King Mark was listening intently, but he had an uneasy expression on his face. Abeleyn continued:
“The Inceptines need their wings clipped, and it must be done now or in the very near future. They have trodden on the authority of the rightful rulers of the kingdoms, and they have reduced the other Ramusian religious orders to the level of servants. With Aekir’s fall, they have become not less powerful but more so, because of the fear the city’s fall has generated in the west. Macrobius was a moderate, Inceptine though he was, but Himerius of Hebrion is a fanatic. He is determined to harness that fear, to be a priest-emperor.”
“Oh come now, Abeleyn—”
But the Hebrian King held up a hand. “The contest has already begun. There are two thousand Knights Militant riding towards Hebrion even as we speak. When they arrive, they will instigate a purge the likes of which the west has not seen for centuries. And they wish to do the same in Astarac, in Perigraine, in Almark, even in besieged Torunna. Himerius’ insanities are now Church policy, and we can either stand back and let the Ravens do as they will in our kingdoms, or we can stop them.
“And how do we stop them? Do you wish to be excommunicated, Abeleyn, Hebrion labelled a heretic kingdom, shunned by the other monarchies of the west?”
“Hebrion may not have to stand alone,” Abeleyn said quietly.
Mark stared at him for a moment, then laughed shortly and stood up. He threw his flagon aside and started pacing up and down on the soft tent floor.
“I know what you are asking, and I tell you I want no part of it.”
“Will you hear me out before you start refusing me?” Abeleyn asked irritably.
“What is it you envisage? Astarac and Hebrion standing alone outside the Ramusian world, cut off from the other kingdoms, ostracized? The rest of the Ramusian lands would have to mount a crusade to bring us back within the fold—and this in the midst of an eastern war which may be the climax to Merduk expansion. You are mad, Abeleyn. Such a plan would rip the west apart. I will have no part of it.”
“For the Saint’s sake, sit down, will you? And listen. Astarac and Hebrion would not be alone.”
Mark sat, still visibly sceptical.
“Think, man. What is to the east of Hebrion and the north of Astarac? Fimbria. Fimbria, whose empire fell largely because of the Ramusian religion and the conversions of the Inceptines. The Fimbrians may be believers in the Saint now, but they have no love for the Church. And no alliance would lightly seek to force an armament through their electorates; it would be the one thing guaranteed to reunite them and have the Fimbrian tercios at war again.”
“So we have Fimbria as a buffer. But there is always the sea route, Abeleyn. You of all people should know that.”
“The four major sea powers of the world are Hebrion, Astarac, Gabrion and the Sea-Merduks.”
“And the Macassian corsairs.”
“True. And none of them has any love for the Church either. A crusading fleet would have to sail through the Malacar Straits, or detour to the south of Gabrion. The Sea-Merduks would attack any Ramusian naval armament in their waters, as would the corsairs. The Gabrionese would not be happy either. And what was left of it after those nations had mauled it could easily be taken care of by our combined navies.”
Mark shook his head. “Ramusian versus Ramusian on a huge scale. I don’t like it. It is not right, especially at this time.”
“It won’t happen, for the reasons I have outlined to you and for others besides.”
“Tell me the others, then,” Mark said wearily.
“I believe that if we can reinforce Torunna sufficiently then we will nullify Lofantyr’s reliance on the Knights Militant. Perigraine may well follow the lead of Torunna and Almark will then be isolated, even if it has the support of Finnmark and the northern duchies. What will the Church do—excommunicate half the monarchs of Normannia? I think not. The power of the Inceptines will be broken, and we can promote another order in their place. The Antillians, perhaps.”
Mark chuckled. “Divide and conquer? But what you are advocating could very well lead to a religious schism of the west. Almark is virtually governed by the Inceptines, and their influence runs deep in Perigraine also. Those bastions will not be easy to reduce.”
Abeleyn flapped a hand casually. “Haukir of Almark is an old man. He will not last for ever. And Cadamost of Perigraine is a lightweight, easily swayed.”
Mark was silent for a moment, then said: “How much of this do you intend to outline to the other kings at the conclave?”
“Very little. But I do want to go to the conclave with one or two weapons in my belt.”
“Such as?” asked Mark, though he already knew.
“Such as a formal alliance between Hebrion and Astarac.”
“And how do you propose to formalize it?”
“By marrying your sister.”
The two kings stared at one another, wary, gauging. Finally a grin broke out on Mark’s broad face.
“So the mighty tree is felled at last. Abeleyn the Bachelor King will finally consent to share his bed with a wife. She is not pretty, my sister.”
“If she brings the friendship of a kingdom with her she can be as plain as a frog for all I care. What say you, Mark?”
The Astaran king shook his head ruefully.
“You are a cunning dog, Abeleyn, to sweeten the bitterness of your pill thus. You know that half the kings in the west seek an alliance with Hebrion for the trade privileges it would bring, and now you throw it in my lap. But at what a cost!”
“I also have a certain influence with the corsairs who infest your southern coast,” Abeleyn remarked.
“Oh, I know! Many’s the Astaran cargo that has ended up on the wharves of Abrusio. You’d help curtail their depredations on your brother-in-law’s ships, then?”
“Perhaps.”
“An alliance. Where would it end, Abeleyn? I can see what you are doing—forming a trading block in the west of the continent that can remain self-supporting even if it becomes outcast from the rest of the Five Kingdoms. Even if it means increased trade with the Sea-Merduks. And you will hold this over the heads of the other kings like a cleaver over the neck of a lamb. Yet it is not lambs we are dealing with, cousin, but wolves.”
“Which is why we must move quickly, and with sufficient might to force the issue. If you and I can go to the conclave already allied and say to the other kings, ‘Look, this is the way things will be,’ they should be startled enough to pay some attention to our ideas. And if you can promise help to Torunna also, why then I think we have them.”
“If I can promise help?”
“Why, yes. You are closer to the dyke than I. You could have the place reinforced within two months by land or half that by sea, if you had a mind to.”
“And if the place is still standing by that time.”
“True. But the gesture is everything. Lofantyr will be grateful, and will not have to be so reliant on the soldiery of the Church. He will be his own man again.”
“You mean he will be
Abeleyn smiled. “Perhaps,” he said again.
“My sister’s dowry may yet cost me my throne,” Mark muttered.
“Will you agree, then? Think of the opportunities, Mark! Our combined fleets would be irresistible. We might even clear Macassar of the corsairs entirely and make it into Rovenan again, your lost province.”
“Don’t seek to convince me with pipe dreams, Abeleyn. I must think about this.”
“Do not take too long.”
“My advisers will throw themselves into fits when the news gets back to the court.”
“Not necessarily. All they need to know is that you have finally succeeded in wooing Hebrion. There should be no trouble from that quarter so long as they do not know the whole story.”
Mark contemplated Abeleyn’s face. “We have been friends for a long time, you and I, insofar as monarchs can ever be friends. I pray to the Saints that I do not let that friendship cloud my thinking now. I like you, Abeleyn.
