Elantris - Brandon Sanderson [173]
Sarene paled. How could she know? Could the woman read thoughts? Then, however, Sarene followed her aunt’s gaze. Daora was looking at Shuden and Torena, who were laughing together as the young girl showed Shuden a few basic thrusts.
“I know it must be hard, Sarene,” Daora said, “being locked into a marriage with no chance for affection … never knowing your husband, or feeling the comfort of his love. Perhaps in a few years, after your place here in Arelon is more secure, you could allow yourself a relationship that is … covert. It is much too soon for that now, however.”
Daora’s eyes softened as she watched Shuden clumsily drop the sword. The normally reserved Jindo was laughing uncontrollably at his mistake. “Besides, child,” Daora continued, “this one is meant for another.”
“You think …?” Sarene began.
Daora placed a hand on Sarene’s arm, squeezing it lightly and smiling. “I’ve seen the look in your eyes these last few days, and I’ve also seen the frustration. The two emotions go together more often than youthful hearts expect.”
Sarene shook her head and laughed slightly. “I assure you, Aunt,” she said affectionately, yet firmly, “I have no interest in Lord Shuden.”
“Of course, dear,” Daora said, patting her arm, then retreating.
Sarene shook her head, walking over to get a drink. What were these “signs” Daora had claimed to see in her? The woman was usually so observant; what had made her misjudge so grievously in this instance? Sarene liked Shuden, of course, but not romantically. He was too quiet and, like Eondel, a bit too rigid for her taste. Sarene was well aware that she would need a man who would know when to give her space, but who also wouldn’t let her bend him in any way she chose.
With a shrug, Sarene put Daora’s misguided assumptions from her mind, then sat down to contemplate just how she was going to throw awry Spirit’s latest, and most detailed, list of demands.
CHAPTER 27
Hrathen stared at the paper for a long, long period of time. It was an accounting of King Iadon’s finances, as calculated by Derethi spies.
Somehow, Iadon had recovered from his lost ships and cargo. Telrii would not be king.
Hrathen sat at his desk, still in the armor he’d been wearing when he entered to find the note. The paper sat immobile in his stunned fingers. Perhaps if he hadn’t been faced by other worries, the news wouldn’t have shocked him so much—he had dealt with plenty of upset plans in his life. Beneath the paper, however, sat his list of local arteths. He had offered every single one of them the position of head arteth, and they had all refused. Only one man remained who could take the position.
Iadon’s recovery was only one more fallen brick in the collapsing wall of Hrathen’s sense of control. Dilaf all but ruled in the chapel; he didn’t even inform Hrathen of half the meetings and sermons he organized. There was a vengefulness to the way Dilaf was wresting control away from Hrathen. Perhaps the arteth was still angered over the incident with the Elantrian prisoner, or perhaps Dilaf was just transferring his anger and frustration over Sarene’s humanization of the Elantrians against Hrathen instead.
Regardless, Dilaf was slowly seizing power. It was subtle, but it seemed inevitable. The crafty arteth claimed that menial organizational items were “beneath the time of my lord hroden”—a claim that was, to an extent, well founded. Gyorns rarely had much to do with day-to-day chapel practices, and Hrathen couldn’t do everything himself. Dilaf stepped in to fill the gaps. Even if Hrathen didn’t break down and make the obvious move—appointing Dilaf head arteth—the eventual result would be the same.
Hrathen was losing his grip on Arelon. Nobles went to Dilaf now instead of him, and while Derethi membership was still growing, it wasn’t increasing quickly enough. Sarene had somehow foiled the plot to put Telrii on the throne—and after visiting the city, the people of Kae would no longer regard Elantrians