Part 58 (2/2)
Doesn't he understand anything? ”No,” Anna said quietly. ”I did not abandon the Thirty-three. I returned, and your lands are safe, and will be for years to come. You made the decision two years ago to allow Lord Behlem through your lands to save your soul and your lands and your golds. Don't condemn me for letting his son come into Defalk so that I could save it.”
”You play with words, Lady.” Jearle's face turned from red to almost purple.
Anna nodded. ”Blaz, Fielmir. Tie up his lords.h.i.+p.” Jearle lunged forward, coming up and in low toward Anna with a thin s.h.i.+ning dagger.
Although Rickel and Lejun closed s.h.i.+elds, another figure was quicker.
”No!” Kinor crashed into the older lord, and both dagger and lord went down. The dagger slid along the stones, leaving a trail of dark liquid.
”Poison!” snapped a voice from somewhere.
Blaz and Fielmir yanked Jearle to his feet Bersan held a bright blade at the lord's throat.
”Do your worst, b.i.t.c.h.”
”I Intend to.” Anna lifted the lutar.
Jearle, lord, Jearle, lord the same, with this spell turn to fire and flame, fire flay you from flesh to ash to dust.
the end of all unworthy of a Regent's trust.
With the line of fire searing from above, the guards threw Jearle to the stones.
This time, the brief screams did not even bother Anna. Are you getting that callous... or did you dislike him that much?
When the entry hall was still once more, deathly still, she turned, holding the lutar. ”Kinor... would you come here?”
Kinor glanced at the gray dust on the stones, then at Anna. ”No matter what occurs, will you be loyal to Defalk, to Lord Jimbob as heir, and to me so long as I am Regent?”
”Lady... I only thought of your safety....”
”That's loyalty.” Anna paused. ”Do you swear loyalty to Defalk, Jimbob, and the Regency?”
”Yes... of course... how could I otherwise...?” The young man was clearly fl.u.s.tered.
”Good.” Anna turned to Himar and Jimbob, then motioned to Liende, standing well back at the end of the hall.
Liende approached warily, her eyes darting from Anna to her son and back again.
Anna waited until the chief player had neared before continuing. ”Westfort needs a strong, and intelligent, and loyal lord, and one young enough to support theRegency and Lord Jimbob for many years.” She smiled at Liende. ”What do you think about Lord Kinor?”
Kinor's mouth dropped open. Liende appeared poleaxed. Jimbob grinned. Himar nodded slowly.
”Lady... I did not... I never meant,” Kinor stammered, for the first time since Anna had known him.
Anna shook her head. 'That's exactly why you are now Lord of Westfort and Denguic. You will not be Lord of the Western Marches. At least not for many years. That will remain with Lord Nelmor so long as he wishes it and can maintain it.” Anna motioned for Nelmor to step forward. ”As you will note, Lord Jearle has no objections, Lord Nelmor. You are the Lord of the Western Marches.”
Nelmor bent his head.
”You have earned that right by honor and by your support of Defalk and the Regency.”
Anna raised her voice. ”All those in Westfort who don't wish to serve Lord Kinor will leave, and they will depart within the week. Lord Jearle's heirs must leave Westfort today, and Defalk within the week. Otherwise, their lives will be forfeit.”
”Never!” The broad-shouldered man at the top of the stairs drew a sbort blade, a wide-bladed dagger, and began to charge down the steps, drawing it back as if to throw it.
Anna lifted the lutar and began to sing.
Jearle's heir, lord he'd name, with this spell turn to fire and flame, Lejun flung up the s.h.i.+eld.
Thunk! The guard staggered back with a heavy short blade embedded in the s.h.i.+eld frame.
The sorceress concentrated on completing the spell.
...fire flay you from flesh to ash to dust.
the end of all unworthy of a Regent's trust.
A single pillar of fire flared midway down the stairs.
A woman screamed from the upper landing, and Anna stood in the hall, finding herself shaking... and amazed that she had managed the spell, even if it had left her with a splitting headache.
Lejun lowered the s.h.i.+eld and looked at his shoulder, also astounded that the blade had gone several spans through the s.h.i.+eld itself but missed his body.
Blaz stepped up to take Lejun's place, blade bared, and Fielmir held a blade to Lady Livya, standing on the foot of the stairs.
Anna turned and walked forward toward Livya.
”You have taken everything... you outland... creature...”
”Your consort gave me few choices,” Anna said. ”I could not trust him, nor you, nor your son. He wouldn't support Defalk in its time of need. Twice, he failed.When I came and lifted the siege, he armed everyone in the keep against me. And you think I should have supported him?”
”You... don't... understand... don't understand... at all...
haven't any children...” Livya kept weeping, not even really looking at Anna.
Everyone thinks that his or her problems are unique, and so many are all the same.
Anna looked tiredly at Kinor. ”Lord Kinor... you have much to do. With honor comes grief, and the knowledge that every action taken by a ruler or a lord hurts someone. Every action! Never forget that. Never.”
Kinor swallowed.
Anna refrained from sighing. She turned to Himar. ”We have a keep to clean up, and more plans to make.”
Himar nodded.
Anna's eyes went to the blank face of Falar. Another problem. Falar might have made a good lord, but his history with Anna was short... and the last thing she needed was Falar being the lord. She offered a smile to the red-haired scoundrel. ”Falar... I'll need to talk to you later, if you would.”
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