Shadow Dagger Ch 19

"Your Grace, Grand Master Sura is without and kindly requests a moment of your time," Eve said, bowing.

"Of course. Send her in," Evelyn replied. She placed the book

A Study of Magi and Their Role in Society

on the table, marked the page she was reading, and rose smoothly from the chair by her windows.

Eve returned a moment later with Sura following behind. The newly appointed Grand Master, as short and squat as ever (but looking distinctly exhausted), smiled warmly and dropped into a small curtsy. "Your Grace."

"Grand Master," Evelyn replied, copying her curtsy. She hoped that was the appropriate thing to do.

Sura's knowing smile revealed that she sensed her hesitation. "Very proper," she said.

Evelyn sighed in relief. "I've been studying up on my new position but there's so much to learn!" She indicated her book with a wave of her hand.

Sura glanced down at the book. "Chauncey's

Study

I see. Well, I'm not surprised you couldn't find that information in there. The man was an absolute bore. I'm surprised I didn't catch you napping."

"He is pretty dry," Evelyn admitted, laughing. "Though his perspective of the Magi from a non-Magi view is fascinating."

"But not very revealing," Sura returned with a easy smile. "After all, a non-Magi can only know so much about our organization. I find Sheron's

The God's Appointed Administrators

both hysterical and revealing."

"I will have to read that one," Evelyn said, smiling. "But, where are my manners? Would you care for something to drink? Tea? Wine?"

"Some tea would be lovely."

"Eve, will you bring us some tea?" Evelyn asked her servant.

Eve bowed low. "Your Grace, if you and the Grand Master will follow me to your parlor, I will be happy to serve you."

Evelyn followed Eve to the her personal parlor adjourning her study and took a seat at the table by the window. Sura sat opposite her and smiled absently as Eve poured her some tea. After making sure that Evelyn and Sura had everything they needed, Eve quietly withdrew from the room.

Evelyn and Sura exchanged pleasantries as they blew on their tea and took small sips. After a good-sized swallow, Sura put down her cup and laced her fingers together.

"First of all, I want to congratulate you on your pregnancy."

Evelyn rubbed her stomach absently and smiled. Reynar had revealed that little fact nearly a week ago. It was a good thing too, Evelyn thought, because the secret had started to weigh on her.

"You are most kind," Evelyn said.

Sura smiled. The heavy-set woman reminded Evelyn of a kindly grandmother. "The entire council was delighted to hear it. We've been waiting for a heir for quite some time. It's was good to see King Reynar finally settle down."

"So I've been told," Evelyn quipped.

Sura laughed. "I'm sure you've been listening to that ever since the wedding."

Evelyn took a sip of her tea and smiled. Sura copied her but quickly set down her cup after one sip. "Can I be frank with you, Your Grace?"

"Certainly."

"Truth be told, I'm surprised to see you married so soon after Daminus' death. With all we know about soul-mates, I would've thought...you know..." Sura trailed off delicately.

"That I would have been stark-raving mad or dead by now?" Evelyn asked lightly.

A faint blush rose in Sura's pale, heavy-set face. "Well, frankly, yes. I've never seen a documented case of a soul-mate surviving their spouse's death."

Evelyn set down her cup of tea to give herself a moment to collect her thoughts. Luckily, Reynar and she came up with an answer the day after her wedding. "I took a gamble. Reynar had a theory that if I threw myself into another marriage, it might help ease the heartbreak. And once I became pregnant, perhaps that will finish healing the wound."

"And did it work?" Sura asked. She leaned forward in her chair and stared intently into Evelyn's face.

"Well, I don't feel like killing myself anytime soon," Evelyn replied, chuckling.

Sura sat back in her chair, stunned. "Amazing, simply amazing. We shall have to document this, of course."

It was Evelyn's turn to stare intently into Sura's face. "Grand Master, allow me to be frank, too. I know you must have been curious about my decision, but that's not really the reason you came to see me, is it?"

"You really are very clever. I had forgotten that." She shook her head and chuckled. "Okay, that's not the real reason I came here. While the fact that Reynar unexpectedly picked you to become his queen is highly interesting, the real reason I came here is to discuss Raynolt."

"What about him?" Evelyn asked, her voice suddenly cold. She still regretted her decision not to kill him. Mercy definitely had its drawbacks.

"It's a...convoluted situation," Sura said delicately. "We're just now finding out more information. It's been, what, a month since the attack at the Emporium?"

