Chapter 408 (1/2)
Chapter 408
Chapter 406: Interruptions
ARTHUR LEYWIN
Golden light again envelopedin Epheotus, I felt the tension leaveto a war, the threats I faced here were siative possibilities Kezess presented
The golden light faded fro walls of the royal palace in Etistin, exactly where I had left As the conjured stairs were no longer there, I ih force to crack the paving stones and kick up a cloud of dust
Shouts rang out from several different sources, and the silhouettes of armed and armored soldiers encircled me The sea breeze carried the cloud away, and I watched as the hard eyes of the royal guards widened with surprise before they quickly scrambled to stow their weapons
“General Arthur!” an energetic fe from the soldiers
I focused on the speaker, a half-elven woarded me with a warm smile “I need to speak to the Glayders Are they in the palace?”
She jogged forward, quickly breaking free of the surprise that made the rest of the soldiers hesitate, and pointed toward the palace doors with one heavy battle gauntlet “I can take you to them, sir”
I nodded and let her take the lead
The palace halls were much busier than when I’d left Etistin Dozens of well-dressed people gathered, chatted, andso with an air of importance Their conversations stopped as we appeared, and wandering eyes began following me
“The Glayders have been busy,” I uide
“It’s been a hectic few days, that’s for sure,” she said over her shoulder “Who would have expected that so e so quickly?”
I stopped, and she turned around and gave me a quizzical look “A few days?” I asked, surprised
Her brows rose as she gave me an uncertain smile “Well, yeah It’s been a few days since the Alacryans retreated and the Glayders…” Her uncertain s okay, General?”
“Fine Yes It was just a lot less time for me”
In fact,did I walk the Path of Insight? I wondered
The guard gave , as if she didn’t have a clue what I was talking about, then continued leading me deeper into the palace It was as I trailed behind her, idly watching her curly hair bounce up and down as I considered the next dozen steps I needed to take, that I realized who she ree question, but did you know a soldier named Cedry?” I asked
The woman’s shoulders stiffened as she missed a step, and she seelanced back over her shoulder “Wh-what?”
Even as I said the nao I had only shared a brief conversation with the half-elven soldier, but perhaps it was because she fought with the saauntlets as my father that I still remembered her name
And of thethe Battle of Slore soon after, her radiant gaze and playful smile stood out, and the way Jona’s voice had cracked as he told Astera and me that he’d intended to marry her…
“She, ah, wasThen her face pinched into a tentative frown “Did you know her, General?”
“Weas the soldier’s face hardened to keep the tears for “She was a fierce and brave warrior”
“Oh,” she said softly
We began walking again, more slowly “What happened to her friend, Jona?”
She took a long moment to respond “He died,” she said quietly “Here, in Etistin, during the battle of the Bloodfrost”
I didn’t say anything There was little to be said But it served to reinforceineveryone’s Alacryan, Dicathian…no one deserved to die in the petty squabbling of the asura
We exchanged no more words until Cedry’s sister bid me farewell outside a conference roo, I realized I hadn’t even asked her na shi+fted within the shadows of a nearby column and Jasmine stepped out into view
Arainst the pillar and looked me up and down “About tiis said with mock reverence ‘I’d ask how tea with old Kezzy went, but I can already see it in your mind’
“No proble to Regis, You can co and thinly veiled irritation, but no violence,” Jas
‘Oh, I’ll cohts
Although unsure what anticsmatters to attend to With Jasmine at my heel, I made my way into the conference chamber where I could already hear Curtis’s low baritone
Inside, seated around one end of an ornate any table, Curtis, Kathyln, and Lyra Dreide were deep in conversation with a half-dozen well-dressed nobles
Lyra saw me first and was quick to jump up from her seat and bow All eyes went fro
“Arthur, you’ve returned,” Curtis said so you, actually Your sensational departure has continued to cause a stir over these last few days”
One of the erated by his proximity to the heroically proportioned Curtis Glayder, hurried around the table, his hand extended “Lance Arthur Leywin! A pleasure, an honor, sir, truly” Soorously “Otto Beynir, sir, at your service”
“Beynir?” I repeated, certain I had heard the name before
Curtis, who had walked up to join us, rested a hand on the man’s shoulder “The esteemed Beynir House are old friends ofthe city back together”
I looked more closely at the plump man His brown hair circled up from his head in a color that didn’t quite match the darkness of his brows, and the skin of his face was rashy and pockreen eyes were intense, and there was a sharpness—a cunningness—buried within the my hand away from Otto
A quick round of introductions followed There was another Glayder—a third cousin of Curtis and Kathyln—a big man from House Maxwell, an older woedwoman named Dee Mountbatten
A part of ood influence on the Glayder siblings However, Curtis and Kathyln weren’t children anyer to return to Vildorial
“How did the rest of the exchange go after I left?” I asked after nodding politely to the Mountbatten girl
“As sht-lipped slanced back at his sister and Lyra “Let’s retire to a -winded explanations, and we’ll fill you in”
My gaze lingered on Lyra, as staring aton violence “No tiht back to Vildorial, I just wanted to collect the retainer and Miss Flamesworth”
The barest hint of a frown disrupted Kathyln’s stoic expression “Are you certain, Arthur? There are a number of decisions we’ve made that I feel you should be apprised of”
Lyra Dreide had edged away fro in a roundabout way that kept several feet between her and anyone else “I’m happy to fill him in”
A scowl flickered across Curtis’s face, but he quickly forced a s her brother instead of the retainer The rest of the Glayders’ new council atching the proceedings as if it was so event
I looked from one face to the next “I’ into a report and send it to me in Vildorial?”
“Of course,” she said quickly “Let me take you to your teleportation artifact, at least”
Curtis reached out and clapped er to hear hoe plan to hold our continent now that we’ve taken it back”
I reached up and took hold of his wrist, squeezing it firood news on that, but explanations will have to wait”
Curtis laughed and took a step back E him, Otto Beynir did the same The other nobles all joined in aardly
“Until later then,” Curtis said To his sister, he added, “I’ll be here with Beynir and the others when you’re finished, Kat”
Turning on e procession of Lyra Dreide, Kathyln Glayder, and Jasmine Flarand hallways lined with paintings, statues, and other iteenerations
“Your friend has hardly letin beside s, I iine, if Lord Glayder allowed it” Lyra cocked her head slightly, side-eyeing irl to do if I went mad and betrayed you? She appears to have sois chose thatup fully for next to Lyra “Then your body would have been reduced to a fine ash”