Hearts in Cups Page 5

  Hollin had become very interested and she readily assented. Percamber led the four of them to a small library deeply embedded within House Sandovar's wing of the palace. Shelves of books worn to a state of shabbiness lined two of the walls and a large table laden with more books, rocks, shells, scales and a multitude of various objects, witness to an inquiring mind, lay scattered about the entire room. A fire had been laid and Percamber went to light this himself, while Dinea closed the shutters over the windows and drew the curtains closed. Lastly, Colin muttered words that Hollin understood to be a spell of warding. Only after all of these measures were taken did Percamber offer her one of the chairs. He lowered himself into the other, while Colin and Dinea took their places together on the couch. By now, Hollin's curiosity was bordering on mild alarm.

  Percamber began by speaking in a dry, pedantic tone of voice. "As you know, blessed by our natural borders and the gifts of our ruling Houses, there have been few invasions of the Pentarchy, and none have been successful. The last incursion was over 30 years ago when a large force of nomadic warriors attacked from the north out of the Tarrant Mountains. It was a particularly serious threat because of their great numbers and bellicose nature, and they were very difficult to defeat. Eventually they were repelled and most of them were destroyed. Those few who escaped fled back into the mountains. Brian was but a boy at the time, although he rode with his father to the battle.

  "Years later, King Gwydian received information that survivors of the ill-fated invasion had banded together under the remaining two leaders and had returned to raid the borders of the Inner Ward as well as attacking villages and travelers along the Great Northern Road, threatening our trade route with the Northland. Brian led a warband out of the Inner Ward and attacked the enemy in their stronghold in the mountains. The stronghold was razed, but only a small number of the raiders were killed and, as Brian's warband was returning to Sandovar, they were ambushed. Brian was captured and taken far to the north as a prisoner. He eventually escaped and made his way home. We expected that he would be content to stay at home after his time in captivity, but he was restless and unhappy in Pentarin. Gwydian and his son argued, his father feeling that the prince should remain in Pentarin to marry and prepare himself to be king someday. But Brian stubbornly demanded his freedom. In the end they compromised; Brian allowed himself to be handfasted to you and then left, promising to return within five year's time. The deadline came and went without a word. Eventually a trading party from the north brought word from the prince to his father, saying that he had taken up residence in a city that supposedly exists somewhere in the midst of the Tarrant Mountains. Even I do not know all of what was in the letter, but the king was mollified by it.

  "More letters were exchanged between Gwydian and his son, but I was not residing in Pentarin during that time and do not know what was contained in their correspondence as the letters were apparently destroyed. When King Gwydian knew that he was dying, he sent his elite guard to bring his son home, but the messengers could not find the city in which Brian dwelt. Gwydian was quite certain in his own mind that Brian was alive and that he planned to return and assume his father's throne. In the meantime, I was designated to be his regent until Brian should see fit to return. Over the intervening years I have waited, fully expecting him to appear at any time. It is only of late that rumours of his death have begun to circulate widely and the question of succession has arisen." He finished his narrative with a shake of his head.

  Hollin sat quietly reflecting on what she had been told. "It is almost ten years since his father's death, how do you know that the rumours are false?" she finally queried, looking hard at the old man before her.

  Colin replied for the regent. "Because we, Dinea, Percamber and myself, have resonated a crystal to Brian's life-force."

  Hollin's eyebrows expressed her surprise, first at the claim that they had, apparently successfully, performed a very difficult and rather hazardous procedure, and secondly that the regent himself had been involved.

  Percamber, guessing her thoughts, smiled gently. "Yes, though it is not talked about, when I was young I spent several years training at Dacara's Scholastium. My brother, Medwyn, was heir to Morna so I was free to pursue my own interests for several years until Medwyn died unexpectedly. It was then that I was wed to Lady Glendalaurie of Pentarell and returned to administer Morna.

  "I admit to being a bit rusty in the arcane arts but I lent what aid I could. Colin and Dinea managed most of the work."

