Outcast Chronicles - Sanctuary Part 39

JARAILE WAS TIRED and slightly shaky. The euphoria of battle had drained away, leaving her glad to be alive, but utterly exhausted. She was sure by tomorrow she would ache all over. Right now, she had to be strong; they were bringing Eskarnor to her.

She stood on the rise outside her tent, impatient to be done with this so she could ride into port and see her son. She hadn't seen Cedon since spring cusp, when the Wyrds had abducted him. Did her little boy think she had abandoned him? Sorne said Cedon had asked after her...

*What's the half-blood doing here?' Baron Ramanol asked.

*It was Sorne who suggested the manoeuvre that won us the battle, so you can keep a civil tongue in your head,' Jaraile told him. She was tired of being sweet.

Ramanol drew back and Kerminzto's mouth thinned. She knew her kinsman thought women should be sweet and biddable, like his wife and three daughters; as long as she did what she was told, he would approve of her. But she was fed up with being pushed around by men who thought they knew better.

Commander Halargon strode up the slope ahead of Sorne and the king's guards escorting Eskarnor. The commander of the guards dropped to one knee.

*I bring bad news, my queen.'

*Not my little Cedon?'

*No, my queen. This morning Baron Nitzane died of his injuries.'

Poor Nitzane. He'd been kind to her when King Charald was still well enough to bully her, and she remembered how much he'd been looking forward to seeing his son, who was being fostered with his brother in Navarone.

*See to it that his son is returned to Chalcedonia. He'll be raised alongside Prince Cedon.'

*You are very kind.'

No, she wasn't. She wanted to know where her son's heir was at all times. She wanted the two boys to grow up as brothers. Hopefully, Nitzane's son wouldn't betray hers.

*Here comes the traitor, Queen Jaraile,' Commander Halgaron said.

Eskarnor had raped her, abducted her, told her Prince Cedon was dead, planted his own child in her belly and boasted that he'd be sitting on Charald's throne by summer.

She'd proven him wrong, and after what she'd been through today, she fully expected to lose the child, although there was no sign of this as yet.

Jaraile lifted her chin to meet Eskarnor's eyes. He'd lost his bid for the throne, his army was decimated and the barons who had followed him had died on the battlefield.

Despite this, he returned her gaze with arrogance.

One of the king's guards kicked the back of his knees and he fell to the ground in front of her. With his hands bound behind his back, it took him a moment to come to his knees.

*King Charald should have him executed,' someone muttered from behind her.

But Charald had signed the decree, and since Nitzane was dead, that meant she ruled, with Baron Kerminzto, High Priest Faryx and the commander as her advisors; the traitor's fate was in her hands.

Jaraile remembered feeling helpless. She remembered the fury and frustration of being held prisoner, of being forced to accept him into her bed and into her body. She never wanted to be helpless again. *I sentence him to death. And I'll be the one to carry out his execution.'

*What?' Ramanol protested. *That's not a"'

*I'm the one he wronged,' Jaraile said.

*Hold the prisoner,' Sorne ordered. He stood directly behind Eskarnor. *Halargon, give the queen your knife.'

Jaraile accepted the knife. She had often fantasised about killing Eskarnor, but now she held a blade, he was just so alive...

*Go on,' Eskarnor said. *Or can't you do it, Raila.'

She hated his pet name for her. Hated him.

*Cut his throat or drive the knife up under the ribs,' Sorne said. *That'll be quickest.'

Eskarnor laughed. *They all think you're so sweet. Now they'll see the real Queen Jaraile. They'll see the Raila I know. I bet I was the only lover man enough to make you...'

Hands snapped his neck, cutting him off. He toppled sideways and Jaraile looked up to Sorne, who'd killed him.

Heat raced up her cheeks.

*Take the traitor away. Put his head on a gate spike,' Sorne said. He dropped to his knees where Eskarnor had been. *Forgive me, my queen. He had a poisonous tongue and I thought he'd made you suffer enough. You shouldn't have his death on your conscience.'

She burned with embarra.s.sment. Had anyone other than Sorne guessed what Eskarnor had been about to say?

Sorne came to his feet. *Commander, the queen needs an honour guard to escort her into port.'

The men bustled about, calling for their horses and arguing over their exact position in the royal party. Baron Ramanol was insisting that he should ride beside the queen, since he was one of her three commanders.

Meanwhile, she retreated to her tent, where Sorne found her. He took her hand. *I'm sorry for your loss. Nitzane was a good man.'

*He was. But the kingdom did not need a good man. It needed you. I wish more men were like you.' She eyed Baron Ramanol, who strode past the tent opening, ordering people about. *I've discovered I like being a queen when a king is not telling me what to do.'

*Then the longer King Charald lives, the longer you'll have your freedom. That pup, Ramanol, has plans to be your next husband.'

He was right. She'd have to tell Charald's manservant not to dose him with the a.r.s.enic medicine anymore.

*Go back to the palace, Jaraile. I'll bring Cedon to you.'

*Here, off you go, half-blood,' Ramanol said, striding into the tent. *We don't want your kind in the official party.'

Jaraile went to protest, but Sorne had already disappeared. She consoled herself with the thought that she would see him later.

SORNE CARRIED THE prince down the corridor to the queen's chamber. He was followed by the queen's nurse, who had cared for Cedon since Jaraile had been abducted, and High Priest Faryx, who had hidden him.

*We go to see Mama?' Cedon asked at the door to her chamber.

Kerminzto opened the door and took the prince from Sorne. The moment he put the boy down, Cedon ran to his mother, who sat up in bed and opened her arms to him.

