Sytravious: The Lost Warlock Of Moruz (The Oathbreaker Book 1) (25 page)

“Does not every commoner dream of joining the ranks of such a prestigious group?  If you do not mind me inquiring, Your Holiness, why did
you
ask me to be a guardian?”

              Jezra took a slow sip of her wine and drummed her fingers on the table with her other hand, as if debating how she should reply.  “You are wise, as there is indeed a reason I asked you of all people to consider the temple.  As you said, commoners, and even some nobles, have aspirations of being asked into the temple walls.  But why would I seek one out myself?”

Sytravious did not answer, but instead shrugged his shoulders and let her continue talking.  The more she spoke, the less he had to reveal about himself.

              “A man with your unique talents can be useful to another one such as myself.  Your decision to reveal your otherwise hidden talents was well calculated. Some might think you chose to fight and reveal your skill for the gold.  If that was true, I would not blame you.  I understand it is hard to walk away from such a large lump sum, but for some reason I know that was not your motive because you could have earned twice over by beginning your fighting career much sooner.”

              Sytravious listened to her and maintained his calm demeanor while she continued speaking.

              “So, if you did not join the tournament for the money, then that leaves some other options.  Perhaps you desperately wanted a horse, or you could have done it for the fame.”  She sucked her teeth and narrowed her eyes at him.  “But one could acquire a horse with ease, not that you would have much need for one as a blacksmith’s apprentice.  I do not imagine the occupation requires extensive travel, which makes fame the next probable goal.”

              He noticed how she was attempting to goad him into telling her why he had joined the tournament, but he was not going to give in.  The longer he held out, the more information he could gather about what she is trying to get at.

              “Perhaps, I did want recognition for my talent, and that was a part of my intentions in fighting.  If everyone saw what I had to offer, then maybe I could dare attempt to become a soldier or guardian.  Do not forget that the warden and general offered me a spot in the elite guard, as well.  I simply chose to come to you first.”

              “That you did, but fame never was a part of your motivationl, was it?  I think the most insignificant tournament prize was your gem - to sit at our table.  Now, I do not dare flatter myself by believing that you fought so that you may dine with an old woman, no matter how admirable she may be.  You can correct me if this is false, but I think I would venture as far as to say my lovely Raiven is your reason for doing all of this.  I mean, you did come to seek my aid over that of Edgar and Kenshiro, and what could I have to offer that they cannot? That is an easy answer - my attractive young priestess.”

              Sytravious was surprised at her boldness to get right at the truth, which left him in a difficult position.  He could choose to lie about his interest in Raiven, or make the dangerous move of being honest and risk losing every opportunity he had created thus far.  Then he thought that if Jezra intended to reject and banish him from the guardianship and temple, seeing as she was sure of his motive, why would she have invited him at all?  There was indeed a game developing, and he was going to have to risk playing it.  He wished he knew what her motives were and it was something he needed to figure out next.

              “Let us assume you are correct, Your Holiness.  Then it would be safe to say you knew my intentions, yet you invited me to join the guardians anyway.  Your actions would suggest you either considered entertaining my purpose, or you lured me here as a means to curb my actions on the matter by controlling me through the vows of your order.”

Jezra raised an eyebrow, impressed by his audaciousness to give an honest answer.  Her grin was the confirmation he needed.  There was indeed a hidden motivation for her in this situation, which meant the bargaining would begin now.  He was curious as to what the high priestess had in mind.  Clearly, she was not the holy and spiritual figure the kingdom assumed her to be.  She came off as more of a politician than a temple figure.

He was ready for anything she might suggest even though he had no real intention on bargaining for Raiven.  Sytravious believed control over the priestess’ life did not belong to anyone but the priestess herself.  However, if it helped him to get closer to Raiven, then he would lead anyone into believing he would play by his or her twisted rules.

              “While the vows of the temple bar you from pursuing her, they can hardly prevent anything from happening between the two of you.  I am the High Priestess of Valcrest after all, and no one can court her until I have deemed it so.  You do not honestly think you are the only one interested in my young beauty?”

              The way she referenced Raiven as
if she was
her
property sickened him, and he had to restrain himself from grabbing the wine pitcher and breaking it over her head.

              “
No, I
am
aware of the competition, but once again, why are we even having this conversation now?  Someone as wise and influential as yourself must have a specific reason to invite me to dinner, yet leave the general locked outside these walls.”

              Jezra chuckled, and Sytravious reminded himself he must be more cautious with what he revealed.  His emotions had gotten the better of him for a moment, but she did not seem concerned.

              “You are much more clever than anyone gave you credit for, but I suspected as much.  To be so patient in hiding your worth all this time, living as a smith in the slum district, all the while being capable of defeating the kingdom’s best warriors.  Yes, you are someone I can use indeed, physical superiority, wit, and youthful.  Your ambition has paid off and I have special plans for you, Sytravious.  That is, if you are willing to hear me out.”

              “Go on.”

              “As you might know, King Lucas is getting old and frail, sitting on his throne while the dust settles on his robes.  He has never been an active ruler and is content to let the wheels of the government turn as they will, while ignoring the glaring threats our kingdom faces,” she said, pausing to take a sip of her wine.

