'The empire will think you a traitor.'
'All but three people think so now. I am sure that, with your strength to back me, I can persuade the empire that making a treaty with you is to their benefit'
The wolfish grin showed her teeth. 'With my strength to back you. Yes, Lenardo, you are beginning to understand how to work with nature-human nature. You shall have the power you require and the chance to learn to use it wisely. Now,' she added more seriously, 'there is a ceremony to be performed before Lilith leaves. Tomorrow afternoon, will you swear fealty to me before Lilith, Wulf-ston, and my officers?'
'Gladly, my lady.'
The ceremony was held in the great hall, again cleared of tables, including the permanent one that had burned in the battle of Adepts. Aradia's treasure chest stood open, along with numerous other chests of gold and jewels, plunder brought back by the army. Other chests held gold and silver corns. Lenardo judged that there was as much value there as in the Aventine Empire's depleted treasury, unhesitatingly delivered by Aradia and Lilith's soldiers. Lenardo recalled Arkus saying that day in Zendi that Drakonius' soldiers were allowed to loot as they pleased-and I suppose he didn't care if they killed each other over the loot, once the battle was over.
Aradia, wearing the circle of twisted gold that had been Nerius' crown, began the long list of awards: to every soldier and watcher a measure of silver, to every wounded man two measures, to the family of every man killed a gold mark, and on to detailed grants to the communities that had sent men and supplies to her army.
Then each of the officers assembled there received one of the twisted gold bracelets, and Lenardo recalled that there was enough value in on.e to build and furnish a modest home. More than one mind among the younger officers began to fill with marriage plans, while others thought of horses or oxen, of new clothes for wives and children, and standing out from the common melee someone's plan to build a mill to grind grain.
Charging the officers with taking their men safely home and distributing their awards, Aradia turned to Lilith, Wulfston, and Lenardo. 'Although Master Lenardo long since gave his personal pledge to me, and proved his value and loyalty right well in the battle just past, he has not made a public declaration of fealty. Master Reader?'
When Wulfston had rehearsed him in the ceremony, Lenardo had been glad to find it needed no rewording to avoid conflict with his Reader's Oath. He knelt before Aradia and held the wolf-stone in both hands. 'I, Lenardo, Master Reader, take this sign in pledge to Aradia, daughter of Nerius, and my liege lady. I promise to protect her life, her people, and her goods, and to defend her life with my own.'
Aradia took his hands, saying, 'I accept your pledge. Arise, Master Lenardo, my sworn man. I promise to protect your life, your family, and your goods, and as with all my people, to defend your life with my own.' She kissed him on both cheeks, quite formally, and he stepped back, his part in the proceedings over.
Aradia then announced, 'As you know, the battle just past resulted in the deaths of Hron, Trang, Yolo, and Drakonius, and the forfeit of their people, lands, and goods to me. The lands of those Lords Adept will require hard work and a strong hand to be made good for their people. I cannot rule them all, nor should those who kept loyalty to my father and me, risking all against Drakonius and his henchmen, go unrewarded.' She stepped to the wall, where the three shields still hung, and took down the one with the golden boar.
'Hron betrayed the alliance he had made with me. He paid for that broken pledge with his life and the forfeit of all that he owned. To Lilith, my ally who supported me, and who kept her pledge and her honor, I award the lands which formerly belonged to Hron.'
She held the shield before her, and a smell of scorching rose as the paint shriveled and blackened and the image of the boar burned away. Then she handed the shield to Lilith, who said, 'May the land and its people prosper under my rule. Thank you, Aradia.'
'The lands belonging to Trang and Yolo I retain for my own,' said Aradia. 'The lands that Drakonius ruled, however, are larger than all these lands combined. Therefore, I divide them, and give to my brother Wulfston, Lord Adept, the lands from the western sea, eastward to the natural border formed by the Western Hills.'
