Read King's Man and Thief for Free Online

never liked for you to best me, not even in bad manners," he said drily.
     
    They were friends again. "Here," said Deveren, the bright bubble of mirth still in his voice, "let me get you a glass."
    For a time, the talk turned to topics lighter, safer, than theft or murder or espionage. The brothers talked of children, and crops, and new plays, and bardic festivals. They finished each other's sentences, laughed at each other's jokes, and drank in fraternal closeness. At last, Damir glanced at the candle, now burning low, and then outside at the lightening sky.
    "I'm going to stay here awhile, Dev, if I may," he said.
     
    "Aha, I knew there was another reason for your visit. I didn't think it was simply brotherly concern that had you rushing all the way out here."
    "It was, truly," said Damir. "But I . . . well, I'll be frank with you. Your .. . hobby might be useful. And while I'm not overly happy at your recent promotion to leader, I confess that I could use your help in that capacity."
    Deveren's eyebrows shot up.
    "If you mean what you say about helping the thieves of your city gain a little self-respect, here's an excellent chance to begin. Perhaps I shouldn't be telling you this, but..." Damir sighed. "You know of the planned marriage between our Princess Cimarys and the young prince of Mhar, Castyll?"
    "Good gods, they've been betrothed since they were in their cradles!" snorted Deveren. "Well, yes. But judging from the letters that have passed between them over the last year or so, it's developing into a love match."
     
    "You read royal love letters?"
     
    Damir looked slightly embarrassed. "It's one of my duties, yes. Anyway, Castyll sent a terse note a few days ago, terminating the betrothal."
    Deveren shrugged. "Now that his father's dead, maybe he doesn't have to pretend he's fond of Cimarys anymore." He thought of the young Byrnian princess, barely fourteen but already graced with a womanly beauty. A smile tugged at his lips. "Send him a recent portrait of Cimmy. That should bring him to his senses."
    Damir sighed. "Dev, could you be serious for once? Since King Shahil's death two months ago, a lot has happened in Mhar. A lot," he added, "that does not bode well for future relationships with Byrn."
    Deveren was listening now. Mhar lay only a few leagues to the south, barely a day's travel by ship and only three days by horse. It was the nearest major city, closer even than the closest Byrnian city. War with Mhar would be a dangerous thing for Braedon.
    "Such as?" he prompted. He leaned forward, his eyes narrowed. Had he indeed been the Fox that he was named for, his ears would have been pricked forward.
    Pleased that he had gotten his brother's full attention, Damir launched into specifics. "First of all, they haven't had a coronation for young Castyll. He's fifteen, certainly of age to take the throne. Oh, they're calling him king, all right, but it's obvious that his power exists in name only. He and King Shahil went to Ilantha to stay at the traditional summer palace. Castyll ought to have returned to the capital city of Jarmair immediately upon the death of his father—but he's staying, finishing out the season, just as if nothing's wrong. That's hardly like the boy, from what I know of him. One of his father's counselors, a rather slimy fellow named Bhakir, is regent. It looks like he's the one in charge."
    "What about the other advisors?" queried Deveren. Like Byrn, in Mhar the king's rule was tempered by a circle of "advisors" who wielded certain powers of their own. Damir smiled without humor.
    "Such sad accidents," he said in a cool, polite tone that sent shivers up Deveren's spine. "Such dreadful illnesses. We've had trouble with Bhakir in the past, and now that he's in charge we expect more. This sudden end to an engagement that would bring the countries closer together would be suspicious at any time—and it's made even more so by the, uh, clearly genuine interest these two young people seem to have