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Chapter 13
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“Sir Bajain,” Alexia said, greeting her visitor. “I expect your reasons for coming to me here are urgent.”
“I have some information that couldn’t be transmitted in any other fashion.”
“Very well. What is it?”
“It concerns a very illegal activity and a conspiracy to hide it that involves Prince Dynan and the Royal family.”
Alexia’s eyes widened slightly. “Really? Do continue. You’ll receive the highest commission if the facts prove you out. Who is your source?”
“First, I’ll tell you what I’ve learned, then the source. Then you decide what commission I receive.”
Alexia hesitated at that. There were certain rules, even in the business of spying, that she was accustomed to following. Getting the source of information was one of them. It was more an unspoken requirement than any law, as spying was illegal in all the Systems. There were risks of being caught with illicitly obtained information. There was once a situation where the source had been a plant, in a deliberate attempt to entrap her. She knew Bajain well enough to know that wasn’t the case with him and if what he meant to tell her was true, she would have Dynan exactly where she wanted him. She thought about it a moment longer and then nodded.
“Very well.” She seated herself near the fire.
As he began, Alexia listened intently, her interest growing with each word. She was shocked, and wondered how Dynan ever thought he could get away with his activities. She frowned then. “What proof do you have that he was on this outer planet? Your word and the word of your source are useless to me.”
“There is proof, but that again is part of the conspiracy. The Prince returned with a guest. A woman guest.”
Alexia was stunned this time, as she hadn’t been in many years, but she immediately understood why Dynan was attempting to keep this information from getting out. It would ruin his bid for the Cobalt Throne.
Bajain continued. “You may know of her. Her name here is Lady Loren Delian Brassil.”
Alexia leaned back, a satisfied smile lighting her eyes. “How very interesting. I knew there was something odd about the girl all along. But why did he bring her here, increasing the risk of discovery?”
“My source indicated that she and the Prince have grown quite close. Because of that, there is some risk for her. Prince Dynan brought her here to protect her.”
Alexia’s eyes narrowed. Loren’s position in the Queen’s Court would make her an attractive candidate for marriage. Their first meeting played through her mind. She recalled how Dynan had mostly ignored Loren, except one moment when they stood at the window together – and spoke – when no one else would hear them. She had to admire the pure brashness, courage even, that Dynan displayed in conceiving such a plan, but saw the futility of it as well. Now that she knew, she had what she needed to get what she wanted. Perhaps more.
“And you say that Drake is aware of this?”
“Yes. Queen Marella as well. Prince Dynan isn’t a close friend of the Brassils.”
Alexia eyed him for a moment. “Your source?” When Bajain hesitated, Alexia noticed it. When she heard the name, she understood why and realized how that complicated the situation. “How can you expect me to believe any of this, coming from that man?”
“I asked him that myself, Your Majesty. He responded that he expected you would know what to do with the information and how to use it. While the source may be tainted, you couldn’t present any of this to Council and expect to be believed, for instance, but then I gathered that it wasn’t your intention to keep Prince Dynan from returning to Cobalt.”
“No, I intend to rule him once he’s there and you may have provided the information I need to reach that goal.” She smiled. “I’ll need proof though, or much of this is useless to me.”
“I checked the transport lists on Capra. There’s nothing there. The records of Lady Loren’s arrival at Beryl, Capra indicate she came from the Dalca Province, where her supposed father resided. Queen Marella has been very careful to leave no trace of her, other than what she wants to be known.”
“She may have been in a transport that came from the Palace. Its registry was changed,” she said. “But no matter. I’m certain something can be found, if not from you, then from Loren herself. She’s already made several blunders that were brought to my attention, though she’s done an admirable job of covering for those mistakes.”
She rose and paced a moment, thinking of the risk she took if she acted on this information. She wasn’t sure how she couldn’t act on it, knowing it was the only way to attain her desires. There was also the possibility if she didn’t pay Bajain, he could take his information elsewhere, even to Drake and implicate her. It was one of the inherent risks in dealing with spies.
“Very well. My original offer stands.” Instead of ordering the transfer through her comboard, which could then be traced, she took pen and paper, wrote an amount, signed the document and affixed her seal. “I wouldn’t try collecting this in the Trea System. You wouldn’t want to alert Drake to your activities.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.” He took the paper and folded it into a pocket. “You’ve been most generous.” He bowed, kissing her hand and left her.
