Chapter 7

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Dynan found Marc hunched over his desk, half-lying across its broad surface, one hand propped against his face, staring at the companel screen. He thought to stand, but Dynan stopped him with a raised hand.

“Getting caught up?” he asked, moving to the King’s office door. Gaden followed him silently.

“Something like that.”

Dynan glanced in the darkened office, frowning because he expected to find Dain there. He knew that his brother was somewhere nearby. “Where is he?”

Marc looked up at him, leaning back in his chair before answering. “In the Throne Room.”

That was an answer Dynan hadn’t expected, but understood the implications and the reasons Dain would be in the Throne Room with its silent biers on the eve of a funeral. He pulled in a breath. “Going to be a long night.”

Marc nodded, returning to study the screen. “So what’s new.”

“What happened with Tylin?”

“He went to a house close to the Trubian Square, whatever that is—”

“It’s the central marketplace in Rianamar.”

“Right. Anyway, Tylin went to this nearby house and met someone. We haven’t been able to get a clear idea about who yet. False trails on the ownership of the property and all that. The place is pretty well buttoned up. If it’s Arlon we can’t tell, but the house is being watched. If they go somewhere, we’ll know it and follow. Tylin came back here just a little while ago and he’s back in his rooms. He hasn’t talked to or seen anyone else.”

“Why don’t you take him in?”

“He’s going to go to Alse tomorrow, probably with instructions from Arlon.”

“And you just know this,” Dynan said, smiling when Marc nodded absently. “Anything else?”

“Quiet.”

“Quiet is good. That’s something.”

He moved through his office and found the door to the Throne Room slightly ajar. The dim glow of the seal and a low fire cast shadows into the office.

Beside him, Gaden hesitated and Dynan turned to him. “You don’t have to do this.”

Gaden shrugged, though his apprehension was apparent. Dynan didn’t blame him. The thought of standing guard over the dead for a night wasn’t something he’d been prepared to do either. “I’m dressed for it anyway,” Gaden said, but when Dynan turned for the door again, he stopped him. “You’ll need a sword.”

“That’s right, I do.” He wasn’t wearing his own. He looked to the wall where so many years ago he had taken a weapon to defend his life, but again, Gaden stopped him. He drew his own, smartly reversing the blade to present it hilts first, then surprised Dynan when he dropped to one knee. Dynan looked down at him, acknowledging the proffered sword and the renewal of service with a smile. “Accepted. Thank you, Gaden.”

The young man grunted slightly as he rose. “Thought you might like to know that we’re all pretty glad to have you up and around.”

“Me too. Except now you need a sword.”

Gaden laughed a little, quickly retrieving one from the wall, and together they went in. Dynan was immediately struck by the enormity of the Telaerin seal, glowing on the back wall behind the Throne. The black stone, broken only by slim silver threads that ended in dark sapphires, never failed to make him feel small and insignificant in comparison. He stood staring up at it for a long time.

Before the seal, below the dais, ten raised biers rested, all but one holding the remains of the fallen. Kamien’s stood foremost before them all. While his wouldn’t be an open viewing, his casket was draped in the Royal standard. The decision to afford him that honor had been met with some resistance, but as Dynan refused to consider other alternatives, the burial service was going forward. He realized he no longer thought of his half-brother as an enemy. He still wasn’t sure what he felt about him, except confusion.

Lycon, Boral, and Sheed were each arrayed with the same honors. Drake had returned with Xavier, Roth, and Frazier who were also draped with the Royal standard. Burley Ven and Corwin Esrel were there. Eldelar was there too, covered by a plain white shroud that bore the badge that he’d worn as a doctor nearly all his life.

Two guards stood with each bier, at precise attention, their eyes staring ahead, bodies stiffly erect and unmoving. Each carried a sword in hand, held angled down so that the tip barely touched the floor.

Dynan stood over Boral for a time, looking down at him, at the finality of death that clothed him as surely as the great standard. “I told you,” he whispered, but his words still echoed in cavernous silence.

He shook his head at the unfairness of it, at the finality of death that marked them all. Too many. All the last remaining surrogates, gone. He felt the pang of guilt and responsibility for Roth, who had survived all those years in exile, living unknown to everyone, only to die almost the moment Dynan had returned into his life. He found though, that he couldn’t find it in his heart to regret those last moments, or the joy of discovering him alive after all that time. In truth it would have been better had Roth stayed hidden, but then he would have missed finding Garan and Bronwyn.

