Chapter 37
Preparation
Hannibal Castle, Kingdom of Hannibal
"Your Majesty?"
Queen Malta opened her eyes.
"Your Majesty, it is time," Sir Cyrano said.
When she had no other company, the Queen would have Sir Cyrano lie beside her in bed. He would always lie there still as stone, clutching his sword to his chest as if he had been laid out in the catacombs. She could not embrace him as a lover—her father saw to that—, but she could rest easy feeling his warmth and strength so close to her. There were times she felt guilty about having him stand watch while she enjoyed her paramours, but no matter how fond she was of any of them, they were never permitted to stay until morning and once they were dismissed, it was Sir Cyrano she wanted at her side.
She had permitted herself a few hours' rest before she needed to begin her preparations for the Convocation. She did not feel the need to hurry herself, though. She was in one of her moods and found herself wistful and nostalgic. She drew herself in close to Sir Cyrano. Her leg brushed against his and her hand caressed his broad chest. He would not move a muscle, such was his discipline. No matter how much affection she would shower him with, she might as well have been cuddling with a statue from the gallery. He was not always so reserved, though. She missed those days.
"Father was such a cruel man," she said. "He must have know I would love you. He thought he could put one of his bastards on the throne ahead of me. He would never countenance the thought of Cyrano the Paladin King. It has a nice ring to it, though."
She did not remember when it was that she first came to love her knight. Was it when he fended off the sicarius at the cost of his hand? Or was it earlier, when he defied his orders and travelled to the temple island to take her back from the High Priest? Perhaps even earlier...
"I could have born strong sons by you," she continued. "Perhaps I can do so yet. When the power is in my hands, perhaps I can make you whole, make us both whole once more."
"Leave dreams to the sleepers, Your Majesty," Sir Cyrano replied. "When they intrude on the waking world, they become deception."
"Without dreams, my dear Cyrano, there can be no ambition and without ambition, what is a King's rule but mere mummery?"
Sir Cyrano did not try to argue with her any further. If he ever spoke a contrary word, it would only be once and if the Queen did not relent—which she rarely did—, he would be silent. Instead he rose up, buckled his scabbard to his belt and offered the Queen his hand.
"Come, Your Majesty. The other Convocants will be waiting."
She accepted his hand and let him help her out of bed. The maidservants began to emerge from their alcoves to minister to her. The usual rituals would be somewhat curtailed in the interest of time.
She would show Sir Cyrano. Dreams were only deception to those who lacked the will to make them real. Her will had brought her this far and this night the fruit of all her ambitions was within her grasp.
* * *
Tobias was woken up by the sound of Tym'r gnawing on his chains again.
"Tym'r are you still doing that?" Tobias asked groggily. "You're going to break your teeth before you break those chains."
"I refuse to lie here and do nothing, Tobias," Tym'r grumbled. "Not when I know the enemies of my people are here."
"What was all that about yesterday?" Tobias asked. "You were in such a state that I never did understand what was going on."
Tym'r stopped chewing on his chains and looked at Tobias for some time, then sighed.
"I should tell you the truth," he said. "You may be human, but we have fought at each other's sides and unlike most of your kind, I regard you as very near an equal."
In spite of their dire straits, Tobias managed a grin and said, "I'm humbled by your condescension, Tym'r."
Tym'r shook his head in exasperation.
"At a time like this you learn to sharpen your tongue. You have spent too much time in the company of the spirit caller."
"I'm sorry," Tobias said. "I just thought it was funny, hearing those words from a beastman. It would send most men into a rage."
"You are not most men, Tobias, and I am grateful for it, though it is at least part of the reason we are in our current state."
"You were telling me about the truth?"
"There is no need to be hasty, Tobias," Tym'r said. "Despite my efforts, we are not going anywhere anytime soon. But, yes, the truth... I never did tell you who I really was. I am the Khul na Ty'ha, or at least I was."
"Khul? As in one of the clan warchiefs?"
"That is near enough, yes. My business, though, is as I told you at the beginning. I was sure that there were traitors selling our people to you humans as slaves. The fact that they have come here proves my suspicions. I may not be able to save those who were taken, but at least I can see that the ones responsible for it pay for their crimes. Were it not for these damnable chains..."
"Surely you are not forgetting about the door," a voice said.
Tym'r began growling as Tobias asked, "Who's there?"
The owner of the voice stepped closer and replied, "Just an old man out on an evening stroll."
It was one of the court sorcerers. Tobias recognized him.
"You... You're Master Tallan, right?"
"At your service, my lord," Master Tallan replied. "Or should I say 'Your Highness'?"
Those were the last words Tobias expected to hear directed at him.
"What are you saying?" he asked warily.
"Don't tell me you don't know," Master Tallan said. "Surely you know. You went to the temple, didn't you? She told you, didn't she? I told her so that she could tell you. I was sure Rebekah hadn't told you before she passed. Why would she? Not then, not in the state she was in..."
It seemed that he might never stop talking, prompting an older woman's voice to intervene.
"Master Tallan, time is short."
"Hm? Oh, yes. Time is of the essence."
Master Tallan unlocked the cell door and stepped in. He gave Tym'r as wide berth as the narrow cell would allow and went to Tobias.
"What a state...." he said with a sigh. "I wonder if the Queen would have treated you so if she knew you were her son. Knowing her, it is possible..."
"How do you now about that?"
"My dear boy, I was there the day of your birth. I took on your sister to raise her, just as Rebekah took you. Did Shayla not tell you?"
Tobias' mind felt hazy and he could only vaguely recall what Shayla had told him.
"I'm sure she did. I'm sorry. I... I'm having trouble thinking straight."
"Not surprising. They've been starving you, I imagine. Larentia, the lamp, please."
