battlements at the western ocean, letting the briny sea breeze tug at his hair and beard. The deep blue water was different out there than in the harbour, a restless animal breathing in rolling waves—unpredictable, malicious.
He had travelled aboard ships only three times in his earlier life as a Kerwyn prince, and each journey was such a torment of nausea and disorientation that he vowed when he came to the throne that he would never again step aboard an ocean-going vessel. The sailors who plied the trading routes to the west and south were creatures of a very different disposition and, while he respected their courage, he had no desire to be a part of their world. The ocean was at its best viewed from the tower and from the beach, but as far as he was concerned it belonged to the fish.
‘I am honoured Your Majesty has agreed to see me,’ said the grey-haired Seer, bowing respectfully before the king.
‘Would I be consigned to the seven hells if I didn’t see you?’ Hawkeye asked.
Seer Law raised his head and smiled. ‘Possibly.’
The king grinned and put his arm across the Seer’s shoulder. ‘Enough charade,’ he said, guiding the Seer towards a large dark door guarded by two soldiers. ‘We need to talk about the important issues.’ The guards opened the door and stood aside as the king and the Seer entered the king’s private chambers.
Seer Law had been in Hawkeye’s chambers many times, but the worldly opulence of the Kerwyn kings always aggravated his spiritual sensibility. The massive gilded mirrors on every wall, richly brocaded furnishings, red and gold fabrics, commissioned paintings and imported inventions filled the rooms to excess. ‘Porter?’ Hawkeye offered, lifting an emerald-encrusted silver decanter.
‘No alcohol,’ Law answered.
Hawkeye raised an eyebrow. ‘Are you all right?’
The Seer smiled wanly. ‘His Eminence has decreed that we are to enter a phase of abstinence. No alcohol, no sex—none of the worldly pleasures that might distract us from our duty to Jarudha.’ The king started sniggering while he poured himself a measure of porter. ‘What’s so amusing?’ asked Law.
Hawkeye sipped his drink before he answered. ‘After all the bastards your order has sired in the city, His Eminence decides that’s enough? How is he going to stop you from wenching?’
‘We’ve sworn an oath to Jarudha.’
Hawkeye laughed as he made his way towards a plush chair, indicating for Law to do the same. ‘An oath. Words aren’t going to stop men’s urges.’
‘An oath to Jarudha is not words,’ Law replied indignantly.
‘Neither is the urge of the loins,’ Hawkeye rejoined, sitting. ‘His Eminence has set a hard goal and he’ll learn the hard way that his Seers are merely men.’
‘I would not expect you to understand,’ Law said tartly as he sank into the red chair.
Hawkeye grinned. ‘No. I don’t understand. And I don’t want to.’ He laughed to himself, shaking his head. ‘So, to business. Why the urgent need to see me?’
Law met the king’s inquiring gaze as he said, ‘Two matters. One is purely business. The other pertains personally to you.’
‘Business first,’ Hawkeye decided.
Law cleared his throat. ‘His Eminence asks for exclusive ownership of the Fallen Star islands.’
Hawkeye blinked. ‘Why?’
‘It is a wish from Jarudha that his disciples should have a place to be consecrated as holy.’
‘Yes, but why the islands?’
‘They are untainted with humanity’s sins. They are far enough away from the mainland to discourage the curious from visiting them. There is good ground on the second-largest island for the building of a monastery.’
Hawkeye leaned forward in his chair, enveloping the porter glass in his broad left hand. ‘I thought the Fallen Star islands were used for agricultural production?’
Law nodded. ‘The Merchant family has a lease on the islands. We would honour the existing leasing arrangements.’
‘The
He had travelled aboard ships only three times in his earlier life as a Kerwyn prince, and each journey was such a torment of nausea and disorientation that he vowed when he came to the throne that he would never again step aboard an ocean-going vessel. The sailors who plied the trading routes to the west and south were creatures of a very different disposition and, while he respected their courage, he had no desire to be a part of their world. The ocean was at its best viewed from the tower and from the beach, but as far as he was concerned it belonged to the fish.
‘I am honoured Your Majesty has agreed to see me,’ said the grey-haired Seer, bowing respectfully before the king.
‘Would I be consigned to the seven hells if I didn’t see you?’ Hawkeye asked.
Seer Law raised his head and smiled. ‘Possibly.’
The king grinned and put his arm across the Seer’s shoulder. ‘Enough charade,’ he said, guiding the Seer towards a large dark door guarded by two soldiers. ‘We need to talk about the important issues.’ The guards opened the door and stood aside as the king and the Seer entered the king’s private chambers.
Seer Law had been in Hawkeye’s chambers many times, but the worldly opulence of the Kerwyn kings always aggravated his spiritual sensibility. The massive gilded mirrors on every wall, richly brocaded furnishings, red and gold fabrics, commissioned paintings and imported inventions filled the rooms to excess. ‘Porter?’ Hawkeye offered, lifting an emerald-encrusted silver decanter.
‘No alcohol,’ Law answered.
Hawkeye raised an eyebrow. ‘Are you all right?’
The Seer smiled wanly. ‘His Eminence has decreed that we are to enter a phase of abstinence. No alcohol, no sex—none of the worldly pleasures that might distract us from our duty to Jarudha.’ The king started sniggering while he poured himself a measure of porter. ‘What’s so amusing?’ asked Law.
Hawkeye sipped his drink before he answered. ‘After all the bastards your order has sired in the city, His Eminence decides that’s enough? How is he going to stop you from wenching?’
‘We’ve sworn an oath to Jarudha.’
Hawkeye laughed as he made his way towards a plush chair, indicating for Law to do the same. ‘An oath. Words aren’t going to stop men’s urges.’
‘An oath to Jarudha is not words,’ Law replied indignantly.
‘Neither is the urge of the loins,’ Hawkeye rejoined, sitting. ‘His Eminence has set a hard goal and he’ll learn the hard way that his Seers are merely men.’
‘I would not expect you to understand,’ Law said tartly as he sank into the red chair.
Hawkeye grinned. ‘No. I don’t understand. And I don’t want to.’ He laughed to himself, shaking his head. ‘So, to business. Why the urgent need to see me?’
Law met the king’s inquiring gaze as he said, ‘Two matters. One is purely business. The other pertains personally to you.’
‘Business first,’ Hawkeye decided.
Law cleared his throat. ‘His Eminence asks for exclusive ownership of the Fallen Star islands.’
Hawkeye blinked. ‘Why?’
‘It is a wish from Jarudha that his disciples should have a place to be consecrated as holy.’
‘Yes, but why the islands?’
‘They are untainted with humanity’s sins. They are far enough away from the mainland to discourage the curious from visiting them. There is good ground on the second-largest island for the building of a monastery.’
Hawkeye leaned forward in his chair, enveloping the porter glass in his broad left hand. ‘I thought the Fallen Star islands were used for agricultural production?’
Law nodded. ‘The Merchant family has a lease on the islands. We would honour the existing leasing arrangements.’
‘The
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