The Vildecaz Talents: The complete set of Vildecaz Stories including Nimuar's Loss, The Deceptive Oracle and Agnith's Promise (14 page)

“That I will – not that any of them will bother while there is entertainment to be had; even if a deer is killed this afternoon, it will not be ready to cook until tomorrow, in any case, what with bleeding and hanging,” said Hoftstan. “It gives me yet another excuse to keep away from Magsto Bihn and that young woman he has with him. Agnith spare me her company!” His features were set in an expression of annoyed disgust.

In spite of herself, Ninianee almost smiled. “Is she still pursuing you?”

Hoftstan glanced uneasily at his son. “Yes, she is. I have tried to avoid being alone with her. She has already told me she has no regard for my wife or my family, that her desire supersedes their claims on me.”

“That isn’t to her credit,” said Kazhtal said suddenly. “My father is a loyal man, true to my mother and our family.”

“No,” Ninianee agreed. “It isn’t to her credit.”

“I have done nothing to deserve this attraction she claims to have for me,” Hoftstan declared in a voice of ill-usage. “It’s been Bonti’s Luck for me with her since she and Magsto Bihn arrived. And I have done nothing to encourage her interest. Nothing!”

“No, you haven’t,” said Ninianee.

“And Magsto Bihn seems to encourage her,” Hoftstan added indignantly.

“He would do,” said Ninianee quietly. “He ever seeks for ways to embarrass Duz Nimuar and Vildecaz.”

“And what do you say to that?” Kazhtal demanded, rounding on Ninianee with an emotion close to menace. “You have the duty to preserve all those loyal to you. Will you not command her to desist?”

“If it were possible, I would do it, for the sake of your family,” Ninianee said, continuing with more formality than was her usual custom, “But Yulko Bihn is a man of high position and she is under his protection. With my father away from the Castle, it makes the circumstances more awkward, for nothing either I or my sister might do would have any immediate influence with Yulko Bihn, and certainly less with his companion.”

Hoftstan nodded. “Yes. That is so, Duzna.”

“At least Kloveon of Fauthsku has been here – Bihn cannot be too blatant in his mischief with the Imperial Courier also a guest under our Papa’s roof.” Ninianee was aware of how difficult his presence was for her sister, but for now she refused to be troubled by such considerations.

“Your entertainers have helped, too; they have provided distraction and observation at the same time,” said Hoftstan, as if to lessen the impact of his son’s near-accusations. “Your father cannot protest the quality of the amusements you have provided.”

Ninianee sighed. “Let us hope that holds true for this afternoon.”

“What holds true? Is there more upset to contend with?” The voice was Erianthee’s, and it carried through the Great Hall as if she were addressing the Porzalk Emperor’s Court.

Hoftstan turned to respect her, and then Kloveon, who was immediately behind her. “You are a most welcome sight, Duzna Erianthee.”

“No more so than you,” said Erianthee, coming into the Great Hall speedily and rushing toward her sister.

Ninianee went to embrace her. “I am glad you’re back,” she said, then faltered as her expression clouded. “Papa?”

“At the Library of Duz Kinzyrach,” said Erianthee. “He is supposed to return by nightfall.”

“What did he say?” Ninianee asked.

Erianthee faltered. “I didn’t actually speak with him; he was asleep, the Provost Magsto said, and that he had worked all through the night.”

Ninianee paled. “You never saw him?”

“No,” said Erianthee, her own concerns returning at full force.

“Then how can you be certain – “ Ninianee began, then cut herself short.

“It would have been very wrong for the Provost Magsto to lie to us about his patron,” said Kloveon from where he waited in the doorway.

Erianthee nodded. “But we were assured that if he isn’t bound for home shortly, that a messenger would inform us of that fact.”

“Which we will already know by his absence,” said Ninianee sharply, then turned to Erianthee with an expression of chagrin. “Not to speak against your errand, for what could the two of you do by yourselves but accept the Provost’s assurances? He has no reason to lie to you, but I am troubled to learn that our father should have gone so far, without word to any of us. You have done everything that could be required, so you are without fault,” she added, and gave a small respect to Kloveon. “And nothing could be held against you, for escorting her.”

“I didn’t assume you meant anything to my discredit, or to Erianthee’s,” said Kloveon, coming into the Great Hall, and respecting Ninianee.

