The Fireseed Wars

III

Hestophes himself was now in charge of the operation to put a Hostigi on the Throne of Light; it was too important a job to leave in Ranthos' hands, although the former Greffan had done a good job of rescuing the lad. Hestophes was seated in the Great Hall of the manor waiting to be reunited with his wife, who had disembarked from the Prince Ptosphes a quarter moon ago. He wondered who she would be bringing to take Dementros' place at the manor in Zeleos.

There was a knock at the Hall door. One of his bodyguards opened it and a petty-captain stuck his head in. "Captain Lysia has returned, sir."

"Show her and her party in."

A moment later his wife came in alone. Without thinking about propriety, Hestophes rushed forward and gathered her in his arms. He might have crushed her but for her steel breastplate. "How is the Great Queen?"

"She is well, but big as a hut! The baby should be born by now. Praise Dralm that it will be a boy and heir to the Throne!"

"What is her opinion of the plan to put a Hostigi on the Agrysi Throne?"

"She was quite enamored of the idea. Enough that she put her godson, Aspasthar, forward to be the claimant."

"Harmakros' son!" he exclaimed, his jaw dropping. "There must be no end of good candidates, so why Aspasthar?"

"Because he's several winters older than his age both in experience and maturity. Not that he still doesn't act like a boy sometimes; I ought to know, having spent a moon half with him and his three compatriots."

"You brought more than one boy?"

"Yes, my love. It was the Queen's idea; she wanted him to have company he could trust and possibly use to pass messages. As the new King, Aspasthar will not be out of Styphoni eyes for a moment."

Hestophes mulled that over for a moment. "She's right. Either Archpriest Grythos or one of his priests will have the boy under constant surveillance. With three more boys to stir the bowl, it will be much harder to keep an eye on any one boy, much less all four. What was Kalvans advice?"

"He is still in Greffa, waiting for the Grand Host to retire," Lysia answered. "King Chartiphon has been making heavy raids upon the Styphoni supply lines and they are growing low on foodstuffs. If the Grand Host of Styphon doesn't leave soon, it will be too late for the peasants to plant their potatoes and corn."

And, if that happens, it won't be good news for anyone in Thagnor City, Hestophes thought. Rations had been tight last winter and without a fall harvest people might starve this coming winter.

"Also, her Majesty and I discussed your plan and made some more improvements."

Hestophes braced himself for the worst. There was no telling what those two she-panthers might have come up with.

"We decided it wasn't safe to leave the boys on their own. The Queen thinks it might be best if we had someone to watch over them."

"But who, my love? The Duke was buried five years ago. The Lady Tymolara hated the old Duke, but who knows how trustworthy she'll be in Agrys City, where she could sell us out for a wheelbarrow of gold?" Wheelbarrows were another of the Great King's gifts, thought Hestophes, one that at first seemed simple and obvious. Once Kalvan had demonstrated them they had spread throughout the Five Kingdoms like dandelion seeds, improving the lives of farmers and workers throughout the Great Kingdoms.

"I know who will take Tymolara's place, my husband. Great Queen Rylla and I discussed this idea and drew the same conclusion." Lysia beamed at him as if she'd just won an archery competition. "It was Rylla's idea that I take her place!"

Hestophes felt his stomach drop. "But it's too dangerous! Besides, I might not see you again for many winters-"

She grabbed onto his neck so tightly he thought it might bend. He felt her tears as they soaked his ruff. Between sobs, she spoke, "I know, my love… it might be a very long time and I will miss you every moment. Still, we owe the Queen this service. I haven't been happy watching you from afar, suffering under the fools that the League placed over you. I'm glad we decided to tell no one of our plan other than Ranthos and the few Hostigi we needed to smuggle young Dementros, his half-sister and the Lady Tymolara out of Hos-Agrys.They should all be safely inside Thagnor City by now, where they will be kept under assumed names. No one must know, so darling, there is really no one else but myself who can make this deception work."

"I know you're right, but that doesn't mean I like it! It does make me want to take the war to the Styphoni with a vengeance!"

"That's the right idea. The sooner the Styphoni are driven from Agrys City, the sooner we can be together."