The Fireseed Wars

"Good. The Usurper has taught us much about the value of good maps. Demnos escort the Trader to Count Hythar's tent. He will be under the Count's wing until we arrive at Nythros City."

II

Duke Ruffulo was escorted into King Theovacar's private audience room by one of the King's Companions. He tried to quell the nervousness that had his stomach churning. One never knew Theovacar's mind or his moods and the farther away from his King, the safer he felt.

He had done Theovacar's work before, encouraging Prince Varrack to attack the Ros-Zarthani during their march to the north. The loss Varrack had suffered there had done much to damage the Prince's pride, although that debacle was a hill to the mountain of trouble the Prince faced now. Prince Varrack had arrived in Greffa this morning to beseech Theovacar for aid. It appeared that Great King Kalvan had taken his war into Thagnor, displacing Varrack and adding the Princedom of Thagnor to his new domain.

In an attempt to take his mind off his current situation, Ruffulo took a few minutes to study the large shell mosaic of Grefftscharr that covered one complete wall. The mosaic was over a thousand years old; the current borders of Grefftscharr were smaller. Some princedoms were no longer Grefftscharrer territories. The Princedom of Morthron had been lost five hundred years earlier in a war with Thagnor. It was now an independent princedom but it was allied with Grefftscharr.

Morthron differed from all the other city states that bordered the Sea of Aesklos in that it controlled the Erkfryn River. The Erkfryn was navigable for at least barges, making it an easy invasion route to Greffa City. Theovacar's great grandfather had negotiated a treaty of alliance with Morthron. Morthron would defend the Erkfryn corridor and give Grefftscharr unrestricted transit rights; in turn Grefftscharr would send help should Morthron be attacked.

The treaty did not prevent Grefftscharr from attacking Morthron; the King had realized that someday he might want to annex the Princedom. The last two kings of Greffa had talked about reclaiming this lost princedom, but he suspected that Theovacar was the one who would do it. If Theovacar could find a way, he would use the instability caused by the Hostigi migration to his advantage.

There was a noise, as one of the wall panels behind him slid open. Ruffulo turned and found himself face to face with his King, who was looking around warily.

"Your Majesty," he cried, bending down on one knee.

"You may rise, Duke," Theovacar said, moving forward to greet him with open palms. They touched palms and the King directed him toward a chair with his eyes.

He sat down only after Theovacar lowered himself into his own gilt chair, a smaller version of his throne. "I assume you've heard about Prince Varrack's arrival in Greffa after his loss of Thagnor."

"Yes, Your Majesty. The City is awash with the news."

"No doubt. What do the riffraff have to say about Kalvan?"

"They are amused that Kalvan has discomforted the arrogant Prince formerly of Thagnor. Others talk of Kalvan's reforms and innovations."

Theovacar's face shutdown, his fists balled. "Curse this Usurper Kalvan! Why have the gods sent him to bedevil me?"

Ruffulo realized the question was rhetorical and kept silent. He was one of those who secretly wished that some of Kalvan's reforms would wash up upon their shore; under Theovacar's reign the Kingdom's subjects were losing some of their traditional rights and freedoms. He regretted not leaving for his Dorg hideaway when he first learned that Kalvan was headed for the Middle Kingdoms.

Theovacar suddenly turned his suspicious gaze upon Ruffulo. "What do you know of the Usurper's plans?"

"Nothing, Your Majesty. I have had little contact with anyone from Hostigos."

"Well, you did business with Trader Verkan, or so my intelligencers tell me. Or were they lying?"

"No, Your Majesty, but Trader Verkan was no Hostigi but a Citizen of Grefftscharr. I did some business with the Trader, made some investments in his fireseed mill. They brought a very good return until the mill caught fire."

"Yes, I know all about the fire," Theovacar said. "The mill exploded shortly after one of Verkan's agents, the Trader Tortha, left Greffa. We were all set to claim the fireseed mill for the Throne, after Trader Verkan was declared legally dead. We believe the fire was set by Hostigi agents."

"Your Majesty, I would know nothing about that." Nor did he know whether Trader Verkan was dead, as Theovacar claimed. Verkan wouldn't be the first absent merchant to be declared dead and find his estate confiscated for Theovacar's enrichment. One of them even had the temerity to turn up later in Greffa alive; whereupon, he was arrested on trumped-up charges, put into the palace dungeon and never heard from again.

Ruffulo wouldn't wish that fate on his worst enemy, and certainly not on Trader Verkan, a man he admired. If Verkan was still alive, he hoped he was smart enough not to return to Greffa.