Border wars book nine of.., p.17
Border Wars: Book Nine of Crystals of Memory, page 17
“Father suggested we marry. He... Truly, it was hard to even look at him, due to the injuries. Which is unfair of me. Horrible, truly. He was nice and fine enough other than the one wound.”
Lissa coughed.
“That’s been repaired. Mage Niven did the work on it, I believe. Is that why you tasked a man to sabotage Prince Naveed with him? To have him killed, so you wouldn’t have to marry?”
Clutching her chest, going wide eyed, Kindra squeaked, in a panicked and gasping fashion.
“Killed? No! I just wanted him to be reassigned, so he wouldn’t be available that way. It... His wound has been fixed? Truly? The scarring is lessened?”
Anders shrugged.
“There is no scarring at all now. He’s even passably good looking, I’d say. Not that you shouldn’t meet with our fellows tomorrow anyway. Right now, you might want to go to Prince Naveed and tell him about your plans with the spies? It’s been a matter of concern, already. I think knowing the real reason behind it all might leave him sleeping better tonight. I can go with you? Not that Prince Naveed would take you approaching him the wrong way, but...” The truth was, he might.
If the heir asked her to warm his bed, it would be awkward, being related like they were. Also a matter that Kindra might still have to say yes to, in order to not seem rude.
Lissa nodded at the idea.
“I’ll go as well. He’s less likely to be angry if we’re all there. Not too much.”
Lissa took the other girl by the hand, and fairly dragged her down the hallway directly to the Prince’s room. Rooms, apparently. Anders moved to the front and tapped on the door for them. That was answered by Depak Sona, some moments later, with Prince Naveed moving in behind him, shortly after the door was opened.
The older fellow smiled, looking at Anders, then darting a glance at the others there.
“Yes?”
Anders waved at Kindra.
“We found the culprit in the Captain Daroom matter. Kindra set the spy to sabotage the man, to get him reassigned, to avoid marrying him. Not knowing that his old facial wound could be fixed as it was. Lissa and I came with her, so you can’t be too upset with her, Prince Naveed. I think the plan is to scold her for being a bit shallow and led by looks, then send her to meet with the other men mentioned for marriage, tomorrow for the mid-meal?”
Instead of growling and huffing, Naveed chuckled, gently.
“Ah! Well, that’s better than we feared! We thought that Lord Haist was plotting to have me killed. That or was attempting to sabotage the Army in a time of possible war. This one is better. Though, as Prince Anders mentioned, slightly shallow of you. Captain Daroom is a marvelous fellow, after all. Even before his face was altered.”
Kindra, looking at the floor, whispered.
“I know. It... I don’t feel good about my actions.”
Depak smiled at her, which she didn’t see at all.
“Well, good then. You’ve learned not to do such things, and this matter is, I believe, well enough set to rest? There’s a meeting set for tomorrow, you say, Anders?”
He nodded.
“I haven’t asked each of the men involved yet, but yes, that’s the plan.”
“Excellent. We’ll see to that for you, Lady Kindra. Then we should let you pick whom to marry and set that in motion. Indeed, I’ll connect with the Sula and King Mathias, in case that is in the offing?”
Anders was almost certain the man was teasing the girl. Only, it was a good enough plan and the issue with the spy needed to be addressed first thing, in case there was an issue that way.
Naveed, smiled then.
“This is good. We have a meeting in some moments with Josa, just us three, I believe?”
Anders shook his head.
“We need Princess Salina and Princess Lissa, as well. Prince Dacian, too.”
Depak Sona nodded, firmly, as if that only made sense. It did to Anders, of course, but it was clear that Princess Lissa was being thought of as a child there, by Lord Haist. Which only had to make sense to the man. Even Anders was being given treatment that indicated such thoughts in his direction. Which was probably only fair. He wasn’t old, after all.
Depak moved to Salina’s room door and tapped on it, three times. That was answered quickly, the woman not ready for bed at all, still in her nice military robe.
