Avondale (17 page)

“Where the hell have you been!” Brutas snapped in his gruff voice.

Brutas was shorter than Tiberius, and nearly twice as wide. He was strong, but slow with a sword, and he wore his hair in a long braid that hung down his back and was held tight with golden thread. He rarely wore armor, but was never seen without the long, two handed broadsword he wore slung on his back. He had a thick beard that he kept trimmed into a point and polished silver bands encircled both of his beefy wrists.

“What?” Tiberius asked.

“Are you deaf and dumb?” Brutas jeered. “Father wants all of us ready to meet the King in half an hour. I’ve been looking all over for you. Why weren’t you here when the King’s ship arrived?”

“I was at the temple,” Tiberius lied.

“Well get cleaned up,” Brutas ordered. He was used to bossing everyone around except for Leonosis, and seemed to take pleasure in causing Tiberius pain. “You look like a beggar. Robere is waiting for you.”

“Thanks,” Tiberius said, trying to hide his frustration.

Brutas turned and lumbered back down toward his own quarters. He had recently moved in the rooms that were normally given to the captain of the Earl’s personal guard. Compared to Tiberius’s room, Brutas lived in luxury, despite the fact that he hadn’t been promoted beyond the rank of junior officer yet. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before Brutas became the Commander of the Earl’s war band, the fact that he had taken up residence in the Commander’s quarters only confirmed it.

Tiberius looked for Rafe for a few more minutes, knowing that every second he waited would only drive poor Robere into a fit of worry. Finally, after not seeing his friend in any of the usual places, Tiberius went back to his room. Robere was already inside, pacing nervously.

“Thank heaven!” the aging servant said. “I was worried sick. Where have you been?”

“At the temple,” Tiberius said.

It was his standard lie. No one from the palace went to the temple except on holy days, and so it was a safe story. His studies to become a Paladin, including the physical training the novices were required to complete, made spending time at the temple a given.

“Come on, strip out of those filthy clothes. We have to make you presentable and there isn’t much time.”

Tiberius complied, although it seemed impossible to hurry. For some strange reason, he felt as if meeting the King was something to be avoided. He couldn’t put his finger on what it was exactly, but he felt a huge sense of dread approaching.

Robere fretted over Tiberius’ limited wardrobe. Ti had already taken his most comfortable outfits to the edge of the city, but luckily those weren’t the clothes Robere was interested in.

“Your closet seems empty,” he remarked absently as he looked at the various outfits.

“I’ve taken some clothes to the temple,” Tiberius lied again. “They’ve given us each a cell to keep a change of clothes in. I took two, just in case. And my spare boots.”

“That’s prudent,” Robere said. “And a good sign I suppose, although why you should be forced to live in such austere surroundings is beyond me.”

“We’re supposed to give up attachments to worldly things,” Tiberius said.

“Please, don’t preach. I know how poor my faith is. I just hate to see you leave the palace.”

Tiberius nodded as Robere pulled a silk tunic over Ti’s head. The tunic was large and made Tiberius feel like he was wearing a bedsheet, but Robere folded the garment so that it criss-crossed over his stomach and was cinched tightly with a thick leather belt. The billowing sleeves tied at the wrist and as Tiberius looked at himself in the dressing mirror he was pleased. His linen breeches only showed at the thighs, under the hem of the tunic and above the polished leather boots that rose to his knees. Tiberius wanted to take his whip, but Robere absolutely forbade it.

“It’s my best weapon,” Tiberius argued.

“It’s a cattleman’s tool, not a nobleman’s weapon,” Robere insisted. “And certainly not fit for the Earl’s son.”

Tiberius wanted to argue that he had held off a pack of Graypees with his whip, but he knew that not even Robere would believe him. Instead, he let the elderly servant tuck his Wangorian dagger into the leather belt.

“Now, you look fit to woo the King’s daughter.”

“Not interested,” Tiberius remarked.

“Perhaps you should be,” Robere said. “Surely life as King of Valana would be better than being a Paladin.”

“The King has an heir,” Tiberius said.

“Perhaps…” Robere let the thought hang in the air.

Tiberius knew that Robere had heard some juicy gossip from the other palace servants and normally he would have prodded the aging servant to tell him more, but Tiberius was too worried about Rafe to care about the King or his daughter.

