“No. I think he would kill if the opportunity presented itself and he was in a position to get away with it. But if Aydor makes himself unpopular then Tomas could ride in as a hero to the people, dead gods know he looks the part. Daana seems to think he only has to wait.”
She nodded. “But remember that Daana is old and passed over the throne once. He may feel the hand of Xus pressing upon him. The proximity of death can make even the wisest men foolish.” She winced as I pulled at a particularly tricky knot in her hair. “We should not write Daana off completely, Girton.”
“No.” I let a beat pass. “The assassin, master …”
“That is done with.”
“But I know so little.”
“You know more than many others. It is done with.”
I wanted to ask more, but the words would not come. I could not understand why she was always so secretive, and eventually I decided it was best to move on rather than frustrate myself asking questions that would never be answered.
“Did you know that Aydor failed his Riders trial?”
“I did not,” she said as I ran the comb through her hair. “Is that important?”
“It could be. No other squire is allowed to take the trials until Aydor is crowned, for fear of showing him up.”
“That must have ruffled a few feathers.”
“Indeed.”
“So we have more suspects, not less, for our days investigating.” She sounded tired beyond bearing.
“Yes, and another thing I discovered. Did you know the old Landsman, Heamus, brings in waifs and strays?”
“He does?” Her hand came up and stilled the hand holding the comb.
“Yes, I met him, and he, well …” I did not really want to discuss Drusl with my master now, although it appeared everyone in the castle knew about her. “He told me it was his attempt to redress the balance.”
She nodded and then stood.
“Something haunts that man, Girton. It can be seen in his eyes, though I see no profit in Aydor’s death for him. We should watch him anyway.” She rolled her head on her shoulders, easing kinked muscles. “Girton, you look like you have a question.”
I did, though I was unsure how to approach it, and when I opened my mouth I found myself asking something different. “What do you do all day, Master? You look so tired in the evening.”
She put her head in her hands, squeezing her fingers together, making strands of her hair curl into loops. “What do you think I do all day?”
“You act as Heartblade for the queen, protecting her.”
“When I am not keeping you safe I am Heartblade in a way, yes. I protect the queen, and Aydor too, but that is because they are together most of the time. It is long hours and I do not sleep well for trying to fit together puzzle pieces in my mind. Is that really what you wanted to ask?”
“Master,” I stood. “You knew Adran had asked you here and yet you still came. What is between you and the queen?”
“We knew each other. When we were young.”
“But what—”
She stood and turned, placing a finger on my lips to quiet me.
“Sshh, Girton. There are old wounds here with much pain in them. I would rather they were not reopened.”
She took her finger from my lips.. “I am tied to the queen and the heir. I am rarely able to carry on my own investigation which makes finding who may have ordered an assassin doubly difficult—and it is an almost impossible task to start with.” She placed her hands on either side of my head so she could stare into my eyes. “I need you to be my eyes, Girton, be my eyes and ears and watch everything and everyone.”
There was worry etched into every tired line of her face, and if I had not known her better I would have thought her about to cry.
“I will, Master,” I said.
“Good,” she said, and gave me a tired smile. “You don’t do badly for a boy with a bad foot.”
Chapter 12
It may seem strange, considering that both my own and my master’s lives hung in the balance, but I had some of the happiest days of my life at Castle Maniyadoc. In the midst of the castle’s turmoil I had found a friend, something I had never had before, and away from the training yard, where he was always awaiting a surreptitious blow or cruel word from the other squires, Rufra was a different person. He was funny and had a rare wit and a glad hand with people. Old servant women would suddenly find an apple for us, or a slave would stand near and whisper that the other squires were searching for us and where they were. Little could spoil those days: not the almost constant feeling I was being followed, or that I could never quite find an opportunity to talk to Captain Dollis about the incident with the dogs.
Often Rufra and I would end up running from Kyril, Borniya and Hallin, who acted as Aydor’s enforcers, or Tomas and a bunch of his cronies. It became a game, albeit one that could have a painful end if we lost. Rufra showed me a long scar on his leg that Hallin had given him the year before I came. He said Hallin enjoyed others’ pain, and had cut him slowly while Borniya held him down, but as they were Aydor’s friends he could not strike back. There was something very bleak in his voice when he spoke of Hallin.
When I wasn’t with Rufra I was with Drusl, and if I was too shy to act on my feelings I felt more and more sure a bond was growing between us. Rufra often joined us, and though I hated myself for the lie I was forced to live, I was mostly happy.
In the few moments I had spare I explored Maniyadoc, and it was on one of these trips that I saw my master at work and started to wonder if I knew her at all.
I had found a place in the rafters above the stage where Aydor had been disappointed not to hang me. It was a good place to hide from Kyril, Borniya and Hallin, and watch the world go by. Below me people went to and fro on castle business; at one point I saw a small boy sit upon the king’s throne before being shooed off by his mother. After I had been there about an hour a small group of guards entered through the door onto the stage and spread through the hall, closing doors and moving people out. Most were happy to go, but I noticed one man waited until the guards were distracted and slipped behind one of the tapestries. Once the hall appeared empty the door at the back of the stage opened again and my master walked through, glanced around and then gave a small nod to the figure behind her, Queen Adran, who passed her and walked over to the throne. She scanned the hall as if enjoying the recognition of an invisible crowd and then turned to her guards.
“Leave us,” she said, and she and my master stood in silence while they waited for the guards to exit.
“Why have you brought me here, Adran?” said my master.
The queen ran a hand over the back of the throne.
“Have you given any thought to what I said, Merela? To staying?”
There was a ripple in the tapestries as the man I had seen moved further up the room. He had not been carrying a bow and did not look near enough to hurt them so I presumed he was eavesdropping. If it was more than that then I had no doubt my master would stop him, nonetheless, I loosened one of the throwing knives I kept up my sleeve.
“Girton and I will leave when we have uncovered who wants your son dead. Then I will consider any debt I owe you paid.”