“Is there something?” She glanced at everyone in the hallway, then looked up and down it, for a threat. Behind her Princess Sabine poked her head around her older sister.
Prince Naveed nodded, firmly.
“We have need of you for a meeting with Uncle Josa. I’m not certain that Princess Sabine will be needed for this one, however.” He looked down at the young girl.
Kindra smiled at her.
“I can stay with you, Princess? You can tell me what you know about the men that were mentioned as possible husbands to me? You’ve traveled with them, for some weeks?”
The little girl looked shrewd, suddenly. As if being brought in on real plotting.
“I know some things. We could speak about that?”
Anders nodded.
“Wait for us to leave first, so we don’t overhear anything. Also, you might release those poor men from the walls, Lady Kindra? That has to be an uncomfortable way to spend a night.”
The girl went wide eyed.
“I’ll do that now. I forgot about them. Allow me to...” She moved off then, to a panel in the thick wall, which she opened and stepped through, closing it behind her.
After some minutes, she came back, allowing Depak to lead them off into the main complex of the palace. That, the meeting, was arranged to be in another building. That one was a bit nicer inside, but not so much as to show insult with their own accommodations.
Just that the family there enjoyed their wealth and used it to make their world seem grand.
Josa Eta was sitting in an open room, one that was exactly like Sula Darian’s throne room, except that there was no raised stage for Josa, just a nice pillow to sit upon at the front of the room. On the same level that everyone else was at.
“Ah! I didn’t know we would have you ladies in with us. I should call for some wine, and perhaps candies?”
He looked at Naveed, closely, his face showing some bafflement.
Anders spoke, smiling.
“That won’t be needed. We had a small difficulty, with one of your spies, when we arrived at the first Army base. Captain Daroom had been set up to look bad. Sending the needed tents for Prince Naveed and his people away. We, I alone to be precise, feared it was meant as an attack, coming from you. These others assured me that you were a good man and not prone to such plotting, but my suspicious nature maligned you anyway.” He bowed, the man ducking his head in return, not seeming too upset.
No one else spoke, so he went on.
“It turns out that it was a clever trick to get Captain Daroom sent away, so that Kindra wouldn’t have to marry him. She was worried over his old facial wound. That’s been repaired, however. Also, we have a meeting for her tomorrow, with those men mentioned in our group? For now, I need to beg for forgiveness, my untrusting nature having not believed in you as I should have. Please, forgive me that slight.” He bowed, using the polite Barquean fashion.
Holding the move at the end, until the man stood and did it back.
“No issue, of course, Prince Anders. I can see how that might have been a normal enough thing to considered. I hadn’t been certain who had sent the man, our spy, out like that, all those months ago. Kindra, you say? That was clever of her. I wasn’t truly going to make her marry the man. The Captain had rather insisted that we not saddle her with a man as deformed as himself. You say that isn’t an issue, now?”
Anders nodded, then gestured, bringing a good enough likeness of the tall Captain into being. His face showing no hint of the former injury that had taken most of his nose and part of one cheek. Josa gasped, then adjusted, inside no more than a few moments.
“That is truly his face now? Hardly deformed, is he?”
Depak bowed, sitting on one of the pillows, getting the others to do the same. Except Anders. After all, he might well be sent away, for being untrusting as he’d just admitted to. Possibly cast out into the night. It would be fair, given what he’d just told the man.
Instead of doing any of that, Josa gestured at a pillow, slowly and with good grace.
“Please, Prince Anders, sit. Your skill with illusion is most impressive. The Modroc do much with such entertainments, but our people not as much. Some, but nothing like what you and your fellows did earlier. Even this seeming is impressive.” He waved at the likeness of Captain Daroom.
As Anders settled on a green pillow, which was nicely soft, as Depak Sona spoke.
“We should communicate the current happenings with Sula Darian, if that is welcome, Josa? We have a technique that can allow us to speak with him. It is a secret, however.”
The man at the front of the room, bowed while sitting.
