Pendant of Fortune (31 page)

“
Why haven’t you?” He hadn’t wondered this before, but was curious about it now.

“
I couldn’t travel with a cub that young. And then I kept putting it off, because I was worried that…” She lowered her eyes.

“
That something might happen to him?”

“
That you might want to keep him in the palace if I visited.”

“
Oh.” He could see that now, and felt like a fool for asking, especially since she
was
giving him up. All he’d done was force her to make it clear that she didn’t want to.

“
I heard about the…business up at the castle,” she said, lowering her voice.

“
Yeah.” Volle tried to make it clear in his tone and with his lowered ears that he didn’t want to talk about it, and she took the hint.

After several more minutes of silence, Volle got up. “I think I’ll go to the cooling pool before the dust bath. I’ll see you later.”

She nodded. “Good bye, Volle.”

“
Bye, Volyan,” Volle called to the cub. “I’ll see you later!”

The cub stopped in mid-run and spun around quite agilely, reaching Volle in a few seconds and wrapping his arms around Volle’s legs. “Easy,” Volle said with a grin. “I promise I’ll see you later.” He noticed Dewanne getting up and out of the pool as he disengaged Volyan from his legs.

“
How much later?” the cub said, and Volle knelt to nuzzle him.

“
After the dust baths. You be good, now.”

Volyan said a cheerful, “okay!” and ran back to Ilyana. Volle watched him, smiled, and went into the changing room.

Dewanne stepped into the changing room while Volle was trying to decide whether he wanted to take his tunic, now filthy from Volyan dragging it on the ground and falling in it. He opted not to, deciding that the cub would like it, and as he turned around he saw Dewanne pulling his shorts on.

“
I’ll join you,” the other fox said, and followed Volle to the cooling pool.

They eased into the warm water, and Volle waited for Dewanne to begin their private talk. The other fox seemed reluctant to do so, taking a lot of time to settle in and then just leaning back and relaxing. Finally he looked at Volle.

“
What do you think of the resort, eh?”

Volle flicked his ears, curious but not wanting to press the older fox. “It’s very nice, very relaxing. I can see why people come here.”

“
It’s not the best resort in Tephos, of course, but it is the best in Vellenland.” Dewanne looked up. “The architecture in Earthsteam up north of the Reysfields is much more pleasing to the eye. It’s been modified throughout the years, you know, in a number of various styles. This is rather drab. But functional. The arches are a nice touch. That’s unique to here.”

“
I don’t like the arches much,” Volle said.

“
Well, it’s an interesting principle.” Dewanne didn’t much seem interested in Volle’s views, nor in discussing the arches. “There’s a nice resort up in the northern mountains, where you wouldn’t think there’d be hot springs, that does some nice visual tricks with the tiles in the pools. And the water there doesn’t smell quite as strong.”

“
I don’t mind the smell. It masks everything else.”

“
Yes, perfect for a land of weasels.” Dewanne grinned. “Of course, we foxes are used to it.”

“
It is nice to be somewhere where I don’t have to worry about my scent,” Volle agreed.

“
The water up in the mountains is even clearer, even from the hot springs. And the steam fills the air because it’s so cold up there. You really must try it sometime.”

Volle flicked his ears again, and grinned. “Is that what you wanted to talk to me about? Inviting me on a private vacation?” He was pretty sure he was wrong. He hoped he was wrong.

Dewanne snorted at him. “I’m not going to dignify that with an answer. Although I did plan to encourage you to spend more time with your own species.”

Volle’s good humor dissipated. “What do you mean? Once Streak is free, he’ll come to the palace with me.”
Once
had very nearly turned to
if
as he said it.

“
Yes,” Dewanne said. “You know, it’s all very well if you like males. Nothing wrong with that as long as you have an heir. But really, to go about with a wolf…there are plenty of gay foxes out there.”

“
Not as many as you’d think.”

“
Regardless. They are there. And it would be more becoming to be with one of your own kind.”

Volle was starting to feel quite irritated now. “Aren’t we all brothers under Canis?”

“
Oh, yes, yes, all one Family. But this country has long regarded foxes apart from the others, since Bucher’s time and before that. In different ways, of course,” he said with a touch of bitterness. “We were among the elite once, and Bucher took advantage of that. And then threw it all away.”

“
Seems more like it was taken from him,” Volle said. “They killed him and all his family.”

“
And most of the other fox nobles,” Dewanne agreed. “But he exploited his standing, tried to rise even higher, and in the end fell further than he had risen. And dragged all of us down with him.”

“
How did your family survive?”

“
My grandfather was at home at the time. He had a small infirmity of the back that made travel wearisome, so he spent a good deal of his time at home, and I believe he had an inkling of what was coming. The people in Dewanne did not subscribe to the mass hysteria that took over Divalia and other parts of the country. So our family was spared. But it was a long time before my father dared return to the palace. My grandfather never did.”

Volle was silent, and after a moment Dewanne continued. “So when I heard there might be a scion of Vinton alive, I pursued the rumor and found you, and Tish was kind enough to help me bring you to the palace. Where, I might add, you have behaved rather poorly on occasion.”

Volle bristled. “I’ve tried to do my best. It’s not my fault Dereath has a grudge against me.” The denial had become so that it was easy to sound natural with it.

Dewanne shrugged. “We asked you to keep a low profile and instead you get involved with Lord Ikling, of all people, and then thrown in prison and exiled. The people are feeling a lot of guilt over the murder of Bucher and his family, which is partly why you were accepted, but that only goes so far. If this hearing goes well, I hope you will learn a lesson from the past.”

