Death of the Dragon - Ed Greenwood [42]
Tanalasta forced herself to focus on Lord Goldsword. She did not know whether it was her condition or her growing concern about Rowen's long absence, but she found her attention wandering to her husband at increasing intervals. It had been three months since King Azoun had found the ranger's mount riderless and alone in the Stonelands, and she had heard about the blood on the saddle and the likelihood it had come from a festering wound. The conclusion was obvious, but Tanalasta could not bring herself to believe it without a body, especially not when she had heard nothing from Rowen himself. He had been wearing a royal ranger's cloak, which had the same magic throat clasp as a war wizard's weathercloak. Had he lain slowly dying somewhere, Tanalasta knew his last act would have been a sending to say good-bye. He would never be cruel enough to simply die and leave her in doubt-not Rowen Cormaeril.
"Highness?" asked Lord Goldsword.
Tanalasta found herself looking past the pate of Emlar's shiny bald head and realized she had been staring off into space again. With much-practiced poise, she kept her gaze fixed on the ivory dragon at which she had been staring and did not allow her face to betray any shock.
"You were saying that some of your servants had gone mad and insulted Lady Radalard," Tanalasta said. "Was there anything else?"
"Only the matter of the hounds, Highness," he said.
"Ah yes, the hounds." Tanalasta let her gaze drop to the lord's face. This time she did not try to disguise the irritation she felt at being petitioned about vineyards and hunting dogs while the ancient prophecy of Cormyr's doom came true before their eyes. "What do you intend to do about it, milord?"
Goldsword looked taken aback, and the drone of the half-whispered conversations around him fell suddenly silent. "Do, Majesty?"
"Yes, Emlar," said Tanalasta. "What do you intend to do about the ghazneths? They are the cause of all these troubles-or haven't you heard?"
Emlar's eyes flashed with irritation. "Of course I have heard, Highness." His voice assumed that silky tone nobles liked to use when they tried to manipulate some fact or half truth to their own advantage. "Everyone knows how you brought them-"
"The princess did not bring them, Lord Goldsword," said Queen Filfaeril. She rose from her throne, where she had been quietly working on a silken needlepoint depicting her rescue from Mad King Boldovar. "If you will recall, they were waiting when we arrived. The princess was very nearly killed-and I, for one, would like to know how that came to be."
The color drained from Emlar's jowly face, as it did from so many faces when the queen spoke in that icy tone. "I beg the princess's pardon." He continued to look at Filfaeril and bowed more deeply than he had to Tanalasta. "I meant only to say that these ghazneths are a matter for the crown. The nobles can hardly be expected to muster their household guards-"
"And why not?" demanded Tanalasta, glaring at the lord even more harshly than he deserved. Though her mother had been careful to stop a pace behind her, the princess would rather the queen had remained in her throne. Even the mere demonstration of support for Tanalasta's leadership implied that it was needed and weakened her in the eyes of the nobles. To regain their respect, she would need to be more stern than before. "While I was in Huthduth, did the king release the nobles of their liege duties and neglect to inform me?"
"Of course not," replied the lord, "but the king is not here."
"The king is always here," Filfaeril began.
Tanalasta raised her hand ever so slightly. As subtle as the movement was, such things seldom went unnoticed in the cagey world of lordly politics, and the gesture drew an astonished gasp. Lord Goldsword looked to the queen, clearly expecting her to put Tanalasta in her place and take over the audience. Instead, Filfaeril merely inclined her head and retreated to her throne, leaving the nobles to ponder the new structure of royal power.
Tanalasta stepped to the top of the stairs. "The king is in the