Alexia turned to look out over the city of Ilthain, smiling because she had what she needed to see that Dynan Telaerin remained forever in her debt.
“This could be a huge mistake.” Dynan glanced at Marc nervously.
They were standing in the entrance hall of Creal’s rooms waiting for the King to receive them. His rooms were one floor down, beneath the Royal quarters instead of on the same floor. Alexia was housed a few doors down, though they had managed to reach Creal’s rooms without being seen by any of her servants. Sheed was with them this time, without the usual contingent of guards. They were trying to keep this particular meeting quiet.
“My being here probably is,” Marc replied.
“You’re evidence.”
A servant opened the door and nodded. “His Majesty will see you now, Your Highness.”
Dynan couldn’t help but think how he’d waited hours the last time he made that request to see the King. Marc glanced at him. “Thinking like that probably isn’t a good idea, either.”
“As long as you don’t announce it, Marc.”
“He was afraid. The Star Destroyer was there. He’s not the enemy here. All right. All right! I won’t say another word.”
Creal was waiting in his sitting room, lounging in a large robe, and smoking a pipe. The aroma permeating the room was pungent, but not unpleasant.
“Come in, have a seat. No, don’t bother with that,” he said as Marc bowed. “We can dispense with all the formalities. Help yourself to a drink if you like. I recommend the Corrigan Alexia gave me.”
“Gave?” Dynan asked pouring himself a small glass. He glanced at Marc, who shook his head. Sheed nodded to the King, looked around the room briefly, and then stationed himself in the doorway, which Creal noticed, but decided not to comment on.
“She can be very generous if she’s in the right mood and if she wants something,” he said as Dynan and Marc sat down. Dynan started to comment that the liquor was good, but Creal cut him off. “You wanted to tell me something. What is it? By your look it must be serious.”
“Not serious, exactly,” Dynan said, trying to not seem instantly annoyed by the King’s abrupt manner. “Only difficult to explain and it has to do with my being a telepath. I’m guessing you’ve heard of it.”
“Yes.”
“Dain and I were telepathic.”
“All right.” Creal frowned. “What of it?”
“You said you wanted to know what’s going on. This is all part of it.”
“All right. And?”
“I’m a telepath.”
“Even though Dain died, you still have the ability?”
“Yes and so does Marc. He had a twin as well.”
“Dead?”
Marc pulled in a breath, flinching almost at the question. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Creal paused a moment and cleared his throat. “I apologize. That was needlessly harsh,” he said, surprising Dynan. “Please, go on.”
“We’re able to communicate with each other. That’s one of the reasons he’s with us.”
“You can? Isn’t that unusual?”
Dynan hesitated to answer that one honestly. The real answer was no. “Yes and no. Marc is what we call an adept. ”
“And what does that mean?”
“That means his abilities are fairly great.” Dynan could see the suspicion and nervousness in Creal’s eyes. “Undeveloped abilities and we intend to keep it that way.”
“And why is that?” Creal said, obviously not understanding the reason for the disclosure and getting tired of the slow explanation. “The point, Dynan.”
“You know who Maralt Adaeryn is, but not what. He’s also an adept telepath. He’s chosen to develop his telepathic abilities beyond a point that any sane person would desire. He’ll do anything, regardless of any law or moral code, to accomplish what he wants. He’s extremely dangerous.”
“Exactly what is an adept telepath capable of doing?”
Dynan hesitated again, feeling the futility of trying to explain this. Creal would think the wrong thing. “He can attack the mind of anyone he chooses, kill them, or control them. Marc and I are more open to attack, though we’ve learned how to block him. Mostly, anyway.”
“How is that done? This blocking ability.” Creal asked.
“You have to be a telepath. It takes a great deal of concentration and it’s possible to fail.”
Creal leaned back in his seat, his eyes narrowing. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Maralt attacked Drake. We didn’t know about it until recently. He was able to do this without Drake’s knowledge. All he experienced was a sudden headache.”
“What was the purpose of the attack?”
“To get information.”
“And that was?”
“My location at the time.”
“So you’re telling me that anyone is susceptible to these attacks and might not even know it was happening?”
