The Immortal Prince by Jennifer Fallon Read Free Book Online Page A

to the other. “Don’t you people have some sort of arrangement where an officer delivers the fatal blow if an execution fails?”
    â€œYou’re thinking of military executions,” Stellan explained. “This is a civil matter. The man was hanged. It’s ugly sometimes, but it’s difficult to botch it completely. There are no alternate arrangements because they usually don’t go wrong.”
    â€œSo what happened in this case?”
    Declan picked up his brandy from the marble mantel and took a long swallow. The rain on the windows behind him had almost stopped while they were talking, Arkady noticed out of the corner of her eye.
    â€œAccording to Lakesh, his real name is Cayal and the reason he didn’t die is because he’s immortal.”
    Arkady laughed. “ Cayal, did you say? As in Cayal, the Immortal Prince ? The Prince of Tides? The legendary hero of ancient myth?” She shook her head, wondering if Declan had thought up this joke and her husband was just taking part in it to relieve the boredom. Maybe Jaxyn was behind it. It reeked of one of his pranks—except she couldn’t envisage any circumstance that might entice Declan to do Jaxyn Aranville’s bidding. “You don’t need me, Declan; you need Tilly Ponting and her blessed Tarot cards.”
    â€œI’m just as sceptical of his claims as you, Arkady,” Stellan agreed. “But this man’s no fool. He’s taken a lucky accident and turned it into a loophole.”
    â€œA loophole? But you said he’s already been tried and convicted.”
    â€œAnd he should be already dead,” Stellan agreed. “The problem we have now is that we can’t hang him again without going back to court for another execution order.”
    â€œHe’s insisting he’s a Tide Lord,” Declan added, “and he’s begging us to try again…to kill him again, that is.”
    â€œSo he’s suicidal? I wouldn’t have thought that was a major dilemma given the man is slated for execution.”
    â€œBut the state can only execute a sane man, Arkady,” Stellan pointed out. “Master Hawkes suspects—and I agree—that this sudden bout of insanity is Lakesh’s way of avoiding a second attempt. If the Caelish Ambassador gets wind of it, he’ll start insisting the man be released.”
    â€œWhy would he want a murderer released?”
    â€œBecause under Caelish law, if an execution fails a man is free to walk away with all his sins forgiven. I refuse to allow that to happen in this case. I’m certainly not going to let some Caelish wagon builder play us for fools by manipulating the law to suit himself.”
    â€œHow could he do that?”
    â€œIf he’s proved insane, we can’t execute him.”
    Arkady shrugged. “I don’t see what this has to do with me. Why not just lock him away in an asylum somewhere and be done with it? It’s not as if you’ve never done anything unjust before.”
    â€œWell, for one thing,” Stellan said with a disapproving edge to his voice, “I have no intention of letting it get about that one can escape the noose in Lebec by pretending to be crazy.”
    â€œFor another,” Declan added, “the Caelum Ambassador has been looking for an excuse to cause a diplomatic incident for almost a year—ever since the king refused the offer of a marriage between Prince Mathu and Princess Nyah. This mess is likely to give him one.”
    Arkady well remembered the incident Declan spoke of. While the idea of uniting Caelum and Glaeba in marriage had some political merit, the Crown Prince of Glaeba was a strapping young man of nineteen, who’d been more than a little disturbed at the prospect of being forced to accept an eight-year-old bride, particularly as Caelish law required proof of a consummated marriage within a month of the exchange of vows. The king had sent