Part 13 (1/2)
”Until you have made a decision regarding his lands and holdings, I will continue to administer Flossbend and its lands as temporary custodian for Jeron. In deepest admiration, I beg of you your support. Both Jeron and I stand ready to do your bidding and await your response.”
The wax seal remained that of Lord Hryding, but the signature was somewhat different from the last scroll, reading, ”Anientta, his consort and administrator for his heir, Jeron.”
While Anna couldn't prove it, she doubted Hryding's death was from natural causes. The whole business stank; and it created a real problem. She'd already set the precedent of letting consorts administer for children, and now she had a consort who could be a disaster, but with no way to prove it.
”I am indeed sorry to hear of your lord's death,” Anna said to Calmut. ”He was a good man and a good lord.”
”Yes, Lady Anna. Many regret his death.” Calmut's voice was low, properly respectful, and Anna didn't trust him in the slightest.
”Lejun, would you have one of the pages make sure that Calmut is fed and given a place to rest while we consider Lady Anientta's reqnest?” Anna smiled professionally. ”And Giellum, would you have one of the pages summon Lord Jecks?”
Her smile faded once the three armsmen left, and the door closed.
She read the scroll again, then set it down and finished the last of the bread and cheese, and drank almost another full goblet of water before Jecks arrived. She waited until he sat across the table.
”Lord Jecks... you may have guessed. Lord Hryding has died.” She shook her head. ”I probably should have gone to Synope.”
”You could not have reached there on these roads be-fore he died.” Jecks gave a sad smile. ”You feel not all was as it was presented, lady?”
”Anientta's a scheming b.i.t.c.h, from what I saw. Her son Jeron is a living replica of Nero. Actually, both her sons are. Kurik's not any better, and-”
Jecks' brow furrowed.
”Sorry. Sometimes, when I get angry I use names from earth. Nero was a ruler whose mother schemed to get him to be emperor. In grat.i.tude, he poisoned her.”
”You think highly of both of Hryding's heirs, I see.”
”I thought highly of Lord Hryding, and Secca shows promise.” Anna shook her head. ”There's no way she's ever going back to Flossbend.” Hryding had known-or at least suspected.
”Lady Anna, you cannot solve all problems. Even if you had gone to Flossbend, and you had reached there before Hryding died and saved him-then what would you have done? Could you prove he was poisoned? And if you did not kill Lady Anientta, what would have saved him the next time? If you did kill her, without proof, how many consorts would welcome you to their holdings? How would other lords feel?”
The room darkened as clouds outside covered the late morning sun. Anna wondered if Falcor would get more rain. From the amount she had seen over the winter, she was beginning to appreciate just how much moisture the Evult's sorcery had withheld from the land-and how long it might take to recover from the years of drought.
”That still gives me a problem. Anientta's scheming against me. That's what I feel, but I don't have any real evidence of that, either.”
”Perhaps you should visit her.”
”That's a possibility. But we need to visit Lord Arkad first.” Anna thought. If they followed the Synor River, they could go to Synope after Cheor, and then come back along the Chean. If she took the players, they could rebuild the ford at Sorprat, and perhaps repair a few stretches of highway or bridges.
She certainly wasn't accomplis.h.i.+ng the rebuilding of Defalk by sitting in the Iiedburg.
”You have a certain... look, Lady Anna,” Jecks said warily. ”The same one you had when you decided to cross the Ostfels and take on the Evult by yourself.”
”That may be.” Anna smiled brightly. ”You suggest I do nothing except confirm Lady Anientta as regent for her son for the time being?”
”You might suggest that, as in all other cases, you will visit her and discuss her administration periodically.” Jecks' forehead crinkled. ”I will tell a few other lords that you are not allowing consorts, who hold their lords' lands, to do so without some oversight.”
”That should make them happy.”
”Less unhappy,” suggested Jecks.
Anna lifted the bell. ”First, I have an unpleasant duty.”
”Secca?”
Anna nodded as the door opened.
”Resor, would you find the young lady Secca for me? I need to talk to her.”
Resor nodded, and the door closed.
Anna turned back to Jecks. ”While we wait, I have another question.”
”Yes, Lady Anna?” A glint of a smile appeared on both Jecks' lips and in his eyes.
”I find I am the Lady of Loiseau, and I owe liedgeld. As you might have guessed, I have no one to manage the lands, and I haven't the faintest idea of who I could trust to do a good job.”
”You need a steward.”
”That's pretty clear,” she admitted. ”Do you have any ideas?”
”Hmmm.” Jecks frowned. ”You should send a messenger to the tenants, at least. Suggest that they only owe half what they paid last year because of the troubles. See what coins you get. I also do not think that anyone would find it remiss if you excused Loiseau from last harvest's liedgeld because the previous lord had died in defending Defalk and because the succession had not been established.” The white-haired warrior gave a crooked smile.
”You may have to do that for Lord Via.s.sa's heirs in Fussen before it's all over. In both cases, do it quietly.”
Anna understood that part. What Jecks said made sense, but she didn't like it. She sighed.
”You do not like not paying your debts-even those you owe yourself.”
”No. I don't see an alternative right now. I didn't even know I was the Lady of Loiseau.... I mean, I sort of knew, but I didn't understand that accepting the lands meant I owed liedgeld. I'm not exactly from Defalk, you know.”
”No one would ever question you on that, Lady Anna.”
Again, Anna could feel the sparks smoldering between them. What was she going to do?
This time, she was saved by Secca's arrival.
”You sent for me, Lady Anna?” Secca bowed as she stepped into the receiving room. Her eyes were dark and sunken.
”She did,” said Jecks softly, rising. ”If you would excuse me, ladies?”
Anna nodded, appreciating Jecks' tact. She stood and stepped around the table, waiting for the receiving room door to close.
”Secca? I've had another message from your mother ”Papa's dead! I knew it.. . . I saw Calmut, and I knew it.”
”Yes,” Anna said quietly.
As the girl sobbed, Anna held her-for a long time.
Once Secca left, Anna requested more to eat. She was worried and emotionally drained Between the financial worries, her concerns about her attraction to Jecks, and Lord Hryding's death and Secca's grief, she was exhausted-and lightheaded once more.