Sincerely,
Marissa Lancaster
The room seemed to sway around me, and I could hear my heartbeat pounding in my ears. This can’t be happening. I stood and stared blankly at the wall as a terrible urgency swept over me, and then my paralysis snapped and I found myself moving. Acting almost without thought, I gathered up the things I thought I might need, my staff, my belt and its special pouches, my stylus… then I stopped.
“I have to tell Penny.”
Mercifully I was able to reach her without meeting anyone else, particularly my children. I wasn’t sure I could hide the powerful surge of emotions from them just then, and the last thing I wanted to do was frighten them. They’d been through enough recently.
“What?!” she said immediately. I suppose my face had given me away already.
“It’s Marc,” I began, and over the course of the next ten minutes I explained as much as I could, though of necessity my story was far from complete.
“I don’t understand. What did you say is wrong with him?” she interrupted.
Struggling to remain patient, I repeated myself, “It’s an illness called the ‘grey wasting’, an affliction that affects those who have been possessed by one of the gods.”
“And how do you know this again?”
I was moving already, heading for the door. “I have to go, dearest,” I said as I went.
She saw the look and she already knew there would be no dissuading me. “Let me grab a few things. I’ll come with you.”
That made me pause for a moment. Penny’s face was earnest, and the sincerity in her features reminded me again why I had loved her for so long. Sadly I replied, “You can’t.”
“The hell I can’t…” she started, and then Irene woke from her slumber and began to cry. “Dammit!” she exclaimed and then our eyes met again. Hers were filling with tears as she picked up our daughter and began to rock her gently. She had forgotten for a moment, but reality had reminded her quickly enough, our burdens were not so easily neglected.
I took a moment to kiss my wife and run my fingers across Irene’s soft hair, and then I turned away.
“Tell him I love him!” she said urgently as I left. I nodded and after I closed the door I heard her crying gently through the door. Marcus had been her lifelong friend as well, and it wasn’t fair that she had to remain behind.
Gritting my teeth to hold back my own tears I headed to the circle that Walter had created, the one that led to Lancaster. There were a few more people I had to tell.
My arrival in Lancaster was greeted with no fanfare. No one expected me, and the guard at the circle building knew me well enough that he simply waved me on with a courteous bow and a ‘good day’. There had already been considerable traffic between Cameron and Lancaster over the past day or two, as Walter and George traveled back and forth, carrying Lady Thornbear and a variety of news in both directions.
“Where is Roland?” I asked the footman at the door to the main hall. Since James’ elevation to the monarchy the day to day business of handling the duchy had fallen into his younger son’s hands. Traditionally the elder son, Marcus, would have gotten the job, but he had disavowed his inheritance years before. Marc’s sister, Ariadne, was the older of the two remaining children, but tradition meant she would only inherit the title if her younger brother died or was deemed unfit.
Roland was fit enough, though he truly didn’t want the job. Over the past several years he and Ariadne had taken it in turns to manage the day to day affairs, allowing each of them long periods to escape the demands of leadership. Naturally this had led to much discussion about who would eventually succeed their father, not just as Duke (or Duchess), but also as monarch.
“I believe His Highness was last seen at the stables, Your Excellency,” answered the guard promptly and with perfect etiquette. The Lancasters had taken more effort in training their staff in proper graces. At Castle Cameron many of my retainers were a bit fuzzy on the proper forms of address, nor was it really a priority of mine.
I gave the man a nod and followed his advice. Roland loved horses just as much as his father had, or my father, for that matter. I found him quickly enough, brushing down a lovely white palfrey. As a prince of the realm, or a duke’s son, for that matter, he had no need to groom his own horses. He did it simply for the pleasure of the task.
Growing up, Marc’s younger brother had been eight years younger than we were, which meant we hadn’t really been close playmates. Instead, he had looked up to us while for our part we had probably been a bit cruel in trying to leave him out of our games when we could. Looking at him now, I was amazed at how much he looked like my friend. His hair was a darker shade of brown and his eyes a light blue. He was taller and broader across the shoulders than his older brother. In many ways he was more handsome, though he did not possess quite as much charm as Marc; but then few had that.
“Ho, Roland!” I called out, since he seemed unaware of my approach.
He turned and gave me an easy smile, “Mordecai! How goes it?”
“Well,” I answered giving him a quick embrace.
“I did not think to see you out and about again so soon. Lady Thornbear said you were close to death but a few days ago. How is it that you look so hale?” he asked.
“My recovery was speedy thanks to her timely treatment, and Elaine was able to restore me completely once the poison had run its course,” I said succinctly, summarizing an hour’s conversation in one brief sentence. “Is your sister at home?”
“She is not. Father requested her presence in the city two weeks ago. She has been assisting him with the finances of our fair nation. Some of his other ministers proved to be less than trustworthy,” he replied. It was a statement that covered a much larger story I was sure, but I had no time for that either.
I was disappointed, for I had not seen her in almost a year, but I moved on quickly. “I was hoping to catch you both at home, but this simplifies things. I bear ill news of your brother.”
Roland set the brush in his hand down and motioned for one of the grooms to take his place. “Perhaps we should walk outside,” he suggested.
I followed him out. The early afternoon sunshine seemed a stark contrast to the dark news I had to share. “Your brother is dying,” I said, as I embarked upon an intense description of Marc’s situation.
Marc had informed his family of his move but not of his health, so my information was a serious shock to Roland. Unfortunately I didn’t have the time to allow him to adjust gradually. “I plan to visit him as quickly as possible; do you want to come with me?” I said at the end.
He looked uncomfortable, “Father left me in charge here…”
“Your seneschal can manage for a while. We can be there within three days and the return will be instant once I construct a circle there.”
“But…”
“This is it Roland. You won’t see him again,” I said bluntly.
He straightened and squared his shoulders before nodding, “Let’s go.”
Taking only the time it required to notify his staff of our departure, we were in Albamarl within half an hour.
Chapter 34
“You haven’t actually said how we are going to travel… have you?” asked Roland uncertainly.
I glanced back at him; we were ascending the stairs that led to the top of Traveler’s Pinnacle. “No, I don’t believe I did,” I agreed.