limitations, so he did not have to convince her. “We returned to my keep in Mollifas ever so briefly so that I could collect everything I had of value before leaving for good without so much as a goodbye to King Kale.” Sane shook the pack that had been strapped to his back. “From there we were off to Marchess. We spent weeks searching for any sign of Byrn or his abductor, but came up with nothing.
“ With our leads exhausted and Marian’s growing concern over the state of things here, I agreed to return her here and hoped to convince you to come with me instead. I may not be able to find Byrn, but I can spread the truth about him. It will seem as rumors at first, but it will spread throughout the kingdom like a raging wild fire. Then when I kill Janus, Byrn will be able to come forward and take his place at the king’s side whether I am the one to find him or not. He would be the only legitimate heir to the crown.” Sane spoke softly as he spoke the words that he knew were treasonous. A part of him thought he might be a madman, but he saw no other way.
“ You will still be an outcast,” Sari warned him.
“ I know. When everything is over, I think I would like to retire someplace far away from the kingdom like Raiden or Tempest.”
Sari considered what the magician said, “I cannot leave these people as an orcen army comes for them and I have a feeling that even if you refuse to support the kingdom any longer that you cannot leave these people to be killed. The orcs are coming with four thousand soldiers and we have two hundred. Councilor Aldyd sent a request to Silvering for more men, but without a missive from Marian they ignored our request and it is too late now for help to arrive in time. Besides if you are going to travel the countryside singing tales of the secret magician-prince and the plight of magicians, then you will need to make a name for yourself with the common folk and having the people of the mountains at your back is not a bad place to start.”
Sane looked out the tower window overlooking the mountain city once more, but this time he looked past the streets below and even beyond the walls that protected Everec. There was the faint glow of fire off in the distance that could only be the orcs coming steadily closer.
“ They can’t win this fight with only two hundred men,” Sane mused, “The city will have to be abandoned.”
“ Plans are in the works and Aldyd is making the case to Marian,” Sari assured him.
“ Do you know why they are attacking?” Sane asked as he tried to estimate how long it would take them to get to Everec. The orcs would be upon these people soon.
“ No idea. We only know they are killing any humans they come across as they approach and in addition to vastly superior numbers they are armed with siege weaponry. All of the mining colonies between the Dread Marsh and here have been plundered and razed.”
***
Donovan silently descended the stairway of the tower. He had followed Sari to make sure that the magician did not try to harm her, but what he heard was alarming to say the least. The sorcerer planned to kill Prince Janus and place a magician on the throne in his place. He would probably kill the king too while he was at it! To make matters worse, Sari, who he believed to be a trustworthy and noble woman, was in league with this man.
He had to do something, but what? They needed every able man and woman to fight back the coming orcs if there was any hope of survival. Maybe Donovan would get lucky and Sane would be killed in the coming conflict, but if not then he would have to be prepared to do whatever was necessary to ensure the safety of Aurelia.
As he left the tower and skulked across the grounds he headed for the barracks. Chance would be sleeping now, but he needed to hear of this. Then the two men could decide how to handle the magician together.
Chapter 11
The cave entrance towered over them like the maw of a
“ With our leads exhausted and Marian’s growing concern over the state of things here, I agreed to return her here and hoped to convince you to come with me instead. I may not be able to find Byrn, but I can spread the truth about him. It will seem as rumors at first, but it will spread throughout the kingdom like a raging wild fire. Then when I kill Janus, Byrn will be able to come forward and take his place at the king’s side whether I am the one to find him or not. He would be the only legitimate heir to the crown.” Sane spoke softly as he spoke the words that he knew were treasonous. A part of him thought he might be a madman, but he saw no other way.
“ You will still be an outcast,” Sari warned him.
“ I know. When everything is over, I think I would like to retire someplace far away from the kingdom like Raiden or Tempest.”
Sari considered what the magician said, “I cannot leave these people as an orcen army comes for them and I have a feeling that even if you refuse to support the kingdom any longer that you cannot leave these people to be killed. The orcs are coming with four thousand soldiers and we have two hundred. Councilor Aldyd sent a request to Silvering for more men, but without a missive from Marian they ignored our request and it is too late now for help to arrive in time. Besides if you are going to travel the countryside singing tales of the secret magician-prince and the plight of magicians, then you will need to make a name for yourself with the common folk and having the people of the mountains at your back is not a bad place to start.”
Sane looked out the tower window overlooking the mountain city once more, but this time he looked past the streets below and even beyond the walls that protected Everec. There was the faint glow of fire off in the distance that could only be the orcs coming steadily closer.
“ They can’t win this fight with only two hundred men,” Sane mused, “The city will have to be abandoned.”
“ Plans are in the works and Aldyd is making the case to Marian,” Sari assured him.
“ Do you know why they are attacking?” Sane asked as he tried to estimate how long it would take them to get to Everec. The orcs would be upon these people soon.
“ No idea. We only know they are killing any humans they come across as they approach and in addition to vastly superior numbers they are armed with siege weaponry. All of the mining colonies between the Dread Marsh and here have been plundered and razed.”
***
Donovan silently descended the stairway of the tower. He had followed Sari to make sure that the magician did not try to harm her, but what he heard was alarming to say the least. The sorcerer planned to kill Prince Janus and place a magician on the throne in his place. He would probably kill the king too while he was at it! To make matters worse, Sari, who he believed to be a trustworthy and noble woman, was in league with this man.
He had to do something, but what? They needed every able man and woman to fight back the coming orcs if there was any hope of survival. Maybe Donovan would get lucky and Sane would be killed in the coming conflict, but if not then he would have to be prepared to do whatever was necessary to ensure the safety of Aurelia.
As he left the tower and skulked across the grounds he headed for the barracks. Chance would be sleeping now, but he needed to hear of this. Then the two men could decide how to handle the magician together.
Chapter 11
The cave entrance towered over them like the maw of a
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