Sparhawk and his friends dismounted at the gate and rather roughly jerked the chained Lycheas from his saddle.
‘We’ll need to speak with your Mother Superior,’
Sparhawk told the gentle little nun who opened the gate for them. ‘Is Princess Arissa still spending most of her time in that garden near the south wall?’
‘Yes, My Lord.’
‘Please ask the Mother Superior to join us there. We’re delivering Arissa’s son to her.’ He took Lycheas by the scruff of the neck and dragged him across the courtyard towards the walled garden where Arissa spent her long hours of confinement. Sparhawk was coldly angry for a number of reasons.
‘Mother!’ Lycheas cried when he saw her. He broke free from Sparhawk and stumbled towards her, his imploring hands hampered by his chains.
Princess Arissa came to her feet, her face outraged.
The circles under her eyes had lessened, and her look of sullen discontent had faded to be replaced by one of smug anticipation. “What’s the meaning of this?’ she demanded, embracing her cowering son.
‘They threw me in the dungeon, mother,’ Lycheas blubbered, ‘and they’ve been threatening me.’
‘How dare you treat the Prince Regent so, Sparhawk?’
she burst out.
‘The situation has greatly changed, Princess,’ Sparhawk informed her coolly. ‘Your son isn’t Prince Regent any more. ‘
‘No one has the authority to depose him. You’ll pay for this with your life, Sparhawk.’
“I sort of doubt that, Arissa,’ Kalten disagreed with a broad grin. ‘I’m sure you’ll be delighted to hear that your niece has recovered from her illness.’
‘Ehlana? That’s impossible!’
(As a matter of fact, it isn’t. I know that as a true daughter of the Church, you’ll join with us all in praising God for his miraculous intervention. The royal council almost swooned with delight. The Baron Harparin was so pleased that he completely lost his head.’
‘But no one ever recovers from -‘ she bit her lip.
“From the effects of darestim?’ Sparhawk completed her sentence for her.
“How did you -?’
‘It wasn’t really all that hard, Arissa. It’s all falling apart on you, Princess. The queen was most displeased with you and your son – and the Primate Annias as well, of course.
She’s commanded us to take the three of you into custody.
You can consider yourself under arrest at this point.’
‘On what charge?’ she exclaimed.
‘High treason, wasn’t it, Kalten?’
“I think those were the words the queen used, yes. I’m sure it’s all a misunderstanding, Your Highness,’ the blond man smirked at Queen Ehlana’s aunt. ‘You, your son and the good Primate should have no trouble explaining things at your trial.’
‘Trial?’ Her face blanched.
“I think that’s the normal procedure, Princess. Ordinarily, we’d have just hanged your son and then you as well, but you both have a certain eminence in the kingdom, so certain necessary formalities are in order. ‘
‘That’s absurd!’ Arissa cried. ‘I’m a princess. I can’t be charged with such a crime.’
‘You might try to explain that to Ehlana,’ Kalten replied.
‘I’m sure she’ll be very interested in your arguments before she passes sentence.’
‘You’ll also be charged with the murder of your brother, Arissa,’ Sparhawk added. ‘Princess or not, that alone would be enough to hang you. But we’re a bit pressed for time. I’m sure your son will be able to explain it all to you in greater detail.’
An aged nun entered the garden, her expression disapproving at the presence of men within her walls.
“Ah, Mother Superior,’ Sparhawk greted her with a bow. ‘By order of the crown, I’m to confine these two criminals until they can be brought to trial. Do you by chance have penitents’ cells within your Walls?’
‘I’m sorry, Sir Knight,’ the Mother Superior said very firmly, ‘but the rules of our order forbid confining penitents against their will.’
“That’s all right, mother,’ Ulath smiled. ‘We’ll take care of it. We’d sooner die than offend the ladies of the Church.
I can assure you that the princess and her son will be unwilling to leave their cells – both of them being so engulfed in repentance, you understand. Let’s see, I’ll need a couple of lengths of chain, some-stout bolts, a hammer and an anvil. I’ll close up those cells with no trouble whatsoever, and you and your good sisters won’t need to concern yourselves with politics.’ He paused and looked at Sparhawk. ‘Or did you want me just to chain them to the walls?’
Sparhawk actually considered it. ‘No,’ he decided finally, ‘probably not. They’re still members of the royal family, and certain courtesies are involved.’
