The King of Anavrea (Book Two of the Theodoric Saga) (14 page)

Ireic nodded. “Then it appears you are my new
bodyguard. Just let me get on my feet and–”

“But Your Majesty–”

“Ipore, you and I both know I have been worse
than this many times on campaigns. We don’t have the luxury of time
to wait for me to heal. Lirth and I need to get away to a secure
location where we can be well guarded until this rebellion
subsides. Unless you have another suggestion, I order you to get me
on my feet and keep me there.”

The healer’s mouth tightened, but he nodded as
Ireic knew he would. After spending years with the man, Ireic knew
Ipore could be reasonable if pressed. Ireic originally gave him the
position because he could be trusted.

As Ireic struggled with Ipore’s help to climb
off the edge of the bed, he started working out the details of a
plan in his head. The moment he could turn his attention somewhere
other than his body, he started giving Liam orders.

“Go find the ambassador from Sardmara and tell
him to dress warmly for traveling long distances on foot. I am
hoping we will not need to, but I want to be prepared nonetheless.
After you finish with him, go to the queen’s chambers. Lirth will
need to know what to expect. Then meet me in my study. Ipore will
get me ready and we will bring the provisions. Let no one see you
enter the study. Secrecy is going to be our only defense. Tell no
one of your orders.”

Liam disappeared out the door to the main hall.
Tretan, Ireic’s trusted valet, lifted a heavy traveling cloak and
dark clothing from the chest at the end of the bed.

 Ipore double checked the bandage around
Ireic’s forearm.

“Ipore.” Ireic drew the man’s attention from the
wound. “I need you to dress for travel and bring enough supplies to
tend this and possible emergencies.”

Ipore nodded. “I will be back in a few minutes.”
He turned to the valet. “Can you handle him on your own?”

Tretan drew himself up to his full height. In
spite of his age, the valet looked impressive in his tailored
uniform. “I have been helping this lad get out of scrapes long
before he knew you.”

Ireic smiled in amusement as Ipore regarded the
older man evenly. “Go, Ipore,” he ordered before one or the other
of them started a deeper discussion of the matter. “Tretan and I
will be waiting for your return.”

Ireic turned his attention to getting out of his
ruined formal clothing and into the much more comfortable traveling
clothes.

“Brings back memories, Sire.” Tretan commented
as he eased the itchy collar off over Ireic’s head.

“Yes, Tretan,” Ireic admitted. “Not all of them
are pleasant. As soon as you have me in these, I need you to run an
errand for me. I am going to need food from the kitchens.”

Tretan turned to retrieve Ireic’s broken-in
boots from the back of the wardrobe. “I will tell them that you are
sending messengers for help and they will need supplies.”

