‘Be still, Lycheas,’ Annias snapped at him.
A slow flush crept up the pimpled young man’s face.
‘I would say that you owe Lord Vanion an apology, Annias,’ Dolmant said pointedly.
Annias paled and then turned stiffly to the Pandion chief. ‘Please accept my apologies, Lord Vanion,’ he said shortly. ‘I was misled by liars.’
‘Of course, my dear Primate,’ Vanion replied. ‘We all blunder from time to time, don’t we?’
‘I believe that more or less concludes this matter then,’ Dolmant said. He cast a sidelong glance at Annias, who was obviously making a great effort to control his emotions. ‘Be assured, Annias,’ the Patriarch of Demos said to him, ‘I will cast this entire matter in as charitable a light as I can when I make my report to the Hierocracy in Chyrellos. I’ll try my very best not to make you look like a complete idiot.’
Annias bit his lip.
‘Tell us, Sir Sparhawk,’ King Obler said, ‘could you in any way identify the people who approached the count’s castle?’
‘The man who was leading them is named Adus, your Majesty,’ Sparhawk told him. ‘He’s a thick-witted savage who does the bidding of a renegade Pandion named Martel. Many of his men were just ordinary mercenaries. The rest were Rendors.’
‘Rendors?’ King Dregos said, his eyes narrowing. There have been tensions of late between my kingdom and Rendor, but this plot seems a bit involuted for the Rendorish mind.’
‘We could spend hours in speculation, Dregos,’ King Wargun said, holding his empty wine cup out for a serving man to refill. ‘An hour or so on the rack should persuade the merchant and the serf down in the dungeon to tell us what they know about their fellow plotters.’
‘The Church does not approve of such methods, your Majesty,’ Dolmant said.
Wargun snorted derisively ‘The dungeons beneath the Basilica of Chyrellos are reputed to employ the most expert interrogators in the world,’ he said.
‘That practice is being discontinued.’
‘Perhaps,’ Wargun said, ‘but this is a civil matter. We’re not constrained by churchly delicacy, and I for one don’t propose to wait while you pray an answer out of those two.’
Lycheas, who had been smarting from the almost absent-minded rebuke Annias had delivered to him, straightened on his throne-like chair. ‘We are delighted that this matter has been resolved so amicably,’ he announced, ‘and we rejoice that the reports concerning the death of Count Radun have proved to be unfounded. I agree with the Patriarch of Demos that we can consider this inquiry concluded – unless Lord Vanion’s excellent witnesses can shed further light on just who might have been behind this monstrous conspiracy’
‘No, your Highness,’ Vanion told him. ‘We are not prepared at this time to do so.’
Lycheas turned to the kings of Thalesia, Deira, and Arcium, trying with scant success to look regal. ‘Our time, your Majesties, is short,’ he said. ‘We each have kingdoms to rule, and there are other matters requiring our attention. I suggest that we tender Lord Vanion our appreciation for his aid in clarifying this situation and give him permission to withdraw so that we may turn to state matters.’
The kings nodded their agreement.
‘You and your friends may leave now, Lord Vanion,’ Lycheas said grandly
‘Thank you, your Highness,’ Vanion replied with a stiff bow ‘We are all happy to have been of service to you.’ He turned and started towards the door
‘A moment, Lord Vanion,’ Darellon, the slightly built Preceptor of the Alcione Knights said. Then he stepped forward. ‘Since your Majesties’ conversations will now turn on state matters, I think that I, Lord Komier, and Lord Abriel will also withdraw. We are little versed in statecraft and could contribute nothing of value to your discussions. The matter that has come to light this morning, however, requires some consultation among the militant orders. Should conspiracies of this nature recur, we must make preparations to meet them.’
‘Well said,’ Komier agreed.
‘A splendid idea, Darellon,’ King Obler gave his assent. ‘Let’s not be caught asleep again. Keep me advised of the thrust of your discussions.’
‘You may rely upon me, your Majesty.’
The preceptors of the other three orders marched down from the dais and joined Vanion, who led the way from the ornate audience chamber. Once they were out in the corridor, Komier, the hulking Preceptor of the Genidian Knights, grinned openly ‘Very neat, Vanion,’ he said.
‘I’m glad you liked it.’ Vanion grinned back.
‘My head must have been packed in wool this morning, ’ Komier confessed. ‘Would you believe I almost accepted all that tripe?’
‘It was not entirely your fault, Lord Komier,’ Sephrenia told him.
He gave her a questioning look.
‘Let me think my way through it a bit more,’ she said, frowning.
The big Thalesian looked at Vanion. ‘It was Annias, wasn’t it?’ he guessed shrewdly as they progressed down the hall. ‘The scheme was his, I take it?’
Vanion nodded. ‘The Pandion presence in Elenia is hindering his operations. He saw this as a way to remove us.’
‘Elenian politics get a bit dense sometimes. We’re much more direct in Thalesia. Just how powerful is the Primate of Cimmura?’
Vanion shrugged. ‘He controls the Royal Council. That makes him more or less the ruler of the kingdom.’
‘Does he want the throne for himself?’
‘No, I don’t think so. He prefers to manipulate things from behind the scenes. He’s trying to groom Lycheas for the throne.’
‘Lycheas is a bastard, isn’t he?’
Vanion nodded again.
‘How can a bastard be king? Nobody knows who his father is.’
‘Annias probably believes he can get around that problem. Until Sparhawk’s father intervened, our good primate had very nearly convinced King Aldreas that it was perfectly legitimate for him to marry his own sister.’
‘That’s disgusting,’ Komier shuddered.
‘I’ve heard that Annias has certain ambitions involving the Archprelate’s throne in Chyrellos,’ Abriel, the greyhaired Preceptor of the Cyrinic Knights, said to Patriarch Dolmant.
‘I’ve heard some of the same rumours myself,’ Dolmant replied blandly
‘This humiliation is going to be quite a setback for him, isn’t it? The Hierocracy’s likely to look with some disfavour on a man who makes a total ass of himself in public’