Endgames

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  For Emma, who knows the distances

  CHARACTERS

  REGIAL FAMILY

  CHARYN D’REX    Rex of Solidar

  CHELIA D’LORIEN    Charyn’s mother, widow of Rex Lorien

  BHAYRN D’LORIEN    Brother of Charyn

  ALORYANA D’LORIEN    Imager and sister of Charyn

  HIGH HOLDERS

  ALMEIDA D’ALTE    L’Excelsis

  AISHFORD D’ALTE    Nordeau

  BASALYT D’ALTE    Bartolan, High Councilor

  CALKORAN D’ALTE    Vaestora, High Councilor

  CHAELTAR D’ALTE    Estisle, High Councilor

  DELCOEUR D’ALTE [FERRAND]    L’Excelsis

  FHAEDYRK D’ALTE    Dyrkholm, Head, High Holders’ Council

  FHERNON D’ALTE    L’Excelsis

  GHASPHAR D’ALTE    Nacliano

  HAEBYN D’ALTE    Piedryn

  KHUNTHAN D’ALTE    Eshtora, High Councilor

  LAEVORYN D’ALTE    L’Excelsis

  LAASTYN D’ALTE    Charpen

  MOERYN D’ALTE    Khelgror

  MEINYT D’ALTE    Alkyra

  NACRYON D’ALTE    Mantes

  NUALT D’ALTE    Barna

  OLEFSYRT D’ALTE    Noira

  OSKARYN D’ALTE    Cloisonyt

  PAELLYT D’ALTE    Sommeil

  PLESSAN D’ALTE    L’Excelsis

  REGIAL D’ALTE    Montagne, minor son of Ryentar, Charyn’s deceased uncle

  RUELYR D’ALTE    Ruile

  RYEL D’ALTE    Karyel, minor nephew of Chelia, his guardian

  SAEFFEN D’ALTE    L’Excelsis

  SHENDAEL D’ALTE    L’Excelsis

  SOUVEN D’ALTE    Dueraan

  STAENDEN D’ALTE    Tacqueville

  THYSOR D’ALTE    Extela

  THURL D’ALTE    Extela

  VAUN D’ALTE    Tilbora

  ZAERLYN D’ALTE    Rivages, brother of Maitre Alyna

  IMAGERS

  ALASTAR    Maitre D’Image

  ALYNA    Maitre D’Image, wife of Alastar

  BELSIOR    Maitre D’Structure

  CHARLINA    Maitre D’Structure

  GAELLEN    Maitre D’Structure, healer

  HOWAL    Maitre D’Aspect

  KAYLET    Maitre D’Aspect, assistant stablemaster

  LHENDYR    Maitre D’Aspect

  LYSTARA    Maitre D’Aspect, daughter of Alastar and Alyna

  MALYNA    Maitre D’Aspect, niece of Alyna

  THELIA    Maitre D’Aspect, Collegium bookkeeper

  YULLA    Maitre D’Aspect

  ISKHAR    Chorister of the Collegium

  ARION    Maitre D’Esprit, Maitre of Westisle Collegium

  SELIORA    Maitre D’Structure, Westisle, wife of Arion

  LYNZIA    Maitre D’Aspect, Westisle

  TAUREK    Maitre D’Structure, Maitre of Estisle Collegium

  CELIENA    Maitre D’Structure, Estisle

  FACTORS

  CUIPRYN D’FACTORIUS    Brass/copper

  ELTHYRD D’FACTORIUS    Timber, lumber, Chief, Factors’ Council, L’Excelsis

  ESHMAEL D’FACTORIUS    Cloth and ceramics

  ESTAFEN D’FACTORIUS    Banque D’Excelsis, ironworks

  HARLL D’FACTORIUS    Brick and stone, Factors’ Council, Montagne

  HISARIO D’FACTORIUS    Shipping, Factors’ Council, Liantiago

  JHALIOST D’FACTORIUS    Salt, coal, Factors’ Council, Khelghor

  KARL D’FACTORIUS    Coal, mining

  KATHILA D’FACTORIA    Spices, scents, and oils

  LYTHORYN D’FACTORIUS    Mining, custom minting

  ROBLEN D’FACTORIUS    Woolens and cloth

  PAERSYT D’FACTORIUS    Custom forging

  THALMYN D’FACTORIUS    Fishing, Factors’ Council, Tilbora

  WALLTYL D’FACTORIUS    Coaches, carriages, wagons

  WEEZYR D’FACTORIUS    Banque D’Aluse

  GUILDERS

  GASSEL    Master Stonemason

  ARGENTYL    Master Silversmith, head of Metalworkers’ Guild

  OTHERS

  VAELLN D’CORPS    Marshal of the Army

  MAUREK D’CORPS    Vice-Marshal

  TYNAN D’NAVIA    Sea Marshal

