A Mighty Fortress (143 page)

The surrendered prizes were going to represent an enormous—and welcome—addition to the Charisian Navy’s strength, and their loss represented a body blow to the Group of Four’s plans. Merlin had no idea how the Group of Four was going to respond, but he didn’t expect Zhaspahr Clyntahn to become any less fanatical in the face of this fresh defeat. And despite the Church’s losses, the Temple still had the capacity to rebuild. The question was whether or not its leaders still had the will.

Actually,
he thought,
I guess that’s not the right question after all. The
right
question is probably whether or not they see any option
except
to rebuild and try again
.

“ ‘The fortress of Charis is the wooden walls of her fleet,’ ” Cayleb quoted softly. He straightened, stepping back from Merlin’s embrace, putting his own gloved hands on the
seijin
’s shoulders. “Old Zhan had that right, but he never mentioned the blood
inside
those walls.”

“No, he didn’t,” Merlin agreed. “But it’s not the walls themselves, Cayleb. And it’s not the
blood
inside them; it’s the
men
inside them. It’s men like Bryahn, and Domynyk. Like Captain Baikyr and Dunkyn Yairley. Like Hektor.” He shook his head. “Cayleb, they knew exactly what they were doing... and they did it anyway. They walked straight into that holocaust because they thought it was their duty.”

“Duty!”
Cayleb repeated bitterly. “I am so sick—sick unto death—of seeing people die for ‘duty,’ Merlin!”

“Of course you are.” Merlin smiled sadly, reaching out to cup Cayleb’s head between his palms. “That’s because you care. But riddle me this, Cayleb Ahrmahk. If you hadn’t been here in Chisholm, instead, would you have been on the quarterdeck of one of those galleons?”

“Of course I would! It would’ve been—”

Cayleb broke off, and Merlin nodded.

“Your duty,” he said softly. “And that’s the true fortress of Charis, and of the Church of Charis, Cayleb. Duty. Responsibility. Love. Because that’s the real basis of your sense of duty, and Bryahn’s, and Maikel’s, and Domynyk’s, and Sharleyan’s. You think
I
don’t understand about ‘duty,’ Cayleb? That I don’t know how much it hurts? The way it sticks in your throat sideways when you see everyone else you know and love laying down their
lives
out of ‘duty’? But the reason they do it is the same reason you would—because they love some-thing enough to die for it. They love their kingdom. They love their emperor and empress. They love their church and their God. They love freedom, and they love each other. And that, Cayleb—
that—
is the true fortress of Charis. I don’t know where this war is going to go before it ends. I don’t know how much more terrible the price is going to be. But I do know that as long as there are men like Bryahn and all the other men who followed him into that battle, the things you and Sharleyan and Maikel and Ahnzhelyk and Nahrmahn are fighting for will always have the champions they need.”

“I know,” Cayleb whispered, closing his eyes again. “And that’s what terrifies me, Merlin. I’m going to need them, and I’m going to call on them, and I’m going to send them out, and they’re going to
die
.”

“Everyone dies, Cayleb. Or at least, everyone but me.” Cayleb couldn’t see Merlin’s smile through his closed eyes, but he felt the pain, the sorrow in it. “It’s given to some of us, though, to die for the things we believe in. To know our lives—and our deaths—
mean
something. And it’s your job, Your Grace—your
duty
— to see to it that those deaths
do
mean something.”

“I know,” Cayleb repeated very, very softly.

“I know you do.” Merlin put his arm around the emperor’s shoulders and gave him one last, quick hug.

“I know you do,” he said again, more briskly. “But now, let’s go inside and get you wrapped around a bowl of hot soup, Your Grace.” He smiled again. “I think your wife and daughter are waiting for you.”

ABYLYN, CHARLZ
— a senior leader of the Temple Loyalists in Charis.

AHBAHT, CAPTAIN RUHSAIL, IMPERIAL DESNAIRIAN NAVY
— CO, HMS
Archangel Chihiro,
40; Commodore Wailahr’s flag captain.

AHBAHT, LYWYS
— Edmynd Walkyr’s brother- in- law; XO, merchant galleon
Wind.

AHBAHT, ZHEFRY
— Earl Gray Harbor’s personal secretary. He fulfills many of the functions of an undersecretary of state for foreign affairs.

AHDYMSYN, BISHOP ZHERALD
— previously Erayk Dynnys’ bishop executor for Charis, now one of Archbishop Maikel’s senior auxiliary bishops.

AHLBAIR, LIEUTENANT ZHEROHM, ROYAL CHARISIAN NAVY
— first lieutenant, HMS
Typhoon.

AHLDARM, MAHRYS OHLARN
— Mahrys IV, Emperor of Desnair.

