Part 49 (1/2)

Andry lifted one finger, and two faradh'im faradh'im came forward-reluctantly, Rohan noted, no more convinced than Kiele that this was about to happen. One of them put a hand on her arm; she wrenched away from him, slapped his face. came forward-reluctantly, Rohan noted, no more convinced than Kiele that this was about to happen. One of them put a hand on her arm; she wrenched away from him, slapped his face.

”How dare you touch me!” she raged. ”I'm a daughter of the High Prince! I'll have your rings severed from your hands-”

It was most unwise of her to remind Andry what had happened to Kleve. He nodded curtly at the Sunrunner, who took Kiele's elbows and held them behind her back. She thrashed and spat, screamed in her husband's face as he tried to calm her.

”Take her to where Masul's body awaits burning,” Andry said quietly.

Kiele turned to stone. ”Burning?” she echoed, as if she had not heard correctly.

”My brother, Lord Maarken, has asked that the late pretender be accorded battle honors,” Andry explained-not to her, but to the others. ”He is more generous than I.”

She looked up at Lyell. ”Burned?” she asked incredulously. ”He's going to honor that lying b.a.s.t.a.r.d by Fire?”

Her husband gripped her shoulders, all his quiet fort.i.tude gone in a gush of bitterness. ”The lying b.a.s.t.a.r.d you swore to me was your brother! And it won't be just him, Kiele. It'll be us, too. Be grateful it's not Geir and Lyela along with us!”

Andry lost some of his composure. ”Lord Lyell, you had nothing to do with the Sunrunner Kleve's death. You have been punished by your overlord. I do not seek-I have no reason-”

Lyell met him stare for stare. ”She is my wife. I helped her, supported her in forwarding Masul's claim. I've shared her life and her bed. I intend to share her death.”

He loves her-the idiot, Rohan thought. But he couldn't fault Lyell for his unexpected courage. Rohan thought. But he couldn't fault Lyell for his unexpected courage.

”I'd rather die with her, my Lord,” he was saying to Andry, pleading a little now. ”I was only concerned for my children. Now that I know they'll be unharmed. . . .” He shrugged. ”I'm as guilty as she, in my own way. I knew what she was doing and I didn't stop her.”

”But you-” Andry was truly fl.u.s.tered now.

Lyell almost smiled. His pallid face acquired a dignity as he faced death that it had never had in life. ”I'll die one way or another. Let it be in the Fire, my Lord.”

Andry looked to Rohan for help. Rohan returned his gaze expressionlessly, thinking, I'm sorry, Andry. This decision is yours. This is Sunrunner's business, not prince's. And may you remember in years to come that there is a difference. I'm sorry, Andry. This decision is yours. This is Sunrunner's business, not prince's. And may you remember in years to come that there is a difference.

The young man nodded slowly, whether in understanding of Rohan's silence or in a.s.sent to Lyell's request. Rohan had no way of knowing. But Lyell took it as acquiescence, and bowed.

After a moment Andry regained his self-possession and said, ”I call on all princes and lords here present to witness the just punishment for murder of a faradhi: faradhi: death by Sunrunner's Fire.” death by Sunrunner's Fire.”

Kiele screamed then and did not stop. Lyell gestured the Sunrunners away. He caught his wife in his arms, one hand over her mouth to clamp her jaws shut, and half carried her as he followed the Sunrunners toward the river.

Rohan saw something puzzling as the rest of the gathering moved to follow. Andry walked apart for a few paces, but all at once Alasen was at his side. She clung to his arm, speaking rapidly in a voice too low for Rohan to hear. Her green eyes blazed with intensity in her white face, but her att.i.tude was more beseeching than commanding despite the fury of emotion in her eyes. Andry looked down at her in sudden anguish, the proud confidence of a Lord of G.o.ddess Keep gone. All at once Rohan understood something that surprised him.

Sioned had seen it, too. She clutched Rohan's fingers and he felt in her body the urge to go to them, to stop this from tearing them apart. He put his arm around her waist.

”No,” he whispered. ”Let them be.”

”But-”

”No,” he repeated.

She pulled in a shaky breath and nodded unwillingly. Andry lifted a hand to brush Alasen's long, loose hair from her cheek; she flinched back from him. In those two gestures was finality, Rohan thought sadly. He wondered if either of them realized it.

Masul's body lay on the sand beside the Faolain. The wounds Maarken had given him and the gashes left by Rohan's knives were concealed by a black cloak that reached from neck to boots. Sunrunners formed a half-circle around him as Andry pointed to the place near the corpse where Lyell and Kiele would stand and die. Alasen had gone to her father now, openly pleading with him. They were close enough for Rohan to hear Volog's reply.

”No. It is the business of G.o.ddess Keep, and none of ours. I understand your compa.s.sion and I love you for it, my dearest, but no one can interfere. Mercy is not shown to such as they-else where would the treachery end?”

Rohan saw the tears glistening in her eyes-so much like Sioned's in color and shape, but without Sioned's wisdom. Perhaps twenty years ago, Sioned would have begged as Alasen did now. But between that time and this had come long years of ruling and governing, making hard choices, fighting for the right to make those choices. He glanced at his wife and amended his a.n.a.lysis. Sioned would never have begged. There was a streak of cold practicality in her and she had always understood political reality. If she had not, she would never have been the right woman for him. If Alasen could not, then she was not the right woman for Andry.