“Yes. With Marc and I here, and Carryn too, it’ll be more difficult for Maralt to attempt it. We can usually tell when he’s nearby, but not always.”
“Carryn?”
“She’s Maralt’s twin, so yes. She’s a telepath.”
Creal sipped his drink, mulling it all over. “How did you learn of the attack on Drake if he wasn’t aware of it?”
“We found out from Shalis. As you know, she’s only just recovered. She was attacked when she arrived on Trea, trying to warn Drake about what Maralt was doing.” Dynan hesitated, seeing the questions forming on Creal’s face. Shalis’ ordeal with Maralt hadn’t been made public. Dynan had hoped to keep it that way, but recognized the necessity of telling Creal now. “She was held prisoner by Maralt on Muri. He told her that he was going to take this information from Drake. She managed to escape in time to warn him. Maralt has tried since then to kill her twice. Fortunately, he failed.”
“Yet you indicated Maralt has the ability to kill with just a thought.”
“There is some benefit to being stubborn.”
“And that’s how she survived?”
“She survived the first attack because Maralt wanted her to. He wanted to keep her alive until I arrived here, so that he could kill her in front of me. She survived the second attack because we stopped him.”
“By blocking him.”
“Yes,” Dynan said, drawing a glance from Marc.
Creal frowned. “You say that Marc has the same abilities that Maralt does?”
“No. He has the potential.” He hesitated briefly. “That’s true for any telepath, being an adept just makes it easier to learn.”
Creal’s eyebrows rose at that, but that was followed by a frown. “That would be disconcerting news, Your Highness.”
“If I was inclined to use this ability, I would have done it before now and certainly before Dain was killed. I’ve known I could long enough.”
“Yet you haven’t. Why not?”
“Maralt wasn’t always the way he is now. He used his power to learn whatever he wanted and used the knowledge against others for his own gain. He stopped knowing the difference between right and wrong a long time ago. He cultivated a friendship with Kamien, using him for his own purposes. I know for certain that he killed my father. I think it’s his intention to put himself on the Cobalt Throne. And you don’t need me to tell you what kind of disaster that would be for us all.”
There were other things, lurking in the recesses that Dynan wouldn’t go into. He didn’t understand them himself, the bits and flashes that came of a terrible place where the monsters of his nightmares dwelled. Carryn’s vision of the Throne Room and the gaping hole swallowing the Great Seal was never far from mind.
“What guarantee is there that you won’t one day decide to take that same path?”
“Only one,” Dynan said quietly. “I don’t want to be like Maralt. I don’t want that much power. It seems power enough in holding the Telaerin Throne.”
“That’s not very reassuring to me, Dynan.”
“It’s more complicated than me telling you to do something you wouldn’t normally do. Your odd behavior would be noticed and then those people who might question you would have to be controlled as well. The wider that circle the more difficult it becomes. No one knows how many people Maralt is capable of controlling. I can’t do it at all. I’d have to practice. A lot. Everyone around me would notice and I can tell you for certain they don’t want that kind of man on the throne either.”
“There’s one other thing you should consider,” Marc said. “He’s in here telling you about this and he didn’t have to.”
“And if I were his advisor I would have counseled against it.”
Dynan smirked at that. “I’ll tell them you said so.”
“Does Drake know any of this? Does Alexia? Xavier?”
“Xavier has always known. Drake knows. Alexia doesn’t and I don’t intend to tell her. She’s reactionary enough as it is.”
“Careful, Your Highness. The Queen is a close friend.” Creal laughed then. “You told me for a reason. Why?”
“Drake indicated you might discover the fact on your own, due to certain questions you’ve been asking.”
“Saving my spies the trouble.”
“More or less.”
“You’ll put them out of business if you’re not careful.”
“I wouldn’t mind, but I doubt it.” Dynan stood, finishing his drink.
“How much danger are we in from an attack by Maralt?” Creal asked and kept him from taking his leave. Marc didn’t make it to his feet before Creal waved him down.
“There’s the possibility he’ll attempt to weaken my position by harming either you or Alexia. I don’t think he wants to stop me from reaching Cobalt and he knows as well as you do that I don’t have the resources to attack without your assistance. So, with that in mind, you’re probably a lot safer than I am.”