Tiberius hurried to his father’s study. Leonosis and Brutas were already there. When Tiberius went inside, his father waved a hand at the guards by the door, who stepped outside and closed the heavy doors to the study. The room was one of Tiberius’ least favorite places in the palace. It was where his father conducted his most important business and Tiberius had never received good news in the room, always rebuke. He felt his body trembling with worry, as if he were cold. He did his best to hide the discomfort from his father and brothers.

“Good, you’re all here,” Aegus said. “Where were you when the King arrived, Tiberius?”

“The temple,” Ti lied yet again.

The thought of the temple was completely uninteresting to Aegus. He didn’t care what his son did there, so the inquiry was dropped.

“I suppose you have heard why King Aethel brought his daughter,” Aegus said to his sons. “I want one of you to woo her. If anyone is going to become King, it will be one of my sons.”

“You want me to pursue another women in front of Lady Olyva?” Brutas asked.

“Do you have a problem with that?” the Earl asked, his voice dripping with disdain.

“Not at all,” Brutas said with a smile.

“Don’t worry,” Leonosis said. “You won’t have to worry about being betrothed after tonight.”

“What does that mean?” Brutas asked, clearly confused.

“Just trust me,” Leonosis said. “Besides, the Princess will be my prize.”

“She’s not an animal that you hunt,” Tiberius said.

“Don’t be so self-righteous,” Aegus thundered. “For once just act like you belong to this family.”

“Why should I?” Tiberius said. “You treat me as if I am not.”

“Relax Tiberius,” Leonosis said. “All you need to do is show up and act civil. You’re good at that. I’ll entertain the Princess.”

“And when she’s ready for a real man, I’ll be waiting,” Brutas said with a smirk.

“Don’t fight,” Aegus said. “This is important. Whoever the Princess shows interest in, I want the others to back off. This isn’t a contest between the three of you. She is our prize to take before some other stuffy lord has a chance. Do I make myself clear?”

The Earl’s sons all nodded, then they followed Aegus out into the wide hallway. The King had been given the largest suite of rooms in the palace. Every luxury had been provided and soon they would all go down to the feasting hall where the most privileged citizens of Avondale waited, including the highest ranking military officers, the High Priest from the temple, and Tiberius’ mother and sisters.

The Earl led his sons to the King’s rooms and then waited while a servant announced them. Tiberius hated the formal duties he was forced to endure with his father and brothers. Most of the time he understood the necessity of keeping up the royal reputation of the Earl’s family, but it was almost always a boring chore. He looked forward to the day when he no longer had to put on airs and pretend to be interested in things he didn’t care about.

The King was still in his armor, but sitting in a thickly padded chair. He had a crystal wine goblet in one hand and Tiberius noticed his cheeks were ruddy, probably from too much drink already.

“My King,” Aegus said. “Let me introduce my sons.”

The King held up one hand.

“Ariel,” he said in a deep voice. “Come meet the Earl’s sons.”

Princess Ariel appeared from an adjoining room. She wore her armor as well, although she looked much different from the King. Her body was covered in dark red leather that had been molded to fit her lean frame. She wore a heavy skirt that looked to Tiberius as if it were part armor, part chain mail. There were golden links of brass, and interwoven strips of leather in the skirt, which was short, stopping at her knees. She wore tall riding boots that came up over her knees, so that no part of her legs showed. Her curved sword was still strapped to her waist, and her hair was tightly braided and pinned to her head.

She was pretty, with high cheekbones and large eyes, but there was a hard set determination in her eyes that made her seem cold and aloof. Tiberius guessed she was around his own age, but it was difficult to tell for certain. She came and stood behind her father, placing one hand on his shoulder.

Tiberius felt a rush of magic swirling around her and nearly jumped. He did his best to act nonchalant, but he could feel the magical energy swirling through the room and he was certain it originated with the Princess.

“Princess Ariel,” Aegus said. “Let me say again how honored we are to have you here with us in Avondale.”

“You have a beautiful city, Earl Aegus.”

“We are pleased that you think so,” the Earl said with a smile. “Let me introduce you to my oldest son, Leonosis.”

Tiberius watched as Leonosis stepped forward and bowed, flashing Ariel his most charming smile. Ti thought his brother had a gift for making people feel important. He not only related to everyone he met, but he could hide his nastier tendencies so that most people who thought they knew him had no idea just how sinister and self-serving he really was.

