The Ciphers of Muirwood (16 page)

She exchanged a glance with Jon Tayt. Before answering, she needed time to mull over all that Crabwell had told her. She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “What are you proposing, Chancellor? I have not agreed to anything yet. Do not interpret by my silence that I do not have serious doubts regarding some of what you have told me.”

“You always were wise and insightful,” he crooned. No wonder her father enjoyed him so much. He was oily, duplicitous. She did not trust him one bit. “If I tell your father you are here, then Lady Deorwynn will know at once. She will send the kishion to murder you.” He shook his head seriously. “Let us continue to keep your presence here a secret. The sheriff has enough men to guard and watch over you. He owes his position to my influence, so he will do as I order him. Your father and Lady Deorwynn will arrive shortly to celebrate Whitsunday at Muirwood, confiscate the revenues of the abbey, and install a new Aldermaston. That would be, in my estimation, the perfect opportunity to reveal your presence. It will not give Lady Deorwynn enough time to react.”

He walked over to the table and lifted a cup, drinking thirstily from it. He glanced at her, his eyes still scheming. “What say you, Lady Maia—Princess of Comoros once more?”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Counsel

A
fter she told her tale, Maia felt the power of their silent gazes on her. She looked around the room and registered the different ways her friends had reacted to the news. The Aldermaston looked wise and brooding as always, his eyes full of sympathy for her. His wife looked grim, and seemed particularly upset over the news that Jayn Sexton was the king’s new favorite. Tomas, the steward, sat quietly in the council chamber, shaking his head with surprise. He looked like he wanted to speak, but he deferred to the Aldermaston. Jon Tayt was sullen and had a murderous look in his eyes, as if he wanted to go out, find the chancellor, and take off his head instead of just his fingers. Suzenne was there too, her face pale with dread and worry—Maia could tell she was concerned about Jayn, for they had been very close.

How Maia wished her grandmother were there with them. The Aldermaston’s counselors were an able group, but the situation was so fraught with political peril that she herself was unsure of what to do.

“What answer did you give Chancellor Crabwell?” the Aldermaston’s wife asked.

Maia breathed in through her nose and glanced at Jon Tayt. She nodded to him.

Jon Tayt fidgeted in his seat. “She thanked him for his keen interest in her welfare and said she would mull over the matter with her counselors before responding. A good answer for a precarious situation. By Cheshu, he was like a spider seeking to wrap her up in webs.”

“His news must have been painful for you,” the Aldermaston said earnestly.

Maia had always been struck by the depths of the man’s compassion. He was about to be evicted from his stewardship as an Aldermaston, yet he showed greater concern for her than he did for himself.

“It was,” Maia said, glancing around the room again. “I still do not know what I should tell him, though.” The chancellor did not want to linger in the abbey and implicate himself further. He had retired to his room at the Pilgrim Inn and said he would await a message from her until morning before he departed back for Pent Tower.

The Aldermaston leaned back in his chair and the leather cushions creaked. He set one hand on his belly and the other on the desk. “That is the purpose of a Privy Council, my dear. I have found the practice to be most helpful. Before I seek to understand the Medium’s will, I seek the advice of others whose opinions I deeply respect. After I have listened to that counsel, I form my own opinion on the matter. Then I bring that opinion to the Medium for further direction. What would you ask of us?” His deep eyes were penetrating.

Maia bit her lip. “I admit I am tempted by the chancellor’s offer. It would seem to be within my best interest to accept an alliance with him and seek his help in restoring my rights through the law. If that were to happen, I might be able to help protect Muirwood and prevent the changes my father plans. However, the chancellor seems very motivated to preserve his own power. I may be lashing my destiny to a ship ready to sink.”

“Aye,” Jon Tayt said, nodding vigorously. “You are wise for one so young, lass.”

The Aldermaston held up his hand, silencing Jon Tayt. He took his wife’s hand in his and then turned to his steward. “Tomas? What do you think Maia should do?”

