Relam shrugged. “Tar, maybe. He’s fair and open minded about such things. Why? City guard not living up to your expectations?”
“Being a member of the guard is good, but if I am in as much danger as you say it would be nice to be able to fight with something other than a bow.”
Relam nodded thoughtfully, seeing Aven’s point. “I’ll speak with Tar Agath. He may have some thoughts.”
Aven stood and made for the door. “Thanks, Relam.”
“You’re welcome,” Relam said. “It’s only fair since I dragged you into this mess.”
“Oh, I wasn’t thanking you for asking about training with Master Agath,” Aven said.
“You weren’t?” Relam asked, frowning in confusion.
“No,” Aven said, opening the door. “I was thanking you for giving me a chance to be part of something.”
Before Relam could figure out what exactly Aven meant, the boy was gone.
Chapter 12
Over the next couple days, Relam quite forgot about assassins and sword masters and the like. Everything seemed to revolve around the graduation banquet for the cadets of the nobility, which was fast approaching. And with his father ill and his mother under the weather, Relam found himself receiving all manner of people and dealing with dozens of minor problems. He also became the messenger for all of the major problems his father needed to resolve.
“If this is what it’s like to be king,” Relam grumbled to his father as he delivered yet another message, “Then you better have a long, long reign.”
The king laughed and wadded up the message Relam had just handed him, something about Lord Clemon being delayed on the way back from the swamplands. “You’ll have to do this every day eventually,” he said, laying back and closing his eyes.
Relam eyed the recumbent figure skeptically. “You know, I’m not entirely sure you’re still sick.”
“Oh? What makes you say that?” his father said, opening one eye.
“You’re just enjoying making me do all the work,” Relam guessed.
“I am insulted!” the king said dramatically. “You accuse me of using my illness as an excuse to avoid my duty as a monarch and get some rest instead?”
“Yes,” Relam said with growing conviction.
“Smart lad,” the king muttered ruefully.
Relam grinned, then sighed with frustration as Narin summoned him from the outer room. “I’ll be back,” he promised, before bolting out of the sick room.
“In an hour,” the king said gleefully.
“Heard that,” Relam called.
Narin frowned at the prince. “I beg your pardon?”
Relam waved a hand to dismiss the matter. “Never mind. What do you need?”
“I have some names here that I would like approved to add to the palace guard,” Narin said, holding out a sheet. “I think your father knows all of them.”
Relam scanned the list curiously. “Twelve more guards? We already added an additional eight, plus replacing those that were slain.”
“This is a dangerous time,” Narin said, shrugging. “The assassins very nearly succeeded and there is growing unrest in the Assembly of Nobles.”
“There is?” Relam asked, surprised. “I hadn’t heard about that. What have they found to complain about now?”
“All the disruption of trade is causing some fortunes to diminish,” Narin explained. “Some lords seem to think the king should be doing more to prevent ships being lost at sea and caravans being attacked.”
“Are they willing to pay for more soldiers to accomplish that?”
“Probably not,” Narin said, shrugging. “They’re nobles. They don’t tend to think about the resources involved in tightening security or other consequences.”
“I’ll give these names to my father,” Relam promised. “Is there anyone else out there waiting on me?”
“The florist,” Narin said as he made to leave.
Relam threw up his hands in exasperation. “If I’ve told him once I’ve told him a thousand time I don’t care what type of flowers they put on the tables!”
“Shall I tell him you are busy, then?” Narin asked, struggling to hide a smile.
“Please,” Relam said wearily.
“Very well. I will see you tonight, your highness, when we escort you and your family to the banquet.”
Relam nodded. “See you then, Narin.”
The guard commander bowed his way out, shutting the door firmly behind him. Relam sighed and went back to his father’s sickroom. The king was asleep, so Relam left the names on the bedside table for him to look through when he woke.
For the next hour, no one disturbed Relam. Either every problem had been solved, or Narin had ordered his guards to intercept those with meaningless questions and reroute them to other quarters. Whatever the case, Relam was grateful for that hour of peace. He used it to check the gash in his hand, which was healing nicely but still needed a bandage, eat a light, late lunch, and steal a short nap on the couch in the main room. Unfortunately, he was woken all too soon by the sounds of his parents getting ready for the evening.
“Son?” his father called, sticking his head out of the sickroom.
“Huh?” Relam said blearily, struggling to his feet.
“Time to get ready,” the king announced briskly, clapping his hands together. “This banquet is in your honor after all.”
“If it’s in my honor then I shouldn’t’ve had to micromanage the thing all day,” Relam muttered.
His father waved the complaint aside. “Well, these are hardly typical circumstances. Any other messages come in while I was asleep?”
“Narin brought some more names,” Relam said, gesturing to the sickroom. “I left them on the table in there.”
His father retrieved the list, scanning it briefly. “Hmm. No complaints from me. If you see him before I do, tell him I approve all of them.”
“He’s coming to get the lot of us an hour before the banquet,” Relam replied as he stumbled to his room.
“Better get ready quickly, then. That’s a half hour away.”
“A
