“Should we continue your hand-walking lessons?” Bock heard Admiral Criswell ask as they turned and began to walk from the room.
“M’lord I think…” Lonogan heard General Keadle begin, until Jess pulled even with him.
“I cannot believe you are going to give up this easily,” she said harshly, touching his arm lightly to soften her words and let him know that she was still very much on his side.
“Your King should not be making war decisions,” Bock answered her simply as they left the room. King Marc watched them as they left, ignoring the acrobats and jugglers and especially his advisors who now surrounded him.
“But he has to, he is King after all, no matter the depth of his intelligence,” Jess argued back as she slipped her hand into his and gave a little squeeze. She slowed her walk, hoping to reverse his course, but he pulled her along easily and appeared not to notice her attempt to impede his progress. “Father, tell him.”
“I think your friend understands the Cassinni quiet well…remarkably so in fact,” Clark na Gall answered as he followed along behind. “I can only hope he understands my daughter as well,” he mumbled under his breath.
“What was that?” Jess asked, but her father just shook his head and smiled.
She remained quiet for the rest of the trip out of the palace.
“What will you tell Gwaynn?” she asked as the three of them waited for the carriage at the bottom of the palace stairs. The night was cool and clear with the moon shining brightly down on them.
Lonogan looked down at Jess, who still stood at his side, her long hair blowing softly about in the night breeze. His breath caught in his throat; she looked so damned beautiful, and he wondered secretly if Gwaynn felt the same when he looked down at Samantha in the moonlight.
He shrugged. “I’ll think of something,”
“Well you’d better. Gwaynn was counting on me to bring the Cassi….” She stopped as footsteps sounded on the stairs behind them. They turned and spotted General Keadle hurrying toward them. He saluted General na Gall.
“Sir,” he said but then immediately turned his attention to Lonogan. “The King is troubled…but he has not made his decision yet.” The General paused for a moment then continued. “It will be a few days.”
“But Admiral Criswell…” Lonogan began.
“The Admiral has influence and a good deal of power, but our King makes up his own mind,” Keadle answered as if insulted.
“I told you,” Jess said softly, but Lonogan poked her with his elbow, silencing her.
The Cassinni General shook her words off in any case. “But that is not why I’ve come to you. I would suggest you leave Cassinni as soon as possible…tonight if you can,” he finished with a glance as Jess.
“Why?” Clark said loudly with a frown. His daughter had just arrived.
“I believe the High King has his spies in the cabinet.”
“Criswell?” Lonogan asked.
Keadle frowned for a moment then shook his head. “I don’t believe so. But I don’t think it’s safe for you to stay now that your presence is widely known.”
“Will you help us?” Jess asked. “With the King I mean.”
The General paused. “Criswell has too much influence and might even fancy herself as ruler of Cassinni by proxy. I counter her advice whenever I disagree…but to openly challenge the High King? It’s not a very healthy decision.”
Bock frowned. “It was not our decision, nor was it the Toranado’s. You will need to hope and pray that the Cassinni are afforded such a choice when we are gone. But by not supporting the High King openly…I have my doubts,” he finished just as their carriage pulled in front of them.
“Thanks for the warning General,” Bock added, shaking his hand then he turned and opened the carriage door for Jess and her father.
They rode off, leaving a confused and troubled Cassinni General behind them.
ǂ
Gwaynn waited nervously on the arena floor of the Grand hall. Rows upon rows of chairs were added to the main level since there would be no sparring demonstration this evening. The place was packed with Tars, Weapons Masters, students and many other of the island’s inhabitants. Gwaynn found it hard to believe that nearly two years had passed since his last audience in this very chamber. If anything he felt more nervous on this occasion, so much more depended on his success.
“You’ll do fine,” High Zarina Monde encouraged. She leaned over close to whisper in his ear, even though the noise of the crowd would have easily drowned out her normal voice. Gwaynn nodded as the ten Council members strode in from a side door and took their places on the dais. The crowd fell quiet but there was a rumble of moving chairs and shuffling feet as everyone took their seats.
Just before Tar Kostek called the meeting to order, Gwaynn turned and glanced behind him. Vio was sitting three rows back with the rest of Mele quarter. Gwaynn thought that she must have been watching him because she immediately caught his eye and beamed brightly at him. He’d hoped for more time with her and the rest of the students he knew, but as it was, they only had a moment for a quick ‘hello’ before each had to take their respective places. He smiled back at her then quickly turned around to face the front as Kostek pounded heavily on the tabletop.
“Greetings to one and all from Noble Island,” the High Tar began, his face very serious. “We’ve called you all here due to the dire situation which currently resides across the lands of the Inland Sea. Noble Island has received a petition from the Massi Family for military help against the High King.” Tar Kostek nodded curtly to Gwaynn, who sat in the very front row alongside most of the Tars of Noble Island.
“The petition requires us…” Kostek continued but was cut off as Tar Ethelridge stood and spoke without prompting.
“With all respect Tar Kostek, I believe a majority of the Council fails to recognize the request as a petition,” she said, speaking in a high clear voice, a voice full of strength and confidence.
High Tar Kostek stood stunned for a moment. He had not anticipated such a tactic but instantly knew what Ethelridge and her core supporters were attempting to do. Kostek remained silent for a long time, flustered and unable to think how to thwart Ethelridge, so in the end he attempted just to ignore her. He turned back to the waiting assembly and immediately noticed the frown on Gwaynn Massi’s face.
“The petition…” Kostek began in a low, faltering voice.
“It is not a petition,” Ethelridge interrupted again. “Gwaynn Massi is not the recognized leader of the Massi Family; he has not been crowned by the High King and therefore the petition is not valid and should not be recognized.”
A low murmur swept the crowd and gradually grew louder as the import of the statement struck home.