Dezi rose and wheeled the chair forward, returning unobtrusively to his seat.
“Esteban, I call upon you to designate the next heirs to your Domain, that we may know them and accept them all.”
Esteban said quietly, “My nearest heir is my youngest legitimate son, Valdir-Lewis Lanart-Ridenow, by my lawful wife di catenas, Marcella Ridenow.” He beckoned Valdir to come forward; the boy knelt at his father’s feet.
“Valdir-Lewis Lanart-Alton,” Dom Esteban said, for the first time giving him the Domain title used only by the head of the Domain and his nearest heir, “as a younger son you were not sworn to Comyn even by proxy, and because of your youth, no formal oath may be required or accepted. I ask you only, then, if you will abide faithfully by vows sworn in your name, and repeat them for yourself when you are lawfully of an age to do so.”
The boy’s voice was shaking. “I will.”
“Then,” and he gestured to Valdir to rise and formally embraced him, kissing him on both cheeks, “I name you heir to Alton. Is there any to challenge this?”
Gabriel Ardais, a man in his sixties, tall and soldierly but graying and gaunt, with the pallor of ill-health, said in a harsh and rusty voice, “I do not challenge, Esteban, that the boy is lawfully born and looks healthy, and my fosterling Valentine, who was his playmate at Nevarsin, tells me he is quick and intelligent. But I like it not, that the heir to so powerful a Domain should be a minor child. Your health is uncertain, Esteban; you must consider the possibility that you may not live for Valdir to reach manhood. A regent, to the Domain should be appointed.”
“I am ready to appoint a regent,” Esteban said. “My next heir after Valdir is the unborn son of my daughter Ellemir. By your leave, my lords, I will designate her husband, Damon Ridenow, as regent of Alton, and guardian of Valdir and the unborn child.”
“He is not an Alton,” Aran Elhalyn protested, and Esteban answered, “He is nearer kin than many others; his mother was my youngest sister Camilla. He is my nephew, and bears laran, and he holds marriage-right in the Domain.”
Aran said, “I know Lord Damon. He is no youth, but a responsible man nearing his fortieth year. He has borne honorably many responsibilities given to Comyn sons. But we were not informed in Council of this marriage. May we ask why a marriage between Comyn son and comynara was made in such unseemly haste, and under only a freemate bond?”
“It was not Council season,” Esteban said, “and the young people did not want to wait half a year.”
“Damon,” said Lorill Hastur, “if you are to be named regent to a Domain, it would seem more suitable for your marriage to be made lawfully under Council law, di catenas. Are you willing to marry Ellemir Lanart with full ceremony?”
Damon replied good-naturedly, his hand on Ellemir’s, “I will marry her a dozen times if you will, under any ritual you like, if she will have me.”
Ellemir laughed aloud, a merry little ripple. “Can you doubt that, my husband?”
“Then come forward, Damon Ridenow of Serrais.” Damon made his way into the central space of the room, and Lorill asked solemnly, “Damon, are you free to accept this obligation? Are you heir to your own Domain?”
“Not within a dozen places,” said Damon. “I have four older brothers, and among them, I believe, they have eleven sons, or had when I last counted; it may be more by now. And Lorenz is already twice a grandfather. I will swear allegiance to Alton willingly, if my brother and Lord of Serrais will give me leave.”
“Lorenz?” Lorill asked with a glance at the side of the room where the Ridenow lords sat. Lorenz shrugged. “Damon may do as he will. He is of responsible years, and not likely to succeed to the heirship of Serrais. He is married into the Alton Domain. I consent.”
Damon glanced at Andrew with a comical lift of one eyebrow, and Andrew picked up his thought: Surely that is the first time Lorenz has ever approved entirely of anything I did. But outwardly he was solemn, as befitted this most serious of occasions.
“Kneel, then, Damon Ridenow,” Lorill said. “You have been named regent and guardian to the Alton Domain, as nearest of male kin to Valdir-Lewis Lanart-Alton, heir to Alton, and to the unborn son of Ellemir, your lawful wife. Are you prepared to swear allegiance to the lord of the Domain, Warden of Alton, and to renounce all other loyalties save that to the King and the Gods?”
Damon said steadily, “I do so swear.”
“Are you prepared to assume wardship of the Domain, should the lawful head of the Domain be unable through age, illness or infirmity to act in such capacity; and to swear that you will guard and protect the next heirs to Alton with your own life, if the Gods shall ordain it so?”
“I do so swear.”
Ellemir, watching from her place, could see the fine sweat at Damon’s hairline, and knew that Damon did not want this. He would do it for the sake of the children, Valdir and her son, but he did not want it. And fiercely, to herself, she hoped her father knew what he was doing to Damon!
Lorill Hastur said, “Do you solemnly declare that to the best of your knowledge you are fit to assume this responsibility? Is there any man who will challenge your right to this solemn wardship of the people of your Domain, the people of all the Domains, the people of, all Darkover?”
Kneeling, Damon thought, Who would be truly fit for such a responsibility? Not I, Aldones, Lord of Light, not I! Yet I will do the best I can, I swear it before all the Gods. For Valdir, for Ellemir and her child.
He said aloud, “I will abide the challenge.”
Danvan Hastur, commander of the Honor Guard for the Council, strode to the center of the room, where Damon still knelt, the rainbow light playing over his face. Sword in hand, he called in a loud voice, “Is there any to challenge the wardship of Damon Ridenow-Alton, Regent of Alton?”
Into the silence a young voice said, “I challenge.” Damon, startled, feeling Andrew’s consternation even from where he sat at the very back of the Alton seats, raised his head to see Dezi step forward, take the sword from Lorill’s hand.
“On what grounds?” Lorill inquired. “And by what right? You are not known to me, young man.”
Dom Esteban looked at Dezi in dismay. His voice trembled. “Do you not trust me, Dezi, my son?”
Deri ignored the words and the tenderness in them. “I am Desiderio Leynier, nedestro son of Gwennis Leynier by Esteban Lanart-Alton, as the only surviving grown son of the lord of the Domain, I claim the right to act as guardian to my brother and the unborn son of my sister.”
Lorill said sternly, “We have no records of any acknowledged nedestro sons of Esteban Lanart-Alton save for the two sons of Larissa d’Asturien, who are without laran and thus by law excluded from this Council. May I ask why you were never acknowledged?”
“As for that,” said Dezi, with a smile that barely escaped insolence, “you must ask my father. But I call the Lady of Arilinn to witness that I am Alton, and bear the gift of the Domain in full measure.”
At Lorill’s question, Leonie rose, her frown showing her distaste for this proceeding. “It is none of my affair to designate heirships in Comyn, yet since I have been called to witness, I must state that Desiderio speaks truth: he is son to Esteban Lanart and bears the Alton gift.”
Esteban said heavily, “I am ready and willing to acknowledge Dezi as my son if this Council will have it so; I brought him here for that purpose. But I do not feel him the most appropriate Guardian for my young son or my unborn grandson. Damon is a man of mature years, Dezi but a youth. I ask Dezi to withdraw the challenge.”
“With all respect, Father,” Dezi said deferentially, “I cannot.”