AHLVEREZ, ADMIRAL- GENERAL FAIDEL, DOHLARAN NAVY
— Duke of Malikai; King Rahnyld IV of Dohlar’s senior admiral.

AHRDYN
—Archbishop Maikel’s cat- lizard.

AHRMAHK, CAYLEB ZHAN HAARAHLD BRYAHN
— Duke of Ahrmahk, Prince of Tellesberg, Prince Protector of the Realm, King Cayleb II of Charis, Emperor Cayleb I of Charis. Husband of Sharleyan Ahrmahk.

AHRMAHK, CROWN PRINCESS ALAHNAH ZHANAYT NAIMU
— infant daughter of Cayleb and Sharleyan Ahrmahk; heir to the imperial Charisian crown.

AHRMAHK, KAHLVYN
— Duke of Tirian (deceased), Constable of Hairatha, King Haarahld VII’s first cousin.

AHRMAHK, KAHLVYN CAYLEB
— Kahlvyn Ahrmahk’s younger son.

AHRMAHK, KING HAARAHLD VII
— King of Charis.

AHRMAHK, RAYJHIS
— Duke of Tirian; Kahlvyn Ahrmahk’s elder son and heir.

AHRMAHK, SHARLEYAN ALAHNAH ZHENYFYR AHLYSSA TAYT
— Duchess of Cherayth, Lady Protector of Chisholm, Queen of Chisholm, Empress of Charis. Wife of Cayleb Ahrmahk. See also Sharleyan Tayt.

AHRMAHK, ZHAN
— Crown Prince Zhan; King Cayleb’s younger brother.

AHRMAHK, ZHANAYT
— Queen Zhanayt; King Haarahld’s deceased wife; mother of Cayleb, Zhanayt, and Zhan.

AHRMAHK, ZHANAYT
— Princess Zhanayt; Cayleb Ahrmahk’s younger sister, second eldest child of King Haarahld VII.

AHRMAHK, ZHENYFYR
— Dowager Duchess of Tirian; mother of Kahlvyn Cayleb Ahrmahk; daughter of Rayjhis Yowance, Earl Gray Harbor.

AHRTHYR, SIR ALYK, CORISANDIAN GUARD
— Earl of Windshare; Sir Koryn Gahrvai’s cavalry commander.

AHSTYN, LIEUTENANT FRANZ, CHARISIAN ROYAL GUARD
— the second- in-command of King Cayleb II’s personal bodyguard.

AHZGOOD, PHYLYP
— Earl of Coris; previously spymaster for Prince Hektor of Corisande; currently legal guardian for Princess Irys Daykyn and Prince Daivyn Daykyn.

AIMAYL, RAHN
— a member of the anti- Charis resistance in Manchyr, Corisande. An ex- apprentice of Paitryk Hainree’s.

AIRYTH, EARL OF
— see Trumyn Sowthmyn.

AIWAIN, CAPTAIN HARYS, IMPERIAL CHARISIAN NAVY
— CO, HMS
Shield,
54.

ALBAN, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER NIMUE, TFN
— Admiral Pei Kau- zhi’s tactical officer.

ANVIL ROCK, EARL OF
— See Sir Rysel Gahrvai.

APLYN- AHRMAHK, ENSIGN HEKTOR, IMPERIAL CHARISIAN NAVY
— Duke of Darcos; acting lieutenant, HMS
Destiny,
54. Cayleb Ahrmahk’s adoptive son.

ARCHBISHOP MAIKEL
— see Archbishop Maikel Staynair.

ARCHBISHOP PAWAL
— see Archbishop Pawal Braynair.

ARTHMYN, FATHER OHMAHR
— senior healer, Imperial Palace, Tellesberg.

ATHRAWES, CAPTAIN MERLIN, CHARISIAN ROYAL GUARD
— King Cayleb II’s personal armsman; the cybernetic avatar of Commander Nimue Alban.

AYMEZ, MIDSHIPMAN BARDULF, ROYAL CHARISIAN NAVY
— a midshipman, HMS
Typhoon.

BAHLTYN, ZHEEVYS
— Baron White Ford’s valet.

BAHNYR, HEKTOR
— Earl of Mancora; one of Sir Koryn Gahrvai’s senior officers; commander of the right wing at Haryl’s Crossing.

BAHR, DAHNNAH
— senior chef, Imperial Palace, Cherayth.

BAHRDAILAHN, LIEUTENANT SIR AHBAIL, ROYAL DOHLARAN NAVY
— the Earl of Thirsk’s flag lieutenant.

BAHRMYN, ARCHBISHOP BORYS
— Archbishop of Corisande for the Church of God Awaiting.

