The Eagle & the Nightingales: Bardic Voices, Book III Read online

  Perhaps they are frightened by his costume!

  The nearer they got to the throne, the more annoyed and resentful the glances of those giving way for them became. Just at the point where T’fyrr was quite certain Harperus was about to be challenged, the Deliambren stopped, folded his arms, and stood his ground, his whole attitude one of genial listening. T’fyrr did his best to copy his friend.

  Harperus was truly paying attention to what was going on around the throne, unlike many of the humans here. As T’fyrr watched and listened, following the Deliambren’s example, he became aware that there was something very wrong . . .

  The High King—who did not look particularly old, though his short hair was an iron grey, and his face sported a few prominent lines and wrinkles—sat upon a huge, gilded and jeweled throne that was as dreadful an example of bad taste as anything Harperus had ever inflicted on an unsuspecting T’fyrr. The King’s entire attitude, however, was not at all businesslike, but rather one of absolute boredom.

  On both sides of the throne were richly dressed humans in floor-length ornate robes embroidered with large emblems, with enormous chains of office about their necks, like so many dressed up dogs with golden collars. But these dogs were not the ones obeying the command of their master—rather, the prey was in the other claw entirely.

  Harperus had been right. Harperus had actually been right. The High King virtually parroted everything these so-called advisors of his told him to say.

  Now, T’fyrr was mortally certain that very few of the courtiers were aware of this, for the Advisors bent over their monarch in a most respectful and unctuous manner, and whispered in carefully modulated tones what it was they thought he should say. They were taking great care that it appear they were only advising, not giving him orders. But a Haspur’s hearing was as sharp as that of any owl, and T’fyrr was positive from the bland expression on Harperus’ face that the Deliambren had some device rigged up inside that bizarre head- and neck-piece he sported that gave him the same aural advantage.

  During the brief time that they stood there, waiting their turn, King Theovere paid little or no attention to matters that T’fyrr thought important—given as little acquaintance as he had with governing. There were several petitions from Guildmasters, three or four ambassadors presenting formal communications from their Kings, a report on the progress of the rebuilding at Kingsford—

  Well, those might easily be dismissed, as Theovere was doing, by handing them over to his Seneschal. There was nothing there that he really needed to act upon, although his barely hidden yawn was rather rude by T’fyrr’s standards. But what of the rest?

  There was an alarming number of requests from dukes, barons, and even a mere sire or two from many of the Twenty Kingdoms, asking the High King’s intervention with injustices perpetrated by their lords and rulers. Wasn’t that precisely the kind of thing that the High King was supposed to handle? Wasn’t he supposed to be the impartial authority to keep the abuse of power to a minimum? That was how T’fyrr understood the structure of things. The High King was the ultimate ruler, and his duty was not only to his own land but to see that all the others were well-governed—enforcing that, even to the point of placing a new King on a throne if need be.

  But most of these petitions, like the rest of the work, he delegated to his poor, overburdened Seneschal—everything that he did not dismiss out of hand with a curt “take your petty grievances back to your homeland and address them properly to your own King.”

  The Seneschal, however overworked he already was, always looked pained when the King used that particular little speech, but he said nothing.

  Perhaps there isn’t a great deal that he can do, T’fyrr thought. The Seneschal’s chain was the least gaudy of all of the chains of office—perhaps that meant that, among the Advisors, he had the least power.

  The rest of the Advisors however were not so reluctant to voice their opinions—which were universally positive. They actually congratulated the High King every time he dismissed a petition or passed it on to the Seneschal.

  They were particularly effusive when he trotted out that little speech.

  “A fine decision, Your Majesty,” someone would say. Another would add, as predictably as rhyming “death” with “breath”, “It is in the interest of your land and people that they see you delegate your authority, so that when you are truly needed, you will be free to grant a problem your full attention.” And a third would pipe up with, “You must be firm with these people, otherwise every dirt-farming peasant who resents paying tax and tithe to his overlord and the Church will come whining to you for redress of his so-called wrongs.”