“Your resources are greater than you think,” Creal said, indicating Dynan should wait. “My commanders gave me a positive report on your base. They were quite pleased with what they found. I may even owe you an apology.”
“I don’t blame you for being skeptical,” he said, trying to hide his surprise.
“Many of those concerns have been put to rest by my staff. They were impressed.”
“Thank you. Let’s hope my men will fulfill those good impressions when the time comes.”
“You don’t sound as if you think they will.”
Dynan shook his head. “No, it’s not that. Those men are more than ready. I doubt your commanders got much of a chance to talk with many of the men.”
“Actually they did. I’m well aware of the situation on Cobalt.” Creal watched as Dynan poured another drink. “There’s nothing you can do, except stop Kamien as quickly as possible.”
Dynan didn’t respond, not really hearing what Creal had just indicated. He’d already gone over this a hundred times, with people far smarter than the King of Rynald.
“What do you think? That you can go in by yourself and leave the armies out of it?” Creal asked. “You wouldn’t survive it.”
“Yes, I know.”
He laughed quietly. “I gather you’ve been told that before. Do you have some kind of feasible plan to prevent the battle?”
Dynan glanced at him, confused by the question. “No.”
“Why not?”
“Because there isn’t one.“
“You’re certain of that?”
“Nothing that keeps me alive, at any rate.”
“A valid consideration. It won’t do anyone much good if you’re dead at the end of it all.” Creal smiled. “Although with your ... nephew and Shalis alive, your relative value has decreased, since you now have heirs.”
“I thought about that too,” Dynan said quietly and got a surprised look from Marc.
“When was the last time you had accurate information from Cobalt about troop strength?”
“Carryn went a few months ago and barely got off the planet. We haven’t attempted to send anyone else.”
“One of my contacts left there just days ago,” Creal said. “Your loyal troops haven’t been following orders exactly as Kamien intended.”
Dynan closed the door to Creal’s room, his brow drawn down in thought. He, Marc and Sheed walked silently back toward their own quarters. They were late for another meeting, but Dynan didn’t seem to be in any hurry to get there.
“He’s given us something to think about anyway,” Marc said as they climbed the stairs to the family quarters.
“Huh? Oh, that, yes, if his figures can be trusted.” He frowned. “I find it difficult to believe that the Telaerin fleet has been reduced to two thousand ships.”
“So it was about six thousand ships when you left?”
“About. Four thousand ships don’t just disappear and that many couldn’t possibly be grounded.”
“Drake has about five thousand. Creal and Alexia three each. Trayanna and Lorton have two respectively. We have close to twelve hundred. So Drake commits, what three thousand, or less?” Marc asked.
“Twenty eight. He can’t afford to leave this System completely unmanned in case he’s attacked. I’m expecting or hoping for a thousand each from Creal and Alexia. That’s six thousand all told, which just makes us even.”
Marc nodded to that as they approached Dynan’s rooms. Sheed had already called ahead to warn of the delay. The meeting was in progress apparently, with Carryn going over deployments with Boral and Roth when they got in and settled.
Dynan relayed the meeting with Creal as quickly as he could. When he got to the part about Creal’s information on fleet strength, Carryn started shaking her head.
“You’re saying that four thousand ships are either down for repairs or simply missing?” Carryn asked. “How? Where did they go?”
“Some of them came here,” Dynan answered. “I don’t necessarily believe it either. Not that Creal is lying, but I find it difficult to trust the information.”
“Is it possible that the ones who didn’t come here went somewhere else?” Marc asked, hoping to find a way to make the information be true. They could all use a little good news after the last few days.
“Like where?” Carryn asked.
“I don’t know. Outerspace is a pretty big place to lose yourself in, if that’s what you wanted to do. How hard would it be, for that matter, to hide on one of the System planets? Altair, Arel, or even Cobalt?”
“Four thousand?” Boral asked. Roth didn’t believe it either.
“Not four thousand ships,” Dynan said. “Say five hundred to a thousand are actually grounded. As bad as the maintenance schedules have been kept, that’s not unrealistic. Twelve hundred came to the Exile Base. That leaves eighteen hundred to two thousand to lose themselves. There are a lot of unpopulated areas on all three planets.”
