The Hero And The Crown Part One Chapter 1

To TerriThe Hero and the Cr avouch takes place some considerable span of years in front the measure of The Blue Sword. on that point are a few fairly dramatic topographical differences between the Damar of Aerins day and that of Harrys.Part OneChapter 1SHE COULD NOT REMEMBER a time when she had non know the story she had self-ag exaltedising up knowing it. She supposed some unitary must cod told her it, sometime, solely she could not remember the telling. She was beyond having to blink game tears when she thought of those things the story explained, only when when she was feeling smaller and shabbier than usual in the large shiny City high in the Damarian Hills she still found herself brooding about them and brooding sometimes brought on a tight headachy feeling around her temples, a feeling like suppressed tears.She brooded, flavour out over the wide low sill of the stone window-frame she looked up, into the Hills, because the glassy surface of the judicature was too b po werful at midday to stare at long. Her mind ran down an old familiar track Who might require told her the story? It wouldnt have been her father who told her, for he had seldom rn more than a few words together to her when she was schoolgirlisher his slow kind grimaces and slightly preoccupied air had been the most she knew of him. She had always cognize that he was fond of her, which was something neertheless she had solitary(prenominal) recently begun to screw into focus for him, and that, as he had told her himself, in an unexpected fashion. He had the best the notwithstanding right to have told her the story of her birth, but he would not have done so.Nor would it have been the hafor, the folk of the household they were polite to her always, in their wary way, and reserved, and spoke to her only about household details. It surprised her that they still remembered to be wary, for she had long since proven that she possessed nobody to be wary about. Royal children wer e usually somewhat terrible to be in daily contact with, for their Gifts often erupted in abrupt and unexpected ways. It was a low surprising, even, that the hafor still both(prenominal)ered to treat her with respect, for the fact that she was her fathers miss was accepted by nothing but the fact that her fathers wife had borne her. exclusively then, for all that was verbalise about her mother, no one ever suggested that she was not an reliable wife.And she would not have run and told tales on any of the hafor who slighted her, as Galanna would and regularly did, even though e preciseone treated her with the greatest deference humanly possible. Galannas Gift, it was dryly said, was to be impossible to please. save perhaps from the hafors viewpoint it was not worth the risk to discover any points of similarity or dissimilarity between herself and Galanna and a bearing of service in a household that included Galanna doubtless rendered anyone who withstood it automatically wary and respectful of anything that extendd. She smiled. She could see the wind stir the treetops, for the surface of the Hills seemed to ripple at a lower place the blue sky the breeze, when it slid through her window, smelled of leaves.It might very well have been Galanna who told her the story, come to that. It would be like her and Galanna had always hated her still did, for all that she was grown now, and married besides, to Perlith, who was a second sola of Damar. The only higher ranks were first sola and king but Galanna had hoped to marry Tor, who was first sola and would someday be king. It was no matter that Tor would not have had Galanna if she had been the only royal maiden available Id run off into the Hills and be a bandit first, a much younger Tor had told his very young cousin, who had gone off in fits of giggles at the idea of Tor wearing rags and a blue headband and dancing for luck under each quarter of the moon. Tor, who at the time had been stiff with terr or at Galannas very determined attempts to ensnare him, had relaxed becoming to grin and tell her she had no proper respect and was a chagrinless hoyden. Yes, she said unrepentantly. Tor, for whatever reasons, was rather over-formal with everyone but her but being first sola to a solemn, twice-widowed king of a land with a shadow over it might have had that effect on a far more frivolous young man than Tor. She suspected that he was as grateful for her existence as she was for his one of her earliest memories was riding in a baby-sack over Tors shoulders while he galloped his horse over a series of hurdles she had screamed with delight and wound her tiny hands in his thick black hair. Teka, later, had been furious but Tor, who usually took any accusation of the slightest dereliction of duty with white lips and a set face, had only laughed.But whenever she decided that it must have been Galanna who first told her the story, she found she couldnt believe it of her after all. Having told it for spite and malice, yes but the story itself had too much sad grandeur. But perhaps she only felt that way because it was about her mother perhaps she had changed it in her own mind, made a tragedy of nothing but cultivate gossip. But that Galanna would deliberately spend enough time in her company to tell her the story was out of character Galanna preferred whenever possible to look mistily over the head of the least of her cousins, with an expression on her face indicating that thither was a dead fly on the windowsill and why hadnt the hafor swept it away? When Galanna was shock into speaking to her at all, it was usually from a motive of immediate vengeance. The tale of Arlbeths second wife would be too roundabout for her purposes. Still, that it had been one of the cousins was the best guess. not Tor, of course. One of the others.She angle of diped out of the window and looked down. It was hard to recognize people from the tops of their heads, several stories up. E xcept Tor she always knew him, even if all she had to go on was an jostle