The Arcanist (60 page)

Chapter Sixty

Edouard was hiding. Though he would never have admitted it. He had found himself a nice little spot on the bench seat around the side of the fort behind some willows, and was feeling good about that. The spot was out of sight of Leona and her army of servants as they wandered in and out of the fort cleaning. That was important when he was certain that if she spotted him he would be put on cleaning duties. Marcus might be the commander on the battlefield, but in the home he had nothing on Leona.

Edouard was feeling good about the fullness of his stomach too – it had been a good breakfast. The food had improved since Leona had taken command of the fort. He had to admit that. The bed was softer and cleaner, the fort smelled fresher and the light coming through the windows was somehow brighter; all thanks to his sister's merciless war on dirt.

But still he was hiding.

It was nice in the garden Edouard thought. Peaceful and sunny. He valued peace above all else when Leona was inside ordering the servants about like a cantankerous drill sergeant. They had a lot of servants now too. His sister had started hiring. The Lady of the House was at home and determined to be listened to as she set about fixing things. Fixing the thousand and one things he was certain hadn't been broken before. He wasn't fool enough to object though. In fact he was just about smart enough to stay out of her sight and pretend to be asleep if she called.

The smell of the garden was also a blessing from the Divines. The freshness of the grass and the scents of the flowers. The good honest smell of dirt. After so many days wandering through the sewers, being covered in effluent and excreta, he welcomed the clean scent of the country air. His family did too. They hadn't even bothered washing his clothes. Leona had taken one look at them and simply announced that they had to be burnt. He guessed he was lucky not to have joined them in the incinerator. As it was the servants had scrubbed him for hours with brushes and carbolic soap and made him have three baths before he could even go to bed. Maybe they'd had reason. The water they'd drained from each bath had been black.

After that three days in bed and another four simply resting had helped to return a little strength to him, though not he suspected, the unpleasant concoctions of the physicians they kept making him drink. Those didn't help at all.

Now though, having rested and recovered, his first task was to keep from being drafted into the cleaning army. His next was to try and work out what to do for the next few years. Until the family's new home was built and he had his fort once more to himself.

He couldn't help but think that it would be difficult staying out of the way of everyone for all that time. Perhaps a trip might be in order. Somewhere far enough away that he might be forgotten about. Though of course he would still have to be here for the trial in a few months. And for the coronation.

His father had been very clear on some things. He had just moved up in the family. There would be greater expectations placed upon him. He would have to be seen at more official functions. Sit on some committees. Attend court. Give up his self-indulgent life as an arcanist. And of course the threat of marriage was still hanging over his head like an axe waiting to drop. The only reason it hadn't dropped already he guessed was that his father like every other noble from Therion was busy trying to work out which families had what resources remaining. No one wanted to wed into a family that had become penniless.

Edouard's response to that had been to agree and nod a lot, and try to work out ways to stretch out his convalescence for as long as possible. But that wasn't going to be as long as he would like. Not when Janus was still in the fort and now had a permanent supply of vermillion leaf. Already his injuries were mostly recovered and even the scarring on his back was finally fading. His shirts hadn't had much blood on them at all lately.

“Is this seat taken?”

Startled, Edouard looked up to see Kyriel standing in front of him, indicating the seat beside him. He was surprised. She'd never asked to sit beside him before. And in any case he had thought she was busy with her sister.

“Only by you my Lady.”

“Thank you.” She smiled politely at him, stepped over to the other side of the bench, straightened her dress and sat down elegantly.

Edouard had to admit she was looking a lot better than she had in the sewers. Her hair was washed and sparkled in the sunlight, glowing almost with a white, gold aura. Her dress was neat and clean, and for some reason it seemed to show off her womanly attributes even more clearly than before. She might not be a demoness like Denetta very nearly bursting out of her dress, but she still had all the right curves a woman should have.

“How is your sister?” He asked because he was curious and because he wanted to make certain she was nowhere nearby. Meeting her once had been quite enough.

“Young and annoying. She is still bitterly angry with me, blaming me for our Father's loss of his position as the head of House Mystral. However, after speaking with Tyrel I doubt she wishes to kill me anymore.”

That Edouard could believe. He doubted that there was anyone in the world crazy enough to want to cause harm to one of the hamadryad's handmaidens after having actually met Tyrel.

“Besides, she was humbled quite brilliantly by April. That has dented her pride.”

“She wouldn't –?” Edouard was suddenly worried.

“No.” Kyriel was quick to reassure him. “That would be too shameful. Just to do what she did was shameful. To attack someone who has given her no cause, who is not part of a warring house and who is not trained was a stain upon her honour. To do it again after she has been defeated and released by that already wronged woman would make her the worst kind of brigand.”

“Good.” Edouard didn't really understand her people's ways, but he trusted her when she said it was over.

“So, are we hiding here for a reason?”

“Hiding? Never! Why would I be hiding?” Edouard did his best to sound surprised and indignant, but he wouldn't have convinced anyone. Least of all Kyriel it seemed who was hiding a smile behind her hand. He had to admit it was a nice expression on her face.