Carryn shook her head. “That still sounds unlikely to me. Granted some of those ships could be grounded and some could have taken off for parts unknown, but not in those numbers. Kamien probably has them out on patrol, or held in reserve in any number of different locations.”
Dynan nodded reluctantly. “Okay. Wishful thinking on my part then, but Creal did get his information from Taldic.” He shrugged. “It doesn’t change anything one way or the other. It would only mean that fewer people are going to die if it’s true.”
“If it is true, you can be sure there’ll be Murian reinforcement,” Boral said.
“I won’t mind killing them,” Dynan said.
“You should mind killing anyone,” Xavier said. “You’ll have to make some sort of peace with the Murians. It’ll be easier if we restrain ourselves from unnecessary slaughter.”
“As unfortunate as it is, if the Murians are there, we’ll have to fight them.” Carryn said, then changed the subject. “How did Creal react to your revelations about Maralt and your telepathy?”
Dynan stood and started pacing. “He didn’t care for the thought, but seemed to get the point that if I was of that frame of mind, I could have been back on the throne a long time ago. That didn’t reassure him very much as to the future and I know that bothers him more. I’m hoping once he’s had a chance to think about it, he’ll understand that since I haven’t done it to gain the throne, I won’t in the future for any other purpose.”
“You didn’t tell him what happened with Shalis then?” Drake asked.
“I told him I intervened. I figured if I told him in the same breath about Maralt and then that I’d done something I shouldn’t have, but wouldn’t ever do it again, he wouldn’t believe me at all.” He shrugged. “Marc pointed out that I didn’t have to tell him about it and he said that my advisors were in error in suggesting I do so.” He glanced at Drake. “It doesn’t seem to have done any harm and maybe some good.”
“I think he all but agreed to help us,” Marc said, drawing everyone’s eye.
“Why do you think that?” Roth asked.
Marc repeated what Creal had said. “He was trying to help think of a way around fighting this big battle.”
“And he offered up a lot of information that might lead us to do just such a thing. I don’t want to be the skeptic here, but there is another way we could read his good intentions” Carryn said.
“How?” Dynan asked and paused a moment to look out the window.
“If there are so few ships in service on Cobalt, and so few ground troops, Creal wouldn’t necessarily have to involve himself, or Alexia either.”
“We wouldn’t owe either of them anything if that were the case. Which also means Creal isn’t after anything,” Marc said, again attracting a few glances. Roth smiled at that and nodded.
“You can be sure Alexia is though,” Dynan said. “I wonder how she’d react if we told her we don’t need her help after all. Wouldn’t that be a sight.”
“More wishful thinking,” Carryn said.
“There’s something else,” Marc said. “Taldic gave the information to Creal’s contact on Cobalt. Is he wrong? How would Taldic get information about troop strength? Is he giving us inaccurate information on purpose?”
“No,” Carryn said. “He’s completely against Kamien and always has been.”
“Okay. So what’s the answer? Who’s telling us we don’t need Creal and Alexia? Who would benefit most, especially if the information we have is wrong?”
Everyone stopped at that, seeing what Marc was getting at. “Kamien,” Dynan answered. “And Taldic gets troop reports from the Palace.”
Drake nodded. “The information can’t be trusted then. We’ll have to explain that to Creal should he ask about it.”
“If Taldic gets troop reports from the Palace and he’s been given inaccurate information, isn’t it possible, even likely that Kamien knows whose side Taldic is on?” Marc asked.
“As unpleasant a thought as it is, yes. Taldic may be in danger,” Carryn said.
“That’s only if the information Creal gave us is wrong. We really can’t tell,” Xavier said. “All of this is conjecture. We can’t trust the information because the possibility exists that it may be inaccurate, not that it is.”
“All right, we know where we stand with Creal and we hope that Taldic isn’t in any greater danger,” Carryn said. “What about Alexia?”
“Her curiosity in Loren seems to have been a passing thing. Alvuen has lost interest,” Drake said.
“Meaning she’s been called off,” Carryn said. “Does it look like we’ve gotten away with it, for now?”
“For now, possibly,” Drake said. “I wouldn’t take any risks at this point.”
Dynan grimaced. “I’ll be glad when they’re gone.”
