Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Category: Science
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Betriz glanced up sideways at Cazaril, her brown eyes suddenly merry, and murmured under her breath, “Lupe? Your first name is Lupe?”
Cazaril considered himself excused from attempting to reply by their situation—just as well, as it would doubtless have come out thoroughly garbled. The room was thronged with courtiers and ladies, glittering and rustling, the air thick with perfume, incense, and excitement. In this crowd, he realized, his garments were modest and unobtrusive—in his austere brown and black, he’d have looked a crow among peacocks. Even the walls were dressed in red brocade.
On a raised dais at the end of the room, sheltered by a red brocade canopy fringed with gold braid, Roya Orico and his royina were seated on gilded chairs, side by side. Orico was looking much better this evening, washed up and in clean clothes, even with a dash of color in his puffy cheeks; very nearly kingly beneath his gold circlet crown, after a stodgy middle-aged fashion. Royina Sara was elegantly dressed in matching scarlet robes and sat very upright, almost prim, in her seat. Now in her mid-thirties, her earlier prettiness was fading and worn. Her expression was a little wooden, and Cazaril wondered how mixed her feelings must be at this royal reception. In her long infertility, she had failed her chief duty to the royacy of Chalion—if the failure was hers. Even when Cazaril had been on the fringes of court years ago, it was whispered that Orico had never got a bastard, though at the time this lack was attributed to an excessive loyalty to his marriage bed. Teidez’s elevation was also the royal couple’s public acknowledgment of a most private despair.
Teidez and Iselle advanced to the dais in turn. They exchanged fraternal kisses of welcome upon the hands with the roya and royina, though the full formal kisses of submission upon forehead, hands, and feet were not required of them tonight. Each member of their entourage was also granted the boon of kneeling and kissing the royal hands. Sara’s was chill as wax, beneath Cazaril’s respectful lips.
Cazaril stood behind Iselle and braced his back to endure, as the royal siblings prepared to receive a long line of courtiers, none of whom could be insulted by being left out or denied a personal introduction or touch. Cazaril’s breath stopped in his throat as he recognized the first and foremost pair of men to advance.
The March dy Jironal was dressed in the full court robes of the general of the holy military order of the Son, in layers of brown, orange, and yellow. Dy Jironal was not much changed from when Cazaril had last seen him three years ago, when Cazaril had accepted the keys of Gotorget and the trust of its command from his hand in his field tent. He was still spare, graying, cool of eye, tense with energy, likely to forget to smile. The broad sword belt that crossed his chest was thick with enamel and jewels in the symbols of the Son, weapons and animals and wine casks. The heavy gold chain of the office of the chancellor of Chalion circled his neck.
Three large seal-rings decorated his hands, that of his own rich house, of Chalion, and of the Son’s Order. No others cluttered his fingers—a wealth of jewels could not possibly have added more impact to that casual display of power.
Lord Dondo dy Jironal also wore the robes of a holy general, in the blue and white of the Daughter’s Order. Stockier than his brother, with an unfortunate tendency to profuse sweat, at forty he still radiated the family dynamism. Except for his new honors he appeared unchanged, unaged, from when Cazaril had last seen him in his brother’s camp. Cazaril realized he’d been hoping Dondo would at least have run to fat like Orico, given his infamous indulgences at table, in bed, and in every other possible pleasure, but he was only a little paunchy. The glitter on his hands, not to mention his ears, neck, arms, and gold-spurred boot heels, made up for whatever display of family wealth his brother disdained.
Dy Jironal’s gaze passed over Cazaril without pause or recognition, but Dondo’s black eyebrows drew down as he waited his turn, and he frowned at Cazaril’s blankly affable features. His frown deepened abruptly. But Dondo’s searching look was torn from Cazaril as his brother motioned a servant to bring forward the gifts he was presenting to Royse Teidez: a silver-mounted saddle and bridle, a fine hunting crossbow, and an ash boar spear with a wickedly gleaming, chased steel point. Teidez’s excited thanks were entirely genuine.