extending an inch or two beyond a doorframe. This below her now was credibly Perlith that self-satisfied walk was distinctive even from above, and the way three of the hafor, robed in fine livery, trailed behind him for no purpose but to lend to their masters importance by their presence comely well assured it. Tor went about alone, when he could he told her, grimly, that he had enough of company during the course of his duties as first sola, and the last thing he wanted was an unofficial entourage for any gaps in the official ones. And shed like to see her father pulling velvet-covered flunkeys in his wake, like a child with a toy on a string.Perliths head spoke to another dark head, the hafor waiting respectfully several arms1 length distant then someone on a horse she could not distinguish personas but she heard the click of hoofs emerged from around a corner. The rider wore the livery of a messenger , and the cut of his saddle said he came from the west. Both heads turned toward him and tipped up, so she could see the pale blur of their faces as they spoke to him. Then the horseman cantered off, the horse placing its feet very delicately, for it was dangerous to go too quickly across the saluteyard and Perlith and the other man, and Perliths entourage, disappeared from her view.She didnt have to hear what they said to each other to know what was going on but the knowledge gave her no pleasure, for it had already brought her both shame and bitter disappointment. It was each the shame or the disappointment that kept her mewed up in her rooms, alone, now.She had hardly seen her father or Tor for the week past as they wrestled with messages and messengers, as they attempt to slow down whatever it was that would happen anyway, while they tried to decide what to do when it had happened. The western barons the fourth solas were making trouble. The rumor was that someone from the North, either human or human enough to look it, had carried a bit of demon-mis straits south across the Border and let it loose at the barons council in the spring. Nyrlol was the chief of the council for no better reason than that his father had been chief but his father had been a better and a wiser man. Nyrlol was not known for intelligence, and he was known for a short and violent temper the perfect target for demon-mischief.Nyrlols father would have recognized it for what it was. But Nyrlol had not recognized anything it had simply seemed like a marvelous idea to secede from Damar and the rule of Damars King Arlbeth and Tor-sola, and set himself up as King Nyrlol and to slap a new tax on his farmers to support the raising of an army, eventually to take the rest of Damar away from Arlbeth and Tor, who didnt run it as well as he could. He managed to convince several of his brother barons (demon-mischief, once it has infected one human being, will usually then spread like a plag ue) of the brilliance of his plan, while the mischief muddled their wits. There had been a further rumor, much fainter, that Nyrlol had, with his wonderful idea, suddenly developed a mesmerizing ability to sway those who heard him speak and this rumor was a much more worrying one, for, if square(a), the demon-mischief was very strong indeed.Arlbeth had chosen to pay no attention to the second rumor or rather to pay only enough attention to it to discount it, that none of his folk might think he shunned it from fear. But he did declare that the trouble was enough that he must serve well to it personally and with him would go Tor, and a substantial portion of the army, and almost as substantial a portion of the court, with all its velvets and jewels brought along for a fine grand show of courtesy, to pretend to disguise the army at its back. But both sides would know that the army was an army, and the show only a show. What Arlbeth planned to do was both difficult and dangerous, for he wished to prevent a civil war, not provoke one. He would choose those to go with him with the greatest care and caution.But youre taking Perlith? shed asked Tor disbelievingly, when she met him by chance one day, out behind the barns, where she could let her disbelief show.Tor grimaced. I know Perlith isnt a very worthwhile human being, but hes actually pretty effective at this sort of thing because hes such a good liar, you know, and because he can say the most appalling things in the most courteous manner.No women rode in Arlbeths army. A few of the bolder wives might be permitted to go with their husbands, those who could ride and had been trained in cavalry drill and those who could be trusted to smile even at Nyrlol (depending on how the negotiations went), and curtsy to him as befitted his rank as fourth sola, and even dance with him if he should ask. But it was expected that no wife would go unless her husband asked her, and no husband would ask unless he had asked the k ing first.Galanna would certainly not go, even if Perlith had been willing to go to the trouble of obtaining leave from Arlbeth (which would probably not have been granted). Fortunately for the peace of all concerned, Galanna had no interest in going anything resembling hardship did not appeal to her in the least, and she was sure that nothing in the barbaric west could possibly be worth her time and beauty.A kings daughter might go too a kings daughter who had, perhaps, proved herself in some small ways who had learned to keep her mouth shut, and to smile on cue a kings daughter who happened to be the kings only child. She had known they would not let her she had known that Arlbeth would not dare give his permission even had he wanted to, and she did not know if he had wanted to. But he could not dare take the witch womans daughter to confront the workings of demon-mischief his people would never let him, and he too sorely inevitable his peoples good will.But she could not help a sking any more, she supposed, than poor stupid Nyrlol could help going mad when the demon-mischief bit him. She had tried to choose her time, but her father and Tor had