The Hope of Vitality, page 13
“Mentioning her fortitude was not intended as a compliment,” the captain told him. “I just couldn’t help wondering how our own Princess Neira might have handled similar conditions.”
Kahrlin snorted before he could prevent himself. “I can well imagine!” He gazed at the forlorn figure. “What have you been ordered to do with her?”
“I’ve been instructed to drop her off at a remote island. I wouldn’t be surprised if the chief minister himself decides to entertain her sooner or later.”
Kahrlin grunted. “In that case, she’d better enjoy the voyage. If her last few weeks have been difficult, it’s going to get a lot worse.”
With some measure of freedom restored at last, the captive made her way onto the deck, avoiding the stares of the sailors. Some faces wore sneers, and a couple showed pity, but what did it matter? These sailors could do nothing to help her, even if they wanted to.
Swaying with the pitching of the deck, she headed for the rail. Grasping hold of it to steady herself, she stared off into the horizon.
The last few weeks had been a waking nightmare, coming to a head in the extreme conditions of her confinement in the wagon. The experience had been terrifying. She had heard tell of people with a crippling fear of confined spaces; she understood completely now.
It wasn’t just the terror of being trapped. Her arms and legs had ached continuously from the forced inaction. Although her nose had never been deliberately blocked, at times she feared the gag would suffocate her. Constantly hungry, with only opium-laced wine to drink, and with her bladder full to bursting, even the release of crying out was denied her. Frequent lapses into unconsciousness had been the only reason she was able to endure the ordeal.
Whenever they were not traveling and she was released for a time, the only faces she saw were harsh and unyielding.
She had known times of suffering in the past, but this experience highlighted how fortunate her life had been. With the future dark and uncertain, she chose to revisit the past, savoring the many things she had to be grateful for.
It would have been easy to grieve what might have been, but she refused steadfastly to lose herself in daydreams. Fantasies could not prepare her for what lay ahead.
Only one thing mattered now. The chief minister would come to her.
She knew what she needed to do, and she was ready for it. Having so far played her role to perfection, she only needed to stay the course until she reached the end.
Maive leaned forward on the rail, dreaming of revenge.
14
Rufe sat in his tent, head buried in his hands, still unable to come to terms with what had happened at Castel Citadel.
Following the regent’s shocking revelation, Rufe had led his men back to the border to seal up Deadman’s Pass as he had agreed. It took no more than a moment to decide he would base his force on the Arvenian side. Castel held bitter associations for him now.
Before setting up camp, he had assigned guards to keep a watch over the pass from the Castelan end. A strong contingent of his men now stood on alert at the Arvenian end of the pass, near the Castelan border post.
Rufe’s men had arrived to find the post abandoned. No doubt the Castelans would reestablish it at some point. In the meantime the regent had more pressing matters to deal with. He also knew the pass would be well guarded by Rufe and his men.
Late on the first day after they had arrived, one of his scouts sought him out. “A small group of riders is approaching from Castel, Rufe.”
His heart leaped. Was it possible that the Ahrans truly were trying to escape into Arvenon with their captive?
Rufe called for Hennis. “Allow the riders to enter the pass. Then block their escape from both ends. Avoid fighting at all costs.”
Hennis nodded and hurried away.
Much as Rufe longed for a chance to free the queen, he knew he needed to temper his enthusiasm. The reality was likely to be much less encouraging. The unknown riders would probably turn out to be nothing more than a new set of border guards.
Rufe moved to the mouth of the pass and sat on his horse waiting for word.
Almost half an hour had passed before Hennis reappeared. Approaching Rufe, he drew him aside. “Only one of them rode into the pass. He knew we were here, and he wants to speak with you.”
“Who is he?”
Hennis raised his hands helplessly. “I have no idea. He won’t talk to anyone except you.”
“You’re with me,” Rufe told Hennis, heading his horse into the pass.
They had ridden all the way to the Castelan end before he caught sight of the rider, surrounded by Rufe’s men.
“We’ve checked him, and he isn’t armed,” Hennis said quietly as they approached.
“What do you want?” Rufe asked.
“May I speak with you in private?” the stranger returned.
After a moment’s hesitation, Rufe returned a tight nod. “We’ll do it right here,” he said, signaling his men to back off. The men moved out of earshot, remaining close enough to provide support if it should be needed.
The stranger wasted no time. “I have someone with me who would like to speak with you. The matter is highly confidential.”
Rufe was not impressed. “I have no idea who you are or what your purpose is. You surely can’t expect me to go anywhere alone with you.”
“Would it be acceptable to you if the meeting takes place close to the mouth of the pass? My men will keep their distance if yours do the same.”
Far too many things could go wrong with this arrangement. However, Rufe couldn’t see how anyone apart from himself would be at risk. He nodded curtly. “The meeting can take place over there,” he said, pointing.
The other man nodded his agreement.
“And I want all of you dismounted,” Rufe said firmly.
After a brief nod, the other man rejoined his companions.
Calling Hennis to his side, Rufe issued instructions. “I’ve agreed to meet one of them over there. Be prepared to move quickly if there’s any sign of treachery. If I raise my right arm, send me support, and round the others up. Don’t let any of them get away.” He gestured toward the group of riders.
