Iron Elf - A Race Reborn (Book 2) (13 page)

“Ladies usually wear floor-length dresses in this room,” Tamril said. “It’s like we’re walking on thin air.”

I didn’t get a tour—it was supposed to be one of my oldest homes, after all. I saw enough on the way to the king’s apartments, though. Big rooms that were well-lit and airy despite the thick walls. The windows were tall and tapering, and on the walls there were flags, tapestries, and the occasional hunting trophy. There weren’t any portraits. I wondered about that. There hadn’t been any at the capital, either. This being a residence as well as a government building there was also domestic staff for all the cooking and cleaning that a very large household would require.

“These are the staff, dearest,” Tamril said. They had lined up for inspection in one of the smaller dining rooms.

“Very good.” I smiled. “Hello. Is there some reason you all look so young?”

“They’re new,” Tamril said. “The usual staff was due for a vacation. They’ll be back after a year.”

“The entire staff? Any reason?”

Laughter behind me. “You got us a deal on an airship cruise. Have you forgotten, Your Highness?”

The halfling looked like everyone’s favourite grandma, all snowy hair and rosy cheeks. She was comfortably heavy, but graceful when she curtsied. “You haven’t forgotten old Nanette, have you? I’m in charge of the kitchen.”

“But of course! Nanette! Who could forget your cooking?”

She looked me up and down. “You seem a little thin, Your Majesty. Want me to whip up one of your favourites?”

“Certainly!”

“Which one?”

“Er—you decide.”

Fortunately for my nerves, the king and queen had separate apartments.

“I’m right across the hall, through the courtyard, down the mirrored gallery, up our private staircase, and past my offices. You can’t miss it.”

“Oh, sure, be spontaneous.”

“If that’s what you want, handsome, we can do it right here.” She waggled her eyebrows.

I untangled myself from her. “Thanks, dearest, but I’m rather overtired. Some other time?”

She pouted. “But I need to be… tucked… in bed.”

“Some. Other. Time.”

I closed the door with long sigh.

“Is she gone?”

“Yaah!”

“Easy! Easy, boy. I ain’t gonna hurt ya.”

I laid a hand on my heart. “For a moment I thought I was home. I mean, my home in the capital.”

“Save it, elf. I know who you are.” The capran was short and grizzled. Caprans are pretty hairy, so he had a lot of gray hair. Except at the top of his head, which sported short horns. “You gonna stand there all night? Siddown, have a drink!”

I stumbled to the offered chair. “You know I’m an elf?”

“Name’s Vitus. Sergeant Vitus Silenus. I’ll be training you up for your fight.” He patted his belly. “I’m out of shape now, but I’ve fought more wars than any man except the king himself.”

“Caprans have wars?” I helped myself to the pitcher.

“We do, and that’s all you need to know. I take it His Majesty didn’t brief you?”

I had a mouthful of wine, so I shook my head.

“How much do you know about your mission?” He filled his own goblet. “Come to think of it, how much do you know about caprans?”

“Precious little, I’m finding out.”

“Take off that ring a moment. I’d like to see what you look like.”

I obliged. “Why am I fighting? What am I fighting for?”

“Well, you don’t look like a complete weakling. Maybe this duel won’t be a joke. You’re fighting because you owe Arawn a favour. And because winning will stop us from invading your homeland.”

“Would you say that government is the servant of the people, or of society?” asked the scarred goat-man.

“I don’t know,” I said. “What’s the difference?”

“Government is the servant of society, which is made up of the people. It does not answer directly to the people, but to their needs and ideals. When you put society before government, the latter can never replace the former. The government is merely a specialized tool. It cannot and should not dictate every part of a person’s life.”

“Right.” I refilled my goblet. He’d dropped the accent and I realized he’d been speaking Elvish since I took off the ring. “Where’d you learn my language?”

“My king asked me to learn. Now, what would you say a government should do? Should it protect its citizens from internal and external threats? Should it ensure fair business practices and guard against monopolies?”

“Certainly. Yes, of course.”

“Should it promote the arts and influence public tastes? Should it dictate what jobs people should have or how many children they may bear?

“Um… er… no?”

He leaned back. “Angrod, you must remember that we caprans are an artificial species—the centaurs created us as their final legacy. Our institutions were given to us fully-formed. They were tailor-made for us, as we were tailor-made for them.”

I knew that the caprans were a created race. I’d seen something of how it must have been done. To save Heronimo’s life they’d divided him into his component parts and then put his molecules back together. They’d given him a heart-shaped scar on one buttock, which indicated a certain amount of creative leeway.

“Why goats?” I asked.

“Who not goats? They’re noble creatures… You’re familiar with the four classical elements, I’m sure? How about the Four Cataclysms? Probably not, since they appear as centaurs in popular depictions. Each of them corresponds to one of the four elements.”

Famine corresponded to Earth, War corresponded to Fire, Pestilence to Water, and Death to Air. Each of them could destabilize a civilization. Together they could wipe out a species.

“The king of the Silver World has ever laboured to hold them at bay. That is his mandate—to ensure prosperity and peace. Even if it means taking prosperity and peace from someone else.”

I was mindful that the room was not secure. There weren’t any latches on the door. Secret passages were likely. So I put the ring back on and Vitus went back to speaking in capran.

“The short answer, elf, is that you’ve got something we want. Badly need, even, which is why many of us want to invade.”

“How would winning this duel stop that?”

“Arawn ain’t an absolute monarch. He’s more a military leader with some veto powers. He used them, but the prime minister insisted. Only trial by combat can break the deadlock. They—or their champions—must meet on the field to see whose side is favoured by heaven.”

“Is there no other way? This fight is to the death, isn’t it?”

He shrugged. “His Majesty always told me elves were too tough to conquer. That there was more to you than your magic. He was never able to give compelling evidence, though, which is why we’re here. Like it or not, you’re fighting as his champion. Your entire race’s champion, even. And it’s to the death.”

“No pressure then. Heh.”

“Heh,” Vitus said. “No pressure. Heh.”

“Heh,” I said, as he leaned forward.

“Are you insane?” he said. “If you lose, you die! Train hard these next twelve months, elf, or everything you’ve ever known will be put to the torch.”

After Vitus left I had another glass of wine and started pacing. So the caprans wanted to invade. Arawn didn’t, but no leader has complete control over his people. I owed him a lot, so why not let me take all the risk?

I found myself wishing for someone to talk to. Like Dagonet, even. On a hunch, I whirled. There was no one behind me.

“Is he gone?”

“Yaaugh!” I fell to the carpet. Dagonet hung from the ceiling like a giant spider. “Don’t do that!” I said.

“A simple application of air magic, sir. Creates vacuums under my feet.”

“Ever get the urge to drool on people? I bet you could make your spit all sticky.”

“That’s disgusting.” She released her grip and landed on her feet.

“Are you hungry?” I’d already had dinner, but I’d sent ahead a lunch trolley ‘In case I wanted a snack.’

She fell to eating. When she’d finished, I asked if she’d had any trouble following me.

“Not after I’d gotten horses. I tracked you until I saw this place, then backtracked and left them at an inn.”

“That’s good, because you’ll need them soon.” I told her what I’d learned from Vitus. “I need you to find out whether the caprans are a genuine military threat. Can you do that?”

“I can leave tonight.”

“No, stay here awhile.”

She looked at me.

“The banquet’s tomorrow,” I said. “I’m supposed to meet my opponent. No doubt you’ll be able to find the invasion force by following him.”