The Unexpected Heir: A Tale of Alus (8 page)

"Has Patris had this sort of growth?"

The question forced him to think. It wasn't just whether he knew his town, but the thought that Yalan in particular had seen the brothers growing in numbers.

"Now that you ask, I am not sure that I have seen any sign of them there at all, in fact. No requests to build a shrine or temple have come to me and I haven't even truly noticed any of them in Patris at all."

His admission made the three men all frown as if they saw the strangeness of the pattern as one. Jeremiah spoke first breaking their silent thoughts.

"The king has been the target of a lot of their messages in Yalan. They question his rule and argue for a change. I am somewhat surprised that they are massing here to do it in his face, so to speak. If they do wish for change, you would think that they would be working to stir up the rest of the country as well."

Wylaan nodded saying, "I don't think that it is just Yalan, though the city is so large that maybe it makes the most sense to find a voice. There is some word of them in the east and south. Tseult's king has been dealing with them to a lesser degree near his capitol as well. They do their work there without the messages undermining the king though, at least so far."

Understanding their worry, Alexander asked, "Has he been focusing on the problem? Is it a problem beyond the worry of them trying to maybe excite a rebellion in a kingdom that has been prosperous and without war beyond anyone's lifetime?"

"Not everyone's lifetime," Jeremiah commented and the count remembered his own grandfather. His grandmother, an elf, had lived long, but Darius was a known immortal nearly seven centuries old. He showed no signs of age, or hadn't the last time that he had visited his youngest son here in Yalan.

"Even so," Wylaan conceded his brother's point and moved on, "there aren't the issues other countries usually see to warrant such complaints. At least, as far as we can see, there shouldn't be a call for change like they seem to want."

"You called me to ask these questions. Is there something else that you want me to do?" the count asked lowered his voice and avoiding his wife's probing attention. While the other women continued to talk without notice of their conversation, Heralin's instincts seemed to know that there was something amiss.

Shaking his head, Wylaan suddenly smiled as if to dispel the worry he had created. "No, Alex, we genuinely wanted to see you again. We don't get to see you very often with the distance between here and Patris.

"However, I guess I would suggest that you keep your eyes and ears open. If these brothers show up in Patris as well spreading this message, we would like to know about it.

"But enough of this talk, I think that you owe Jeremiah a thrashing in the ring; don't you?"

The younger prince laughed off his brother's belief in his ability and, drawing his cousin after him with a hand on the younger man's shoulder, moved to continue with the exercise promised in the invitation.

Chapter 4- Charting a Course

A carriage sat waiting in the drive alongside the manor in front of the stables. Servants carried bags and other luggage stowing them on top of the sturdy wood roof or on one of the racks attached to the rear. While they worked, the Eremia household readied to see the elder son and his wife leave for their home a little more than a week's travel away.

Heralin warmly hugged and exchanged goodbyes with Alexander's mother and sister. His father pulled his son aside as the women began to get teary eyed as they readied to see them off once more.

"You don't have to wait as long to see us again, Alex," Philip said with an almost sad looking smile. "Patris can live without your direct supervision from time to time, you know."

Alexander shared the sentiment of his father with a sympathetic smile. While the younger man understood the opinion, he also thought how quickly weeks became months. It hadn't seemed that long since they had made the trip to Yalan to visit his family, but more than half a year had passed before he knew it.

"The everyday duties make the days blend together more than I realized. It had been longer time than I realized when I actually thought about it," the son mused to his father. "You know that you and mother are always welcome to visit us also. Patris is a bit quieter than Yalan, even hiding here behind the walls of the manor."

Philip glanced away towards the high stone wall which surrounded the buildings making up their home on three sides. The back of the house had no wall, but a cliff separated them from anyone who might be walking along the beach below. They could hear the wash of the waves on a quiet day. Some nights as a boy Alexander had chosen to escape his room to lie in the grass behind the house to look out at the ocean under the light of the three moons of Alus.

The sound of the waves would put him to sleep and too often he would be found by his parents. Their scoldings were rarely very heartfelt and as a boy Alexander guessed that his love of the outside couldn't be too much of a burden on them. Being out of bed without permission was hardly the act of a rebellious youth.

"Patris might be a nice change of pace from Yalan," Philip noted and appeared a bit longing. The man hadn't been raised in a large city. His youth had been spent in one of the elf towns as many called them.

His elven ancestors believed in having their home be one with nature, at least to a point. Homes were built among the trees disturbing the world around them as little as they could. Some were formed from the trees as well, but one thing was clear to those who visited their people, the elves had magic in the way that they dealt with the world around them.

Alexander thought on the conversation with his cousins and mentioned quietly, "If the Brothers of the Blood manage to stir up the city with their rhetoric, it might even be wise to get away while King Orlaan finds a way to deal with them."

Looking at his son closely, the half elf considered his words and asked, "What makes you think that they will ever be able to grab that kind of foothold in Yalan? Orlaan may not do everything that people want, but he has been a solid leader for decades now. The people won't rise up against him or his house, unless he does something harsh or unusually against their will."

"The princes appeared to be worried about them here in Yalan. They even asked whether Patris was experiencing similar difficulties."

"And have you?" his father asked appearing genuinely concerned with the news.

"Not as of yet, which might be another reason for you to consider visiting us. Alicia should come too, if you and mother aren't here, I think," Alexander added realizing that worry had made its way into his mind just talking about the possible problems.

