The King's Bastard - By Rowena Cory Daniells Page 0,86

to the ground to teach the Utlanders a lesson.'

'I agree, it's not fair. But unless Lence punishes them, the Utlanders will become a problem. Can you think of a better solution?'

Byren frowned. He couldn't. But it still felt wrong.

When Byren took his seat at the war table first thing the next morning, Lence leant closer to whisper, 'No headache?'

Byren glanced away, annoyed, because Lence's waist length hair was loose on his shoulders, Ostron-style, instead of held in a warrior's plait.

'No. No headache.' He wasn't going to lie.

'You deserve one, if ever -'

Captain Temor cleared his throat then nodded to their father.

'Yesterday convinced me that we need to ensure each of the warlords' loyalty,' King Rolen said. 'Thanks to Lence, Rejulas has reconsidered. By the time he comes back for the Jubilee, Piro had better be ready to give her betrothal vows. As for the Manticore raiders... Corvel denied all responsibility, but he's sending some men over the Divide to rebuild the youth's village to prove his loyalty -'

'I still think the raid is suspicious,' Byren protested.

'You went off drinking instead of staying to hear the evidence, so no one cares what you think,' his father snapped.

Byren felt heat creep up his face. His mother caught his eye with a worried look but he had no intention of revealing his subterfuge now.

'Since Rejulas has sworn fealty and agreed to come back for the Jubilee, Piro will have another chance with him,' the queen said, filling in the silence. 'She's a good girl. She knows her duty.'

But would she do it? Byren wondered. And should she have to? For the first time he wondered how Isolt Merofyn Kingsdaughter felt about having to marry his twin.

'We have four of the five warlords behind us. They've sworn to send men with Lence when he goes to teach the Utlanders a lesson,' King Rolen said. 'Yet the warlord of Manticore Spar swears fealty with one breath while, for all I know, one of his sons sends raiders behind our backs. If Unistag does not elect a new warlord and swear loyalty before the Jubilee, Rolencia will look weak. We can't afford -'

'I agree.' As Lence sat forwards something glinted in his hair, dark semi-precious stones, onyxes. Byren blinked, surprised and dismayed. 'Since Byren nearly spoilt my efforts with Rejulas, I suggest he approach Unistag. Let's see if he can bring in a warlord's loyalty!'

'It's not the same,' Byren protested. Lence's approach to Rejulas had been from a position of power in his home town, with the might of the castle behind him. He hadn't been asked to go marching into an enemy camp as an ambassador. 'If I go to Unistag Spar it will seem Rolencia is trying to interfere with the choice of warlord. It's not like I could enforce it anyway, not without a small army.'

'So now you need a small army?' Lence mocked. 'Your honour guard not enough?'

Byren bit back a sharp retort and caught his mother's troubled gaze across the table.

'Well, Byren?' his father prodded.

Byren sprang to his feet. 'Very well. The sooner I go, the better. I'll be back with the warlord of Unistag's loyalty before the Jubilee or I won't be back at all!'

Captain Temor came to his feet. 'With your permission, Rolen. I'd like to go with him. An older, wiser head could offer advice.'

His father hesitated, then nodded.

Byren marched out, torn between relief and mortification to have the captain of his father's honour guard accompany him.

'Wait, Byren,' Temor called.

He paused at the top of the stairs.

Temor joined him. 'I'll select a dozen men-at-arms, veterans who know what they're doing -'

'You're right, my honour guard are all too callow.' Byren faced the truth. 'How many should we take?'

'Around twenty-five. Another twenty will do us no good if the Unistags turn on us, and twenty-five is small enough to travel light and fast.'

Byren squeezed the older man's shoulder. 'I'm lucky to have you, Temor. I plan to ride across the foothills and hire mountain ponies at the tradepost.' Horses could not make it over the steep terrain of the Pass.

The captain nodded.

'We can leave first thing tomorrow.'

That evening, Byren slipped into Halcyon's chantry to burn a candle and ask the goddess to watch over him and his men when they ventured into Unistag Spar. Since the god Sylion had symbolically handed over their world on Midwinter's Day, the goddess Halcyon was now the dominant force as they headed towards spring. Besides, you prayed to Sylion if you were going