Lord Dondo, after his formal introductions, snapped his fingers, and a servant holding a small casket stepped forward and opened it. With a gesture worthy of theater, he drew from it an enormously long string of pearls which he held high for all to see. “Royesse, I welcome you to Cardegoss in the name of my holy order, my glorious family, and my noble person! May I present you with double your length in pearls”— he brandished the string, which was indeed as long as the surprised Iselle was high— “and give thanks to the gods that you are not a taller lady, or I should be bankrupted!” A chuckle ran through the courtiers at his joke. He smiled engagingly at her, and murmured, “May I?” Without waiting for reply, he bent forward and laid the rope over her head; she flinched a little as his hand briefly touched her cheek, but fingered the gleaming spheres and smiled back in astonishment. She stammered out pretty thanks, and Dondo bowed—too low, Cazaril thought sourly; the gesture seemed tinged with subtle mockery, to his eye.
Only then did Dondo take a moment to murmur in his brother’s ear. Cazaril could not make out the low words, but he thought he saw Dondo’s bearded lips shape the word Gotorget. Dy Jironal’s glance at Cazaril grew startled and sharp, for an instant, but then both men had to make way for the next noble lord in line.
A daunting number of rich or clever welcoming gifts were pressed upon the royse and royesse. Cazaril found himself taking charge of Iselle’s lot, and with Betriz’s help making detailed notes as to their givers, to add to the household inventory later. Courtiers swarmed around the youths, Cazaril thought dryly, like flies around spilled honey. Teidez was elated to the point of giggling; dy Sanda was a little stiff, both gratified and strained. Iselle, though also clearly elated, conducted herself with fair dignity. She took alarm only once, when a Roknari envoy from one of the northern princedoms, tall and golden-skinned with his tawny hair dressed in elaborate braids, was introduced to her. His fine embroidered linen robes fluttered like banners with his sweeping bow. She curtseyed back with unsmiling but controlled courtesy, and thanked him for a beautiful belt of carved corals, jade, and gold links.
Teidez’s gifts were more varied, though running heavily to weapons. Iselle’s were mostly jewelry, although they included no less than three fine music boxes. At length all the gifts not immediately worn were placed on a table for display under the guard of a couple of pages—display of the givers’ wealth, wit, or generosity, after all, being better than half their purpose—and the crowd of Cardegoss’s elite filed into the banqueting hall.
The royse and royesse were conducted to the high table and seated on either side of Orico and his royina. They were flanked in turn by the Jironal brothers, Chancellor dy Jironal smiling a bit tightly at the fourteen-year-old Teidez, Dondo evidently trying to make himself pleasant to Iselle, though it could be seen that he laughed louder at his wit than she did. Cazaril was seated at one of the long tables perpendicular to the room’s front, above the salt and not too far from his charge. He discovered the middle-aged man on his right to be an Ibran envoy.
“The Ibrans treated me well during my last sojourn in your country,” Cazaril ventured politely after their mutual introductions, deciding to avoid mentioning the details. “How came you to Cardegoss, my lord?”
The Ibran smiled in a friendly manner. “You are the Royesse Iselle’s man, eh? Well, besides the undoubted attractions of the hunting in Cardegoss in the fall, the roya of Ibra dispatched me to persuade Roya Orico not to support the Heir’s new rebellion in South Ibra. The Heir accepts aid from Darthaca; I believe he will find it a gift that turns to bite him, in time.”
“His Heir’s rebellion is a painful contretemps for the roya of Ibra,” Cazaril said, truthfully, but with studied neutrality. The old Fox of Ibra had double-dealt with Chalion enough times in the l
ast thirty years to be considered a dubious friend and a dangerous enemy—though if this ghastly stop-and-start war with his son was the retribution of the gods for his slyness, the gods were surely to be feared. “I do not know Roya Orico’s mind, but it seems to me that to back youth against age is to bet on a surety. They must make up again, or time will decide. For the old man to defeat his son is like to defeating himself.”
“Not this time. Ibra has another son.” The envoy glanced around and leaned closer to Cazaril, lowering his voice. “A fact that did not escape the attention of the Heir. To secure himself, he struck last fall at his younger brother, a foul and secret attack—although he claims now it was not ordered by him but was the wild work of minions who misunderstood some careless words. Understood them all too well, I’d say. The attempt to make away with young Royse Bergon was thwarted, thank the gods, and Bergon rescued. But the Heir has finally pushed his father’s mercy over the line. There will be no peace between them this time short of South Ibra’s abject surrender.”
