The Worlds of Katherine Kurtz

If Loris was a saint, Attilla the Hun was an angel. Definitely not in favor of return of the custodes to power

This has a scary sound. What are you up to bynw?

It was already late in the night. The lord had retired to the bedchamber with his lady wife some hours ago and had left explicit instructions not to be disturbed unless the need was dire.

The knock on the thick oak door becomes louder and louder with the persistent pounding and calling out.

He couldn't stand it any longer. Gingerly he kissed his wife before getting out of bed, wrapping himself in some sleeping furs to keep himself modest.

Reaching the door he mutters to himself that this better be important or someone's head will be on a spike at sunrise. He shoots the bolt back.

Outside his bedchamber there is a much older man. Dressed in the robes of a scholar. He has placed a lantern at his feet and holds up a piece of parchment in his ink stained fingers.

"We have found them!" he gleefully exclaims while waving the parchment to and fro.

The lord snatches the parchment from the old man's fingers.

"Found who?" He barks without waiting for an answer and scans the document.

The scholar bows at the neck before his lord.

"Beggin' your pardon for the late disturbance m'lord."

As the lord reads the missive in the dim light a smile comes to his face. "No spikes today." He muses quietly to himself.

Looking up at the old man.

"You are certain this is accurate?"

"Without a doubt m'Lord"

"Good."

With a quick far away glace, and the practice and training of a Deryni High Lord, he sends a mental call to his chamberlain.

Handing the parchment back he orders the scholar to double check it to ensure there are no mistakes. And waves the man off while closing the door.

Instead of returning to bed he dresses himself by handfire and gently tells his wife that matters of urgency are at hand.

He prepares himself for what is to come.

Quote from: Jerusha on April 02, 2024, 12:14:47 PMSAINT LORIS? 

This must be an alternate universe!

No. Same universe as the rest of Ghosts of the Past. A martyred Bishop is always a good choice for a Saint.

Teee heee

SAINT LORIS? 

This must be an alternate universe!

"We have sat idle too long and have done nothing while the Deryni menace continues to grow unchecked."

"We should have stamped it long ago when Cinhil's sons were yet babes. But now the entire Haldane line is suspect."

"The Deryni taint is everywhere in Rhemuth, and even worse, it has filled the Church with it's wickedness."

"Saint Loris was right. A Human needs to be raised up as King in Gwynedd. And the Church needs to be freed of this blasphemous evil that corrupts it from within."

Several men in black cassocks continue to listen to one dressed in Ecclesiastical purple spit out venomous condemnations of the Deryni.

"They no longer use our wine for ordinations. And it has become difficult to incorporate into the storehouses of the cathedrals. When they find it. They pour it out and use their own. Blasphemy! Blasphemy of the highest order."

"At least no Deryni spy will ever become a Custodes, our sacramental wine will continue to ensure that fact."

"But we must act. God has given us this charge and we have failed Him. We must repent of our failures and act before it is too late to save Gwynedd."

Let us hope the young knights are not far away if there is trouble to be had. Speaking of trouble: Poetry? How the heck is Wash suppose to compose poetry for his beloved? LOL,  I can see many, many scribbled on parchments crumpled on the floor of his room.  Why of why had someone whispered in his ear that young ladies like Poetry.

Love it DFK. I would love to know where this goes from here.

Well done!

Changes: Chapter 4: Fiona Investigates

It was late afternoon and Fiona was sitting at a table in the students' solar staring out the window before her at the sunny garden. Her elbows were on the table, her chin supported by her cupped hands. She appeared to be deep in thought. She sighed as she considered the paths opening before her, some of which she had not even considered when she entered the Schola. Now her time as a student was coming to an end, and there were choices to be made.

When she had left her uncle's manor to warn the king of treachery being planned against him, she had given no thought to what she would do once that objective had been accomplished. So many things had happened since then, but her primary goal for several years had been to gain admission to the King's Schola and learn about her Deryni powers and how to use them wisely. She had remained fiercely focused on achieving this. She had now reached her goal and was graduating. The main problem now occupying her mind was "what next".

