The Death of Nnanji (The Seventh Sword Book 4) by Duncan Dave

Author:Duncan, Dave
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2014-04-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 3

Arganari’s eyes were awash again as he hobbled back along the north gallery. The wind still blew in his face, even now, when he was going the other way. He passed the empty plinth that should have been his son’s, then the one that waited for him. Thirteen ancestors to go. He knew that if he could see them they would be staring far above his head, not deigning to look down at him. He would not be able to meet their eyes if they did. He had failed them, dropped the torch. The dynasty must end with him.

He had tried. His first wife had died of puerperal fever, and the child with her. His second, Sisila, had been a great joy, the love of his life. She had given him a child, but only one, the boy the swordsmen had murdered. After the shock of Argie’s death had killed her, his ministers had begged him to marry a third time, but it been years before he could bring himself to do so. Eventually he had wed Daimea. She had given him a daughter; he would sire no more offspring now. Argair was a sweet child, very quick and intelligent. But what chance did she have in a world of men? Once in a while a king’s daughter would try to rule a city, but it never worked for long. Inevitably some swordsman would force her into marriage at sword point and declared himself king. Even then, her children might not succeed her. Often her husband would promote some other son of his from a previous marriage or a casual affair.

So the house of Arganari was ending. But XIV wasn’t going to abandon his throne and his cities to the Casr barbarians without a fight.

Exhausted by the struggle and the pain in his hips, he reached the end of the gallery to find the three swordsmen oxen waiting just inside the door. He sent them off to bar the chapel door, while he went in search of a bath, a soothing massage, and his breakfast.

When he was ready to eat, he sent word to Daimea to join him in the state banqueting hall. He ate there from habit, but it might as well have been the porters’ mess for all he could see of its opulence. He was informed that her Majesty was sleeping late that morning, and had not yet rung for her tea.

Hating eating alone, he sent for Reeve Pollex to discuss Wizard Krandrak’s warnings. He had almost finished his snack when the page returned to say that the reeve could not be found, but he must be somewhere in the palace because his horse was in its stall; the swordsmen were still looking for him. Arganari could imagine a good place to look and suspected that the page could, too.

At that moment Argair came skipping in, bright and fresh as a spring morning. She kissed her father’s cheek, sat on the closest chair uninvited, and reached for the sweetmeat dish.

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