Chapter Two
Duke Vahn Rebono pressed three-year-old Dauntere tightly against his chest as he rode southwest, toward home. His black velvet manteau draped around his shoulders and over his son, enclosing them both against the cold winds. Every now and then, drizzled rain hit their faces. At least it wasn’t pouring.
He’d come all the way to Quibbut with nearly fifty men to join his twin brother, King Arx, against the invading army of Ganluc, but Arx had sent him away and refused his help. Vahn had been furious at the rebuff, but now he had his son back and new information to ponder, returning to Ny didn’t seem so bad.
Captain Shil and Rynoth Skipkur rode on either side. After the lengths they had gone to in retrieving the young prince, they weren’t about to let Dauntere out of their sight, even with the threat of King Pendo attacking the area they were leaving behind. Before they left, Shil promoted Lord Huls to lieutenant to take the place of the fallen Lieutenant Alnen. Both Lieutenant Windrider and Lieutenant Huls, along with forty men from Vahn’s Castle Guards, deployed in small groups along the border between Quibbut and Jintae.
Rynoth had sent word to his family he was safe, but he’d asked to join Vahn’s Castle Guard. Shil agreed to take him under his wing, even though he was far older than most squires and not noble born. “Give me a wise, mature peasant over a young dullard of noble blood any day,” Captain Shil said.
As anxious as the captain surely was to meet the newborn son he’d never seen, he was considerate of how difficult a trip on horseback must be for a three-year-old. Neither Skipkur nor Shil showed any annoyance at their slow pace and frequent stops. Their mission had been successful. They’d retrieved Dauntere and escaped Ganluc in the midst of an invasion. Shil had the news of his fatherhood on top of that and neither of them were burdened, as Vahn was, with the dilemma of reconciling a ruler’s duty to protect loyal, trusting subjects against the orders of a king.
That dilemma would be easier to solve had he not visited an Itzi mage in Jintae whose prophecies had turned out to be startlingly accurate. King Pendo wasn’t merely greedy. He was trying to recover important farmland, which had been stolen by Vahn’s grandfather, King Mavinor. Without the fertile East Bank of the Synchow River, his people were starving. Because Arx refused to negotiate within wisdom and reason, soon Pendo would let his greed take over and all of Latoph would suffer the consequences.
All except Vahn’s duchy. Pendo told Vahn he planned to spare everything in Vahn’s territory outside of the disputed East Bank. Arx would assume Vahn had joined the foreign king and betrayed the rest of the kingdom. The easiest way to refute this—publicly joining Arx’s forces—had been denied him. Arx wanted Vahn to sit by and let him handle everything, but Arx was bumbling things so badly it was incredibly difficult to do so.
Yet here Vahn was, running away from the war. He tried to convince himself he had chosen this path to show Arx he could obey orders, but he wondered if cowardice hadn’t played some part. Maybe he just didn’t want to fight. It would be infinitely more comfortable to return to Ny where the winters were mild and his wife would welcome him into her warm embrace. He could sleep in a comfortable bed and eat food prepared by one of the most talented cooks in the kingdom. Being home would also afford him the chance to reconnect with his toddler son.
Vahn had never dreamed when Dauntere’s mother kidnapped him she wouldn’t keep him herself. He’d been less than a year old at the time. When he finally found Saerula, she didn’t even know where her son was. Although he’d relished the act of applying shackles to his ex-wife, Vahn hadn’t intended to enslave her permanently. He kept her at the Institute for Training and Correction under the slave name “rula,” hoping to trade her to Pendo for Dauntere. Unfortunately, it turned out Pendo didn’t want her either. He went so far as to tell Vahn he’d done a favor to remove her from his kingdom. Knowing Saerula, Vahn was only mildly surprised at her father’s attitude.
What would he do with rula? She was guilty of treason and deserved execution. It was doubtful Dauntere would recognize his mother. They’d been riding for four hours and he’d never whined for “mama” or “nanny” or any caregiver at all. He’d asked for water, expressed the desire to lie down, and he’d called Vahn “papa” but probably only because Shil had told him who he was. The duke didn’t fool himself that the child remembered him, and if he didn’t remember his father, maybe it was better he didn’t remember his mother. She hadn’t even pretended to love him.
“Your highness, perhaps there will be a carriage for sale in Punnim,” Shil said.
Vahn shrugged. “Perhaps, but I don’t want to waste time looking. None of our battle horses are trained for the hitch and I’m not letting go until we reach Rebono Keep.” Whether Dauntere recognized his father or not, he clung tight and was reluctant to leave his side even when they dismounted for breaks.
Shil smiled back and nodded. Vahn had hated leaving his loyal captain in Ganluc, but he was glad Shil had been able to recover Dauntere. Shil had felt responsible when Saerula kidnapped the child, and the captain had paid a very high price in searching. No doubt his flogging scars from Lippontown still pained him even though they were now a good three months old.
“Have you decided what to name your son?”
“I have to consult Timmilina, of course, but I think she’ll agree to Mikaeno.”
Lieutenant Alnen’s given name. “I can’t imagine she’d object. Lady Alnen will be honored as well. Once we get home and you’ve had some time with your wife and son, what are your plans for the Guard?”
“From what you’ve told me, our men need field training in colder weather than Ny provides.”
