passage on one of the numerous merchant ships
that traded with the Pentarchy. There they would have to trust to luck that
such a ship, affordable and going to a hospitable land, would be already set to
sail. He knew that they could ill-afford to linger within the Pentarchy's
borders once her absence was detected. He felt certain qualms when he thought
about Lord Colin and Lady Dinea, and what their opinion of him would be when
all of this was discovered. Resolutely he pushed their faces away and
concentrated on Angharad. He visualized her face, her form, all that would soon
be his when he claimed her as wife. His head reeled and he picked up his hat
and placed it firmly on his head. Tomorrow would set all of their plans in
motion; he had only to wait.
Chapter
5
By the mid-morning
bells, all of the members of the Pentacle Council were convened and sitting at
their traditional seats in the room known colloquially as Gryffyd's Court. This
chamber, one of the oldest buildings within the palace precincts, was situated
in a short, five-sided tower not far from the Great Hall. The domed ceiling
capped a room twice as tall as it was broad, and the floor was set with
vari-coloured tiles arranged in the five-within-five configuration of a
pentacle. Long, thin windows of opaque glass punctuated the walls, in between
which were hung tapestries depicting important historical and mythical events.
The five largest tapestries were worked in the colours of each of the Great
Houses and each bore the heraldic symbol of the individual House in the center
of a large pentangle. The tapestry for House Sandovar had, in addition, a crown
above its griffon. In between the tapestries of the Great Houses were smaller
tapestries of the same design with the symbols of the Minor Houses displayed.
The carved and gilded thrones of the Great House scions, with less ornate
chairs for the lords of the Minor Houses, were set in a great, inward facing
circle. Along the sides of the room, behind an elaborate balustrade of
carved wood, were set the chairs and benches for the spectators. This morning
the nobles of both the Great and Minor Houses were less elaborately attired
than the previous night, though all favoured their House colours and the ducal
heads wore simple circlets of gold wrought with the individual House symbol
resting on the forehead. The banquet had been a formal showing of power; the
actual meeting of the Pentacle Council was for the wielding of that power. Only
the acting head of each of the Great and Minor Houses was allowed to
participate in the discussions and actions of the Pentacle Council, and only
the heads of the five Great Houses were actually allowed to vote on policy
recommendations for the Pentarchy, with House Sandovar casting the final,
decisive vote. Lord Michael Talen, Recorder for the Pentacle Council,
officially opened the council session after everyone had arrived and the doors
were closed. Standing behind the Regent's throne he read the names and titles
of all of the attending council members; after which, he sat down at a small
desk provided for him and took up his pen. Lord Percamber stood and delivered
the opening speech.
Hollin was seated
in her usual place between Percamber and Lord Gunnar, the Duke of Tuenth, an
older man with sparse grey hair combed over a round head and heavy jowls that
had begun to sag with age. A stolid, conservative nature and little imagination
had been his leading traits in council matters. On the other side of Percamber
sat Lord Branwilde, the Duke of Creon, looking serious as was his usual wont.
Next to Branwilde sat the Duke of Mirvanovir, Lord Niall, lounging gracefully
against the backrest of his throne. Directly across from Percamber sat Lord
Brescom, Earl of the Inner Ward and senior of the Minor Houses. The earl was in
his fifties, a widower who had never remarried; he had developed his reputation
as a military man after winning renown for himself in the northland
that traded with the Pentarchy. There they would have to trust to luck that
such a ship, affordable and going to a hospitable land, would be already set to
sail. He knew that they could ill-afford to linger within the Pentarchy's
borders once her absence was detected. He felt certain qualms when he thought
about Lord Colin and Lady Dinea, and what their opinion of him would be when
all of this was discovered. Resolutely he pushed their faces away and
concentrated on Angharad. He visualized her face, her form, all that would soon
be his when he claimed her as wife. His head reeled and he picked up his hat
and placed it firmly on his head. Tomorrow would set all of their plans in
motion; he had only to wait.
Chapter
5
By the mid-morning
bells, all of the members of the Pentacle Council were convened and sitting at
their traditional seats in the room known colloquially as Gryffyd's Court. This
chamber, one of the oldest buildings within the palace precincts, was situated
in a short, five-sided tower not far from the Great Hall. The domed ceiling
capped a room twice as tall as it was broad, and the floor was set with
vari-coloured tiles arranged in the five-within-five configuration of a
pentacle. Long, thin windows of opaque glass punctuated the walls, in between
which were hung tapestries depicting important historical and mythical events.
The five largest tapestries were worked in the colours of each of the Great
Houses and each bore the heraldic symbol of the individual House in the center
of a large pentangle. The tapestry for House Sandovar had, in addition, a crown
above its griffon. In between the tapestries of the Great Houses were smaller
tapestries of the same design with the symbols of the Minor Houses displayed.
The carved and gilded thrones of the Great House scions, with less ornate
chairs for the lords of the Minor Houses, were set in a great, inward facing
circle. Along the sides of the room, behind an elaborate balustrade of
carved wood, were set the chairs and benches for the spectators. This morning
the nobles of both the Great and Minor Houses were less elaborately attired
than the previous night, though all favoured their House colours and the ducal
heads wore simple circlets of gold wrought with the individual House symbol
resting on the forehead. The banquet had been a formal showing of power; the
actual meeting of the Pentacle Council was for the wielding of that power. Only
the acting head of each of the Great and Minor Houses was allowed to
participate in the discussions and actions of the Pentacle Council, and only
the heads of the five Great Houses were actually allowed to vote on policy
recommendations for the Pentarchy, with House Sandovar casting the final,
decisive vote. Lord Michael Talen, Recorder for the Pentacle Council,
officially opened the council session after everyone had arrived and the doors
were closed. Standing behind the Regent's throne he read the names and titles
of all of the attending council members; after which, he sat down at a small
desk provided for him and took up his pen. Lord Percamber stood and delivered
the opening speech.
Hollin was seated
in her usual place between Percamber and Lord Gunnar, the Duke of Tuenth, an
older man with sparse grey hair combed over a round head and heavy jowls that
had begun to sag with age. A stolid, conservative nature and little imagination
had been his leading traits in council matters. On the other side of Percamber
sat Lord Branwilde, the Duke of Creon, looking serious as was his usual wont.
Next to Branwilde sat the Duke of Mirvanovir, Lord Niall, lounging gracefully
against the backrest of his throne. Directly across from Percamber sat Lord
Brescom, Earl of the Inner Ward and senior of the Minor Houses. The earl was in
his fifties, a widower who had never remarried; he had developed his reputation
as a military man after winning renown for himself in the northland
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