Long time no see. Literally. The usual apologies, and millions of thank
yous to all the reviews. I loff you all. Being the procrastinator that I
am, I hereby resolve to write a doubly long chapter before the end of
September. Please R and R - and I'll keep on writing :)
Berit looked around the carriage. He had been hastily woken up at the Pandion Chapterhouse by Kalten, who told him roughly to get dressed and get into the carriage in the courtyard. Though he was a knight, Berit's obedience to the older knights was still automatic, and he found himself inside the aforementioned carriage in his chain-mail before long. He looked curiously at the woman seated opposite him and beside Bevier, and Talen who sat on her lap, scowling. He nodded greetings to Talen and Bevier, and finally turned to Kalten beside him for explanations.
"Church business," Kalten mumbled. "We're out to try and figure out this new threat to Church, God, and King."
"Ah," Berit nodded wisely. "Lienze?"
"Yes," Kalten said shortly, eyeing up the young man warily. "You're to mobilize men once we get to Demos."
"Demos?" Berit blinked, surprised. "Very well. And what are we to do with the men?"
"To be on hand, sir Berit," the woman finally spoke. "In case of any emergency as we go to study Lienze."
Berit hid a smile. "Do my ears fail me?" he asked innocently. "Are the Church Knights going to study their enemies instead of offering them subject lessons?"
"Berit," Bevier looked pained. "You know how I feel when you start to talk like Sparhawk."
***
"Can I go with them Inow/I?"
"No." For once in his life, Sparhawk was remarkably firm with his daughter. "There will be state events all over Elenia, and especially here in Cimmura. You can't be dozing off every now and then."
"Spoilsport."
***
"She still looks the same," Naween breathed in Bevier's ear as they stood in the crowd surrounding Lienze, the saviour of all Elenes.
"Yes, you never explained about that," Bevier turned to look into Naween's eyes. "How on earth do you know Lienze?"
She averted her eyes, concentrating on Lienze. "We." she seemed unsure whether to tell Bevier, then her resolve grew firm. "Will you think any less of me if I tell you something about my past that isn't. the epitome of decorum or respectability?"
"I could never think less of you. Naween," Bevier tried out the name. "What is it?"
"I." Naween took a deep breath, wondering how Bevier would react to the truth. "Well, Lienze and I grew up together, in the same village," she began as they pushed against the crowd to get nearer to Lienze.
"Oh?" Was that a note of relief in his voice?
"Then we came to Cimmura together, and took on work under our father," she blurted out. "He who's paying Lienze's way."
"Your father." Bevier seemed lost in thought, then jerked in shock. "Krager's your father?"
***
Platime patted Danae absentmindedly as he talked with Sparhawk that same night. "I've been asking around about the past history of our dear friends, Krager and Lienze, and I've actually unearthed a wealth of information from an old woman, who claims to have been married to Krager."
Sparhawk was astonished. "I guess Krager never seemed like the marrying type," he said finally. "What did she have to say?"
"Apparently, Krager used to be a brothel keeper - this was before my day, Sparhawk, so don't look at me like that - and that he actually employed two of his own daughters which this woman bore to him."
"Employed them?" Sparhawk felt sick to his stomach, feeling a murderous hatred for anyone who would employ Danae in a brothel.
"As whores, yes. Just before he ran off to dabble in politics, he put his pre-pubescent daughters to work in brothels. Shouldn't Danae go to bed?" he looked at the fast asleep princess.
"Leave her, or she'll wake," Sparhawk dismissed it, knowing that Aphrael would want to hear. "I have a feeling that I should know his daughters, shouldn't I?"
"Oh, you know them," Platime said cheerfully.
***
Bevier left Naween in the crowd, telling her to meet them by the carriage when Lienze's talk was over. He eventually found Talen by some drunken men, keeping his fingers nimble, and whispered in Talen's ear.
"They're Iwhat/I?" Talen was thrown sufficiently off balance to drop the necklace he was stealing. "Sisters? Naween and Lienze?"
Berit looked around the carriage. He had been hastily woken up at the Pandion Chapterhouse by Kalten, who told him roughly to get dressed and get into the carriage in the courtyard. Though he was a knight, Berit's obedience to the older knights was still automatic, and he found himself inside the aforementioned carriage in his chain-mail before long. He looked curiously at the woman seated opposite him and beside Bevier, and Talen who sat on her lap, scowling. He nodded greetings to Talen and Bevier, and finally turned to Kalten beside him for explanations.
"Church business," Kalten mumbled. "We're out to try and figure out this new threat to Church, God, and King."
"Ah," Berit nodded wisely. "Lienze?"
"Yes," Kalten said shortly, eyeing up the young man warily. "You're to mobilize men once we get to Demos."
"Demos?" Berit blinked, surprised. "Very well. And what are we to do with the men?"
"To be on hand, sir Berit," the woman finally spoke. "In case of any emergency as we go to study Lienze."
Berit hid a smile. "Do my ears fail me?" he asked innocently. "Are the Church Knights going to study their enemies instead of offering them subject lessons?"
"Berit," Bevier looked pained. "You know how I feel when you start to talk like Sparhawk."
***
"Can I go with them Inow/I?"
"No." For once in his life, Sparhawk was remarkably firm with his daughter. "There will be state events all over Elenia, and especially here in Cimmura. You can't be dozing off every now and then."
"Spoilsport."
***
"She still looks the same," Naween breathed in Bevier's ear as they stood in the crowd surrounding Lienze, the saviour of all Elenes.
"Yes, you never explained about that," Bevier turned to look into Naween's eyes. "How on earth do you know Lienze?"
She averted her eyes, concentrating on Lienze. "We." she seemed unsure whether to tell Bevier, then her resolve grew firm. "Will you think any less of me if I tell you something about my past that isn't. the epitome of decorum or respectability?"
"I could never think less of you. Naween," Bevier tried out the name. "What is it?"
"I." Naween took a deep breath, wondering how Bevier would react to the truth. "Well, Lienze and I grew up together, in the same village," she began as they pushed against the crowd to get nearer to Lienze.
"Oh?" Was that a note of relief in his voice?
"Then we came to Cimmura together, and took on work under our father," she blurted out. "He who's paying Lienze's way."
"Your father." Bevier seemed lost in thought, then jerked in shock. "Krager's your father?"
***
Platime patted Danae absentmindedly as he talked with Sparhawk that same night. "I've been asking around about the past history of our dear friends, Krager and Lienze, and I've actually unearthed a wealth of information from an old woman, who claims to have been married to Krager."
Sparhawk was astonished. "I guess Krager never seemed like the marrying type," he said finally. "What did she have to say?"
"Apparently, Krager used to be a brothel keeper - this was before my day, Sparhawk, so don't look at me like that - and that he actually employed two of his own daughters which this woman bore to him."
"Employed them?" Sparhawk felt sick to his stomach, feeling a murderous hatred for anyone who would employ Danae in a brothel.
"As whores, yes. Just before he ran off to dabble in politics, he put his pre-pubescent daughters to work in brothels. Shouldn't Danae go to bed?" he looked at the fast asleep princess.
"Leave her, or she'll wake," Sparhawk dismissed it, knowing that Aphrael would want to hear. "I have a feeling that I should know his daughters, shouldn't I?"
"Oh, you know them," Platime said cheerfully.
***
Bevier left Naween in the crowd, telling her to meet them by the carriage when Lienze's talk was over. He eventually found Talen by some drunken men, keeping his fingers nimble, and whispered in Talen's ear.
"They're Iwhat/I?" Talen was thrown sufficiently off balance to drop the necklace he was stealing. "Sisters? Naween and Lienze?"
