The King of Anavrea (Book Two of the Theodoric Saga) (11 page)

The distance to Ireic’s book room turned out to
be briefer than Lirth expected. Isack announced her, “Her Majesty,
the Queen.”

“Lirth.” Ireic’s voice reflected his
surprise.

Lirth couldn’t detect whether or not he was
pleased to see her. As the door closed behind Isack, warm fingers
closed around hers and guided her into the room.

“You are early.”

“I was hoping to speak with you before the
meeting. I wondered what is expected of me.” As she spoke,
realization dawned on Lirth. Her presence in his sanctuary might
not be appreciated. “I am sorry, if I am interrupting
anything–”

“No.” Ireic tucked her hand under his arm. “I
wished to speak with you, too. Do you want a tour of the room
first?”

Suddenly feeling shy, Lirth nodded. As he
patiently led her from one piece of furniture to the next, Lirth
tried to memorize their placement. A few times she requested that
he let her move from table to chair to wall and back again.

Finally they came around to his desk. As she ran
her fingers across the smooth polished surface, she caught the edge
of an object. While straightening it back into place, she realized
it was an open book. “What are you reading?”

“A gift from the Lisbrith,” He answered. “He
hopes to convert me into a follower of the Kurios. I can’t blame
the Lisbrith for trying, it is his mission, but I am not sure it
will offer what I need right now.”

“Don’t be so certain.” Lirth caressed the vellum
pages, wishing she could read the words for herself. “The words I
could remember from my tutoring with my brothers comforted me a
great deal during my imprisonment.” Careful not to lose his place,
Lirth picked it up and examined it more closely. The leather
casement was smooth and supple; the parchment was stiff with
newness. A well sewn binding was just barely detectable beneath the
leather.

“I thought the Sardmarans worshiped a
goddess.”

She nodded. “Yaren. I count it a blessing daily
that my father sent us a tutor from Braulyn. In addition to giving
my brothers a superior education, he also taught us about the
Kurios and the teachings of the manuscripts.”

“If you think it will help, I will make a point
to read it.” Ireic then fell silent.

Lirth replaced the book on the desk. Had she
said too much?

Suddenly Ireic spoke again. “I already started
reading it. I was curious if I might learn something helpful for
tonight.”

“Have you?” She looked over and up in the
direction she guessed his face to be. In moments like these, she
desperately wished she could see. It was so hard to read him
without touching him and sensing the tensing or relaxing of his
muscles.

Has he encountered you, Kurios?
The
thought passed swiftly as she fingered the book’s edge.
I pray
he does. You could ease the overwhelming burdens he carries so
faithfully.

Ireic sighed deeply as he took the book from her
hands. She could hear the rustling of the pages as he opened it
again. “Not yet, but I will not give up without giving it a fair
chance.”

“If you are depending on it for this meeting, I
certainly hope you have a reserve plan.” She restlessly ran her
fingers along the desktop, tracing the grain and carved ridges.
“You have less than an hour.”

“That is why I wanted to talk to you.” He set
down the book with a thump and took her hands. “Come and sit down.”
He guided her to a seat, sat next to her, and reclaimed her
hands.

“I have been considering the best next move, and
I want you to be crowned as soon as possible. According to my
assistant, Dorn, the preparations will be immense. The bare minimum
should be achievable in two weeks if the invitations go out by the
end of tomorrow. This will place a horrendous burden on you. I
wanted to obtain your opinion before proposing the plan to anyone
else. Reorganizing the government will consume all of my time, so
you will need to handle all the decisions about the coronation
without me. Dorn can handle most of the work, but I need to you
make the decisions.”

“Why must it happen immediately?” Her head
spinning, Lirth struggled to keep her reaction from showing in her
face.

“The sooner we declare you queen, the better.
The former councilors will try to convince the other nobles to
support their view of the situation. The nation needs to see that I
have chosen and accepted you as my queen.”

His fingers massaged her hands, the pressure
grew almost painful in his eagerness. Or was it desperation?
Despite the panic constricting her chest, Lirth felt compelled to
agree. Ireic needed her. She wished to be useful. The unfamiliar
was better than sitting alone and wasting time.

