[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
shared a heritage with my people against a foreign aggressor. Moreover, Duke
Allister Seagleam is my own sister s son. I could not face my ancestors in
good conscience if I refused him aid.
Yet, Queen Gustin said bitterly, you have not worried about your ancestors
reaction to the many battles you have fought against my people in the past.
Those, King Tedric said, were family squabbles such as the ancestors
themselves have fought. No doubt you planned to instigate a few yourself,
perhaps once this old king was gone and a monarch less certain sat upon the
Eagle Throne.
Queen Gustin s cheeks flared sudden, unguarded red.
So that is what she did intend, Allister mused. Good tactical sense, really,
if anyone thinks about it, but her blush whether angry or embarrassed makes
her appear a prentice caught plotting to steal from the larder.
Duke Dolphin took advantage of Gustin s momentary silence to comment rather
more loudly than necessary to his closest neighbor, Earle Pelican:
In my father s day, our wars with Hawk Haven truly were a continuation of our
Civil War. Gustin the
Third was the first king to become dependent on foreign mercenaries. His
daughter, our queen, has
continued the dependence.
Wisely, Queen Gustin did not respond to this unofficial commentary. However,
as she did not seem quite prepared to speak, King Tedric added:
As I was saying, I sent my soldiers to Bright Bay s aid because I did not
wish to see her fall to a foreign aggressor. Whether or not I believe the
compensation Your Majesty has offered to us is just is not the real issue. The
issue as I see it is, what do you offer us to remain your allies?
Queen Gustin had regained her composure and her reply showed even a touch of
humor.
Page 293
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
I don t suppose that you d continue to support us out of kindred feeling?
My personal family feeling would not be enough, King Tedric replied. My
noble counselors do not have nephews among your Great Houses. I would need to
be able to offer them something more if they were to send their sons and
daughters to fight on your fields.
Queen Gustin glanced down at some papers in front of her, as if consulting
them. Then she said coolly:
Stonehold found the benefit of money earned and a place to train their forces
compensation enough. In addition, we gave their ships use of some of our
ports. Would you consider a similar contract?
King Tedric shook his head.
My people are my greatest treasure, he said. I cannot sell their lives for
mere monies. Moreover, New
Kelvin and Waterland are not as aggressive neighbors as those Stonehold might
find challenging their southern frontier if the Rocky Band were not so
well-trained. We have a port of our own, poor when compared to the water
wealth of Bright Bay, but serviceable, and Waterland freely shares the
northern oceans with our vessels.
I heard, Queen Gustin said acidly, from well-informed sources, that neither
Waterland nor New
Kelvin were pleased that you had come to Bright Bay s aid. Perhaps your
borders and vessels are not as secure as you think.
King Tedric shook his head. I am certain that if we offered due apology and
promised never to aid
Bright Bay again no matter which foreign powers threatened New Kelvin and
Waterland would forgive us. Waterland in particular might have other ventures
to occupy her time.
You walked into that one, Valora, Allister thought, listening to the murmured
consternation from the Bright Bay representatives. That old eagle was playing
such games when you were floating toy ships in a garden pond. Now your own
people see our increased vulnerability.
For the first time, Queen Gustin looked momentarily panicked, perhaps
envisioning a Bright Bay embattled on land by Stonehold with or without Hawk
Haven s aid while Waterland preyed upon her from the sea. Until this point,
Bright Bay had been a fair match for the neighboring sea power precisely
because of Stonehold s support against Hawk Haven on land.
Gustin has been so busy concentrating on the immediate picture, Allister
thought, that she did not realize what other sharks would start circling once
they smelled our blood and thought us wounded. Yet, if she had come to fight
this battle, she would not find herself needing to grant concessions. It is
her own cowardice or prudence that brought her to this point.
For a fleeting moment the duke wondered what ultimatum Stonehold had offered
Queen Gustin that war had been preferable to reply. Despite how attentively
his spies and those of his allies had snooped about,
no one knew for certain. The best any could say was that Stonehold s letter
had to do with events dating back to days of Gustin Sailor.
Looking at the queen, sitting stiff and haughty in her high-backed chair,
Allister Seagleam was certain of one thing. The ultimatum no matter what it
entailed had meant less than the fact that it had offended
Gustin s pride. She would not rush to Stonehold s bidding like a servant to
cook, as she had put it in her letter to him, no matter what the cost.
Although there was still a small glimmer of fear in her eyes, Queen Gustin
found her voice and addressed
King Tedric:
Your Majesty then agrees that what compensation we have offered Hawk Haven
for her assistance in the battles of these few days past is sufficient.
Tedric replied carefully, I have said we will accept it I do not wish to
discuss whether or not I
Page 294
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
consider the compensation sufficient, not when there is a larger question to
settle. I ask you bluntly, Your
Majesty, do you wish to continue in alliance with Hawk Haven and if so, what
is that alliance worth to you?
Queen Gustin hedged, You have said you will not take money nor use of
harbors, that your troops need no training. What is the price of your aid?
Nothing, King Tedric said, that you must personally pay. I only ask that
you name as your heir my nephew, your cousin Allister Seagleam. I believe that
he will work toward the union of both our kingdoms, so that never again no
such word as alliance need ever be used to define our relationship to each
other.
You say, Queen Gustin said, her voice rising, that this is no price to
pay!
I do not ask that you step down, King Tedric said reasonably. Only that you
name Duke Allister
Seagleam, son of Princess Caryl Eagle and Prince Tavis Seagleam, your heir.
You have no son or daughter nor younger sibling. I am not asking you to
disinherit anyone, only that you choose Duke Allister out of all those who
could raise a claim to the throne and that you assure his or his own
heir s succeeding you even in the instance that a child is born to you.
Duke Lobster, father of King Harwill and thus grandfather to the
yet-unconceived child of the queen, spoke out without bothering to be
recognized:
Even if the queen has not yet born a child, there are those within Bright
Bay s own nobility who should follow her. Grand Duchess Sea-star s eldest,
Culver, holds the title crown prince, though all understand that he will step
down gracefully when Queen Gustin the Fourth bears a child.
Then I, King Tedric replied, smiling slightly as if acknowledging Duke
Lobster s unspoken advocacy of his potential grandchild, am merely asking
Crown Prince Culver to be gracious a bit sooner than was planned.
A few people laughed and Duke Allister noted that not all those who laughed
were from Hawk Haven.
Queen Gustin was not laughing, despite the fact that this proposal came as no
surprise. She had heard it before, both from Allister and from Tedric and
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]