“Trust me, Narin,” Relam said, looking at Oreius. “I know what I’m doing.”
The old warrior nodded gravely. “Yes, he does,” Oreius said, standing. “I am with you, your majesty.”
“Me too,” Cevet said, jumping to his feet, eyes blazing, ready to restore his family’s honor.
Narin hesitated, and then stood as well. “My sword is yours, your majesty.”
Relam nodded. “Good. Follow me, and let me do all the talking. Everyone else, I want you cloaked up so your faces can’t be seen, especially Oreius and Narin.”
Heads nodded all around, and Relam turned and left the kitchen, pulling the hood of his winter cloak forward to conceal his face.
They left by the back door, slipping around the side of Oreius’ house and out to the River Road. The road was still empty, probably a side effect of the city lockdown combined with the miserable weather. Patrols of soldiers moved past, going door to door. Relam had never seen the city guard out in such force.
“Training will still be going?” Relam muttered to Cevet out of the corner of his mouth.
Cevet grunted. “Should be.”
“Good.”
Relam led the way right up to the gates of the Citadel, stopping in front of the sergeant on duty. “Open the gate,” he commanded.
The sergeant raised an eyebrow. “That’s not the way to make friends, stranger.”
Relam pushed his hood back and stepped forward, invading the guard’s personal space. “I’ll only ask nicely one more time. Open the gate.”
The sergeant stepped back and came up against the gate. “Your majesty! So good to see you.”
“I have an appointment with Master D’Arnlo,” Relam said, staring the man down.
“Yes,” the sergeant said, gulping. “We’ll open the gate and take you right up.”
“Thank you,” Relam said grimly, pulling his hood forward once more.
The gate rattled open and the guards formed up around Relam and his companions, nine in all. Then, the group moved swiftly into the Citadel. The doors shut behind them immediately, and Relam noticed that the locking beam was dropped into place as well.
“Security has been tightened,” Relam observed to nobody in particular.
The guards made no reply, marching on stoically and silently. Relam shrugged and followed. They climbed the winding stairs in the central tower, slowly ascending towards the seventh level and the courtyard where D’Arnlo trained his students. Relam’s heart started beating faster as he thought of the coming confrontation.
Then, all too soon, they were emerging from the central tower and onto the flat courtyard, seven stories up, higher than most of the buildings in the capital city.
The nine guards stopped Relam and his three companions just beyond the door. Ahead, Relam could see D’Arnlo working with four students: Knet, Delan, Jatt, and of course, Sebast. As the group emerged from the stairs, D’Arnlo looked up and immediately called a halt to the drill.
Relam seized the initiative, stepping forward quickly, his three allies sticking close. He threw back his hood again. “Master D’Arnlo,” he said calmly. “Surprised to see me?”
The sword master blinked in surprise, then gave an oily smile. “Not at all, Relam. I knew that my men would find you eventually.”
“Oh, they did not find me,” Relam countered, stepping forward again. “I came here of my own accord. I wanted a word with you, you see.”
“Oh? What about?”
“The assassin that you sent after me last night,” Relam said grimly. “The one you slaughtered in the alley around the corner from the Citadel.”
D’Arnlo’s oily smile faltered for a moment, but he recovered quickly. “Such accusations,” he said. Relam looked around, saw that he had everyone’s attention, including four nervous trainees, drawn blades still held loosely. Well, three and a half. Jatt was watching a hawk circling the central tower.
“That’s just the start,” Relam growled. “There’s also the matter of the three assassins you hired over a year ago, two of which still reside in the Eyrie tower. You also orchestrated my mother’s death, even though your hand was not the one that delivered the poison.”
“And how do you plan to prove all of this?” D’Arnlo hissed.
“You do not deny it?” Relam asked, smiling grimly.
“Of course I do,” D’Arnlo said quickly.
“In that case, I will prove it through witnesses,” Relam replied. “The prisoners you hold will do for starters. Plus my own experiences, those of a few others. Oh, and testimony from the one who overheard your discussion with Lord Thius this morning.”
The color drained from D’Arnlo’s face. “Really?” he said finally, getting his mouth working again. “And who might that be?”
“Me,” Cevet said, stepping forward and lowering his own hood.
D’Arnlo’s lip curled scornfully. “Ah, young Thius. I should have known. Your father was most concerned when you disappeared this morning. Even accused me of taking you prisoner to ensure his cooperation.”
“His cooperation in your scheme to take the throne?” Cevet asked, raising an eyebrow.
“You exposed your own father?” D’Arnlo demanded. “Do you realize what this means for you? For your family?”
“Yes,” Cevet replied. “I am here to salvage what is left of my family’s honor.”
He drew his sword and Relam did as well. From behind the two young fighters, Oreius and Narin stepped forward, drawing their blades as well and shrugging off their cloaks.
“As the rightful heir to the Sthan Kingdom, I place you under arrest for treason, D’Arnlo,” Relam said. “Surrender your blade to us now, slowly and hilt first.”
D’Arnlo glared at Relam and snapped his fingers. Immediately, the nine Citadel guards lowered their halberds in a menacing line, half surrounding Relam’s little group. Relam’s eyes narrowed and he, Cevet, Oreius, and Narin immediately put their backs together, facing outward.
“Pathetic,” D’Arnlo sneered. “Did you really think that I wouldn’t be prepared for something like this? I will not surrender today, boy, but I will accept yours.”
“Not on your life,” Relam replied. “Besides, even