Philip smiled in an attempt at reassurance for his son and replied, "I will keep vigilant, but for now your sister has to see to her suitors. Perhaps a marriage will get her away from Yalan anyway. King Orlaan is likely to assign her, and her future husband, a township of her own."

While he didn't like the idea of waiting here where it might become dangerous, Alexander had no proof that the Brothers' influence would make it perilous enough to require running from Yalan. He also didn't want Alicia just marrying someone to escape from the city.

"Don't let her pick someone just for the sake of it, at least," Alex couldn't stop himself from speaking his mind at least to that point.

Laughing at the idea, his father replied, "I would never force any of you to do something harmful and letting my daughter marry someone unacceptable would be the last thing that I would let happen."

Alexander looked to the carriage hearing his name called by Heralin. She stood poised to use the step to climb into their carriage. Her eyes still glistened with tears unshed and he guessed that it was good that she loved his family as much as he did.

"Take good care of her," Philip said to his son before giving him a nudge with his elbow, "and your mother would love for you to try catching up to your cousins. She thinks a grandchild made from you two would likely be the most beautiful thing she could ever see."

Rolling his eyes at his father, Alexander replied with a chuckle, "Well, I can't say that we haven't been trying, but you can't force these things, you know?"

"Well, I told her that I'd remind you," the older man laughed making his son realize that most of the comment had been to tease him. Without Annalicia to pick on, apparently his father needed to choose a different child to make fun of now.

"I'm sure that you did," he responded before shaking hands only to get pulled in for a quick hug. Running the gambit of attention from his mother and sister, Alexander joined his wife inside the carriage shortly. The driver spurred the horses into movement and six guardsmen spurred their mounts to follow.

No one expected trouble to happen, but precautions would have been taken even without worries over something being caused by the Brothers of the Blood. These men had traveled with them from Patris and would return with them again. Only now Alexander was a little more worried that their presence might be needed.

"Don't look so worried, Alex," Heralin said taking his left hand with her right and covering his forearm with her free hand. Her touch was reassuring, something that should have come from him instead, the man thought.

He patted her left hand and nodded. "Sorry, some of Wylaan's comments still have me thinking, I guess. I warned my father to be careful and told him that they were more than welcome to come visit us in Patris."

Having a castle with several vacant rooms since there was just the two of them requiring few servants, it would be of little inconvenience to have the rest of his family come visit where he believed that it would be safer. Patris was a quiet town compared to the sprawling city and townships joined together as Yalan. Still even that quiet could be disturbed. He would need to keep an eye out for these brothers in his territory, but hoped that he was wrong in his worry about this.

"With Annalicia away, they might find a change of scenery a nice break," Heralin agreed without complaint at the idea of such an intrusion to their home life.

He smiled at his wife and nodded. "Was my mother already worrying over Anna?"

A little laugh was his answer.

"I guess she is the baby, even if Anna has the skills of a wizard. She is probably the safest of us all and, of course, she is on a ship to a country far away from any dangers here."

Heralin looked at him a moment before leaning in to lay her head on his shoulder. "Just have faith, Alex. We will be safe and so will your family."

"Speaking of family, my father said mother would really like us to hurry and start making a family of our own," he finished with a laugh.

Tightening her grip a moment on his arm, Heralin replied, "I haven't stopped you from trying, have I?"

The couple laughed as the beginning of the long ride home began.

Caldrefan walked to the doorway looking into a large room. The sanctuary, as it was called, was filled with dozens of people from those sitting on benches facing a stained glass window with the image of Sordrian to those talking in small groups quietly to avoid disrupting the contemplation of those praying. Several brothers dressed in robes of red oversaw the room. It wasn't a time for preaching or leading the masses towards spiritual thoughts, but they remained present and willing to counsel those who needed it.

The Brothers of the Blood held more strict meetings for those who needed structure, but much of the time was spent like this. People came to them with their troubles. Brothers would listen or pray with those who needed it. For those in financial trouble or in need of food and shelter, others would lead them to a dining room or towards lodging.

None of it made the head of the temple smile. Sordrian had been a man, a wizard, but not a true god. They could pray until they could no longer stand up, but Caldrefan doubted that his brother would do much to answer those prayers from wherever his soul had gone after his death.

Doing good did little to help dispel the darker feelings inside of him that he did his best to keep at bay. The smiles and position of leader for this religion were masks for the man. He didn't believe what he sold to the people, but Caldrefan had always been good at finding those that would believe and accept his teaching. Some of those were more helpful to his cause than others.

He would smile and tell them what they needed to hear. They would follow him and do what he asked. If the temple needed money, they would find a way to get it. Others had the disposition to serve as his shadows, while others served as brothers in the temples.

His eyes went to one of the small groups and spied Karlaan talking with a couple young women. The bastard prince smiled and even laughed quietly honoring the others still in meditation. The women seemed to appreciate his interest in them, but eventually the little group broke up and the women left.

Karlaan noticed the man watching him, but didn't hurry over to speak with him. When he did saunter over, Karlaan didn't appear to notice his frown, which hadn't left his face since he began watching the young man.

"You're supposed to look happy in your service, Caldrefan. If a patron were to see you now, they wouldn't think that we are here to serve the people for Sordrian," the young man said with a fake smile crossing his lips as he chided his mentor.