Thread Slivers (Golden Threads Trilogy) (29 page)

Dohma knew they saw him, and waited while they dealt with a Cabinet Lord’s complaints of animal noises in the night near the docks. They told him it was being taken care of and waved him out. Once the lord had left, only the Princes, their personal guard, and Dohma remained in the room. Emman, the eldest prince, motioned for him to approach. He stepped to the front of the dais and knelt, bowing his head. “My Princes, how may I serve?”

“Duke has ignored our orders and went out on the streets last night. Further, we have had reports this morning that he has hired not less than thirty Daggers and caused considerable damage to the Blue Dolphin. You are to invite him here, immediately. You are authorized to take whatever measures you deem necessary to achieve this. We expect him here within two marks. You may go.”

“My Princes, Duke is a Lord of Aelargo and entitled to the actions you speak of by the covenant of this land.”

All three princes frowned at this and the marshal of their private guard placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

“Captain Dohma, you are lucky we are alone. We shall overlook this comment. You have two marks to bring Duke before us.”

Frowning, Dohma bowed and left by the main doors.
Oh this will not go well.
The royal foyer was filled with nobles, who flocked back into the throne room as he left. Dohma walked past the personal guards and sent one of his own guards, stationed outside the main palace doors, running ahead with orders to have a full detachment assemble at the palace. He ordered a second detachment to prepare for Duke’s very-likely objection to whatever the Princes were about to tell him, to be stationed near the palace doors and ready for possible trouble.
With any luck this can be kept civil.

Duke’s own palatial home was only minutes from the Royal Palace. In only a half mark he was approaching the gates of Duke’s residence with his detachment of fifty guards. Inside the gates he saw not less than a hundred warriors who were broken into groups and talking. Servants were just removing some tables that had been about the courtyard.
Damn, that is not thirty Daggers, that is a full platoon. It’s too late to withdraw; I really hope he is in a talking mood. Something about him makes me trust him more than my own princes, even though I have only met him once.
Dohma stepped right up, stopping just in front of the eight guards at the main gate. “By order of the Princes, I must speak with His Excellency Duke at once.”

The guards looked coolly at the fifty guardsmen he brought. One of them said in a most casual tone, “I’ll ask if he is in.” Dohma watched the guard walk slowly through the crowd of Daggers, taking his time. The Daggers all turned to examine his detachment. Sweat began to accumulate on his brow, and after a moment, the Daggers turned back to their conversations. Dohma lost track of the gate guard when a Dagger ran past him to a squad close to the gate.

Dohma concentrated to hear what was being said; something inside told him it was important. He had always had these little feelings, and long ago learned to trust them. The conversation was faint but not beyond his exceptional hearing, which he had trained himself to focus so he could follow conversations in a crowded hall at a distance.

“Commander, Ticca’s patron has dispatched two communications, one to a merchant house requesting the diversion of any merchant ship to Breorchy to leave tomorrow; the other to the Guild, naming Breorchy as a likely source of information. She has also hired Nigan and Risy as guards. We spotted three horses being made ready for travel now. One is Ticca’s, the others belong to Nigan and Risy. Bravo reports the watchers have also intercepted the communications.”

“Damn it! That girl moves as fast as her uncle. I’d like to know what she has learned. This is all likely a diversion and she plans on intercepting the ship up river and taking her patron off the boat to proceed overland to their true objective.” The commander looked directly at the Dagger who had reported in. “Three, move fast.” At that the Dagger spun and ran out and down the street. The commander then gave an odd look at a Dagger wearing a turban standing with another group who had also been watching the exchange. The turbaned Dagger went back to talking with his own squad. The commander looked at the rest of his squad standing around him. “Two, pheasant shoot. One, ridge run with me.” The Dagger squad ran out of the gate and also headed towards town, but down the street the commander and a strike team turned west while the rest of the team continued on the main road until out of sight.

