01 Cormyr by Forgotten Realms

Author:Forgotten Realms [Realms, Forgotten]
Format: epub
Published: 2010-04-10T12:02:33.255000+00:00

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Ondrin's supposed regent was at that moment slipping behind a curtain in the garderobe attached to his chambers. The little corner of the room facing him held a marble bust of a bored-looking Baerauble on a pedestal to Vangerdahast's left, and a shelf full of neatly folded towels and dishes of scented soaps on his right. A row of carved gargoyle faces, which bore an uncanny resemblance to the four previous High Mages of the realm, ran along the wall, and the floor here was tiled in a chessboard pattern of alternating dark and light squares. Ignoring Baerauble's unmoving gaze, the Royal Magician put one hand on his head, stretched forward uncomfortably to touch the fingers of his other hand to a certain gargoyle nose, and then touched the toe of his right boot to a particular tile square. Silent radiance rose and sparkled around him. When it faded, he was somewhere else, somewhere piled with towels and soaps. It was the servants' closet off the retiring room in one of the royal apartments. The voices he'd hoped to hear came clearly to his ears as he made a certain gesture, then sat down comfortably on nothing to listen, his generous behind perched on empty air. "... I know things seem dark, Tana," Aunadar Bleth was saying soothingly, "but Cormyr has faced tougher times than this and survived. If the gods gather in your father, you'll just have to take the throne and rule as well as he would have wanted you to." The young princess's only reply was a royal sob. "Whatever you decide, I'll be here," Aunadar went on in a low voice. He was probably holding the crown princess with one hand and stroking her hair with the other, the wizard thought. He almost smiled, but instead, the young Bleth's next words made him stiffen. "I, and a few others like me, will stand with you, whatever the old wizard tries to do. He's gathering the nobles to proclaim him royal regent, you know. I've even heard he's going to use spells to fabricate some document or other, signed by your father, authorizing him to rule... a document whose signature magically comes from some other writ, of course. He'll say he just plans to run the realm until you feel better able to do so-or until you produce an heir-but once he gets his hands on the Dragon Throne, no one of Obarskyr blood will ever sit on it again." There was another sob, and then an agonized, whispering voice. "But what shall I do? He has all those spells! And he knows where all father's magic and wealth lies hidden, and-and just what old feuds and embarrassments and

promises will make all the nobles dance to any tune he plays!" "Not all, Lady Highness." Bleth's voice was firm. "Some few men stand ready to defend the cause of right. Some valiant few. I count myself fortunate to stand among them, when the realm

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