“
Is that what you wanted to do? Lecture me on my behavior?” He felt close to getting up and walking out of the pool.

“
No. Keep your fur down. I wanted to talk to you about a delicate matter, but your behavior does play a part in it.” Volle settled down a little, but his ears remained flat. Dewanne didn’t comment, though he surely noticed. “Because of Bucher’s behavior, there are precious few foxes in the nobility.”

“
There’s Vanadi, and…”

“
Don’t be silly. I mean reds, and you know it.” He looked around and lowered his voice. “This isn’t easy for me.”

“
Sorry.” He’d been intentionally contrary because Dewanne had annoyed him. Now he saw that the older fox was bothered by something more personal than the general state of foxes in the Tephos peerage. His ears came up.

“
You have a fine son,” Dewanne said. “The kind I would like to have.”

Volle looked curiously at him. “You don’t have any children?”

Dewanne shook his head. “I…we don’t know if we’ll be able to.”

“
Oh. I’m sorry.”

“
I’d been hoping for some time, but a couple years ago…”

Volle nodded. He was silent for a moment, but Dewanne didn’t go on immediately. “Surely there must be…I mean, you haven’t only been with your wife?”

“
I do not have any other progeny,” Dewanne said stiffly.

“
Okay. Isn’t that…I mean, I think that if you wanted to take another wife…” Volle wasn’t sure how to talk about this. He’d never been that close to Dewanne, and being taken into his confidence was unsettling. He had no idea what Dewanne was leading up to.

“
I’m not leaving Delia,” Dewanne snapped. “Will you please stop talking and just listen?”

“
Sorry.”

“
Thank you.” The older fox settled back against the edge of the pool. “I’m not certain…that the problem is with Delia.”

Volle blinked. “Oh,” he said softly. Then he blinked again. “You want
me
to…?”

“
No!” Dewanne said hurriedly. “I…have a different idea. One that hopefully will not be as drastic.” He took a breath. “If I die without issue, the seat will be empty and the King can assign it as he wishes. My governor is a good fox, but, alas, also childless. In fact, you might like him.”

“
I hardly think that would solve your problem, even if he did want to move to Divalia.”

“
Yes, of course. At any rate, if the King assigns it, there are few enough noble foxes that I could not be sure the seat would remain vulpine. In fact, I am almost sure it would not. So I have a proposition for you. If you and your wife have another cub, I will name him my heir and he will be Lord Dewanne. If a female, she will still inherit but she will have to find a noble fox to marry.”

Volle lay back, stunned. “Really?”

“
Yes, Vinton. I would rather my land pass to another fox of noble blood, even if he is not of my blood.”

He thought about that for a few more seconds. “What if Ilyana doesn’t want another cub?”

“
She’d be foolish not to. Mother of two Lords? What other vixen could say that? What other female could say that? Besides, I see how attached she is to Volyan. She’ll want another one.”

“
Well…that’s very generous of you. I’m really touched, Dewanne.”

“
Don’t be too touched. You’re the only other fox I can turn to.”

“
So even if I were, say, Lord Vallerian, but still a fox…”

Dewanne chuckled. “All right. You have a point.”

“
So let me be flattered. I will talk to Ilyana about it, but I don’t see a problem with it.”

“
Thank you.” Dewanne heaved a sigh. “And thank you for not making that
much
more difficult than it had to be.”

Volle smiled. “Sorry. I didn’t know.”

Dewanne shrugged, and then heaved himself up, stepping up on the bench. “I’m about ready to dry off. You?”

Volle nodded and followed him out of the pool, along the tile and into the changing room. He felt a bit odd about Dewanne’s offer, but he couldn’t see anything wrong with it. Clearly he loved his wife too much to let Volle father a cub on her—or else she had nixed that idea. That would be the cleanest way to handle things—Dewanne could claim the cub for his own and there’d be no trouble passing on the succession.

Unless, perhaps, he was worried that it might come to light later that he was unable to father cubs, and the cub’s succession were to be called into doubt. In that case, he was taking the most certain route by bestowing the title on a noble cub in such a way that the transfer wouldn’t be questioned. That made the most sense, upon reflection, and Lord and Lady Dewanne must have spent a good deal of reflection on this question. Volle was glad he didn’t have to deal with their problem.

He pulled on his shorts, which by now were fairly wet despite not being worn for most of the day. Dewanne led him across the compound to a group of about ten small huts. An otter dressed in a simple blue linen skirt greeted them out front.

“
Male or female?”

“
Female, please,” said Dewanne before Volle could answer.

“
Yes, sahr. And you?” The otter turned to Volle.

“
What am I choosing?” he asked Dewanne.

“
Male for him,” Dewanne said to the otter.

“
There is a female attendant available now. For the male, there will be a short wait. I am sorry, sahr.” The otter had turned to Volle and bowed slightly.

“
Do you mind if I go ahead?”

Volle shook his head, though Dewanne had already taken a step forward and he suspected the other fox didn’t care what his response would be. “Be my guest.”

“
Thanks.” Dewanne followed the otter to one of the huts and disappeared inside. Volle watched him go, then walked over to the bench and sat back, closing his eyes and letting the warm sun toast his chest-fur. Out here, away from the sulfurous springs, his sense of smell was returning, though there was still a ghost of sulfur overlaying everything.