“Perfect,” Ireic agreed and turned his attention
to fastening his belt with only one hand.

~~~~~~

Less than an hour later Lirth, Aarint, and Liam
arrived at the meeting place, the king’s study. They moved along
the corridor like spies: Liam watching out for observers and Aarint
guiding Lirth. Liam opened the door and checked the interior of the
study before he signaled Aarint and Lirth to follow. Aarint
whispered instructions to Lirth as they waited and he watched
Liam’s movements. After a heart racing moment when they were almost
spotted by a linen maid carrying the laundry down the hall, they
made it into the study and waited.

Aarint deposited Lirth in a chair behind the
door so that she would be the last thing a person would see upon
entering the room. She listened as the men took up positions on
each side of the door, Aarint close to her and Liam on the far
side. Then they all strained their ears to hear beyond the closed
door.

Another half hour passed before the door opened
abruptly. Lirth heard the men jump, but she instantly recognized
the fall of the man’s foot.

Ireic
.

Back in her chambers, Liam had assured her that
Ireic lived. Still she found great comfort in the warm tones of her
husband’s voice as he greeted Liam and Aarint.

“Ipore meet Aarint, the ambassador from Sardmara
and Lirth’s brother. Aarint, this is Ipore, my healer and
comrade-at-arms of many years.” The men exchanged muffled
greetings.

Then Lirth heard Ireic approach her. Rising, she
held out her hand. Ignoring it, Ireic enveloped her in a fierce
one-armed hug. Tears filled her eyes as he pressed her against him.
The familiar smell and feel of him filled her senses, washing away
her fear for his life.

“I am so glad you are alive.” She rubbed her
cheek against the heavy cloth of his shirt.

“Come.” He didn’t release her as he turned to
the men. “We must leave now. The greater the distance we cover
before discovery the better. Ipore, please open the passage.”

Lirth heard Ipore cross the room to the far
side. A muffled grinding sound brought the scent of stale air.
Ireic wasted no time. “Ipore, you lead us, Aarint follow him. Lirth
will be behind me. Liam, take up the rear.”

The air filled with the smell of burning tar as
the torches were lit.

“The entrance is a ladder carved into the
stone.” Ireic’s voice came from near her ear. “At the bottom is a
tunnel three feet across and five feet high.” He led her to the
opening. Aarint climbed down first.

“Liam, take her hand while I climb down,” Ireic
instructed. The heavily gloved hand of the personal guard closed
around her right hand firmly.

A few moments later, Liam instructed her to turn
around. Guiding her backwards carefully, he helped her find the
first foot hold. Cautiously, she felt for the next and slowly began
her descent into the tunnel. After climbing steadily downward for a
long time, she heard and smelled the torch.

“I can see you,” Ireic told her from below.
“Keep coming slowly. You only have a few more feet.” She obeyed.
His hand enclosed her ankle. “There are only three more left and
then you have to jump.” His voice echoed slightly. Obediently, she
covered the last three foot holds and jumped. She landed awkwardly,
but Ireic’s good arm steadied her.

“Are you well?”

She nodded shakily.

“Good.” He turned away, but kept ahold of her
hand. “The tunnel starts over here.” He guided her fingers to the
cool stone rim of the opening. It was just as he described it.

“Come. Ipore and Aarint already gained quite a
bit of ground ahead of us. I can see Liam’s boots. We need to give
him some room to jump.”

He led her into the tunnel.

Lirth followed, hoping she managed to not step
on his heels or bump into his back.

~~~~~~

Cold of the clammy stone wall seeped into the
muscles of Ireic’s shoulders. However, his good arm was very
comfortably wrapped around his wife. Ireic closed his eyes and laid
his cheek against the top of Lirth’s head. Her steady breathing
kept him from moving.

They had covered what felt like miles of tunnel
with only two breaks. Above them and outside the tunnel opening,
Liam hid in the underbrush and watched for Aarint and Ipore to
return. The pair had set off hours ago to seek transportation.
Despite Lirth’s lack of complaining, Ireic could see the signs of
exhaustion in her features. Even further proof was that she slept
sitting up, leaning against him and warming his good side.

Ireic leaned his head against the rough stone.
His first priority was to get Lirth to a safe place. His family
home, Fuge Aven, would offer shelter. Miles into the deep forest of
Western Anavrea, it would discourage attack. Getting there would be
difficult, but once there she would be safe. Then he could turn his
mind to his crumbling kingdom.

Frowning into the darkness, his stomach turned.
It would be so much easier to just walk away. He hadn’t wanted the
crown in the first place. But, if he did leave the throne, he would
be leaving the country in the council’s hands. A list of the new
laws that the council wanted to legislate flowed through his head.
Taxes on windows and exterior doors, new laws for clearing the way
for passing officials, and forfeiture of property for all manner of
minor offenses were just a few of the changes the council would
make. No, he could not leave the people at the mercy of these
men.

The men moving above drew Ireic from his
thoughts. The cover creaked open and the outline of Liam’s head
appeared against the backdrop of the moonlit sky. “Three figures
approach. It looks like the ambassador and Ipore have returned with
help.”

“We will be right up,” Ireic promised.

Lirth sat up and yawned. “They are back?”

