thought to your bonding?”
My what? “Excuse me your majesty; I’m not sure what you mean.”
“If the reports are to be believed you showed a great deal of magical prowess during your battle with Devon Tremont. Much like your father, tradition demands you be bound to a partner, your Anath’Meridum,” Edward was matter of fact.
“Your pardon sire, I had thought the knowledge of how to create such a bond lost.”
“It is not. In fact the ancients were very careful to preserve the knowledge. We have several books here detailing how it is done. I am not an expert in the matter but your father once told me it was an easy thing to accomplish. The choosing is the hard part,” he replied.
“In what way sire?”
“It should be obvious. The person you choose will die when you do, and vice versa. The one chosen should be a friend, or someone close, but it isn’t easy to put such a burden upon one you love.”
James interrupted, “I thought that part was just a myth.”
“Oh no! It’s absolute truth, it’s the very reason for the bond after all,” Edward said.
“Your majesty, if I may? Do I have to choose immediately?” I inquired.
“The sooner the better, there’s still a trainer here, from the days when your mother was chosen. He will return with you when you leave, to begin preparing whoever you choose.”
That was a surprise, “Did he know my mother?” In my haste I forgot to add the proper honorific, but he took no offense.
“Certainly, he trained her.”
“What sort of training is it… your majesty?” I remembered my etiquette that time.
“It involves martial training, some meditation, and a lot of history and indoctrination regarding the secrets and reasons for the Anath’Meridum, or so I’m told.”
I was having difficulty imagining putting such a burden on Dorian, or Penny if she came back. In truth the thought of having to worry about anyone else dying when I did was… I remembered why Penny had left. I couldn’t possibly choose anyone now; it would be a death sentence. “Are there any consequences if I decline to form such a bond with anyone?” It was an ill-considered question but I needed to know.
“Apart from death? I would be forced to rally the kingdom to have you put down. Don’t tell me you’re considering such a thing?” his eyes grew wary. I could almost see him suddenly regretting the informal setting, the lack of guards.
“No of course not sire! I was just curious. I’m very new to all this and I’ve never had a teacher, or any formal training.” I tried to put as much sincerity in my voice as possible. In my mind I went over his words… have you put down. Like a rabid dog? The phrasing made it sound as if I might go mad if I wasn’t bonded to someone. Once again I cursed my lack of knowledge.
“Good. I’ll introduce you to the trainer tomorrow, assuming you are acquitted of course.” He smiled at me, but I could not help but think of my father’s old advice, beware a smile on a dog.
James and I returned to my rooms after that. The wine had largely worn off, but neither of us felt like dinner in the great hall so we said our goodbyes and he returned to his city home. I managed to get a light supper brought to my room.
While I was eating I realized Penny’s things were gone. She must have returned for them while I was out. I guessed she was serious. I lay in bed for what seemed like hours after that. Sleep, when it finally came, was far from restful.
Chapter 7
Morning arrived bright and shining; with no regard to my personal feeling on the subject. It should have been raining, if anyone had bothered to consult me on the matter. I took breakfast in my room. The service at the royal palace was definitely a step up from Lancaster. The duke’s cook would boil someone alive for requesting a meal in their room, much less between the set meal times. Of course to be fair, the royal kitchen served a lot more people and probably had a whole crew of cooks managing things.
The hearing was set for nine in the morning. A terrible time for me to be sure, but I suspected that the king liked to get unpleasant things out of the way early. Adam showed up to help me dress. He was just as efficient at the task as Benchley had been, but he made sure I knew that true men of quality brought their own man-servants. I was tempted to ask him to empty the chamber pot after that, but I held my temper.
I got directions to the Hall of Lords, where our hearing would occur. I made my way along the corridors alone, without escort or guard, without Penny. When I arrived the man at the door announced me as ‘his lordship, the Count di’Cameron’ and an usher led me to my seat. I was pleased to find James and Genevieve sitting close by. I suppose as his vassal the seating arrangements put us close together.
The hall itself was large, with a vaulted ceiling and seats on the floor for nearly a hundred people. I say people, but those seats were for the lords and ladies of Lothion. Spectators were allowed to sit, but only in the galleries on either side of the main hall. The king sat in a small box, apart and behind the central dais. Theoretically he could intervene and overrule any decisions made, but James made it clear to me that such things rarely happened. The proceedings and the final decision would be made by the Lord High-Justicer, the Earl of Winfield.
The justicer was not the most highly ranked peer of course, that would have been James, or the Duke of Tremont, but apparently the position was not hereditary. It was by appointment of the king himself that a new justicer was chosen when necessary.
I leaned over to James, “What’s going to happen exactly?”
“A lot of rigmarole first, and then they’ll call Tremont up to make his case. After that I respond and then the justicer starts asking questions. We take turns calling witnesses if necessary. I hope you stopped by the privies before you arrived,” he winked at me.
“Where is Marc at?”
James frowned at that, “No idea, I sent him a message yesterday telling him to be here. I suppose his goddess is more important than keeping his father’s trust. Where’s Penny?”
“Point taken,” I responded. It wouldn’t look good for us if half our witnesses didn’t appear. The ‘rigmarole’ that James had mentioned was even more boring than I had imagined. After several minutes of introductions and speeches I was glad it was over. At last Lord Winfield got down to business.
“I believe Lord Tremont has a case to present before the court, please step up and make your claim clear.” The elder Tremont took the floor. He was a well-built man, close to James’ age, in his early forties at the oldest. He bore a presence of power and confidence around him, reminding me of James.
“I stand before you today to ask for justice. My son was slain while staying with the Lancaster’s and his murderer sits proudly here among us, with no shame for his crime,” he pointed at me disdainfully. “According to the reports given by Lancaster’s own servants, my son was threatened twice by different members of the duke’s household. First he was threatened by the man who eventually slew him…,” another nod in my direction, “…then by Dorian Thornbear.”
I started to stand but James put his hand on my shoulder, “Not yet, you’ll get your chance.”
Tremont continued, “This man threatened my son for no reason a few days before his murder, then declined an honorably given challenge. Instead he enticed my son into a chess match whereby he swindled him out of two hundred gold marks. Adding insult to injury Dorian Thornbear, another of Lancaster’s vassals, threatened to kill my son when he attempted to help the new Count di’Cameron after he had suffered an accident while hunting.”
He paused for a moment to survey the room, “I see young Thornbear has declined to appear today. No matter, doubtless his testimony would have only made the case more clear. Not only did he threaten my son’s life, but a Miss Penelope Cooper, the fiancee of young Lord Cameron, attempted to assassinate my son just a short time before Lord Cameron succeeded in the deed. She was seen attempting to stab my son with a dagger at the ball that evening. Reportedly it was his act of self-defense that finally drove Lord Cameron to murder him. It has been said that a small army of assassins attacked the Lancaster household that day, but it is my belief that Lord Cameron used the attack as an opportunity to carry out his plan for murder.”
