Inheritance by Simon Brown Read Free Book Online

Realms, returns from an embassy to he Majesty’s realm of Hume.”
    “Then let him come to me,” Usharna answered formally The sergeant returned to the entrance and called out Berayma’s name and title. Usharna’s eldest son appeared at the entrance. Tall and wide-shouldered, dark-haired, stern-faced, and erect, he looked splendid in his fine woolen clothes and fur coat. He started the long walk, led by the sergeant and followed by the small retinue he had taken with him to Hume. When he reached the dais, he and his followers bowed low.
    “Your Majesty, I bring word from your loyal subject. Queen Charion of Hume. She sends her greetings and devotion.”
    “I am much pleased to hear it,” Usharna replied. “Anc much pleased to see you safely returned. Take your place, my son.”
    Berayma bowed again and mounted the dais, taking a position on the queen’s right-hand side, above his siblings. His retinue dispersed.
    “Court Sergeant, do I have any other visitors?”
    “Two applicants, your Majesty, awaiting your pleasure.”
    “Then let them come to me.”
    For the next hour, the queen and her court listened to the appeals of two applicants, the first a minor nobleman asking for the return of some land taken from his father during the Slaver War for taking sides against the throne. The queen asked what else his father had lost.
    “His head, your Majesty,” the son replied.
    “And who holds this land?” she asked.
    “Yourself, your Majesty.”
    The queen asked Harnan the secretary if any wrongs had been recorded against the son, and being told there were none, announced that the nobleman should not inherit the crimes of his father, and returned the land. Harnan officially recorded the decision. The nobleman thanked the queen for her wisdom and generosity, and quickly departed.
    The second applicant was a merchant from Aman, who declared in a longwinded speech that some of Ushama’s officials were blocking his trade from reaching the city of Kendra.
    “On what grounds?” Usharna asked.
    “On the grounds that I am an Amanite, your Majesty,” he replied.
    The queen looked sideways at her Amanite chancellor, but Orkid was stonefaced. The queen promised that she would look into the matter, declaring that every member of the kingdom, whether from Kendra or Aman or distant Hume, had equal access to the capital’s markets, and again nodded to Harnan Beresard.
    The queen ended the session by rising from the throne. The formalities over, everyone visibly relaxed and started to mingle and talk. The throne room was instantly filled with the low and incessant babble of a hundred, gossiping voices.
    Berayma approached the queen and said in a low, urgent voice: “I have been told that you used one of the Keys of Power last night.”
    “You are well informed,” Usharna said.
    “Everyone is talking about it!” Berayma declared.
    “I was being gently sarcastic, my son. I wish to God you would develop a sense of humor.”
    “There is nothing funny about what happened, your Majesty. You are old and weak and—”
    Usharna glared at him. “Too old and weak to rule, you mean?”
    There was a hush among those on the dais. All eyes were on Berayma. His face flushed. “No! That is not what I meant at all, but that if you use the Keys, you will exhaust yourself—”
    “Enough, Berayma,” Usharna said harshly. “I am the queen, and the Keys of Power are my instruments, to be used at the right time and in the right place and for the right purpose. If I did not use them thus, I would not deserve to wear my crown.”
    “But, mother, to save the life of a drunk cripple!”
    It was Usharna’s turn to flush, but in anger. “This man you speak of was captain of the Kendra Spears during the Slaver War. He served me faithfully and paid dearly for it. He was dying from a wound inflicted on him by doing me another great service…”
    Berayma turned on Lynan. “By saving
him
from petty bandits—”
    “By saving your