Avondale (14 page)

He didn’t smile, but he did his best to look unconcerned as he walked into the banquet room. It was a large space, with several plush sitting areas and a table against one wall that was laden with food. There were fruits, cheeses, fresh baked breads, delicate soufflés, and pitchers of juice, wine, and ale. Tiberius’ sisters were already there, sitting stiffly in a group of chairs, nibbling fruit from small plates. Brutas was inhaling food as he grazed along the table. Tiberius didn’t feel like eating and sat down on a thickly padded bench in one corner. He watched his family and a few invited guests moving about the room. A wealthy merchant and his son stood against a wall and spied on Tiberius’ sisters. The oldest girls would be married to other royal families in one of the Nine Cities around Valana, but the younger girls would be married to wealthy merchants or land barons with enough coin to purchase a bride with ties to the Earl’s family to enhance their own status.

There was a dignitary slowly filling a plate with food, but his eyes studied the people in the room, not the delicacies on the table before him. Tiberius didn’t recognize the man, not that Ti had ever been privy to the business at court, but he had watched with mild curiosity the comings and goings of the various dignitaries and officials that visited his father. Tiberius had never seen this man before, he was certain of that.

When Leonosis came into the room, Tiberius stiffened. Just seeing his oldest brother made him angry. Leonosis had been given everything he ever wanted. No girl ever denied him, no gift was ever withheld once he made it known he wanted it. And now that he was taking on more of their father’s duties, he was treated with the kind of respect only an Earl could garner, despite the fact that Tiberius knew his brother had done nothing to earn that respect. His sole accomplishment had been that he was born first. Tiberius had to force himself to relax and not let his temper get the best of him.

When Leonosis spotted Tiberius in the corner he smiled. He filled two goblets with freshly squeezed juice and brought them to Tiberius.

“Brother, I brought you some refreshment,” he said as he sat down next to Tiberius.

“I don’t want it,” Tiberius said through clenched teeth.

“Oh, don’t be such a sore loser. Drink some juice and act civil for once.”

Tiberius took the goblet Leonosis handed him, but didn’t drink it.

“Do you know who that is?” Leonosis asked, pointing to the strange dignitary.

“No,” Tiberius said.

“It’s King Aethel’s emissary. The King will be here sometime tomorrow. I plan on presenting him with the Graypee hides I killed. It will be a fitting gift for the King, don’t you think.”

“Shut up,” Tiberius said.

“His daughter is coming as well. It is rumored that the King’s son is ill. He was always sickly and weak. I doubt he’ll survive long enough to become King. Then it will be up to the Earls to choose a new sovereign.”

“I don’t care,” Tiberius said.

“Well, you should. I know you don’t care for me. You’ve always been jealous, I know, but you need to start thinking long term. If the King dies without an heir, and I am chosen to take his place—”

“That will never happen,” Tiberius said a little louder than he meant to.

“Keep your voice down, brother,” Leonosis hissed. “I’m only trying to help you. If I become King, then Brutas will become Earl of Avondale and you will be elevated, perhaps even taking his place as Captain of the Guard. It might even be possible that you would become Earl. Surely you see the possibilities of that.”

“I don’t want to be Earl.”

“Of course you do. Everyone does. And every Earl wants to be King. It’s the way of the world, Tiberius. Now, I know you’re still mad at me, but with the Graypee hides my stock among the Earls of the other eight cities will rise. If the King will accept my proposal for his daughter’s hand in marriage, then I’ll be in the perfect position to become the next King of Valana. And believe me, I won’t forget those who have helped me along the way.”

“You make me sick,” Tiberius grumbled.

“No, let’s be fair. It was Rafe who caved. I never could have pulled it off if the Sword Master’s son didn’t support my story about the Graypees. Now, I know you’re mad at me, but it’s really Rafe who you should be angry with. And trust me, his time is coming.”

“What are you going to do?” Tiberius said, unable to hide the desperation in his voice.

“Ah, wouldn’t you like to know. All in good time, brother. Just know that his treachery will be punished. Now here’s mother, let’s go to the temple and make her happy.”

Leonosis rose in one fluid motion. He wasn’t strong like Rafe, but just one look made it clear that he was dangerous. It was like watching a viper moving in for the kill. Tiberius stood slowly, his head spinning with the news Leonosis had just told him. Ti was still angry with Rafe. He couldn’t imagine what Leonosis had done to convince Rafe to go along with his story about killing the Graypees, and the pain of that betrayal was still agonizing to Tiberius. Still, he didn’t think he wanted to see his friend hurt, but he wasn’t sure what to do. The only thing he knew for certain was that he couldn’t leave the palace, not yet anyway. Not with the King coming and a very real threat hanging over the head of Tiberius’ best friend.

It had been nearly a week since she had killed the two men. She had hidden in a small inn for three days, waiting for her eye to heal and any suspicion about the murder of the two men to fade. She doubted the Paladins would spend much time worrying about who killed two men who were obviously criminals. There would be no outcry over their deaths, no family to appease by naming the killer. She had acted in self-defense when they accosted her, but she didn’t trust anyone to believe her story, so she hid until she felt a little more secure.

She had ventured out a little every day since, always in the late afternoon and never going far from the seedy inn that she had paid for in advance. The gold crown she had taken from the Earl’s palace had secured her a room for two weeks, including meals in the filthy common room if she wanted them. Lexi didn’t care for the greasy heavy meals the innkeeper cooked, preferring to eat food that was fresh from the market. So each day she went out and bought a few things, but she was always alert for any sign of danger.

She didn’t have much to trade, the tavern keeper she’d helped paid her a handful of copper pennies. Her clothes were stained with the blood of the men who’d attacked her. She wrapped a shawl around her shoulders to hide the stains. She hoped that anyone who noticed the bloody splotches on her clothes would guess it came from the cut on her own face. The gash on her check and the bruising around her eye was common enough. Beatings in the lower part of the city were an everyday occurrence.

