The King's Bastard - By Rowena Cory Daniells Page 0,41

growing commotion silenced the chatter on the king's dais. Everyone peered through the forest of columns, their embossed foenix pattern picked out in gold leaf, red carnelian stones and black marble. Several of the king's old honour guard, men who had served him in those terrible early days, reached for their absent sword hilts out of habit. The ambassador from Merofynia looked around uneasily. His little page took a step closer, eyes wide.

Piro experienced a vivid flash of memory, as she saw the seer fly through the air to strike the wall and her crumpled body sliding to rest on the snow bank. Piro's heart raced and her palms grew damp with fear. Was this new threat something the seer had tried to warn them about?

But when she strained to hear, the voices sounded surprised rather than angry. Then she heard her brothers' names and relief settled her stomach.

'The twins are back!' Queen Myrella exclaimed. 'Just in time for the festivities tomorrow.'

Everyone turned to see Lence and Byren march down the centre of Rolenhold's great hall. The warlords and their honour guards stepped aside. These warriors were decked out in all their finery, fur cloaks and spar surcoats, but none were as fine as her brothers even in their rough hunting clothes.

'You must be very proud of your sons, Queen Myrella,' the abbess said, wistfully.

As her mother made some reply, Piro's heart swelled. A head taller than nearly everyone else, Lence and Byren radiated good health and vigour. No wonder the young women looked on them with desire and the older ones with appreciation.

It was mid-afternoon and the great hall was packed, but everyone pulled back and a hush fell over the crowd as the hunt-master's apprentices dragged in the body of an enormous leogryf.

Then, as if released from a spell, people began chattering excitedly. King Rolen strode down the two steps from the dais, embracing Lence, then Byren. He took his time, inspecting the beast as he walked around its great length.

'Queen Myrella?' The Merofynian ambassador offered his arm.

Piro watched as her mother graciously accepted and stepped down from the dais. That was the difference between Rolencia and Merofynia, the difference between her mother and her father. The king was a sturdy, bluff man who said what he thought. The queen was a dainty, polished woman who spoke three languages and had tried to raise her daughter to be the mirror image of herself. The problem was that Piro might look like another version of her mother, but in her heart she took after her father.

Picking up her skirts, she jumped down from the dais and darted between the excited nobles, pushing through to join Byren. Standing so close to the beast made her realise how massive it was. 'It's huge!'

Byren grinned. 'From nose to tail tip it's twice as long as I am tall!'

'And those teeth!' She marvelled as one of the men prised the jaws open. Everyone gasped in amazement.

'...driving his hunting knife in here,' the hunt-master was saying. He showed her father and the gathered nobles where the blow had been struck. 'Byren went straight to the heart, killed it with one blow!'

'You killed it?' Piro turned to her brother.

'It attacked Lence. I didn't think, I just -'

But they didn't let him finish. King Rolen strode up to Byren, clasping both his shoulders. 'Truly, I am blessed with sons any king would envy!'

The hunters and King Rolen's honour guard cheered, the deep hearty sound echoing off the ceiling above like waves on the shore.

Piro laughed and hugged Byren, glancing to their mother, eager to share the moment. Queen Myrella had gone very still, as she stared at someone behind Byren. Piro glanced over her shoulder, identifying a well-dressed stranger with his arm in a sling.

She tugged on her mother's sleeve. 'Is that Cousin Illien?'

'Cousin... yes, your father has acknowledged the blood tie,' she whispered.

Piro turned to have another look. Why, he had the same square jaw as Lence. He even carried himself like her eldest brother. Anyone could tell he was their kin. With one arm in a sling, and his elegant coat, he cut a fine figure. It was sad to think he'd lost his father and bride to the Utlander raiders.

King Rolen raised his arms, calling for silence. 'Well done, second son. It is a feat worthy of our ancestor, King Rolence the First!'

Piro hid a fond smile as Byren's face went a shade darker and he glanced about as if wishing he could