Drakenfeld by Newton Mark Charan

Author:Newton, Mark Charan [Newton, Mark Charan]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Tor
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Optryx

‘Well, that’s finally dealt with,’ I said. ‘I’ve just about enough money to last a few weeks, but unless we get a salary payment delivered soon, we will be licking limestone blocks for dinner.’

‘Then you should find a way of getting more money,’ Leana said.

‘And how do we do that?’

‘I do not know,’ Leana replied. ‘You are supposed to be the thinker.’

As we walked up the gentle slope towards the king’s residence, I felt a sudden relief having put my father’s debts behind me, and the family name cleared once and for all. I imagined him trying to work, to solve the riddles of some crime with such financial problems on his mind. To have no money was bad enough, but to owe others such a fortune would have been torturous. To very nearly pay it off would have been an immense relief, and suspicious in itself.

When we arrived at Optryx and gave the day’s password, we were permitted inside the building. I spoke with the administrative staff about the king’s desire to see me this morning. While there it seemed a good idea to examine other parts of the building. These officials, who wore beautiful green and cream silk gowns, seemed more than willing to help, so it was not long before we were ushered through a double door, along a bright marble corridor, and beginning the preparation to be in the company of King Licintius once again.

We waited in a small, private room. I perched on one of four long, cushioned seats that had been arranged in a semicircle around a window overlooking the internal gardens. For a while Leana and I sat in companionable silence, enjoying the warmth of the morning sunlight on our faces, watching the tops of the plants stir in the breeze. From my casual glance, there was no henbane there.

The door opened without warning. A small armed escort from the King’s Legion led Licintius into the room and I knelt to one knee, Leana to two. His expression changed to one of surprise when he saw her, but he made no further comment.

‘Drakenfeld, please – on your feet.’ The king seemed genuinely glad to see me. His outfit was breathtakingly ornate, a cloak comprising of both blues and purple silks, and a rich yellow tunic embroidered with the black falcon of Detrata. It was luxurious, a stark contrast to the armour of the four soldiers, who took precise and slow steps to take their places along the side of the room.

I introduced Leana, but after that, for the rest of the conversation, he hardly acknowledged her presence. I enquired how he was coping with the matters surrounding his sister’s passing.

His expression changed and beneath the royal glamour was the look of a tired man. Licintius simply shook his head and gestured for us to take a seat on one of the couches. It was only when the sunlight reflected off his jewellery that I realized quite how much he was wearing.

‘Let us start on a more positive note,’ he sighed.

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