Royal Assassin

"And the deaths of Justin and Serene, valuable servants and coterie members? Those deaths at least we know we may put at his door. He has admitted as much." The look Regal turned on me should have killed me right there. How deeply he must have regretted charging me with murdering Shrewd. But for Wallace's wild accusations and Regal's backing of them, he could have demanded me drowned for Justin's death. That, as everyone had witnessed, was my doing. Ironically, his own desire to vilify me was what was staving off my execution.

"You will have every chance to prove him Witted and the killer of your father. For those crimes, only, will we let you hang him. As to the others ... he claims they were the killers of the King. If he is not the guilty one, we are willing to accept that those he killed died justly."

"This is intolerable!" Regal spat.

"My lord, those are our terms," Brawndy returned calmly.

"And if I refuse them?" Regal flared angrily.

Brawndy shrugged. "The skies are clear, my lord. Raider weather, for those of us with coasts. We must disperse to our own Keeps, to guard our coasts as well we may. Without the convening of the full council, you cannot crown yourself king, nor lawfully appoint a man to hold Buck in your stead. You must winter at Buckkeep, my lord, and confront the sea pirates even as we do." .

"You ring me 'round with traditions and petty laws, all to force me to your will. Am I your king or am I not?" Regal demanded bluntly.

"You are not our king." Brawndy pointed it out quietly but firmly. "You are our king-in-waiting. And likely to continue waiting until these charges and this issue is resolved."

The blackness of Regal's glare plainly showed how little this was to his liking. "Very well," he said flatly, all too quickly. "I suppose I must submit to this ... bargaining. Remember that you have decreed it must be this way, not I." He turned and looked at me. I knew then that he would not keep his word; I knew I would die in this cell. That sick and sudden knowledge of my own death blackened the edges of my vision, set me swaying on my feet. I felt I had taken two steps back from life. A coldness crept up inside me.

"Then we are agreed," Brawndy said smoothly. He turned his eyes back to me, and frowned. Something of what I was feeling must have showed on my face, for he asked quickly, "FitzChivalry. Are you fairly treated here? Do they feed you?" As he asked this he unfastened the brooch at his shoulder. His cloak was much worn, but of wool, and when he threw it to me, the weight of it knocked me back against the wall.

I clutched the cloak, warm still with his body heat, gratefully. "Water. Bread," I said briefly. I looked down at the heavy wool garment. "Thank you," I said more quietly.

"It's better than many have!" Regal retorted angrily. "Times are hard," he added lamely. As if those he spoke to did not know that better than he did.

Brawndy regarded me for a few moments. I said nothing. Finally he swung a cold look to Regal. "Too hard to at least give him some straw to sleep on, instead of a slab of stone?"

Regal returned his glare. Brawndy did not quail. "We will need proof of his guilt, King-in-Waiting Regal, before we will countenance his execution. In the meantime we expect you to keep him alive."

"At least give him marching rations," Kelvar advised. "No one will say you have pampered him with those, and we shall have a live man, either for you to hang or to command at Buck for us."

Regal crossed his arms on his chest and made no reply. I knew I would get but water and half a loaf. I think he would have tried to take Brawndy's cloak away from me, save that he knew I would have fought for it. With a jerk of his chin, Regal indicated to the guard that he could close my door. As it slammed shut I flung myself forward, to grip the bars and stare after them. I thought of calling out, of telling them all that Regal would not let me live, that he would find a way to kill me here. But I did not. They would not have believed me. They still did not fear Regal as they needed to. If they had known him as I did, they would have known that no promise could bind him to their bargain. He would kill me. I was too deeply within his power for him to resist ending me.

I let go of the door and walked woodenly back to my bench. I sat down. Reflex more than thought made me drape Brawndy's cloak about my shoulders. The cold I felt now would not be warmed away by wool. As the wave of a rising tide rushes into a sea cavern, so the knowledge of my death once more filled me. Once again, I thought I might faint. I pushed at it, vaguely repelling at my own thoughts of how Regal might choose to kill me. There were so many ways. I suspected he would try to wring a confession from me. Given enough time, he might be successful. The thought made me sick. I tried to pull myself back from the brink, not to realize so thoroughly that I was going to die painfully.