Chapter Fourteen #2
“It’s way more complicated than that, though,” Tor admitted. “My brother was unfortunately convinced by all the naysayers about what happened up the mountain. I’ve been accused of committing treason, have technically escaped from the dungeons, and am currently thought to be dead.”
Larexa’s eyes grew as wide as saucers as she demanded, “Tell me everything!”
“We need to make it quick,” Tor said. “We’re getting horses and supplies, and then we’re riding off again, because I’m afraid that my family’s in danger.”
Very briefly, he summarized what was happening, with Pel adding comments here and there.
Larexa looked stunned.
“That’s so terrible! I’m so sorry! Oh, I wish you could stay here and be safe.”
Tor offered her the best smile he could muster. “Unfortunately, I’m not sure that anywhere is safe, at least not for long. We have to go.”
“Of course you do,” she agreed, smiling at him and Pel. “You both protect what you care about, and I’d expect nothing less of you.”
“We certainly try to do so,” Tor agreed.
Pel gave her another hug and kissed her on the cheek. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask more questions about Marwila.”
Larexa sagged against him, looking shame-faced and sad. “I’m sorry I didn’t just tell you the truth! Once I’d started behaving like that in front of Father, it seemed like I had to continue it. I was worried that if I told him I liked women, he’d try to insist that I marry Terila.”
Pel blinked. That hadn’t even occurred to him. Terila wasn’t Extraordinary yet, but she would become so when she inherited Vayrin from her parents. He had no idea if she was interested in women, but Larexa certainly had her Extraordinary magic to commend her.
Larexa made a face. “I always felt like Father actually encouraged our behavior when you were there.”
Pel sighed. “I don’t doubt it.”
“But I should have insisted on explaining to you. I’m sorry I didn’t.”
Pel’s shoulders relaxed a little. “No, I understand. I was hardly receptive, and you were worried about your future and trying to manage Father. We both got lost in a certain way of behaving. But I’d like to do better in the future.”
A smile lit up Larexa’s features, making her look almost breathtaking. Tor noticed, but sort of incidentally. He vastly preferred Pel to either of his siblings.
“Oh, me, too! So much,” Larexa assured Pel.
“I promise to just tell you things in the future and not get all caught up in the what-ifs and habits and bad choices. When I made up that story about wanting someone Extraordinary, it was solely to try to keep Father from marrying me to someone else. I didn’t think what it would be like for you to constantly hear how I thought only someone with lots of magic would do for me. I’m so sorry.”
Pel hugged her again. “It’s all right. Thank you for explaining. We all know how stubborn Father is.”
It seemed like a ridiculous misunderstanding… except that Tor was on the run from a treason charge thanks to how his relationship with his own brother had fallen apart, so he probably shouldn’t judge them.
Bavil slipped back into the room to report that the supplies were ready, and they could leave.
Tor sucked in a breath and then blurted out, “I think we need to go to Filon first and see if we can tell what Nostex is up to. If it turns out this is Fernila without her father, we don’t lose too much time because Filon is on the way south.
And I admit that in terms of sheer planning and laying things in place, it seems more likely it’s Nostex, as we discussed, whether or not Fernila is involved. ”
She was only twenty-five, and she’d been married to Varex since she was twenty. Masterminding this whole plot as a twenty-year-old did seem a bit much, especially given that Tor could point to seeds of dissension that had been sown from his mother’s death onwards.
Yomil had never seemed to like Tor, and if someone had forged that letter and had it switched out to condemn the guards in Tor’s name, then he was the most likely culprit.
How they’d get to Ada now had been preying on his mind.
“An attack of another castle is starting to get suspicious. But what if Nostex or Fernila ask Ada to visit? It’s not outside of the realm of possibility.”
The others were nodding.
“That makes sense,” Pel agreed.
“Do you want my army?” Bavil asked.
Tor paused, a bit stunned. They’d talked about Bavil being effectively the king now, but he hadn’t thought through all of what that meant.
“What do you mean?” Larexa’s brow was furrowed in confusion.
