The Vacant Throne - Ed Greenwood [70]
The guards needed no orders to decide to stand flanking the throne as King Snowsar beckoned to the nearest steward, and the audiences resumed.
The distractions of plunging assassin and swordplay and claims of fantastic beasts-the one going downriver, and hence work for barons, but the other enough to make the king abandon his court to make war on it-would provide rich fare for the avid gossips, but they were still annoyances to courtiers desiring to be busy getting the king to recognize or outlaw this or that baron, or decide on half a hundred little matters of trade, preferential treatments, and treaties desired with this outland city or that.
"I'm both pleased and proud to see Your Majesty unharmed in the wake of these unpleasantnesses," the sixteenth smooth voice murmured, "and confess myself impressed by the bold and heroic figure Your Majesty presented, in the fast-closing teeth of danger. May I say how fortunate all Aglirta now is, to have such a pillar of noble might wearing our crown."
Indeed. Boldly and heroically, Kelgrael Snowsar managed neither to roll his eyes nor to yawn.
"Under your wise rule, Majesty," the courtier murmured, leaning as close to the king as he could, "Aglirta should rise to be greater than ever before. Perhaps to rule the Isles beyond the Vale, and the lands beyond our mountains. You might be King Kelgrael of all Asmarand in but a few years."
The king crooked an eyebrow. "If I-?" he muttered.
"If you do the boldest thing of all," the courtier almost whispered, "and keep peace with the folk of the Serpent, rather than fighting them as your barons do. Let them worship, know their friendship and support, and grow stronger as they do-rising together to greatness!"
For just a moment, the face of Kelgrael Snowsar was like stone, his eyes two hard gems that did not sparkle. Then he lowered his eyebrow and murmured, "We'll talk more of this later."
"Majesty, depend on it," the man said, straightening and stepping back from the throne with a smile curling his lips and a flash of triumph in his eyes.
"Oh, I shall," the king said, so quietly that not even the steward standing beside the throne could hear him.
Swiftly, as the courtier bowed and strode away, the steward bent to the royal ear and said hesitantly, "Majesty, I fear I heard you poorly. How may I serve?"
The king murmured, "Mark you the man who was just speaking to me?"
"Yes, Majesty."
"Follow him, and see where he goes and what he does. Enlist others you trust in this watching upon my pleasure; try not to be seen by him. When he leaves Flowfoam, do not follow."
"Shall I begin now, Majesty?"
The king nodded grimly, and the steward slipped away. Another steward stepped into his place; the next courtier was already sidling up to the throne, sketching the briefest of bows, and arranging a dazzling smile on his face.
The bold and heroic Crown of Aglirta let a somewhat smaller smile touch his own lips, and asked in a voice that just managed to avoid weariness, "Yes?"
Many small, hungry smiles, biting…
Bats poured down on Embra in a blinding, chittering flood, nipping at her face and hands with needle-sharp teeth, blotting out her view of… of…
Her companions being slain!
Desperately Embra tried to sweep stinging claws and leathery wings aside, to see, to breathe, to be able to reach her Stone and-and-
The bats were raging above her bodice so thickly that they formed a solid, writhing mass she couldn't reach through. They were tugging at the Dwaer, lifting it away from her flesh so that all she could still feel of it was the carry-chain she'd slung it in. She couldn't touch it, couldn't call on it, couldn't help-
A baron and a wizard watched the black pillar of flapping, shrieking bats that held Embra Silvertree somewhere