Cormyr_ a novel - Ed Greenwood [164]
Aunadar spread his hands, "Rumors, more than hard truth."
Tanalasta waved a despairing hand. "Rumors, then-speak!"
The young pride of the Bleths leaned forward in excitement. "Hear, then: Your sister, Princess Alusair, has been seen to flee with her war band deeper into the Stonelands, apparently afraid to return to court. She and her nobles rode away from a patrol sent out from High Horn specifically to speak with them."
"That sounds like my sister," Tanalasta said with a sigh. "What else?"
"I almost hesitate to say, High Lady, because it is but rumor and could well fly false," Aunadar said gently.
"Out with it!" Tanalasta ordered, exasperated.
The young nobleman bowed his head to signify obedience to her wishes and said gravely, "It concerns your mother, Tana. I was trying to find out if it was true before I told you. Queen Filfaeril has been stabbed by a would-be assassin's blade in Eveningstar and lies wounded and delirious there, in priestly care. Lathanderites, I would guess. I've heard no word of poison, but-"
"No," Tanalasta gasped, going very pale. "No-not Mother, too!"
Aunadar put an arm around her shoulders hastily, but she did not swoon or collapse into tears. He saw her bite a trembling lower lip and feel for a pillow that was no longer there. It was lying, now shredded, at her feet.
Gently he put another pillow into her hand, and her slim, soft white fingers-oh, he knew how soft-dug into the fabric like a falcon's claw.
Dug in, and then let go. The princess tossed the pillow aside, swallowed, and said firmly but very quietly, "I'm all right. Go on, my Aunadar. There's more, isn't there?"
Her comforter nodded. "It's Vangerdahast, of course."
A spasm of fury crossed the face of the princess at the wizard's name, and then was gone again. Her next words seemed to come with fresh energy she'd not shown before. "Yes? Speak!"
"He's been seen flitting about the kingdom," Aunadar said grimly, "and walking the halls of the court and the back alleys of Suzail even more energetically these last few days. Talking to nobles and giving them promises, spells cast to their order, or just plain gold. Gold from the royal treasury, of course."
"He's gathering his own following," Tanalasta said faintly. She seemed unsurprised and calm. Her mind was engaged now, calculating what it would cost to buy a kingdom. And, Aunadar thought, how much it would cost to prevent that sale.
"Exactly," Aunadar said, "and I've heard that both the court sages are off around the Realms gathering support-mercenary troops, even-for whatever he's planning."
"His royal regency," Tanalasta said flatly. "A wizard ruling the realm." She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "Not a bad idea, actually," she added, "so long as the rule is just and the mage mighty enough to hold off the inevitable attacks from rival mages. As the Simbul holds off the Red Wizards, to keep her realm of Aglarond safe."
"Wizards can never be trusted, Tana," the young nobleman said, kneading her shoulders gently. "You know that."
His touch was bliss for her tight, tired neck and shoulders. The crown princess leaned back into his fingers with a sigh of pleasure. "Oh, Aunadar…"
"I'll always be here to do this if you ask me to," Aunadar murmured, close by her ear.
"Go on," she said. "Keep those wonderful fingers at work and tell me more about the old wizard."
She felt Aunadar shrug. "There's not much more any of us know, Tana. He's just here, and then there, and then gone. We don't have the spells to chase him around the kingdom or fight him if he notices us following. But one doesn't have to be a sage-even a court sage-to see that he's up to no good. Remember the old tales: Cormyr's wizards are loyal only to the crown, not to the one who wears it."
In a place of darkness not far away, Dauneth Marliir took his eye away from his tiny spy hole and nodded. The scion of House Bleth was right. He'd already felt the same thing, in his own now cramped bones. Vangerdahast was certainly up to something.