Lord Soth (30 page)

And while he did his best to block all thought from his mind so that he might be able to complete his assigned task, one thought kept coming back to him.

Even some of Soth’s worst enemies—beings who championed the forces of evil and who were killed in the intense heat of battle—had never been so completely savaged.

Chapter 19

The silhouette of the pyre stood out in high relief against the red
and orange streaks that colored the twilight sky. Atop the pyre on one side was a long, rectangular wooden box. On the other side was a much smaller box about the size of a traveler’s trunk.

Lord Soth had specified that the bodies of Lady Korinne and the child be disposed of by fire in order to prevent the spread of disease. Although many who had been close to Korinne showed consternation over the matter, Soth insisted that it was necessary to protect the rest of those within the keep.

Protect them from what, he wouldn’t say.

One of the most vocal opponents to such a ceremony was Korinne’s mother, Leyla, who wanted the bodies of both her daughter and grandchild to be brought back to Palanthas so that they might rest alongside her husband Reynard in the Gladria family tomb. Soth said no to the request, and after that all others were reluctant to approach him on the subject.

As the last pieces of hardwood were being placed on the
pyre, the crowd slowly closed in around it, huddling together as if for warmth. Despite the rich warm colors painting the sky, the evening air was cooler than normal, a subtle reminder of the somber mood pervading the gathering.

Soth himself had been affected more than anyone by the deaths, as well he should. But more than simply grieving, he seemed to be pulling himself away from all but his closest friends and confidants. His knights were, of course, part of his shrinking inner circle, as was the healer and a few others who had always been close to him. But what raised more than a few eyebrows was his frequent contact with the elf-maid, Isolde Denissa.

While it was to be expected that there would be a bond between the two—he had saved her life, after all—they were seen together far more often than was appropriate for such casual acquaintances, particularly so soon after the death of Lady Korinne.

Then there were those who were thankful for Isolde’s presence within the keep. Whenever Soth spoke to her or was in her company, he seemed less troubled and more easily able to deal with his pain. If she was helping the lord of the keep to better handle the sudden loss of Korinne and his child, then so be it.

As the last of the crowd moved in tightly around the pyre, Soth found himself standing next to Isolde. Then, as the torches were thrown against the kindling at the bottom of the pyre and the fire started to burn, Soth leaned to his right and spoke to her.

Many in attendance noticed the subtle movement, and thought it odd. Others took it as an ominous sign that things would be very different around the keep now that Lady Korinne was gone.

Isolde wept as she watched the flames begin creeping up toward the boxes containing Korinne and her child. To
lose a wife and a child, a child so long-awaited and short-lived, was an event painful beyond imagining.

Soth was being strong through the tragedy, but the catastrophic nature of it had to have taken its toll on him. As heroic as his stature was, he was only a man.

She continued to weep as she watched the fire burn, the flames leaving bright orange coals in their wake. The flames rose higher, engulfing the boxes and obscuring them from view.

And then, as Isolde watched the fire burn, she felt the warm press of Soth’s breath against her ear.

“Weep not, my love,” he whispered. “After the required six months of mourning is observed, the keep will have another lady. And after that, there will be the arrival of another Soth child to be rejoiced.”

Isolde continued to weep …

But slowly her tears turned into those of joy.

Six months later, in the middle of Darkember, Lord Soth and Isolde Denissa were wed in the grand hall in Dargaard Keep. The wedding ceremony was a far cry from the pomp and ceremony of Soth’s first marriage to Lady Korinne, but no one in the keep thought it would be proper to have a wedding on such a grand scale so closely following the death of Korinne and her child.

Caradoc joined Soth at the altar, while Mirrel took her place by Isolde’s side. Shortly after Soth had asked her to marry him, Isolde had asked Mirrel to be her lady-in-waiting. At first Mirrel had refused the offer, but Isolde eventually managed to convince the young girl that she needed her help in order to keep things running smoothly within the keep. It would be Mirrel’s job to advise the new lady of the keep about rules of order and other matters of decorum. When it was put to her in that way, Mirrel quickly accepted the position in the
hopes of somehow keeping Korinne’s memory alive for years to come.

Other prominent guests at the wedding included Istvan, who seemed to have grown even closer to Lord Soth over the last few months. Soth was almost doting on the elderly healer. Soth’s knights were also present, all thirteen of them in gleaming plate and mail armor, forming an honor guard for Soth and his bride. And finally, rounding out the wedding party, were the elf-maids who had been traveling with Isolde when they were unceremoniously attacked by ogres and subsequently rescued by Soth and his knights.

Sadly, the elf-woman who’d been escorting Isolde and her friends to Palanthas had been unable to attend. When Soth had asked why, one of the elf-maids had told him she was too sick to attend, while another had said she refused to attend because she considered the marriage to be a doomed one.

The only other person in attendance from outside Dargaard Keep was Lord Cyril Mordren, High Clerist of the Knights of Solamnia. He had been summoned from Palanthas to conduct the ceremony, but responded with surprise because he hadn’t been called to the keep to perform any burial rights following the death of Lady Korinne. Nevertheless, he performed the wedding ceremony adequately enough, although he did glance several times at Isolde’s belly which—although difficult to be certain—seemed to be heavy with child.

“You are now wed, husband and wife,” said Lord Mordren, concluding the ceremony. “You may kiss her, if you wish.”

Soth took Isolde in his arms and kissed her full on the mouth.

The hall was filled with the sound of clapping hands. A polite amount of applause. Nothing more.

“Did you see her?” asked one of the serving girls as she set the plates upon the high table for the wedding feast. “Out to here.”

“Maybe she’s getting fat,” said another girl, putting the cups into place. “You know, living too well in the keep and all of that.”

“Have you ever seen a fat elf?”

“No, but …”

“I say milord sure didn’t waste any time.”

“Nooo!”

“Oh yes, and there’s others that say worse.”

The second woman stopped placing cups on the tables. “What do they say?”

The first girl looked left and right before speaking. “They say that Lady Korinne didn’t die birthing the child. They say she died after.”

“Who’s they?”

“Them that knows.”

“Who?” the second girl demanded.

“Mirrel,” the first whispered. “The elf’s lady-in-waiting herself.”

The second girl just shook her head. “No. I can’t believe it. Not milord.”

The first serving girl looked at the other, glaring. “You believe what you want. My guess is that the whole truth might never be known. All I know is that it’s been six months since milady died and if I didn’t know any better I’d say the elf is about that far along. Maybe more.”

“It can’t be.”

“Well, we’ll see. But I’ll bet a month’s wages there’ll be a little Soth running around the keep sooner than you’d expect.”

After a few moments of silence, the second girl said. “I don’t think I want to take that bet.”

“Hmmph!” said the first, satisfied she was in the right.

The two girls continued working in silence.

Darkember passed, followed by Frostkelt and Newkelt.

Over the course of the three months, Isolde’s belly swelled ever larger until one night early in the new year, she went into labor.