Sea of Sighs (Empath Book 2) Page 10

  “So, Ross is going to protect my most skilled healer and bring him home. What I need in the meantime is a chamberlain, and that person has to be somebody I trust. As I have made myself immeasurably clear; I don’t trust any of you sitting here. Well…” Vance swatted his hand as if batting a fly. “Most of you, at any rate. Eden of Sevenspells is to be my chamberlain until Ross returns.”

  “You can’t put him in that position! He’s just a boy! He barely knows Everfell, let alone the court.”

  Vance shrugged. “Ross hadn’t been a chamberlain before I appointed him either, and he’s been a fine addition to my retinue. Obrenn, again, despite everything I’ve said, you are still questioning my judgement?”

  A nervous silence settled over the lords present.

  No one else wanted to be seen showing any dissent, especially since Vance seemed in a very militant mood. Result part in proceedings, Eden said nothing. He kept his gaze steadfastly on the table, avoiding the ferocious looks he was sure the other lords were giving him. He could feel their eyes burning into his skull. Yes, he was Vance’s pawn, but as far as the rest of the men in this room were concerned, he’d just been promoted to be the king’s right-hand man. That made him target number one, both for those seeking to forge new alliances, and those looking to oust the king from his throne.

  “If you have any serious objections to this appointment, I suggest you raise them now. If you want to moan and whinge like old women, you can do so in the privacy of your own rooms and with your own people. I have not consulted you on this, and the decision is already made. Eden has already agreed to take the role, and it is not going to conflict with the interests of the upcoming investigation into Shiver. I assume that I have the full support of Sevenspells in this, Lord Rowan?”

  Rowan shifted uncomfortably as the stares of the lords fell onto him. He cleared his throat. “Of course, your highness, Sevenspells is with the throne in any decision it makes.”

  Vance nodded once, firmly. “That’s the best answer you could have possibly given Lord Rowan. I’m sure you can appreciate that Eden has never been a chamberlain before. However he is familiar with Everfell, despite Obrenn’s misgivings, and the people within it. I expect you now to afford him or the decency and honour deserving of his new role. Eden, do you have any questions or words for the men before you?”

  It was Eden’s turn now to look uncomfortable under the scrutiny of the others. Instead of clearing his throat like his brother had done, Eden took a sip from the wineglass, concentrating on keeping his hands from shaking. He thought he did a credible job of it, seeing as no one laughed, but he couldn’t be completely sure. After a few seconds of contemplation, Eden spoke. “All I can do is thank the king for the faith he has placed in me. I will be sure to complete my duties in the manner to which the king has become accustomed, because I’m not going to want to explain to Ross if everything goes to shit whilst he is gone.”

  As Eden had hoped, the tension in the room snapped as the lords broke down in raucous laughter. Vance gave him a smile of approval, probably not expecting the humour from his new appointment, and Eden was delighted that he’d handled the other lords much more effectively than his older brother the new, albeit temporary, Lord of Sevenspells. Eden had been thrust into this game without preparation, nevertheless he would play as well as he could.

  Eden stared in wonder at the chaos around him, and saw the centre of that chaos, was his brother Rowan. He looked more like a boy, then, than a man. He was overwhelmed by the meeting, and by the boisterous cries of the lords around him.

  “Despite how well you thought he was prepared for leadership…” Vance nudged Eden again. “See him, between those fat old men?”

  Eden nodded, not wanting to bring too much attention to himself with a verbal answer.

  “He looks like a hare about to be caught in the horses’ hooves. He’s a cocksure lad, and I’ve met him enough times to know. He’s just like your father, virtually identical to Shiver when he was that age. There is, however, one major difference between Rowan and Shiver. You know what that is?”

  “No, your highness, I don’t.”

  “I think you do, you just too scared to answer. That’s because you’re not the firstborn, not even the second. You’ve got more balls than both of your brothers combined, but because they’re above you in the succession, you’re not going to point that out.”

