“No, he hasn’t,” Victory replied, glancing toward Havoc and then back to her again.
“My brother hated Jani and was rather open about it before we were officially betrothed. Jani ignored him for the most part until my brother eventually cornered him and demanded a duel. Kadan didn’t understand that Firym don’t duel like we do. When the Delvay duel it is a show of skill and there is a lot of bluster but very little death. When the Firym duel there is very little bluster and a whole lot of death. So Jani mocked him and refused to duel and made a remark that a monkey with a salad fork could best Kadan and he wasn’t worth drawing steel for.” She paused, fighting back another wave of laughter. “So Jani said he would prove it and the next time he visited he brought a cute little monkey with him. Everyone in the village knew about it at this point so the crowd was immense. My brother blustered and warned Jani that if he didn’t end the charade he will soon have a dead monkey. Jani just simply nodded and handed the little monkey a fork.” Her words were getting harder to understand as the laughter grew once more.
“So my monkey proceeded to bounce from wall to wall dodging between legs, running up his back, and stabbing Kadan at every possible opportunity. By the time the fiasco was over my monkey was out of breath and Kadan was bleeding from dozens of fork wounds,” Havoc finished with a smile. “Kes is the only one that I let in on the joke, though. Everyone else believes it was truly just a trained monkey,” he added with a chuckle.
“My mother laughed so hard from the monkey that beer came out her nose,” Kes said, her voice still filled with laughter. “It was barely three days after that incident that she approved Jani’s suit for my hand, and then the bastard joined the Fionaveir.” The laughter died and she gave a heavy sigh, shaking her head at Havoc who in turn ignored her.
“How in the hell did you convince Finn to allow himself to be transformed into a monkey?” Victory asked in disbelief. He was curious about the betrothal as well, but knew Havoc well enough to leave the topic alone.
“I blackmailed him,” Havoc replied with a shrug. “Needless to say Kadan will not be pleased to see me, but I’ll refrain from reminding him publicly that a monkey defeated him in a duel.”
“Wait, Kadandelvayan?” Victory asked as the name at last sank in.
“That would be the one,” Havoc agreed with a smirk.
“You are the High Lord’s daughter?” Victory asked, looking toward Kes with a raised eyebrow.
“Adopted, but yes. My father was a favored warrior of Lord Delvayon. When he died fighting the Rivasans, the Lord adopted me and took my mother in,” Kes explained. “That’s probably something I should warn you about, Jani. You won’t talk my father down, Kadan either. Not that Kadan would be likely to listen to you anyway. The Rivasans have been pushing us for a while. Personally I think that after you speak with my house you won’t want to talk them down anymore, either one of you.”
“Why would we abandon our mission of peace?” Victory asked. He wasn’t sure what she meant about the Rivasans’ pushing them, but that answer could wait until he spoke with the High Lord. As far as he understood from his history lessons, war between these two nations was as common as snow in the winter. The reason could be as simple as an insult between the houses and they would war over it. He couldn’t fathom a reason he would be drawn into the nonsense, though, not with the current troubles the world already faced. The matter with the Blights outweighed personal insult as far as he was concerned.
“Because the Rivasans have your envoy. Our spies reported his capture last night. He didn’t make it thirty miles into the land before they had him, and from the reports they are not playing nicely with him,” Kes replied, her words pulling him back from his contemplation like the crack of a whip.
Victory frowned heavily and Avalanche slowed to a stop. “Havoc, do you realize who they sent into Rivasa?” he asked.
Slowing his own horse Havoc turned in his saddle and studied Victory’s expression carefully. “By the look on your face, it’s bad,” he said with a sigh.
“They sent Remedy in. Symphony will have to be warned of this,” Victory replied.
“Bloody, buggering hell. Of all the damned agents they could send they pick the single one our future Empress is in love with.” Havoc sighed heavily and nodded thanks to Kes. “Thank you for letting us know. This does indeed change things. Looks like I will get to kill some Rivasans after all.” He kept the excitement out of his tone but Victory didn’t miss the large smile growing on his face as he turned back in the saddle once more.
With an inward sigh of his own, he prepared a mental link with Symphony and tried to think of the gentlest way to break the news to her. The Fionaveir were despised in Rivana. Remedy had taken a huge risk by accepting the mission and had likely already paid for it with his life. The Rivana justice system worked with swift efficiency.
He could see the twin gates of Valemuir looming ahead of them in the distance. He had perhaps two miles remaining to determine exactly what his approach was going to be with High Lord Rendelvayan. He would have to have his plan set by the time they arrived. Rendelvayan wasn’t known for his patience. Symphony had sent him to make peace, but with Remedy held prisoner or possibly dead, those plans would most certainly change.
Chapter 18
Gaelyn