“I will.”

His hands stilled. “Thank you.”

“It has to happen sometime.”

“It does.” He sighed heavily. “The tasks ahead
seem to grow in number the longer I think about them. I still can
see no end. So much depends on tonight. I know I can’t run the
government alone. I wish…” He fell silent again. She suspected it
was a habit. One he needed to break. She depended on his voice.

“What do you wish?

“What?”

“If you could do anything you wanted, what would
you do?”

He leaned back. “When I was a child, I spent
long summer months with my grandfather in the western wilds on the
peninsula. He owned a vast estate complete with castle and acres of
deep forest. I inherited all of it when he died. If I could choose
my life, I would go there. I would hunt, fish, ramble, and oversee
my small kingdom of peasants, fields, and trees.” He lifted her
hands to his mouth, brushing his lips across her knuckles. “We
could raise hordes of children, refuse to wear court finery, and
ignore the world.”

“I do believe you envy your brother.”

“In a way I do. He has the life I want. What
makes it worse is that he knows it. No matter how I try, I can’t
seem to erase guilt from our relationship.”

“Guilt?” Lirth tilted her head. She didn’t
remember any traces of tension between the brothers.

“Neither of us wanted the throne. He feels
guilty for forcing it upon me. I struggle with ripping him away
from home and family each time I ask him for help.”

“Helping and supporting each other is what
brothers do.” Lirth ignored the memories of her own brothers that
flooded forward. Now was not the time to mull over lost years.
“Does he ever complain?”

“Never. That is the whole problem. He sees it as
payment for making me take the throne.”

“But he didn’t make you. You chose to.”

“Anavrea needed me. She still needs me.”

Why didn’t you send him a real helpmate,
Kurios?
Lirth prayed.
He needs someone to be a fellow
worker, someone to bear part of the burdens of state. Not another
person needing support.

As though catching her thoughts, he kissed her
hand again. “At least now I have you.”

“What little I can do, I will,” she
promised.

“You have helped immensely already.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but a sharp rap
on the door cut off the words.

Ireic dropped her fingers to retreat to a
socially acceptable distance. Lirth straightened her back, composed
her face and arranged her hands.

“Come,” Ireic called from the far side of the
room.

“Ireic, is it true?” An excited male voice burst
forth as the door sprang open. The breeze of its passing brushed
Lirth’s face. She instinctively turned toward the source. The door
closed again with a soft thud. “You disbanded the council this
morning?”

“Han, I would like to introduce you to my wife.”
Ireic stepped forward and reclaimed her hand, drawing her to her
feet.

“Your Majesty.”

Lirth elegantly inclined her head to acknowledge
the bow she assumed he offered. Ireic squeezed her fingers to
encourage her.

“I had not heard that you were wed.” Han sounded
half apologetic and half wondering. “My congratulations.”

“The council kept the plans secret to prevent
embarrassment should the treaty fall through.”

Han exhaled sharply. “Sardmara?”

“Yes.”

“Why Sardmara? Surely Rhynan is preferable to
that corrupt–”

“Han!” Ireic’s sharp retort brought the tirade
to an abrupt end. “There are strategic reasons for the alliance,
though they seem small at the moment. With the recent breakdown in
trade relations with Braulyn, the peace between us grows strained.
An alliance with Sardmara seemed the wisest course.”

“May I remind you, sire?”

“There is no need, Han. I remember very well
your past and the role the Sardmarans played.”

Ireic’s sigh pulled at Lirth’s heart. She lifted
her hand to touch his arm in support, but then thought it wiser to
not.

He continued explaining. “Sardmara is a powerful
ally perfectly situated to ensure that Braulyn’s fiery, young king
will satiate his war lust far from our borders.”

Ireic pulled Lirth gently to her feet,
separating her hands so that he clasped one in each of his, fingers
intertwined. Guiding her closer, he lifted their joined hands to
his face. A warm flutter of breath against skin was the only
warning Lirth received before Ireic’s mouth brushed the sensitive
skin of her inner wrist. Lirth’s middle warmed pleasantly in
response.