  With new respect, Hollin regarded the couple who sat before her. She did not understand all of the intricacies but she knew the basic principles involved. An adept of a certain degree of skill can get the right crystalline substance to resonate in harmony with his or her life-energy. Getting a crystal to resonate accurately to the energies of a person not there, especially one absent for as long as the prince, would require a very high degree of skill and luck. The danger involved was in having a flawed crystal strike back at the energy source with possibly lethal consequences.

  "What is it you planned to do with this crystal?" she asked curiously.

  Colin said in some frustration, "What we had hoped to do was to find out where the prince is, but the crystal only tells us that he is alive...somewhere."

  "Our plan now is to present the crystal as evidence of the prince's existence at the council session and try to forestall the succession question." Dinea looked earnestly at Hollin. "We hoped that you would join with us. As you have doubt been informed, the Duke of Mirvanovir has been pressing the succession question and we know that he intends to pursue the question formally during this session of the Pentacle Council. We are afraid that he intends to somehow secure the throne for himself or his interests. You are considered by many to have certain formidable claims to the throne yourself and are thus in a position of power..."

  Percamber had been scrutinizing Hollin for several minutes, trying to gauge her response to what she was being told. Suddenly his eyes brightened. "Wait a moment, Dinea my dear," the old man interjected with a sudden burst of excitement. "Lady Hollin, the ring on your finger, is that the ring I think it is?" Confused looks passed between Colin and Dinea as Hollin nodded solemnly.

  "That," Percamber said with satisfaction, "may be the solution to at least one of our problems. The ring is called the "Heartstone of Sandovar" and is a very ancient family heirloom of House Sandovar. It is more than an adornment, it is a resonating crystal itself and is aligned to the energies of House Sandovar. Tell me, is this the ring that was given to you at the time of your betrothal?'

  "Yes," Hollin replied, intrigued by what she was hearing.

  "I think that it would be reasonable to assume that, since it was given by Brian to Lady Hollin, it is still in partial attunement to him. If this is so, then perhaps we can effect a transference of the power of our resonate crystal into the Heartstone."

  "You may be correct." Colin considered the problem with a frown. "In fact from what little I know of this ring, I would guess that the amplification might even be used as a sort of compass to guide us to him." He turned to Hollin. "It is up to you, Lady Hollin. The ring is yours and, if I understand aright, you are wearing it as something of a proclamation. Even though it goes against tradition for the head of one House to marry another, you are legally still the prince's betrothed."

  "I am well aware of my position in the political scheme of the Pentarchy, Lord Colin!" She spoke a little too sharply. Continuing in more moderate tones, she said, "I agree that somehow the prince must be found and returned to his place on the throne. If you think that this ring will help you to find him, then by all means do what you can." As she spoke she tugged at the ring, which reluctantly slid off her finger.

  Dinea stood and went to a wall. There she deftly slid a small section of the panel aside and brought forth a plain box of polished wood. Placing it on the table, she gestured for everyone to join her as she opened the box. Holding the ring, Hollin advanced and peered into the box.
Inside, wrapped carefully in a square of silk, was a uniform piece of clear stone about the size of a child's fist, its facets cut and polished so that they caught the light and seemed to be shifting their configuration as she watched. With great solicitude Dinea lifted the jewel in its protective silk out of the box and placed it before her on the table. She cupped her hands together and lightly touched the jewel, taking several deep, steadying breaths as she did so. At last she stood upright and Hollin stared, fascinated, as the shifting facets began to pulse faintly as they moved.

  "How do you know that it is truly the prince that the crystal is responding to?" Hollin whispered.

  "Percamber, who has the most knowledge of his grandson, has touched it with his mind and verified it," Colin explained. "Have you ever worked with a crystal before, Lady Hollin?"

  "No, this is entirely new to me. I have heard of these devices, and I was able to detect that the ring was more than an ordinary ring, but arcane items are not in my training. What shall we do now?"