The steward smiled as if a silent joke had passed between them. His dimples appeared. “He always does this,” he said confidingly to Maia. “He seeks my input before sharing his own. I am more impulsive, I think, than the Aldermaston. He listens to me so as to know what
not
to do.” He chuckled softly. “Maia—let me just say that I regard you truly as if you were my own Family. I have watched you since your arrival at Muirwood. You give service to others with nary a concern for yourself. I think you would make an excellent queen, and I would support you with all my heart.” He smiled at her, trying to convey his sincerity. Then his look became more serious. “I would not trust Chancellor Crabwell with anything more important than cleaning dishes. He is plotting against his king. He is plotting against you as well. If you sail a ship by changing direction every time the wind blows a different way, you will not reach your destination. I think it would be very foolish to trust him.”

Maia stared at the steward, grateful for the counsel. “But what should I tell him, Tomas? There will be implications if I say something or not.”

“You are quite right,” he said, nodding. “I would thank him for his offer and remind him that it is your intent to pass the maston test at Muirwood Abbey, and you would like to keep your thoughts focused on that.” He held up his hands.

The Aldermaston nodded, then looked at Jon Tayt. “What do you say?”

Jon Tayt leaned forward, putting a meaty arm across his knee. “By Cheshu, you know I do not lack for opinions, Aldermaston. The man, quite simply, is a coward and a knave. He is riddled with fear—I could see it deep in his eyes.”

“You threatened to chop off his fingers,” the steward reminded him.

“Of course . . . and it was just that, a threat. I wanted to see how he would react. A man with power would have pulled his hand away or ordered his guards to kill me on the spot. When you kick a dog too oft, it barks at strangers and flinches from its master. Crabwell is a kicked pup. A drowning man thrashing in the waters, clutching at anything. If you want to save him, you must bash him up a bit first to calm him.” He lifted a finger and then pointed it at Maia. “He may also have been testing your loyalty to your father. Should you send a message to your father first, letting him know where you are? Your father may have sent him here to tempt you—to see where your loyalties be. Men like Crabwell lie as easily as they butter bread. He said what he wanted you to hear, not necessarily what he really felt. I advise you send word to your lord father and spoil his game.”

Tomas shook his head. “A steward . . . or a chancellor in this case . . . gets the king’s messages first. He will be sure to have controlled access to the king.”

“Why do you keep interrupting me?” Jon Tayt said, wrinkling his brow.

“I beg your pardon,” Tomas said, bowing his head.

“It is fit that we challenge all ideas,” the Aldermaston said. “Do not be offended. Intelligent men can disagree on the interpretation of the facts at hand. Continue, Master Evnissyen.”

Jon Tayt nodded, brushing his nose, and turned back to Maia. “It may also be wise to take Maia away from Muirwood before the king gets here. I could bring her to Tintern, and we could send word and await the High Seer there.”

“The grounds will be watched even more scrupulously now,” the Aldermaston’s wife said softly.

“I have slipped by the sheriff’s men dozens of times already,” Jon Tayt snorted. “They do not know where the secret passages let out. All I would need is Argus and the cover of darkness.”

“Well enough. Any more input?” the Aldermaston asked him.

“No, my lord. I am keen to hear yours.”

The Aldermaston nodded and turned. “Suzenne Clarencieux.”

The young girl looked terror-stricken. “Me?”

“Yes, what would you advise?”

Suzenne twisted her hands together, looking pale and worried. “I just wondered something.”

“What is it, Suzenne?” the Aldermaston’s wife asked softly.

Suzenne looked up at her, eyes crinkling with concern. “I am worried about Jayn. Has there been word from her recently? Perhaps she could corroborate part of the tale? I cannot believe she is . . . seducing . . . the king.” She looked down, ashamed.

The Aldermaston’s wife glanced at her husband, who nodded. “I
have
heard from Jayn Sexton,” she announced. “She has written to me secretly, and her information does confirm much of what the chancellor told you, Maia. There are ill feelings between the king and Lady Deorwynn at the moment. Jayn has found herself in the position of receiving gifts and attentions from your father, though she knows not how to interpret them. Since she left Muirwood, she has explained how difficult it is to feel the Medium, even as a maston, outside the grounds of an abbey, especially in the court of Comoros. There are few mastons left, most having abandoned court to stay on their own lands. The king is surrounded by people who tell him what he wishes to hear, thus giving him the false notion that he can offend the Medium with no consequence. She does not trust her own judgment at present and has solicited my advice, which I have given her freely. The attentions of a powerful man can be very . . . confusing.”

