THE BLOOD OF KINGS Douglas Seacat Cover by GRZegoRZ RUtkoWski Dedication The novel has family as one of its major themes, albeit covering terrible or unlucky parents and extended attempts at fratricide. I dedicate this book to my own mother, father, and brother, none of whom resemble anyone in these pages—thankfully! Acknowledgements First and foremost I’d like to thank my editor, Darla Kennerud, for helping me transform this epic story from a rough idea into a tangible reality. I’d also like to thank Matt Wilson for his great feedback and helping me nail down a difficult and complicated outline, Matt Goetz and Zach Parker for brainstorming sessions and invaluable suggestions, and finally Mike Ryan and Cal Moore for helping eradicate a few of my pernicious mistakes. CONTENTS PROLOGUE .......................................................................................1 PART ONE CHAPTER ONE ...............................................................................53 CHAPTER TWO ..............................................................................78 CHAPTER THREE ..........................................................................86 CHAPTER FOUR ..........................................................................106 CHAPTER FIVE .............................................................................134 CHAPTER SIX ...............................................................................152 CHAPTER SEVEN .........................................................................168 CHAPTER EIGHT .........................................................................201 PART TWO CHAPTER NINE ...........................................................................213 CHAPTER TEN .............................................................................234 CHAPTER ELEVEN ......................................................................244 CHAPTER TWELVE ......................................................................259 CHAPTER THIRTEEN .................................................................274 CHAPTER FOURTEEN ................................................................291 CHAPTER FIFTEEN .....................................................................306 PART THREE CHAPTER SIXTEEN .....................................................................319 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN ..............................................................336 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN .................................................................359 CHAPTER NINETEEN .................................................................373 CHAPTER TWENTY.....................................................................383 CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE ...........................................................402 PART FOUR CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO ..........................................................416 CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE ......................................................440 CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR .........................................................448 CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE ...........................................................470 CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX ..............................................................486 CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN .......................................................500 CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT .......................................................519 EPILOGUE .....................................................................................539 PROLOGUE 591 AR, Castle Raelthorne Adeline Dunning paused as she rested her hand against the cold panel blocking the narrow corridor in front of her. Slender glass cylinders set into sconces along the wall, each filled with a faintly glowing alchemical liquid, provided only enough light to avoid tripping over her own feet, but she had no fear of the gloom. The path had become so well known to her over the last several months that she would have been able to make her way even in complete darkness. Nevertheless, her heart was pounding and she took a moment to compose herself. Not so long ago her arrival at the threshold of the king’s chambers had been an occasion for excitement and anticipation. The king’s mistress. The phrase still sent a small shiver down her spine. It had not taken long for the thrill of forbidden love to be supplanted by fear of discovery. Now that fear had transformed into something else. There were worse fates than scandal. Her left hand rose to rest upon her abdomen as she considered her earlier conversation with the apothecary. She took a breath, then smoothed her robe and pressed the switch that prompted the panel to THE BLOOD OF KINGS • DOUGLAS SEACAT slide silently to the side. The bright warm light of the room blinded her for a moment as she stepped into the king’s chambers high in Castle Raelthorne, where it loomed over the walled city of Caspia. Vinter Raelthorne IV did not turn from where he was bent over his desk. She waited, certain he knew she was there. His awareness of his surroundings could be unnerving. He wore the loose tunic and breeches he preferred before sleep, free from the armor he generally wore as well as the other aspects of his formal regalia he wore when sitting in state. His black hair was unkempt and the quill in his hand moved swiftly across the page. She knew better than to interrupt. More governance transpired in these private moments than when he sat the throne, or so he had told her. At last he turned her. “Adeline,” he said, taking her hand and pulling her closer for a brief kiss. The smile on his lips did not reach his eyes. He was clearly distracted, his mind on the papers. He had covered them with a length of folded cloth on his desk, as was his habit. She did not take offense at this, knowing he was careful and scrupulous with even his most trusted subordinates. He was a man who saw potential spies in every corner and had reason to be cautious. This was understandable—on his decisions rested the fate of the nation, and his enemies were myriad. When they retired to the bed she sought to be accommodating, to put aside all other thoughts and savor their time together, but the tension would not leave her. Though he said no words of reproach she could see his eyes darken at her lack of enthusiasm. Afterward, she did not feel comforted by his presence lying beside her. He loomed in the bed, blocking the table’s lamp, and she was cast in his shadow. Often they would speak together at such times, and 2 THE BLOOD OF KINGS • DOUGLAS SEACAT she had once treasured these moments, when his stern demeanor melted away and she saw a side of him no one else ever witnessed. This night he was disinclined to converse and she felt the silence yawning into a gulf that made her heart hammer. She rose and slipped back into her robe, as the room was cold, the night’s chill seeping through the thick walls of stone despite the layers of tapestries. She lay down again and spoke softly toward the shadow. “Do you ever wonder what it would be like to have a family?” “I have a family,” he said. His voice was soft, and she could hear a hint of humor in his tone, which encouraged her. She knew he meant his brother, though two more different siblings she could not imagine. “No,” she said, moving closer to him. “I mean a wife of your own.” She felt his body tense, but the tenor of his voice did not change. “Eventually, perhaps. There have been many prospects brought before me. None pleasing.” Adeline knew he did not say this to mollify her; that was not his way. She appreciated his truthfulness to her, though at the moment she longed for reassurance. She said, “And little children scampering about underfoot.” “In time an heir will be necessary,” he said in a measured tone. “I do not much care for children.” She felt a cold pit in her stomach. She wanted to hear something, anything, to make it go away. “You could marry whomever you wished, could you not?” “Yes,” he said. She could hear the annoyance in his voice, a warning. “Though it is an opportunity for an alliance. Marriage is a tool in the arsenal of state that should not be squandered.” 3 THE BLOOD OF KINGS • DOUGLAS SEACAT His tone was aloof, abstracted, lacking the warmth she sought. She swallowed and considered his words. Her family was of good standing, her father prosperous and useful to the king. But her blood was not noble. She’d known from the first time he had taken an interest in her that marrying Vinter would be impossible. Were her father to find out what she’d done, he would be furious at her for despoiling herself. He already had plans for her, someone lined up to whom she would be given, like a prize animal. She had avoided confronting that fact and had enjoyed being the king’s mistress. She’d felt as though she were making her life her own. A few words with the apothecary had changed everything. “For many, marriage is an act of love.” She could not stop the words from tumbling out. “You are king. No one can defy your choices. You need not marry for politics. Who would challenge you?” He pulled back and his shadow lengthened as he sat up and turned to stare down at her. She could not see his face. “Why are you asking these questions?” “What?” She felt an icy wash of dread. “It was just a flight of fancy, a game!” His entire demeanor had changed and she swallowed in fear. “Did someone put you up to this? Who have you told about us?” His questions had become more pointed, his tone more menacing. “No one! It’s our secret. Forget what I asked. It means nothing.” “Nothing?” He grabbed her arm in a vise-like grip, and she gasped in