  "Percamber will be the guide while we probe the ring to make certain that it is attuned to the prince. That being so, Dinea and I will attempt to transfer the energies of our crystal to the ring," Colin explained, nodding to his companions.

  "Is there anything you wish me to do during all this?" Hollin inquired.

  "No, you may sit down if you wish." Percamber smiled gratefully as Hollin handed him the ring and stepped back.

  Taking her seat, she watched as Percamber stood with the ring cupped in his hand, gazing into the red stone. After a moment, he raised his head in confusion. In answer to Colin's obvious question he said, "I think that he is in here, but I want you to look and tell me what you find." He extended the ring and Colin put his hands around the old man's and joined him in scrutinizing the ring.

  "Well, this changes things more than a little," Colin commented as he broke his hold with the ring.

  "What's wrong?" Dinea's face registered immediate concern.

  Both men turned to face Hollin. "How long have you worn this ring, Lady Hollin?" Percamber asked.

  "Not long. I put it on before I began my journey to Pentarin. Why?"

  "Have you worn it much in the past?"

  "No, it has been in my personal jewel box since I was given it as a child. What's wrong? Can't you feel the prince's imprint on it?"

  "Oh yes, the prince's energies can be discerned, though faintly. The difficulty is that the ring is fully attuned to you, my lady," Colin replied.

  "Oh dear!" Dinea burst out. "How could that have happened? She admits to not having much contact with the ring in the past."

  Percamber sighed and said, "I suppose that it is possible that my son-in-law adjusted the ring before the ceremony in order to key his son’s future bride into attunement with House Sandovar. But I don't see the point in doing so." He shook his head, clearly puzzled.

  "I think it more likely," Colin ventured after a few minutes of silent cognition, "that it was Lady Hollin's House Gift that affected the attunement. The ritual that keys a specific individual into that House's power can be affected by the inherited talents of the person receiving the power. It is not something that has been studied greatly in the Scholastium at Dacara, or anywhere else, since each House tends to guard its own secrets. I would guess that trying to break the attunement between the ring and Lady Hollin would be a tedious process at best, and I personally think that it would prove to be impossible. It seems that we are at an impasse." Colin sat down on the couch and rested his chin on his hand.

  His wife and Percamber drifted back across the room to sit with gloomy faces. Hollin watched the three of them with detached amusement as they sat in silence. At last she spoke in her cool authoritative voice. "You cannot break or alter my link with the ring, that is clear. Can you still transfer the energies of your crystal into the ring?'

  Colin looked up at her in surprise, and then with eagerness as he divined what she meant. "Yes, that should be possible. We'd need your assistance though."

  She nodded thoughtfully. "Well then, the obvious solution is to combine the energies of the ring and the crystal. Once the actions of the Pentacle Council are suspended, I will go as a member of the embassy to find the prince."

  "Your grace has much courage, but I doubt the members of the Council would agree to your leaving the Pentarchy. You are far too important," Percamber said with mild reproof.

  "I beg to remind you, as I surely will them, that I am an independent sovereign and am subject to none other. I will not take the throne in my own name, regardless of my ties to it, and neither will my cousins Gervase or Genvra be placed there. Only one person can and should legitimately be Duke of Sandovar and High King of the Pentarchy: Prince Brian ap Gryffyd. If it is necessary for me to leave in order for him to return, then that is what I shall do."

  "Bravo!" Dinea exclaimed spontaneously, clapping her hands. "She is absolutely right, Percamber. The important thing is to bring Brian back here as soon as possible and squash any further pretensions to the throne." She turned a serious face to Hollin. "If we can effect the transference from the crystal to the ring, can you control and sway the Council? That is the next question."

  "If Lord Percamber assents and supports me, then I can handle my fellow Houses," Hollin replied confidently.

  "And you, my husband? What say you to the duchess' proposal?"

