“Why did she come to you?”
“We had quite a chat, she and I.” Tharin’s eyes grew sad. “I’m not a brilliant man like your father and Arkoniel, but I’m no fool, either. She didn’t tell me much I hadn’t guessed at already.”
Tobin had longed to speak the truth to Tharin, but now he could only sit dumbstruck, waiting to hear how much Lhel had actually revealed.
“I wasn’t there when you were born,” Tharin said, bending down to turn the bread on the hearthstones. “It always struck me odd, Rhius sending me off just then on an errand his steward could have taken care of. I’d always thought it was your mother’s doing.”
“My mother?”
“She was jealous of me, Tobin, though Illior knows I never gave her any cause to be.”
Tobin shifted uneasily in his chair. “Ki told me—That is, about you and my father.”
“Did he? Well, that was all in the past by the time he married her, but it was no secret, either. More than once I offered to take some other post, but Rhius wouldn’t hear of it.
“So that night I thought it was her decision, me not being there. I didn’t think much of it until the day your father died. I told you how his last words were of you, didn’t I? But I never told you what he said. He knew he was dying—” Tharin stopped and cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. You’d think after all this time—But it’s always like it was yesterday. With his last breath he whispered to me, ‘Protect my child with your life. Tobin must rule Skala.’ Illior forgive me, I thought his mind was wandering. But later, when I told Arkoniel about it, the look in his eyes said otherwise. He couldn’t tell me more and asked me if I could keep my vow to your father, knowing no more than I did. You can guess the answer to that.”
Tobin blinked back tears. “I’ve always trusted you.”
Tharin raised his fist to his breast in salute. “I pray you always do, Tobin. As I said before, I’m not clever, and I came to think that with all the wars and plagues, maybe you’d be the last heir left to take the throne. But there were other things I’d wondered about. Like why you and Ki called that demon twin of yours ‘Brother’ rather than ‘Sister.’ ”
“You heard that? And you never asked.”
“I gave Arkoniel my word I wouldn’t.”
“But Lhel came and told you about him?”
“She didn’t have to. I saw him.”
“Where?”
“At Lord Orun’s house the day he died.”
“He killed Orun,” Tobin blurted out.
“I thought as much. He was still crouched over the body when I kicked the door in. I thought it was you at first, until the thing looked around at me. By the Light, I don’t know how you’ve stood it all these years. The one glimpse I had turned my blood cold.”
“But you never told Iya what he did.”
“I thought you would.”
“What else did Lhel tell you? About me?”
“That you must claim the throne someday. And that I should keep myself ready and never doubt you.”
“That’s all?”
“That’s all, except that she’d had her eye on me for a long time and thought well of me.” He shook his head. “I knew what she was the minute I saw the witch marks on her face. But even so, I was glad of her good opinion.”
“She always said Iya and Father should have told you. Arkoniel thought so, too. It was Iya who said no. I know Father would have, if it hadn’t been for her.”
“It doesn’t matter, Tobin. He did tell me in his own way when it mattered the most.”
“It was to protect you,” Tobin admitted, though he still held it against the wizard. “She says Niryn can read minds. I had to learn how to cover my thoughts. That’s why Ki doesn’t know, either. You won’t tell him, will you?”
Tharin handed Tobin some of the warm bread and cheese. “Of course I won’t. But I imagine it’s been hard on you, keeping so much to yourself all this time. Especially from him.”
“You don’t know how many times I almost said something! And now—”
“Yes, and now.” Tharin took a bite of bread and chewed it slowly before going on. At last he sighed, and said, “Ki knows how you feel about him, Tobin. Anyone can see it, the way you look at him. He loves you in his way, too, but it’s as much as you can expect from him.”
Tobin felt his face go hot. “I know that. He’s got half a dozen girls in love with him. He’s with one of them now.”
“He’s his father’s son, Tobin, and can’t help wanting to play the tomcat.” He gave Tobin a wry look. “There are those who’d welcome a warm look from you, you know.”
“I don’t care about that!” But even as he said it, a little voice in the back of his mind whispered Who?
“Well, it might be wise to at least consider it. Lhel said as much. A fellow your age ought to be showing some interest, especially a prince who can have his choice.”
“What does it matter to anyone?”
“It matters. And it would be easier on Ki if you seemed happier.”
“Lhel told you this?”
“No, Ki did.”
“Ki?” Tobin wished the chair would swallow him.
“He can’t feel what you want him to feel, and it hurts him. You know he would if he could.”
There was no answer for that. “Everyone’s always said I’m odd. I guess they can just go on thinking it.”
“You have good friends, Tobin. One of these days you’ll find out just how good. I know this is hard for you—”
“You know? How could you know?” All the years of fear and secrets and pain caved in around him. “How could you know what it’s like to always have to lie, and be lied to? To not even know what your real face looks like until someone shows it to you? And Ki? At least my father knew how you really felt!”
Tharin busied himself with the bread again. “And you think that made it easier, do you? It didn’t.”
Tobin’s anger dissolved to shame. How could he rail at Tharin, of all people, especially after he’d revealed so much? Sliding from his chair, he clung to him, hiding his face against Tharin’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I had no right to say that!”
Tharin patted his back as if Tobin was still the little boy he’d carried on his shoulders. “It’s all right. You’re just starting to see what the world’s really like.”
“I’ve seen it. It’s ugly and hateful.”
Tharin tilted Tobin’s chin up with one finger and looked him sternly in the eye. “It can be. But the way I see it, you’re here to change that, make it better. A lot of folks have gone to a lot of trouble for you. Your father died for it, and so did your poor mother. But you’re not alone as long as I’m alive. Whenever the time comes, I promise you, I won’t let you be alone.”
“I know.” Tobin sat back and wiped at his nose. “When the time comes, I’m going to make you a great, rich lord, and no one can stop me.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it!” Tharin’s faded blue eyes were bright with amusement and affection as he handed Tobin another slice of bread. “I’m right where I want to be, Tobin. I always have been.”
50
No one saw them coming, not even those of us who’d sworn our lives as guardians. Who would have thought to look for an attack by sea on such a night? What captain would cross the Inner Sea that time of year?
The winds piled the waves like haystacks beyond the harbor’s mouth that night, and shredded the clouds across the moon. The lookouts could hardly be blamed for missing them; you couldn’t see your neighbor’s house.
The great striped-sailed fleet of Plenimar sailed out of the very jaws of the gale and took Ero unawares. They’d sailed the last miles with lanterns doused—a feat that cost them ships and men but gained them the crucial element of surprise. Nineteen wrecks would eventually be cataloged; the number that made anchor just north of Ero was never known but the force that disembarked numbered in the thousands. Taking the outposts by surprise, they slaughtered every Skalan they found regardless of age and were at the city gates before the alarm went up.