As much as she wanted to give a sharp rejoinder, Ninianee kept silent, and turned her attention to Erianthee, encouraging her by saying, “Eri?”

“I do hope Papa’s all right,” Erianthee whispered. “He hasn’t been himself since yesterday, has he, Nin?”

“It’s not easy to know with Papa, but I think you’re right,” said Ninianee. “Ever since he’s been engrossed in Agnith’s Treasure, he’s been odder than usual.”

“Yes; I agree,” said Hoftstan, making no apology for interjecting his opinion. “What is it about Agnith’s Treasure that concerns him so much, and so suddenly?”

“If we knew what the Treasure was, we might be able to determine the reason for his interest,” said Ninianee.

Kloveon glanced up at the face of Womotomaj. “Did he leave any offerings to any of the gods and goddesses?”

Erianthee shook her head. “I don’t know. He usually leaves a vial of wine for Tsumohr, who is Vildecaz’s god of scholarship, and a sprig of Challim heather for Dandolmaz, the Capricious. I didn’t think to ask if he did this time.”

“Neither did I,” Ninianee admitted in stricken accents. She clapped her hands as if to condemn herself for this lapse. “Where is Neilach Drux?” She had not seen her father’s valet for two days, she realized as she spoke his name. “Hoftstan, have you seen him?”

“Not today. I did speak with him last night, shortly after the Duz left on his . . . mission.” Hoftstan made a gesture of apology. “I would have thought of it sooner if I hadn’t been so – “

”Hounded?” Ninianee suggested, a lift to one eyebrow. “You have had more pressing things to occupy your thoughts. So have the rest of us. We’ve all had much on our minds.”

“I’ll go find him, Duzna,” Kazhtal volunteered, respecting both Ninianee and Erianthee as he spoke. Without waiting for a formal charge, he hastened out of the Great Hall.

“We should have thought of that,” said Erianthee to Ninianee.

Whatever Ninianee might have answered was lost as the trumpets sounded the greeting to guests, announcing the arrival of Maeshar and his company of huntsmen.

Erianthee paled. “I have to change my clothes. At once. Maeshar will count my appearance against me.” She started from the Great Hall, then stopped and turned back to her sister. “Can you manage without me, Nin? I shan’t be very long, I promise.”

“I will give her my company until the welcoming is over,” Kloveon promised Erianthee; only when she nodded her thanks did he turn to Ninianee, “That is, if you don’t mind?”

“On the contrary – I’m pleased to have a man of your rank, Mirkal, to remind Maeshar – Goriach that he is – what his place is in this Castle; I am glad of your presence, given how things stand at present,” said Ninianee, making this a brusque compliment. She turned to Hoftstan. “If you will have Ver send up mead and wine for the greeting?”

“She has probably got the trays ready,” said Hoftstan, but went off toward the kitchens to do as Ninianee requested.

“I gather you are still having some difficulties with Maeshar?” Kloveon said, making conversation to fill the long moment before the new arrivals presented themselves in the Great Hall. “I recall he approached you about becoming your official suitor last year?”

“He did. I refused.”

“So you would not compromise Vildecaz’s independence,” said Kloveon smoothly. “A prudent decision.”

She couldn’t tell how much of his observation was ironic and how much was courtesy, so she replied, “That was my intention,” not quite honestly as the second blast of trumpets warned that the visitors were now inside the walls of the castle. “Well, it won’t be long now.”

Kloveon only smiled.

* * *

The toasts had been drunk and the Welcoming Ritual completed by the time Erianthee reappeared, now dressed in a gaunel of blue-lilac Mozh-cloth over a guin of sheer, shining white; her hair was braided, wrapped, and tied with golden ribbons that complimented the coronet circling her brow. Her cheeks were pink from her rushing, and her brown eyes sparkled. She respected Maeshar and his company of nine men, then smiled as she saw the Housekeeper-General approaching. “Ah. Here is General Rocazin, coming to impart what we have to offer you.”