He couldn’t begin to absorb the enormity of Xavier’s death. The knowledge, the legendary calm, the never failing optimism had been an integral part of Dynan’s life, gifts he couldn’t fathom being without. It was almost impossible to imagine Cobalt without him.

In the place of honor, the last bier stood closest to the Throne. A plain, unadorned sword rested on the Royal standard. The Telaerin crest pin glinted from its resting-place above the hilt of Carryn’s sword, catching what little light there was. Her body still unfound, the only explanation offered by the Medic Center remained unacceptable to Dynan. Due to the large number of deceased following the battles, Carryn’s body must have been inadvertently disposed of. Dynan closed his eyes tightly, moving to the guard stationed there.

“You’re relieved,” he said. The guard saluted him with the sword, sheathed the weapon, and stood down. Gaden relieved one of the guards standing over Xavier and together, they began their watch over the dead.

Before long, Allie and Trevan came in. They didn’t seem surprised to find him doing what they themselves intended, moving to Boral and Lycon and relieving the guard. Ralion was the last to arrive. It was apparent that he expected the others, but when he saw Dain standing beside Sheed, he stopped abruptly. Dain didn’t move or acknowledge his presence, but Dynan felt his brother’s sorrow mounting the longer Ralion stood staring at him. Finally, he turned to the other guard, and after a last glance at Dain, took his place beside him.

Kamien Argent Telaerin was entombed in the Hall of Kings at dawn.

Marc felt weariness pulling at him, impeding his efforts to concentrate on the tasks at hand. As the night deepened, the men who had followed Tylin through town settled for a long wait, their reports growing less frequent. Tylin was in his room under watch. At least for the night, it seemed that no one was going anywhere.

He thought briefly of joining the others in the Throne Room in their watch, but didn’t think he could stand it. He was having a hard enough time trying to keep Dain’s grief from completely overwhelming him. He didn’t want to face seeing Eldelar Elger again. He’d seen enough of death to last a lifetime.

Marc muttered under his breath, trying to shake the weariness from his eyes. He was reading Xavier’s notes as suggested and while much of it was fascinating, most was a long repetition of day to day business that was difficult to get through.

Finally, he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer and collapsed onto the couch. The moment he closed his eyes though, strange whispering voices chased after him, buzzing in his ear. He didn’t know what they were, or who, and tried to ignore them. He started awake what seemed an instant later, but realized the next moment that he wasn’t awake, and that he wasn’t asleep either. He stood in the Hall of Transition.

Faces of dead men paraded by him. Some he’d killed, some he hadn’t, some he knew, but so many more complete strangers. He could hear their thoughts, too many voices in his mind, feel their ebbing life energy as each approached. He realized suddenly that he was taking them, the last remnant of life. He tried backing away but something held him from behind, and he couldn’t move. He felt arms around him, malignant with hatred and he knew.

“Did you think you could escape me so easily,” Maralt whispered in his ear.

Eldelar approached him. “You’ll never be free of him. Never.”

“You killed us all,” Sheed said before he was taken.

“No,” Marc whispered as he struggled to get away.

A man robed in white came, a skeletal hand reaching for him. “Submit to me.”

“No!”

“Take him. He is old and weak. He’s coming for you. Take him.”

Take him, the voice repeated in his mind. Take him, it said, over again. Marc would never have to face him after that. He would be gone, silenced. He’s coming. Take him.

Dain frowned as he walked into the office and saw Marc sleeping fitfully on the couch. The first light of dawn crept into the sky, slowly brightening the land. Behind him, Dynan grunted. “You’d think he’d have the decency not to get any sleep while the rest of us were up.”

Dain smiled for a second, but sobered quickly as the nightmare that held Marc worsened. “He never would have made it.”

“No, I suppose not.”

Ralion, Allie, and Gaden drifted in from the King’s office. They stopped when they saw Marc, audibly muttering now. “Wake him up,” Gaden said.

Dynan moved to Marc’s side. “I was just about to.”

Allie took a step forward. “That’s not a good idea,” he said, but too late.

Dain realized what he meant and quickly pulled Dynan back after he’d shaken Marc to wake him. Dain wasn’t quite fast enough to avoid the fist suddenly flashing toward him. Marc lurched to his feet. Ralion grabbed him from behind and hauled him back, even as his eyes cleared, holding him until he calmed.

Dynan turned as Dain let him go. “Are you all right?”

He rubbed his jaw, nodding. “I should have known that would happen. Sorry.”

“Me too,” Allie said, smiling at Marc. “He got me a few times when I made the mistake of getting too close.”

