Chapter 16

Jorgarn spent almost every waking moment at Denae's side or with Torbert during the remaining days leading up to her Ascension Ceremony. He was paraded as though he was prized livestock in front of the Lords and Ladies who had made the trek to the castle for the festivities. Denae was correct in that many of them attempted to match him up with their unwed daughters – some as young as 11 – as soon as it was possible to speak to him.

Denae would inwardly smirk each time Jorgarn was introduced to a prospective wife.

The pair had decided to remain linked during much of the time, so Denae could tell how uncomfortable Jorgarn was – especially when Lady Wanner asked if he found her granddaughter, who was at least two years from any signs of womanhood, attractive.

Of course the same women and men were trying to interest Denae in their eldest son if he happened to be heir to the lordship, so Jorgarn exacted a small measure of revenge. He was given slight pause, however, when Denae told one gentleman that she had already selected her future mate and was simply waiting for the correct time to announce it.

Denae picked up on Jorgarn's thoughts on the matter and did her best to put him at ease.

"Your input will be solicited before any announcement is made, I promise," she told him. She had more free time to practice shielding her thoughts from Jorgarn, so he wasn't able to pick up on the slight amusement that radiated through her upon the pronouncement.

The only sour spot during the festive week leading up to the Ascension Ceremony was the arrival of the Symington clan – minus their first and second sons. King Landor had members of the Emertland Guard greet the family outside the castle walls and to escort them immediately to the King's sitting room.

By this point, Cruit had been charged with nothing more serious than Thievery, a not insubstantial charge but not as grave as the Conspiracy Against Emertland charges that awaited his mother, father and brother. Torbert had insisted that Fieth, Renoit, Denae and Jorgarn attend festivities as a group, not because he worried for the Princess' safety but so he could gather them quicker when the Symingtons arrived.

As it was, Jorgarn was just finished a dance with Chicote Renoit's insistent older sister when Torbert appeared in the chamber. He pointed to Jorgarn and exited. Jorgarn knew what the signal meant so he gladly excused himself from Riset Renoit's clutches and gathered his charges.

Denae seemed to be relieved to be rid of her dance partner – a man at least two decades older than she and somewhat greasy looking – when Jorgarn appeared.

There was general murmuring from the crowd when Denae announced their departure.

"We have urgent business for the Crown," she said over the din. "I thank you for your kindness this evening. If it is at all possible, we shall return prior to the end of your festivities. If we are unable, I bid you a good night."

She swept from the room flanked by her entourage of Noble Guards to find Torbert waiting in the hall.

"The Symingtons seem to believe that all is well," he said with a shake of his head. "They have asked where Cruit is but we have told them he is on assignment until later this week. I suppose that is true enough. You will enter from the side door and block all exits after they are seated."

Jorgarn was close enough to the entry to hear when the Symingtons entered.

"Landor!" Lord Symington boomed. "Thank you for greeting us personally. We didn't expect to see you until later. How is Lorida?"

The King did not reply immediately.

"This is a formal meeting, Lord Symington," the King said coolly. Jorgarn could sense that the pause was to allow Landor to get his temper under control. That same pause did not work for Jorgarn. "I believe titles should be used throughout. Be seated."

Jorgarn led the others into the room. He stationed Fieth and Pernice at one exit while he and Renoit took the one nearest the Symingtons. Lorida, Eslada, Rayna and Denae entered and stood with Torbert behind King Landor. Melodart and Gorin stationed themselves on either side of the women.

"Your Majesty?" Symington said questioningly. "Is something amiss?"

"Indeed," Landor replied. "Your second son is waiting his execution in my dungeon. I would say that something is amiss. He has provided us enough information so that his death with be relatively painless. I will offer you the same."

Symington jumped to his feet and exclaimed, "This is..."

He didn't finish his sentence because Jorgarn had stepped forward and backhanded the man across the face with his gloved fist. He grabbed the stunned man by his shoulders and thrust him rudely to his knees before the King.

"If you so much as move anything besides your mouth they will drag two headless bodies from this room, you traitorous murderous scum," Jorgarn hissed.

Turning to Lady Symington, he added, "Join him on his knees, you awful woman."