been so busy lately that she had had to watt, and wait again, till her time was almost gone. After dinner last night she had finally asked and she had come up here to her rooms afterward and had not come out again.Father. Her voice had gone high on her, as it would do when she was afraid. The other women, and the lesser court members, had already left the long hall Arlbeth and Tor and a few of the cousins, Perlith among them, were preparing for another weary evening of discussion on Nyrlols folly. They paused and all of them turned and looked at her, and she wished there were not so many of them. She swallowed. She had decided against asking her father late, in his own rooms, where she could be sure to find him alone, because she was afraid he would only be kind to her and not take her seriously. If she was to be sh amed and she knew, or she told herself she knew, that she would be refused at least let him see how much it meant to her, that she should ask and be refused with others looking on.Arlbeth turned to her with his slow smile, but it was slower and less of it reached his eyes than usual. He did not say, Be quick, I am busy, as he might have done and small blame to him if he had, she thought forlornly.You ride west soon? To treat with Nyrlol? She could feel Tors eyes on her, but she kept her own eyes fixed on her father.Treat? said her father. If we go, we go with an army to witness the treaty. A little of the smile crept into his eyes after all. You are take up courtly language, my dear. Yes, we go to treat with Nyrlol.Tor said We have some hope of catching the mischief-one did not say demon aloud if one could help it and bottling it up, and send it back where it came from. Even now we have that hope. It wont stop the trouble, but it will stop it getting worse. If Nyrlol isnt bein g pricked and pinched by it, he may square up into the subtle and charming Nyrlol we all know and revere. Tors mouth twisted up into a wry smile.She looked at him and her own mouth twitched at the corners. It was like Tor to say her as if she were a real part of the court, even a member of the official deliberations, instead of an interruption and a disturbance. Tor might even have let her go with them he wasnt old enough yet to care so much for his peoples good opinion as Arlbeth did and furthermore, Tor was stubborn. But it was not Tors decision. She turned back to her father.When you go may I come with you? Her voice was little more than a squeak, and she wished she were near a wall or a door she could lean on, instead of in the great empty middle of the dining-hall, with her knees trying to fold up under her like an hour-old foals.The silence went suddenly tight, and the men she faced went severe or Arlbeth did, and those behind him, for she kept her face resolutely away fro m Tor. She thought that she could not bear it if her one loyal friend forsook her too and she had never tried to discover the extent of Tors stubbornness. Then the silence was broken by Perliths high-pitched laughter.Well, and what did you expect from letting her go as she would these last years? Its all very well to have her occupied and out from underfoot, but you should have thought the price you paid to be rid of her might prove a little high. What did you expect when our honored first sola gives her lessons in swordplay and she tears around on that three-legged horse like a peasant boy from the Hills, with never a gainsay but a scold from that old shrew that serves as her maid? Might you not have thought of the reckoning to come? She needed slaps, not encouragement, years ago she needs a few slaps now, I think. Perhaps it is not too late.Enough. Tors voice, a growl.Her legs were trembling now so badly that she had to move her feet, shuffle in her place, to keep the joints lock ed to hold her up. She felt the blood mounting to her face at Perliths words, but she would not let him shoot her away without an answer. Father?Father, mimicked Perlith. Its true a kings daughter might be of some use in facing what the North has sent us a kings daughter who had true royal blood in her veins .Arlbeth, in a very unkinglike manner, reached out and grabbed Tor before anyone found out what the first solas sudden move in Perliths direction might result in. Perlith, you betray the honor of the second solas place in speaking thus.Tor said in a strangled voice, He will apologize, or Ill give him a lesson in swordplay he will not like at all.Tor, dont be a she began, outraged, but the kings voice cut across hers. Perlith, there is justice in the first solas demand.There was a long pause while she hated everyone impartially Tor for behaving like a farmers son whose pet chicken has just been insulted her father, for being so immovably kingly and Perlith for being Perlith. T his was even worse than she had anticipated at this point she would be grateful just for escape, but it was too late.Perlith said at last, I apologize, Aerin-sol. For speaking the truth, he added venomously, and turned on his heel and strode across the hall. At the introduction he paused and turned to shout back at them Go slay a dragon, lady Lady Aerin, Dragon-KillerThe silence resettled itself about them, and she could no semipermanent even raise her eyes to her fathers face.Aerin Arlbeth began.The gentleness of his voice told her all she needed to know, and she turned away and walked toward the other end of the hall, opposite the door which Perlith had taken. She was conscious of the length of the way she had to take because Perlith had taken the shorter way, and she hated him all the more for it she was conscious of all the eyes on her, and conscious of the fact that her legs still trembled, and that the line she walked was not a straight one. Her father did not call her bac k. Neither did Tor. As she reached the doorway at last, Perliths words still rang in her ears A kings daughter who had true royal blood in her veins Lady Aerin, Dragon-Killer. It was as though his words were hunting dogs who tracked her and nipped at her heels.