The Black Raven - Katharine Kerr [76]
“But he kept the honorific?”
“My father didn’t. I took it back when I inherited, and there was naught that Regent Burcan could say or do, because the slimy bastard knew he needed me and my men.”
“Ah. You say the Boars did the proclaiming?”
“Well, the words came out of the mouth of the king—poor little Olaen’s grandfather, that was—but we all knew who’d put them there.” Daeryc paused to spit onto the cobbles. “Burcan’s father was gwerbret then, and a worse man than his sons.” He looked up. “A word to the wise, Councillor. Some of the northern lords will desert back to Braemys over the winter, and I’d bet a good horse that Nantyn will be one of them. But I won’t. You have my sworn word on that.”
“My thanks, but you know, I never doubted you for an instant.”
“Indeed? Why?”
“Tieryn Peddyc would never have honored a man who changed sides out of anything less than true conviction.”
“My thanks.” Daeryc nodded, looking down at the ground. “I’ll miss Peddyc. Closest thing to a friend I ever had. Ah well, the fortunes of war, eh?”
The gwerbret turned on his heel and strode off fast. Let us hope, Nevyn thought, that the fighting stays over. It was a feeble hope, he supposed. With a shake of his head he went into the royal broch to find Oggyn, who had by default as much as merit managed to appoint himself chamberlain.
Much to his surprise he saw his fellow councillor over by the riders’ hearth, talking with one of the men from the Cerrmor warband. As he walked over, Nevyn saw the rider give Oggyn a coin, but he thought little of it—some wager, perhaps. When Oggyn saw him approaching, he came bustling over, all smiles.
“My apprentice needs a better chamber,” Nevyn said. “One with a proper hearth and suchlike.”
“Of course. Just come upstairs with me.”
“We’ll just collect Lilli on the way.”
As they climbed the stairs, Nevyn glanced back and noticed the Cerrmor rider watching Oggyn still. He could have sworn that the man looked furious.
“What about this one?” Oggyn said. “It’s much larger and it has a hearth.”
“Oh, this will do splendidly!” Lilli said, but she glanced at Nevyn. “I’ve never had so much room.”
“I heartily approve.” Nevyn answered her unspoken question. “The air here should be quite wholesome.”
They were standing in a bedchamber once set aside for guests. As well as the hearth, it sported a big window with proper wood shutters, braided rushes on the floor, and a sufficiency of tapestries, faded and torn though they were, to keep the damp off the walls. Near the hearth stood a chair and a solid round table. The morning sun poured in and fell across the bed like a gold blanket. Lilli sat down on the edge of the mattress and stretched out her arms to the warmth.
“This is lovely!”
“Very well, then,” Oggyn said. “I’ll be on my way. I’ll send a couple of pages to help your servants move your things over.”
“And make sure they fetch firewood, too,” Nevyn said to him. “If you don’t mind.”
“Not at all, my pleasure.” With a bow to Lilli Oggyn bustled out, shutting the door behind him.
“My thanks, Nevyn!” Lilli said. “Oggyn never would have given me such a fine chamber if I’d asked him myself.”
“Most welcome. And once you’re settled, I expect you to get right to the work I set you.”
“I will, my lord.”
“Good. I’ll be gone all afternoon, running an errand with your foster-brother.”
“So he told me, my lord. It will gladden my heart to be a true daughter of the Ram.”
Lilli kept her promise after Clodda and Nalla had brought her possessions to the new chamber. Thanks to Nevyn’s confession about the spells he’d cast on Prince Maryn, she was particularly eager to learn how to see the elemental spirits, or the Wildfolk as they were commonly called. On her table she placed a silver basin filled with water, then sat in the chair and let her breathing slow as Nevyn had taught her. The shaft of sunlight had moved on to fall upon the floor. Motes danced in the slight breeze, while the surface of the water in the silver bowl trembled.