"Allow me to introduce you to Sir Jorgarn, he is Knight-designate to the Heiress," Landor said conversationally. "As you can see, he takes his job very seriously. And he is quite serious about what will happen to you if you fail to answer my questions fully or if you, well, move anything besides your mouth. I don't think any of us could stop him and I'm certain none of us would try. Now, where is Comar?"

"He is with Lady Symington's parents for a few months," Symington said in feigned confusion. "He regrets that he will be unable to attend the Ascension Ceremony."

Lady Symington looked at the floor for a moment before raising her head.

"You stupid fool," she said to her husband. "You stupid, simpering fool. They know, damn you. Now every moment you draw this out is one more chance for them to allow that foul Longview whoreson to cast his venomous gaze on us. Tell them or I will tell them. But I will not have that, that filth decide our fate."

Both Eslada and Denae coiled their fists and stepped forward but Gorin and Melodart pulled them backward.

"He might be all you say," Landor said with a small smile toward Jorgarn. "Although, his mother was a niece to my first wife. So I don't think he is a whoreson by any stretch. And it is true that many from Longview hold a dim view toward bathing but Jorgarn is not among them. Denae, do you find Jorgarn foul or filthy?"

Denae's face was set in fury.

"I do not, Father," she answered tightly. "I believe my first act as Heiress will be to order 100 lashes in the public square for the former Lady Symington. I believe I will break her before she is killed. I will make her lick Jorgarn's boots and beg him to forgive her before she is allowed to die."

She glanced at her father.

"With your permission, of course, Father," Denae said off-hand.

"Well, if they do not convey all they know, Jorgarn will, indeed, set their method of execution," Landor said evenly. "So, you will need to discuss it with him. Longview had a very effective way of dealing with treason. It sounds as if Blanet knows of it. Is that so, Blanet?"

Lady Symington tried to keep her face from betraying her but the shudder that went through her body gave her answer.

"Yes, I thought so," Landor replied cruelly. "So, would you care to speak first?"

Lady Symington gave the group most of the same facts as Cruit had supplied. Nothing she said came as a surprise to anyone. What came next did, however.

Pernice had reported that Lord and Lady Symington had summarily ignored their youngest children, a girl of about 13 and a boy who appeared to be around 10, during the entire trek from the city's gates to the castle.

"Bralan and Drosset know nothing of this, Your Majesty," she said. "I ask that their lives be spared."

"So they can be beggars – a thief and a whore?" Landor asked. "That is their fate. Your Lordship has been seized by the Emertland Guard. You will be last noble Symingtons."

"My people will never allow it," Lord Symington said firmly.

"Your people cheered when we announced that the former Symington lands had been secured by the Crown," Pernice spat. "They feasted well into the night when they learned they were rid of you and ill-tempered spawn. None of your footmen took up so much as a club against us. We spoke to your Captain, explained the situation and they surrendered the Manor without so much as a drop of resistance."

Lord Symington's mouth dropped at Landor's cruel smile.

"So, Blanet, you have earned yourself the right to ask me to choose your manner of death although you have given us nothing new," Landor replied. "Dren, it is your chance to do the same."

"I knew nothing of this travesty!" he said. "Whatever that woman and her children had planned, I had no part of. You cannot simply claim land that has been in my family for generations."

"I can and I have," Landor said simply. "Those who commit treason forfeit their property and their lives. While it is true that property was always seized from commoners, there is no law that says it is cannot be applied to treacherous aristocrats. I believe we have four of the seven voting members of the Tribunal in this room. It will go our way. Besides, you will have no family left to govern the land anyway."

"Comar will return with an army!" Symington seethed.

"It is an even bet your idiot son has already been killed by my idiot brother," Jorgarn said after he backhanded Symington a second time. "We have a saying in Longview. If you are stupid enough to lie with a whore, don't be surprised when you arise with the pox. I would be surprised if either Comar or Lady Symington's parents are still alive. They would have been better off submitting themselves to His Majesty, King Landor, for justice. It would have been a far more humane end than Pietro offered.

"I believe that you have badly underestimated my brother. Why should Pietro settle for Denae when he could have Denae and Eslada? Why should he settle for having Longview when his children could rule Longview and Emertland? He is an idiot, yes, but Pietro is a cunning, cruel idiot. Tell me, how long has it been since you've heard from Comar? Weeks, I'll bet."

