The Born Queen - J. Gregory Keyes [194]
He opened his eyes and found Lady Fiussa gazing down at him. She was young, fair, very pretty.
Only the lady ought to be naked, and this woman was dressed, oddly enough, as a man, in breeches and doublet, complete with riding hat.
“Lady,” he said, scrambling to his feet.
“Hush,” the girl said. “Are you the one they call Alo?”
“I am,” he said. “I am very much he.”
“That’s good,” she said. “I have something for you from an old friend.”
She had a charming accent, Alo noticed.
“What is it?”
She held something out for him. It was a key.
“Zmierda,” he swore. “That’s Cazio’s key. The key to his triva. Where did you get that?”
“It’s a long story,” she said. “He wanted you to have it.”
“Is he well?”
She looked away, and Alo felt his heart sink.
“It was kind of him,” Alo said, “but it won’t do me any good. Some of Chiuno’s thugs are using it. They broke in a while back.”
“Chiuno?”
“The new lord of Avella,” he said. He lowered his voice. “A bandit, really. But with the Church in civil war and the Medicii all hurrying to take sides, little towns like ours get forgotten. I’m leaving myself this afternoon.”
“I see,” she said.
“Lady, who are you?”
“My name is Austra,” she replied.
“Can’t you tell me anything else about my friend?” he asked.
But she smiled a faint, enigmatic smile and walked away, mounted a scruffy-looking horse, and rode out of town on the Vio aza Vero.
Alo watched her go, then finished his wine and lay back, turning the key in his fingers.
He woke again, this time to a boot digging into his ribs. He opened his eyes carefully and found a rough-looking bearded man standing over him dressed much as the woman had been except that he had a rapier slung by his side. The woman, he saw, stood a few paces away.
“This is my spot, friend,” the fellow said.
And then, behind the beard, Alo recognized him.
“Cazio!”
“Hush,” his old friend said. “Let’s go for a walk in the country, and you can tell me a bit more about this Chiuno fellow. He sounds unpleasant.”
He offered his hand, and Alo took it, smiling.
I saw the Sefry flee for the deep and hidden places in the world. Most had not been involved with Fend, the Aitivar, Mother Uun, and her kin. Most never hoped that Qexqaneh would bring back their days of glory. But once their secret was out, the lands of men were no longer for them, and they knew it.
I saw Marcomir die of apoplexy. I saw the army of Hansa pull back to the border. I saw the Church descend into bloody civil war.
“Anne?”
Anne looked up from her reading. Her brother Charles was sitting on the floor across the Red Hall, cross-legged, playing with some cards.
“What is it, Charles?” she asked.
Charles rubbed his eyes. He was a grown man, older than Anne, but his mind was forever childlike, and so were his motions. “When is Hound Hat coming back?” he asked. “I miss him.”
“I don’t think he will be back, Charles,” she said gently. “But we shall find you another jester.”
“But I liked him.”
“I know.”
“What about Mother? Is she coming back?”
“No, not her, either,” Anne told him. “It’s just us now.”
“But I miss everybody.”
“I do, too,” she said.
“I’m sad,” he said glumly, and went back to his cards.
Before she could return to her reading, she heard a soft voice near the door.
“Majesty?”
She glanced over and saw one of her pages standing there.
“Yes, Rob. What is it?”
“The earl of Cape Chavel, as you requested.”
“Thank you. Show him in directly.” She turned her gaze to the young woman standing behind her.
“Alis,” she said, “why don’t you take Charles to see the new horses.”
“Are you certain, Majesty?”
“Yes, Lady Berrye, I am.”
“Very well,” Alis said. “Charles, could you go with me and show me the new horses?”
“Horses!” Charles echoed, bouncing to his feet. The two of them left arm in arm.
The earl entered a moment later. Rob left, too, and they were alone in the Red Hall.
Cape Chavel looked very fine, and she felt the ghostly tingle of the memory of