The King's Bastard - By Rowena Cory Daniells Page 0,39

marries Isolt he'll have to watch Overlord Palatyne. Or maybe he'll send you to Merofynia to keep Palatyne and the rest of the lords in line.'

'But King Merofyn -'

'Is old and frail. He's a spent force. The people are fed up with his taxes and his religious oppression. Meanwhile, Palatyne swaggers around Port Mero, king in all but name.'

Byren said nothing. This did not bode well for his twin.

Cobalt slid his good arm around Byren's shoulders and turned him towards the feasting fire. 'So, Lence is lucky he has you.'

As they approached the others Garzik saw them coming and darted over to Byren, drawing two youths with him.

'Woodend and Highfield want to join your honour guard, Byren,' Garzik beamed.

Both boys - sons of merchants - nodded eagerly and dropped to their knees, offering their swords before he could say anything. He wouldn't have been human if he wasn't pleased to have won their admiration. Byren grinned and the two youths promptly placed their hands over their hearts and began to swear the oath.

'A Fealty Ceremony?' Cobalt muttered. He strode around to where Lence now stood. 'I insist mine is the honour to be first to formally join Lence Kingsheir's guard!'

Sinking gracefully to one knee, he lifted his good arm to place his injured hand on his heart. The other castle youths, young lords like Cobalt and elder sons, jostled to be next. Lence accepted their fealty with obvious satisfaction.

Younger sons and merchant sons hurried to Byren's side of the fire. With a sinking heart, he realised the castle's defenders were choosing sides in a battle he did not want to fight. But he accepted the fealty oaths with good grace, for he could do no less. The feasting continued and, while the others drank and laughed, Byren thought on what he'd learnt from Cobalt.

Much later, as they bedded down in the Council Hall, the village women presented him with their prettiest maiden. She beamed, pleased with the honour of sharing his bed. Her eyes had been painted to make them look huge and glass beads had been threaded through her waist-length hair. They tinkled as she bowed and the men - those who weren't already snoring - made appreciative noises, joking about his prowess.

Byren knew she would have been chosen because she could not conceive tonight so he need not fear creating another bastard. Many a time he and Lence had enjoyed a village's gratitude for chasing off spar warriors or Affinity beasts, but tonight he realised he could not bed this girl, not when he could still feel Elina weeping in his arms, heartbroken over Orrade's blindness.

Fool! He should have sent word that Garzik was safe with them when they returned to the castle, and that Orrade's sight had returned. He should have put Elina's mind at rest but they'd left to hunt the leogryf in such a rush...

'What's wrong, Byren? Have you forgotten how to do it?' Lence teased.

He glanced up, startled. The women of the council had left and the girl waited expectantly, a smile lighting her eyes.

No. He could not bed her, not here in the hall where the dark was their only privacy, not ever, not when it was Elina he wanted.

He lifted his hands, wondering how to do this without hurting her feelings. She blinked in dismay, the smile slipping from her face as she read his expression.

Byren caught her hand, bowing over it, using his best court manners to ease the rejection. 'I'm sorry. But my heart is already taken.'

'What about your prong?' some wit shouted.

Heat stole up Byren's face as he released the girl's hand.

Her face crumpled and she fled. Silence fell as the door slammed shut behind her.

'You've disgraced her,' Lence hissed, taking a step closer. 'What's wrong with you, Byren?'

'Enough, Lence,' Cobalt intervened. He cast Byren a curious glance, then led Lence away.

Byren hesitated. He wanted to call his twin back and explain but he couldn't. He was not formally betrothed to Elina and with the way things were between him and her father, he might never be.

So he turned away, grabbed his bed roll and retreated to the far fireplace where he lay down with his back to the others and stared at the flames. After a moment he heard Orrade and Garzik loyally join him and the others bedding down. The last lamps were doused, then the hall became quiet except for snores and sleepy mumbles.

Chapter Seven

Tension crawled across Piro's shoulders, as she wished herself invisible. Here she