Septadai, Week 20 – 28th Meithal, 14th Meithis 1210
Wynfeld’s Office
THE FOLLOWING DAY, Captain Wynfeld found Lord Landis sitting in his office waiting patiently for him, but there was a tensing of the muscles and a stillness Wynfeld had come to associate with a cat stalking its prey.
Sitting down, he said, “Good morning, my lord.”
“Morning, Wynfeld. Interesting report yesterday. Is there any more news about our stocky friend?”
“We’ve been investigating but without success, my lord.” In his head, Wynfeld muttered, ‘Give us a day at least!’
Guessing what Wynfeld was thinking, Landis tried to mollify the situation. “I’m not criticising you, Captain. I am about to hand you some useful information. Tell me how much you know of the Ullian Legacy.”
“Not much, sir: never had much time for stories as a child. Work got in the way.”
Landis raised an eyebrow. “Then I suggest you start reading now, Captain. Ullian Spirits are pure forms of magic – the purest that exist on Erinna. They are complete skills, but they are scarce. Each spirit has hues, lesser forms of a particular skill: you know and have dealt with scryers; they are a hue of a seer and are quite numerous. The point, however, is that each spirit has different hues; you do know that much?”
“Yes, my lord,” replied Wynfeld, thinking, ‘I’m not stupid!’
“Good. Those who possessed hues were always more numerous than those with spirits, for what reason even Laioril doesn’t know – trust me, that’s rare. Anyway, one of the spirits was that of an espien – from which we get our word ‘spy’. They could vanish from people’s sight: simply fade into the background. Only another espien would be able to see them. A corresponding hue was a ‘vigilant’. These had nowhere near as many facets to their skill as the true espien but one thing they could do was fade out of sight. Well, that is almost true. They couldn’t be truly unseen, that is part of the spirit of the espien. They could be unnoticed. They would be unseen if you looked at them directly, face on, but they couldn’t hide from your peripheral vision. They couldn’t become invisible, like the espien, but, unlike the espien, they can still be sensed by normal people. That is, you might feel them watching you.”
Wynfeld said, “Have I got this right, my lord? You are trying to suggest that Gad possesses either the hue of a vigilant or the spirit of an espien?”
Landis smiled grimly. “Much as my confidence in you has increased, Captain, I wouldn’t be here treating you to a lecture if I had only suspicions. You have to believe me. There is little doubt left in my mind as to the fact we are dealing with a person of Ullian predisposition. The information came my way by chance last night – a feeling of paranoia and a figure in my peripheral vision. As I can see him from the corner of my eye, it tells us we’re dealing with a vigilant rather than an espien.”
“I may regret asking this question, sir, but where were you when you had this feeling?” enquired Wynfeld. ‘Sicla! You really are serious, aren’t you? Now I’m worried as well.’
Landis conveniently forgot to mention it wasn’t he who had had the feeling. “I was at Court when all this occurred. The feeling, or gentleman, if you will, followed me through several rooms, always just out of reach.”
“At Court! Why is it always where you can’t do anything without the world knowing that these things occur?”
Landis smirked. “Because, where would be the challenge in that, Wynfeld? There is another advantage with all this: we know our man is still in Oedran. Admittedly, last being seen in the Palace or at Court is slightly problematic. Even I, as a Defender, can’t keep the King away from Court forever, nor Prince Arkyn now, of course, but we can get more people watching for Gad. He can’t hide in the shadows forever.”
“He’s certainly doing a good enough job of it at the moment, my lord!”
“He’ll slip up, one of these days, Captain. Now, I must leave you.”
Landis left, a grave expression on his face, matched only by Wynfeld’s in the room behind him.
* * *
Landis made his way to the Palace thinking hard. Gad had to show himself for long enough to be seized. He wouldn’t be able to fade if someone had hold of him. Landis made his way through the Palace, trying to devise a plan that wouldn’t involve danger for anyone but guards. He ambled into the King’s Chambers still thoughtful and six minutes later was sitting in a meeting with Adeone and others. He remained focused for nearly all of the meeting but as the King was concluding, without consciously realising, he returned to pondering on the problem of the vigilant. As Adeone rose, to signal the meeting’s end, it took Landis a couple of seconds to realise. He hurriedly got to his feet, and the King held his gaze. That glance kept Landis behind as everyone else left.
“What’s got you thinking?” enquired Adeone once they were alone.
“It’s nothing, Your Majesty.”
Adeone sat behind his desk. “Stop prevaricating. Last time you were this preoccupied I disregarded it. I named you Representative and then Adson attacked you. Don’t expect me to make the same mistake again! What’s concerning you?”
“It is a personal matter, sir,” replied Landis.
“Right, stop lying, Lord Landis. You’ve never let personal matters interfere in meetings. Why should today be any different? I want to know what is concerning you.”