  Eden blushed again but Vance continued, either not saying or ignoring his new chamberlain’s reaction.

  “You see, what you’ve already done in this court has caused ripples. Lords speak about you. Ladies gossip about you. You’re already being considered more important than your brother, the man who is set to inherit Sevenspells. Rowan doesn’t like that. He’s used to being the heir, and the one courts fawn over. He is spoiled and used to being able to use his age against people. Well, he can’t any more. He’s a ruler now. His age becomes largely irrelevant He is also very conflicted.”

  “Conflicted?”

  “Yes. I think many of the lords have been guilty of it, which is why Shiver has never made a case of it. But Rowan isn’t married yet, and for a lord expected to sire heirs, that is not acceptable. Trust me, with what is on the way, that’s going to change. All of the unmarried sons of noble houses will be having marriages arranged. We’ve been complacent, but we can’t leave our provinces without heirs.”

  Eden’s heart shuddered. Forced to marry? Without Quinn here? No, that couldn’t happen.

  “You see Rowan’s conflicted because he loves his father. I know that, and you know that. Even a blind man could see that. But he’s in the same conundrum every firstborn son has faced for hundreds and hundreds of years.

  “Rowan isn’t going to get into power without your father dying. He doesn’t want Lord Shiver to die, but he does want power. He has a taste of it here in his hands already, without having to see his father go to the Beach of Bones. That is a rarity, and it’s going to be Rowan’s undoing. Why? Because despite the fact you think of the Lord of Sevenspells takes his position in life for granted, he is an exacting man with high standards. Rowan has been made aware of what his father expects from him, almost from the cradle. He knows his father was constantly there watching him, judging him, looking at every single decision he made. Now the moment has come for Rowan to become a lord, he’s acting like a firstborn son, and he’s going to make mistakes. You’re not behaving like that because you’re not Shiver’s heir, and you’ve never had the pressure of succession on your shoulders. You’re just living with the loyalty that your brother feels. Can you understand what it means to be Rowan now, with the pressure that’s been thrown on his shoulders in the last few days?”

  Eden shook his head. “I have no idea your highness. I never expected to find out.”

  “Well, you’ll have a sense of it somewhat with your position as chamberlain, that’s for sure. You won’t just be pleasing one lord, you’ll be herding dozens of them, and you have to keep the kitchens running. Of course, you’ll have to keep me in check, too.”

  Eden glanced across too see a sparkle in Vance’s eye. So, the king was still toying with him. This was a good sign, surely? With all of the furor surrounding them, Vance was still taking the time to bring Eden into his confidence, and still jesting with him? Yes, it was obvious. Vance trusted Eden. The first part of this plan has already succeeded, but with the chaos around him, Eden really didn’t know what was going to happen next.

  15

  “Alright you two, you can close your mouths now.”

  Quinn and Maertn closed their mouths in unison. They were standing on the shoreline of Port Kahnel, staring out at the sea. Quinn had seen the bloodied sea in her dreams, and Maertn had come to find her, but that had been a thing of dream and fantasy. This was not; it was tangible. The land, sky, and sea stretching out before them was magnificent. It was the first time they’d seen such a thing with their own eyes.

  Port Kahnel was absolute chaos, and Quinn never more glad that
she had her powers in check. She had thought that the city streets of Everfell were terrible, but they were nothing compared to the traders leading carts full of wares, merchants trying to coax people to their stalls—or just generally shouting—and the droves of bawdy sailors that seemed to be just about everywhere. As it was, she felt like putting her hands over her ears just to block out the noise. Maertn looked very much the same. For his part, Ross had his arms crossed across his chest, and was openly beaming. A chamberlain no more, the mercenary was clearly in his element, and didn’t look at all out of place with his twin swords, leading their captive on a rope as they wound their way through the crowded streets.