“Nobody thought much about King Lucas’ lack of verve when it came to his leadership, being he
had
a capable heir in Prince Just, an impressive leader who had the thirst for greatness his grandfather once had.  However, due to a series of unfortunate events, the prince was dispatched to the south to battle with an enemy that never posed any serious threat to us.  Womachs are barbaric beasts and it is beneath the royal army to deal with them.  The creatures should have been the sole responsibility of the southern forces to handle, but
someone
convinced the prince it would be glorious for the king’s own son to march a brigade - a single brigade - into the unknown lands beyond the Foxfire Woods.  King Lucas, of course, just let the prince do as he pleased, believing his military leaders knew what was best.  Now, we have no heir to the Crown and have lost an entire brigade of the royal guards.”

              “As much as I appreciate the lesson, Your Holiness, I fail to see how I fit into any of this.”

              “It will become clear to you soon enough.  Normally, I stay out of these matters, being that military strategy is something that should be left to the commanders of the armies, but my issue is this… Kenshiro is the very man who convinced the prince to march south.  It was foolish to send the heir to the throne.  It was something the general should have done himself, but instead, he advised the king to send all the other generals on the same campaign with the prince.  Every other general knew better, and tried to object to the king’s demands, but they were sent nonetheless.”

              Kenshiro’s genius plan to remove every one of his rivals in one masterful move impressed Sytravious.  He did not even have to dirty his own hands, and left the king to shoulder the blame for any wrongdoing.  The final result was that he was left as the most experienced and adorned military leader in the armies.

              “Now, we both know Raiven has had many suitors, but there have been none worthy of such a marriage.  We are also both aware of the fact that Kenshiro has been pursuing Raiven for himself.  I believe the general has overstepped his boundaries.  He seeks to reach the throne himself one day, no matter the casualties.  I am no fool, nor am I blind.  For him to be the highest-ranking military commander in the army, have the King’s ear and trust, all this while there is no living heir to his throne - well, let us just say that his marriage to the priestess will only boost his chances of taking over the kingdom one day.”

              He considered her insinuations.  If what Jezra said was true, then Kenshiro was indeed a foe to be weary of, one who would do
anything
to accomplish his goals.  Unfortunately, for the general, so would Sytravious.

              “Your Holiness, I understand your concern, but once again, how can
I
help you?”

              She leaned in and spoke in a low voice, “In the event of Lucas’ death, Kenshiro would become king, and that would be very bad for Valcrest.  He has never cared much for the temple, which is evident in his desire to turn its prized priestess into a trophy wife.  Under his watch, the temple would be reduced to an optional religious house, for the sole purpose of worship, while the Crown assumes all aspects of protection for the kingdom.  A man as selfish and cunning as Kenshiro cannot be trusted to safeguard anything but his own interests, and must
never
reach that level of power.” 

Her passion regarding the subject had reached borderline insanity.  Her eyes were animated as she talked to him with enthusiasm.  He could tell this woman despised Kenshiro, and she was willing to go to extreme measures to prevent him from achieving his supposed goal.

              “Now, pay close attention, Sytravious.  Contrary to what the king believes, the real threat to Valcrest lies on the west, not the south.  Moruz has been a sleeping giant for far too long, and it is only a matter of time until they attack our shores with full force, but if the temple is reduced to nothing and Kenshiro is in charge, this kingdom is doomed.  The temple must be kept in the fold when it comes to protection, more so than ever.  We need to step out of the shadow of the army, and be recognized as our own
force within the military.  I plan on accomplishing this by creating a temple knighthood and recruiting soldiers to fight under the flag of Vesalys.”

              “That is where
you
come in.  My order of knights will need a
champion
, someone people can rally around and who can stand up to those who oppose us.  Do not get me wrong, I have many talented guardians who are loyal to the temple, but none is as capable as you are.  You defeated Kenshiro’s own protégé.  You beat Bryce, Havencrest’s strongest guardian, and then took down my own personal guard, who remained, before your fight, undefeated.”

              There it was.  She finally had revealed her objectives.  Militarizing the temple was a clever move, and one that would bump up her standing in the kingdom, placing Kenshiro and Jezra on an even playing field.  As of now, the guardians served only as protectors of the temple and its stewards, but as an order meant for battle, they would be a force to be reckoned with.

              Sytravious was flattered she thought so highly of him that she would ask him to be the face of her campaign to upgrade the temple, but he questioned how sincere she was being.  To allow a commoner to join the guardians so quickly was already rare, but to elevate that same man to lead the whole guardian order was a bit much.  There had to be something else up her sleeve.

              When she saw his reticence, she carried on.  “I think about the extent to which you went just to
sit
next to Raiven.  Imagine what you can accomplish if there was more on the table?  I find it remarkable!  I know the people will rally behind you, a commoner just like them who climbed to the highest level in the temple.  They already love you for what you did in the tournament, and the way you handled yourself at the banquet, so poised.  It makes me confident in your political talents.”

              If she was implying he could be with Raiven, then what she was presenting intrigued him.  Supposed her plan did work, the life he would lead could be so much more than anything he had previously imagined.  Sytravious had intended on somehow convincing Raiven to leave this place with him, rather than court her through the temple.  It would have been a tough sell, and he knew that, but she already expressed a desire to live her own life.  However, having a life where he would lead an order of guardian knights,
and
have Raiven by his side sounded more exciting than the plan he had devised. 

              “Be my champion, command my forces and together we can recruit the best of the best.  You can train my men and assist me in every way to attain my goal of creating this organization.  We could defy General Kenshiro, and save Raiven from his ravenous grasp.  By doing those, we will ensure she remains a maiden, untouched by any man, until the day you can make a legitimate claim to her.  When that time comes, I will give you my word that I will approve the courtship, and she will be your wife.  You, two, will be the future of this kingdom, and perhaps even next in line when King Lucas’ reign ends.”