Hennis nodded once before returning to the men to issue orders of his own.
Rufe moved to the agreed position and waited. A cloaked and hooded figure emerged from the group of dismounted riders and walked toward him. A strange sensation washed over him as the person approached.
He was greeted by a soft voice. “Please don’t react in any way, Rufe. It’s extremely important.” The voice rendered him speechless. She continued, entirely unnecessarily, “It’s me. Queen Essanda!”
“Your Majesty!” he finally stammered. Keeping his voice low required incredible restraint. All he wanted to do was shout in exhilaration at the top of his lungs.
“How is this possible?” he breathed, shaking his head in wonder.
“It’s a long story. Don’t worry, I’m planning to tell you everything. Do you have anyone with you who knows the way to Newhaven? It needs to be someone discreet and reliable.”
He nodded. “Hennis, one of my captains, was with us in Newhaven. I trust him implicitly.”
“Please get him. I’ll ask Galvas, my new protector, to join us.”
The small group assembled, and Rufe moved them to a location nearby that boasted a couple of fallen logs. They sat down, trying to make themselves comfortable.
“This is Galvas,” the queen began. “He’s a Varasan agent, and also the main reason I’m not currently in the hands of the Ahrans. It might be simplest if you provide some background, Galvas.”
The Varasan nodded. “I need to make it clear that everything you will hear today is highly confidential. Do you understand?”
Rufe and Hennis both nodded. “Yes,” they replied in unison.
“You may be aware that Ahran agents have become bolder and more determined in recent times. You probably don’t know that King Delmar recently escaped an attempt to either kill or capture him—we can’t be sure which. The Ahrans struck in Varacellan, in the open, while he was surrounded by guards. They very nearly succeeded. They were thwarted only thanks to quick thinking on the part of one of our agents.”
He sighed. “King Steffan and King Krasmir both understand the full extent of the threat, and they are responding vigorously to Ahran infiltration in their own kingdoms. We tried to convey the danger to a number of the regent’s people, but none of them were willing to be convinced that Castel is a target.
“As a result, we increased our presence in Castel with a view to limiting the damage the Ahrans could do. Some time ago, after the planned visit of Queen Essanda became public knowledge, we learned that the Ahrans intended to take advantage of the opportunity to move against her. We therefore stepped up our efforts to monitor their activities.”
“Do you know why they attacked the border post here at Deadman’s Pass just before we arrived with the queen?” asked Rufe.
“I can’t be certain,” Galvas replied, “but I can venture a guess. I suspect it was an attempt at misdirection.”
Rufe frowned. “Misdirection?”
“They wanted you, and the Castelans, to believe that the queen was vulnerable in the countryside, outside the thick walls of a castle. They wanted you all to relax when she reached the safety of the capital, because that was always where they intended to strike.”
Rufe nodded slowly. “So the attack on the border post was merely a diversion.”
“Yes. The truth was that they couldn’t hope to assemble a force large enough to seriously challenge her escort, so she was never in serious danger out here.”
It all made sense. And the ruse had achieved exactly what the Ahrans intended.
“We learned that their agents were splashing money around. One of our people was able to connect with them. They paid him handsomely to supply a load of empty wine barrels. While he was with them he heard them speaking in their own language. He asked innocently if they were Rogandan, and they told him they were not, but that they had learned the language while trading with Rog. They said they used it when they didn’t want others listening to their conversation. He got the point and said nothing further. Fortunately for us, he knows a little of the Ahran language. They continued to converse, and he was able to overhear a great deal of it. When we put the pieces together later, we were able to guess at both their intention and the approximate timing.”
Queen Essanda took up the story. “I had barely arrived and settled in my apartments when a servant came to my room. She’s a loyal Castelan who also works for the Varasans. She told me the Ahrans were planning to abduct me that night. I found it very difficult to believe at first. She brought in another woman who was about my height and with hair roughly the same color and length.”
“The same woman responsible for rescuing King Delmar,” interjected Galvas.
“This other woman wanted to dress up in my clothes and head out into the gardens adjoining my room. She said her goal was simply to lure the Ahrans into the open. I asked if Count Gordan was aware of this plot, and both of them insisted that no one could know. They were very persuasive, and my instincts told me I could trust them. I couldn’t see what I had to lose, so I agreed to their plan.”
She nodded to Galvas, and he continued. “Our guesses about the timing proved to be correct. We didn’t expect them to be right there and ready to act immediately though. And our agent wasn’t supposed to let them take her. We still don’t know what went wrong, although we’re starting to wonder if she had an agenda of her own. I understand she has reason to hate the Ahran Grand Vizier. It’s possible she decided that posing as Queen Essanda would allow her access to him.”
“I saw it from my rooms,” the queen continued, “and it was terrifying. It happened so quickly. The two guards were overwhelmed and the agent was whisked away before I could fully understand what was going on. Galvas arrived immediately afterward.” She turned to him. “I have no idea how you gained access to the castle, much less to my apartments.”
“That isn’t important,” he told her. “What did matter was getting you to safety.”