“I will not speak of it, outside of this room. I can remove myself, if you need, to protect your secret?”
Depak waved that away, speaking a spell, suddenly. Then he pointed at each of them, one at a time, speaking as soon as they were all linked to the Sula.
Including Josa Eta, Anders noted. Meaning Depak Sona had already thought to create a magical name for the fellow.
Then Depak spoke, gently.
“Sula Darian? It is I, Depak Eta. Here with Prince Naveed, Prince Anders, Princess Salina, Princess Lissa, and Lord Haist. We have some good, and rather interesting news for you.”
After a moment, Sula Darian spoke.
“You have word as to your suspicions there?”
Anders spoke up, instantly.
“Yes, Sula Darian. My vile suspicions of wrongdoing on the part of Lord Haist have proven false. It was a ploy by his lovely daughter, Kindra, to avoid marriage to Captain Daroom, the entire time. Though he might be back in the running? He had an unfortunate facial wound that was a bit difficult to look at. That’s been repaired fully. Several of the men in our group moving to the front have been suggested as possible husbands for Lady Kindra, as well. Captain Gull, Mage Kiplan, Mage Walden and Sergeant Larn Spent, from your own Army. All of them full master mages, of course.”
It was pushy, pressing in like he had been, but the Sula moved with his words, smoothly.
“Your suspicions have been assuaged, then, you say, Prince Anders?”
“Totally, Sula Darian. I already begged for forgiveness from Lord Haist, who took my rather harsh ways in stride and with goodwill and friendliness. Now I must beg the same from you, having forced both you and Prince Naveed into taking action to leave me feeling safe in this situation. Please, forgive me. Once again I can see the need to heed your wise council most closely.” He readied himself to take abuse on the matter, even if it wasn’t real.
The Sula spoke then, his voice strange. Almost choked.
“You feel no need to have him punished, Josa? We could have him beaten or perhaps removed from the top ten?”
Anders bowed his head, since either of those would be fair, if he’d done what he’d claimed, in regard to an innocent man. Even if the man hadn’t been the lord of anything. He’d basically claimed that Anders Brolly had accused him of treason, after all.
Josa Eta simply chuckled.
“Ah, I can see the reasoning there, perhaps. It could have looked like I was plotting something, on the surface. I cannot fault Prince Anders for seeking the truth. Then, on finding it, he let go of his former thoughts, without ever having been rude to me at all, even if I had to be suspected of many things. We should, perhaps, not allow him out of his duty to serve our people over this? As for a beating, well, that only sounds fair. Do we have a servant here to take that for him?”
The words were dry and seemed nearly real.
Anders coughed.
“I take my own punishments. Of course.”
There was silence for a moment, then Darian sighed.
“Very well. Josa, please see to that.”
There was silence in the room, until Josa chuckled.
“I wouldn’t even know where to begin for that. I’ve never had anyone beaten at all, in my entire life, you do know that, don’t you, Darian?”
“I do, in fact. Still, you were wronged by suspicion...”
“Meh. It wasn’t the first time and won’t be the last. That is the nature of politics after all. Though, I must say, I’m rather impressed with your new prince. I can see why he’s in the top ten already. I was having problems crediting it, at first. He’s magically talented, but also lifting others with him to that state, without worry over losing his own place. Then, when my own daughter was found out as the guilty party, he protected her, seeking to place my anger on himself instead, by stating his thoughts of me in person. I’m rather surprised he’s only at the tenth spot, given all of that.”
The man shook his head.
“What would you have done if I’d insisted on beating you, Prince Anders?”
He blinked, since that was obvious, to him at least.
“Been beaten, of course.”
Everyone else in the room simply nodded, as if that only made sense for Anders to do.
Naveed cleared his throat.
“Uncle, understand this... Prince Anders has been offered the spot of heir, including that placement without danger of it ever being withdrawn, and he turned it down. Not once, but three times. Backing myself for that position. Dacian, you were there for the last one.”
The older Prince smiled then.
