have changed my mind. This young man from Dula-'
Roial was interrupted by the sound of feet clomping in the entry hallway: Ahan had returned. Odd, Sarene thought to herself as she turned, I didn't hear the front door close.
When she turned, it was not Ahan she found standing in the doorway. Instead, she was confronted by a group of armed soldiers with a well-dressed man at their front. King Telrii.
Sarene jumped up, but her yell of surprise was lost among other similar exclamations. Telrii stepped to the side, allowing a dozen men in Elantris City Guard uniforms to fill the room. They were followed by the portly Count Ahan.
'Ahan!' Roial said. 'What have you done?'
'I finally got you, oId man,' the count said gleefully, his jowls shaking. 'I told you I would. Joke about how my caravans to Svorden are doing now, you cursed old idiot. We'll see how yours do while you spend the next few years in prison.'
Roial shook a mournful, white-haired head. 'You fool. Didn't you realize
when this stopped being a game? We aren't playing with fruits and silks anymore.'
'Protest if you will,' Ahan said with a triumphant shake of his finger. 'But you have to admit, I got you! I've been waiting to do this for months-I could never get Iadon to believe me. Can you believe that he actually thought you incapable of betraying him? He claimed your old friendship went too deep.'
Roial sighed, regarding Telrii, who was smiling broadly, obviously enjoying the exchange. 'Oh, Ahan.' Roial said. 'You have always been so fond of acting without thought.'
Sarene was stunned. She couldn't move, or even speak. Traitors were supposed to be men with dark eyes and sour dispositions. She couldn't connect that image with Ahan. He was arrogant and impetuous, but she liked him. How could someone she liked do something so horrible?
Telrii snapped his fingers, and a soldier stepped forward and rammed his sword directly into Duke Roial's belly. Roial gasped, then crumpled with a moan. 'Thus are the judgments of your king,' Telrii said.
Ahan yelled. eyes widening in his fat face. 'No! You said prison!' He rushed past Telrii, blubbering as he knelt beside Roial.
'Did I?' Telrii asked. Then he pointed at two of his soldiers. 'You two, gather some men and find those assassins, then…' He tapped his thin thoughtfully… throw them off the walls of Elantris.'
The two men saluted, then marched from the room.
'The rest of you,' Telrii said. 'kill these traitors. Start with the dear princess. Let it be known that this is the punishment for all those who try to usurp the throne.'
'No!' Shuden and Eondel yelled in unison.
The soldiers started to move, and Sarene found herself behind a protective wall formed by Shuden, Eondel, and Lukel. Only Eondel was armed. however, and they were faced by ten men.
'Interesting you should mention usurpers. Duke Telrii,' a voice said from across the table. 'I was under the impression that the throne belonged to Iadon's family.'
Sarene followed the sound. Her eyes found Spirit-or, at least, someone wearing Spirit's clothing. He had pale Aonic skin, sandy brown hair, and keen blue eyes. Spirit's eyes. But his face didn't show any signs of Elantris's taint. He tossed a rag on the table, and she could see the brown stains on one side-as if he wanted them to believe he had simply wiped away his makeup to reveal a completely different face underneath.
Telrii gasped, stumbling back against the wall. 'Prince Raoden!' he choked. 'No! You died. They told me you were dead!'
Raoden. Sarene felt numb. She stared at the man Spirit, wondering who he was, and if she had ever really known him.
Spirit looked at the soldiers. 'Would you dare slay the true king of Arelon?' he demanded.
The Guard members stepped back, faces confused and frightened.
'Men. protect me!' Telrii yelped. turning and scrambling from the room. The soIdiers watched their leader flee, then unceremoniously joined him, leaving the conspirators alone.
Spirit-Raoden-hopped over the table, brushing past Lukel. He shoved the still blubbering Ahan out of his way and kneIt next to Kiin-the only one who had thought to try treating Roial's wound. Sarene watched dumbly from behind, her senses paralyzed. It was obvious that Kiin's care would be nowhere near enough to save the duke. The sword had passed completely through the man's body, delivering a painful wound that was eertainly mortal.
'Raoden!' Duke Roial gasped. 'You have returned to us!'
'Be still, Roial,' Raoden said, stabbing the air with his finger. Light burst from its tip as he began to draw.
'I should have known it was you,' the duke rambled. 'All of that silly talk about trusting the people. Can you believe I actually started to agree with you? I should have sent those assassins to do their work the moment they arrived.'
'You are too good a man for that, Roial.' Spirit said, his voice taut with emo-
tion.
Roial's eyes focused, perceiving for the first time the Aon that Spirit was drawing above him. He breathed out in awe. 'Have you returned the beautiful city as wel I?'
Spirit didn't respond. instead concentrating on his Aon. He drew differently from the way he had before. his fingers moving more dexterously and quickly. He finished the Aon with a small line near the bottom. It began to glow warmly, bathing Roial in its light. As Sarene watched, the edges of Roial's wound seemed to pull together slightly. A scratch on Roial's face disappeared, and several of the liver spots on his scalp faded.
Then the light fell away, the wound still belching blood with each futile pump of the duke's dying heart.
Spirit cursed. 'It's too weak.' he said, desperately beginning another Aon. 'And I haven't studied the healing modifiers! I don't know how to target just one part of the body.'
Roial reached up with a quivering arm and grabbed Spirit's hand. The partially completed Aon faded away as the duke's movement caused Spirit to make a mistake. Spirit did not start again, bowing his head as if weeping.
'Do not cry, my boy,' Roial said. 'Your return is blessed. You cannot save this tired old body, but you can save the kingdom. I will die in peace, knowing you are here to protect it.'
Spirit cupped the old man's face in his hands. 'You did a wonderful job with me. Roial,' he whispered. and Sarene felt intensely that she was intruding. 'Without you to watch over me, I wouId have turned out like my father.'
'No, boy.' Roial said. 'You were more like your mother from the start. Domi bless you.'
Sarene turned away then as the duke's death turned gruesome, his body spasming and blood coming to his lips. When she turned back, blinking the tears from her eyes, Raoden was still kneeling over the old man's corpse. Finally he took a deep breath and stood, turning to regard the rest of them with sad-but firm-eyes. Beside her, Sarene felt Shuden. Eondel. and Lukel faIl to their knees, bowing their heads reverently.
'My king,' Eondel said, speaking for all of them.
'My… husband,' Sarene realized with shock.
CHAPTER 54
He did what?' Hrathen asked with amazement.
The priest, startled by Hrathen's sudden reaction, stuttered as he re-
peated the message. Hrathen cut the man off halfway through.
The Duke of Ial Plantation, dead? By Telrii's command? What kind of random move was this? Hrathen could tell from the messenger's face that there was more. so he motioned for the man to continue. Soon Hrathen realized that the execution hadn't been random at all-that in fact it had been completely logical. Hrathen couldn't believe Telrii's fortune. Roial was said to be a crafty man; catching the duke in the act of treason had been amazingly propitious.
What the messenger related next, however. was even more shocking. The rumors said that Prince Raoden had returned from the grave.
