him. Turning your backs, is that it?" Sentian quivered with rage. "And I suppose you also believe he means his threats to take the throne from his father." He snorted before spitting. "If you think that, then you don't know him. He was angry. Hurt. Who could blame him?"
"He threatened his King's life," Legion reminded him. "No matter how angry you get, that's treason. The Tribunal won't let such a thing go unpunished."
Sentian gaped. "You're deserting him, too?"
"It's not a matter of desertion. If Conar has joined the Domination, he can't be allowed to sit on the throne. Papa was right in disinheriting him."
"The man is your brother!" Sentian gasped.
"I haven't forgotten, but I would just as soon it not be true if Conar has, indeed, allied himself with that bunch."
Disbelief shot across Sentian's angry face and he stepped off the portico. "He needs you men more than he ever has and you have all forsaken him."
"He should have thought of—"
"Lord Legion?" a voice called, interrupting them.
" What? " Legion bellowed, turning to pierce the man who dared interfere.
Taken aback by Legion's sharp tone, one of Conar's Elite looked to the other men in question, but no one moved. No one spoke. He looked back at Legion. "I found him, Commander."
Aware of Legion's grinding teeth and clenching fists, Teal spoke. "Where?"
The elite chuckled. "In the grotto. He was sound asleep when I found him. He had a bottle or two of ale to keep him warm, I guess."
"Is he all right?" Sentian asked.
"A bit hung-over and a lot put out because I found his hidey hole." The warrior scanned the faces of the men and wondered why no one but Heil seemed particularly happy to know where their Overlord passed the day and night. "Has something else happened?"
"You heard he threatened his father?" Thom inquired.
The Elite smiled. "Aye, but I bet that was the liquor speaking. He didn't mean it. He was angry."
"There's more to it," Marsh said in a hopeless voice. "You see he…"
When the Elite was told the whole story, he turned a silent face toward Legion, stared at him for a moment and then looked to the others. "You all blame him for having tried to protect his lady?"
"Blame is not the word," Teal corrected. "The word 'criticize' is more like it."
"Isn't that the same thing?"
Teal shook his head. "I don't blame him for wanting to protect his lady-wife; I do criticize him for the way he went about it. I find I cannot condone what he has done, no matter the reason."
The Elite looked to Sentian and saw that man's loyalty still blazing in his face. "So instead of backing him, they turn away." His brown eyes turned hard. "He would never do such a thing to any of us. Once his friend, always his friend!"
Marsh Edan sat on the steps and stared at the cold stone. Barely aware of Legion, Teal, and Thom leaving, he looked up briefly as Storm slapped him on the shoulder.
"I think this is one time when His Grace has gone a bit too far," Storm sighed.
Storm strode off, Sentian close behind. Neither spoke to the other, but their body language clearly made it obvious they were both angry with each other.
Edan put his head in his hands. The men had lost more than their faith in their Overlord; they had lost the one real constant in their lives. Conar McGregor's steadfastness in the face of wrong. It was not something that could easily be regained. There was nothing more evil, more perverse, more worthy of loathing than the Brotherhood of the Domination. To the men, Conar was now one of that evil bunch.
An enemy.
Storm looked up and saw Kaileel Tohre staring at him from the Temple steps.
The High Priest crooked a finger and Storm sighed.
* * *
Along the coastline, beyond the high rock promontory upon which Boreas Keep sat, wound a pathway strewn with sharp, loose rocks. It curved upward from the beach, over a natural stone bridge arch and then ran parallel to the steep incline of Mount Serenia.
The path gave a dizzying view of the crashing sea some
"He threatened his King's life," Legion reminded him. "No matter how angry you get, that's treason. The Tribunal won't let such a thing go unpunished."
Sentian gaped. "You're deserting him, too?"
"It's not a matter of desertion. If Conar has joined the Domination, he can't be allowed to sit on the throne. Papa was right in disinheriting him."
"The man is your brother!" Sentian gasped.
"I haven't forgotten, but I would just as soon it not be true if Conar has, indeed, allied himself with that bunch."
Disbelief shot across Sentian's angry face and he stepped off the portico. "He needs you men more than he ever has and you have all forsaken him."
"He should have thought of—"
"Lord Legion?" a voice called, interrupting them.
" What? " Legion bellowed, turning to pierce the man who dared interfere.
Taken aback by Legion's sharp tone, one of Conar's Elite looked to the other men in question, but no one moved. No one spoke. He looked back at Legion. "I found him, Commander."
Aware of Legion's grinding teeth and clenching fists, Teal spoke. "Where?"
The elite chuckled. "In the grotto. He was sound asleep when I found him. He had a bottle or two of ale to keep him warm, I guess."
"Is he all right?" Sentian asked.
"A bit hung-over and a lot put out because I found his hidey hole." The warrior scanned the faces of the men and wondered why no one but Heil seemed particularly happy to know where their Overlord passed the day and night. "Has something else happened?"
"You heard he threatened his father?" Thom inquired.
The Elite smiled. "Aye, but I bet that was the liquor speaking. He didn't mean it. He was angry."
"There's more to it," Marsh said in a hopeless voice. "You see he…"
When the Elite was told the whole story, he turned a silent face toward Legion, stared at him for a moment and then looked to the others. "You all blame him for having tried to protect his lady?"
"Blame is not the word," Teal corrected. "The word 'criticize' is more like it."
"Isn't that the same thing?"
Teal shook his head. "I don't blame him for wanting to protect his lady-wife; I do criticize him for the way he went about it. I find I cannot condone what he has done, no matter the reason."
The Elite looked to Sentian and saw that man's loyalty still blazing in his face. "So instead of backing him, they turn away." His brown eyes turned hard. "He would never do such a thing to any of us. Once his friend, always his friend!"
Marsh Edan sat on the steps and stared at the cold stone. Barely aware of Legion, Teal, and Thom leaving, he looked up briefly as Storm slapped him on the shoulder.
"I think this is one time when His Grace has gone a bit too far," Storm sighed.
Storm strode off, Sentian close behind. Neither spoke to the other, but their body language clearly made it obvious they were both angry with each other.
Edan put his head in his hands. The men had lost more than their faith in their Overlord; they had lost the one real constant in their lives. Conar McGregor's steadfastness in the face of wrong. It was not something that could easily be regained. There was nothing more evil, more perverse, more worthy of loathing than the Brotherhood of the Domination. To the men, Conar was now one of that evil bunch.
An enemy.
Storm looked up and saw Kaileel Tohre staring at him from the Temple steps.
The High Priest crooked a finger and Storm sighed.
* * *
Along the coastline, beyond the high rock promontory upon which Boreas Keep sat, wound a pathway strewn with sharp, loose rocks. It curved upward from the beach, over a natural stone bridge arch and then ran parallel to the steep incline of Mount Serenia.
The path gave a dizzying view of the crashing sea some
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