Rise of the Storm

16 Gwynneth

Unable to sit still, Gwynneth paced in front of the bank of windows, reading Arryk's letter with mounting excitement.

"Avaron," she said to her lady-in-waiting, "Please go to Prince Kendryk's study and tell him I must speak with him urgently."

He'd be busy with everyday work, but this was important, coming on the heels of the message from Helvundala. Avaron bustled out the door, and Gwynneth went back to her desk.

"Linette, where is Prince Falk's letter?" she shuffled through a stack of papers, most of them copies of letters she'd sent out in the past week.

"It's right here, Your Grace." Linette handed Gwynneth the sheet she'd been holding.

Gwynneth took it and went to the door. "Keep working on those copies, I'll be back after speaking with the prince."

Kendryk rose from his desk as she entered. "Is it bad news?" It was unusual for her to barge in on him. Most things could be discussed during their afternoon ride.

"On the contrary." She could not hold back a smile. "I've received two very interesting letters today."

"Tell me." Kendryk followed her to a window seat and settled in next to her.

Gwynneth handed him Prince Falk's letter first. "I always thought he'd be your strongest supporter."

"Well, considering he's married to Aunt Rheda, I would expect that. In fact, I'd rather hoped he'd have a troublesome cleric of his own and be the first to make a fuss."

He said it with a laugh, but Gwynneth could tell he wasn't joking. He scanned the letter, then looked up.

"What else?"

Gwynneth handed him the other one.

"Your brother is quite enthusiastic." Kendryk's tone was not. "But it's been a long time since Norovaea had to contend with the empire in any real way. And their Temple has been independent of Forli for a long time." He put the letter down on a little table. "They are both very kind to be so supportive, but I'm afraid I don't understand what's so urgent."

"Don't you see?" Gwynneth tried to keep her impatience in check. "I think this is the sign you've been waiting for. Both of these supportive letters from powerful men, arriving the same morning." She knew Kendryk had been spending hours every day in the Birkenhof chapel, praying for an answer to the Landrus problem.

Kendryk smiled. "That isn't quite what I had in mind. For one, Prince Falk has made no concrete commitment, and as for your brother, well, he's not in a position to dictate Norovaea's policy, is he?"

"Not yet," Gwynneth admitted. "Papa is being dreadfully stubborn, refusing to let Arryk do more for him since he's so ill, but he values his opinion."

"I'm sure he does. But I doubt he will promise troops or money based on Arryk's opinion. Nor would I want him to."

"What do you mean, you don't want him to? Wasn't the whole point of marrying me to get a powerful ally like Papa?"

Kendryk laughed and squeezed her knee. "The whole point of marrying you, darling, was because I loved you, and I wanted a family. I didn't care who your father was. In fact, your rather exalted position made my suit difficult, as you recall."

Gwynneth dimpled and squeezed his hand. "I was just teasing, of course. But now you have such a powerful father-in-law, you might as well make use of him." She wasn't about to give up.

"I'm sorry love, I don't agree. I'm sure your father has no interest in getting involved in our affairs. Besides, I would hate for it to look like I'm acting on behalf of a foreign power. These problems are between Kronland and the empire, and we should try to resolve them amongst ourselves."

"I suppose you're right," Gwynneth sighed. "Still, you can't deny it's very interesting that both these letters arrived at the same time."

"There's nothing magical about it," Kendryk said. "The letters from Helvundala get put on the same boat that brings the mail from Norovaea. It would've been strange if they'd arrived at different times."

"You're no help at all." Gwynneth pretended to pout. Of course, she believed in signs from the gods far less than Kendryk did. Truth be told, she thought he was wasting his time with all of that praying, but she would never say so. She'd always found Kendryk's piety amusing, but it suited his sweet and earnest demeanor in a most attractive way. Besides, he never let it detract from his reason. Not until now, at least.

"So what shall we do now?" She kept her tone light, hoping it masked her irritation.

"We wait." Kendryk's grin meant she hadn't succeeded. He knew her too well. "It's only been a week. But as yet, Julia hasn't made a move. If she doesn't, I'm inclined to let Landrus continue while we see if his teachings crop up anywhere else in Terragand, or Kronland."

"I've asked all of my Temple contacts to write to me if anyone else says something interesting. Still, I hate for you to miss the opportunity to take the leadership role in this. Just imagine if the Kronland temples could break away from Forli because of what you did. You would be a hero."

"I don't feel like a hero." Kendryk shook his head, still smiling. "In fact, I'm probably a coward for not wanting to give the empress an excuse to march all over Terragand and return to Atlona with my head."

"I'm certain she would not respond as she has in Moralta. She doesn't have the authority, and she would have to get through southern Kronland first."

"I doubt they'd resist. Princess Zelenka worships at the Inferrara shrine and thinks that Teodora is Vica in human form."

"Now you're just being ridiculous." Although Gwynneth had to admit that he was right about Princess Zelenka, who was the most dreadful pious bore. She probably would let Teodora march straight through her lands and feast her every evening.

"No more than you are." Kendryk took both her hands in his. "Listen darling, I do appreciate all of your work, and your brother's support. I just don't know enough to do anything yet."

"Will you ever?"

"I'm sure I will. In any event, I'd like to speak to Landrus again so he can explain more to me."

"I wonder why you trust him after speaking with him just once, and yet you refuse to defend him."

"I haven't said that. Now that my uncle can't act, he might not need a defender. I don't want to cause a problem that doesn't exists. Besides, I'm not asking you to trust Landrus. I'm asking you to trust me."

Naturally, when he looked at her so intently with his large, dewy eyes, she found it hard to argue with him, let alone be angry.

"Of course I trust you." She squeezed his hands in return. "I know you'll do what is best."