The Vacant Throne - Ed Greenwood [11]
Such as the one coming here now. The king was sitting court this day to pass royal justice upon the Tersept of Rithrym-a man known to do just as he pleased, often and with brutal consequences for anyone who stood in his way. These courtiers, wastrels and scavengers and opportunists among the few good folk and those simply drawn to power, were here to see the confrontation… here to see if the man-legend on the throne was a dotard or weakling, or if Aglirta truly had a king again.
There had been so many such testings, as the months passed. Baron after baron had come to Flowfoam Isle with bluster and pomp and show of arms, to make their own separate peaces with the man out of legend, come so inconveniently to life. They could not ignore his summons because of the hope his mere presence had lit in the suffering people of Aglirta, but none of them was eager to lose his own swaggering power-and much coin-in return for a justice none of them recognized, and a peace none of them trusted.
Some had been openly defiant-and why not? What wizards had the king, and what army, save those too old or weak to find service elsewhere, or too young and green to yet have anything to their names but hope and-if they went unslain-years ahead of them to spend?
The Tersept of Rithrym was Augrath Naerimdon by name, but he could just as well-and fittingly-have been called "Defiance" or "Overconfidence." He was summoned to court this day to account for certain seizures of merchants' goods that traders in Sirlptar had called "tyrannical," and King Snowsar had already grimly labeled "brigandry" before his court. He had no doubt that his judgement had reached ears in Rithrym long since, and neither did his court-which was why they were all gathering to watch the fun.
The main doors boomed, far down the hall: a heavy knocking of spear-butts, by the sound of it. No slipping in to join the chattering throng for Tersept Augrath. In the space of instants the sounds of the courtiers rose in sudden high excitement, and then fell deathly silent.
Into that sudden stillness broke the loud crash of the doors being flung wide, to rebound off the wall in spaces wisely vacated by experienced courtiers. It was a sound punctuated by the shrieks and then moans of a few less worldly guests, who'd been in the way and were now crumpled on the floor in the wake of those lofty and glided doors.
The King of Aglirta stared calmly down the empty length of his throne room at the new arrivals: half a dozen tall warriors, gleaming and impassive in their full battle armor, ranged in a line abreast, at the head of others. They bore no shields, and their swords and daggers were scabbarded, but their visors were down, and they gave no greeting-and did not kneel-to their king.
At some signal Kelgrael Snowsar could not hear, the six warriors split into two trios, wheeling to either side to face the courtiers. Their swords flashed out, and there was a murmur as splendidly garbed men fell back before brandished steel. The warriors did not advance, however, but stood guard in their places as other armored men, the black diagonal arrow across a golden shield of Rithrym bright upon their breasts, strode forward between them.
The cortahars of Rithrym strode into the throne room not in unison, but like fighting men advancing on a broken battlefield: warily, with swords and maces in hand, seeking foes and perils in their paces ahead.
In their midst walked one man who was helmless, his hair like an orange flame, and his dark eyes gazing hard on the king from beneath scowling brows. Augrath Naerimdon, Tersept of Rithrym, this must be-for Rithrym had no wizard to magically force the guise of its ruler on another man. No mages, but warriors in plenty. Over a hundred of them here now, crowding into the throne room as the courtiers shrank back along the walls, real fear in their murmurings now. So many swords, and men eager to use them…
Men shouldering their way through courtiers to every side door of the hall right now, as the tersept waved his arms in an imperious