A Time of Exile - Katharine Kerr [57]
“I’ve never seen such a barbarous thing,” Halaberiel said.
Jezryaladar untied a skin of mead, took a long swallow, and passed it to the prince, who downed a good bit of it before he passed it on. Halaberiel began pacing back and forth in silence. The skin of mead went round till it was empty.
Late that morning, a page came, asking the prince and his councillor to attend upon Addryc. Aderyn and Halaberiel followed the lad into the prince’s private chambers in one of the secondary towers. This was a comfortable room, furnished with carpets and tapestries, carved chairs set by a small hearth of pink sandstone, and windows open to a view of a garden. Goblet of mead in hand, Addryc was standing by the hearth, and Melaudd was sitting slumped in one of the chairs. Addryc had the page serve Halaberiel and Aderyn mead, then sent the lad away. During all of this, Melaudd never moved or took his eyes from the floor.
“I see no reason to drag this discussion into open court,” Addryc said. “Now, as far as I’m concerned, Lord Dovyn has paid the price the law demands, and that matter is over and done with. Do you and your councillor agree, my prince?”
“We do,” Halaberiel said. “Tieryn Melaudd, you have my honest sympathy.”
Melaudd turned his way slack-eyed. He seemed to have aged ten years in this single morning.
“I suppose I should thank you, but I can’t find it in my heart.”
Addryc went tense and stepped forward.
“Well, by the hells! What am I supposed to do—mince and grovel before the cause of my son’s shame? Before this prince rode in, everything was as smooth as cream, but now I see the man I serve twisted this way and that by a foreigner!”
“Tieryn Melaudd.” Addryc’s voice was silky. “You forget yourself.”
Melaudd opened his mouth to reply, thought better of it, and rose to bow to the prince.
“Now, here, my lord,” Aderyn said to Melaudd. “We still need to reach accommodation over the matter of the land.”
“Perhaps. But I wonder in my heart why I should be forced to accommodate.”
“Do you?” Halaberiel snapped. “Now you listen to me! That land is ours, not yours, not the prince’s, not any man in Eldidd’s. Do you understand me, Melaudd? The only claim you have is the one I allow you to have.”
“Oh, is it now? For years and years I haven’t seen one man or woman either on that land. It’s been lying there going to waste—”
“Melaudd!” Addryc took another step forward. “We determined the question of use in the malover.”
Melaudd swallowed his words with a dagger glance at both princes. Halaberiel nodded Addryc’s way, then went on.
“I came in here willing to offer your cursed whelp a demesne out of my ancestral territory, and all I get is arrogance. Very well, then. A prince of my line can be just as arrogant when he needs to be. If your son or one of his blasted riders sets one horse’s hoof on that land, then some of my people will be there to spear him off his wretched saddle.”
The tieryn turned to Addryc with a snarl.
“And I suppose I’m expected to take this in your palace, Your Highness?”
Addryc hesitated, a man walking the edge of a sword with bare feet.
“I’ve given my judgment. If the prince of the Westfolk withdraws the matter from my arbitration, there’s naught I can do.”
“Naught?” Melaudd’s word was a howl of rage.
“Just that. I can neither furnish you with aid nor stand in the way of what you see fit in this matter. But the decree about the burial ground still stands. If ever that sacred ground is despoiled, my personal guard will deal with the criminals, and I will lead them myself.”
“Indeed?” Halaberiel said. “My respect for Eldidd justice has just shattered, Your Highness, no matter what fine words you use. You’re giving Melaudd the right to wage war on my folk.”
“I’m giving him naught of the sort! You don’t understand! By relinquishing my jurisdiction, I’ve opened the way for you to appeal directly to my father, the king, himself. I