from blind, and he has powers of furycrafting I can hardly begin to accurately assess. He has called the south winds. He is hastening someone north. Toward the Calderon Valley."
"Impossible," Aquitaine said. He rubbed at his jaw with the back of one hand. "But then, Gaius was always an impossible man."
"Your Grace," Calix said. "Surely you aren't seriously considering-"
Aquitaine lifted a hand. "I am, Your Excellency."
"Your Grace," Calix hissed. "This common born dog has called me a murderer to my face."
Aquitaine surveyed the scene for a moment. Then, quite deliberately, took three or four steps away from them and turned his back, as though to study a tapestry hanging on one wall.
"Your Grace," Calix said. "I demand your justice in this matter."
"I rather tend to believe Fidelias, Your Excellency." He sighed. "Work it out among yourselves. I will deal appropriately with whoever is left."
Fidelias smiled. "Your Excellency, please allow me to add that you stink like a sheep, that your mouth froths with idiocy and poison, and that your guts are as yellow as a springtime daffodil." He steepled his fingers, regarding Calix, and said, very soft and distinctly, "You... are... a... coward."
Calix's face flushed red, his eyes wild, and he moved, a sudden liquid blurring of his arms and hips. The sword at his side leapt free of its scabbard and toward Fidelias's throat.
As fast as Calix was, Aldrick moved faster. His arm alone whipped into motion, drawing the blade from his hip, across the limp form of the woman on his lap. Steel met steel in a ringing chime only inches from Fidelias's face. Aldrick slid to his feet, Odiana curling her legs beneath her as she lowered herself to the floor. The swordsman's face remained upon Calix's.
Calix eyed Aldrick and let out a sneer. "Mercenary. Do you think you can best an Aleran lord in battle?"
Aldrick kept his blade lightly pressed to Calix's and shrugged. "The only man who has ever matched me in battle was Araris Valerian himself." Teeth shone white in Aldrick's smile. "And you aren't Araris."
There was a rasp, and then steel glittered and blurred in the dim light of the hall. Fidelias watched, hardly able to keep up with the speed of the attacks and counters. In the space of a slow breath, their swords met a dozen times, chiming out, casting sparks from one another's blades. The swordsmen parted briefly, then clashed together again.
And the duel was over. Calix blinked, his eyes widening, and then lifted a hand to his throat as scarlet blood rushed from it. He tried to say something else, but was unable to make any sound.
Then the Rhodesian Count fell to the ground and lay unmoving, but for a few, faint tremors as his faltering heartbeat pumped the blood from his body.
Odiana looked up at Aquitaine with a small, dreamy smile, and asked, "Ought I save him, Your Graced"
Aquitaine glanced back at Calix and shrugged "There seems to be little point in it, dear "
"Yes, lord" Odiana turned adoring eyes to Aldnck and watched as the swordsman knelt down to wipe his blade clean of blood on Calix's cloak The man clenched his fingers and let out a bubbling gasp Aldnck ignored him
Fidelias rose and went to Aquitaine's side "Was that to your satisfaction, Your Graced"
"Calix was useful," Aquitaine said Then he glanced at Fidelias and asked, "How did you know'"
Fidelias tilted his head "That he was planning to kill you' Were you able to sense it in him?"
Aquitaine nodded "Once I knew to look for it He fell apart as you described the role Rhodes had assigned him We'll probably find a furybound dagger in his coat with my likeness and name etched into the steel "
Aldrick grunted, rolled the not-quite dead Calix onto his back, and rummaged through his jacket The telltale bulge Fidelias had seen earlier proved to be made by a small dagger with a compact hilt Aldnck let out a hiss as he touched the knife and set it down hurriedly
Fidelias asked, "Furybound'"
Aldrick nodded "Nasty one Strong I think the knife should be destroyed "
"Do it," Aquitaine said "Now, tonight Odiana, go with him I wish to speak to Fidelias alone "
The pair rested fist over their hearts and bowed their heads Then Odiana slipped up to the swordsman's side and pressed to him until he circled her shoulders with one arm The two left, without looking back
On the floor, Calix let out his death rattle, and his eyes glazed over, mouth hanging