the captain of the Queen's guard. Foxglove was but a soldier, sworn to protect her queen. She could not, at this time, follow her into the Keep, no matter how much she cared about her queen. Kettricken was in the care of her court ladies now. But I knew Burrich would not stand guard alone before Kettricken's door tonight.
The solicitous murmuring of her ladies on Kettricken's behalf was enough to let me know that the rumor of her pregnancy had been spread. I wonder if it had yet been shared with Regal. I was well aware that some gossip circulated almost entirely through the women before becoming common knowledge. I suddenly wanted very badly to know if Regal knew that Kettricken carried the heir to the throne. I handed Sooty's reins to Hands, thanked him, and promised to tell him all later. But as I headed for the Keep Burrich's hand fell on my shoulder.
'A word with you. Now.'
Sometimes he treated me almost as if I were a Prince, sometimes as less than a stable boy. These words now were no request. Hands gave me Sooty's reins back with a wry smile and vanished to see to other animals. I followed Burrich as he led Ruddy into the stables. He had no problem finding an empty stall for Ruddy near Sooty's regular stall. There were only too many stalls available. We both began matter-of-factly to work on the horses. The old familiarity of that routine, seeing to a horse while Burrich worked nearby, was comforting. Our end of the stable was relatively quiet, but he waited until no one was about before asking, 'Is it true?'
'I don't know, exactly. My link with him is gone. It had been faint before we went to Neatbay, and I always have a problem maintaining my link to Verity when I get into a fight. He says I put my guard up so strongly against those around me that I wall him out.'
'I don't understand any of that, but I knew of that problem. Are you sure that is when you lost him?'
So I told him, about a vague sense of Verity during the battle, and the possibility that he had been under attack at the same time. Burrich nodded impatiently.
'But can't you Skill out to him, now that things are calm? Renew the link?'
I took an instant, pushed down my own seething frustration. 'No. I can't. I don't have the Skill that way.'
Burrich frowned. 'Look. We know that messages have gone awry lately. How do we know that this one hasn't been invented?'
'We don't, I suppose. Though it is hard to believe that even Regal would be so bold as to say Verity was dead if he was not.'
'There is nothing I believe him incapable of,' Burrich said quietly.
I straightened up from cleaning the mud out of Sooty's hooves. Burrich was leaning on the door of Ruddy's stall, staring off into distance. The white streak in his hair was a vivid reminder of just how ruthless Regal could be. He had ordered Burrich killed as casually as one might swat an annoying fly. It had never seemed to give Regal a moment's concern that he had not stayed dead. He had no fear of retribution from a stablemaster or a bastard.
'So. What would he say when Verity came back?' I asked quietly.
'Once he was king, he could see that Verity never came back. The man who sits on the throne of the Six Duchies can do away with people who are inconvenient.' Burrich did not look directly at me as he said this, and I tried to let the barb go by me. It was true. Once Regal was in power, I had no doubt there would be assassins ready to do his bidding. Perhaps there already were some. That thought put a queer chill up me.
'If we want definite word that Verity is still alive, our only choice is to send someone to find him, and to come back with tidings of him.' I considered Burrich.
'Assuming the messenger managed to survive, it would still take too long. Once Regal is in power, the word of a messenger is nothing to him. The bearer of such tidings would not dare speak them aloud. We need proof that Verity is alive, proof that King Shrewd will accept, and we need it before Regal comes into power. That one would not be king-in-waiting long.'
'King Shrewd and Kettricken's child still stand between him and the throne,' I protested.
'That location has proven unhealthy for full-grown, strong men. I doubt an ailing old man or an unborn child will find it any luckier a place to be.' Burrich shook his head and set that thought aside. 'So. You cannot Skill to him. Who can?'
'Any of the coterie.'
'Pah. I have faith in none of them.'
'King Shrewd might be able to,' I suggested hesitantly. 'If he took strength from me.'
'Even if your link with Verity is broken?' Burrich asked intently.
I shrugged and shook my head. 'I don't know. That is why I said `might.' '
He ran a final hand down Ruddy's newly sleek coat. 'It will have to be tried,' he said decisively. 'And the sooner the better. Kettricken must not be left to fret and grieve if there is no cause for it. She might lose the child of it.' He sighed and looked at me. 'Go get some rest. Plan on visiting the King tonight. Once I see you go in, I will see that there are witnesses to whatever King Shrewd finds out.'
'Burrich,' I protested, 'there are too many uncertainties. I do not even know that the King will be awake tonight, or able to Skill, or that he will if I ask it. If we do this, Regal, and all else, will know that I am a King's Man in the Skill sense. And…'
'Sorry, boy.' Burrich spoke abruptly, almost callously. 'There is more at stake here than your well-being. Not that I do not care about you. But I think you will be safer if Regal thinks you can Skill, and all know Verity is alive, than if all believe Verity is dead and Regal thinks it timely to be rid of you. We must try tonight. Perhaps we shall not succeed. But we must try.'
'I hope you can get some elfbark somewhere,' I grumbled to him.
'Are you developing a fondness for that? Be wary.' But then he grinned. 'I am sure I can get some.'
I returned the grin, and then was shocked at myself. I didn't believe Verity was dead. That was what I admitted to myself with that grin. I did not believe my king-in-waiting was dead, and I was about to stand toe to toe with Prince Regal and prove it was so. The only way that could have been more satisfying would be if I could do it with an ax in my hands. Yet.
'Do me one favor?' I asked of Burrich.
'What?' he asked guardedly.
'Be very very careful of yourself.'
'Always. See that you do the same.'
I nodded, then stood silent, feeling awkward.
After a moment Burrich sighed and said, 'Out with it. If I happen to see Molly, you'd like me to tell her… what?'
I shook my head at myself. 'Only that I miss her. What else can I say to her? I've nothing to offer her but that.'
He glanced at me, an odd look. Sympathy, but no false comfort. 'I'll let her know,' he promised.
I left the stables feeling that somehow I had grown. I wondered if I would ever stop measuring myself by how Burrich treated me.
I went directly to the kitchen, intending to get something to eat, then go rest as Burrich had suggested. The watch room was packed with the returning soldiers, telling stories to the ones who had stayed home while devouring stew and bread. I had expected that, and intended to find my own provisions and carry them off to my room. But within the kitchen, everywhere, kettles were bubbling, bread was rising, and meat was turning on spits. Kitchen servants were chopping, stirring, and going to and fro hurriedly.
'There is a feast tonight?' I asked stupidly.
Cook Sara turned to face me. 'Oh, Fitz, so you're back and alive and in one piece for a change.' She smiled as if she had complimented me. 'Yes, of course, there's a feast to celebrate the victory at Neatbay. We would not neglect you.'
'With Verity dead, we still sit down to feast?'
Cook looked at me levelly. 'Were Prince Verity here, what would he wish?'
I sighed. 'He would probably say to celebrate the victory. That folk need hope more than mourning.'
'So exactly Prince Regal explained it to me this morning,' Cook said with satisfaction. She turned back to rubbing spices into a leg of venison. 'We'll mourn him, of course. But you have to understand, Fitz. He left us. Regal is the one who stayed here. He stayed here to look after the King, and mind the coasts as best as he could. Verity is gone, but Regal is still here with us. And Neatbay is not fallen to the Raiders.'
