'

A guard entered with another letter.

'Who is this from?' he asked, confused.

'Post rider from Kendra, your Majesty. Just arrived.'

Tomar pocketed the first letter and received the second, viewed with alarm and some distaste the royal seal of the Rosetheme kestrel. He nodded to the guard to leave. He massaged his forehead with one hand and tried to ignore the headache he could feel was coming. He opened the letter from Areava and angled it near the lamp so he could read the cramped writing of her secretary. You'd think when Urshana died Areava would have taken the opportunity to retire her mother's staff.

The thought led to others, and without reading the letter he lowered the hand holding it. Of course, she did not succeed her mother. I forget sometimes. Poor, bloody Berayma, king for a few days. All Areava could do was pick up the pieces.

He had never liked Areava, she was too aloof and too… well, Kendran… for his liking. Berayma had been equally unbearable. Olio he liked, an affable stutterer. And Lynan. Lynan he liked a great deal. There was much of his late father in Lynan.

He retrieved the letter from his pocket, now holding one in each hand. Each represented a choice he must make, if not in the next few minutes or hours then certainly before too much time had passed.

He heard horses enter the palace courtyard. He had, momentarily, forgotten about Charion. He may have to make a choice sooner than he wanted. When he heard footsteps clumping towards his chambers he placed both letters underneath the lamp. There was another knock and the guard let Barys in, accompanied by a young man Tomar had never seen before.

'Your Majesty, Duke Magmed of the Twenty Houses.'

Magmed bowed his head. 'Your Majesty, thank you for your hospitality. We have ridden long and hard after the fall of—'

'I was expecting Galen Amptra,' Tomar said.

'Galen decided it best to accompany the wounded Queen Charion.'

Tomar's eyes narrowed. 'Accompany her where?'

'Back to Hume, apparently,' Barys said.

'That's right, your Majesty. Queen Charion would not leave her province while it is under the heel of the outlaw Lynan—'

'Yes, yes,' Tomar said, waving down the duke. He was almost overcome with relief. That decision, at least, could be delayed indefinitely. 'Other than your leader are you and your men well?'

Magmed's expression became sorrowful. 'What is left of them. We number under three hundred.'

'Three hundred! But you left Kendra numbering near enough a thousand!'

'Many of us were slain in the first battle against Lynan's army,' Magmed said. 'They are ferocious warriors, and they were led by Lynan himself.'

'Did you see him?' Tomar asked, trying not to sound too interested.

Magmed visibly shuddered. 'I saw him right enough. I saw him plough through my companions as if they were made of nothing but chaff. And I saw his face; he was so pale he looked as if he had come back from the dead And I saw him being struck by broadsword and lance and mace and axe and not take a single injury.'

Tomar and Barys exchanged a glance, one with the same meaning. Magmed caught it and understood what they were thinking. 'This is no fancy on my part, your Majesty!' he said urgently. 'Ask any of the others. I saw a lance enter Lynan's stomach and come out the other side. I saw him pull out the lance and use it to kill a knight. I saw a sword blade sink half a hands-breadth into his thigh, and when the blade was pulled out there was no blood. I saw him kill four knights in as many seconds using nothing but his fist. With my own eyes I saw all of this.'

King and champion looked aghast at Magmed, seeing in his expression that he told the truth.

Lynan, what has happened to you? Tomar wondered silently.

'He was not slain, then?' Barys asked.

'Not by us.'

The room fell quiet. Tomar returned to the window and gazed out into the night, out to the west.

'Your Majesty?' Barys said.

'Hmm?'

'Magmed and his men are our guests…'

'Yes, of course. Please, make sure they are housed and fed.' He turned to face the knight. 'You must stay as long as you think necessary. Tomorrow I will send a post rider to Kendra informing Areava of your arrival. I am sure she will communicate your next orders when she can.'

Magmed bowed slightly. 'Thank you, your Majesty.'

Tomar nodded and Barys led Magmed out. Alone again, he made up his mind. He took out the first letter, carefully unfolded it, and read.

By the time Barys returned he had read it four times. It was in his pocket again when the champion knocked and entered.

'What do you think of the duke's story?' he asked.

Barys shrugged. 'Whatever we think of it, he believes it.'

'There is no doubt about that. Do you think this Magmed is prone to exaggeration?'

'I cannot say for sure, but from what I have seen of him he does not seem prone to excess of any kind.'

'Unusual for a member of the Twenty Houses,' Tomar said, more to himself than Barys.

'Unusual for a Kendran,' Barys said, smiling slightly.

'And no sign of Charion?'

Barys shook his head. 'I made sure Magmed or his people did not see it, but I sent scouts to locate them; they caught up with us before we reached Sparro. She is no longer in Chandra.'

Tomar sighed deeply. 'Well and good.'

'It might have been useful to have the queen of Hume in your hands.'

'Yes, but it is not a responsibility I would cherish. Areava would circumscribe any serious action on my part, anyway.'

'I hear a post rider arrived from the capital tonight. A letter from the palace in Kendra?'

Tomar nodded, pulled out the second letter. Barys noticed the broken seal. 'What does she want from us this time?'

'I don't know yet. You and Magmed interrupted me. Get some sleep. We will talk tomorrow.'

Barys pursed his lips but took the hint and left as asked.

'Now your turn, Areava,' Tomar said softly, and unfolded the letter.

Galen found a small town early in the morning; although not much larger than a village it had its own chapel to the Church of the Righteous God and its own resident priest, a large man called Father Hern. Together with the priest he returned to the woods to collect Charion and the horses. By noon the queen was safely hidden away above the chapel, freshly bandaged and wrapped in a clean blanket to keep her warm. The horses were given to a local farmer to look after and their gear stowed out of sight in the priest's wood shed. Galen himself was given a priest's frock and cloak but warned by Father Hern to stay out of sight.

'You look far too martial in your bearing to fool anyone for long,' the priest told him.