Demon King by Chris Bunch Read Free Book Online Page A

but the verdict is foreordained, as I said; Lord Birru was a close adviser of Chardin Sher. After Chardin Sher’s death, he withdrew to one of his estates and refused several requests by Prince Reufern to attend him here in Polycittara.”
    “That makes a man foolish,” I said. “And perhaps suicidal. But it does not make him a traitor. Is there any hard evidence to convict him?”
    “May I speak honestly?”
    “I wish you would.”
    “Lord Birru has — had — vast estates. These estates, Prince Reufern decided, would provide greater benefits for Numantia if they were in the proper hands.”
    “The hands of Prince Reufern?”
    “I believe he plans on acquiring some of them. Others will be given to certain loyal members of his court.”
    “Such as yourself?”
    Amboina colored slightly, but didn’t respond.
    “Very well,” I said, and I heard harshness in my tone. “Thank you for the gift. But I must decline it. Would you please arrange to have it withdrawn from my quarters?”
    “But I’ve already accepted it,” Marán said in surprise.
    I began to blurt something, but stopped myself. “My apologies, Landgrave,” I said. “I don’t think my wife understood the circumstances. We cannot accept this.”
    “Prince Reufern will not be pleased,” the landgrave said.
    “Since I doubt this gift was his idea, but rather your own, I would suggest, in the interests of
your
health, you not mention this incident. You should know two things, Landgrave, and know them well.” I could feel anger building, and let it. I had been controlling myself for too long around these prancing fools. “Neither my wife nor myself are looters. Also, I was appointed to this post by the emperor himself. Does that not suggest perhaps this entire scene should be forgotten, at least by you?”
    Amboina nodded jerkily, turned, made a sketchy bow to my wife, and hastened away. I went to a window and took six deep breaths.
    “How dare you,”
Marán hissed from behind me.
    That was all I could stand. I spun. “How dare I
what
, my lady?”
    “How dare you embarrass me? First you deny the name of Agramónte, which was old when your family was cutting trees for sustenance in your jungles, then you shame me personally by telling a nobleman like the landgrave you think he’s some sort of grave robber!”
    I could have responded sensibly, and explained that the landgrave had called upon me in my official position, then attempted to curry favor by calling me Agramónte. But I was tired, and I’d had enough of this nonsense.
    “Countess Agramónte,” I said, in my coldest tone. “You are the one who’s overstepping her bounds. Let me remind you of something. You have no place or duties in Kallio. You are here as my wife. No more, no less.
    “Therefore, when something like this occurs, you will have the decency to defer to the authority the emperor’s placed in me.
    “I’ll add two more things, both personal.
    “The first is how dare
you
decide something such as you did, which you aren’t stupid enough to think was done because Amboina thinks we’re the nicest people he’s ever met, but rather to draw us into the prince’s tidy little circle of bribed toadies?
    “The second is that, yes, my family may have been cutting trees in the jungle and, probably, living in them sometimes. I admit I come from soldiery not much removed from a peasant farmer.
    “But by the gods, Countess Agramónte, we are honest! Which appears to be more than can be said about some far older families, who perhaps achieved their prestige and riches as vultures!”
    Marán’s eyes blazed. “You … bastard!” She half-ran from the room.
    I started to go after her, then realized I’d said more than enough. But I was still too hot to apologize, if an apology was, indeed, called for. I stamped out and went to the battlements. I’m afraid I snarled at the sentries, no doubt making them wonder if I’d have them brought up on charges for some imagined