New Star Rising by Linda K Hopkins

Author:Linda K Hopkins
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Linda K Hopkins

Stoneford lay twelve miles to the northeast of Riverton, on the other side of the Cambria River. In the center of the town was a large cobbled square, surrounded on all sides by tall, narrow houses of dark red stone. Children splashed in a fountain in the center of the square, while parents watched from a nearby café as they sipped on their drinks.

Val stopped at one of the tables as Marv hurried off to find suitable lodgings for the prince. “Nothing too grand,” Val told him. “I want to keep a low profile.” Marv’s eyebrows rose slightly as he took in Val’s made-up face and superbly cut jacket, but he remained silent as he turned and headed across the square. He returned an hour later with the news that he had found lodgings at a small inn just a few blocks away. The innkeeper was a most discreet man, Marv assured him, and while the place was not ostentatious, it was very well appointed.

“Very well, lead on,” Val ordered.

The chamber assigned to Val, with a room next door for his valet, overlooked pretty gardens and a canal. A meal was ordered, and as Marv poured him a glass of wine, Val watched as watercraft traveled up the canal, guided through the water by canal men with long poles. “Well done, Marv,” he said. “You chose well.”

Two days after arriving in Stoneford, Val received word from Gloria that a delegation of Rhymer leaders was willing to meet with him. She named a time for the following day, and a place halfway between Stoneford and Riverton. When Val arrived, he was surprised, at first, to see Gloria among the group, but on reflection, he realized that her presence made sense. She was a businesswoman who had shown that she was not intimidated by his royal presence, and it was clear from the discussion that the other leaders listened respectfully when she voiced her opinion.

Val did not expect to sway the group in a single meeting, and he was not surprised when they viewed him with thinly veiled hostility.

“Why should we trust you?” one of the men demanded, and Val answered with a shrug.

“You shouldn’t,” he replied. “I’m Cambrian, I’m royal, and I’m from Lenora. My father-in-law is the commander of the Crimson Guards, while the laws my father passed have done much to make your lives more difficult. You can throw in your lot with me or support the Red Lions. I am an unknown entity, but the Red Lions will most assuredly make your lives more difficult.”

“Once they overthrow the crown, our lot will improve,” another man said.

“Are you sure about that? They know how to fight, but do they know how to govern?” He glanced at Gloria, to see that she was watching him intently.

Discussion continued for another hour, until Gloria brought things to a close. “You’ve given us much to think about,” she said to Val. “We will consider what you have said.”

It was the best Val could hope for, and he left the meeting feeling encouraged.

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