Tears formed in Lady Symington's eyes and Lord Symington's mouth gaped.

"I have information I would like to barter for my younger brother's life," a small voice said. All eyes turned to Bralan who had her arms wrapped protectively around her brother. "He is too young to know any of this. I overheard many parts but I couldn't stop it. I planned to leave this letter with someone during our visit."

She pulled a parchment out of her cloak and extended her hand. Fieth gave the girl a small pat on the arm as he took it and passed it to Landor.

"You are a brave young woman," Jorgarn said. "I believe your actions have secured both you and your brother's safety. If your grandparents are still alive, you will be sent there."

"They're involved, Your Highness," Bralan stated. "Just as deeply as my parents and my awful brothers. They would get to annex a portion of Longview for Domita. They would be rewarded handsomely for it. I believe it was my grandparents who started this whole thing."

"It was your father who started this!" Lady Symington said. "For 20 years, I have known I was his second choice of a wife. For 10 years, I knew he planned to replace me with Lorida. The King beat him both times. Those two boys have listened to their father complain and whine about the King and his taxes on nobility. They have heard him complain and whine about how Landor stole his bride from him – twice. They have heard him complain and whine about how Landor and then Denae planned to strip the power from aristocracy and hand it to commoners. Yes, my parents were in on the plot. Comar planned to stay with them until the time came to present an heir to the throne here. Since they are already dead, it won't matter if you know."

Jorgarn and the King exchanged a smile and Landor produced a packet of letters that had been seized from the mail ships when they stopped in the capital before sailing for other ports.

"We made that up," Jorgarn said. "Your parents are well and your son is licking his chops about the prospect of possessing the King's niece. But, rest assured, they will not live long. Once I kill Pietro, I will kill Comar and your parents. We will keep you and Cruit alive long enough for me to bring their heads back. Their grisly remains will be the last thing you see before you enter the Hereafter."

"Jorgarn," Eslada said soothingly. "There are children in the room."

He glanced at the boy and girl in the corner, where Eslada had her arms around them protectively.

"My apologies, children," he said. The girl shrugged at him but smiled. The boy's face belied nothing.

"Your Highness, my uncle," Eslada said. "These children will need supervision. I ask to be appointed their guardian until such time other decisions can be made."

"You would do that?" Bralan gasped. "You were to be kidnapped, raped, bred then killed – by my family!"

"But not by you nor your brother," Eslada said. "You risked your life to try to save mine. If your parents had suspected that you carried that letter, you would have been killed. You did not try to convince King Landor to spare your life but the life of your brother. You and he are perhaps the only two decent people to come from that unholy marriage. For that, I promise to protect you even if King Landor does not agree to make me your guardian."

The King looked at his niece and smiled.

"Master Pernice, would you be so kind as to help Masters Gorin, Melodart, Fieth and Renoit to escort these two traitors to their cells?" King Landor asked. "Then the guards are excused from the rest of this meeting. Rayna, I'm certain you have things you would rather be doing although you may stay if you like. I would, however, like to speak to Lady Eslada, Queen Lorida, Sirs Torbert and Jorgarn, Princess Denae, Mistress Bralan and Master Drosset for a while longer."

The guards led the prisoners rudely from the room and Rayna departed after a short counsel with Denae.

When the King spoke again, the harshness of his face was completely gone. It held the friendly, open countenance that Jorgarn had seen so many times before the plot came to light.

"We have spoken enough of unpleasant things," he said. "Let us speak of a more promising future for the remainder of the night."

"Eslada, as you know, I have two vacant fiefdoms – three if you count Wesring," he began almost immediately. "I planned to split Wesring between three adjacent grants: Fieth, Renoit and Commerly. I believe that I will divide the Symington lands among those three and the former Wesring territory. I would like for you to assume Ladyship over the grant formerly called Wesring. You may call the grant anything you choose. I do this in gratitude for offering to accept the Symington children as your wards and so that you will be closest to the castle. Also, you will not need to choose between being a part of the manor in Longview and simply part of the royal family here. My second choice is to make you administrator of the crown lands but I have come to learn that Tremaine is to have its own administrator."