  CHAALT D’CORPS    Commander, Chief of Staff

  LUERRYN D’CORPS    Subcommander

  AEVIDYR D’SOLIDAR    Minister of Administration

  ALUCAR D’SOLIDAR    Minister of Finance

  SANAFRYT D’SOLIDAR    Minister of Justice

  REFAAL D’ANOMEN    Chorister, Anomen D’Excelsis

  SAERLET D’ANOMEN    Chorister, Anomen D’Rex

  PROLOGUE

  At a quint past seventh glass, on the last night of Avryl, Charyn stood at the window and looked out into the twilight sky, his eyes taking in the golden half orb of Artiema nearly overhead, and the nearly full small disc of Erion. The hunter pursuing the goddess of life and love.

  With a wry smile, he turned and departed the Rex’s sitting room, walking along the south corridor and across the landing at the top of the grand staircase and then into the small sitting room that adjoined the grand ballroom. He wore the close-fitting jacket of regial green, trimmed in silver, with silver buckles, a pale green shirt and black cravat, and black trousers. His belt was black and matched his highly polished black dress boots. None of that felt strange. He’d worn the same clothing to balls for years. The difference from what he’d worn to the Year-Turn Ball two months earlier was the addition of the gold-edged deep green formal sash that signified he was the Rex Regis of Solidar.

  In less than half a glass he would be presiding over the Spring-Turn Ball, rather than his father. He still had trouble at times believing his father was dead, shot by an assassin at the end of the Year-Turn Ball, all the result of a plot by Charyn’s own, and now-dead, uncle.

  Because Charyn was unmarried, he would escort his mother Chelia into the ball, but that presented a problem for Charyn regarding his younger brother Bhayrn, also unmarried, because Bhayrn had no one to escort, since Charyn and Bhayrn’s younger sister Aloryana had turned out to be an imager. Including her under the circumstances of the past few
months would have been seen as too great a break with tradition at present, and not having another member of the regial family would have openly revealed how few regials there remained. For that reason, Charyn and Chelia had come up with the alternative of including Charyn’s distant cousin Malyna in the family party. Although Malyna was a junior imager maitre, she had been the one to save Charyn and the rest of the regial family from the assassins. Also, since she was an imager, Charyn could not marry her, but as both a heroine and the daughter of a distinguished High Holder, her presence with the diminished regial family would create no rumors about marriage while suggesting that Charyn intended to maintain strong ties with both High Holders and the Collegium Imago.

  At least, that’s the hope, thought Charyn, as he closed the sitting room door and looked to where his brother stood beside one of the chairs, glowering, and then to his mother, who wore a gown of regial green trimmed in black.

  “You look very regial,” observed Chelia.

  “He should,” said Bhayrn sourly, walking to the sideboard that did not contain refreshments. “He’s the Rex.”

  “Bhayrn,” said Chelia firmly, but not loudly.

  “I know. I know. It’s just that I’m not looking forward to being inspected like a bargain bull, the one some High Holder’s daughter will settle for if she can’t land Charyn.”

