Disclaimer – I do not own these characters – they belong to Trudi Canavan

Confrontation

Vinara felt decidedly uncomfortable and Sonea looked angry. It is an unnecessary situation, Vinara thought, I have no idea why Balkan insisted I be present. She and Sonea were sitting in the guest room of the Residence, waiting for Balkan to call them into his study. Earlier, Vinara had been in her rooms when Balkan had contacted her.

Vinara?

Yes, High Lord?

Sonea has asked to see me urgently. I would feel happier if you were present. Please come at once.

So Vinara had gone to the Residence and found Sonea already waiting. She had looked extremely annoyed when Vinara explained why she was there.

"What does he think I am going to do?" she had said, "Have hysterics in his study, attack him with black magic!"

"Hush, don't say things like that!" Vinara said, "You don't know who may be listening."

Sonea had shrugged and turned her head to study a nearby painting, ignoring Vinara completely. Only the loud ticking of a large clock disturbed the silence, which fell between them. Vinara sighed, I'm too busy to waste time like this. Sonea is right, what does Balkan imagine she will do? Sonea got up and went closer to the painting. Watching her, Vinara wondered what she was feeling. The pregnancy was obvious now and it must be difficult for her to be in the place where her child's father had lived for so many years. The painting she was examining, for example, had been commissioned by Akkarin and Vinara wondered if Sonea knew that.

Many members of the Guild had reacted badly to news of Sonea's pregnancy and despite Balkan's insistence that nothing improper had occurred between the previous High Lord and his Novice, several magicians refused to believe it. Vinara had heard some quite nasty comments and there were rumours that some of the novices had placed bets on when the child would be born, hoping to prove that impropriety had taken place.

As far as Vinara knew, Sonea ignored any comments she may have overheard, but she had taken to staying in her rooms again, just like she had in the beginning. Another four and a bit months before the child is born, who knows what the atmosphere here will be like by then.

At last, the servant came to take them to Balkan's study. He was seated behind his big desk as usual and barely looked up as they came in. He was looking closely at a ledger and it was several minutes before he closed it and looked up. He gestured for them to sit down, and looked at Sonea.

"What can I do for you, Sonea?" he asked.

"Why is Vinara here?" Sonea's tone was even, but there was a hint of barely hidden anger in it. "I asked to see you, not a group of Higher Magicians."

"Now, I don't think you can say that one other person besides myself makes a group. I am simply concerned about your health and thought it would be a good idea to have your Healer here." Balkan looked a little uneasy as he gave his reasons. As well he might, given that neither of his guests looked convinced by them.

"So, Sonea, what is it you want?"

She glanced down at her hands, then looked directly at him and said. "I have heard that family Delvon, House Velan are going to claim my child as their family lacks heirs. I want to know what you think about that and what you intend to do about it."

Balkan looked uncomfortable; he glanced at her, but avoided her eyes. "Well, Sonea, the law is clear, they are entitled to claim a child born to unmarried parents, when there is a lack of heirs. I am sure you know that."

"Especially when one of them is lowborn, yes, I do know that. However, there are special circumstances in this case. For a start I am a magician and a very strong magician; Vinara tells me my power is still increasing. There is a very good chance that the child will also be strong in power as both its parents are. Surely the Guild has an interest in keeping such a child here?"

Balkan finally looked at her directly, "The Guild does have an interest in your child, Sonea, and in you. We want to look after you both and make sure you have everything you need. The Guild lost many good magicians in the struggle against the Ichani, we need all the strong magicians we can find. You are particularly valuable to us with your knowledge of black magic. We will do everything in our power to protect your child."

"Somehow that doesn't sound like you will prevent the family taking my child." Sonea said slowly. "It sounds as if you have an arrangement in mind. Perhaps you would care to tell me what it is."

Balkan sighed, "Family Delvon, House Velan are powerful and they have friends in high places. I am sure they know the law very well indeed, and the law is very clear. However, the law also allows the Guild to take any child with magic once they are over the age of 13. If your child went to its father's family, it would only be for a short time. After a few years, the child would become a novice here. It's not as if you would never see your child again."

"By that time, my child would not be my child any more, but the heir of the Delvons. It would have nothing to do with me, I would not have bathed it, nor sung it to sleep, nor nursed it when it was ill. It would not be my child, I would simply have given birth to it." Sonea's voice was full of bitterness. "I see your plan, it is to trade my child to a powerful family to keep them happy and get whatever you can from their gratitude while planning to bring it into the Guild a few years later to benefit the magicians. What would you do if family Delvon, House Velan asked for the child's powers to be blocked?"

Balkan paled, "I am sure they would never ask such a thing."

Sonea smiled without humour, "Are you? They have already had experience of a strong magician in the family. Ask them what they feel about that. I don't think you would like their answer. What if my child is a girl? A female heir's value is in the marriage she makes and the children she has. How many noble Houses would marry their sons to a powerful magician, even if she were the heir of an important House? I don't think you have thought carefully enough, High Lord, about this matter."

Vinara sucked in her breath. She is lacks respect for the High Lord. Does she think being the lover of one High Lord entitles her to speak to another like that? She glanced at Balkan who seemed shaken by Sonea's cool judgement on his approach to the problem. Go on, make her understand YOU lead here, not some lowborn with ideas above her station. What on earth did Akkarin see in her?

"You raise an interesting point, Sonea," Balkan conceded. "I must give it careful thought and ensure that the Guild's best interests are served…..and yours too," he added hastily as he saw Sonea begin to frown.

"Thank you High Lord," she said. "There is one other thing. I wish to discuss this matter with the King and I request permission to arrange a meeting with him."

The High Lord looked surprised, "But the King will uphold the law – it's the King's Law, after all. He can't be seen to change it on a whim."

"Nevertheless, I wish to see him. Do you have any objections?"

Balkan shook his head, "I shall ask the Administrator to arrange a time with the King's Secretary. Of course, you realise that you run the risk of annoying the King if you do not take care with your words and actions?"

"Yes, I do. It is my child I am fighting for, I will do whatever is necessary to keep it with me. If that means treating the King with kid gloves, I will do it. Now, I am sure you are very busy. May I withdraw, High Lord?"

Sonea bowed formally and left, closing the door quietly behind her. Vinara heard Balkan exhale rather loudly.

"She is very certain of herself, isn't she?" Vinara shook her head in disbelief. "The way she speaks, it is as if she is High Lord here!"

Balkan pulled a face, "She is very difficult to deal with. She always has been. Look at the trouble she got in as a novice. Then there was all that fuss at the Hearing about following Akkarin into exile when we had gone to so much trouble to persuade the King that she should stay. There may come a time when her value as a Black Magician may not be enough to overcome the other difficulties she causes us." Balkan looked at Vinara, "I suppose her power is still increasing?"

Vinara nodded.

"Let's hope for her sake, that it continues to do so. It keeps her value to the Guild high."