Uncle Mac and Aunt Olivia wanted her to return home to their manor and to reside there until her future was decided. This idea did not suit Fiona at all. She loved them but she was not prepared to sit and wait while others decided her future. She had taken her future into her own hands before, and she was not prepared to surrender control of it now.

There were several possibilities before her. Queen Araxie had broached the possibility of Fiona becoming one of her ladies-in-waiting. Fiona had great respect and affection for the queen who had been most understanding and supportive throughout her stay in Rhemuth, and she was very aware what an honor it was to be a lady-in-waiting to the queen. But she could not feel that this role best suited her talents. She often had difficulty observing the rather strict decorum demanded at court and had been known to get into trouble on this account.

Fiona had done very well in her Schola studies and was highly thought of by her tutors and instructors. She was one of their top students. She also worked well with the younger students, especially those newly admitted. She excelled at setting them at ease and helping them as they began their learning journey. Based on their observations of her teaching and her ability to gain rapport with students, she had been asked to become an instructor in the Schola. They had need of teachers with her abilities. She had given it much thought. She enjoyed teaching and found her contributions to the development of the students very rewarding. But she was not sure this was the direction she should take.

Then there was Lord Washburn. She was aware that many at court had assumed that upon completion of her studies she and Washburn would marry. Indeed, she had expected their betrothal to follow quickly on her graduation. He had received permission from Earl Iain to court her but their meetings had not been as frequent nor had they lasted as long as she had expected. Wash had been much occupied with rebuilding the manor granted him by the king and establishing the healing center there. His letters had focused more and more on his work and seemed to contain less and less of his feelings for her. She had begun to wonder if his feelings for her were fading.  She sighed.
                                                                                                                                                                   
She thought back to the first time she had seen him riding into the stableyard of her uncle's manor, a handsome blond knight on a great black warhorse. She remembered how she had said to herself that maybe dreams did come true after all. They had been through much since then, and she had come to care deeply for him. When they had finally been able to meet alone together to talk, he had assured her that his feelings for her, rather than diminishing, had grown deeper. He had spoken of his regret that he had done such a poor job of telling her of his love for her. He had been on his knee before her beginning what she was sure was a proposal of marriage but they had been interrupted by a page summoning him urgently to attend the king. Now a betrothal had been placed on hold by the king out of concern for a threat caused by the presence of a known spy at court. Until it was known what information he was collecting, why and for whom, he represented a potential danger both to Wash and to her.

Fiona was so deep in thought that she failed to hear a soft knock on the door. When a second knock elicited no response, the door opened and Lady Isla peeked around it, surveying the room.

"Fiona, may I join you? I have been searching for you. I am hoping we can talk." She smiled as Fiona turned her head to see who had entered the room.

"Of course you can join me. I always look forward to our time together." Fiona smiled back at her friend.

Isla took a seat next to Fiona who turned to face her.. "What is it you wish to talk about? Is there a problem?"

"I am concerned about you. I know you have been worried about  Washburn and his intentions toward you. I certainly do not think that he has fallen out of love with you as you feared. I have seen how he looks at you and I think he is besotted with you. I thought we would hear that he was asking for your hand in marriage and that a betrothal ceremony is being planned. But nothing has been announced. Has something happened? What has gone wrong?"

Fiona frowned a little, considering how much she could safely tell her friend. She knew that Kelson did not want news of a spy at court to spread. If repeated, it would fly around court like wildfire. She took Isla's hand in hers and squeezed it gently. "I thank you for being concerned about me. A problem has arisen that has led the king to put a hold on any formal betrothal between myself and Washburn for the time being."

"What problem? Washburn is not in trouble with the King is he? Surely he has not done anything to lead the king to delay your betrothal. It's not involvement with another woman here at court is it? No, it certainly can't be that. When would he have had time to dally with another woman?  What other action could have aroused the King's concern? Did he think that betrothal and marriage would distract Wash, leading to delays in completion of the Healing Center?"

