Death of the Dragon - Ed Greenwood [92]
Young Orvendel Rallyhorn, wide-eyed and pale, was shown to a seat a little down from the queen. Because Urthrin Rallyhorn was already in the north fighting at King Azoun's side and Korvarr was needed to oversee the guards, Queen Filfaeril had insisted that the awkward youth speak on behalf of his family today. That he did not yet know of her command accounted, perhaps, for his queasy aspect and trembling hands.
Tanalasta gave the boy a reassuring smile, then forced herself to nod politely as Emlar Goldsword came to stand next to the youth. The arrangement was no accident. The princess had intentionally arranged the seating to break up cliques and power blocs. Emlar returned Tanalasta's nod with a spiteful glare, showing no curiosity about the manner of his summons nor the unusual site of the meeting. She wondered just how extensive his spy network was.
When the last noble had been shown to his seat-or hers, for there were more than a few matriarchs in the gathering-it was one of the neutral lords, Melot Silversword, who turned to glower at Tanalasta.
"Your assassins were not fast enough?" he demanded. "Or have you decided it will be more expedient to arrest and exile us?"
"No one is under arrest, Lord Melot. You are entirely free to leave." Tanalasta glanced down the huge table in both directions, then let her gaze linger a moment on Emlar Goldsword. "You all are."
A few brows rose, but there were too few friends seated next to each other for the resulting murmur to be more than gentle. Tanalasta allowed a moment for any noble who wished to leave to do so, but it was a mere ploy to make them feel they were attending of their own will. No one would leave before hearing the reason for her unusual summons. Of that she felt certain.
When none of the lords surprised her, Tanalasta nodded. "Good. I apologize for bringing you here under guard, but I wanted to be certain you arrived alive."
She motioned them to sit, not bothering to elaborate. The rash of assassinations had continued unabated for well over a tenday now, and the ghazneths, starved for magic by Tanalasta's ban, had begun to attack nobles in search of hidden magic items. That the creatures had an uncanny knack for assailing only lords who insisted on safeguarding their own magic suggested to Tanalasta that their spy was well-placed indeed. She had heard that Emlar Goldsword had another, more mercenary explanation.
After the nobles took their seats, Tanalasta continued to stand. "I summoned you because, as nobles of the realm, I thought you should be the first to hear some devastating news received by the palace just this hour. Arabel has fallen to the orcs."
A few of the nobles cringed and closed their eyes, suggesting that Tanalasta's words were mere confirmation of the rumors they had already heard through other sources. Most, including Emlar Goldsword, simply let their jaws drop and stared at the princess in shock. Only Orvendel Rallyhorn, staring around the table with an expression that could best be described as smug, did not seem shocked.
"What… what of the king?" asked Lady Calantar.
Still puzzled by Orvendel's reaction, Tanalasta tore her eyes from the youth and turned to the noblewoman, whose winsome face had gone as gray as ash. The question was, of course, foremost on the mind of every lord and lady in the room. With Emlar Goldsword and his followers standing in more or less open opposition to the crown princess, the king's death would bring Cormyr to the brink of civil war and all but assure a "stabilizing" invasion by Sembian mercenaries.
Tanalasta was about to answer when Emlar Goldsword cut her off. "The king is alive." He stared directly at the princess as he spoke. "If the king were dead, do you think I would not have joined him already? The princess's assassins have proved themselves most capable."
Tanalasta was careful not to nod. "The king is well, as is the Steel Princess. If they were not, Lord Goldsword would be in Prisoner's Tower, not a grave." She resisted the urge to accuse the coward of trying to put the blame