A Dragon's Ascension - Ed Greenwood [144]
"Behold the Garden Room," Embra murmured, gesturing at the windows. The view looked east, out over descending terraces, lawns, and woods, and Craer sighed, smiled, and said, "Gould we perhaps stay here for once-just for a few days?"
"As it happens," King Raulin said a little hesitantly, "Lord Blackgult and I have been conferring about that. I'd like you to-it's my… it's our royal request that you-"
"Raulin," Craer told him, "just say: 'I'd like you to' and when I say no, then say: 'That was a royal command, dolt,' and we'll get along just fine."
Tshamarra snorted, clapped a swift hand over her mouth, and shook her head ere she looked away.
Raulin flushed, licked his lips-and then laughed helplessly and complained, "How'm I ever going to do this right, Crae-Lord Craer-if I have to talk one way to some and another way to others?"
"That's what being king is all about," Craer told him. "You lie foully to some, and lie sweetly to others. You keep your true thoughts to yourself, and-oh, Three Above, Raulin, be different than all the others, please? Just speak plainly. Always. That will give you the pure pleasure of interrupting any courtier who starts in with silver-tongued tra-la and bidding him speak plainly. Or else. It might even set a new royal fashion, and you'll actually get some work done, and perhaps even win the respect of the people."
There were grins all around the table, now, and Hawkril rumbled, "I warned you. Shut him up or send him out to chase a maid or something- or you won't get anything said or done."
"Ooh," Tshamarra chimed in, rolling her eyes. "Chase me, Lord Delnbone, chase me!"
"Hmmph. Send her with him," Blackgult told the king. At her sudden, anxious look, he added hastily, "Nay, Lady Talasorn, I but jest. I'm not trying to exclude you from our councils, or our company."
"Lord Blackgult, my name is 'Tshamarra'-hard to say and spell, I know, but-" I
"Oh, gods" Embra said, looking at the ceiling, "we're going to be here all morning! You recall Craer's urging to speak plainly,' Raulin? Try it-right now. You talked with my father, and the two of you deci-"
"The king decided," Blackgult chided her. Embra gave him a withering look, and he spread his hands, and said, "Leave the lad some dignity, Embra, will you? He is king, after all."
"Hoy!" Raulin shouted, bringing his hand down on the table with a slap that made the goblets dance. As they all turned to look at him in startled silence, he winced, shook his hand experimentally, and announced, "That hurts!"
"Yes," Craer agreed. "That's why it's customary to grasp the throat of a handy servant and bang his head on the table, instead. Choose one who lacks a long nose; they bleed less."
Raulin snorted, shook his head, and laughed helplessly. "Bla-Black-" he appealed, reaching out a hand to the baron, who rolled his eyes and leaned forward.
"After due consideration and conferral with his trusted advisor-"
Embra snorted, but not with mirth; Blackgult ignored her.
"-the king has reached a decision, and now wishes to make known to you his royal command: that the surviving Overdukes of Aglirta resume their previously assigned mission, with an amendment. To speak plainly, you are to find the baron who secretly has a Dwaer-Phelinndar, I believe, from his success at blocking my attempts to summon him- as well as searching for the other two Worldstones. Bring them all back. Now that the Serpent is gone, whoever holds them may well think there's no reason not to experiment with the Stones or use them to do-anything."
"We are three, not Four," Embra said slowly, "and lack a Dwaer to fight with. How shall we survive to do anything more, if we do meet Phelinndar-or any others who bear Dwaerindim?"
Blackgult reached under the table. When his hand came back up into view, he was holding her Dwaer. He handed it to her, then looked around the table with a crooked grin. "How do you feel about taking a former baron and ex-regent into your ranks? Can you lower yourselves that much?"
Craer looked at Hawkril, who blinked back at him and turned to Embra.