General Rocazin was in her second-most-formal gaunel, with wide double-sleeves lined in elaborate brocades, one of silver-on-green, and one of violet-on-turquoise. She respected the latest gathering of guests, nodded to Ninianee and Erianthee, saying, “In the name of the Six Founder Gods and Goddesses, you are welcome to Vildecaz Castle. May you never regret the time you spend here. The meal to be offered to you will begin with fried new cheeses with a topping of nectarous Nyth-root, served with puff-bread and new butter; then sliced braised ducks in a sauce of plums and cherries, with side-dishes of ring-carrots in herbed cream and bent-neck squash with pepper and butter; then a spitted bison, basted in wine and pureed rose-hips, with side dishes of thimble-cabbages cooked in milk; a dressing of chopped nuts and bread-crumbs with bacon cooked in spirits of wine and sweetened puree of chestnuts; and a salad of diced apples, onions, boiled cardoons, broiled asparagus, and Aon-nuts with berry-vinegar; this with a tube-bread stuffed with nuts and olives; next a Dej-sturgeon stuffed with minced Boarthine crab, currants, cardamoms, and sweet-barley; with a side-dish of shredded turnips and smoked cheese with garlic-butter, served in a casserole, accompanied by wedges of apple-bread; to be followed with a stew of boar and venison cooked in pheasant-broth with summer vegetables; last a tart of fall fruits compote with clotted cream, and a sweet of honied machei-fruit and sugared almond-butter, accompanied by brandied butter-cake. There are beers and wines for every course, along with water from the Lachnath spring, and liquors from the Drowned World ” She respected the guests a second time and clapped her hands to indicate that the food would be served almost at once.

The dinner-gong sounded, summoning all the guests to the Great Hall for the evening meal, and the response was prompt: Yulko Bihn and Dinvee ae-Semilgai appeared as if produced by one of his spells, both of them in their most impressive clothes and decked in extra jewels, most of which were genuine and not simply magical; General Rocazin performed the introductions, and almost at once had to include Kloveon of Fauthsku and Doms Guyon to her role of guests. Hoftstan Ruch and his wife, Lumiren Koriat, resplendent in her Justice’s gainnel, arrived next, and then Heijot Merinex. Other local worthies followed the Castle magician, all in their formal regalia, all talking animatedly, anticipating a rousing afternoon. The aroma of excellent food was filling the Great Hall, urging the guests to the tables more rapidly than any spoken invitation would do. The Captain of the Night Guards, Senijer ae-Miratdien entered the Great Hall last of all, declaring the portcullis lowered to ensure an undisturbed feast.

“Would you mind very much if I sat next to you, Duzna Ninianee?” asked Doms Guyon, respecting her as he spoke. He had all but materialized at her side as the formalities began, in unusually splendid dress; a beautiful hupslan of Haorein-brocade and a heavily embroidered sajah of Adamine-velvet. His hair was pulled back from his face and he was and wearing a double-tiered coronet that Ninianee didn’t recognize. Courtesy entitled him to the seat, but he made a point of asking.

“Certainly not,” she said, the heightened color in her face belying her easy response. “As the man responsible for our entertainment tonight, you should be next to me or my sister.”

“I rather think Kloveon would dislike giving up Erianthee’s left to me, and it would be the height of audacity to take your father’s place.” He cocked his head toward Maeshar of Otsinmohr, who was embarked on a recitation of his genealogy with Yulko Bihn. “Who are all those fellows? And why has Maeshar seen fit to bring them with him?”

“I don’t know,” Ninianee said, as if admitting to a failing in her character. ‘You may have to ask Maeshar about them.”

“Maeshar hasn’t bothered to introduce them?” Doms seemed amused by this lapse.

“Not that I am aware of,” she said evasively, not wanting to admit she had no desire to know who those men were. “And I paid little attention while General Rocazin announced them, though I probably should have,” she added, moving to take her place at the High Table. “I know I should have made an effort, but – “ The memory of the way the men had behaved when they came upon her earlier that morning welled afresh in her thoughts. “It’s not as if we will entertain them again.” She was to the right of Nimuar’s chair – which would remain unoccupied through the afternoon and evening – as Erianthee was to the left of it. “General Rocazin will sit to your right.”

“Very proper,” said Doms, smoothing the front of his elegant straw-colored hupslan; his icy eyes scanned the room. He looked down at Ninianee. “For the sake of courtesy, would you consider permitting me a place near you?” He took the device that hung from his gold collar – a handsome expanse of gold and bi-color tourmalines and the image of Kylomotarch, the Forgetter, and patron god of the Drowned World – in his hand to add weight to his supplication. He waited until Ninianee sat down, then seated himself beside her. “You’re worried about your father?”