The Blood Knight - J. Gregory Keyes [124]
He looked away, first at the western sky, then at the distant rise of the Breu-en-Trey. Finally he cleared his throat.
“In any event,” he said, his tone more subdued, “you’ll understand if I’m a bit concerned, given the manner of your coming.”
“I can see that,” Anne said. “Your men resisted our march here, and you’ve flooded the poelen. Clearly, you are prepared for war. So why would you suddenly capitulate?”
“I had no idea this army was led by you, my dear. I assumed it was more or less what it appeared to be: a revolt by greedy and disaffected noblemen of the provinces. People who would use this time of troubles as an excuse to place an usurper on the throne. Now that I see they have chosen you as their poppet, it changes things substantially.”
“Poppet?”
“You don’t really think they will let you be queen, do you?” Robert said. “I think you are brighter than that, Anne. All of them had to be promised something, didn’t they? After they have lost blood, men, and horses, do you think their appetites will lessen?
“You have an army here you cannot trust, Anne. What’s more, even if you could trust it, you can’t take Eslen easily—if at all.”
“I’ve yet to hear what you propose.”
He held up his hands. “It isn’t complicated. You come into the city, and we arrange a coronation. I shall function as your chief adviser.”
“And how long, I wonder, would I survive that honor?” Anne asked. “How long before some poison or dagger of your design finds my heart?”
“You may bring a retinue of reasonable size, of course.”
“My army is of reasonable size,” Anne replied.
“It would be foolish to bring all of them in,” Robert said. “In fact, I cannot allow it. I do not trust them, nor, as I’ve mentioned, should you. Bring in a strong bodyguard. Leave the rest of them out here. When the adjudicator from the Church arrives, he will sort this out, and we will abide by his decision.”
“That’s an easy promise for you to make!” Artwair exploded. “It’s well known that you and the praifec are villains together in all of this.”
“The adjudicator comes directly from z’Irbina,” Robert said. “If you cannot trust our most holy fathers, I cannot imagine who you would trust.”
“I’ll begin by not trusting you and work my way out from there.”
Robert sighed. “You aren’t really going to insist on fighting this silly war, are you?”
“Why is my mother imprisoned?” Anne asked.
Robert’s gaze dropped down.
“For her own protection,” he said. “After the deaths of your sisters, she became first melancholy, then inconsolable. She was unbalanced, and it showed to her detriment in governing. You have heard of the slaughter of innocents at Lady Gramme’s, I presume. Still, it wasn’t until she attempted the unthinkable that I felt I had to step in.”
“The unthinkable?”
His voice lowered. “It is a most closely guarded secret,” he said. “We kept it quiet to prevent embarrassment and, frankly, despair. Your mother tried to kill herself, Anne.”
“Did she?” Anne meant to sound skeptical, but something caught at the back of her throat. Could it possibly be true?
“As I say, she was inconsolable. She remains so, but under my protection she is at least safe from herself.”
Anne had been considering Robert’s offer.
She didn’t trust him, but once in the castle she would be able to find the passages. She would be safe from Robert and his men there, and she could open the tunnel that led into the rinns and move men into the city, if not the castle itself.
There was an opportunity here, and she wasn’t going to let it pass.
“I should like to see her,” she said.
“That is easily arranged,” Robert assured her.
“I should like to see her now.”
“Shall I send for her?” Robert asked.
Anne took a deep breath, then let it out. “I rather think I should like to go to her.”
“I’ve already said that you could bring a retinue into the castle. We can see your mother first thing.”
“I would rather that you stayed here,” Anne replied.
Robert’s eyebrows arched up. “I’ve come here under a flag