(eng) L. E. Modesitt - Imager Portfolio 11 by Assassin's Price

Author:Assassin's Price [Price, Assassin's]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

29

On Vendrei morning, the latest edition of Veritum was on Charyn’s desk when he arrived. That was a mixed blessing. It meant that Charyn had another source of information, but, unfortunately, the newssheet also contained a small story speculating on whether Charyn would marry Malyna, even though she was an imager, wondering why else she had been at the Year-Turn Ball as part of the regial family.

By midafternoon, after meeting with all three ministers in the morning, Charyn was still struggling with what he would say at the memorial service, while Howal continued to draft—and then re-draft in final form after Charyn’s corrections—replies to the three score or more letters of sympathy and condolence.

One of the problems Charyn faced was that his father had hated sentimentality and despised hypocrisy and empty flattery. The other was that no one, even the High Council, could understand how hard his father had worked just to hold Solidar together … and his just saying that would be ignored or dismissed, if not both.

But do most people even remember what is said at a memorial service?

He smiled sardonically.

For some reason, his thoughts drifted to Malyna, and the fact that she was descended from Vaelora, who had married the first Maitre. But who had the first Maitre really been? Had he been anything like all the legends? He pushed aside those thoughts. He needed to concentrate on his remarks. Except …

If he talked to his mother, she might have some thoughts.

He abruptly stood from where he had been sitting at the desk and looked over to Howal. “I’m going to talk to Mother. I won’t be long.”

“Yes, sir. Would you like me—”

“If I’m not safe on the upper corridor of the chateau…” Charyn shook his head, then smiled sadly and left the study.

He found his mother where she usually was, especially in recent days—in her sitting room.

“I’m surprised to see you here now.” She smiled warmly.

“I’m having trouble finding the words for the memorial. It’s hard to put feelings into words that don’t sound maudlin or overblown. I don’t want to do either, and Father wouldn’t have wanted that, either.”

“You’re right.” After a moment, she said, “You could say just that as a beginning.”

“I just might.”

“I don’t think that’s all that’s on your mind.”

“No … it’s not. I was thinking about Malyna … and the fact that we’re both descended from the father of the first Rex Regis, but she’s also descended from the first Maitre. There aren’t many imagers who could claim that today, just her.”

“And her aunt, Maitre Alyna.”

“I hadn’t thought about that. I should have. How real do you think first Maitre was?” Charyn asked.

“I’m quite sure he was real, dear,” replied Chelia, “but that’s not what you meant, was it?”

“No. I’ve been through a great portion of the chateau archives, and he’s seldom even mentioned. Yet all the legends suggest this giant, this titan of an imager. He must have had great abilities, but those that are attributed to him by legend

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