The highborns grouped around the Sunrunners to witness the burnings. No ritual of Air, Earth, Water, and Fire would be followed here; no fragrant oil would disguise the stench of burning flesh. The flames called up by faradhi faradhi gifts would immolate one corpse and two living beings almost instantly. No one would wait in vigil while they burned, and no Sunrunner-called breeze would waft their ashes across the land. Few would have said they deserved even the honor of the Fire. But though Andry had protested, Maarken had insisted. And the new Lord of G.o.ddess Keep had never gone against his eldest brother's wishes in his life. gifts would immolate one corpse and two living beings almost instantly. No one would wait in vigil while they burned, and no Sunrunner-called breeze would waft their ashes across the land. Few would have said they deserved even the honor of the Fire. But though Andry had protested, Maarken had insisted. And the new Lord of G.o.ddess Keep had never gone against his eldest brother's wishes in his life.

Having failed with her father, Alasen now approached Rohan and Pol. She bowed deeply and without raising her eyes whispered, ”Your grace, please don't let this happen.”

Rohan said nothing, wanting to hear what Pol would reply. The boy did not disappoint him. He frowned and asked, ”Don't you think they merit this, after what they've done?”

”They have to die, I know that. And I agree with it. But-” Her fingers twisted together. ”Cousin, I beg you not to let their deaths be on Andry's hands.”

”Ah!” Pol breathed, glancing briefly up at Rohan, who lifted a brow. ”And what do you suggest, my lady?”

”Surely it wouldn't be too much to ask that they be-that death come before the Fire, so they're spared that. It would make no difference, would it? They'd still be dead. But mercifully. Without feeling the flames.”

”Mercifully for Andry's sake, too?” he asked softly.

She nodded, still staring down at the sand. ”For his sake more than theirs. Please, cousin.”

Rohan found himself looking into blue-green eyes that asked him what he should do-if there was was anything he could do. But it was too late. Andry was lifting his hands and any instant the Fire would blaze up. Rohan said nothing, hoping that events would take the decision from them. For if Pol challenged Andry's new power this soon, Andry would never forgive or forget. He explored the thought, saddened anew that he took it so much for granted that they would indeed challenge each other. anything he could do. But it was too late. Andry was lifting his hands and any instant the Fire would blaze up. Rohan said nothing, hoping that events would take the decision from them. For if Pol challenged Andry's new power this soon, Andry would never forgive or forget. He explored the thought, saddened anew that he took it so much for granted that they would indeed challenge each other.

”My lady,” Pol was saying, ”I-”

Ostvel moved beside them, his wrist snapping forward to release a s.h.i.+ning silver knife. It sank into the damp sand at Lyell's feet. He looked down, startled, then swiftly bent to pick it up. As the first flames billowed from Masul's corpse and reached out to engulf him and Kiele, he thrust the blade into his wife's heart. As she crumpled, he dragged the knife from her breast and plunged it into his own. They were dead before their clothing singed.

Andry swung around, glaring at Ostvel in blind fury. But Rohan, close enough to read his old friend's eyes, understood another surprising thing. Just as Ostvel had been Ianthe's death to spare her blood on Sioned's hands, so he had been the deaths of Lyell and Kiele to spare Andry-and Alasen.

Chapter Thirty.

Hollis woke in unfamiliar surroundings. Instead of the white walls and bare necessities of the Sunrunner tents there was soothing soft blue silk, screened skylights left open to the sun, and elegant luxury. For a very long time she simply lay atop the cool sheets, too tired to do more than move her head and take in her surroundings. Eventually guilt stirred; she had no right to be here in the Desert enclave, as if she belonged with Maarken's family. She could not believe she had ever aspired to become one of them as his wife. Certainly that could never happen now. Even if he forgave her, she knew she would soon die.

A wide-shouldered shadow appeared in the doorway, hesitated, stepped onto the deep carpet. Hollis recognized Meath and turned her face away.

Standing beside the bed, Meath chuckled quietly. ”Well, you do look pretty awful,” he told her. ”But all you want is a few good meals and a bath. I'll see to the former at once-and you'll eat every bite, too! But though I'd purely love to a.s.sist with the latter, I think Maarken would run me through.”

Unwilling to acknowledge it, she felt something akin to her old wry humor tug at the corners of her mouth. G.o.ddess, how long had it been since she'd laughed?

”Oh, come on, Hollis.” Meath knelt beside the bed and picked up one of her hands. ”I didn't ride all this way from G.o.ddess Keep to be met with the back of your head. Look at me. I can't do anything for you if you won't even look at me.”

She wished he would go back to teasing her, or simply go away. His sympathy and kindness were impossible to hear without pain.

Meath signed. ”I know my face isn't exactly to your taste, but it's still fairly presentable. It's even been called handsome on occasion-though I suspect the ladies who said so were a little drunk.”

”Or it was very very dark, and by your own design,” she heard herself say. dark, and by your own design,” she heard herself say.

”That's better! Now, can you sit up? Good.” He propped pillows behind her back and she sank into them wearily, a smile flitting around her mouth. ”I thought I saw some wine around here-”