  Hollin found herself being favoured with a singularly appraising look from Lord de Chantalcalm. She returned his stare with one of her own and was met by a warm smile she had not yet seen. "I am in agreement with Lady Hollin. She is the best answer that I can see to our dilemma. If you are willing to do this, we will offer you whatever aid we can."

  "Lord Percamber?" Hollin turned her eyes to the regent, and grandfather of the missing prince.

  His nod was abrupt, as if drawn from deep within himself. "I wish to lay down my trust and to place it in my grandson's hands. I do not like the idea of putting you in danger, but if it is your will to do this thing, and if Colin and Dinea are ready to support and aid you, then I will also do what I can for you." Hollin accepted his compliance with a gracious nod.

  "Time grows late. Let us put into effect the transference now and discuss council strategies tomorrow. If you will join me at the table?" Colin ushered them to the table, where Percamber returned the Heartstone to Hollin. "Have you ever been in an arcane trance before?" Hollin nodded. "Good. What I want you to do is to put yourself into a light trance, with the jewel as your focus. Percamber, Dinea and I will work with the crystal, controlling the energies until we can build a bridge from the crystal into the jewel. You will feel the energies from the crystal in your mind as we begin to let them flow into the jewel. I need you to control the receptivity of the jewel. Visualize an opening in the jewel allowing the energy from the crystal to flow in and be absorbed. Do you think you can manage that?"

  "Yes." Hollin took a steadying breath and then, focusing on the red gem on her hand, began the special breathing pattern that was the first step to entering an arcane trance. Before her eyes the light refracting from the jewel's exterior gradually changed until it was a light pulsing from within. Vaguely, she saw Colin, Dinea and Percamber bent over the crystal and heard their combined breathing. She brought her own attention back to the ring and lightly felt it within her own mind. She strove to maintain her balance with the jewel and to resist exploring it. The ring was warm in her hand.

  Suddenly she was aware of a brightness aimed at the ring. She tried to discern whether the brightness was physical or mental and failed. The brightness grew in intensity and she prepared her visualization. The image of an opening appeared in her mind and then was wrenched from it by the jewel itself, which sent out its own energy to retrieve what was being aimed at it. The intensity of the ring's reaction startled Hollin and threw her out of the trance. As she put her hand on the table to steady herself, she saw Colin and Dinea trying to balance themselves as well. The red light in the ring pulsed brilliantly and slowly subside
d. The crystal had turned cloudy with opalescence.

  "Is everyone all right?" Percamber, the only one not holding on to the table, cried out.

  "Yes, yes I think so." Colin said panting. "My dear? Your grace?" They nodded. "I've never had that happen before!" he expostulated.

  "What did happen?" Hollin inquired, straightening herself.

  "We had gathered the energy together, and Dinea and I were creating the transference bridge while Percamber stayed and held the crystal in stasis. We had not even touched the ring when its energy reached out, completed the bridge and absorbed the crystal's energies. Tell me Lady Hollin, did you pull the energies to you?"

  "No, I stayed in a light trance as you directed. It was almost as if the ring acted on its own."

  Dinea spoke up. "There are life-energies bound up with it," she noted. "The odd thing was to have it take the initiative in that way."

  "It's not just an arcane object like this crystal," Percamber reminded them. "The Heartstone is an heirloom from ancient times, perhaps even from before the Pentarchy was established, and is intimately associated with House Sandovar. Just as the House Powers are little understood, objects like this are also beyond our knowledge."

  "Lady Hollin is looking tired after tonight's activities, and all this on top of a long day's ride." Dinea observed solicitously. "I propose that we leave off tonight and begin again tomorrow."

  "Quite right," her husband chimed in. "We have had a most interesting evening but it is time to bring it to an end. When you have rested, Lady Hollin, you may want to begin working with the ring. I suggest that you start with light trances similar to the one you used tonight. If you have questions or run into problems, send for one of us to help you. In the meantime, I will do some research of my own, to see if anything pertinent is recorded about this ring in the archives."