A surprisingly short time later a page came running out. “Captain Dohma,
you
are invited in.” The emphasis on ‘you’ made it obvious he was to leave his detachment outside.
Please Lord, let him be in a good mood today.

He signaled his men to stay put and followed the page through the courtyard to an entry foyer as large as the throne room, with very expensive marbles and tasteful pictures on display.
Duke certainly has good taste. This is far superior to the over-the-top decorations of the royal palace.
Once through the foyer, a large, elegantly decorated connecting hall led into a formal dining room. As he stepped into the room he stopped, awestruck at the size of the table before him. It stood level with his neck. Looking down the table and feeling like a small child about to address his unhappy father, Captain Dohma saw the large wolf at the far end chewing on what looked (and smelled) like a man-sized pile of bacon. Duke sat in a throne that put every other throne he had seen to shame in its simple design, elegance and scale.
He really knows how to make an impression. And I have the feeling he is not happy today. This sure won’t help his mood.

Duke looked at him with steel in his eyes. “Captain Dohma, I was expecting you much earlier today. I am afraid you have missed lunch. As to the reminder you are here to deliver of the
little Princes’
request, you may tell the
little princes
to go suck on a hard candy. I will do as I please.”

Dohma tried to speak, but his throat refused to allow air through. Coughing to clear it, he shook his head. “Excellency, I do apologize for interrupting your meal; however, the Princes request your immediate presence. I have been sent to escort you with all the honors due a lord of the realm.”

Duke laughed and it sent chills down his now-sweaty back. “Oh, I bet they said that. You have a lot of nerve, Captain.” Duke then stared at him for a moment, making him sweat a little more. Still, he stood his ground. “I like you, Dohma, so for your sake only I will accept this honor you bestow on me.”

Thank the great Lord.
“I thank you, Excellency. I assure you I am only here to escort you to the palace, with honors.”

Duke wiped his mouth on a napkin the size of a small tablecloth which was being held in place on the table, near his seat, by a device of some sort. He then stood and walked calmly around the table and, glancing at his personal secretary he said, “Ladro, so that I may honor your earlier request, you may stay... just in case.”

Ladro leaned backwards slightly as if he had lost his balance, his face going totally white. He swallowed a couple of times rapidly.
Duke just scared him deeply with that comment. What has Duke been up to this morning? Ladro is the last person I’d expect to be scared of Duke — he has been in Duke’s personal service his whole life, from page to personal secretary.

Duke walked past Dohma, heading for the exit. Dohma set aside his contemplation of Ladro’s reaction and fell into step next to Duke out of his residence. In the courtyard, the Daggers stopped talking and looked at them as they came out. Duke walked casually straight to the gates, and looked back at the Daggers. “Time’s a-wasting, folks. You have your orders. Echo, river walk.”

Dohma’s hand went to his sword hilt but the all the Daggers simply said, “Yes, sir,” and went back to their conversations.

His guardsmen parted to let them walk through and formed up behind them as an honor guard. Duke walked with him back to the palace calmly, in total silence.
This is totally unexpected. I thought I’d have to beg him to come.

When they reached the palace, Duke laughed, giving Dohma a knowing side glance when he saw the second detachment standing at honors just outside the palace entrance. Dohma signaled his men to stop at the palace entrance, with the other detachment, and followed Duke inside. He heard something from Duke that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle. Looking over at Duke, his large eyes sparkling with some private joke. Duke didn’t break stride or say a word, forcing Dohma to race ahead a little just so he could be seen as the escort. Duke nodded politely to some of the staff and dignitaries as they moved through the entrance hall into the throne room’s foyer.

Once at the entrance to the throne room, however, things changed. Duke didn’t bother to wait; he sprang ahead of Dohma and simply walked past the princes’ personal guards, shouldering the crossed halberds and men out of his way as if they were nothing more than reeds of grass. Not bothering to wait to be announced or addressed, he thundered out as he continued across the throne room, “What do you whelps want? I’m busy.”