Larentia, the stern-faced Mistress of the Palace Household, stepped into the cell carrying an oil lamp. Master Tallan took out a little bronze pan and a small pouch from a bag hanging off his belt. He placed the pouch on the pan, then held it so that Larentia could set the pouch alight with the lamp. As the pouch burned, a bluish smoke rose up while Master Tallan chanted in a low voice.
When he was done chanting, he held the pan up to Tobias and said, "Breathe in the smoke. It will give strength to your bones."
Tobias could not much help but breathe in the smoke with the pan being held up to his face.
"Relax and let the spell do its work."
Tobias coughed from the smoke as it filled his lungs but could almost immediately feel the energy radiating through his body. His strength returned to him, like waking up well-rested and well-fed.
With his wits freshly roused, Tobias recalled that this should not be.
"I thought Shayla said I was immune to magic except from Tellus," he said.
"Yes, she told me," Master Tallan said. "And you can thank the Witch—er, that is, ah, Tellus. She parted with some of her blood to add to the reagents. It would appear to have been enough for spell to work. A good thing, too. You would not be much good weakened as you are. We still need to get some food in you before the effect wears off."
"To say nothing of a bath and a change of clothes," Larentia added.
"I don't have time for all that," Tobias said. "Tellus is in danger, isn't she? Whatever the Queen is planning, it's going to be soon, right?"
"I am not sending you to face your mother covered in grime and reeking of piss," Larentia replied bluntly. "Perhaps we should be thankful you have not had any food or it would be worse still."
Tobias did not imagine there was any arguing with her. So she also knew who he really was. How many others knew?
Setting that aside, he said, "I trust then that you'll give every consideration to my companion here as well."
Larentia looked at Tym'r and replied, "If I must."
He then asked Master Tallan, "Can you prepare another spell like that for him?"
Master Tallan shook his head.
"I'm sorry, but I only brought the one portion."
"Do not worry, Tobias," Tym'r said. "I am not so feeble."
"Come, let me get you out of those chains," Master Tallan said.
He fumbled around with the keyring a little before unlocking Tobias' shackles. Even with Master Tallan's spell, Tobias felt himself somewhat unsteady on his feet standing properly for the first time in so many days.
When Tobias saw that Master Tallan was just standing there, he asked him, "Aren't you going to unlock his chains too?"
Master Tallan looked uneasily at Tym'r, muttering, "I, ah..."
Tobias sighed and took the keyring from the sorcerer. As he stooped down to unlock the iron collar around Tym'r's neck, he said, "You know, this is the second time I've had to do this or you."
"And may it be the last," Tym'r replied.
When he stood up, Tym'r did seem to be surer on his feet, though he was probably weaker than he would admit. Now that they were free, all that remained was to go.
"What about the guards?" Tobias asked.
"Oh, I took care of them," Master Tallan said. "So long as no one disturbs them, they should sleep soundly until morning."
"Come along," Larentia said. "We have at most an hour before the ceremony begins."
"What ceremony?" Tobias asked.
"The Convocation, they call it," Master Tallan said. "Queen Malta and fifteen other mages will assemble to tap into a great source of magical energy, the very Heart of the World. They had spent years preparing it and attempted it for the first time last year, but they were only partially successful. They needed something more.
"That was when the seers began to prophesy about the Witch from Beyond the Sea. You have heard it said that she would be the source of calamity for this kingdom, but the proper interpretation was hidden from you. It is not that the girl will bring about calamity herself but rather that the conflict over her power and the misuse of that power will bring our ruin."
"And the Queen knows this?" Tobias asked.
"Of course she does," Master Tallan replied, "but the warnings have gone unheeded. The Queen would see this kingdom burn for the sake of her ambition. Every man woman and child would be as an offering to the tophet. That is why you must stop her."
"I'm just one man," Tobias said. "What do you expect me to do?"
"You just have to get to the roof," Master Tallan said. "The Convocants distrust each other so much that any disruption will upset the delicate balance that holds the pieces in place. And it is because of that distrust that the Queen has withdrawn the Palace Guards. You may have to deal with the Convocants' retainers, but otherwise the way will be clear."
"Even so, you said there are fifteen mages besides the Queen."
"And you are immune to magic, or very nearly so. You are the best man in the kingdom to send against them. Also, once you are there, surely you will have the Witch on your side. She will be unbound for the ceremony, surely. With her powers awakened and unfettered, I daresay she is more powerful than all of them combined and I can assure you that they won't be banding together once the ceremony falls apart."
Tobias could not share his confidence.
"You do know that Tellus surrendered herself to the Black Guard, don't you? I don't know how much we can expect her to help."
"What do you think would have happened if you tried to fight the Black Guard?" Master Tallan asked in turn. "I am sure you know. It was necessary."
"Quiet now," Larentia warned as they reached the bottom of the tower. "The way should be clear, but we cannot take any unnecessary risks. Wait a moment."
She opened the door and looked out, then returned and told them, "Come along."
Waiting for them just outside the door were two carts and a quartet of maidservants.
"Laundry carts?" Tobias asked.
"You are going to be washed, after all," Larentia said. "Now get in and stay quiet until we get where we are going."
Tobias obliged by getting into one of the laundry carts and nodding to Tym'r to get in the other one. As the maidservants were concealing him with soiled linens, he asked Larentia, "Why are you doing this? You were once the Queen's own nurse, am I right?"
"That is precisely why I am doing this," Larentia replied. "I will do whatever I can, whatever I must to protect her, even if I must protect her from herself. Now, quiet, I said."
What else could he do but accept the situation as it was, no matter how confusing the web of plots and intrigue might be? Maybe Tellus did have it planned out all along. He and Tym'r were still alive. Now they needed to rescue her and Shoshanna and put a stop to the Queen while they were at it. All he could do was focus on what needed to be done. It might even work.