Part 30 (2/2)

”Not that there was much of a decision to make, really.” He moved back to the marble shelves and pulled out the mace again, running his fingers along some of the engraving. ”Talos sees only his own desires, not the needs of the nation. You are the only one.”

He hefted the mace in one hand, testing its weight. ”For years, I have evaluated your skills, your training, and your suitability. I have done so with all your brothers and sisters. But never have I tried to know you.”

He met her eyes, and his expression was subtly different than usual. She couldn't quite place how.

”Will you forgive me?” he asked.

Leah almost lost her balance. Finally, she managed to compose herself enough to respond.

”I will,” she said. The words still came out slightly breathless.

”Leah, daughter of Kelia, Heiress of Damasca, I hereby appoint you Successor to King Zakareth the Sixth. By all the power and authority I have inherited from my fathers, and in the presence of the Crimson Vault, I swear the rights and responsibilities of the Damascan throne to you upon my death or abdication. Do you accept this great weight that has been placed upon you?”

”I don't...I don't know...” Leah said. She rarely found herself at a loss for words, but she had not been expecting this when she Traveled to Ragnarus today.

”The correct response is, 'I accept.'” He sounded almost gentle.

”I accept this burden,” Leah said, recovering herself. ”I accept, and swear to fulfill the office to the best of my abilities.”

The ruby on Zakareth's crown flared, and Leah felt her body constrict, as though her skin was suddenly two sizes too tight. Then it lifted, and she breathed easy again.

Ragnarus had, indeed, witnessed her oath.

King Zakareth let out a deep breath and nodded, pulling the crown from his head and setting it on the shelf. Undoubtedly, he did not intend the gesture to mean anything; the crown was hot and heavy, and he had likely only worn it in the first place because he intended to name her Successor, and now he was glad to be rid of its weight.

But it seemed far too symbolic for Leah's tastes.

”Um, thank you, father,” she said. This whole experience seemed unreal, as though she would step back through her Gate and realize the whole thing had been some sort of hallucination.

”This decision is long overdue. I had reached the point when I could delay no longer.”

”I see.”

”The Grandmasters will undoubtedly try to strike at Cana while they think my attentions are directed at their city,” the King said casually.

”Undoubtedly,” Leah responded. The thought hadn't occurred to her.

”Therefore, I will be remaining in the capital, along with a defensive force of my choosing. They will not reach the Hanging Tree while I defend it. However, in my absence, someone must command the attacking force.”

Leah's breath caught. ”Me?”

”Not directly. I'll leave the army's day-to-day operations to someone with more campaign experience. You will both represent the royal family andacoordinate. You are an accomplished Lirial Traveler, after all. Observation and communication are among your specialties.”

”I appreciate the trust, father,” Leah said. ”But you are taking too much of a risk on yourself. Let me stay behind instead, and you command the attacking force.”

He would certainly be more use on a battlefield than she, and he knew it. Why had he come up with this ridiculous plan?

”Return to your duties, Successor,” Zakareth responded, not unkindly. ”I will have my secretaries draw up the official succession papers as soon as I am able. Until then, I hesitate to imagine what Talos has been up to in our absence.”

Leah nodded and withdrew, leaving the Crimson Vault and her father behind.

Well, she thought, just before she slipped through a Gate for home. Won't my aunt be surprised?

CHAPTER SIXTEEN:.

CAREFUL PLANS.

Alin stared at Talos, wis.h.i.+ng he had some kind of power or summon that could detect whether a man was lying. The other Grandmasters did, though, and he had pa.s.sed all those tests: birds, snakes, and mysterious crystals all said he was telling the truth.

That did not mean, though, that he was trustworthy.

”The Damascan army gathers outside your city,” Talos said. ”The Overlords have been building up weapons against you for years, and even more in the past few weeks. There are weapons arrayed against you in every approach through every possible Territory.”

”You speak as though we have no eyes,” Grandmaster Endross said contemptuously. ”We can see the army from here.”

Talos continued as though there had been no interruption. ”I suspect that you have considered striking at Cana, while the army and all our most powerful Travelers are occupied here.”

The Grandmasters' faces went suddenly blank, which was enough to confirm to Alin that what Talos was saying had some truth to it. Talos must have seen the same thing, because he smirked.

”It's not a bad plan,” he said, ”except that it is a trifle obvious. We have all the pa.s.ses from here to Cana both warded and guarded.”

”That is always true,” Grandmaster Avernus said. She sat rigidly straight in her chair, and regarded him with the same flat gaze she used on everyone. ”The difference now is only that many of your most powerful Travelers remain here, instead of guarding those approaches.”

”And you're confident you can punch a hole through, right?” Talos said. ”In some Territory, somewhere, there has to be a route to Cana that's easier than the others.” He nodded to Alin. ”Elysia, perhaps. We cannot possibly have any defenses there.”

Alin took that as an invitation to speak up, but he addressed the Grandmasters instead of the prisoner. ”Why are we listening to this man?” he said. ”If he knows anything of strategic value, we should question him and have it out of him, instead of negotiating. Anything he learns here can be used against us.”

”And what do you know of 'questioning' someone, child?” Grandmaster Avernus asked sharply. Her tone took Alin aback; no one had addressed him with such an obvious lack of respect since he had come to Enosh in the first place.

He was just starting to get angry when Grandmaster Helgard spoke up.

”I agree with Eliadel,” Helgard rumbled. ”There is nothing to gain here. Turn him over to Asphodel, and he will speak soon enough.”

Talos shrugged, which almost dislodged one of the crawling red serpents on his shoulder. It hissed angrily in his ear. ”No need,” he said. ”I don't know about Elysia, but I do know one Territory that won't be guarded, and that has a direct route into the royal palace of Cana.”

He looked from eye to eye, making sure that everyone was listening. ”Ragnarus.”

Grandmasters Avernus and Helgard glanced at one another, considering.

Endross was not so polite. He pulled one sword from its sheath and drove it into the wooden table, right next to Talos' own half-bared sword. ”I do not trust you. I say, if Zakareth values the blood of Ragnarus Travelers so highly, let us sell it back to him in buckets.”

For once, Alin found himself in complete agreement with Grandmaster Endross.

Talos looked at the Grandmaster's sword in distaste, but with no fear. ”I want the Incarnations freed as much as you do,” Talos said. ”Even more than some of you, I'm sure. This balance that my father created is unhealthy and unnatural. We survived without human sacrifice before, hundreds of years ago, and we can certainly do so again.”

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