'As Wulfston moved forward to give his formal thanks, Lenardo felt a warm triumph to note that Aradia had neither claimed for herself nor given away the central portion of land from well north of Zendi to the Aventine border at Adigia. So she had set aside land to cede to the empire in negotiating peace. He felt inordinately pleased that she had taken his advice, and more certain than ever that peace could be achieved.
Until Aradia turned to the assembly once more, saying, 'Finally, the portion of land sduthward from the border of Lilith's land, east from Wulfston's, and west from mine, I give to Lenardo, Lord Reader, to hold or to distribute as he sees fit'
Lenardo was dumbfounded. All eyes turned to him as he stared in shock for a moment, then burst out, 'Aradia, you can't-'
'The land is mine, honorably won. I choose to give it to you. Will you not thank your liege lady, my lord?'
The public assembly was no place to argue. Mustering all the grace he could, he said, 'I am unworthy of the honor you do me, my lady, but I thank you.'
That was the end of the ceremony. As soon as most of the officers were out of the room, Lenardo hurried after Aradia, who was heading for the staircase with Lilith and Wulfston.
'Aradia-why did you do that?' he demanded. 'I thought you were going to hold that land to negotiate with!'
She turned. 'I would like peace with the empire, Lenardo, and you may be the one person who can achieve it.
Truly, I think the Aventine government's terror of Adept and Reader alike will prevent there ever being peace between us-but if there is a chance, I want to give it to you. My father was right: you must negotiate from strength, not weakness. There would be a degree of strength in negotiating as my emissary, but I think the only true chance you have-and that a slim one-is as a lord in your own right, representing an alliance of Lords Adept.'
'But-'
'Go claim your lands, my lord. Make the people your own. Think of what I have said and what you know of human nature.' She looked up at him, her violet eyes huge and deep. 'If you must prove to yourself that I am right, to the detriment of us all, go now-present yourself to the Aventine emperor and give him the lands I have just given you: that is your right. He will take them, I guarantee it And after that, he will listen to nothing you have to say; I guarantee that, too.'
Lenardo stared at her, realizing how acutely she read the truth he dared not admit to himself. 'Then what do you expect me to do?'
'Go teach your people to love you, as my people love me. You will have to overcome the fear Drakonius instilled in them, but if you work with human nature you will gain their undying loyalty as Drakonius never did. Then, Lenardo, we will work out a scheme to negotiate peace.'
'Lenardo,' said Wulfston, 'we share a border. We should be allies. Will you swear here and now, each to come to the other's defense in time of need?'
'Defense? My personal service, of course, Wulfston, but I'm not an Adept, and I don't have an army.'
'Neither have I,' Wulfston said with a laugh, 'but Aradia and Lilith will lend us troops until we train our own. If we make alliances with them, that is.'. In moments, a four-way alliance was concluded, there at the bottom of the great staircase, Lenardo too bewildered to do more than follow the Adepts' lead. As the four began to climb the stairs, Wulfston hung back, saying to Lenardo, 'My sister has plans for you.'
'I know.'
'No… I don't think you realize all her plans. I'm not sure if Aradia does.'
'She's sending me away from her,' Lenardo pointed out.
'Just as she is sending me away,' said Wulfston. 'To grow. I still have much to learn. I suppose I'll learn it faster if I don't have Aradia to pull me out of a jam.'
'You pulled her out, in that last battle,' said Lenardo. 'I'll breathe easier, knowing I have you for a neighbor.'
They caught up with the women, and Lenardo said, 'Aradia, I don't have the power-'
'Lenardo,' she interrupted, 'I have given you only what you have the right to. Can you not see that your powers, although different, are the equal of mine?'
His powers. He had used that term for his abilities all his life, but he had never thought of them in the sense the Adepts did, as giving him the right to control others. 'I am no ruler,' he said as they moved down the hall. Aradia followed him into his room, clearly wanting to speak privately.
'You will rule,' she said. 'You must. It is the only way you will make what you want of the world.'