  And the High King smiled, and nodded, and suppressed another yawn.

  T’fyrr flexed his talons silently, easing the tension in his feet by clamping them into fists until they trembled. How in the world did Harperus think he could help with this situation? The King was getting all of this bad advice from high-ranking humans who were probably very dangerous and hazardous to cross!

  Memories of fetters weighing him down made him shiver with chill in that overly warm room. Hazardous to cross . . .

  But before he could say anything to Harperus, the Presiding Herald announced their names, and it was too late to stop the Deliambren from carrying out his plan.

  “My Lord Harperus jin Lothir, Ambassador-at-large from the Deliambrens, and T’fyrr Redwing, envoy of the Haspur—”

  A tiny portion of T’fyrr’s mind noted the rich tones of the human’s voice with admiration; the rest of him was engaged in trying to watch the reactions of anyone of any importance to the announcement.

  The King’s face lit up the moment Harperus stepped forward; as the Deliambren launched into a flowery speech lauding the greatness of King Theovere, and the vast impact of the High King’s reputation across the face of Alanda, the Advisors waited and watched like an unkindness of ravens waiting for something to die. They didn’t know what Harperus was up to—if, indeed, he was up to anything. That bothered them, but what clearly bothered them more was the fact that for the first time Theovere was showing some interest and no boredom.

  Theovere might not be the man he once was, but he still knows where the “marvels” come from.

  Now T’fyrr wondered if the trouble was with the King’s age; there was a certain illness of the aged where one regressed into childhood. Theovere certainly betrayed some symptoms of childishness . . .

  T’fyrr followed the speech; he knew it by heart, and his cue was just coming up. Without pausing or skipping a beat, Harperus went from the speech to T’fyrr’s introduction.

  “—and I bring before you one who has heard of your generous patronage of the art of music, the envoy of goodwill from the Haspur of the Skytouching Mountains where no human of the Twenty Kingdoms has ever ventured, here to entertain you and your Court.”

  Harperus stepped back, and T’fyrr quickly stepped forward. One of the Advisors opened his mouth as if to protest; T’fyrr didn’t give him a chance to actually say something.

  He had already filled his lungs while he waited for his cue, and now he burst into full-chested song.

  Although the Haspur had their own musical styles, they also had the ability to mimic anything so exactly that only another Haspur could tell the mimicry from the genuine sound. T’fyrr had chosen that lovely human duet to repeat—it was ideally suited to his voice, since it was antiphonal, and he could simulate the under- and overtones of an instrumental accompaniment with a minimum of concentration. He did improve on the original recording, however. While Master Wren was a golden tenor, Lady Lark’s lovely contralto was not going to impress an audience this sophisticated—so T’fyrr transposed the female reply up into the coloratura range and added the appropriate trills, glissandos and flourishes.

  The King sat perfectly still, his eyes actually bulging a little in a way that T’fyrr found personally flattering, though rather unattractive. With his superior peripheral vision, he could keep track of those cou
rtiers nearest him, as well, and many of them were positively slack-jawed with amazement.

  His hopes and his spirits began to rise at that point. Perhaps he was impressive to this jaded audience! Perhaps he would be able to accomplish something here!

  The instant that he finished, the staid, etiquette-bound courtiers of High King Theovere broke into wild and completely spontaneous applause.

  But the Advisors applauded only politely, their eyes narrowed in a way that T’fyrr did not at all like. They resembled ravens again; this time sizing up the opportunity to snatch a bite.

  “So,” Harperus muttered under his breath, as T’fyrr took a modest bow or two, “now do you think I’m crazy?”

  “I know you are crazy,” the Haspur replied in a similarly soft voice, “but you are also clever. That is a bad combination for your enemies.”

  The Deliambren only chuckled.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Ah, T’fyrr thought with resignation, perched uncomfortably upon the tall stool that had been brought for him. I do enjoy being talked about as if I was not present.

