He frowned.?That?s terminology. Yes, you and I were in the Society, and Norman took it all very seriously but-? ?No, it?s not just terminology. You?re showing your age, Conrad. Think like a feudal noble for a moment, not an executive; think the way the younger generation thinks all the time and you do half the time, for example when you were arranging the marriages of your sons. Think about family. If Rudi becomes the High King, he rules Montival-presumably as a loose federation of autonomous realms; that is what a High King does, after all, as opposed to an Emperor. The Association territories would be self-governing, but part of Montival.? ?That?s the problem! Not that I don?t like Rudi, but-? ?No, that?s not the problem, that?s the solution, my dear old friend. It?s the solution to the problem that I… and you… and Norman, before the Protector?s War… have been struggling with since the Change. The problem being that Mike Havel and Juniper and the damned Yakima League and those greed-mongering pedant anachronisms in Corvallis wouldn?t submit to the Throne. To House Arminger.? ?What do you mean?? he said, baffled. ?The High King of Montival must have a High Queen. And if she is none other than my daughter-and bear in mind that she?s also Norman?s daughter and only child-then one of her children becomes the High King in turn. Or High Queen regnant, to be sure. Then that means that my grandchild-and Norman?s grandchild too, don?t forget that part- rules the whole west side of the continent, as well as being Lord Protector of the Portland Protective Association. Which is what Norman and I wanted to begin with, and the son of the man who killed him is handing it to us on a golden platter!?
Tiphaine stared at her for a moment.?Ah… my lady, how long have you had this in mind? Just as a matter of curiosity.? ?Since… oh, March 6, 2008.?
They both blinked at her, and Tiphaine spoke:?That?s… the day I brought Mathilda and Rudi back, during the Protector?s War. The day we arrived at Castle Todenangst.?
Sandra nodded.?Well, of course, I?d had the beginnings of the notion before that, as soon as the Mackenzies took Mathilda prisoner and it became obvious how well she and Rudi were getting along. Everyone knows that a dynastic marriage has been… mmmm, under consideration for a long time. But that would have been between the heir of the Mackenzies and the heir of Portland-many, many problems. But a new kingdom, that?s a different matter altogether. Thinking outside the box, as it were.? ?You certainly got me and them out of Todenangst fast,? Tiphaine said thoughtfully.?I thought it was just to get Rudi out from under Norman?s bloodshot eye.? ?That too. Dear, dear Norman; he could be so hot-tempered sometimes. But I had to evaluate Rudi personally before it was worth pursuing. Not in detail, of course-the details you always need to improvise as the situation dictates-but in broad outline. And Mathilda had to think it was her own idea, which meant it had to actually be her own idea. Not difficult, really. Rudi?s a delightful boy… man, now… Intelligent, with quite stunning looks and an embarrassment of talents, and all the charm in the world. And his people did insist on Mathilda living with the Mackenzies part of the year, at the peace settlement.? ?Where you insisted on Rudi coming and living with us part of the year,? Conrad said, sounding dazed.?Jesus, that far back?? ?Precisely. To shape him, you see, and also to expose the younger generation of our nobility to him.?
Tiphaine burst into laughter; Sandra was slightly surprised. She hadn?t seen that happen during business hours more than once or twice in the quarter century they?d known each other. The Grand Constable of the Association went down on one knee and drew her sword, bringing the cross hilt up to her lips in salute. ?Even for you, my liege-lady, that is… it?s just so fucking brilliant!?
Conrad had been standing with his mouth open. He shut it, sat down again, and his gargoyle face split in a grin as he reached for one of the blueberry tarts, absently brushing powdered sugar off his jupon. ?Well, I will be damned. I wasn?t thinking dynastically. And when you do, that?s exactly how it looks.?
He cupped a hand to his ear.?You hear that? It?s old Norman laughing fit to split his mausoleum open.?
Sandra sighed, the quiet glee fading from her face. ?And I still miss telephones,? she said.?Now we know they?ve arrived safely at this Readstown place. That?s the edge of civilization, and they?re about to plunge into the unknown. How long will it be before we know what happened there, or later??
TheSwordoftheLady
CHAPTER TWELVE
?A hhhh,? Rudi Mackenzie said, and let himself slide blissfully deeper into one of the tubs to which the Readstowners had shown their guests. ?Ahhh, indeed,? Odard said happily, sitting up in his own bath and scrubbing at his nails with a small brush.? Warm hospitality.?
Rudi nodded, with his hair floating around his neck and shoulders. ?Now this, my friends, is an improvement over squatting in a cold creek with your ballocks crawling up, that it is,? he said.?Or a cloth and a pan of hot water by a fire with your backside freezing.? ?Or just plain dirt and smell,? Fred Thurston said. With a wide white grin:?I remember the first time I came back from a three-week field exercise with my Junior ROTC class. My mother said: How are you? And I just said: Mom, I stink.?
The smile faded; Rudi judged that he was thinking of his father again, or perhaps his mother and sisters, trapped in Boise with an elder brother who?d turned to parricide to make the position of President hereditary. Lawrence Thurston had been about to call real elections. That and the birth of a son to Martin?s wife had sealed his fate.
If his mother suspects that Martin killed his father that will be a grim thing indeed, the Mackenzie thought. Having to treat her son as before, knowing herself watched and every word and glance weighed to see if she suspects.
He didn?t suppose Martin would hurt his own kin without need… but he?d shown himself to be a pellucidly ruthless man. By killing his father, and by allying with the Church Universal and Triumphant.
Though that may simply be the arrogance of a young man who thinks he can ride the tiger without ending up inside it.
The thoughts ran on as he lay watching the younger man?s misery fade, or at least burrow deeper:
Or does Fred wonder if they believe Martin?s tale that he was responsible? That would be an extra twist of the knife in his chest, surely it would. Not likely though, I would say. His mother struck me as a very clever lady indeed. And none too friendly with Martin?s wife, who I think has been whispering ambition into his receptive ear for years now. ?This rather reminds me of the baths at Mt. Angel,? Ignatius said, after a swift glance at the younger Thurston?s face.?The layout is similar.?
He?s a kindly man, the good Father, Rudi thought. A gentle one, even. Except when there?s a sword in his hand, the which you would not think unless you?d seen him fight. And then he is a thing of terror to anyone on the sharp and pointy end. ?That it is,? he said aloud.?Though not as prayerful, to be sure. It was an interesting thing, the first time I scrubbed my hide with a brother reading Scripture from the lectern.?
The Mackenzie heir was a frequent guest at the great fortress-monastery, and had studied there in its famed university and libraries, and its equally famous combat schools. The Clan and the Order were old allies, from the days after the Change, and from the wars against the Association. ?It?s not much like Castle Todenangst,? Odard grinned.?I hear the Silver Tower?-where Sandra Arminger had her private quarters amid the castle-cum-palace-?has baths carved out of whole pink marble blocks, and gold taps.? ?Sure, and Mathilda has told me the same,? Rudi said, and then had a sudden vision of her naked in such a setting, rising out of the suds