BAHRMYN, TOHMYS
— Baron White Castle; Prince Hektor’s ambassador to Prince Nahrmahn.

BAHRNS, KING RAHNYLD IV
— King of Dohlar.

BAIKET, CAPTAIN STYWYRT, ROYAL DOHLARAN NAVY
— CO, HMS
Chihiro
, 50; the Earl of Thirsk’s flag captain.

BAIKYR, CAPTAIN SYLMAHN, IMPERIAL CHARISIANNAVY
— CO, HMS
Ahrmahk
, 58. High Admiral Lock Island’s flag captain.

BAIRAHT, DAIVYN
— Duke of Kholman; effectively Emperor Mahrys IV’s Navy Minister, Imperial Desnairian Navy.

BANAHR, FATHER AHZWALD
— head of the priory of Saint Hamlyn, city of Sarayn, Kingdom of Charis.

BARCOR, BARON OF
— see Sir Zher Sumyrs.

BAYTZ, FELAYZ
— Prince Nahrmahn of Emerald’s youn gest child and second daughter.

BAYTZ, HANBYL
— Duke of Solomon; Prince Nahrmahn of Emerald’s uncle and the commander of the Emeraldian Army.

BAYTZ, MAHRYA
— Prince Nahrmahn of Emerald’s oldest child.

BAYTZ, NAHRMAHN GAREYT
— second child and elder son of Prince Nahrmahn of Emerald.

BAYTZ, NAHRMAHN HANBYL GRAIM
— See Prince Nahrmahn Baytz.

BAYTZ, PRINCE NAHRMAHN II
— ruler of the Princedom of Emerald; Cayleb and Sharleyan Ahrmahk’s Imperial Councilor for Intelligence.

BAYTZ, PRINCESS OHLYVYA
— wife of Prince Nahrmahn of Emerald.

BAYTZ, TRAHVYS
— Prince Nahrmahn of Emerald’s third child and second son.

BÉDARD, DR. ADORÉE, PH.D.
— Chief Psychiatrist, Operation Ark.

BISHOP EXECUTOR WYLLYS
— see Bishop Executor Wyllys Graisyn.

BISHOP ZHERALD
— see Bishop Zherald Ahdymsyn.

BLACK WATER, DUKE OF
— see Ernyst Lynkyn.

BLACK WATER, DUKE OF
— see Sir Adulfo Lynkyn.

BLAHNDAI, CHANTAHAL
— an alias of Lysbet Wylsynn in Zion.

BLAIDYN, LIEUTENANT ROZHYR, ROYAL DOHLARAN NAVY
— second lieutenant, galley
Royal Bédard.

BORYS, ARCHBISHOP
— see Archbishop Borys Bahrmyn.

BOWAVE, DAIRAK
— Dr. Rahzhyr Mahklyn’s senior assistant, Royal College, Tellesberg.

BOWSHAM, CAPTAIN KHANAIR, ROYAL CHARISIAN MARINES
—CO, HMS
Gale.

BRADLAI, LIEUTENANT ROBYRT, CORISANDIAN NAVY
— true name of Captain Styvyn Whaite.

BRAYNAIR, ARCHBISHOP PAWAL
— Archbishop of Chisholm for the Church of Charis.

BREYGART, COL O NEL SIR HAUWERD, ROYAL CHARISIAN MARINES
— the rightful heir to the Earldom of Hanth. Becomes earl 893.

BREYGART, FRAIDARECK
— fourteenth Earl of Hanth; Hauwerd Breygart’s great- grandfather.

BROUN, FATHER MAHTAIO
— Archbishop Erayk Dynnys’ senior secretary and aide; Archbishop Erayk’s confidant and protégé.

BROWNYNG, CAPTAIN ELLYS
— CO, Temple galleon
Blessed Langhorne.

BRYNDYN, MAJOR DAHRYN
— the senior artillery officer attached to Brigadier Clareyk’s column at Haryl’s Priory.

BYRK, MAJOR BREKYN, ROYAL CHARISIAN MARINES
— CO, Marine detachment, HMS
Royal Charis.

BYRKYT, FATHER ZHON
— an over- priest of the Church of God Awaiting; abbot of the Monastery of Saint Zherneau.

CAHKRAYN, SAMYL
— Duke of Fern, King Rahnyld IV of Dohlar’s first councilor.

CAHMMYNG, AHLBAIR
— a professional assassin working for Father Aidryn Waimyn.

CAHNYR, ARCHBISHOP ZHASYN
— Archbishop of Glacierheart for the Church of God Awaiting; a Reformist member of Samyl Wylsynn’s circle.

CHAHLMAIR, SIR BAIRMON
— Duke of Margo; a member of Prince Daivyn’s Regency Council.