“So will we all,” Carryn said. “We know what she wants, but not how she’s going to attempt to get it. The only good thing about the situation is that she has to help us in order to achieve her goals; a marriage contract. My best guess is she’ll be difficult and then capitulate. She’ll have to make it clear her terms aren’t concrete and that she’ll be expecting more than she actually asks for. Something we should try and avoid. The only way to avoid that is to keep her from discovering any number of things that shouldn’t have happened while Dynan was on Cadal.”
“The fact remains that he did go and the other things followed. If it comes out, it’s my responsibility for sending him there. I did have some say in it.”
“Drake, no—”
“You’re forgetting one thing, Dynan. While you might be trying to become a King, I am one. I freely accepted the responsibility of helping you, therefore everything that you’ve done is partly mine to claim.”
“I don’t want you to get into trouble because of what happened there.”
“I know that. But I’ve been dealing with trouble for a long time, yours not the worst, though in recent history nothing comes close to what you’ve managed to get yourself into. Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself and what you have to accomplish. And if you could do just one thing for me, you can consider your debt paid. For the Gods’ sake, don’t lose your temper tomorrow.” Drake smiled. “That’s all I’m asking.”
Dynan laughed. “That’s asking an awful lot, don’t you think? Do you want that in writing too? Or do you think I can manage it without?”
“Without, thank you. I’d never trust your temper that far.”
“Thanks.” Dynan said, walking the room again. “We really don’t know for certain where we stand with either Creal or Alexia.”
“Not for certain, but we’re making good guesses,” Xavier said. “Although I think Creal is going to be the most helpful. Still, he may wait for Alexia’s decision. Publicly, he doesn’t want to cross her. Don’t let that goad you. He’ll agree when she does and she will, if she wants to get what she desires. It may even be possible that he’ll do a better job of persuading her than any of us. I suggest you let him.”
“Xavier is right,” Roth said. “Marc might be right as well, in that Creal is most interested in a return to normal relations with Cobalt. He’s indebted to Alexia though and has to proceed with caution in how he responds to you.”
Dynan nodded, then sat down for a moment, looking at Boral. “Have there been any new arrivals at the base?”
“None at all. I’ve been checking daily.”
“The flood has successfully been stopped,” Carryn said. “I thought briefly of sending someone to Cobalt, having them stay there until we arrive, but without the means to communicate until the rest of us get there, the risk is too great for what information we might obtain.”
Dynan shook his head. “I wouldn’t want to risk anyone coming close to Maralt. He’d discover our plans for certain. I must admit though, it would be nice to have a last minute update on the situation at the Palace before we go in. There’s something. Can we trust any of the information Creal has?”
“As far as the Palace is concerned, I think so,” Carryn said. “Taldic goes there often and would see for himself. We should really hope that the Governor hasn’t been found out. If anything were to happen to him, there is no telling how the System would react. It won’t be very healthy for anyone if we arrive in the middle of a riot.”
“That might be one of those things we want to tell Creal and Alexia about. Their contacts on Cobalt should be called off,” Dynan said. “I’d like Taldic alive when I get back. I need his help too much.”
“Yes, agreed. What else?” Drake asked.
“We have our plans in order, I think.” Dynan said. “You’re presenting all this, Carryn, you tell me. Is it sound? Will they start tearing the entire procedure apart, or will it fly intact.”
“Our plans at this point revolve around their helping. I’ve detailed what troops we need, what ships we need, and what kind of organization their commanders can expect. Creal wants to hear the plan before he says yes or no. Giving out the details might be risky. I don’t want them to know those details before we get an agreement, so I thought I’d give a general overview, and if questioned give only those specifics they ask for. There won’t be any big surprises here. They know what we need. But I want to make it very clear who is in control.”
“There’s the tricky part,” Dynan said. “If they send troops then those commanders will want some voice in what those troops or ships will be doing. We can’t have second-guessing, or some commander going off on his own because he doesn’t agree with us in the middle of a battle.”
“Creal understands that,” Drake said. “And Alexia does too, though it’s likely she’ll give us the most difficulty in that area.”
“What are we going to say when she tells us her commanders have to have control?” Dynan asked.
“That their suggestions and concerns will be dealt with, but that our commanders have the final decision,” Carryn said.