If Tor weren’t desperately worried about his own sister, he’d be ready to have them fully explain everything now.
Instead, he rudely ignored the question. Bavil was going to have to deal with it later.
“I’m worried that we’ll give too much away if they come with us… But I think it might not be a bad idea to bring the army closer to the border.” Tor made a face. “I guess that might cause suspicion, too—but it might also get Nostex looking at something that isn’t us.”
“I agree,” Pel said. “And honestly, we don’t know what Nostex is going to do next. We’re a bordering realm. I think we really need to be concerned.”
Bavil nodded decisively. “Agreed. And Father is missing. I can always imply I found correspondence or something that makes me think Nostex is involved.”
Tor smiled. “Ooh, I like that.”
With his own smile, Bavil continued, “The pass between Filon and Tond is still blocked, and it’s going to take considerable effort to dig through that landslide.
That makes Bessar and the water the best angle of approach for Nostex.
So I think I need to go talk to Gornexi before I go with you to Filon. ”
Blankly, Tor repeated, “Go with me to Filon.”
Bavil looked at him like he was a fool. “At a minimum, you’re up against a king with the Fealty of his people. If Father was working with him, and your brother’s advisor probably was, who’s to say that some of the other rulers aren’t? You need me.”
Tor… couldn’t really argue with that. The staunch support made him blink back tears.
“I’d very much appreciate your help,” he admitted a little thickly.
It was dangerous, but Bavil clearly knew that.
“I’m coming, too,” Larexa declared.
They all stared at her in shock, well aware of her stance on violence of any kind.
“We’re going to fight,” Bavil pointed out.
“You’re going to protect people,” Larexa corrected sharply.
She looked belligerent. “I know how to protect people. You want to amass guards near the border with Bessar and then explain that it doesn’t actually have anything to do with them?
I don’t think you should try to talk to Gornexi on your own. ”
Tor made a face, and Bavil grimaced.
“She has a point,” Pel admitted. “I think she’ll explain everything better than you could.”
Bavil still looked distressed. “I thought you could stay here, and—”
“You can leave clear instructions, can’t you? Most things can wait until we get this resolved. It’s serious, and you need all the help you can get.” She looked at him closely. “Father isn’t coming back, is he?”
Bavil’s face tightened, and then he shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.” He swallowed visibly and then admitted, “I inherited the Fealty.”
She looked a little stunned, much the way Pel had when he’d first heard the news, but she didn’t appear hurt.
Tor swore then and there that he would be a much better father to his and Pel’s child. Whatever they wanted to do, whatever life they wanted to lead. He was going to love them and support them—and get Pel’s help whenever he was in danger of messing anything up.
“We need to get going,” Tor told them. It was like an itch under his skin. “If you want to head out later…”
Bavil shook his head. “No, we’ll head to Bessar together and then split up, all right? Where can we meet, assuming I can actually explain myself to Gornexi?”
“We’re a small enough group that I think it makes sense to take the Great Road in Bessar and likely even to cross the bridge into Filon rather than trying to ford the river.
We’ll hopefully blend in with all the usual travelers.
South of the castle in Fila, there’s some forested land.
We’ll base ourselves there to try to figure out what’s going on. ”
Bavil nodded. “All right. That’s where I’ll make for once I’ve spoken to Gornexi.”
The castle in Filon was set apart from the town to the north, and they could only get so close using the cover of the forest. It was a fortress, and if the guards were watching for it, they’d see anyone approaching.
Should this have been a clue of some sort? Tor was probably going to spend the rest of his life wondering if every interaction he’d had with the other man should have been an indicator that there was something terribly wrong.
Besides, the castle in Nexa was normally well protected when no one was betraying it from inside, and Varex certainly wasn’t behind this.
Tor suspected he would be second-guessing himself for a while, though.
Larexa changed into garb more appropriate for travel and had a bag packed. Bavil informed those who needed to know that he and his sister were going to visit Gornexi and their family, and he implied that they were once again trying to thaw relations with them.