  “Do you think it’s going to be any better for Charyn?” asked Chelia. “Any woman in her right mind is going to be wary of marrying into this family—unless she or her family are desperate. Or unless she’s truly in love with either of you.”

  “You make us sound like—”

  “Like we are?” replied Chelia. “Aren’t we? Just remember. At the last ball you were complaining that no one would pay you any attention at all.”

  “It’s … never mind.” Bhayrn flushed and looked away.

  Charyn decided to say nothing, although he definitely understood Bhayrn’s feelings, particularly since he’d had to accept the fact that he, in many ways, was more constrained by his position than was his brother. Were he Bhayrn, Charyn could have married Palenya, although it would have raised eyebrows and caused a minor scandal. Instead, she was now the musician for the Collegium, with a comfortable stipend as well. That had been all that Charyn had been able to do for all she had given him. Rather … all she would accept.

  Charyn shook his head. For the coming two glasses, he would need to dance with eligible High Holders’ daughters, as well as a few other women, all of them far older than he, as well as be cheerful, warm, and welcoming to all those at the ball.

  Just before half past the glass, the door to the sitting room opened, and Malyna entered, wearing the same gown she had worn at the Year-Turn Ball, high-necked and of a deep teal that fringed on the regial colors, confirming her relationship to the regial line. The imager maitre was barely twenty, almost petite, if too trimly muscular for that, and half a head shorter than Charyn. Her skin was a light almost unnoticeable honeyed brown, a reminder of the Pharsi forebears in both her lineage and Charyn’s. Intent black eyes fixed squarely on Charyn as she stopped a yard or so away and offered the slightest of curtseys and said, “Good evening, Rex Charyn, Lady Chelia, Lord Bhayrn.”

  “Good evening, Malyna,” replied Chelia warmly. “It’s good to see you again. I hope you can enjoy this ball.”

  Malyna smiled in return. “I’d like to … very much.”

  With Malyna’s entrance, Charyn realized again how much he missed Aloryana. You need to visit the Collegium before long.

  “How is Aloryana?” asked Chelia.

  “She’s doing well. I understand she might be a third by fall if she keeps up the way she’s been doing, almost certainly by year end. She and Lystara are getting along well.” A hint of a grin crossed her lips. “I’ve enjoyed watching them.”

  “You mean that Aloryana is acting the way Lystara did toward you when you lived in the Maitre’s house?” asked Chelia.

  “There are similarities.”

  Charyn found himself smiling as he listened.

  Before all that long, or so it seemed, the chimes sounded eighth glass, and Charyn looked to Chelia. “It’s time.”

  Within moments, Bhayrn led the way into the ballroom, escorting Malyna, while Charyn followed with his mother. Immediately, the players began the “Processional of the Rex.”

  Ahead of them, Bhayrn and Malyna took a position before the dais on which the musicians were seated, just to the left of the center. Charyn and Chelia took their place to the right. Charyn remembered to gesture, and a brief fanfare followed.

  “Maitre Alastar D’Image, Maitre Alyna D’Image,” announced the Chateau herald.

  Charyn watched as the pair who ruled the Collegium Imago approached him and the small regial group. Alastar’s once-silver-gray hair was even more streaked with white. Beside him walked Maitre Alyna, a good head shorter than her husband, an older version of Malyna, unsurprisingly, given that she was the younger maitre’s aunt. Both inclined their heads slightly. Charyn responded with an equal nod. Then the two maitres took a position a yard or so to Chelia’s left.

  Then came the High Councilors, followed by the members of the Factors’ Council of Solidar. Once the last of the factor councilors had been announced, the orchestra began to play, and Charyn turned to his mother, took her hand, and began the dance. Behind them, Bhayrn danced with Malyna.

  “You know, I never danced with Palenya,” said Charyn, to the only person to whom he could safely have said that.