“A sad business,” Cazaril said. “I hope they may all come to their senses.”
“Aye,” agreed the envoy. He smiled in dry appreciation, perhaps, of Cazaril’s neat avoidance of declaring a preference, and let his patent persuasion rest.
The Zangre’s food was wondrous, and left Cazaril close to cross-eyed with repletion. The court removed to the chamber where the dancing was to be held, where Roya Orico promptly fell asleep in his chair, to Cazaril’s envy. The court musicians were excellent as ever. Royina Sara didn’t dance either, but her cold face softened in apparent enjoyment of the music, and her hand kept time on her chair arm. Cazaril took his burdened digestion to a side wall, propped his shoulders comfortably, and watched younger and more vigorous, or less-stuffed-full, folk promenade, turn, and sway gracefully to the delicate strains. Neither Iselle nor Betriz nor even Nan dy Vrit lacked for partners.
Cazaril frowned as Betriz took her place in the figure with her third, no, fifth young lord. Royina Ista hadn’t been the only concerned parent to corner him before he’d left Valenda; so had Ser dy Ferrej. Watch out for my Betriz, he had pleaded. She ought to have her mother, or some older lady who knows the way of the world, but alas… Dy Ferrej had been torn between fear of disaster and hope for opportunity. Help her beware of unworthy men, roisterers, landless hangers-on, you know the type. Like himself? Cazaril couldn’t help wondering. On the other hand, should she meet someone solid, honorable, I’d not be averse to her choosing with her heart…you know, a nice fellow, like, oh, say, your friend the March dy Palliar… That airy example did not sound quite random enough, to Cazaril’s ear. Had Betriz already formed a secret fondness? Palli, alas, was not present here tonight, having returned to his district after the installment of Lord Dondo in his holy generalship. Cazaril could have welcomed a friendly and familiar face in all this crowd.
He glanced aside at a movement, to find a face familiar and coolly smiling, but not one he welcomed. Chancellor dy Jironal gave him a slight bow of greeting; he pushed off the wall and returned it. His wits fought their way through a fog of food and wine to full alertness.
“Dy Cazaril. It is you. We had thought you were dead.”
I’d wager so. “No, my lord. I escaped.”
“Some of your friends feared you had deserted—”
None of my friends would fear any such thing.
“But the Roknari reported you had died.”
“A foul lie, sir.” Cazaril didn’t say whose lie, his only daring. “They sold me to the galleys with the unransomed men.”
“Vile!”
“I thought so.”
“It’s a miracle you survived the ordeal.”
“Yes. It was.” Cazaril blinked, and smiled sweetly. “Did you at least recover your ransom money, as the price of that lie? Or did some thief pocket it? I’d like to think that someone paid for the deception.”
“I don’t recall. It would have been the quartermaster’s business.”
“Well, it was all a dreadful mischance, but it has come right in the end.”
“Indeed. I shall have to hear more of your adventures, sometime.”
“When you will, my lord.”
Dy Jironal nodded austerely, smiling, and moved on, evidently reassured.
Cazaril smiled back, pleased with his self-control—if it wasn’t just his sick fear. He could, it seemed, smile, and smile, and not launch himself at the lying villain’s throat—I’ll make a courtier yet, eh?
His worst fears assuaged, Cazaril abandoned his futile attempt at invisibility, and nerved himself to ask Lady Betriz for one roundel. He knew himself tall and gangling and not graceful, but at least he was not falling-down drunk, which put him ahead of half the young men here by now. Not to mention Lord Dondo dy Jironal, who after monopolizing Iselle in the dance for a time had moved off with his roistering hangers-on to find either rougher pleasures or a quiet corridor to vomit in. Cazaril hoped the latter. Betriz’s eyes sparkled with exhilaration as she swung with him into the figures.
At length, Orico woke up, the musicians flagged, and the evening drew to a close. Cazaril mobilized pages, Lady Betriz, and Sera dy Vrit to help carry off Iselle’s booty and store it safe away. Teidez, scorning the dancing, had indulged in the spectacular array of sweets more than in drink, though dy Sanda might still have to deal with a bout of violent illness before dawn as a result. But it was clear the boy was more drunk on attention than on wine.