  This was not the first time he had found himself in that position. At least, in this case, the discussion concerned his life and prosperity, not his imminent and painful death.

  And at least this time he was seated, and on a relatively appropriate stool—in deference to his wings and tail—rather than standing in an iron cage, fettered at every limb.

  Harperus was not part of this discussion, this Council session; the Deliambren had not been invited. This was probably more of an oversight than a deliberate insult, since the subject of this meeting was T’fyrr and not Harperus. T’fyrr wished profoundly for his company, though; as the only nonhuman, as well as the object of discussion, he was alternately being ignored and glared at. It would have been less uncomfortable if Harperus had been there to share the “experience.”

  By the standards of the Palace so far, this was a modest room, paneled in carved wood, with wooden floors and boasting Deliambren lighting.

  The Council members, all of the King’s Advisors, sat at a rectangular marble-topped table with the King at the head and T’fyrr at the foot. They had carved wooden chairs that could have doubled as thrones in many kingdoms; the King had a simpler wooden replica of the monstrosity in the room in which he held Court, gilded as well as carved. Behind the King stood a circle of four silent bodyguards in scarlet and black livery, armed to the teeth, in enameled helms and breastplates, as blank-faced as any Elf.

  If they projected the fact that they are dangerous any harder, there would be little puddles of “danger” on the floor around them. Look, it’s “danger,” don’t step in it!

  “I want him as my personal Court Musician,” King Theovere said, with a glare across the table at his Seneschal. The King had convened this Council meeting as soon as Court was over—and he had cut Court embarrassingly short in order to arrange the time for the meeting. Evidently nothing could be done, not even the appointment of a single musician to the royal household, without at least one Council meeting. But it was obvious to T’fyrr that no matter what his Advisors thought, this meeting was going to go the King’s way. He wondered if they realized that yet . . .

  Lord Marshal Lupene shrugged his massive shoulders. The Marshal was an old warrior, now gone fat to an embarrassing extent, though from the way he carried himself it was likely he didn’t realize it—or didn’t want to. “Your Majesty might consider what the envoys both have to say about it. They might have other plans.”

  Theovere did not quite glower, but T’fyrr was as aware as Theovere that the Lord Marshal’s implying that the King had not already consulted with T’fyrr and Harperus was cutting dangerously close to insubordination. This Lord Marshal must have been very sure of himself to chance such insolence.

  “He is willing—even eager!” Theovere said angrily as T’fyrr nodded slightly, though no one paid any attention to him. “The Deliambren Ambassador says that he can manage without T’fyrr along, that he and T’fyrr were really no more than convenient traveling companions. I tell you, I want him in my employ starting from this moment—”

  Lord Chamberlain Vidor, who had charge of the Kings Court Musicians, pursed his thin lips. The Lord Chamberlain was as cadaverous and lean as the Lord Marshal was massive. “Your Majesty cannot have considered the impact this will have on his other musicians,” Vidor intoned, keeping his disapproval thinly veiled. “Musicians are delicate creatures with regards to their sensibilities and morale—appointing this Haspur could wreak great damage among them. After all—he isn’t even human, much less a Guild Bard!”

  Theovere turned towards his Chamberlain and raised one bushy eyebrow. “The second follows upon the first, doesn’t it?” he asked testily. “The Guild won’t accept nonhumans, which makes it altogether impossible for T’fyrr to be one. I have, in fact, considered the impact of this appointment, and I think it will serve as an excellent example to my other musicians. Having T’fyrr in their midst will keep them on their mettle. They have been getting lazy; too much repetition and too little original work. They could use the competition.” His tone grew silken as he glanced aside at Lord Guildmaster Koraen. “Perhaps it might give the Bardic Guild cause to reconsider their ban on nonhuman members, with so excellent a musician being barred from their ranks.”

