From Darkness Won - Jill Williamson [66]
Sir Gavin grinned, but his thin teeth made it look more like a grimace. “’Tis not the only way, Your Highness. And the enemy is greedy, trying to take every town at once. My scouts tell me their forces are divided, with the majority of their men south of Mahanaim. The northern troops are going to do all they can to keep us from reaching Armonguard. And while they distract us, the southern troops will march against Armonguard. Prince Oren’s Mârad is scattered throughout Arman and Nahar duchies. Without our aid, Armonguard will not be a difficult victory for Esek.
“So our first objective is to bypass the enemy army in Allowntown. After that, to cross the Lebab Inlet into Southern Er’Rets in hopes of reaching Prince Oren before Armonguard is lost to the enemy.”
“What if Armonguard is lost before we can reach her?” Achan asked.
“Then we take her back.”
A silence descended over the table. The idea of such battles twisted Achan’s stomach. Duchess Amal’s voice distracted his dark thoughts.
“I received a letter from Lord Levy.” The duchess glanced around the table. “He informed me that the Hadad has made Sitna the ruling city of Carm Duchy until he appoints someone to replace me. I, of course, am not leaving.”
“What else does this Hadad say?” Altair asked. He was a man with a long neck and sunken eyes.
Duchess Amal’s expression sobered. “He placed Lord Levy to rule Sitna, Macoun Hadar over Allowntown, Dovev Falkson over Barth, and Rapha Gibbor to rule the giants and Nahar. Esek is set to rule Armonguard.”
Esek was alive. Truly? Achan couldn’t believe it.
“Who is the Hadad, anyway?” Sir Eric, Duchess Amal’s nephew and Lord of Tsaftown, was dressed in black that matched his trim black hair and beard. “I thought at first you’d meant to say Hadar, our line of kings.”
The door opened and Anillo entered with a pot of tea. He carried it to Achan’s end of the table, and poured a steaming mug.
“No,” Duchess Amal said, “the two are quite different. Hadar, as you say, is the family name of the line of rightful kings in Er’Rets. The prince’s true name is Gidon Hadar, for instance. But the Hadad is something supernatural. Something evil.” She looked like she didn’t want to say more but lifted her chin and continued. “There is a dark legend of a creature that feeds off men. Just as our service to Arman gives us the strength of His light, men who serve this creature are strengthened by its darkness. It is called the keliy.”
Sir Gavin cast a knowing gaze at Sir Eagan.
“Unlike its master, Gâzar, who abides in the Lowerworld, the keliy lives among men,” Duchess Amal said. “Its purpose is to influence events through one man at a time. The keliy has always chosen its host, and that person, that host, takes the title the Hadad and sets out upon a life of utter destruction, depravity, and evil. I believe this name, so similar to that of our kingship Hadar, was chosen to confuse, mock, and steal loyalty away from the throne.”
Achan realized his mouth was hanging open and closed it. The Hadad had done just that to him. Confused him with a name being so similar to Hadar.
Duchess Amal continued, “The last suspected keliy was a man named Jibhal Hamartano. He ruled Jaelport with his wife, Katine, during the reign of King Johan. It was suspected that Jibhal murdered King Johan. I believe that this act of evil was what drew the attention of the keliy.”
Sir Eric cast a stricken look to his aunt. “Surely not. Jibhal Hamartano died young. And Lady Katine lived in Tsaftown for years, a lonely old widow. She was mad. Crazy Katine, the people called her.”
“She was not crazy, Eric,” Duchess Amal said in a firm voice. “Once Jibhal killed King Johan, he banished Lady Katine and relocated to Land’s End, where he began training young men in dark magic. We now know them as black knights. Years later, Jibhal, host of the keliy, took an apprentice: a young boy cast off for his illegitimacy. Macoun Hadar, whom I have recently discovered was King Johan and Katine’s son.”
Sir Eagan’s complexion paled.
The duchess