fell into my bed last night.”
“How is Duke Estalin’s son?”
“He will recover. He wasn’t that sick.” Leyladin shook her head. “Sometimes…” She looked at Cerryl. “You heard about Duke Berofar, didn’t you?”
He frowned. “Heard what? I don’t hear that much, not on gate duty, and not when I really don’t know that many of the full mages-the younger ones, I mean.”
“It couldn’t hurt to eat with a few others,” she pointed out. “The more who know you as a real person…”
He nodded. That made sense. “What about Duke Berofar?”
“He died. Gorsuch… I just don’t know.”
“Don’t know what?” Cerryl continued to feel that the more he learned about anything, the less he really knew. He took one of the green apples and cut it into wedges, then offered them to Leyladin.
“Thank you.” She took one and ate it. “Berofar-he’s from the old line out of Asula, and his first consort and his son and daughter died of the raging fever. That wasn’t ten years ago, and that left him without an heir. I don’t think he cares much for women. Still, he needed an heir, and that’s why he consorted again. Young Uulrac was born at the turn of spring four years ago.”
Cerryl ate two of the apple quarters and offered the last to the blonde healer. He cut another wedge of cheese for himself and listened.
“I think the Council will suggest that Gorsuch be one of the regents.”
“He’s the Council representative to Hydlen?”
She nodded. “Doesn’t it seem strange to you?”
“What?”
“Jeslek has you kill Lyam-and Lyam wouldn’t go along with the road taxes and tariffs, and the new prefect of Gallos knows that he could be removed if he doesn’t. The old Viscount of Certis opposed our tariffs, and he and his entire family died of the bloody flux. Duke Berofar was trying not to provide levies and troops for us… and as soon as I’m tending one duke’s son-where my absence would be a problem- Berofar dies…”
“Strange” wasn’t the word Cerryl would have used. He could see the patterns once he had the facts. He just didn’t know enough and wondered if he ever would. Fairhaven seemed so open and simple on the surface, like a calm ocean or lake, but most of what went on was below the surface. Was it that way everywhere?
“It’s possible,” he agreed.
Her eyebrows raised, as if in a question.
“That Sterol decided Berofar was a problem. I don’t think any of the more powerful mages-Sterol, Jeslek, maybe Anya, or Kinowin- would stop for a moment to remove a ruler who might thwart Fairhaven.”
“Doesn’t that bother you?”
Cerryl shrugged, then took another swallow of the ale and refilled his goblet before answering. “It does, and it doesn’t.”
“That’s a safe answer.” Her tone was bitter.
“That’s not what I meant. I haven’t seen any place like Fairhaven.
The streets are clean. There aren’t many thieves. You can drink the water. You can buy most anything if you have the coins. People seem happy, most of them, and happier than the other places in Candar where I’ve been.“
“That’s because we push out those who are too poor or put them on road crews-or kill some of them if they make trouble.”
“True. But what’s the difference? In Fenard, the urchins live in the streets, and I’d wager most die young. Everyone has to worry about thieves and brigands, and there’s flux and misery everywhere. There the prefect lets people die and others do the killing. Either way, the poor either find a way to make a living or die. Here, though, everyone else is better off as well, and I’m probably proof that an orphan has a chance.”
“Don’t you see, Cerryl, that’s why you’re a mage? So that Sterol and Jeslek can say that even a poor boy can rise to being a White mage?”
“What about Heralt? Or Kinowin? And I don’t think Kiella exactly comes from coins.”
Leyladin looked down at the polished white oak table. “It’s the same
“How is Duke Estalin’s son?”
“He will recover. He wasn’t that sick.” Leyladin shook her head. “Sometimes…” She looked at Cerryl. “You heard about Duke Berofar, didn’t you?”
He frowned. “Heard what? I don’t hear that much, not on gate duty, and not when I really don’t know that many of the full mages-the younger ones, I mean.”
“It couldn’t hurt to eat with a few others,” she pointed out. “The more who know you as a real person…”
He nodded. That made sense. “What about Duke Berofar?”
“He died. Gorsuch… I just don’t know.”
“Don’t know what?” Cerryl continued to feel that the more he learned about anything, the less he really knew. He took one of the green apples and cut it into wedges, then offered them to Leyladin.
“Thank you.” She took one and ate it. “Berofar-he’s from the old line out of Asula, and his first consort and his son and daughter died of the raging fever. That wasn’t ten years ago, and that left him without an heir. I don’t think he cares much for women. Still, he needed an heir, and that’s why he consorted again. Young Uulrac was born at the turn of spring four years ago.”
Cerryl ate two of the apple quarters and offered the last to the blonde healer. He cut another wedge of cheese for himself and listened.
“I think the Council will suggest that Gorsuch be one of the regents.”
“He’s the Council representative to Hydlen?”
She nodded. “Doesn’t it seem strange to you?”
“What?”
“Jeslek has you kill Lyam-and Lyam wouldn’t go along with the road taxes and tariffs, and the new prefect of Gallos knows that he could be removed if he doesn’t. The old Viscount of Certis opposed our tariffs, and he and his entire family died of the bloody flux. Duke Berofar was trying not to provide levies and troops for us… and as soon as I’m tending one duke’s son-where my absence would be a problem- Berofar dies…”
“Strange” wasn’t the word Cerryl would have used. He could see the patterns once he had the facts. He just didn’t know enough and wondered if he ever would. Fairhaven seemed so open and simple on the surface, like a calm ocean or lake, but most of what went on was below the surface. Was it that way everywhere?
“It’s possible,” he agreed.
Her eyebrows raised, as if in a question.
“That Sterol decided Berofar was a problem. I don’t think any of the more powerful mages-Sterol, Jeslek, maybe Anya, or Kinowin- would stop for a moment to remove a ruler who might thwart Fairhaven.”
“Doesn’t that bother you?”
Cerryl shrugged, then took another swallow of the ale and refilled his goblet before answering. “It does, and it doesn’t.”
“That’s a safe answer.” Her tone was bitter.
“That’s not what I meant. I haven’t seen any place like Fairhaven.
The streets are clean. There aren’t many thieves. You can drink the water. You can buy most anything if you have the coins. People seem happy, most of them, and happier than the other places in Candar where I’ve been.“
“That’s because we push out those who are too poor or put them on road crews-or kill some of them if they make trouble.”
“True. But what’s the difference? In Fenard, the urchins live in the streets, and I’d wager most die young. Everyone has to worry about thieves and brigands, and there’s flux and misery everywhere. There the prefect lets people die and others do the killing. Either way, the poor either find a way to make a living or die. Here, though, everyone else is better off as well, and I’m probably proof that an orphan has a chance.”
“Don’t you see, Cerryl, that’s why you’re a mage? So that Sterol and Jeslek can say that even a poor boy can rise to being a White mage?”
“What about Heralt? Or Kinowin? And I don’t think Kiella exactly comes from coins.”
Leyladin looked down at the polished white oak table. “It’s the same
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