"No, it is nothing like that. As you noted, he has had no opportunity for dalliance and he assures me that his feelings for me are stronger than ever.  It is another matter entirely, but I am not free to talk about it .  What about you and Prince Nivelon? I was not very receptive to his attention. I believe that Sir Washburn's rather strong responses to his attentions to me may have caused him to reconsider. After all, he may have found Wash's reputation as a warrior intimidating and he seems to have abandoned any pursuit of me as a possible future wife.  I have noticed that the Prince has been distributing his favors among several other ladies here at court. Lately he has singled you out, spending more time with you and directing more attention to you. How do you feel about him? Has he found more favor with you as a possible suitor?"

There was a pause then Isla replied. "I'm not sure. He can be very amusing but sometimes, when he is addressing me, I feel that his real attention is elsewhere. At first I thought it was a different lady but now I just don't know.  Sometimes I almost think the hunt for a Deryni wife is a smokescreen not his real purpose or at least not his main purpose for being here.  He can be very arrogant and boastful at times, then he can also be very sweet at other times. I'm not sure which is the real Nivelon. If he is serious about finding a wife, he is not going about it the right way. Ladies do not want to spend time sitting in a garden while their suitor talks about weapons and defense alliances. You would think a gentleman looking for love or romance would know at least a little poetry or some courtly phrases but he does not employ any. I'm not sure what to make of him."

Fiona remained quiet for several minutes, her brow furrowed, then she  spoke. "I am going to tell you something that must remain in strict confidence. You must not repeat it to anyone. But it may be that you can help us solve the problem that has led the king to delay my betrothal."

Isla looked at her friend, her eyes huge, "I won't breathe a word." she said.

Fiona took a deep breath. "The King has discovered that there is a known spy here in his court. No one knows what information he is seeking or whom he serves. One of the possibilities is that he is seeking information about Washburn for the man behind his kidnapping. That man could be  planning another attempt to capture him, and information as to his exact whereabouts and position at court could be useful to this man. There is danger for Wash if this should be true and, if I am known to be betrothed to him, danger for me as well. They could try to use me to get at Wash. It was tried once before, at Arx Fidei at Bishop Arilan's funeral and could easily have succeeded. That is why permission for the betrothal has been denied for now. The only way to resolve this is to discover his true identity and what his purpose is here."

Isla eyed Fiona with concern. "How can we do that?"

Fiona replied. "The man who has been identified as a known spy from the time of the Mearan Rebellion is new to court, a merchant offering high quality weapons such as swords and daggers to the knights, squires and other fighting men here at court. Certainly they would be valuable sources of information for him. But I believe there is another possibility".

"Who?"

"Prince Nivelon."

Isla gasped. "Why would you think it might be him? Why would a crown prince be acting as a spy?"

Fiona wrinkled her brow. "I think he is acting for himself not for another.Think about his behavior. He is supposed to be seeking a wife, but how much time or effort has he really expended in such an effort? He seemed interested in me for a  time but he has now shifted his attention to you and one of the other senior students at the Schola and even that effort is not as focused or intense as I would have expected. And he has spent more time with the weapons merchant than I would have expected of someone with only a casual interest in his wares. I have heard that he placed orders for several swords and urged the merchant to travel to Vezaire to fit the weapons to their prospective owners.  Why would he be arming a number of fighting men in Vezaire?"

Isla frowned. "What do you think his intentions are? "

"I don't know. That is what we need to find out."

"But how?"

"I have seen him sitting with you at meals and walking with you in the garden. Get him talking, especially about himself and his plans. Flatter him. He has a very high opinion of himself and I am sure he would let slip some important information that we could give to the king. Any intelligence that we can provide that will help determine what exactly he is up to would be very helpful." Fiona reached out and squeezed Isla's hand.

Isla was silent for several minutes, then she looked  at Fiona with determination. "I"ll do it." she declared. "I can start right away. I have already agreed to join him in the garden after the evening meal, I will let you know what I learn. I really want to help. " Isla looked at her friend intently then rose and turned toward the door.

Fiona also rose from her seat. "I need to meet Lady Annabell for the noon meal, Will you join us?"

 Lady Isla nodded with a smile and the two young ladies left the solar together with their plan in place to help unmask the spy.

Thanks for sharing TM.  Always interesting to read the comments.