The Fireseed Wars

FIFTY

Queen Rylla tried to sit cozily on her chair, but the baby was fidgeting and she couldn't find a comfortable position. It didn't help that the day was hot and muggy as well. Fortunately, the stone walls of the palace kept it cool inside. She knew the baby was due soon, within a moon half, but as far as she was concerned, it couldn't come soon enough. She'd hoped for a while that Kalvan would return from Greffa to be with her during this birth, but with the Grand Host still camped outside she knew that was not to be. Besides, now that she'd given birth once, it was not as frightening. Although Head Midwife Amasphalya kept reminding her about all the problems they had with Demia's birth, and how close they'd come to losing both her life and the baby's. If Amasphalya wasn't so good at her job, she would have dismissed the harridan in a heartbeat!

At least she and Kalvan had settled the problem of what to name the baby. If it was a boy-and she prayed to Yirtta that it would be, because a male heir would solidify their hold over their new subjects-they'd agreed to name him Ptosphes, after her father. That had always been her hope, but she'd graciously offered to name him after Kalvan's father, who had been a priest-although he had never told her of which temple. Kalvan had refused to even discuss it, saying his father's name was clumsy and unpronounceable. She suspected that far more was involved, as he never discussed his childhood. She knew him well enough to leave the topic alone.

Rylla prayed to all the True Gods that their children would have happier memories of their childhood.

There was a knock at the chamber door.

"Come in."

One of her Ladies-in-Waiting, opened the door and stuck her head inside. "There's a Baroness Lysia to see you, Your Majesty."

That was a surprise, since Lysia must have come all the way from Hos-Agrys. It must be important, she thought. I pray nothing's happened to Hestophes!

"Your Majesty, look at you! You're as big as a house!"

Rylla laughed. "The baby's due any day now."

"It'll be a big boy," Lysia pronounced.

Rylla smiled. "We hope it's a boy. A son would go a long way towards bringing our new subjects to the Fireseed Throne."

"I will pray to Yirtta that it is so."

She rose up and attempted to hug her friend. "Lysia, is Hestophes safe?"

"Oh yes, Your Majesty. I left on his orders."

"Whatever it is, it must be important for him to send you away."

Lysia laughed. "Yes, he likes to keep me within arm's reach, especially when there's a battle."

Rylla joined her. "Our men are very much alike."

"It is good that they are on the same side."

"Did you have any difficulties making your way past the Host's sentries?" Rylla asked.

"I had the ship master land in Ulrym, a small fishing village in Gytha, and rode overland. Some of Prince Phrames' men escorted me to the boat from Gytha Town to Thagnor."

"Good. Praise Dralm, the Styphoni don't have any warships on the Sea of Aesklos."

"No, but most of the ships leaving Port Glarth are bringing supplies for the Host. It was fortunate that I only needed a small boat for my party."

"How are things in Hos-Agrys?" Rylla asked. "I heard about the League's defeat in Hestophes' last dispatch. Will the League reform with a new army before the next campaign season?"

Lysia nodded. "They have no choice. If they do nothing, Styphon's House will own the entire Kingdom by next fall. The spur that goads the Agrysi on is Arch-Butcher Roxthar's Investigation. They're afraid that the Investigation will find them to be heretics."

"I'd say that's being realistic; a heretic to Roxthar is anyone who doesn't believe that Styphon is the only true god."

"Yes, and the Agrysi people have come to realize that means almost all of them."

"I see the hand of Xentos behind this, as well," Rylla said.

"Oh, yes. He preaches to one and all the sins of Styphon's House. I know the Primate's heart is filled with sorrow over what happened in Hostigos and to her people."

"Too little, too late, for me." She found it impossible to keep the bile she felt out of her voice. They might still be in Hostigos, her father and Harmakros alive, if Xentos had pushed the League of Dralm to intervene in the war with Styphon's House last spring. Now, it was Xentos' turn on the hot seat. Good, Dralm damn him!

"I hope you're not here to ask for more troops to help the League of Dralm?"

Lysia shook her head. "No, Your Majesty, I came about a secret operation that Hestophes came up with. We have a one-time opportunity to put our own candidate on the Throne of Light."

Rylla leaned forward, her discomfort momentarily forgotten. "Yes. And how is that to be done?"

Lysia told her about the stolen dispatch from Styphon's Voice and the search for the King's heirs throughout Hos-Agrys by the Styphoni and Captain Ranthos and Duke Mnestros. "If Ranthos finds the boy first-and I believe he will-and if we can find a suitable substitute, we can eventually put a Hostigi on the Throne of Light as the next Great King of Hos-Agrys."

"Dralm be praised!" Rylla exclaimed. "Do we have enough time to get a substitute back to Glarth?"

"I believe so. Captain Ranthos swore an oath to me that he will kill any Styphoni that reaches the Duke's mansion before we do. He's a hard man, but he holds to his word."

"Then we have a chance to get our candidate into Glarth…" Rylla tried to think of an alternate choice, but only one candidate popped up in her mind-Aspasthar. Yet, the boy was her last link to Harmakros. What would Kalvan do? she asked herself.

She called for her Lady-in-Waiting and ordered, "Have Commandant Aspasthar brought to my chamber at once!"

She hurried off and Rylla took this opportunity to relay to Lysia the state of the Grand Host's siege and how Sarrask of Sask had defeated King Theovacar and sent him packing. She was just finishing one of Kalvan's letters about the fall of Greffa when her Lady-in-Waiting returned with Aspasthar.

"Your Majesty," he said, standing at attention.

Aspasthar looked so young; Rylla felt as if her heart was going to break. She hated the idea of sending this young lad into the middle of the Styphoni caldron. However, it was such a brilliant plan, if it came to success, that she had no choice but to go forward. Succinctly, she filled him in on the situation in Hos-Agrys, promising herself that if Aspasthar had the slightest reservation she'd find someone else-she had no idea who it would be, but someone would turn up.

Aspasthar looked as happy as a boy who'd just found a golden crown on a cobblestone street. "Your Majesty, I volunteer. I've always known that one day I would get an opportunity to pay Styphon's House back for what they did to Hostigos and to my father. The gods have blessed me with this opportunity!"

Against this youthful fervor, Rylla didn't stand a chance. He reminded her too much of her own younger self.

"Then, Aspasthar, you must gather your kit and prepare to leave at once."

"I can be ready in a candle, Your Majesty!"

Rylla smiled, turning to Lysia. "How long before your ship can sail?"

"It's a smuggling vessel. I told the Captain to wait at Ulrym and that I would see that his hold was filled with twenty casks of Ermut's Best. Is that possible?"

"That is agreeable. Plus, if he can get you back to Glarth Port quicker than the journey here, I'll give him a purse of gold for every day he saves. This opportunity is beyond price!"

"That will spur him and his crew. Thank you, Your Majesty."

Rylla turned to the boy. "Aspasthar, I don't want you to be in Styphoni hands by yourself. Pick three boys from the Military Academy that would be good companions in a fight and know how to sew up their lips."

Aspasthar looked as if he were about to jump up and down with excitement. "I know just the boys! This is going to be an adventure to end all adventures. Thank you, thank you, Your Majesty!"

The poor boy doesn't know the half of it, Rylla thought to herself, as she watched him skip away with Baroness Lysia. She felt her eyes begin to tear, as she wondered what she would have done had Aspasthar been her boy: Would she have sent her son off into the enemy's lair in the hopes that one day he would be in a position to help the Throne? It was a good question and one to which she didn't have the answer. Harmakros, forgive me. Allfather Dralm, please keep watch over young Aspasthar! Please, do not let him come to harm.