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The Semna clucked her tongue. “I’d best put a slow healing spell on that, my boy. I do hope everyone will be more careful after this.”
Lord Gaius bowed to the Semna, then turned to Cassia. “Our princess’s memory has everything to do with this Summit, it is clear.”
“If we want the future she would have given us,” said Cassia, “we must make it. You do not need me to tell you the king will not make it for us.”
No one protested that she had just spoken treason.
Lord Gaius wore a hard smile. “The king is not here to make anything.”
Benedict thumped a fist to his chest and saluted the paper in Cassia’s hands. “Let my deeds be the first to honor Her Highness. I will stand with you in support of peace.”
He had come through for her. “Thank you, Benedict. Tenebra is fortunate to have you on her side.”
“I will not let Tenebra’s traditions die with our princess. I will not fail to defend her people’s safety—even from their own king. I am not a free lord with a duty to the Council. I am a knight, and my sword is bound by my honor. By Andragathos, if the lords of Tenebra are to invoke the Free Charter tonight, I will be their conscience and see to it we challenge royal authority for the common good.”
“For the common good,” said Lord Gaius, “I will stand with you, Sir Benedict.”
“Thank you, my lord,” Cassia told him. “Hadria’s support brings great strength and honor to our cause.”
Lord Adrogan found his voice, although pain twisted his face. “It takes more than one knight and one lord to swear the Oath. Neither of you are even free lords.”
Lord Gaius shot him a warning glance. “It is true we have neither Charter rights nor seats on the Council, but our liege lords do. We are fully empowered to act on behalf of Free Lord Hadrian and Free Lord Titus here in Orthros, thus we are within our rights to invoke the Charter in their names tonight.”
Lord Severin looked pale. “As my father’s heir and representative in this embassy, I also can invoke his Charter rights, but if I do so in the name of peace with Hesperines, I may not be his heir much longer. I must be sure this is best for my people, before I risk my position as their last line of defense against their liege.”
“We mustn’t do anything rash,” agreed Lord Adrogan’s rival with sweat on his brow. “There’s a fine line between invoking the Charter and committing treason.”
It was time. Cassia must tell them now. “Let the truth free you from your fears of committing treason. I have here a witness who will testify before the gods that the king has betrayed us and is no longer worthy of our loyalty. He has violated his responsibilities toward us, thus we are no longer bound by our oaths of fealty.”
At that, the gathering rumbled with surprise and unrest.
“All the worst rumors about the Equinox Summit are true,” Cassia told them. “Callen, will you tell us what you learned of Dalos when you were in prison?”
Callen stepped forward. “Aye, my lady. I will testify before the gods that the king conspired with the mage Dalos and his Order to assassinate not only the Hesperine embassy, but also the Council of Free Lords.”
The other men leapt to their feet. Fists pounded the table, and outcries went up.
Callen faced them with the same matter-of-fact dignity he had shown to Cassia the first day they had met. As he had for her then, he now bore witness before the lords that he had seen Dalos use his war magic upon the king’s prisoners. But this time, he worked into his tale all the details of the conspiracy that Cassia had later discovered. He hadn’t asked Cassia how she had learned the rest, and he had agreed the lords didn’t need to know either.
The end of his testimony was nearly lost in the embassy’s uproar.
Cassia spoke over the lords. “Some of you were sitting at the Summit table when Dalos unleashed his spell. Every man here had a father, brother, or liege lord under that pavilion. The king has already given Cordium leave to destroy our nobility and lay waste to Tenebra.”
THE APPLICATION OF REASON
Lio stood with Makoutside Eudias’s rooms. “Of all times for Eudias to request an audience with Cassia.”
“Mother won’t approve it, of course, but she wants you to have a word with him.”
“I told Cassia I would watch her back while she confronts the lords.”
Mak clapped him on the shoulder. “She’ll be fine for a few minutes. Lyros will keep guarding her and the embassy while you and I find out what Eudias wants. This is a task for a diplomat, and your insight as a mind mage could help us learn the apprentice’s real intentions. Mother will keep her full attention on the other mages in case Eudias is trying to create a diversion.”
Lio could sense Aunt Lyta a couple of corridors over, her aura powerful at the heart of her wards around Chrysanthos, Tychon, and Skleros’s lodgings. “I wonder if asking to see Cassia was what Eudias was deliberating over when he seemed so ill.”
“It does appear he came to some kind of decision. Since he approached Mother about his request, he has been uncharacteristically calm. Almost confident.”
What would make the poor mouse confident? Hope of earning his masters’ favor? Or finding the courage to defy them for the first time? “I may be very foolish to want to believe better of him, but I cannot help hoping he will not do anything that will make him our enemy. I even dare believe his request could somehow prove advantageous for us.”
