used for important official events of a religious nature,' the queen continued, changing the subject. 'Otherwise, it's always open for pilgrims coming to find their beast and for followers of Shar who simply wish to pay their respects.'
Cassien was intrigued by the newcomer. Like Florentyna he admired the man's tenacity and courage in thwarting the demon. He'd not sensed any guile in Gabriel; believed the man was in shock, but had told them the truth as he'd understood it. The magic surrounding him was baffling and the notion that they looked alike was nagging at him. He could see it now that it had been mentioned; something in the way Gabe held his head when he was listening was rather familiar. He'd tried to ignore it, but now he was searching for mannerisms that echoed.
'I can't tell you how I've dreamed of this place,' Gabe continued in a whisper. 'Years and years of seeing it in my mind's eye, using it as a crutch, fleeing to it for safety when life challenged me. I even dreamed of having a brother, I think. I hear his boyish voice sometimes.' He shrugged. 'Dreams are filled with confusing images at the best of times.'
'Extraordinary,' the queen replied. 'Did you know it was Pearlis?
He shook his head. 'I thought it a place of my own imagination. It was Aphra who showed me I had been dreaming of this place.'
Florentyna looked to Cassien. 'There has to be a reason for Gabe dreaming the cathedral.'
He nodded. 'I wish Ham was here. He's young but he sees things in different ways, from different angles. He's got a talent for seeing everything as a whole.' She looked at him quizzically. 'I'm not explaining it well, I know! He can pull in unrelated facts and tie them together to form the truth.'
Florentyna was thoughtful. 'So he might make something of the fact that Gabe has come from a different land but dreams of Pearlis, while you have a vague recollection of family but were raised outside normal life in a monastery of sorts. You both act rather similarly despite being worlds apart and you both clearly have a fortress mentality that can defy even the biggest of tests. Gabe flees to the cathedral and you draw upon the forest ... nevertheless it is a highly developed mind trick - a shared skill.' But it was her final words that had the most impact. 'He can roam in his body like a spirit.'
He felt her reasoning like a slap. Gabe roams? Not identically, but similarly, so their magic could surely be linked.
The queen continued, oblivious to Cassien's sense of revelation. 'And do you think that, given all of these observations, he might surmise that you are brothers?'
They both stared at her with startled expressions. She gave a small, satisfied rise and drop of one shoulder, her mouth twisting in a crooked half-grin. 'Given that we're having to accept the presence of magic and strange phenomena, why is being related so far-fetched?' She tapped Gabe's arm. 'I hope our cathedral lives up to your dream.'
Queen Florentyna moved forward, leaving behind her shocked companions.
Hamelyn walked alongside Tamas with a heavy heart.
'Are you frightened, Hamelyn?'
'Yes, sire.'
The king gave a short burst of laughter. 'I like your candour. Well, if it consoles you, so am I. But we're going to keep each other safe, you and I.'
He'd only just met the king and yet the man was treating him as an old friend.
'You sound so brave.'
'It's an act, young man. I have to sound like this. I'm the king. Responsibility stops with me.'
'You could have left with the queen. No-one would have blamed you and it would have made more sense.'
'The truth is I couldn't. I have to prove to myself that Darcelle is lost.'
'You really love her.'
The king gave a small sigh. 'Love is a difficult thing to understand, Ham. This marriage was highly beneficial to two realms. Darcelle is ...' he cleared his throat '... a prized young beauty with a fine mind for politics. I've watched her in action and her skills in diplomacy would render most other counsellors impotent. She would be like a weapon - her charm, her looks, her intelligence. She would have been a magnificent asset to Cipres and to me personally. But ...' he hesitated 'I think you're actually asking me about whether my heart turns somersaults for her?' He smiled and didn't wait for Ham's reply. 'I'm too realistic for that.