he come from? Why was this throne so important to him?…Why this realm and not Tallinor, for example? Goth had felt chilled—a rare sensation—when the golden man’s voice had suddenly changed to that deep, detached one.
He, who felt no fear of anyone, had at that moment experienced an awe of something he suspected was so much more powerful and clever than him that he was frightened. The stupid people in the room had muttered between themselves about how to fight this enemy. How ludicrous! Had they not seen the dead and dying in the square? Had they not heard the terrifying tale of this man stepping through iron gates?…More than that, dissolving through those gates! Soldiers had thrown down their weapons in submission. There was no fighting a man like this…if he was a man, for which mortal possessed magical powers such as this?
He looked now at the intensely violet eyes which were regarding him. Orlac was brilliantly handsome. Opposite in colouring but similar in stature, he reminded Goth of Torkyn Gynt, of all hateful people. Probably that uncanny height and those broadest of shoulders, he told himself. And that damn wide, bright smile!
Orlac was waiting; he seemed vaguely amused by the long pause.
‘My apologies, sire.’ Goth bent low again. ‘I quite lost myself there. Your arrival has frightened us all.’
‘The Cipreans have nothing further to fear from me,’ Orlac said quietly.
Goth showed his surprise. ‘But you killed so many of them! How can they not fear you?’ He could not help the words spilling out and he braced himself for a painful response.
‘It had to be so,’ the golden-haired man replied.
‘What is it you want, sire? Perhaps I can be of some service?’
Orlac was genuinely amused. ‘I don’t think so, royal adviser. What I want you cannot give me.’
Goth decided to push his luck. It had held this far and he had nothing to lose, perhaps everything to gain by ingratiating himself with this powerful individual. ‘I may surprise you.’
‘What I want,’ Orlac said with deliberation, ‘is Tallinor razed, its people dead and a man called Torkyn Gynt on his knees paying homage to me!’ His voice had increased in volume but it was cold.
Goth hardly noticed, such was his shock at what the man had just said. He trembled with the thrill of those words.
He found himself on his knees now, wanting to pay his own homage to this empowered man who lusted for the same vengeance as he. Oh kindred soul, he wanted to cry out loud. Instead he clasped his hands together with glee in front of Orlac. ‘My lord, I can indeed help you with what you desire so much. I am Tallinese; I was formerly the Chief Inquisitor of the Kingdom and there is no man on this Land I would rather see on his knees awaiting your pleasure and his pain than Torkyn Gynt whom I know and despise with every ounce of my blood.’
It was Orlac’s turn to feel surprised. ‘Know him? By sight?’
‘Sight! Ha!’ Goth almost forgot himself. ‘He is my enemy. I nearly killed him but I failed, sire. The Queen died of the poison instead.’ Before he knew it the whole story was out of his mouth and laid bare in front of Orlac.
‘You murdered her?’
Goth felt nervous and looked around to check no Ciprean had slid into the room and heard his confession. He nodded and was not surprised to hear Orlac laugh again; this time he seemed hugely amused.
‘But it is Gynt you seek to kill?’ Orlac asked once his humour had settled.
‘With all my heart. And his woman. Her name is Alyssa. And all of his supporters—too many to mention now, my lord. I would like to see all of them dead, including his King whom I have heard recently married Alyssa and made her Queen of Tallinor. I hope I’ll live to see his Kingdom in ruins and count him dead amongst it.’
‘You have a lot of hate inside you, Goth,’ Orlac observed.
‘I have my reasons, my lord, which is why I will serve you blindly, faithfully and to the exclusion of all
He, who felt no fear of anyone, had at that moment experienced an awe of something he suspected was so much more powerful and clever than him that he was frightened. The stupid people in the room had muttered between themselves about how to fight this enemy. How ludicrous! Had they not seen the dead and dying in the square? Had they not heard the terrifying tale of this man stepping through iron gates?…More than that, dissolving through those gates! Soldiers had thrown down their weapons in submission. There was no fighting a man like this…if he was a man, for which mortal possessed magical powers such as this?
He looked now at the intensely violet eyes which were regarding him. Orlac was brilliantly handsome. Opposite in colouring but similar in stature, he reminded Goth of Torkyn Gynt, of all hateful people. Probably that uncanny height and those broadest of shoulders, he told himself. And that damn wide, bright smile!
Orlac was waiting; he seemed vaguely amused by the long pause.
‘My apologies, sire.’ Goth bent low again. ‘I quite lost myself there. Your arrival has frightened us all.’
‘The Cipreans have nothing further to fear from me,’ Orlac said quietly.
Goth showed his surprise. ‘But you killed so many of them! How can they not fear you?’ He could not help the words spilling out and he braced himself for a painful response.
‘It had to be so,’ the golden-haired man replied.
‘What is it you want, sire? Perhaps I can be of some service?’
Orlac was genuinely amused. ‘I don’t think so, royal adviser. What I want you cannot give me.’
Goth decided to push his luck. It had held this far and he had nothing to lose, perhaps everything to gain by ingratiating himself with this powerful individual. ‘I may surprise you.’
‘What I want,’ Orlac said with deliberation, ‘is Tallinor razed, its people dead and a man called Torkyn Gynt on his knees paying homage to me!’ His voice had increased in volume but it was cold.
Goth hardly noticed, such was his shock at what the man had just said. He trembled with the thrill of those words.
He found himself on his knees now, wanting to pay his own homage to this empowered man who lusted for the same vengeance as he. Oh kindred soul, he wanted to cry out loud. Instead he clasped his hands together with glee in front of Orlac. ‘My lord, I can indeed help you with what you desire so much. I am Tallinese; I was formerly the Chief Inquisitor of the Kingdom and there is no man on this Land I would rather see on his knees awaiting your pleasure and his pain than Torkyn Gynt whom I know and despise with every ounce of my blood.’
It was Orlac’s turn to feel surprised. ‘Know him? By sight?’
‘Sight! Ha!’ Goth almost forgot himself. ‘He is my enemy. I nearly killed him but I failed, sire. The Queen died of the poison instead.’ Before he knew it the whole story was out of his mouth and laid bare in front of Orlac.
‘You murdered her?’
Goth felt nervous and looked around to check no Ciprean had slid into the room and heard his confession. He nodded and was not surprised to hear Orlac laugh again; this time he seemed hugely amused.
‘But it is Gynt you seek to kill?’ Orlac asked once his humour had settled.
‘With all my heart. And his woman. Her name is Alyssa. And all of his supporters—too many to mention now, my lord. I would like to see all of them dead, including his King whom I have heard recently married Alyssa and made her Queen of Tallinor. I hope I’ll live to see his Kingdom in ruins and count him dead amongst it.’
‘You have a lot of hate inside you, Goth,’ Orlac observed.
‘I have my reasons, my lord, which is why I will serve you blindly, faithfully and to the exclusion of all
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