Looking at the nearly full room of nobles and dignitaries, Dohma realized it was much more full than normal.
The Princes must have summoned these nobles in order to make an example to them.
Everyone quickly got out of Duke’s way; a few, upon looking him in the eye, bowed and then exited the room in haste.
Yes, that is a prudent thing to do. I wish I could do the same.

Emman motioned the lord in front of them away. “Duke, we told you to stay in your residence and to not disturb our citizens. You went out last night and even damaged parts of our city. Now we have reports that you have hired many Daggers. We will not allow this to continue. You will pay the Daggers two weeks’ service and tell them to disband immediately.”

Duke stopped right where the marshal started to go for his weapon, and sat down, looking at the three princes with his ears laid back. “You are confused as to the order of things. I give the orders here, not you.” Dohma detected an odd tone in Duke’s voice and had the feeling that Duke was still laughing at something only he understood.

All three princes laughed at that, and so did many nobles still present, although the nobles’ laughs sounded nervous. Elur, the youngest, shook his head. “You are wrong. This is our kingdom, and you have no authority here, except what we grant you.”

Duke’s voice deepened, and carried a slight growl to it. “Have you whelps even read the covenant?”

I have, and Duke’s right. What is going on?

Elur laughed and his brothers chuckled too. Duke’s ears came up in curiosity. Elur, through his laughter, asked, “What use do we have of a dusty old relic?”

Dohma felt a shudder of surprise and Duke was surprised too. “It is the cornerstone of your family’s authority here. It is the charter that grants you the titles of the Princes’ Regents, which you have dropped to stylize yourselves as ‘the Princes’. Your family can’t forget its duties; it is part of your very bloodline.”

At this all three princes laughed. “Duke, oh Duke, you are the very best. Our family wrested this kingdom from the grasp of those fools long ago. I believe it was not long after you fled to the North. Our ancestors disposed of the last remnants of the ancient empire’s ridiculous hold here. It was
our
fleet of ships that set sail from this port to create the true kingdom of the Sea Princes.
We
are the only authority in the kingdom now. This is no longer the
Kingdom of Aelargo
; it is now the
Kingdom of the Sea Princes
. You really should look at some modern maps.”

Lord, they are traitors, from a family of usurpers. I know I have never liked them much; I swore to protect the kingdom from harm and to uphold the covenant.

Duke growled, which was enough of a warning. The marshal made a signal, and before Dohma could react, Duke moved. As Duke made to leap to the dais, however, heavy nets were thrown over him from the balconies. Twenty of the Princes’ guards piled onto him, using their combined weight and the nets to pin him in place against the floor. More of the Princes’ guards rushed into the room from the side doors, quickly grabbing and holding down the edges of the nets, effectively trapping the great wolf in front of the princes, who continued to laugh, joined by the remaining nobles.

Dohma’s heart and soul screamed at the treachery he was witnessing.
What are they doing? He is a lord of the realm, how can I be party to this?
Looking at everyone in the room, he didn’t see a single supporter. His hand moved and seized on the hilt of his sword, which the marshal took as preparing to aid them in subduing Duke, as he warned Dohma off with a smile of thanks. Dohma looked at the personal guards; they all had smirks or open smiles at this. He instinctively read them to the core and found them as traitorous as the usurpers.
The personal guard has known this all, and they are loyal to the usurpers.
Then his exceptional hearing picked up very soft chuckling coming from Duke.
What can possibly be funny about being trapped under twenty guards and a net?

Emman shook his head and looked at Duke. “Poor Duke, to think you remain faithful to that dead line of lost kings. We long ago finished with that. Our ancestors uncovered Damega’s true blood line and struck a deal; his body in exchange for the trinket that used to sit there.” Prince Emman pointed at an alcove where an ornate gold book sat. “Of course the silly nobles at the time felt it best if we hid the fact that the kingdom’s relics where being sold off, so they made that excellent facsimile.”