Marc wasn’t in any frame of mind to think it the least bit funny though, and turned from them, wrenching away from Ralion. Dain watched him, frowning slightly at his reaction. He glanced at Dynan and his brother quickly had everyone leave the office.

“Just a dream, Marc,” Dain said, walking over to join him at the window. He only managed to contain a shiver of fear when Marc turned to look at him. His eyes were nearly all black. “This shouldn’t be happening.”

“What?” Dynan asked.

“Take a look at him. On second thought, don’t. I need to find out what happened. You go ahead and get ready for the ceremony.”

“He needs to change. What’s wrong with him?”

“I’ll make sure he’s there. Go on.” Dynan didn’t look like he would, frowning for a moment, but he shook his head wearily and left them. “Okay, show me.”

“No.”

“That wasn’t a request,” Dain said. “What? You think I haven’t seen it before? We don’t have time for this. We need to get you ready for the funeral. The High Bishop is going to be here any minute and expect to meet you, and you can’t do that dressed like this. Now, come on, show me.”

Marc paled noticeably and Dain took him by the arm, thinking he might fall over. “The High Bishop? Why?”

“The funeral?”

Marc shook his head. “I can’t ... I don’t have ... I’ve got too much work to do. We’re in the middle of an operation. I was up most of the night. I mean, I know you were up all night, but if something happens during the ceremony, it isn’t going to look too good if I suddenly have to leave. I’m all right. It was only a dream.”

“If it was only a dream, why are your eyes like saucers? Show me what happened.”

“Maralt was there, that’s why. Dream or not, it scared me, all right?”

“Why don’t you want me to see this?” Dain asked, certain that Marc was desperate to avoid it. “I’m trying to help you, Marc. Sure, it likely was a dream, but you shouldn’t be having this kind of reaction. I can’t find out why if you won’t let me see.”

“You said yourself that you don’t have time. Later, all right? Please?”

Dain didn’t think it should wait until later. He didn’t like the feeling that Marc wanted to avoid showing him. He didn’t understand why this should be any different from any of the other things he’d witnessed.

“You can’t hide from this, Marc. No, listen. I’m only going to say this to you once. I’ll leave you to think about it. You close yourself away from the people who care about you and you start down the same path Maralt took years ago. I’m not going to think any less of you because your subconscious is playing nasty tricks on you. I’ve seen it before. You can’t hide from it any more than I can. You’re not alone, but you’ll end up that way if you keep this up. Think about it. I’ll tell Dynan you won’t be at the ceremony, but there’s a reception later. I’m sure he’ll expect you to attend.”

Dain turned and left him, frowning over what he felt, shivering because it reminded him too much of Maralt to be ignored. He wanted more than anything to keep Marc’s descent from happening. He wasn’t so sure he knew how.

He found Dynan waiting outside the com office looking tired. Dain doubted that he’d intended to spend the night on watch, but was glad that he’d been there. It seemed the appropriate thing to do and Dain wasn’t surprised that everyone else had thought so. He felt better for having spent the night remembering his old guard, though the ache of guilt still remained. He didn’t think he’d ever be completely free of it, but this morning he felt it easier to bear. Now all he had to do was find the courage to talk to Ralion and face the final parting with Geneal.

“So what happened?” Dynan asked.

“He wouldn’t tell me.”

“What do you mean he wouldn’t tell you? Why not?”

Dain shrugged, not really wanting to voice the new doubts he held for Marc, thinking Dynan would over-react. “Something scared him pretty badly. He just needs some time to sort through it himself. He’s worried I might hate him or something.”

“Why would he think that, unless he’s done something he shouldn’t have? His eyes—”

“He hasn’t done anything. I know that for certain. It was a dream and he’s only reacting to fear, Dynan, nothing else. He’ll be all right.”

“If you have any doubts—”

“I don’t. Marc isn’t going to turn into another Maralt. He’s worried about catching Arlon right now and uptight about a lot of other things. He’ll probably be that way until you’re crowned too. We need to give him a chance.”

Dynan didn’t respond because Marc came down the hall toward them, obviously in a hurry to get somewhere. Dain shook his head and took Dynan’s arm before he could stop him. “Let him go. Listen to me, Dynan.”

Marc walked by, hardly looking at either of them. Dynan turned after him, watching as he practically ran from the office. “All right, Dain. I’ll listen to you. For a little while.”

“That’ll be a first.”

Allie stepped out from the com office. “The High Bishop is here.”