old rancor, to summon all his compassion, to send his grandfather to whatever came beyond life with a clear conscience.
“Grandfather . . .”
Suddenly, the blue eyes cleared, and the withered mouth moved silently. Regis tensed, and bony fingers closed around his own with desperate, brittle strength. Regis . . .
Regis gasped, taken by surprise. Danvan Hastur, for all his force of will and personality and his extraordinary statesmanship, had very little of the laran that characterized the Comyn. He had been able to lead the Domains for three generations by diplomacy, wily cunning, and reasoned argumentation. For him to now speak mind-to-mind required almost superhuman effort.
Regis . . .
Grandfather, I am here.
I . . . am dying . . . have . . . very little time . . .
One mind, linked directly to another, could not lie about a matter of such importance.
. . . secret I have carried . . . these many years . . . your brother . . . you have a brother . . .
Regis startled, almost dropping out of telepathic rapport. A brother? How was that possible? He had always believed that he, like Danilo, was the only son of his parents. To the best of his knowledge, his parents had been so devoted to each other that when Rafael Hastur had been killed, his wife Alanna had lived only long enough to deliver Regis and then had died of a broken heart.
. . . your father’s son . . . nedestro . . .
Lord of Light! Had his mother known?
Danvan’s gaze wavered in intensity.
No, it was . . . before they married . . . Regis! . . . find Rinaldo . . . bring him to Thendara, ensure his rights . . . as Hastur . . .
The old man’s mental presence, which had strengthened for a moment, now thinned like mist.
An older brother! Regis reeled under the thought. For so much of his life, he had struggled under the weight of believing himself the sole Hastur son. Nedestro children were often legitimatized; Regis had done this for his own offspring, those that survived infancy.
Promise me . . . came Danvan’s fading thought, more plea than command.
“Of course, I will. A brother, I never thought to have a brother!” And a brother with a claim to Hastur, a place among the Comyn.
Then . . . what would his life be like, as a second son? Might he at last be free to choose for himself?
Swear . . .
Regis wrenched his thoughts away from the tumult of possibilities. He felt as if his entire world had just turned inside out. What sort of man would his brother be, after all these years? No, Regis thought, he must set aside these questions for the moment. All would be revealed in the proper time.
Although he did not know if his grandfather could feel it, he tightened his grasp around the limp hand.
“I swear.”
There was no response, neither of the flesh nor of the spirit.
Regis sat there, holding his grandfather’s hand as it began to cool. His eyes were parched, his heart empty and aching, until Danilo touched his shoulder.
8
O ver the next tenday, Comyn and minor nobility streamed into Thendara to attend the funeral of Danvan Hastur. One of the first to arrive was Javanne Lanart-Hastur, older sister to Regis. Her husband, Gabriel, who commanded the City Guards, had sent word to her immediately. By a feat of organizational skill, she singlehandedly managed the journey from Armida for herself and her household. Her two older sons were already in Thendara, serving as officers in the Guards under their father’s stern eye, and her daughter Liriel was a novice at Tramontana Tower.
As soon as Javanne had settled in, Regis and Danilo paid her a visit. With Lew Alton and his only child off-world and no other Heir to Alton, Gabriel held the position of Warden of that Domain, and his family now occupied a spacious suite in that section of the Castle. The rooms, although newly cleaned, still retained a musty, disused smell. They had not been in regular use since the days of Lord Kennard.
Javanne, a bevy of serving women, and her daughter, Ariel, were
“Grandfather . . .”
Suddenly, the blue eyes cleared, and the withered mouth moved silently. Regis tensed, and bony fingers closed around his own with desperate, brittle strength. Regis . . .
Regis gasped, taken by surprise. Danvan Hastur, for all his force of will and personality and his extraordinary statesmanship, had very little of the laran that characterized the Comyn. He had been able to lead the Domains for three generations by diplomacy, wily cunning, and reasoned argumentation. For him to now speak mind-to-mind required almost superhuman effort.
Regis . . .
Grandfather, I am here.
I . . . am dying . . . have . . . very little time . . .
One mind, linked directly to another, could not lie about a matter of such importance.
. . . secret I have carried . . . these many years . . . your brother . . . you have a brother . . .
Regis startled, almost dropping out of telepathic rapport. A brother? How was that possible? He had always believed that he, like Danilo, was the only son of his parents. To the best of his knowledge, his parents had been so devoted to each other that when Rafael Hastur had been killed, his wife Alanna had lived only long enough to deliver Regis and then had died of a broken heart.
. . . your father’s son . . . nedestro . . .
Lord of Light! Had his mother known?
Danvan’s gaze wavered in intensity.
No, it was . . . before they married . . . Regis! . . . find Rinaldo . . . bring him to Thendara, ensure his rights . . . as Hastur . . .
The old man’s mental presence, which had strengthened for a moment, now thinned like mist.
An older brother! Regis reeled under the thought. For so much of his life, he had struggled under the weight of believing himself the sole Hastur son. Nedestro children were often legitimatized; Regis had done this for his own offspring, those that survived infancy.
Promise me . . . came Danvan’s fading thought, more plea than command.
“Of course, I will. A brother, I never thought to have a brother!” And a brother with a claim to Hastur, a place among the Comyn.
Then . . . what would his life be like, as a second son? Might he at last be free to choose for himself?
Swear . . .
Regis wrenched his thoughts away from the tumult of possibilities. He felt as if his entire world had just turned inside out. What sort of man would his brother be, after all these years? No, Regis thought, he must set aside these questions for the moment. All would be revealed in the proper time.
Although he did not know if his grandfather could feel it, he tightened his grasp around the limp hand.
“I swear.”
There was no response, neither of the flesh nor of the spirit.
Regis sat there, holding his grandfather’s hand as it began to cool. His eyes were parched, his heart empty and aching, until Danilo touched his shoulder.
8
O ver the next tenday, Comyn and minor nobility streamed into Thendara to attend the funeral of Danvan Hastur. One of the first to arrive was Javanne Lanart-Hastur, older sister to Regis. Her husband, Gabriel, who commanded the City Guards, had sent word to her immediately. By a feat of organizational skill, she singlehandedly managed the journey from Armida for herself and her household. Her two older sons were already in Thendara, serving as officers in the Guards under their father’s stern eye, and her daughter Liriel was a novice at Tramontana Tower.
As soon as Javanne had settled in, Regis and Danilo paid her a visit. With Lew Alton and his only child off-world and no other Heir to Alton, Gabriel held the position of Warden of that Domain, and his family now occupied a spacious suite in that section of the Castle. The rooms, although newly cleaned, still retained a musty, disused smell. They had not been in regular use since the days of Lord Kennard.
Javanne, a bevy of serving women, and her daughter, Ariel, were
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