Читать книгу The Hopes of Kings - Steve Reilly - Страница 8

Chapter 1

The day dawned clear and fresh and the soft breeze drifting through the window brought with it the sounds and smells of the city.

The sweet scent of streets spotted with rubbish dressed in the delicate aroma of emptied chamber pots assaulted his senses, while inside, the early sun speared through the window to dance on the fragrant air in the room. The clumping of horses walking along the compacted earth streets, the rattle of wooden wheels on others of cobblestones and the smoke of cooking fires being stoked for morning meals all helped rouse Xavier from his deep slumber.

He lay in his bed, taking in the feeling of the new day and enjoying the peace that had recently found him. In all his life he had never been so happy. Thoughts of his childhood, being beaten by his drunken father, bullied by his brothers and running away to a life on the streets, came briefly back to him but he had found he could dismiss these memories easily these days.

Becoming king had helped.

He rolled over and his eyes took in the smooth lines of Beth lying still beside him, her breathing slow and steady as she slept. He drank in the sight of her shape for a few minutes before slipping quietly from the bed and rinsing his face in the white jug and bowl that waited on the dark wood table. Having refreshed himself, he walked to the window to enjoy the view out over Whitebridge.

But his peace had not always been so perfect. After leaving Redhill at the age of twelve he had been forced to live by his wits, surviving on the streets and stealing in order to eat. That was until he met Jaimz and, through him, The Society. He had seen a new life and had done as he should in proving his commitment to the cause. Soon he found himself leading a squad of militia in the hunt to eliminate the witches. But when the girl had escaped to the mountains, he thought his rise would be curtailed. The fears and doubts of his childhood returned then, to be pushed aside when his luck had followed him - He had rescued the situation when he discovered the auchs and the passage to their domain. Then, thanks once again to his efforts, The Society had taken Arenia from King Leopold.

He allowed a hint of a smile to kiss his face as he comforted himself with the knowledge that, with his skills, luck would continue to support him.

From the window he could see down the wide East Avenue with its border of elms leading visitors from the city gate to the palace. Feeding this branch were numerous narrow streets with their houses, shops and business houses fighting each other for space in the ancient capital. This was his city now, and he enjoyed the sight of it, from the chimney tops to the hidden sewers and tunnels. That is until the restlessness emerged again to drag him back down from the high pleasures of the moment.

It had been two months since his coronation, and nothing had changed. He was their king, the most powerful ruler of Arenia, but the people of the land went about their business unconcerned with who sat on the throne, as long as they were left alone to live their lives, and the tax man was not too demanding. While he knew the council treated him with suspicion, he would make them all take notice yet.

He could not understand Beth’s purpose in making him king, or her continuing support. He glanced over his shoulder as he thought of her. Behind him Beth stirred, and he waited. He listened to her rise from her rest and did not look back again as he heard her cross the room on bare feet to stand beside him in silence. Together they watched the traffic on the east avenue, the growing throng of horses, people, carts and wagons as they jockeyed for position or made their way to their many destinations. He wrapped his arm around her naked body and felt her nestle into his shoulder. Eventually Beth broke the silence of the room.

“What troubles my king’s mind?”

Last night, in a moment of sudden clarity, he saw the time had come to begin the next stage of the plan he had for his life. Recalling that moment, he felt the surge of anticipation wash over him again. He had told no one yet, but he knew what he must do. In his mind, he had planned this moment for years but Beth was a shrewd woman and he didn’t want her to see his confidence yet.

He didn’t reply. He would not allow her to know of his hopes and desires until he was sure of her motives. He preferred she see the weaknesses he presented rather than the strength he felt.

To distract her, he asked a question of his own.

“The north is quiet. Has there been any word from Jaimz?”

He knew there had been none, but wanted to set his mind for his coming words. He half listened as she told him they had received no reports from the north, but that her people were prepared to bring word as soon as it arrived. He suspected she had spies in each of the fingers of the Fist. He had been surprised when the council had encouraged his plan to build this army with its five Fingers, but the military had given him the power he needed.

Looking into her eyes, his head dropped and his shoulders slumped. His own eyes suddenly filled with the vulnerability and fear he put there.

“The Society does not grow,” he complained. “The people do not care that we now try to show them the true way. They lack the drive to be better.” His brow furrowed and he turned back to the window, as if to hide his feelings. “Our race cannot remain dominant without conviction. Why do they care so little about their own lives?”

Beth took his arms and turned him back to look up into his eyes.

“If there is anyone who can make the people care, it is you.”

Xavier smiled at her confidence and allowed his face to change. She stood close and watched the thoughts come to him.

“You are planning something,” Beth stated, very much seeming to be assuring herself more than asking. Xavier smiled again, a twisted grin that wrapped his mouth around his long, pointed nose and binding his red hair that fell on either side of his face into a frame for his eyes. The result made him look more like a dog that had pleased his master, except for his eyes, his shrewd and calculating eyes. The time had come for The Society to secure its hold on Arenia, and the world, and at the same time make him the most powerful king in all the lands. But not even Beth could be allowed to appreciate the full extent of his dreams. He must give her enough, and no more.

It was better that way.

“What have you got in mind, and more importantly, will I like it?” she asked with a frown creasing her face.

“An idea has been growing in the darkness of my mind for the last few days, and now it has come out into the light,” he told her.

This was a lie. In truth, his dream had first come to him not long after he heard Piaz speak many years ago, but then it was only a wild dream, an ambition that even he doubted could ever come to pass. But dreams provide hope and now he had the chance to make this hopes become reality. He had been carefully preparing his words.

“The time has come to take the next step. We must tell the world of the importance of the principles of the forefathers. We cannot rest if The Society is to prosper.”

He allowed the confidence to suddenly appear and waited to see her reaction.

“An idea has come to me, but to make the people understand will require much more. It will need the agreement and support of the council and the members. Can you ask the council to meet with me at noon? Trust me, I know what I am doing and you will like what I propose.”

Beth gave him a strange look and he laughed at the hint of doubt on her face.

“As I stated, trust me. I won’t let you down. I need to develop my thoughts and think now of how I will present this idea to the council and I must insist you will wait until then to hear it. But without the council, nothing can happen. Not yet, anyway. Not until they are ready.”

At his strange words, Beth gave him another curious look before nodding her trust. He had proven his abilities as a tactician and a politician as well as a soldier. She turned back to the room to dress before slipping out into the wide corridor without another word. Two guards standing either side of the door did not move or acknowledge her presence as she walked away.

Back in the room Xavier watched the movement of the city without seeing it. He had not expected Beth to murder King Arwen, or to step forward on the balcony and name him king. None of this had been discussed and, in his plan, he had expected it would be two or three years before he could attempt to take the throne.

She had unexpectedly fulfilled his first hope. Beth being a woman of action, while he knew she had her own agenda, had seen an opportunity and seized it but he wondered what role he played in her ambitions, because he would need her and her people. Much depended on the spies of The Society and she must have had more in mind than seeing The Society take the throne of Arenia because they had achieved that when they ousted Leopold and named Arwen king. He would need to watch her and, until she revealed her plans, he could not allow her to see his. But he would enjoy their time together.

He pushed the thoughts aside. This was not the time to not trust her, at least a little. He had his own dreams, and they were large enough to keep him occupied.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. In his mind he looked over a land where the people walked proudly, and praised him as their king. He saw the massive black clad armies ready to do his bidding, and the other races cower at the mention of his name.

The world had changed when The Society took control of Arenia, but it had changed again when they named him king.

He knew what it was like to live on the streets and trust his own ability to survive, and he knew the power of leadership. But more than anything else, he knew deep within himself that he was born to rule this world.