"It has. So what have you found out?"

"The Magi who claimed loyalty to him and were captured have finally started to crack," Sura said, her face twisting in disgust. "To think, Magi were loyal to that worm!" She shook her head in disbelief.

"Not all Magi are so virtuous as us," Evelyn replied.

Sura sighed. "No, I guess not. Well, it seems that Raynolt's association with the Magi Victus goes back many years, according to some of the prisoners. It appears that he has been planning a grab for power for many years."

"It doesn't surprise me," Evelyn said. "And you don't seem surprised, either."

"I've had my doubts about him," she said, nodding slowly. "And with everything that's happened in the last few months, well, let's just say I didn't buy all of Raynolt's stories at face value."

"What have we learned?"

Sura laughed, though her voice held no mirth. "Where to begin? That man had this thing meticulously planned, I'll give him that. First of all, it was Raynolt who hired the Magi Victus to assassinate Grand Master Boltus."

Evelyn shook her head. "That poor old man," she said sadly. She knew this all along, of course, as she had been there when Raynolt killed Boltus. But she had to play through this charade all the same.

"He also ordered some more assassinations," Sura said. She looked sadly at Evelyn and reached her hand across the table. Evelyn, confused, reached out and grasped her hand.

"Evelyn, my dear, I don't want to have to tell you this but it seems as though Raynolt was responsible for the death of your husband, Daminus. He was the one who hired Jon Laurent. And he was the one who burned his body to make it appear that Halas was responsible."

Even though Evelyn knew what was coming, it didn't stop a lump from forming in her throat. Sura squeezed her hand.

"That bastard," Evelyn said vehemently. She didn't have to fake the venom in her voice.

Sura patted her hand again and sat back in her chair. "I'm sorry to have to bring this news to you, what with Raynolt still on the run. I know you must want justice."

"Justice will find him before the end," Evelyn said softly. If the chance presented itself again, she would not be merciful.

If only I had the courage to kill him when I had the chance!

"I don't doubt it will, Your Grace. And as I said, this also means that Raynolt set up Halas to take the fall for those crimes. He did a very thorough job of it."

"I assume Halas has already been freed?" Evelyn asked as she took a sip of her tea. The tea suddenly tasted very bitter. She sipped it just to give herself something to focus on.

"Of course, Your Grace. He was...a little worse for wear but happy all the same. He has been most ardently pursuing Raynolt's whereabouts since he was freed."

"That's good," Evelyn replied, hoping Sura took the hint from her tone of voice. She really didn't want to discuss anything anymore. It was very hard not to reveal information she already knew.

Sura, however, still looked like she had something she wanted to say. "What is it, Grand Master?" Evelyn asked reluctantly.

Sura licked her lips nervously before leaning over the table. "There is one more thing, Your Grace," she half-whispered.

Evelyn glanced around the room, even though she knew they were the only ones in there. Eve waited just outside the door should Evelyn have the need to call on her.

"What is it?"

"It means that the rumors a while back about Raynolt trying to kill King Reynar were true," she whispered dramatically.

"Is that right?" Evelyn said, hoping her tone didn't betray her. She really needed Sura to leave.

Sura's eyes scanned Evelyn's face for any trace of whatever it was she was looking for. "Raynolt's actions lately have been...erratic," Sura said. "He hasn't been very forthcoming in the council meetings as of late. I thought perhaps you could enlighten us."

Evelyn suddenly knew that this was the real reason Sura had come. The news that Raynolt arranged the assassination of Daminus was just a ploy to gain Evelyn's trust.

"I know as much as you do," Evelyn said, somewhat coldly.

The conspiratorial half-smile on Sura's face melted off as quickly as wax from a candle. She sat back in her chair and stared hard at Evelyn. Evelyn was amazed at how quickly Sura's face transformed into solid rock.

"You two are up to something, aren't you?" Sura asked. "Why else would he suddenly marry you so soon after Daminus' death? And why did he cover up the fact that Raynolt was trying to assassinate him? And why does he have our entire standing army keeping guard on the palace and the city walls when we should be focusing on the Magi Victus?"

"I'm still learning about the powers of the king and council, but I believe the standing army is under the sole discretion of the king."

"He can't declare war," Sura snapped back. "That has to be an agreement between the king and the Grand Master."

"Funny, I don't see him declaring war," Evelyn said icily.