“Which also meant concealing the truth from the regent,” she added.
“Why?” asked Rufe. “The poor man was completely devastated.”
“He could never have been completely credible if he knew it wasn’t true,” said Galvas. “He was told what really happened the next day. He agreed to keep it secret, not just for the continuing safety of the queen, but especially for the safety of our agent.”
Rufe nodded slowly. “If they found out the truth, they would kill your agent in a heartbeat and try again for the queen. What about the manhunt though?”
“The manhunt is real. Whatever our agent’s reason for letting them take her, we desperately want to find and retrieve her.” Galvas shook his head. “As you have heard, she looks remarkably similar to Queen Essanda. In her royal garments, anyone who hadn’t already met the queen would almost certainly be taken in. There is one small but important discrepancy, though. Her eyes are not the same color as the queen’s. If she meets an Ahran who is unusually well informed, it would be disastrous! We need to find a way to release her as soon as possible.”
Rufe’s head was spinning. There was little he could do about the agent’s situation, but the queen was another matter. “What are your plans from here, Your Majesty? You asked about Newhaven.”
“I think that’s the safest place for me, at least for a while. Until the agent is freed—and until the Ahrans can be properly dealt with—it’s important that no one knows I’m alive and free. I suspect that Anneka and Rellan might be willing to isolate Newhaven again, at least for a while.”
“And what about King Steffan?”
Galvas responded. “It’s painful, but he needs to be told the official story like everyone else. He won’t need to pretend when he reacts to it. But we won’t delay too long before telling him the truth.”
“Even after he finds out I’m safe, he’ll be furious at the Ahrans for trying to abduct me,” said the queen. “He’ll hunt them down with no less energy than if they’d succeeded. And at least he’ll know I’m safe in the meantime.”
“How can we get you to Newhaven?” asked Rufe. “Our soldiers will need to be kept in the dark as well.”
“If you’re agreeable,” said the queen, addressing herself to both Rufe and Hennis, “Hennis can ride to Newhaven, with a couple of soldiers for his protection. The soldiers don’t need to be told why they’re going there. When you arrive, Hennis, you can ask Rellan to meet me in the same place he met us last time. I’m confident I can locate it again. Galvas and his men will deliver me there.”
“You’ll undoubtedly be concerned about the queen’s safety with a small escort, Rufe,” Galvas acknowledged. “But remember that no one believes that she is at large, so there’s no reason for anyone to be looking for her.”
“I can see the sense of the proposal,” Rufe told him. “I also think it’s wise to limit the number of people who know her exact location. So I appreciate your willingness to hand her over to Rellan before she reaches her destination.”
Galvas bowed. “It seems we have an agreement. I hope Hennis can leave as soon as possible. We will follow immediately, but I expect we will travel more slowly. I would suggest that Hennis should be present at the handover to Rellan. He can then return here to report back to you, Rufe.”
“I will choose a couple of men and leave at once,” Hennis told them. “You can be assured of my complete silence on all these matters.”
“All of our kingdoms are in your debt, Galvas,” Rufe told him. “That applies to every one of King Delmar’s agents, and not least the woman who willingly took the place of the queen.”
* * *
Rufe waited impatiently for the return of Hennis. Most especially he wanted confirmation that the queen had been safely delivered to Rellan.
The day after the queen had ridden through the pass, one of the regent’s dispatch riders arrived, heading for Arnost. Unusually, he was accompanied by five armed guards. The following day a second dispatch rider passed through, heading for the same destination. He was similarly protected.
It wasn’t difficult to guess what King Steffan would read in the two dispatches. He would be aghast when he read the first. The second would leave him both relieved and angry. Rufe was glad he wouldn’t be there to witness it.
By the time Hennis finally returned, Rufe was becoming agitated.
“Did it go smoothly?” he demanded.
“Very smoothly,” Hennis told him. “Anneka and Rellan were very willing to host the queen. They will cut off all contact with the outside world until we send word that it’s safe for the queen to reemerge.”
Rufe released a sigh. He could finally relax. “What happened with the Varasans? They didn’t return this way.”
“We rode with them for a short time,” Hennis replied. “They asked us to guide them to Steffan’s Citadel. They crossed into Erestor, heading for Maranelle. I believe they were planning to board a ship there. Perhaps they’re planning to return to Varacellan. They didn’t say.”
“Wherever they’re going, I hope they arrive safely,” said Rufe. “We owe them an enormous debt.”
15
The candle flickered and guttered, but Goultzar was not troubled by its tenuous glimmer. The Temple of the Dark Gods at Rog had always been a drafty place. Stepping forward unhurriedly, he reached a small door at the rear of the temple. After pausing long enough to snuff out the candle, he passed silently through into the cold night air beyond.
Moving confidently in spite of the darkness, he made his way to the outer wall of the temple compound. Peering back in the direction he had come, his eyes were drawn upward into the night sky, captured by the brilliance of the stars. He noted the empty section of sky where the temple buildings blotted out the twinkling lights. At first glance it almost appeared that the temple had reached hungrily into the heavens and consumed every star within its reach.