  “You miss her, I know, but you’ll find someone, and a ball is a good place to start looking. Just don’t stop looking until you find someone whose presence and love is strong enough. Give it time. Even if you find the right woman tonight, you won’t be ready to commit to her for a very long time … and you shouldn’t.” Chelia smiled. “That’s all I’ll say about that.”

  “For now, that is.” Charyn gave a warm but sardonic smile.

  “Of course.”

  After the very short first dance ended, Charyn guided his mother to Bhayrn for the younger man’s dance with her. Then Charyn turned to Malyna. “Might I have the next dance?”

  “You might.”

  As they moved across the polished floor, he said, “I see that two of your uncles are here. Did Maitre Alastar have anything to do with that? Or your father?”

  “Are you asking me to divulge family secrets?”

  “Only if you’re willing. Besides…” Charyn let the words hang.

  “You’ll assume they did.” Malyna finished the thought. “With reason. Father doesn’t like to come to L’Excelsis, but he and Maitre Alastar did prevail on Uncle Calkoran to accept the position as High Councilor. I think all that they had to do was ask him if he wanted another member of the Council like your late uncle.” Malyna smiled sweetly.

  “I have to admit your uncles have a better record than mine—on either side.” Charyn didn’t even have to mention Ryentar, his father’s brother, who had willingly been the figurehead for the last High Holders’ revolt. “But then, that’s why I’ve relied on you and your family. What other advice might you have for me?”

  “One advises the Rex with great care, I’ve been told.”

  “Since you saved my life, you needn’t be so careful.”

  “What if I choose to be?”

  “That’s a good question, and I won’t press you.”

  “I told you before that if you could not change the times, you needed to change yourself. You’ve apparently done some of each. It still might not be enough.”

  “My late uncle Ryel made me well aware of that. The question is how much do I need to change.”

  “You’d know more of that than I. And, no, that’s not an equivocation or evasion.”

  “From you … I’ll accept such an answer. And from my mother, and Aloryana.”

  “You miss Palenya, don’t you?”

  That surprised Charyn. In all the time Malyna had stayed at the Chateau, she’d never mentioned Palenya e
xcept in Palenya’s capacity as Chateau musician. “Why do you say that?”

  “Because it’s true.”

  “It’s that obvious?”

  Malyna shook her head. “I’ve talked to her. She worries about you.”

  “She always did.”

  “Then don’t make her worry more. She knows it wouldn’t have worked, even if she had been able to have children.”

  “She told you to say that?” asked Charyn wryly.

  “Not in quite those words, but yes.”

  “It appears that all the women who are family,” or were that close in another way, “have decided the course of my marital future.”

  “Who else would care as much for you, and not just because Solidar desperately needs an heir?”

  “From you, I especially appreciate that.” Since Charyn really didn’t want to make small talk, he just enjoyed dancing the last moments of the first melody. Then, he guided Malyna to the dais, where, not totally surprisingly, Ferron D’Fhernon-Alte waited.

  The young High Holder heir inclined his head. “Rex Charyn, if I might ask Maitre Malyna for a dance?”

  “You need only her permission, Ferron.”

  “I’d be happy to accept, Ferron,” said Malyna.

  Charyn did not shake his head, although he had hoped Ferron would not pursue Malyna, since it would lead only to his heartbreak. He turned, looking for another partner, one who would be pleasant, but not emotionally taxing.

  Charyn moved away from the dais and his family toward the nearest young woman whose name he knew, stopping short of her father. “Good evening, High Holder Taulyn.”

  “Good evening, Rex Charyn.”

  Charyn turned. “Mistress Diasyra, might I have the pleasure of the next dance?”

  “I’d be honored, Lord Charyn.” Her voice was more assured than it had been at the previous ball.

  Charyn inclined his head, then eased Diasyra out onto the dancing area. “Did you enjoy the last ball?”

  Her first response was a slightly flustered smile. “I did, but I don’t remember that much, except that I danced with you. I hope I wasn’t an embarrassment.”