Boral shook his head. “The people I’ve met are not idiots. They know what their respective rulers are considering. Actually, they’ve been very helpful and some of their suggestions have already been implemented. They are aware of the upheaval caused by replacing those eight Generals, a decision they agree with, if you want to know. They’re soldiers. They know how to take orders. They’re also quite capable of making quick judgments and passing on information.”
“You don’t think they’ll will give us difficulty?” Dynan asked.
“They’re professionals,” Boral said. “Most of them agree with us on the strategic importance of attacking Cobalt first. Alexia might not agree, but at least her commanders see it our way.”
“Did they indicate they might advise her to accept it?” Dynan asked.
“Would you?” Boral asked, then smiled. “I doubt it. They’ll inform her of each course of action and the outcome, but not the best one to take. You won’t get any help from them in convincing Alexia. That you have to do yourself.”
“All right. I guess we knew that all along.” Dynan nodded. He glanced at Roth to see if he approved. “Anything else? Anyone?”
“We’re as ready as we’ll ever be,” Boral said and the First Minister nodded.
“I don’t have anything,” Carryn said. “Xavier?”
“Just that we should all try and relax.”
Dynan laughed at that, ignoring the looks he got. “Okay, let’s run down the agenda.”
“Breakfast tomorrow morning, which will follow your work out – no, you’re not getting out of it. I expect you down there at first light. You too, Marc. After we eat, we go into the first session. At that time, I’ll outline the general plan. We break for lunch afterward. Alexia and Creal will meet with their advisors and commanders. After lunch and their meetings, we all come back and get the good news – hopefully. If we’ve reached an agreement that easily, we go into detail, organizing whose troops are doing what specifically. If there are no objections, I suggest we leave that phase of planning to Boral, Roth, and the other commanders. If there is an objection, we’ll end up with a very long day ahead of us. If we don’t reach an agreement that easily, we’ll have a long day anyway.
“Depending on how the post-lunch meeting goes, we’ll break for dinner. Then we formalize the entire agreement with the usual drinks, toasts, etc. If we don’t have an agreement by dinner, we’ll break for a meal and then get back to it.” She glanced at Dynan. “Was that quick enough?”
“Yes, thank you. Can we go eat now?”
“In about an hour. I’ll see you in the training room in a few minutes.”
Dynan grunted and stood. “Will Loren be joining us for dinner?”
“Not that I know of,” Drake said. “She’ll be there tomorrow for lunch and dinner.”
Dynan nodded. “I’m going to go change.”
Marc avoided looking at Carryn, hoping to avoid the workout session, but it didn’t quite work. Dynan noticed.
“Come on, Marc.”
Loren sat at the window, alone in her rooms, staring out at the darkening city of Ilthain. Her fingers tapped the chair. She rose, pacing for a moment. Her dinner sat mostly uneaten on a table nearby. She went to it, picking at the food, ate a few bites, then gave up.
She found the one evening she had away from tending to the commands of royalty was pure boredom. She’d already visited with Shalis earlier and couldn’t go again without it being talked about, or obvious that she was trying to meet Dynan there. She wanted to talk to him and find out how everything was going, something no one had bothered to keep her informed of. She couldn’t exactly complain about it either. She didn’t know what to do with herself. She’d long since tired of reading, unable to still her unrest. Finally she gave up and left her rooms, feeling claustrophobic. Outside, she stopped as the guard came to attention. She noticed him watching her, which wasn’t usual behavior. Normally, they didn’t do anything but stare at the opposite wall, even when it was Jarrid or Mikk.
“Is something wrong, my Lady?”
“No, nothing really,” she said. “I just can’t seem to decide what to do with myself.”
The guard smiled. “Surely you can do anything you like.”
“Not exactly.”
“What would you wish then?”
“That’s the trouble. I don’t know.”
“A visit to the library?”
“I’ve already been there.”
Lt. Roderick thought for a moment. “If you feel up to a large number of stairs, you could go up to the towers. There’s an incredible view of Ilthain from there.”
Loren shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. Not this evening anyway.”
“A stroll in the garden then?”
“I suppose that’s the last option I have,” she said, wondering if Dynan might be there. She doubted it. He was in yet another meeting in preparation for the big meeting with Alexia and Creal. “All right. The garden it is.”