“I have been blessed that this duty is much more
pleasant than I expected.”

Heat flooded her face. Lirth tried to temper the
thrill of hope that filled her chest. She pleased him at least a
little. But they had only just begun.

Han cleared his throat. “And the council? Did
you plan on rearranging the government and going to war with the
nobility?”

“That wasn’t planned.” Ireic released her hands.
“In fact, I have only ideas and no clear insight into what to do
next. I invited a few trusted men to discuss the events of this
afternoon.” Ireic drew Lirth back to her seat and sat next to her.
“Sit, Han. You are making me uncomfortable.”

“So it is true. The council is gone.” Han sank
into a chair with a groan. “Why? What finally pushed you into
it?”

“What do you mean? The council defied a direct
order, thumbed their collective noses at the law of the land, and
colluded to break our new treaty with Sardmara. They wanted me to
set Lirth aside and seek another wife. All because they were
informed she was blind.”

“Are you?” Han asked Lirth abruptly.

“Yes.” Lirth lowered her eyes.

“It is because of an accident when she was
seven, Han. She will not pass it on to our children. Even if she
could, I still have a say in whom I marry. I chose her and married
her. The decision is final, council or no council.”

“In this case, no council,” Han declared. “Does
Trahern know?”

 “I sent word immediately, but I told him
under no circumstances do I want to see him until after Eve has
given birth.”

“I doubt he will listen.” Han shifted in his
seat. “He might have chosen Eve over Anavrea, but you still have
claim on his heart. He will come.”

“I had to tell him,” Ireic protested. “If he
found out I had not…”

“I know.”

Lirth sensed there was more left unspoken, but a
knock on the door brought the conversation to an end.

“Come,” Ireic responded as he rose. Han also
rose.

“Sire.” Isack entered and bowed. “General Ulmer
Tremont, Master Mather Siver, Master Toril Himesh, and Master Jerin
Korp await you in the audience hall.”

“Thank you, Isack.”

Lirth gained her feet. Ireic took her hand and
placed it securely in the crook of his arm. A wave of nerves washed
away her strength, leaving her weak and lightheaded. She
trembled.

Ireic’s warm touch on her arm broke through her
building panic. “You will be fine.”

“I hope so.”

“I know so,” Ireic replied as his men opened the
double doors.

~~~~~~

Kurios, help me. Help us. Guide my thoughts
and actions. Give me the words to say.

Ireic’s arm felt solid and warm beneath her
fingers, the only tangible thing in the turbulent seas of her life
circumstances.

Don’t let me disappoint him, Kurios. He is
the only friend I have here
.

Ireic paused and turned, guiding her through the
movements with him. The edge of a chair bumped the back of her
legs. She instinctively sat before considering if that was what he
wished or not.

“Master Siver,” Ireic acknowledged one of the
men. Lirth listened carefully for the answering voice. Their voices
were going to be her primary way of recognizing each of them.

“My liege,” a rich bass voice answered. The man
approached and either knelt or bowed from the movement of his voice
and the sigh of his clothing.

“I wish to thank you for your defense of my
rights this morning,” Ireic said.

“It was only honorable, Sire.” The man had
bowed, Lirth decided, as he straightened. “Your word and the honor
of Anavrea stood in assurance. The treaty was valid and
binding.”

“And the proof of the ratification stands before
you.” A familiar hand took hers, and Lirth obediently rose. “Lirth,
I present to you Mather Siver, once councilor of the king.” Another
warm hand took hers and a soft breath grazed the back of it as the
councilor bowed over it. She forced back the fear that was closing
her throat and tried to smile in a way befitting a queen.

“Ulmer Tremont, my commanding general.” Her hand
was released and another man took it. His grip was firm, not one of
a man accustomed to court formalities. His hand was very large and
rough with calluses from hard work with no gloves. He murmured a
soft ‘my lady’” before releasing her fingers. The sound wasn’t
enough for her to be able to recognize his voice later.

“Master Toril Himesh, my tutor; and Master Jerin
Korp,” Ireic finished. Master Himesh’s hand was slender and cool,
and Master Korp’s left hers damp with sweat.