Maia sighed, sick at heart to hear more of her father’s depredations. She remembered studying the history of the past, the time before the Scourging. The King of Comoros’ wife had died and he had wed the young, beautiful daughter of the King of Dahomey, Pareigis—not understanding who she truly was. The gap in their ages had always sickened her, and she had hoped her father would not make an alliance for her with a much older man.

“Poor Jayn,” Suzenne said, her face wilting with concern. “I am grateful she has confided in you,” she added.

“I share this information with you since you are part of this counsel,” the Aldermaston’s wife said. “Please do not share it with others. She abhors the king’s attentions, but she is in a dangerous position. Her mistress is still Lady Deorwynn, who does indeed conspire to unite her daughter to the King of Dahomey.”

“Was there any mention by her of the ransom paid?” Maia asked, leaning forward. “I wondered if the chancellor was being truthful about that.”

The Aldermaston’s wife shook her head.

“Any other thoughts, Suzenne?” the Aldermaston bid her.

“No, Aldermaston,” Suzenne said, shaking her head.

Maia looked at the Aldermaston and his wife. “What would you advise me to do?”

The Aldermaston’s wife spoke first. “I think we should wait for your grandmother to arrive. She knows the dangers we face, and she will hurry as fast as the winds can bring her. If you must leave Comoros, I would prefer it to be on the
Holk
instead of wandering in the Bearden Muir. But my heart tells me that your destiny is still here, Maia. You are the one who must open the Apse Veil. Despite the political changes, that is still your charge. The Myriad Ones know you are here. They may prowl the borders like wolves, but they cannot enter. I would also advise not telling Dodd about the chancellor’s visit until after he has left. He may do something rash, since the chancellor is responsible for overseeing executions ordered by the king.”

“I had not thought of that,” Maia said, nodding. “I agree.” She looked at the Aldermaston closely. “What do you counsel me to do?”

The Aldermaston smiled sadly. “You must pass the maston test. Each day, I have sought the Medium’s approval to bring you into the abbey walls. The maston rites will give you knowledge you desperately need as well as protection you do not now enjoy. That is my first priority for you, to help shield you against the influences of Ereshkigal and the Myriad Ones.” He looked at her sternly. “When you leave Muirwood, child, you will be afflicted by them again. Pay particular notice to the words of Jayn Sexton. She can hardly
feel
the Medium’s influence at court. That is a discouraging reality. I have brooded
constantly
since you arrived, wishing to bring you
immediately
into the abbey. But the Medium forbids it still. You are not yet ready.”

Maia felt a twist of sadness in her heart and tears sting her eyes. “Because of what I have done,” she said in sorrow.

The Aldermaston shook his head. “I do not know that, child. I only care about doing what is right for you. The time is approaching when you will enter the abbey and seek the rites. But it may not be until
after
the king arrives.” He shifted in his seat, leaning forward, his eyes so deep and full of soul. His jowls trembled. “You may yet be tested by the Medium, to see if you will forsake all things in defending the maston order. You may be offered gold, jewels, rich gowns, and handmaidens to tempt you into surrendering your heritage. You have already survived such a temptation.” His voice dropped even lower. “Your greatest test may come from your father himself. He has treated you most cruelly.” Tears gathered in the old man’s eyes. “Our greatest pain in this life often comes from those who should love us the most. Prepare yourself to accept the maston oaths. I have no doubt that you will tame the Leerings inside the abbey. The hardest thing you will ever be asked to tame is your own heart.”

Maia felt a burning sensation in her chest at his words. It was like a feeling of heat, but it was also a feeling of grief and of love—as if she could sense the true feelings the Aldermaston held for her.
This
was how a father should feel toward his daughter.

“Thank you,” Maia whispered softly, trying to contain the surge of feelings inside her. She looked from face to face again, feeling the power of love and sympathy. Inside this council room in the Aldermaston’s manor, she felt embraced by these wonderful people. But there was something more. It was almost a whisper, a breath that could be felt but not heard. The room, she realized, was full to the brim. There were others with them as well, unseen spirits.