  They hadn’t been able to get any information out of him yet, but Quinn had felt like she was making progress on his emotions, and hadn’t wanted the man executed. He, like her, had just been operating under Baron Sammah’s orders. She hadn’t been executed for that, so why should this man? Ross and Maertn had disagreed with her logic, but had allowed her to keep him alive anyway, whilst she still thought she could get information out of him. Now, they were here at Port Kahnel, looking for a ship to take them to the Sha’sek island of Farn. Quinn was nervous, tangled excitement spreading through her stomach and making her limbs feel weak. She’d never been on a ship before. How would it feel? Would she be sick? She’d heard so many stories of people being seasick. Ross said she shouldn’t be, but how did he know? But, she did have Maertn. No matter how sick she got, he’d be able to help.

  “You to wait here, I need to pay an old friend a visit.”

  Quinn was a little shocked when Ross nonchalantly tossed the rope for the mercenary over to Maertn, who nearly dropped it in shock. This produced another laugh from Ross, who clearly wasn’t worried about the mercenary trying to escape. Quinn tentatively reached out her powers, and couldn’t feel anything like hope coming from the mercenary. It was likely, therefore, that he wasn’t going to plan an escape. Anything bordering on excitement or hope would have made Quinn a lot more cautious, though all she could feel was despair. “What do you want me to do with him?”

  Ross shrugged, “Whatever you want. Just don’t lose him.”

  Maertn and Quinn both gawked, huddling closer together as he sauntered off into the crowd. Quinn sent out another trickle to the mercenary, and though she sensed some amusement, the man was still mainly petrified of his situation. She would have been too, if Ross had been her keeper. The man was a giant, with a solid reputation to match. Quinn was indebted to Eden for convincing Ross to come with them, and had already decided that she didn’t know where they’d be without him. Dead, most likely, though Ross had already thanked more than once for the part she played in keeping them alive during the mercenary attack.

  “Shall we…go to explore?”

  Quinn was surprised that Maertn had suggested something so bold, and despite Ross's warning, she was curious about the port. She heard about it from so many other people in Everfell, and after spending most of her life within Everfell’s dank confines, she thought she should at least see one more city before departing for the islands of Sha’sek. Preferably, she’d have seen Eden’s home seat of Sevenspells, but that wasn’t going to be.

  The further Quinn got away from Everfell, the more she was worried that Eden was slipping from her mind, despite what they had experienced together. She made a difficult choice to leave him behind. It still hurt deep in her gut when she thought about his handsome face and his soulful blue eyes. She had to keep her resolve, though, about her decision. What other choice did she have? Death? No, she wasn’t going to hang around Everfell just to die at the end of a noose.

  Quinn snapped out of herself, relenting. She was in the middle of Port Kahnel, and she was daydreaming. People were skirting around them, mainly because of the mercenary they led at the end of a rope. She didn’t think they’d get into any trouble in the marketplace, so she nodded and agreed with Maertn’s suggestion that they go for a jaunt. Maertn wound the rope around his wrist, giving a wave to show the man that he didn’t intend to let it go.

  “Don’t even think of running. I know we’re not much to look at, but remember, Ross will be coming back. We know you’re scared of him.”

  The mercenary smirked, and looked pointedly at Quinn. Maertn looked blank in response, but Quinn was pretty sure the man was saying that Quinn was the one that he had to fear. She didn’t recognise him from any of the interrogations Sammah had made her do, but that didn’t mean that he hadn’t been at any of them. She’d done so many of them for the baron at such a young age that she couldn’t remember all the men who had guarded her. The mute men who had served under Sammah had been few and far between. Quinn felt that, if he’d been there, she should know him. He might have been one from one of the other cities, and the thought that there were other men out there potentially able to hunt her down, sent a cold chill down Quinn’s spine.

  She knew then, she needed to go and see this marketplace; she needed to distract herself from all of the horrible things happening to her right now. Her life had been an intense whirlwind, constantly serving other people and being scared of not just herself but everyone else. Maertn had helped her survive through that, and Eden had shown her how to thrive, but now, she could potentially lose both of the men that had shown her the way. Quinn needed start learning to live for herself.

