Knight's Ransom (The First Argentines #1)(62)

“You may wear a crown,” said the Elder King in a voice strangled with rage, “but you understand little about the cost.”

“Oh, I do understand, Father, since you are so quick to boast about how much these feasts and fetes do indeed cost!”

“This is unseemly,” said the queen. “This is supposed to be a celebration, and you are both arguing like fools.”

“I did not choose my bride, but neither did I argue or seek to thwart the match—”

“You were a child,” snapped his father. “You still are!”

“I am a man,” said the Younger King in a cool voice. “Did not your own father trust you with a command when you were but fifteen? Were you not knighted by then as well? You hold me back because you’re afraid I will become more powerful than you have ever been.”

“Son,” said the queen warningly.

“Oh, let him speak his mind,” said the father. “Tell me all about how you’ve been so mistreated. I’ve given you a kingdom! No one gave one to me!”

“Mine is a false crown, and we both know it. You’ve made it abundantly clear that I cannot rule in my own right. You’ve given Bennett authority in the Vexin. Goff will have power in Brythonica when he weds the duchess. But you’re telling me that I cannot even go and fetch my own wife, that I must instead entrust the task to one of my knights? Why would King Lewis seek to harm me?”

“Oh, he wants you on the throne, my boy,” chuffed the Elder King, “but he will see you destroyed the moment you have an heir. Lewis desires the crown for himself and his heirs. You have no idea how subtle he is.”

“Yet you bound me to his daughter, did you not? Let me bring her to Kingfountain myself. As a man. I’m not afraid of going to Pree. You are.”

Ransom saw the pained look on the queen’s face as she glanced between her husband and son, unable to move either man. Her hands had clenched into fists, and unshed tears glistened in her eyes.

The Elder King’s voice was raw and throbbed with anger. “You will get your chance to rule. When I am dead. You will inherit a realm at peace, her borders swollen to bursting. Her enemies cowed and humbled. I have not worked this hard for this long to see it all crumble away because of your vanity. You will not go anywhere unless I command it. Is that clear?”

The younger Devon’s eyes looked molten with hatred. “As clear as the moon,” he snapped and strode away in a fury.

The confrontation left a sour feeling in Ransom’s stomach. He wondered if he would be given the task of fetching the Occitanian princess in the spring. He didn’t relish the thought. He couldn’t help but wonder how Lewis would react to the slight of the coronation.

He saw the queen reach for her husband’s hand, but he jerked his away.

“Sir Ransom?” said a familiar voice from behind him.

Ransom turned and saw a man he recognized as the dock warden of Kingfountain, Sir Hugh. The man was responsible for safety in the wharves and within the city of Kingfountain itself. Standing next to him was Sir Iain, the queen’s chamberlain.

“Have you met Sir Hugh before?” asked Sir Iain.

“I have not. A pleasure, sir.”

“I wanted to thank you, Sir Ransom,” said the warden, “for the warning you relayed to Sir Iain the other night. I personally interviewed the tavern keeper at the Broken Table as well as some of the other places the prince—I mean, the Younger King—was known to visit. I asked if they’d noticed any unfamiliar sorts lurking about recently. Several made mention of a lady in a cloak. Sometimes she was alone, other times accompanied by several knights. She paid in the coin of our realm, so her presence didn’t stand out, but I thought it curious that they identified her as a lady.”

“If you asked them if they’d seen a lady, might that not have influenced their answer?”

“What sort of warden would I be if I gave such information freely?” said Sir Hugh with a smile. “I’m not a fool, Sir Ransom. I asked if there was anyone unfamiliar lurking about. They mentioned the lady, which fits with what you told us. There was also a report of the night watch being attacked recently. It seems this lady or her escorts are rather hostile to forms of authority. There’s a warrant out for their arrest. We also tripled the guard for the coronation ceremony at the sanctuary.” He gave Ransom a nod. “Well done, Sir Ransom. Your warning was timely.”

“Thank you, Sir Hugh.” Ransom wondered if the lady had come with the intention of vengeance against Ceredigion for past and present slights. Or was she merely a spy, come to gather information?

“If we capture this mysterious lady or her servants, I’ll send word to Sir Iain. Even though you only caught a glimpse of her, your testimony may be useful. You were also very clever not to pursue her into that alley.”

Ransom shrugged off the praise. “Thank you for letting me know. I’ll advise the Younger King to stay in the palace for now.”

“That would be for the best,” said Sir Iain. The two men excused themselves, and Ransom continued to walk in a circuit around the great hall. He saw his new master in conversation with Sir James and frowned at the friendship and intimacy between them. It would take time to earn the Younger King’s trust. But he felt gratified by the warden’s news—although he didn’t savor the thought that his new master was in danger, he now knew that he could trust the pulses of warning he felt. He noticed King Devon the Elder and Queen Emiloh had returned to their seats, one sulking, the other at least pretending nothing was amiss. It was so stifling in the hall—even more so because of the tension he saw and felt everywhere—that Ransom could hardly bear it. Memories of being at Kingfountain as a child came back sharply, reminding him of King Gervase, the father he had lost. His heart swelled with longing. He wanted to serve someone honorable, like Gervase had been. So far, the Argentines were a bit of a disappointment. The ache of loss prompted him to leave by one of the side doors, and he walked through the corridor, going through the maze of passages until he reached the doorway leading to the royal docks.