Landis tensed. “Your Majesty, I cannot tell you because I don’t know completely myself.”
“Not good enough, Landis. You could tell me what you do know.”
Cornered, he started to say, “If I did that, I’d be breaking faith with…” He trailed off. If he even said his name, he’d have broken Arkyn’s faith.
Adeone snapped, “You might remember that if you don’t answer me, Landis, you’re breaking my faith also! Somehow that might be the more important.”
Equally annoyed by Adeone ordering him to break a confidence, Landis demanded, “Yet I must break faith with someone neither of us would ever want to?” In a resolute voice that was meant to end the discussion, he said, “The situation is being taken care of, sir.” Before Adeone could reply, Landis bowed and opened the door.
“I never gave you leave to go, Landis.”
Landis paused momentarily before continuing. He got as far as the door to the Audience Chamber before he felt a hand on his arm.
Richardson whispered, “My lord, it would be better if you went back to the King. If you don’t today, I’m not sure your friendship will survive it.”
Furious, Landis said, “How dare you presume, Richardson!”
“Because today was Queen Ira’s birthday, my lord; the King doesn’t forget Her Grace and he’s tearing himself apart at the moment.”
With gritted teeth, Landis turned back. “You just had to remind me!”
The administrator moved aside. “I didn’t know what else to do, sir.”
Landis glared at him before re-entering the Inner Office. Adeone eyes burned through him and, now he had let go of his preoccupation, Landis saw the pain in them. He let the door close and then, as tradition dictated he should, he knelt.
“Pass me your King’s Token!” commanded the King.
Richardson had been right. If he’d walked away, he’d never have walked back. He located the token and, still kneeling, passed it to Adeone, who had moved round to collect it.
Adeone put it on his desk. “Must I ask you again what concerns you?”
Landis tried to refuse one last time. “I beg you, don’t make me—”
“Don’t demean yourself; you never beg,” spat Adeone. “I need to know and if it will help salve your conscience, you will have no choice but to tell me. Pass me your hands.”
For the first time, Landis shrank from the power in Adeone’s face. Compelled to do so, he raised his hands, palms upward, fearing what the King was about to do. Adeone placed his hands palm down on top.
“In truth, Lord Landis, what concerns you so deeply?”
The words left Landis’ lips without freewill. “In truth, my liege, Prince Arkyn is being followed by a vigilant; whom we believe is Gad.”
Shocked, Adeone nearly broke the contact but he had to know one more thing. “In truth, why didn’t you just tell me?”
“In truth, my liege, because I told Prince Arkyn I would not.”
Adeone felt sick. He nearly said ‘Forget I asked’ to wipe the memory from Landis’ mind, but he couldn’t do it, couldn’t add insult to injury. He lifted his hands, turned, picked up the token, placed it back in Landis’ hands and, shaking, left for his private quarters.
Once the door closed, Landis swore roundly. Not because he’d been forced to tell Adeone but because of the way his friend had looked when he’d realised he’d made Landis break Arkyn’s confidence. Landis stood in the office for a moment before thinking that convention didn’t have a place at such a time.
Entering the sitting room, he crossed to the sideboard, pouring his friend a whiskey.
Even as he took it, Adeone said, “Thank you but just leave me alone.”
“Not a chance of that.”
“Leave me, Landis!” ordered Adeone.
“I’m not going anywhere. Rant and rave at me as much as you want to. Just do what you need to but don’t expect me to walk away when you’re obviously in need of support. That’s not what a friend is. Especially when I’m the reason you’re in this mood.”
Adeone continued staring at nothing. “Why are you pushing me today?”
“Because I’m a bloody fool! What else do you expect?”
“You certainly are.” Adeone shrank down, and Landis knew that he was relaxing for the first time that day. “I’m—”
“You don’t need to apologise. I was being mulish.”
Adeone finally turned to him. “No, I was being too… autocratic. I should have realised that you— Alcis, there are times I hate myself. Festus, let me just say this… I’m sorry.”
“Thank you, Adeone – so am I. Now, are you going to hide in here for the rest of the day?”
The King downed his drink. “No. I’m going to spread my stress around. What’s more, you’re going to help – if only to stop me going too far again.”
“Very well, Sire,” replied Landis carefully.
“You don’t want to be there, do you?”
“I’d rather Prince Arkyn didn’t know I betrayed his confidence, sir.”
“You didn’t. There is no choice when I ask you as I did. I forced it from you. He’ll… understand.”
“I only hope you’re right, sir, because I feel as though I’ve let him down.”
Adeone said, “I’ve been letting him down ever since Ira died.”
Landis shook his head. “You know that’s not true. You’ve never let the boys down. Trust me on that.”
Adeone looked at his friend with unspoken thanks. Landis saw some of the guilt and pain leaving the familiar features, and he was glad of it. Adeone felt things deeply; over the years, he’d learned to deal with such feelings, but Ira’s death had knocked down the walls he’d built in his mind and it was taking a long time to sift through the rubble to rebuild them.