  Quinn had never been out in a city whilst in control of her empathic abilities; she didn’t consider the depressed haze in which she’d left Everfell under the king’s ruling of exile as counting. For the first time in her life, she tried to look at what was around her. Once she got past the odorous stench of fish guts and the clamoring people around her, Port Kahnel was absolutely mesmerising. The colours were gorgeous, and the people were completely different from the restrained personalities she had become accustomed to meeting in the back halls of the castle at Everfell. Because Everfell was the seat of the king, it was mainly full of posturing nobles, looking to wheedle their way up higher in the echelons of court. Kahnel was a completely different coin, and the place seemed to be full of many types she hadn’t met before. There were men that obviously looked like sailors, their neat uniforms in the deep blue colours of Kahnel. Then, there were men that looked like they’d hang their own mother for their next drink, and these men, too, were heading onto ships, laughing and joking with each other. In amongst the traditional merchants were women dressed in high skirts, thick kohl on their face and pleading looks in their eyes. When Quinn tried to feel what they were experiencing, she pulled back with a blush. She naively hadn’t managed to guess what those women were selling.

  Quinn couldn’t help herself, and Maertn gave her free rein to wander around and gawp as she pleased. They didn’t have the spare money for her to buy anything at one of the stalls, though she was desperate to join in the galvanised haggling taking place all around her. The market was alive, and Quinn already felt like such a part of it, that she didn’t think that anyone would take notice of them. When a meaty fist landed on Maertn’s shoulder, they both jumped in shock.

  “Here, what are you two looking at? And what’s he about?”

  Maertn stalled in his response. The man was tall, almost as tall as Ross, but far more mean-looking. He had a vicious scar running from his temple down across his cheek to the side of his lips, and that split a beard that was wiry with grease. Some of his teeth were missing, and his nasty black eyes looked like they haven’t seen a smile in decades.

  “Sorry sir, we just looking around…we’ve never been here before.”

  Quinn wished she’d spoken first—Maertn would get them in trouble. They were both young and new to the road, but even she knew that was the wrong thing to say.

  “Travellers are you? Innocent, I suppose? I’ve heard that before, and for my money, that man you’re pretending to haul around doesn’t look very new. It looks like you’ve seen quite a few places like this. Port Kahnel’s got some interesting things to see, when you look the right way, and there are folks as would pa
y highly for that information.”

  “He won’t be talking to anyone, sir,” Quinn stammered.

  “Aye? And why is that, missy? Are you speaking for both the men here? A noble lady, are you?”

  “No, but when it comes to our friend, he doesn’t really have a choice when it comes to talking.” Quinn waved at the mercenary, who obliged by opening his mouth and jabbing out the black stump, which was all that was left of his tongue. He made a wheezing noise, which was more for effect that anything else, but it worked. The stranger took a stunned step back.

  “Why is he…here, he’s got no tongue!”

  “Full marks for observation.” Quinn felt bold, and feeling the confidence flood away from this man, she realised that being bold by return would be the only way to survive in this kind of environment. “That happens if you cross me. I’m sure you don’t want to become one of them.”

  Perhaps this was a step too far, and the stranger recovered from his initial shock, throwing his head back and laughing. “You? Did this to him? I’d love to see the day.”

  Quinn was about to open her mouth with a response, when another hand clapped on the man’s shoulder. “I’m sure we could show you, if you just like to come with me.”

  Ross had arrived, just in the nick of time. The man turned, and underneath the scars and gristle, he paled a little when he saw the man who had approached him.

  “Here now, I didn’t mean any harm, I was just playing with them, that’s all. You know what street they’ve wandered into. I’m sure no one wants people seeing things that shouldn’t be seen. Compared to some of the men around here, at least you got me, you see? Some others would have already stuck a dagger in these youngling’s backs. They looked like they needed directing to the main marketplace. No harm done.”