Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

ROLAND

A woman in a deep purple robe swept down the room towards him, accompanied by a flock of attendants. For a moment Roland sat as still as possible, just staring, because next to his queen and beloved, this figure was frankly the most beautiful creature he had ever set eyes on. His own age, perhaps, but certainly no older, she had an ageless quality to her face and movement, her dark brown hair swept up to accentuate her long neck and her soft golden skin. She wore academic robes of office, he realised, but on her they looked like something someone might wear to a ball.

She stole his breath. And his common sense as well. For a moment he couldn’t think.

What kind of old goat have you turned into? Elodie laughed in the back of his mind and he almost flinched, as if she had whispered it from right behind him, as if he could feel her breath on the skin of his neck. Roland shook himself back to sense.

Tobias shifted uncomfortably as the woman approached and Roland thought for a moment he’d hoped to avoid her. Or feared she had overheard whatever he had been about to say.

All around them ripples of conflict seemed to flow out from their table. Vivienne and Tobias suddenly seemed uniquely vulnerable here, as other eyes turned on them, hostile.

Vivienne shrank back in her seat, whatever she had been offering Roland hidden now, and Olivier bristled with sudden concern as well. Anselm just stared, his expression positively hostile, which…which was not like him at all.

Knights operated on instincts more often than not. Roland had taught them to trust them. Clearly their instincts were saying something very different from his.

They didn’t know any more than what Tobias had told them. He could have been lying, Roland knew that. And Vivienne was handing out witchkind-made charms like favours. Those could do all sorts of strange things to a man. Were his men already compromised?

No, not the two of them. Roland took a deep breath, steadying himself. He needed to be calm, he needed to think.

‘Chancellor,’ Tobias murmured, and rose to his feet before bowing low. Roland could see the tightening of his shoulders as he indicated Roland. So Roland fell back on generations of chivalric tradition and rose to his feet too. The knights followed suit. Training always won out. ‘My lady, I have the honour to present Roland de Silvius, Grandmaster of the Knights of the Aurum. Grandmaster, I present our chancellor, Lady Alouette Butlier.’

The woman raised one perfect eyebrow and pursed her lips. ‘I’m sure we know who each other are, Tobias,’ she murmured with a voice like music.

Tobias spluttered out an apology of some kind but Roland wasn’t listening to him. How could he when looking at her? She captured his attention and held it like a falconer with the jesses. A fascinating woman, one of power and nobility, strength radiating from her, along with her beauty. He almost felt dizzy just looking at her.

‘By reputation alone,’ he replied, as graciously as he could. It was a lie, but he prayed she wouldn’t see through it. He didn’t know her name. He’d never heard it before and yet knew that had to be some kind of dreadful oversight on his part. How could he have never heard of her? He couldn’t let her know. He couldn’t bear to disappoint her like that. ‘And I regret that we have not had the opportunity to meet before now.’

Alouette smiled, her eyes sparkling like amber catching the light. ‘Indeed, and would that it was under more pleasant circumstances. Our College is not what once it was and our hospitality lacking. But all that will be amended soon.’

‘We’ve had nothing but the finest hospitality and much needed aid,’ he told her. He wanted to compliment Vambray but somehow the words just seemed to die on his lips.

‘From Tobias?’ she laughed and all around them others joined in. It was cruel, mocking, and Roland straightened with a flash of indignation. ‘Oh I’m sure he meant well but he’s so caught up in his old books, aren’t you, Tobias? And he has many duties to attend to. No, I will show you our true hospitality, Grandmaster.’

Vivienne flinched as Roland stepped forward, grateful for the chancellor’s welcome. He heard her whisper something to Anselm, but couldn’t make it out.

Alouette heard it too and glared at the younger woman as her hand snaked around Roland’s arm, almost daring her to intervene.

‘Come, Grandmaster, join me. We have much to discuss, you and I. Your companions may take their ease. Our hospitality is theirs to enjoy. Vivienne, you can take care of that, can’t you? Or should I have someone else do it? You have to be useful for something.’

Vivienne nodded, defeated. ‘Yes, chancellor. As you wish.’

Anselm cleared his throat meaningfully and Roland glanced at him, more than a little irritated by the interruption. What did the boy want?

But Anselm wore an expression like stone and there was concern in the depths of his eyes. Even Roland could read that. Instincts, something in the back of his mind reminded him again. Trust their instincts as your own.

‘Speak, Anselm,’ he rumbled, letting his own voice be the warning. If this was some whim of his…

But Anselm never acted on whims. Roland knew that and the thought gave him pause.

‘I should stay with you, Grandmaster. It is my duty and my vow as knight-at-arms.’

Again something niggled at the edges of Roland’s conscious mind, something uncomfortable. He waved a dismissive hand. Better to let Anselm have his way. Otherwise he’d just find some means to sneak in and eavesdrop. Roland knew that all too well. ‘Very well.’

If Alouette was unhappy with that she didn’t show it, although there was some murmuring among her many attendants. A mixture of men and women, Roland realised, and a mixture of ages, though they all gazed at her with a kind of rapt adoration which was unsettling. He studied a few of the faces, and then glanced back to Anselm who had his jaw set in concerned concentration.

‘Please, join me, Grandmaster,’ Alouette said softly. She tightened her delicate hand on his arm and Roland instantly forgot about anyone else in that vast chamber.