‘I have no choice but to accede to your demands, Sir Knights,’ the Mother Superior said. She paused. ‘There are rumours abroad that the queen has recovered,’ she said. “Can that possibly be true?’
“Yes, Mother Superior,’ Sparhawk told her. ‘The queen is well, and the government of Elenia is once again in her hands.’
‘Praise God!’ the old nun exclaimed. ‘And will you soon be removing our unwanted guests from within our walls?’
‘Soon, mother. Very soon.’
“We shall cleanse the chambers the princess has contaminated then – and offer prayers for her soul, of course.’
“Of course.
“How very, very touching,’ Arissa said sardonically, “If this gets any more cloying, I think I’ll vomit.’
‘You’re starting to irritate me, Arissa,’ Sparhawk said coldly. “I don’t recommend it. If I weren’t under the queen’s orders, I’d strike off your head here and now.
I’d advise you to make your peace with God, because I’m quite sure you’ll be meeting Him face to face before long.’
He looked at her with extreme distaste. “Get her out of my sight,’ he told Kalten and Ulath.
About fifteen minutes later, Kalten and Ulath came back from within the cloister.
“All secure?’ Sparhawk asked them.
‘It’d take a blacksmith an hour to open those cell-doors,’
Kalten replied. ‘Shall we go then?’
They had gone no more than a half-mile when Ulath suddenly shouted, ‘Look out, Sparhawk!’ and roughly shoved the big Pandion from his saddle.
The crossbow bolt whizzed through the empty air where Sparhawk had been an instant before and buried itself to the vanes in a tree at the roadside.
Kalten’s sword came whistling from its sheath, and he spurred his horse in the direction from which the bolt had come.
“Are you all right?’ Ulath asked, dismounting to help Sparhawk to his feet.
‘A little bruised is all. You push very firmly, my friend.’
‘I’m sorry, Sparhawk. I got excited.
‘Perfectly all right, Ulath. Push as hard as you like when these things happen. How did you happen to see the bolt coming?’
‘Pure luck. I happened to be looking that way, and I saw the bushes move.
Kalten was swearing when he rode back. “He got away,’
he reported.
‘I’m getting very tired of that fellow.” Sparhawk said, pulling himself back into the saddle.
“You think it might be the same one that took a shot at you back in Cimmura?’ Kalten asked him.
‘This isn’t Lamorkand, Kalten. There isn’t a crossbow standing in the corner of every kitchen in the kingdom.’
He thought about it for a moment. “Let’s not make an issue of this when we see Vanion again,’ he suggested. ‘I can sort of take care of myself, and he’s got enough on his mind already.’
“I think it’s a mistake, Sparhawk,’ Kalten said dubiously, ‘but it’s your skin, so we’ll do it your way.’
The knights of the four orders were waiting in a well-concealed encampment a league or so to the south of Demos. Sparhawk and his friends were directed to the pavilion where their friends were conversing with Preceptor Abriel of the Cyrinic Knights, Preceptor Komier of the Genidians and Preceptor Darellon of the Alciones.
“How did Princess Arissa take the news?’ Vanion asked.
‘She was moderately discontented about it all,’ Kalten smirked. ‘She wanted to make a speech, but since about all she really wanted to say was, “You can’t do this,” we cut her off. ‘
‘You did what?’ Vanion exclaimed.
‘Oh, not that way, My Lord Vanion,’ Kalten apologized.
‘Poor choice of words there perhaps.’
‘Say what you mean, Kalten,’ Vanion told him. ‘This is no time for misunderstandings. ‘
“I wouldn’t actually behead the princess, Lord Vanion.’
“I would,’ Ulath muttered.
“May we see the Bhelliom?’ Komier asked Sparhawk.
Sparhawk looked at Sephrenia, and she nodded, although a bit dubiously.
Sparhawk reached inside his surcoat and removed the canvas pouch. He untied the drawstring then shook the Sapphire Rose out into his hand. It had been several days since he had felt even the faintest twinge of that shadowy, unnamed dread, but it returned once again as soon as his eyes touched the Sapphire Rose, and once again that shapeless shadow, even darker and larger now, flickered just beyond his field of vision.
‘Dear God,’ Preceptor Abriel gasped.
‘That’s it, all right,’ the Thalesian Komier grunted. “Get it out of sight, Sparhawk.’