‘How exquisite!’ she cried, reaching out for it.

‘No!’ Sephrenia said sharply. ‘Don’t touch it, Ehlana! It could destroy you!’

Ehlana shrank back, her eyes wide. ‘But Sparhawk’s touching it,’ she objected.

‘It knows him. It may know you as well, but let’s not take any chances. We’ve all spent too much time and effort on you to waste it at this point.’

Sparhawk tucked the jewel back into its pouch and put it away.

‘There’s something else you should know, Ehlana,’ Sephrenia continued. ‘Bhelliom is the most powerful and precious object in the world, and Azash wants it desperately. That’s what was behind Otha’s invasion of the west five hundred years ago. Otha has Zemochs – and others – here in the west trying to find the jewel. We must deny it to him at any cost.’

‘Should we destroy it now?’ Sparhawk asked her bleakly. The question cost him a great deal of effort to say for some reason.

‘Destroy it?’ Ehlana cried, ‘but it’s so beautiful!’

‘It’s also evil,’ Sephrenia told her. She paused. ‘Perhaps evil isn’t the right term, though. It has no concept of the difference between good and evil. No, Sparhawk, let’s keep it for a while longer until we’re certain Ehlana is past any danger of a relapse. Go on with the story. Try to be brief. Your queen is still very weak.’

‘I’ll cut this short then,’ he said. He told his queen of their search of the battlefield at Lake Randera and of how they were finally able to locate Count Ghasek. The queen listened intently, almost seeming to hold her breath as he recounted the events at Lake Venne. He quickly sketched in King Wargun’s interference – though he did not use that exact word – and finally described the dreadful encounter in Ghwerig’s cave and the revelation of Flute’s real identity. ‘And that’s where things stand now, My Queen,’ he concluded. ‘King Wargun’s battling with the Rendors down in Arcium; Annias is in Chyrellos awaiting the death of Archprelate Cluvonus; and you’re back on your throne where you belong.’

‘And also newly betrothed,’ she reminded him. She was obviously not going to let him forget that. She thought for a moment. ‘And what have you done with Lycheas?’ she asked intently.

‘He’s back in the dungeon where he belongs, Your Majesty.’

‘And Harparin and that other one?’

‘The fat one’s in the dungeon with Lycheas. Harparin left us rather suddenly.’

‘You let him escape?’

Kalten shook his head. ‘No, Your Majesty. He started screaming and trying to order us out of the council chamber. Vanion got bored with all the noise and had Ulath chop off his head.’

‘How very appropriate. I want to see Lycheas.’

‘Shouldn’t you rest?’ Sparhawk asked her.

‘Not until I have a few words with my cousin.’

‘I’ll fetch him,’ Ulath said. He turned and left the room.

‘My Lord of Lenda,’ Ehlana said then, ‘will you preside over my royal council?’

‘As Your Majesty wishes,’ Lenda said with a low bow.

‘And Lord Vanion, would you also serve – when your other duties permit?’

‘I’d be honoured, Your Majesty.’

‘As my consort and champion, Sparhawk will also have a seat at the council table – and I think Sephrenia as well.’

‘I am Styric, Ehlana,’ Sephrenia pointed out. ‘Would it be wise to put a Styric on your council, given the feelings of the Elene commons about our race?’

‘I’m going to put an end to that nonsense once and for all,’ Ehlana said firmly. ‘Sparhawk, can you think of anyone else who might be useful on the council?’

He thought about it, and suddenly an idea came to him. ‘I know a man who isn’t of noble birth, Your Majesty, but he’s very clever and he understands a great deal about a side of Cimmura you probably don’t even know exists.’

‘Who is this man?’

‘His name’s Platime.’

Talen burst out laughing. ‘Have you lost your mind, Sparhawk?’ he said. ‘You’re going to let Platime into the same building with the treasury and the crown jewels?’

Ehlana looked a bit puzzled. ‘Is there some problem with this man?’ she asked.

‘Platime’s the biggest thief in Cimmura,’ Talen told her. ‘I know that for a fact because I used to work for him. He controls every thief and beggar in the city – also the swindlers, cut-throats and whores.’

‘Watch your language, young man!’ Kurik barked.

‘I’ve heard the term before, Kurik,’ Ehlana said calmly. ‘I know what it means. Tell me, Sparhawk, what’s your reasoning behind this suggestion?’

‘As I said, Platime’s very clever – in some ways almost brilliant, and, though it’s a little odd, he’s a patriot. He has a vast understanding of the society of Cimmura, and he has ways of finding information that I can’t even guess at. There’s nothing that happens in Cimmura – or in most of the rest of the world, for that matter – that he doesn’t know about.’

‘I’ll interview him,’ Ehlana promised.

Then Ulath and Sir Perraine dragged Lycheas into the room. Lycheas gaped at his cousin, his mouth open and his eyes bulging in astonishment. ‘How –?’ he began, then broke off, biting his lip.

‘You didn’t expect to see me alive, Lycheas?’ she asked in a deadly tone.

‘I believe it’s customary to kneel in the presence of your queen, Lycheas,’ Ulath growled, kicking the bastard’s feet out from under him. Lycheas crashed to the floor and grovelled there.

The Earl of Lenda cleared his throat. ‘Your Majesty,’ he said, ‘during the time of your illness, Prince Lycheas insisted that he be addressed as “Your Majesty”. I’ll have to consult the statutes, but I believe that constitutes high treason.’

‘That’s what I arrested him for at least,’ Sparhawk added.

‘That’s good enough for me,’ Ulath said, raising his axe. ‘Say the word, Queen of Elenia, and we’ll have his head on a pole at the palace gate in a matter of minutes.’

Lycheas gaped at them in horror and then began to cry, pleading for his life while his cousin pretended to think it over. At least Sparhawk hoped that she was pretending. ‘Not here, Sir Ulath,’ she said a bit regretfully. ‘The carpeting, you understand.’