Page 37 of Valdemar

There was a tinkling of laughter in Kordas’s mind. Before he could react to that, a coalescence of whirling blue leaflike motes blew in, twisted a few times around the elder’s hands, pulled up, and settled before them as a misty, humanoid form, whose most salient feature was a pair of enormous blue eyes.

Kordas didn’t even wonder which vrondi this was. He felt it. “Ivy!” he exclaimed with delight and surprise.

:Hello, Kordas, King and Liberator,:the vrondi greeted him. :It is good to speak with you again.:

He blushed and stammered a little. “Just Kordas to you, my friend. No need for titles and that nonsense between us.”

:This makes me happy,:the vrondi said. :But Sai would not have called me for simple pleasantries. Nor would he have given me this much power just to learn if you were being less than truthful about something to him. So?:

He could not help but marvel at how much the vrondi had changed. Ivy no longer spoke of herself as a non-entity, as “this one.” She had learned from them all, and he was glad to see it.

“So . . . obviously this . . . place . . . that we’re in . . . it’s—” He wasn’t sure how to word what he wanted to know.

:Not natural, no. But transmuted. By greater power than you or I. A gift, I think, made from something else. Completely, so no trace is left. A gift that is made safe for the recipient to accept.:The vrondi sounded very sure of that, and given Ivy’s experience with inimical magic, and her nature as an Air Elemental, he was inclined to trust her judgment. :Such transmutation is unusual, but not unheard of, for the sake of those whom the Great Ones favor. Both Air and Earth owe you a debt, and that is no small accomplishment. So accept and be grateful and do not burden your heart with too many questions. Answers will come.:

“Sai thinks we should put a kind of neutral chapel or temple here,” he told Ivy. “Something that is open to any and all.”

:I think that would be pleasing,: said the vrondi. There was a long pause, as if Ivy was trying to figure out a way to say something without saying it. :I think that would show respect.:

Sai nodded, as if to say, “Well, there it is,” which was also what Kordas thought. “Seems definitive to me,” Sai said. “Jonaton is packing up, so I think we’re done here. If you want to stay here and catch up with our old friend, I have a budding Bard to attend to.”

For a moment, Kordas was overwhelmed by all the things that needed doing. He had meetings, he had business with Restil. He had—

But—

But—

I’m the King. And surely the King can be allowed a few moments to catch up with an old friend. I wish this was Rose . . . but Ivy was as much of a friend to me as she was. I wonder where Rose is now? Maybe Ivy will know.

“I think that’s a fine idea, Sai. Thank everyone for me,” he said. “Let Beltran know where I am and what I’m doing.”

Sai replied, “The longer you’re King, the more valuable moments like this are. Try not to miss them. Be well, Ivy.”

Kordas settled down into the grass as Sai strolled out. “So, Ivy, how is the free life suiting you?”

• • •

For once, Kordas got absolutely no objection from any of his Council. They all thought that a “neutral” temple out in the field was a fine idea. No one objected to it being in a horse pasture. “After all,” the Seneschal remarked sagely, “some people can get a little . . . enthusiastic when they worship. A little distance from the Palace is no bad thing.”

Everyone nodded . . . because everyone had been awakened at least once at dawn by Lord Niel’s family and retainers singing chants to Eeron, the Forge-Father. Loudly. And . . . not one of them could carry a tune in a basket. Apparently, the Forge-Father had a tin ear, no doubt from His holy hammering.

“I think,” the Lord Exchequer said portentously, “that it would be both appropriate and pious for the Crown to cover all costs. And given that, it would also be appropriate for the Crown to dictate the design.”

The two priests—of the rotating group that shared two Council spots—looked a little disappointed, but nodded their agreement. The Lord Exchequer smiled, knowing that this meant he would dictate the budget, and that the chapel in question would be as austere as he could make it.

And there’s nothing keeping the various religions from donating their own decorations, either,Kordas realized. I’ll insist on keeping the altar area bare of anything that can’t be easily moved . . . but that’s not a diplomatic thing to say out loud, so that will go into the design. Note to self: make sure there is a good storage annex attached to keep everyone’s panoply tidily packed away.

The meeting concluded satisfactorily and early, and Restil moved through the crowd until he got to his father. “What brought this sudden burst of piety about?” he asked his father quietly, as they left the Chamber and headed to the Great Hall to eat. “It can’t be your aversion to the sacred chants to the Forge Lord.”

Kordas wasn’t looking at Restil at first, occupied in thought. Valdemar has changed with this crowning, and there’s only ever going to be so much time to handle it all. So any time for yourself has to be stolen from that.

“Let’s get our lunch to take with us,” Kordas said instead. “I’d rather show you. The Old Men already know about this; Sai was the one to show me. Jonaton took its measure, and I’d like your impressions without prejudice.”

When he didn’t say anything more, Restil cocked his head to one side. “Your silence speaks volumes,” he said. “All right. Rothas has lessons with Koto after lunch anyway. Koto thinks he might be on the track of a way to banish that curse, by the way, but it’s going to be complicated.”

“Everything always is,” Kordas sighed.

Rather than collecting food themselves, Kordas availed himself of the privileges of rank and sent a page for it, waiting until the youngling appeared with his brimming basket before he led his son out into the sunlight.