Red Mantle by Gail Merritt

Author:Gail Merritt [Merritt, Gail]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-06-19T22:00:00+00:00

XI. A Brother

There was great feasting in the Palace that night with not a drop of scented water. Even the little king was allowed to drink wine, but the Vizier made a great show of adding water from a crystal flagon. Smelda and our young men were seated with the minor courtiers and it was clear that Smelda was becoming more familiar with Kor-erif wine. I caught Kaileb’s eye and he nodded. He would take care of her and ensure that a headache was all she would suffer. I was pleased to see her having fun, after all the misery that she has known in her life.

‘When we return to Vellin, I wish to consult with the whole Souran concerning the Mines of Rynth.’ Ardin had followed my eyes and his thoughts were also on Smelda and all the other slaves who lives had been spent in the silver mines. ‘The Five Kingdoms have allowed this wickedness to continue at our borders for too long and we might as well begin with those who profit from the misery of others.’

‘Likewise, we are outlawing the Mine Masters. They have turned our city into a den of thieves and even if their perfumed water was an innocent mistake, their crimes within our boundaries cannot be overlooked.’ The little king’s face was flushed.

‘Your visit has precipitated many changes,’ the Vizier said. ‘This afternoon, His Majesty sent messages of goodwill to the new settlers of our sister city, Kor-tnelis. It has been too long since we acknowledged our past and our place in the old alliances. Kor-retniw is lost to us, which makes Kor-tnelis even more precious. His Majesty has invited the priestesses to come and instruct us about the history we share, a history which we have forgotten.’

‘It is our pleasure to know that we have good friends in the Western Wastes. My father had always planned to send emissaries to you but there were always other demands on his time and resources. I am pleased to be fulfilling his wishes.’ Ardin sounded more like his father’s son, our father’s son, than I had ever heard him sound before. He offered a toast to the King and his uncle and we raised our glasses with pleasure. None of us went to our beds before midnight and few rose before the day was well started.

We breakfasted with the Vizier, who had drawn on his network of spies to gather all the information that he could about Red Mantle. He had been seen in the city and had bought supplies for a long journey. Although most said that he had been tight-lipped about his destination, one man, a one-eyed purveyor of so-called objects and artefacts with unique qualities, recalled that Red Mantle was seeking a map of the region round Kashkie. The man was bemused because when he expressed his opinion that no such document existed, Red Mantle smiled and said, ‘Excellent, that is what I had hoped you would say.’

‘It seemed he expects others to be seeking such a map.

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