“Lord Dondo told me that anyone would have taken me for eighteen!” he told Iselle triumphantly. His growth spurt this past summer that had shot him up above his older sister had been occasion for much crowing on his part, and snorting on Iselle’s. He trod off toward his bedchamber with feet barely touching the floor.
Betriz, her hands full of jewelry, asked Cazaril as they placed the gauds into Iselle’s lockable boxes in her antechamber, “So why don’t you use your name, Lord Caz? What’s so wrong with Lupe? It’s really quite a, a strong man’s name, withal.”
“Early aversion,” he sighed. “My older brother and his friends used to torment me by yipping and howling until they’d driven me to tears of rage, which made me madder still—alas, by the time I’d grown tall enough to beat him, he’d outgrown the game. I thought that was most unfair of him.”
Betriz laughed. “I see!”
Cazaril reeled off to the quiet of his own bedchamber, to realize he had failed to pen his faithfully promised note of reassurance to the Provincara. Torn between bed and duty, he sighed and pulled out his pens and paper and wax, but his account was much shorter than the entertaining report he had planned, a few terse lines ending, All is well in Cardegoss.
He sealed it, found a sleepy page to deliver it to whatever morning courier rode out of the Zangre, and fell into bed.
The first night’s welcoming banquet was followed all too soon by the next day’s breakfast, dinner, and an evening fête that included a masque. More sumptuous meals cascaded down the ensuing days, till Cazaril, instead of thinking Roya Orico sadly run to fat, began to marvel that the man could still walk. At least the initial bombardment of gifts upon the royal siblings slowed. Cazaril caught up on his inventory and began to think about where and upon what occasions some of this largesse should eventually be rebestowed. A royesse was expected to be openhanded.
He woke on the fourth morning from a confused dream of running about the Zangre with his hands full of jewelry that he could not get delivered to the right persons at the right times, and which had somehow included a large talking rat that gave him impossible directions. He rubbed away the sand of sleep from his eyes, and considered swearing off either Orico’s fortified wines, or sweets that included too much almond paste, he wasn’t sure which. He wondered what meals he’d have to face today. And then laughed out loud at himself, remembering siege rations. Still grinning, he rolled out of bed.
He shook out the tunic he’d worn yesterday afternoon, and unlaced the cuff to rescue the drying half loaf of br
ead that Betriz had bade him tuck in its wide sleeve when the royal picnic down by the river had been cut short by seasonable but unwelcome afternoon rain showers. He wondered bemusedly if harboring provisions was what these courtiers’ sleeves had been designed for, back when this garment was new. He peeled off his nightshirt, pulled on his trousers and tied their strings, and went to wash at his basin.
A confused flapping sounded at his open window. Cazaril glanced aside, startled by the noise, to see one of the castle crows land upon the wide stone sill and cock its head at him. It cawed twice, then made some odd little muttering noises. Amused, he wiped his face on his towel, and, picking up the bread, advanced slowly upon the bird to see if it was one of the tame ones that might take food from his hand.
It seemed to spy the bread, for it didn’t launch itself again as he approached. He held out a fragment. The glossy bird regarded him intently for a moment, then pecked the crumb rapidly from between his fingers. Cazaril controlled his flinch as the sharp black beak poked, but did not pierce, his hand. The bird shifted and shook its wings, spreading a tail that was missing two feathers. It muttered some more, then cawed again, a shrill harsh noise echoing in the little chamber.
“You shouldn’t say caw, caw,” Cazaril told it. “You should say, Caz, Caz!” He entertained himself and, apparently, the bird, for several minutes attempting to instruct it in its new language, even meeting it halfway by trilling Cazaril! Cazaril! in what he fancied a birdish accent, but despite lavish bribes of bread it seemed even more resistant than Iselle to Darthacan.
A knock at his chamber door interrupted the lesson, and he called absently, “Yes?”
The door popped open; the crow flapped backward and fell away through the window. Cazaril leaned out a moment to watch its flight. It plummeted, then spread its wings with a snap and soared again, wheeling away upon some morning updraft rising along the ravine’s steep face.