“Yes.” Ireic climbed carefully to his feet. His
body protested, but obeyed. He offered Lirth a hand. Realizing she
couldn’t see it, he crouched down and claimed her hand. “Come, they
are waiting.” He led her to the rungs and awkwardly followed her up
into the cool night air.

~~~~~~

The breeze whispered through the trees and
brushed icy fingers across Lirth’s exposed skin. From the sound,
she guessed that they stood in an open space among the trees. As
she stepped away from the tunnel opening she heard someone
approaching from the left, tramping through the underbrush. She
took another step. The ground gave slightly, the dirt loosened like
it had been plowed.

“Sire.” Ipore’s voice, slightly breathless,
broke through the silence. “I present Master Thorpe, the farmer who
cares for these lands.”

“My liege.” The man’s voice was rough and raspy,
as though he hadn’t used it in many days. “My land is yours. How
may I serve you?”

“I thank you for your offer,” Ireic replied. “I
and my party need a place to rest in secrecy tonight. Do you have a
barn where we might sleep?”

“My house, sire, is small, but I am proud to be
able to offer you what little I have.”

“No, I do not wish to turn you and your family
out. Where would you stay if we displaced you?”

“We can sleep comfortably in the barn, sire. The
hay is soft and the loft warm–” The man would have continued, but
Ireic cut him off.

“Then that is where we will stay, if you
allow.”

“But, sire–”

“We will stay in your barn and thank you, Master
Thorpe.” Ireic’s voice took on the tone of a commander.

“Show us the way.” Ipore tried to cut off the
farmer’s protests.

“My family would willingly give up their beds,
sir.” The farmer said again, turning to address his argument to the
healer.

“His Majesty knows that and is honored with your
willingness to sacrifice your warm bed.” Ipore drew the man away
from the tunnel opening. “However, we may be followed and the first
place the king’s enemies will look is within your home. While they
are searching your home, we will have time to escape to
safety.”

Lirth heard the farmer answer. Though she could
no longer make out his words, his tone made it clear he was not
convinced.

“He seems awfully eager to give up his home,”
Aarint commented from right beside her. Taking her hand, he led her
forward. His grip and familiar manner from the days of their
childhood brought memories to the forefront of her thoughts. The
cold air smelled of fall, and the night resembled the many nights
they crept out of bed to watch the moon from the nursery window.
Homesickness for all her brothers pressed against the back of her
throat.

Lirth pushed the memories aside. She would have
time to explore them later. Right now she needed to concentrate on
the present.

“Where is Ireic?” she asked. The uneven ground
made going slow. She had to test each step before putting her full
weight on it.

“He is walking with Liam right behind the healer
and the farmer. The moonlight makes everything decently clear. We
will not lose them.”

“I am not afraid of losing our way,” Lirth
protested. “I am concerned for him. Does he look well?”

Her brother hesitated slightly before taking his
next step. His words when they came sounded cautious. “He is weary,
Lirth. Healing from such a wound takes more rest than he allows
himself and when he does rest, he is worn down by too many cares. I
noticed a dullness to his eyes back in the study and now he holds
his shoulders lower than before.”

It was as she feared. “He carries his
responsibilities with great thought and care, Aarint. He takes on
all the worries of his people and forgets about himself. Trahern
warned me that Ireic would find this hard. Trahern seemed to imply
that I would need to help Ireic through whatever came, but now that
this crisis has come, I don’t know what to do. If only he knew the
Kurios; then he would have Someone to help him bear his load.”

“Whoever this Trahern is, he must know Ireic
well.”

“He does. He is his half-brother.”

“Ah, the prince who was to have the throne.”

“What can I do?” Lirth asked.

Aarint stopped. Taking her hands, he brought
them to his lips. “Pray, Lirth. Pray and do as every good wife
should, show him your willingness to help.”

“You will pray?” Lirth knew the answer, but she
needed to hear Aarint’s promise.

“I will.”

Turning, he continued leading her across the
field.

~~~~~~

The next morning, Lirth woke to the scent of
hay. She stirred slightly, but her muscles immediately protested.
As the events of the previous day began to flood her thoughts,
Lirth remembered why she was so sore.

“Sire, we have to talk.” The healer’s muffled
voice cut through the silence.

“Hush, the queen still sleeps.” Ireic spoke
barely loud enough for her to hear.

Lirth turned her head toward the sounds as heavy
footfalls vibrated the floor beneath her bed of straw. They
approached the partition between their sleeping area and the rest
of the loft. Ireic took care the night before to familiarize her
with every inch of the space before they retired. Lirth suspected
he feared her falling from the unblocked edge of the second floor
onto the packed dirt below.