* * *
Once in the Inner Office, Adeone summoned Richardson and asked to speak to Arkyn, Edward, Paturn, Wynfeld and Pixney. Twelve minutes later, a very puzzled Arkyn and Edward were admitted.
“Prince Arkyn, you’re returning to the Rex Dallin as soon as possible. Edward, please go and arrange that. Anything His Highness was meant to be doing, see Richardson knows about it and I’ll send his apologies.”
As Edward left, Arkyn eyed his father and nearfather uncertainly. Once the door closed, he asked why.
Hating himself, Adeone said, “Because I say so, Arkyn. For the moment, please just accept that I need you safe.”
“This hasn’t anything to do with last night, has it, Lord Landis?” enquired Arkyn accusingly.
Adeone cut in. “Your nearfather held out until I forced a fealty reading.”
Arkyn read the truth in Landis’ face. “I’m sorry, Uncle Festus. I still think, though, that I—”
“You can think what you want, Arkyn, as long as you are in the Rex Dallin,” retorted his father. “I’m not having you threatened like this.”
“It was paranoia, father. Nothing more—”
Landis broke in, “I’m afraid it was a bit more than that, sir.”
Arkyn whipped around. “There was no-one there, Uncle Festus. It was just me being stupid. You know that!”
“It wasn’t, Your Highness. Honestly, it wasn’t paranoia. There was a vigilant in the Court. I glimpsed him from the corner of my eye.”
Arkyn turned back to his father. “Then I can help catch them, father. They’re obviously interested in me.”
“You’re not bait and I’m not having a discussion,” snapped Adeone. “You’re leaving for the Rex Dallin. No argument.”
Arkyn’s face set. “What do I tell the Comptroller, Tain and Elantha?”
“You can tell the Comptroller the truth. As for your brother and cousin, tell them that you became bored. Arkyn, enough! You’re leaving for the Rex Dallin. I’m sorry but—”
“Mother would never have let you do this!”
Adeone’s face twitched.
Landis broke in. “Your Highness, your mother would only ever have wanted your safety as your father does. She loved you deeply and would never have wanted you in danger. This decision isn’t easy for your father, but he’s trying to ensure you’re safe. Your mother would have understood.”
Gripping the edge of his desk, Adeone pleaded, “Don’t make this harder for me. I don’t want you in the Rex Dallin. I wish you could always be here, but you’ve got to at least accept that I’m trying to protect you in the best way I can. She’d want that.”
Arkyn said, grudgingly, “I know, but I’m old enough to make my own choices.”
“I never doubt that, my son, and your choices will always be sensible and certainly more apt than mine ever were at your age, but sometimes I must be everything I hate. I have to order you.”
Arkyn looked at his father. “I’m sorry, sir.”
“Don’t be sorry for putting your opinions across, Arkyn. Just come and give your father a hug.” Adeone held him in that hug for longer than normal, taking strength and comfort from it. When they broke apart, he tousled his son’s hair. Half choked with emotion, he said, “Just remember, that your mother would be proud of you and I am proud of you beyond what I can declare.”
“Come to Ceardlann with me.”
“I’ll think about it, Arkyn. Now, disappear and leave your beleaguered father to drown under responsibility.”
The Prince left, knowing what ‘I’ll think about it’ meant.
Adeone watched the door close. “He puts me to shame sometimes.”
“No, sir, he’s your son – every inch of him. Will you go to Ceardlann tonight? It might mend a bridge or two.”
Adeone sighed. “I know. I’ll see how things go with everyone else.”
Landis said, “Shall I see if they’re here, sir?”
A few moments later, General Paturn, Captain Wynfeld and Captain Pixney had entered and saluted. After a significant glance from the King, Landis moved directly behind him. The very presence of Landis in that position told the others that this meeting concerned the protection of the King.
“Right, I’m not going to trouble to be diplomatic about this,” said Adeone. “I want Gad caught and yesterday wasn’t soon enough. You’ve had over a year and I’m not happy, gentleman. He’s managed to infiltrate the Palace again and has even turned his attention on Prince Arkyn. My life I can accept being under threat but my sons’ I will not. You’ve got a fortnight to show me some improvement in locating him. We know he’s in Oedran and we know he’s visiting the Palace. Get checking people. My patience is running out! That’s all.” After the three men had saluted and left, Adeone eyed Landis. “You’d better go and invite yourself into the crisis meeting that Paturn will have just set up. I meant the fortnight deadline. I can’t keep Arkyn out of Oedran for long, not anymore.”
Landis said, “I know. Is there anything you want me to point out?”
“I want resignations if that man isn’t found by the end of the winter. I’m not a tyrant but no-one – wanted as much as that man is – should be able to hide for this long – vigilant or no.”