“That is a simple truth, Josa. The boy even got the rest of us to swear to Naveed, unless he fails in his duty. Which, by the way, he hasn’t been at all. This was after all of us in the room, the top five, offered to step out of the way for Anders here. He turned it down, for the good of our people. Since our leader needs to be a man of this land, to best protect us all. Princess Sendra actually cried, after that. You’ve met her, so you have to know how rare that is, coming from her.”
General Sendra was a hard woman, Anders knew, having met her a few times himself.
Josa Eta, Lord Haist, took a deep breath then.
“I see, I think. Well, in that case, I can forgo beating you for such reasonable suspicions. This matter is put away then?”
Darian spoke, suddenly.
“It is. I also give my permission for Kindra to choose one of our people, including the men of Istlan, to marry. If so, she’ll likely have to travel with them, on their return home.”
Naveed smiled.
“Oh, Larn Spent, a Sergeant in our Army, has become a full mage already, being trained out of fellow feeling by Anders and the others traveling with us. It has been suggested that he learn Istlan tongue, in case we need to send someone there to pass messages or resupply his father, the Ambassador.”
There was a bit of noise, from where Darian was, that was hard to place. After a moment, the Sula spoke, his voice calm, but not unpleasant at all.
“How long will it take to have him speaking fluently, using your training techniques, Prince Anders?”
He thought for a moment, then let his head tilt.
“Some weeks. Perhaps more, riding toward a war zone as we are currently. I might see if Niven Kilroy will do that for us. Prince Naveed is also learning that language. We could also have Walden train them in Yansian, being a native speaker of that language like he is? I want to press them both on teaching, if possible. Prince Naveed, as well. He’s going to be working with the soldiers with us on magic. The first of the magical force that you’re allowing? We’ve picked the men traveling with us for that, being known as steady and loyal as they are. They all have seventy-two spell parts and hand magics down already. They started earlier today.”
Naveed, smiling, broke in then.
“Oh! Also, Princess Salina, Mage Walden, Mage Niven and Ezola Caldas all managed to learn sixty new spells, whole spells in a single word, in an hour earlier. They each won a full chest of riches from Prince Anders for it, as well.”
The Sula clapped.
“Truly? That’s incredible! I didn’t know that was even possible at all. Why, when I was learning, as a boy, I rarely even heard of anyone learning sixty such things in even a year. The others aren’t doing as well, however?”
Anders shrugged.
“Princess Lissa was guiding us today, so she gets to try it tomorrow. Prince Naveed learned fifty-six in an hour, so, yes. Horribly failing. I expect him to have that in the next day or two. Most of the others were in that rough range. Prince Roald and Princess Sabine were both at just below that. Fifty-three or four for each. Collin... I don’t know there, actually.”
Salina did, smiling.
“Fifty-nine. He missed one. It can happen.”
Anders knew that. He’d missed one that night as well.
“True! The point is that everyone is doing well, so far. Learning a new spell in a minute is helpful at times, but rarely truly needed. We need to start pressing Ezola harder, clearly. Collin has already all but caught up to everyone else, thanks to Salina’s training methods. We need to work on practical skills, from here on out. That and combat magic.”
They were, possibly, heading toward a war, after all.
Darian, took a deep breath.
“Even Roald and Sabine?”
Anders let his head play side to side.
“Well, yes. Only the basics for them. We need to find a place for the younger people, before we get to the front. It’s... tempting to leave Prince Naveed behind, but he’s a master mage now, and protecting him too much would be crippling him. It wasn’t the plan originally, but we need to take him with us to the front. Near it, at least, to the base there. Roald and Sabine are nearly good enough in magic, but are still young and... I don’t know, to be honest. At the same time, Niven and Walden are full war mages...”
There was a sigh.
“Understood. Still, the littlest can be guarded? Perhaps, left with a tutor, if their skills are truly that impressive? Both are rising in the ranks, on the next listing, already. Even being willing to learn and ride off with you like that would have done it, even if they haven’t learned much of magic, due to their age.”
