A murmur of agreement rose up from several quarters of the room. "Really, Morvel?" Lord Barrial stood up in dissent. "The borders have been silent for a hundred years? Life must be quite idyllic over there in the east. Remind me to visit you when next I go on holiday." Several lords laughed. Lord Barrial waited for them to quiet, then continued in a more serious vein. "Unlike my very fortunate friend Lord Morvel, in my lands we still see regular raids from the north. The Eld I know are not kindly guardians of Light, but fierce and deadly enemies. Even with constant patrols and the help of the dahl'reisen, I lost more than thirty villagers last year along the Heras River-men, women, even children.”

"Grim news indeed, Lord Barrial," Queen Annoura interrupted. "But how can you be certain the raiders are Eld? Witnesses from other estates say dahl'reisen are to blame.”

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, I doubt dahl'reisen are behind the raids on my lands," he replied. "Gaelen vel Serranis himself made it very clear not two months past that he could have walked past my safeguards and murdered me or any member of my family at any time of his choosing. And he has not done so.”

"Ah, yes," she murmured. "Gaelen vel Serranis, the Dark Lord. The same Fey who once thrust this country into a cataclysmic war that nearly destroyed the world. You would have this Council believe he is some tragic, noble guardian of the north, when all evidence speaks to the contrary. I have to wonder, Lord Barrial, if your blind faith in this Fey-who by all accounts is a murderous war criminal-has anything to do with the fact that you're his kinsman?”

The news brought the lords of the Council to their feet, voices raised in outrage.

King Dorian lifted the Bell of Order from its velvet cushion and rang it forcefully. Lord Corrias snapped to attention beside the king's throne. "Silence!" he called. "By the king's command, there will be silence in the chamber.”

"Lord Barrial," Dorian commanded when the lords quieted, "please explain to the Council, as you have already explained to me, the exact nature of your kinship to Gaelen vel Serranis-a man who, I might add, is also my kinsman." He shot a look at Annoura, who arched a brow without remorse.

Lord Barrial bowed. "Thank you, sire." Turning back to address the Council at large, he said, "Her Majesty is correct. It appears Gaelen vel Serranis is indeed my kinsman. Though like our king, I am not his direct descendant. I recently discovered that a man the family archives record as Jerion Dural-whose grandson Pollis became the diBarrial from which my line descended six hundred fifty years ago-was in fact Dural vel Serranis, cousin to Lady Marissya and Gaelen vel Serranis.”

Annoura listened with only half an ear. A young clerk serving as a runner to the Council was hurrying along the perimeter of the chamber, clutching a small sealed envelope. She watched his progress from the corner of her eye. The note passed from the clerk's hands to her Master of Affairs.

"When did you learn that your ancestor was Dural vel Serranis?" Dorian prompted.

"Just a few days ago, sire.”

Lord Sebourne leapt to his feet. "Was that before or after the Fey tried to steal my son's wife, Barrial? What have you agreed to?”

"Leave my daughter out of this," Cann shot back, "and don't you dare impugn my honor or my loyalty”

"You've done that yourself! From the beginning, you've supported Fey interests over those of Celieria. What have they bribed you with? Eternal life?”

"Must a border lord of Celieria now be bribed to defend the march? I do my duty, Sebourne! What of you and your cronies? Or has the glint of Eld gold erased all hope of reason?”

Sebourne's supporters once more leapt into the fray, pointing fingers and hurling accusations. Teleos and half a dozen others jumped up to rally round Cann.

Annoura's Master of Affairs handed her the clerk's note. She cracked the seal and glanced at the three simple words scrawled on the parchment: We have him.

She glanced back at Vale, whom she'd invited to serve in place of one of her regular attendants, who'd fallen ill. He was watching her, his vivid eyes intense. He gave a faint nod.

The bell rang again. "Silence and be ordered!" This time Dorian barked the command himself. "Lords, take your seats and be silent!" When the nobles subsided into grumbling compliance, Dorian turned back to Cann. "Lord Barrial, where does your allegiance lie?”

Cann stiffened his spine. "Where it always has. With you, sire, and with Celieria.”

"Have you now or ever accepted any form of payment or reciprocity from either dahl'reisen or Fey in return for political favors?”

"Absolutely not.”

"Have you now or ever put Fey or dahl'reisen interests above those of Celieria?”

"Never, my liege. I am, first and foremost, a Lord of Celieria.”

"Lord Sebourne, since you leveled the accusation, I will ask you directly: Do you have any evidence to prove Lord Barrial is in the service of the dahl'reisen or the Fey?”

Scowling, Sebourne muttered, "No, sire.”

"Then the only thing the revelation of Lord Barrial's ancestry proves is that he and I are distant cousins. I will hear no further accusations against him without evidence. Not even by intimation." Dorian's gaze came to rest on Annoura.

She arched a brow. "Then perhaps we would be best served directing our questions to Gaelen vel Serranis, himself." She turned cold eyes on Marissya v'En Solande. "Since my guard just arrested him here in the city, in the company of Ellysetta Baristani and the Fey”