She bought new clothes, at least clothes that were new to her. Thick, wool pants that were probably made for an adolescent boy. A tunic that was too large, but a good price. It had a hood and plenty of room for improvements, which she could make in the privacy of her room. Best of all, it hid her figure and made her a little more anonymous. Finally, she spent the last of her money on a pair of used, but well-maintained boots. When she was finished, she looked less like a young woman than a teenage boy. She kept the Wangorian blade close, but hidden inside her tunic. She had carefully sewn a special pocket just for it, so that she could retrieve it easily if she needed to.

Finally, after almost a week had passed since she’d seen Tiberius, she went up to the broad avenue that led to the Earl’s palace. Tiberius would often meet her in the afternoons after his family visited the temple together. The holy day often provided Tiberius some free time which they usually spent exploring the shadier side of the city. For Lexi, it had become one of the few things she actually looked forward to. Her life was dangerous, and she had learned early to keep a constant watch on her surroundings, never letting her guard down for long. One of the few exceptions was her outings with Tiberius. He wasn’t boisterous or arrogant, but his confidence was contagious. He never acted as if anything were beyond his reach, even though there were so many things that he didn’t know. Life in the Earl’s palace was sheltered from the harsh realities on the streets of the lower levels of Avondale, but it had given Tiberius the idea that anything was possible. Lexi often felt stuck, as if she’d never rise above the barely legal life she’d carved out for herself. Not that she wanted to marry a wealthy man and spend her life worrying about domestic affairs, but when she was with Tiberius, she felt like her life could be great somehow.

She adamantly refused to consider the fact that she might have romantic feelings for him. She despised the thought of being dependent on someone other than herself and she feared the idea of commitment. In her experience, people simply couldn’t be relied on. They always let her down when she needed them, so she determined never to need anyone… ever. Still, she had wanted to see Tiberius, to spend time with him before he was trapped in the life of Paladin, and she refused to think that perhaps she wanted to be more than just friends.

She hung back from the massive structure that housed the noble family and their guests. The palace was surrounded by a short wall, but had wide gates on either side of the compound that were almost always open. People with business matters or political concerns often gathered in the manicured courtyard waiting to be called in to meet with the Earl or one of the many city administrators. It was nearly empty on holy days, and Lexi didn’t want to draw attention to herself, so she waited in a row of nearby shops, pretending to browse.

When Tiberius came out of the palace, he was carrying a pack on one shoulder. He rarely carried anything other than a small pouch of coins and the bullwhip that Lexi considered a ridiculous weapon for anyone. She thought the whip coiled at his belt made him look silly. He was dressed like a noble, yet carried a servant’s tool rather than a fancy sword or bejeweled dagger.

“Where are you off to?” she asked as she fell into step beside him.

“What happened to you?” he asked, his voice full of concern.

“It’s nothing,” Lexi said. “I tripped.”

“Don’t lie to me,” Tiberius said. “I’ve had a belly full of lies lately. I can’t stand any more.”

“What’s got you in such a grumpy mood?”

“Nothing,” Tiberius said, trying to change the subject back to her. “Are you going to tell me what happened to your eye?”

“I already did.”

“Are you going to tell me the truth?” he asked.

“Fine, I’ll tell you, but only if you tell me what’s wrong with you.”

“Who said anything was wrong with me?”

“You did. You said you’ve had a belly full of lies,” she said in a mocking tone.

“Don’t do that,” he said.

“Sorry, but I can tell you’re upset. So spill it.”

“I guess you heard what happened on the wall yesterday?” he asked.

“I’ve heard bits and pieces,” Lexi said. “Someone fell off the wall and the Earl’s son saved the day.”

“That someone was Rafe,” Tiberius said.

“Your friend?”

“Yes, we were hunting a pack of Graypees.”

“What are Graypees?” Lexi asked.

“They’re animals,” Tiberius explained. “Sort of like big lizards, the size of a horse. They’re pretty nasty.”

“Why would you hunt them?”

“For their hides,” Tiberius said. “The hides are worth a lot of money.”

“But you’re already rich.”

“I’m not rich, my father is and my brother will be. I’m nothing, just an annoyance that needs to go away. But the hides aren’t really about money. Only a few of the most skilled warriors in Avondale have ever killed a Graypee. Rafe and I used to pretend we were hunting them as kids. We had a whole plan worked out. It’s actually pretty rare that they come close to the wall, so when Rafe found a pack of them, he sent for me. We were just about to try and harpoon one, but we didn’t know one had climbed up the wall. It attacked Rafe, and he fought it off, but lost his balance and fell off the wall onto the far side.”

“So Rafe really fell off the wall?”

“Yes, and
I
climbed down the rope and saved him. But Leonosis and my father convinced Rafe to lie about it. They spread the story that Leonosis saved Rafe and killed both of the Graypees.”

“You killed two of them?” Lexi asked, her voice sounding a little too incredulous.

“I could have,” Tiberius said angrily, his voice rising. “But in the end I killed one and held off the pack with my whip. Rafe killed the other one.”

“Okay,” Lexi said slowly. “I can see why that would make you angry.”

“I’m not angry,” Tiberius said. “I’m furious. My father and brother think they can do whatever they want and just get away with it because of their position. It isn’t fair.”

“Life isn’t fair,” Lexi said.

“Look,” Tiberius suddenly whirled to face her. “The last thing I need is a bunch of platitudes right now. Killing that Graypee was the biggest accomplishment of my life. They stole it from me. If all you want to do is preach me a sermon, you can save it. I’ll find a place to hide my stuff without you.”