Vahn nodded.
“I’m not ready to take Pendo’s word for it he’s not going to attack the duchy. He may have told you that so you’d be careless.”
“Agreed. I don’t trust Pendo.”
“I’m thinking we set up a rotation so everyone spends time at the outposts near the border, then time back in Ny, then some time in cold-weather training.”
“Where do you propose to train?”
“The foothills near Canjal should work for now. Fendrus Forest will be suitable later in the season.”
“You’re including yourself in the rotation, I trust?” The captain had better not be planning to do all the dirty work and leave his new family alone when it wasn’t absolutely necessary.
“I want to make sure Lieutenant Huls is qualified for the weather training stint before I leave him to fend for himself, but once he does that, yes, I plan to take my fair share of down time too.”
“Good. Because you know who Timmilina would complain to if I wasn’t fair.” Vahn spoke with a jesting tone. Baroness Timmilina Shil was not a very assertive woman unless she had to be, and they both knew it.
The captain slapped his own chest. “That’s right. Me. Because she knows you are rarely unfair. I’m always the one to push it.”
“True.” They both shared a laugh.
They stayed the night in Punnim. It was more of a village than a town, but its location made it a welcome oasis in an otherwise unpopulated area. The townsfolk there had welcomed him and a large contingent of men during a nasty storm on their eastward journey and Vahn always enjoyed making new allies and strengthening his bonds with old ones.
While Dauntere slept and Shil taught Skipkur swordsmanship, Vahn quilled a letter to his brother. Pendo said he tried to talk reason with Arx, but he could have been lying. It was conceivable Arx didn’t know he was fighting over land their grandfather had stolen from Ganluc. If there was even the slightest chance Arx didn’t know the East Bank’s history, then Vahn felt it was his moral duty to inform him. It was foolish to fight a war with starving people.
He sealed the parchment scroll and delivered it to a relay station on Royal Rebono Road. Riders probably left twice a day now the country was at war. His letter would be in King Arx’s hands by tomorrow. Arx could ignore it at his own peril. At least Vahn’s conscience would be clear.
Dauntere was less than eager to resume the journey in the morning and he did whine a bit more on the second day, but Vahn had never intended to cover the entire distance in the usual two days anyway. They spent the second night at Fendrus Stronghold, where the Castellan, Lord Haxton Niles, welcomed them with open arms. The estate, formerly known as Mors Manor, had been left in Niles’ care until Vahn’s adopted son, Blod Rebono, was old enough to take over.
Dozens of silver-banded men waved and cheered as the horses made their way from the ornate iron gates at Rebono Keep’s curtain wall, across the well-manicured landscape and up to the palatial castle that was home. Captain Shil split off to speak to the gate guards. Vahn had hoped to surprise his secret wife, kee, and the other house staff, but all the cheering welcomes must have aroused their attention because kee came running out the door to meet him, carrying Blod right with her.
“You found him!” she exclaimed on seeing Dauntere. The family of four shared an impromptu embrace in the carriageway.
“Captain Shil and Lord Skipkur got him out. Oh, you haven’t met Tyn’s brother. kee, this is Lord Rynoth Skipkur. Lord Skipkur, this is my optimess, kee of House Rebono.”
Rynoth dipped his head and waited, probably expecting her to extend her hand for him to kiss, but slaves were discouraged from the genteel practice. Instead, kee bowed her head as deeply as she could without dropping the small child in her arms. “kee is pleased to meet you, Lord Skipkur. Welcome to Rebono Keep.”
His eyes sparked with recognition. “You’re the one Cassy told me about, aren’t you? The one who traveled through Ganluc in a cage, pretending to be a runaway.”
Her eyes remained lowered to follow custom, but she nodded. “Yes, that was kee.” She turned back to study her secret husband. “What about the war, Master Vahn? kee thought you were going to join the king’s army.”
Vahn sighed even as he motioned everyone toward the silver-gilded ebony double doors that stood at the entrance to his home. “I tried to, but King Arx refused us. It’s a long story. Perhaps I should wait until supper to start the tale.”
Timmilina Shil appeared in the door. “Your highness!”
He gave her a forced frown. “Don’t you ‘highness’ me, Baroness Shil.” He knew she hated it when he used her formal address. “You had better not be here to work.”
“Lord Blackthorn said I was welcome and the only work I’ve done is nurse an infant while your house slaves waited on me hand and foot.”
He dropped the mock scolding. “Of course you’re welcome. I’m glad you’re here.”
Her eyes kept darting around him. “Did I hear you say you saw Najost?”
Vahn grinned. “I not only saw him. I brought him back with me. He’s probably on his way home, looking for you.”
“No I’m not,” Captain Shil’s voice called from somewhere behind them. He was running up the carriage path.
She ran out and into his open arms, hugging tightly and kissing him for a long moment. Finally, the captain looked his wife in the eyes. “Where is he?”
She smiled. “Taking a nap. Come on.” Her hand caught his and she pulled him after her into the house.
“Well, Lord Skipkur, it appears you’re the only one here without a little boy to greet you.” Vahn clapped him on the back lightly as he once again ushered him and kee toward the doors behind the Shils.
Rynoth raised both hands in surrender. “I don’t mind the uncle routine, but I’m not father material.”
Vahn laughed. “We’ll see about that.”