“For the same reason that Thomas is on the other side of the fort hidden behind some rose bushes with his niece and nephew, Janus is in the town examining the clinic he has examined a hundred times before and your father has run to Bitter Crest. Fear of having a cleaning cloth forced into your hands!” She giggled quietly.

“I prefer to think of it as making a strategic retreat!”

She didn't believe him of course, and her smile grew broader. There was even some colour in her cheeks.

“Then perhaps good Sir you could retreat a little further in your horseless carriage. I could use a lift to Theria. The Mother has asked for a report on how progress is coming along on building the new shrine.”

Theria. It wasn't Edouard's favourite place to visit just then. He'd in fact had enough of the city for some time after spending so long wandering its sewers. And he didn't want to see the ruins above ground again. Not so soon anyway. The princes were there and a small gathering of the Court were with them as they discussed the rebuilding of the city. They were suggesting it would take years, but really Edouard thought it was a task that would take decades at least.

The rest of Therion was recovering slowly. The people were already returning to the smaller towns and villages, and Breakwater now had maybe a third of its former population back. The portal system was a marvel for returning people to their homes. But Theria itself had been all but destroyed. There weren't so many homes left.

Their own family manor had been badly damaged by fire, and though it could be restored to its former glory, what was the point if there was no city around it? Besides, the warehouses were gone too. The heart of the trading concern that had been the House of Barris had been torn from it.

Edouard wasn't even completely certain that Theria could be restored to its former status as a city. If there were no homes and no work to return to then why would the people return? And if there were no people, who would rebuild the homes or restart the businesses? It was a vicious cycle. If nothing else there were an unknown number of bodies buried among the ruins and all of them needed to be gathered up and interred in a proper grave yard. But there was no one to do that either.

The army had already dispersed – scarcely a week after the battle. There wasn't the coin to keep paying them. Marcus had returned to the fort the previous night, a conquering war hero with nothing left to do, and had promptly found a bed. He was still upstairs somewhere, snoring away and no doubt annoying Leona as she tried to polish the bed chamber floors.

And then there was Vesar, locked away somewhere in the bowels of the city as he awaited his trial. Edouard did not want to ever have to see him again. But he did feel in some small way good that the black robed advisor was still alive. A trial was a good thing. It was good for the people. It would help restore confidence in the realm and its new king. And if Vesar had been telling the truth about his world, it might help to make things right for his people as well. That was the right thing to happen. But he still didn't want to be around.

Maybe some of his reluctance to visit the city showed on his face.

“It will be a nice trip through the country. You can get to see your old home and maybe some old friends. And besides, I am thinking you owe me something.”

“I owe you?” Edouard was shocked. “I saved your life!”

“I know and I'm grateful. But then you stole my prisoner.”

“I stole your prisoner?” It took Edouard a moment to even think who she was talking about. And then when he did he was even more shocked. “You mean Vesar?”

“Of course. He was in my custody. He would have been transported to Tyrel for proper judgement. But then you simply handed him over to your king. And he wasn't even your king then.”

Edouard would have objected. He even opened his mouth to say something. But then he thought better of it. He was never going to win.

“That's better.” Kyriel smiled, satisfied. “Now my sisters have already fired up the boiler and we have a lunch prepared for us as well. So shall we?”

She stood up and held out her arm expecting to be escorted to the carriage and Edouard naturally obliged, taking her arm. But instead of walking with her to the carriage he stopped dead as he suddenly noticed how beautiful she was again. In fact there and then, with the sunlight bathing her, she was a vision of beauty. Instead of doing what he should he had a sudden rush of blood to the head and he took her hand and turned her around to face him. Then he pulled her close and kissed her. Kyriel he was pleased to discover, didn't resist. In fact after the first few shocked seconds she seemed to want to pull him closer. Though afterwards of course she was properly offended.

“Really I …!”

“Hush!” Edouard actually managed to stop her with that, though it occurred to him that the silence wouldn't last long. So he kissed her again and this time felt her melt into him. It was a long time before they needed to stop for air.

“Edouard –.” She started to say something. Maybe to protest.

“Hush.” He kissed her a little more until she got the message. And he guessed she did when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and started pulling him closer. At last he finally knew for certain that she had the same feelings for him that he had for her. Just as he also knew what he had to do.

“Now it occurs to me that I am a man in urgent need of a wife. And that you are a beautiful, capable and intelligent woman who would make a perfect wife. And that despite all your protestations, you and April and the other women have been leading me around like a prize calf with a ring through his nose.”

“But –.”

“No buts! Especially when I can finally see my sister's hands in this. The same one who's been telling me that Father is determined to marry me off. Unless of course I can marry someone else first.” April's plan was suddenly so obvious to him. As was the fact that he was sure she hadn't acted alone. Something which he immediately accused Kyriel of.

“I … I …” Kyriel's cheeks started turning bright red and she tried to protest her innocence as well as his cavalier treatment of her, but he stopped that in a hurry by kissing her again. It seemed to be an effective not to mention enjoyable strategy. And it was also nice to discover that he did have some small power over her.