Sura's face darkened. "For too long have I stood by and watched our beloved order degenerate into anarchy and chaos. We have become diseased, Evelyn. We squabble like children and care only about power. I will see us return to our former glory by any means necessary."

Evelyn stood up and towered over Sura. "Was that a threat?"

Sura wiped her lips with her napkin, folded it neatly on the table, and stood up slowly. Even standing, she was inches smaller than Evelyn. "It's not a threat; it's a promise. I will clean up the Magi. Don't think for one second that King Reynar is exempt from this. He's been acting as suspicious as Raynolt."

Evelyn couldn't help it; she laughed. "Do you really think you could take him on? He would swat you like a fly!"

"I'm not an idiot, Evelyn. Could even our mighty King Reynar withstand the entire might of the Magi under my command?"

Evelyn stepped closer to Sura and stared down coldly into her face. "You would dispose of the king, would you? You know he has the divine right to rule. The people would overthrow you faster than you could blink."

Sura stared calmly up at Evelyn. "We're the ones with all the power, Your Grace. If I find out that Reynar had anything to do with this current madness plaguing us, you will see firsthand just how ready the people are to go up against the Magi."

"You wouldn't dare!" Evelyn hissed, though she felt a faint flicker of fear deep in her heart. What kind of world was her child coming into?

"It's time to put our house in order," Sura purred dramatically.

"I couldn't agree more," a deep voice said pleasantly.

Evelyn whirled around to the doorway. Her heart thudded against her ribcage as she saw Reynar standing casually in the doorway.

Evelyn turned back to Sura, who had gone as white as a ghost. She opened her mouth several times, much a like a fish did when breathing the water.

"My liege!" she stammered. "I...I didn't see..."

Reynar walked into the room and it seemed like he brought a thick blanket of darkness with him. The room almost perceptively darkened as he strode toward Sura. Sura stumbled backwards until her back was against the wall.

"Were you threatening me and my wife?" Reynar asked quietly.

Sura gaped up at him. Her head barely came up to his belly. "No! No, of course not. I was merely--"

Reynar leaned down and put his hand on the wall next to her head. "You were merely implying that I conspired with Raynolt and the Magi Victus and caused the split in the Magi ranks, is that it?"

Sura shook her head rapidly but didn't say anything. It looked like she was too frightened to make any sounds at the moment. As much as it pleased Evelyn, she still found herself walking over to them.

"We were just discussing the news over tea, weren't we Grand Master?" Evelyn said kindly.

Reynar stood straight up and it seemed like the room brightened again. He turned toward Evelyn. "Ah, I thought so. Well, pardon my interruption, but I needed to see your, my dear. Grand Master, I believe you know the way out," he added.

Sura bobbed a hasty curtsy. "Yes, my liege!" She grabbed a handful of her robes and scurried from the room as fast as her pudgy legs would carry her.

"That wasn't nice," Evelyn said.

They stared at each other for a moment before Evelyn gave up and began to laugh. Reynar's booming laugh quickly joined hers.

"I'll have to admit, she has a spine," Reynar said, still chuckling.

Evelyn wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. Now that Reynar was here, she felt her recent unease return. They hadn't spoken much since the wedding night. They hadn't even shared the same room at night. Just the thought of it made Evelyn nauseous.

"For a moment there, I thought you were going to hurt her," Evelyn admitted.

The laughter faded from Reynar's face. He sighed and ran his hand through his dark hair. "I'll admit I wanted to. When I heard her threatening you..." He shook his head.

Evelyn found that she was oddly touched. "Thanks," she said.

Reynar smiled at her. "She wanted to know my plans, didn't she?"

"Yes. She's not going to be a very docile Grand Master, it seems. Normally I think that would be a good thing, but now..."

"I know," Reynar sighed. "With your pregnancy, the last thing we need is a nosy Grand Master. But I think my little display here might have been enough to scare her off for a while."

Evelyn couldn't argue with that so she merely nodded her head. The unease in her stomach intensified as neither one spoke. The awkwardness between them was really starting to wear on Evelyn.

"So, did you really need to see me?" Evelyn finally asked.

"Yes," Reynar said, clearly relieved to have something to talk about. "I was wondering how your studying is going. The council has been bugging me as to when you will finally make your first appearance as queen."

"I'm guess I'm ready as I'm ever going to be," Evelyn sighed. "Maybe learning by experience will be more helpful."

"Yes, probably," Reynar agreed.

