Death of the Dragon - Ed Greenwood [168]
"Vangerdahast, what is it?" asked Owden Foley.
"There is something…"
The words caught in Vangerdahast's throat, and all he managed was a rasping sob. He closed his eyes, then raised his hand to request time to compose himself and find the words he needed.
They did not come easily, and for a moment all he could do was stand and weep. Alusair and a few of the others also began to cry, and he realized he was not setting a very strong example. He reached up to the iron goblin crown on his own head, discovering much to his relief that he could finally slip a finger under it now that Nalavara was dead. He slipped it off and stood in the center of the crowded pavilion, holding one crown in each hand, and a gentle murmur began to rustle through the tent.
Vangerdahast stepped forward and was just about to ask for silence when a hard rain began to fall inside the tent. A cold hand clamped onto the arm holding Azoun's crown.
"What are you doing, old man?"
Vangerdahast looked down and saw Rowen Cormaeril's strong hand wrapped around his wrist. The ghazneth's flesh was black and cold against his own white, wrinkled skin, a stark reminder of the price for betraying Cormyr.
The wizard met Rowen's burning white eyes, then slowly raised Cormyr's golden crown. "I was taking this to Alusair."
"To me?" Alusair's face paled, and she shook her head. "Oh no, Vangerdahast, I'm not-"
"It is your burden to bear, Alusair Obarskyr, not mine." Vangerdahast pulled his arm free of Rowen's grasp, then pressed the crown into Alusair's hands. "I am afraid you must be regent until Azoun the Fifth is old enough to assume the throne."
"What?" It was Rowen who gasped this question. "But Tanalasta-"
"Destroyed Boldovar," he said sadly, "and died valiantly in the process."
Rowen stumbled back, his face withering into a mask of grief. "No! Why would you… you must be lying!"
Vangerdahast closed Alusair's fingers around the crown, then reached out to clasp Rowen's arm. "I fear not. I hadn't the heart to tell the king, but it is so. Tanalasta has gone to stand with her father."
A terrible sob escaped the ghazneth's lips, then there was no sound in the tent but pounding rain. Vangerdahast spread his arms and reached out to comfort Rowen.
"My friend, I…"
Vangerdahast could not finish, for the ghazneth pushed him away and retreated deep into the shadows. A beam of fading sunlight spilled across the floor as the door flap opened, then the rain stopped and Rowen was gone.
Epilogue
Though her new dress plate had been made by the same smith to the same specifications as her old battered field armor, Alusair felt clumsy, vain, and somehow naked in it. Made of the finest dwarven steel, it was fluted, etched, and trimmed in gold damascening. The Royal Dragon of Cormyr was embossed in purple relief on its abdomen, and it had been perfectly cast and joined by the royal armorers. The royal artists had decorated it beautifully, the royal pages had polished it to a mirror sheen, and the royal squires had hung it on her glove tight-and Alusair would rather have ridden nude into battle than in such elaborate harness. Not for the first time, the Steel Regent cursed Vangerdahast for foisting the crown off on her instead of having the courage to set it on his own head.
Alusair was standing between her mother and Vangerdahast on the Review Balcony, holding her ridiculous dragon's head helm in one arm and King Azoun Obarskyr V of Cormyr in the other, nodding numbly and smiling stupidly as noble