“Welcome to Avondale,” Leonosis said.

The King nodded, but Ariel just stared at Leonosis. Tiberius thought his oldest brother looked like their father. He was tall, broad shouldered, and narrow waisted. He was meticulous about his appearance and kept his strong jawline clean shaven. Despite the dark circles around his eyes and his hooked nose, most of the woman in the palace and around the city swooned over him, but Ariel seemed unimpressed.

“This is Brutas,” Aegus said. “He is currently serving with the officers in our war band.”

“A fellow warrior,” the King said with a smile.

Ariel nodded in respect, but didn’t smile or look any more interested in Brutas than she had in Leonosis. Tiberius felt very self-conscious. He wasn’t as muscular as Brutas or even as trim as Leonosis. He could feel his face flushing with embarrassment as he stepped forward to stand before the King.

“And this is Tiberius,” the Earl said.

The King seemed unimpressed, but for the first time Ariel’s eyes lit up and she tilted her head. Tiberius was just straightening up from his bow when he noticed Ariel give her father’s shoulder a slight squeeze. The King looked harder at Tiberius, his eyes squinting slightly as if he were trying to see something he’d missed. Tiberius stood entranced by the rush of the magic around him. He felt almost giddy as the power pulsed out of Ariel and flowed around him.

“Is the feast ready, Lord Aegus?” the King asked.

“Of course, sire. We only await your arrival.”

“Then let’s not keep everyone waiting,” the King said, standing up suddenly.

Tiberius was just then backing away. He felt self-conscious and was glad the introductions had ended so quickly. All he wanted was to get away from the palace, but he needed to find Rafe and warn him of Leonosis’ plan, even though he didn’t really know what his brother was planning. All Tiberius knew for sure was that whatever Leonosis was going to do, it wouldn’t be good. Once Ti had warned his friend, he could leave the palace forever. That thought was both exciting and terrifying. He wasn’t sure what to expect or if he was really up to the task, but he was anxious to find out.

They followed the Earl and the King down toward the feasting hall. Leonosis was speaking to Princess Ariel and Tiberius walked with Brutas a short way behind the others.

“That didn’t go over the way I thought,” Brutas said.

“Nor I,” Tiberius agreed.

“She seemed more interested in you than the rest of us,” Brutas said.

“No, she didn’t.”

“Yes, she did, although I can’t imagine why anyone would be interested in a third-born like you.”

Tiberius wanted to argue, but he knew it was useless and he didn’t want to cause a scene. He opted instead to ignore his brother’s gibes.

They stopped just outside the feasting hall so that the Earl and King could be announced. The Earl was speaking to a servant. He stopped to wave Tiberius and Brutas past. They wouldn’t need to be announced and could go straight into the feasting hall and find their places at the far end of the Earl’s table. Tiberius was just about to walk past the small group when Ariel raised her hand.

“Wait,” she said. “I would like to sit with Tiberius.”

Tiberius felt his stomach clench and he saw a look of smoldering anger from Leonosis. Brutas had a smirk on his face, clearly amused that their older brother was being spurned.

“Are you sure, my lady?” the Earl asked.

“Of course,” Ariel said. “Come Tiberius, we have so much to talk about.”

Tiberius tried to speak, but no words came. The Princess took his arm and he walked with her into the feasting hall. There was a shuffle of movement behind them and then a loud voice said, “Princess Ariel, of Sparlan Citadel and Master Tiberius.”

The room went quiet and Tiberius felt every eye watching him. Some of the people looked shocked, but Ariel ignored them and Tiberius did his best to do likewise. He was walking up the center aisle with the Princess of Valana on his arm. It was a completely different feeling than anything he’d ever experienced before. Many of the people sitting at the long tables or standing along the tapestry covered walls seemed to notice Tiberius for the first time ever. The Earl had a third son, and it was Tiberius who was escorting the Princess.

Tiberius saw Rafe sitting with a group of officers near the high table. He had a cup halfway between the table and his mouth, which hung open in surprise. Tiberius did his best to seem above it all, as if escorting a Princess was something he did everyday. He had been embarrassed by the attention and the intense scrutiny made him feel small, but seeing Rafe sent a jolt of anger into his system and the attention of the people in the feasting hall didn’t seem so overwhelming after that.