  And from lending the Guild my prestige, my notoriety, T’fyrr added silently, seeing some of the same thoughts occurring to the Guildmaster. Koraen was good at hiding his feelings, but T’fyrr detected the sound of the bulky, balding man grinding his teeth in frustration. The Guild has just lost a fair amount of prestige thanks to my performance, and might lose some royal preference if I continue to succeed here. This man is going to be my enemy. He mentally shook his head. What am I thinking? They are all going to be my enemies! The only question is how dangerous they consider me!

  “The Bardic Guild—” the Guildmaster began.

  Theovere slammed his open palm down on the table. “The Bardic Guild had better learn some flexibility!” he all but shouted. “The Bardic Guild had better learn how to move with the times! The Bardic Guild had better come up with something better than elaborations on the same tired themes if they want to continue to enjoy my patronage!”

  “But this sets a very bad precedent, Your Majesty,” interjected another Council member, a thin and reedy little man who had not been introduced to T’fyrr. He wore a sour expression that seemed to be perpetually fixed on his face.

  “My Lord Treasurer is correct,” agreed the Lord Judiciar smoothly, an oily fellow of nondescript looks who had been among the first to congratulate the King every time he dismissed a petition. “It sets a very bad precedent indeed. You are the High King of the Twenty Human Kingdoms; what need have you to bring in outsiders to fill your household?”

  Now, for the first time, T’fyrr saw signs of petulance on the King’s face, a childish expression that looked, frankly, quite ridiculous on a man with grey hair. And the royal temper, held barely in check, now broke—but not into shouting.

  “I want him in my household, and by God, I will have him in my household!” the King grated dangerously, glaring at them all. “In fact—” His expression suddenly grew sly. “I’ll appoint him my Chief Court Musician! Yes, why not? I have a vacant place for a Chief Musician in my personal household; let T’fyrr fill it! That is a position solely under my control, subject to my discretion, and the Council can only advise me on it, as you know.”

  As the expressions of the Council members around the table changed from annoyed to alarmed, he chuckled, like a nasty little boy who has been picking the wings off flies.

  “But—but Your Majesty—” the Lord Chamberlain spluttered, obviously blurting the first thing that came into his head. “That is impossible! The—the—Chief Court Musician must be a Knight! All of Your Majesty’s household must be of the rank of Sire or better!”

  “Oh, well, if that is all there is to it—” Before anyone could stop him, the King rose from his
seat and walked to T’fyrr’s, pulling out his ornamental short sword as he came. “I can certainly remedy that. I am a Knight as well as a King, and according to the rules of chivalry, I can make other knights in either capacity as I choose. They need only be worthy, and T’fyrr is certainly far more worthy of this post than any Bardic Guild popinjay you’ve presented me with thus far!”

  Oh, good heavens. He’s lost his mind.

  T’fyrr was not certain what he should do, so he did nothing, except to rise, turn to face the King, and bow. This did not seem to bother Theovere at all. The King tapped him on each shoulder in a perfunctory manner, then resheathed the sword. The Council members sat numbly in their places, struck dumb by the sudden and abrupt turn of events. Clearly, the King was not supposed to take so much initiative.

  Obviously, they have never tried to balk him before. They have just learned a lesson. I believe they thought the King too much in their control to slip his leash like this.

  “There,” the King said, casually. “Sire T’fyrr, I now name thee a Knight of the Court, whose duties shall be to serve as my Chief Minstrel in my own Household. Do you accept those duties and swear to that service?”

  “I do,” T’fyrr rumbled, and then a storm of protests arose.

  ###

  By the time it was all over, the Council had suffered complete defeat. T’fyrr was still Sire T’fyrr—a tide which was fundamentally an empty one, since no gift of land went along with the honor. He was still the Chief Court Musician. When the Lord Chamberlain swore that the other Court musicians would never share quarters with a nonhuman, the King gleefully added a private suite in the royal wing to the rest of T’fyrr’s benefits. When the Lord Treasurer protested that the kingdom could not bear the unknown living expenses of so—unusual—a creature, Theovere shrugged and assigned his expenses to the Privy Purse. The only real objection that anyone could make that Theovere could not immediately counter was the objection that “the people will not understand.”