Jaraile's joy was all Sorne had hoped it would be.

*Come this way,' Kerminzto said, drawing him along the corridor. *There's a ship waiting to take you anywhere you wish to go.'

*I had hoped to have time to say goodbye to Jaraile.'

*You've done enough damage where she's concerned.'

Sorne stared at him, stunned.

Kerminzto turned to him. *The queen's in love with you, Sorne. Women are foolish creatures. They let their hearts rule their heads. We can't have a half-blood on the throne, or in the queen's bed as her lover. When she marries, it will be to a worthy baron, who will help her hold the kingdom.'

Sorne thought Jaraile might have something to say to that. As for her being in love with him... *I'm sure you're mistaken. The queen a"'

*You rescued her, saved her life and restored the kingdom to her. Now you are going to get on a ship and sail away.'

Kerminzto's meaning was clear. If Sorne did not, there were a dozen True-men who would make sure he did.

Sorne felt his face grow hot. *If it's all the same to you, I'd like to say goodbye to King Charald.'

As Kerminzto escorted him to the king's chamber, he called for the king's guard, so there could be no mistaking his intent.

When Sorne reached the door, Kerminzto asked, *Do you have any belongings that I can send for?'

*No. Everything I value is already with the Wyrds.'

Sorne shut the door after him.

King Charald sat in front of the fire, with a blanket over his legs. His head had sunk into his shoulders and he was snoring softly, mouth agape.

His manservant saw who it was and hurried over to greet Sorne.

*No one comes to see him now. No one cares,' Bidern said.

*How has he been?'

*He has his good days and his bad days. He's a bit vague today.'

Sorne knelt next to the chair and took the king's hand.

Charald woke with a start, looked frightened then pleased to see him. *Bidern, what did I tell you? It's the Warrior G.o.d himself, come to reward me.'

And Sorne accepted that he would never win his father's love. Charald could not see him for who he was.

He sailed with the tide.

PART THREE.

Chapter Twenty-Nine.

NORMALLY, SORNE GOT his sea-legs within a day, but the captain insisted he keep to his cabin and it was stuffy below deck. That second evening, when the cook's boy brought him food, he asked to go up on deck, and the boy said he'd check with the captain.

Sorne paced the narrow cabin. Three strides to the wall, three strides back.

Saying goodbye to King Charald had convinced him of one thing: if he was lucky, he would live to grow old. Already he had wasted thirty years chasing his father's love and the respect of True-men, only to be unceremoniously bundled onto a ship and banished on the day of his greatest victory.

If he was lucky, he had another sixty years in him, and he wasn't going to waste it. He'd find his people, offer his service to Imoshen and share his life with Frayvia. Maybe they would have children.

With his people exiled, it was madness to contemplate having a baby, but if he waited until they were settled, he might never have the chance.

The cabin door opened. *Cap'n says you can come up for a bit, but you're not to talk to the crew and you're to wear the hooded cloak.'

Sorne pulled on his cloak and raised the hood. He had done this so many times, resenting the fact that True-men did not want to see the evidence of his tainted blood. Now, he no longer cared. The problem was in their perception, not in him and he had accepted he could not change that.

It was strangely liberating.

At least amongst his own people, he would be welcome. But he would never be more than a servant, because of his birth. And there would be the constant tug of the T'En gifts. He should offer to work amongst the Malaunje to avoid the temptation.

Climbing out onto deck, he strode to the ship's side and watched the mainland roll by. Wait... That wasn't the mainland. They were sailing west into the setting sun, not south. Even as he thought this, they pa.s.sed the headland of an island.

Sorne went cold as he realised the ship was threading its way through islands notorious for sea-vermin. The riff-raff of the Secluded Sea congregated here: outlaws, brigands and men who were foresworn. They made their way to the maze of islands, where they hid and came out to prey on the shipping lanes.

As Sorne headed up the steps to the rear-deck, he spotted the captain, who eyed his approach with misgiving.

Since he was no longer the king's agent in command of the king's ship, Sorne moderated his tone. *Wouldn't we be safer sailing south along the coast?'

*Aye, but it would make the journey twice as long.'

*It would be safer. The sea-vermin a"'

*I know these channels. I've done this before, slipped through without them noticing. Besides, we have the advantage of more canvas.'

But the sea-vermin were notoriously good sailors, and their craft were small, shallow skiffs that skimmed across the surface of the sea like dragon flies. The merchant ship would be forced to follow the channels between the sand bars, rock shoals and the islands. *I don't a"'

*You don't have a say. Get below. If you start talking about sea-vermin and frighten my crew, I'll be forced to lock you in your cabin.'

Sorne recognised his type. The captain was a bully, who led through bl.u.s.ter and intimidation. It wouldn't serve any purpose to get on the wrong side of this man. He decided to keep his head down, cause no trouble and be grateful to reach Ivernia in one piece.

IMOSHEN SHADED HER eyes and studied the horizon. The setting sun was slightly behind them as they sailed south-east, following the coast as it curved inwards. The wind had been patchy and they'd made poor progress. At times, she could see islands to the west. They were part of the archipelago that lay off the coast of Chalcedonia. At times she could see sails keeping pace with theirs, skimming across the azure sea like fire flies on a mill pond. The vessels had come close enough to count the number of ships in her fleet, then retreated.

She joined the ship's master. *Any more sails sighted?'

*Not since this morning.'

*Are they sea-vermin?'

*Could be.'

*Should we be worried?'

He grimaced. *Always wise to worry at sea.'