Page 111 of Keeper of the Word

Asnapof a twig behind him brought his sword slashing through the air. It hit one attacker across the collarbone. But the second man was ready. The hilt of a sword slammed into Tolvar’s temple. He staggered out from the shield of the evergreen. An arrow grazed his arm. Dizzy, he fell to his knees. A half-dozen men surrounded him.

“Finish it,” Greenwood said.

This time, the blow exploded into his forehead. Tolvar crashed to the ground.

Before blacking out, he had a strange sense of Deja vu.

Chapter

Forty-One

ELANNA

Lady Wenonah was an elegant woman. Elanna sat with Wenonah, her four ladies-in-waiting, and Tara over early afternoon tea. The betrothal ceremony would take place in one hour’s time.

Wenonah held her cup as though it were a delicate flower. They had waited some time for Queen Ferika, but she had not yet arrived.

Taking tea with anyone was unusual, but sitting with Wenonah, who hadn’t the least bit idea that Tara and Elanna worked against her betrothal, was most awkward.

A messenger had brought the invitation early this morn. It had not come from Wenonah, who’d arrived late last night, but from the sovereign. There was little option but to accept.

It had always been Tara who’d received audiences at Aura Hall, and as Elanna watched her speak about utter nonsense, she felt both relieved that this was not part of her role and jealous that she was obviously more out of place. In spite of her discomfort, no one seemed to notice. The ladies-in-waiting said not a word, imparting only covert side glances. Two appeared as though they might burst with anticipated gossip about meeting not one but two StarSeers.When Elanna gazed at them head on, she heard their future prattle in her mind.

A slight smile crossed her face. She ought to thank them for their future compliments, and then watch in amusement as their heads spun. Mayhap ’twas good to have this distraction after last night.

Shroud Magic.Her neck tingled.

The door opened, and through the doorway, entered the Queen of the Capella Realm. Everyone stood and curtsied. Queen Ferika was a thin woman with greying brown hair and sharp, dark eyes. Elanna sensed that she’d sized up everyone in the room in one sweeping glance. When the queen stood in front of Tara, she raised her head to meet the queen’s eyes.

“Lady Tara, glad I am to see you. I hope you and Lady Elanna will forgive my absence from the audiences you’ve had with the sovereign. I find I am catching up on many a happenings here.”

“Your Majesty, ‘tis an honor.”

Queen Ferika sat in the empty chair covered with green silk and with a higher back than the rest in the room. Her focus found Wenonah; no one moved until the queen had roved her eyes from the young woman—her cheeks in full bloom—to the waiting cup a servant held out to her.

“Forgive my tardiness. I found this morning there was much to attend to.”

“’Tis quite all right, Your Majesty,” Wenonah said, her voice cracking as her delicate grip tightened on her tea cup.

The queen’s only reply was to give a curt nod.

“Such a beautiful room,” Wenonah commented, gesturing to the finery that graced the mantle, tables, and corners.

“Aye,” the queen said, taking a sip. “I expect you’ll want a tour later of the entire castle.”

“That would be lovely of you, my queen.”

“Not by me. Surely not. But I can arrange it.” The queen gave her cup back over to the servant, who seemed to instinctively know it was time to take it from her.

Silence entered the room. Elanna didn’t know what to say, and the others seemed unsure whether or not to speak.

“And how was your journey?” Tara finally broke the silence.

Wenonah grimaced before smiling and saying that it had been agreeable.

The queen’s eyebrow cocked. “Was it?”

“Of course, Your Majesty. Nothing of consequence.”