The Diamond Throne by David Eddings Read Free Book Online

seal. Her instructions to me are quite explicit.’ He stretched out his arm, offering the parchment to the Earl of Lenda. ‘What’s your opinion, my Lord?’
    The old man took the parchment and examined it. ‘The seal is the Queen’s,’ he confirmed, ‘and the handwriting is hers. She commands Sir Sparhawk to present himself to her immediately upon her ascension to the throne. It’s a valid royal command, my Lords.’
    ‘Let me see that,’ Annias snapped.
    Lenda passed it on down the table to him.
    The primate read the document with tightly clenched teeth. ‘It’s not even dated,’ he accused.
    ‘Excuse me, your Grace,’ Lenda pointed out, ‘but there is no legal requirement that a royal decree or command be dated. Dating is merely a convention.’
    ‘Where did you get this?’ the primate asked Sparhawk, his eyes narrowing.
    ‘I’ve had it for quite some time.’
    ‘It was obviously written before the Queen ascended the throne.’
    ‘It does appear that way, doesn’t it?’
    ‘It has no validity.’ The primate took the parchment in both hands as if he would tear it in two.
    ‘What’s the penalty for destroying a royal decree, my Lord of Lenda?’ Sparhawk asked mildly.
    ‘Death.’
    ‘I rather thought it might be. Go ahead and rip it up, Annias. I’ll be more than happy to carry out the sentence myself – just to save time and the expense of all the tiresome legal proceedings.’ His eyes locked with those of Annias. After a moment, the primate threw the parchment on the table in disgust.
    Lycheas had watched all of this with a look of growing chagrin. Then he seemed to notice something for the first time. ‘Your ring, Sir Sparhawk,’ he said in his whining voice. ‘That is your badge of office, is it not?’
    ‘In a manner of speaking, yes. Actually the ring – and the Queen’s ring – are symbolic of the link between my family and hers.’
    ‘Give it to me.’
    ‘No.’
    Lycheas’ eyes bulged. ‘I just gave you a royal command!’ he shouted.
    ‘No. It was a personal request, Lycheas. You can’t give royal commands, because you’re not the king.’
    Lycheas looked uncertainly at the primate, but Annias shook his head slightly. The pimpled young man flushed.
    ‘The Prince Regent merely wished to examine the ring, Sir Sparhawk,’ the churchman said smoothly. ‘We have sought its mate, the ring of King Aldreas, but it seems to be missing. Would you have any idea where we might find it?’
    Sparhawk spread his hands. ‘Aldreas had it on his finger when I left for Cippria,’ he replied. ‘The rings are not customarily taken off, so I assume he was still wearing it when he died.’
    ‘No. He was not.’
    ‘Perhaps the Queen has it then.’
    ‘Not so far as we’re able to determine.’
    ‘I want that other ring,’ Lycheas insisted, ‘as a symbol of my authority’
    Sparhawk looked at him, his face amused. ‘What authority?’ he asked bluntly The ring belongs to Queen Ehlana, and if someone tries to take it from her, I imagine that I’ll have to take steps.’ He suddenly felt a faint prickling of his skin. It seemed that the candles in their gold candelabras flickered slightly and the blue-draped council chamber grew perceptibly dimmer. Instantly, he began to mutter under his breath in the Styric tongue, carefully weaving the counterspell even as he searched the faces of the men sitting around the council table for the source of the rather crude attempt at magic. When he released the counterspell, he saw Annias flinch and he smiled bleakly Then he drew himself up. ‘Now,’ he said, his voice crisp, ‘let’s get down to business. Exactly what happened to King Aldreas?’
    The Earl of Lenda sighed. ‘It was the falling-sickness, Sir Sparhawk,’ he replied sadly ‘The seizures began several months ago, and they grew more and morefrequent. The King grew weaker and weaker, and finally –’ He shrugged.
    ‘He didn’t have the falling-sickness when I left Cimmura,’