Part 26 (1/2)
”Even so,” Sioned reminded her gently, ”you want to fly.”
Alasen nodded curtly. ”I can't help it-but I don't have to give in to it, either.” She dusted her hands clean and shrugged. ”I'm sorry-I shouldn't be bothering you with my problems, especially after that note.”
”What I faced was the opposite, you know. I knew how to be a Sunrunner, but I'd no idea what would be demanded of a princess. Come, we ought to be getting back to the encampment.”
Sioned left Alasen at Volog's tents and went to her own pavilion, where Rohan was taking a midday break from his princely pursuits. She kissed him a greeting and told him first about the hawks, which had him chortling.
”You're right, Pandsala will be livid! We'll have to warn her. Alasen sounds a very clever girl.”
”It's a pity she's too old for Pol.”
”I thought you had your heart set on Sionell-and G.o.ddess knows she has hers set on him.”
”Every prince should have a choice,” she told him sweetly. ”Just as you did.”
”Mmm-as long as the choice coincides with what you you want, you mean.” He tugged playfully at one of her braids. ”My morning wasn't half so entertaining. Everybody bartered back and forth, Lleyn sat there silent and amused, and no one mentioned the real business of the want, you mean.” He tugged playfully at one of her braids. ”My morning wasn't half so entertaining. Everybody bartered back and forth, Lleyn sat there silent and amused, and no one mentioned the real business of the Rialla Rialla at all.” at all.”
”Firon and Masul, but mostly Masul,” she supplied. ”Not even a hint?”
”None. But Lyell has asked to address the princes tomorrow. I can't say I'm looking forward to it.”
”Then think about this instead.” She produced the ring and the folded parchment, and told him how she had acquired them. ”A little oblique toward the end, don't you agree?”
He read the note aloud. ” 'This ring belonged to Kleve, who is dead. His other rings are gone, as are the fingers they circled. His body was being readied for the pauper's fire when he was identified and given decent burning. His murderer is unknown. But take warning: Word in the city is that the father of a son is in danger usually meant for the Desert.' ” Rohan chewed his lip for a moment, then said, ”Kleve was a good man. A good friend to us. Was he here for Andrade's purposes, do you think?”
”Yes. I didn't want to attract attention to the baker, so I didn't go back to his stall. But I could find him again if you like.”
”And place him in danger? No. He or this woman evidently consider this note all we need to know.” He clenched his fist around the gold circle. ”G.o.ddess-poor Kleve. It's barbaric. They cut off his fingers fingers-left him to die and be burned in a common pyre-”
Sioned placed both her hands around his. ”Kleve was here in Waes. Kiele's city. The woman who's championing Masul. Whatever he found out cost him his life. There's no other way to read it.”
Rohan moved away from her, still grasping the ring. ”It's not me they're after-'usually meant for the Desert.' That implies the Merida, of course. But 'the father of a son'?” He swung around suddenly. ”Whose son are we concerned with here? Roelstra's! But he's already dead-so the threat-”
”Wait, you've lost me,” Sioned protested.
”-must be to Masul's real father! Don't you see it? Who could provide the most damaging evidence? A man who looked and spoke and moved like Masul, and who isn't anywhere near dead!”
Sioned's brows quirked up, then down. ”You're reaching,” she said flatly. ”There are dozens of fathers here who have sons-”
”And only one we're really concerned with,” he reminded her. ”But how do we go about finding him?”
”Well, who would he he want to find?” want to find?”
”Presumably the people who'll pay him the most money-either to talk or not to talk. He hasn't come to us, so I think we can a.s.sume he's looking for the latter. Who would he go to? Kiele? Miyon? Masul himself?”
”If Kiele ordered someone to murder Kleve-and I think she did-then she wouldn't hesitate to kill this man, too. Permanent silence.” Sioned began to pace. ”Who would he talk to? How familiar is he with the politics of this?”
”I don't-”
He was interrupted by the entrance of a guard. ”Your pardon, Highnesses,” the woman said. ”The Princesses Pandsala and Naydra request a moment of your time.”
”Yes, of course,” Rohan said distractedly. Then he stared at Sioned. ”Do you think-”
The sisters came in, and Pandsala's first words confirmed their suspicions. ”My lord, my lady, I'm sorry to disturb you, but a man came to Naydra this morning-”
”Let me guess,” Sioned told her. ”He claimed to be the real father of this pretender, and wanted money to keep silent about it.”
Naydra's eyes widened. ”How did you know?”
Pandsala turned very pale and whispered, ”What a fool I am!”
”You couldn't have known,” Rohan said. ”And you came to me as soon as you learned of it. Princess Naydra, please tell me what happened.”
”He said that as my father's daughter, I should want you and yours out of Princemarch, and if I didn't pay him-”
”You sent him away, didn't you?” he interrupted. ”I appreciate your loyalty, my lady, but I wish you'd gotten word to me at once.”
She wrung her hands together. ”My lord, I'm sorry, I didn't think he was-that all he wanted was money-”
”You were right about that part of it,” Rohan said more gently. ”I don't blame you, my lady. Please tell us everything he said.”
”He told me that he'd fathered a child on a woman married to another man, all of them servants at Castle Crag. He was part of the barge crew-I don't remember him, but that doesn't mean anything, really. I listened to him as long as I did only because I was so astounded at his impudence.” Naydra pulled herself together with admirable aplomb and told them as much as she knew.
The man had been tall, dark-haired, and green-eyed-as Masul was reported to be. After the barge had burned that night, he had settled for a time in Waes, then worked on various s.h.i.+ps. Rumors this spring had brought him back, where he had been waiting for the Rialla Rialla to see what his information could get him. to see what his information could get him.
”I went to Pandsala soon after he left, my lord-I was so insulted that he would think I would betray you and Princess Sioned, who have been so good to me-”
”Could you find him again?” Rohan asked. ”Tell him you've reconsidered?”
Naydra shook her head. ”I'm sorry, my lord,” she said miserably. ”After I recovered from the shock of his impertinence, I sent him on his way with no doubts about my loyalties. Then I went to tell Pandsala about his lies, in case he came to her next.”
Sioned sighed quietly. ”Well, where would would he go next? Not to you, Pandsala, certainly. Kiele is a possibility I don't want to think about. He wouldn't live past his first few words.” he go next? Not to you, Pandsala, certainly. Kiele is a possibility I don't want to think about. He wouldn't live past his first few words.”
Naydra turned pale. ”My lady-you don't think she would-”
”I'm almost positive of it.” She turned to her husband. ”If I were he, I'd go to Chiana next. She doesn't have much money, but she's got the most to lose.”
What Chiana lost was her temper. She was summoned to the pavilion and told the essence of what had happened, and turned furiously on Naydra. ”You stupid fool! Why didn't you keep him with you and send for the rest of us?”
”That's enough,” Pandsala snapped.
”Not by half, Princess-Regent!” Chiana spat, fiery-eyed. ”You and Ianthe and your stupid schemes-if not for you, none of this would ever have happened!”
”My lady,” Rohan said with deceptive mildness, ”your opinion is not necessary right now. Your intelligence, however, is. Calm yourself and think.”
”Oh, yes, you can order me to be calm and cool-it's not your your ident.i.ty at stake here, is it, High Prince?” ident.i.ty at stake here, is it, High Prince?”