Evelyn fidgeted with her hands as another uncomfortable silence yawned between them. Reynar was staring at her, his jaw moving as though he was trying to find words to speak.

Evelyn couldn't take it anymore. "That's not why you really wanted to see me, is it?" she found herself asking for the second time that day.

Reynar opened his mouth, apparently thought better of it, and simply let out his breath. He ran his hand through his hair and shrugged his shoulders. Evelyn had been around him enough to learn that running his hand through his hair was a sign of nervousness.

"You just wanted to see me, didn't you?" Evelyn guessed

"Was I that obvious?" Reynar said, smiling shyly.

When he smiled like that, Evelyn felt the uneasiness in her stomach diminish. She even found herself smiling. "You shouldn't be so nervous. I am your wife, after all."

Reynar's smile faded as his eyes scanned her face restlessly. "Evelyn, I just...I can't stop thinking about our wedding night. I know I told you it was okay to think that I was Daminus...but I thought after a while you were really with me."

Evelyn ducked her head, unable to bear the hurt look in his eyes. "I can't explain what happened," she mumbled.

"I don't mean to push you, Evelyn. I just find you to be a very amazing woman. A man can't help but to fall in love with you."

A month ago those words would have made her heart clench in pain. She would have ran sobbing from the room. Now, those words only caused a bittersweet feeling in her heart.

"Maybe one day I can return that love," she offered him.

"Maybe," he repeated. He appeared to consider the words for several moments. "I can live with that," he said finally.

Evelyn felt a small weight lift off of her shoulders. It felt good to reach an understanding with him. She looked up into his face and smiled. "Thank you."

He reached down and softly caressed the side of her face. Evelyn didn't mind; in fact, it felt rather nice. "I will leave you to your studying. Just let me know if Sura tries to corner you again, ok?"

The reminder of Sura brought back the conversation she had had with her. Reynar was by the door when Evelyn stopped him. "Why are you using the army to guard the palace?" she dared to ask him.

His back went rigid for a moment before he turned back to her with an amused smile. "I thought that was obvious. I have to protect you from Jon Laurent, remember?"

"But is it really necessary to abandon the war with the Magi Victus to do it?" she pressed him. Sura's fears had evidently sunk into her more than she thought.

"To protect your life and the life of the child you carry?" he asked, his voice no longer amused. "Yes."

"But why are you beggaring the protection of the rest of the country to protect me?" Her fears and the uneasiness she felt over the past month were finally pushing her to speak. "Why does it feel like everything hangs on the birth of my child?"

Her question clearly caught Reynar off guard. While he struggled to answer her, the child in her womb suddenly shifted. Evelyn was so startled that she gasped and clutched her stomach.

Reynar was by her side in an instant. "What is it? Is the child ok?"

Evelyn nodded. Whatever had just happened was over. Only the sense of uneasiness lingered. "I'm fine. The baby moved, that's all."

Reynar laid his hand on her stomach and held it there for several moments. His eyes were closed and he was whispering under his breath.

The uneasiness in her stomach strengthened. Something was very wrong with her child. This feeling had been plaguing her dreams for a month.

"I'm fine," Evelyn repeated angrily. She stepped back from his embrace and instantly felt the feeling in her stomach lessen.

"The baby is healthy," Reynar said. He let out a relieved breath and gave Evelyn a shaky smile. "Sorry, I was just concerned. You have little more than a month left and you still barely have a bump."

"I still want an answer to my question," Evelyn demanded. She was more determined than ever. She didn't how but she knew her baby was more aware of the outside world than a regular child should be.

Reynar frowned. "From what I've been told by the desert goddess, your child will be more advanced than any other Magi by the time it's five years old. And that includes Jon Laurent. The best opportunity for Jon to act is when the child is first born."

"Five years old?" Evelyn repeated incredulously. "That's impossible!"

"Who knows what's impossible?" Reynar asked rhetorically. "Now, my dear, if you will excuse me I have much to do."

Evelyn stopped him again. "You wouldn't hide anything from me, would you?"

Reynar's shoulders sagged. He shook his head and looked over at her. His attempt at a smile was just that, an attempt. "No, of course not."

Evelyn kept her face blank and nodded. Reynar tried smiling once again as he turned and left the room.

For the first time since Evelyn decided to leave with him during that fateful Summer Festival, doubt crept into her heart. When Reynar tried smiling at her and assured her that he wasn't hiding anything from her, she knew he was lying.