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THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 34
The maid Liramel had sent to fetch her brother an hour ago hadn't returned. It was already getting dark outside the window, and long bluish shadows lay on the white carpet, stretching all the way to the fireplace. June came into its own smoothly, but early spring has long fluffed the grass and covered the apple orchard with fragrant clover. Now the cats were almost invisible: during the day they dispersed in search of shade, and at night only a sharp-sighted owl could see them. It had been a month and a half since their return from Lausens, and exactly a month since Liramel had last seen Karl. He was dissatisfied with her decision to send Yakir to Varut and began defiantly avoiding any meetings and explanations. At first she also endured her temper, but then she became melancholy and even sank to the point that she sent Linnie to watch her brother, and for the last three days she herself climbed the secret staircase to his chambers and knocked until her hands went numb. But Karl
THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 35
Frightening the guards, Liramel slammed the door and, almost running to the corridor, looked around. Only a few torches burned along the walls, the rest had already been extinguished, so there was little light. “Lock the chambers,” she said without turning around in response to the questions of the guards and turned to the left. In the semi-darkness, despite the presence of numerous guards, she was always uncomfortable: Liramel was afraid of twilight even more than pitch darkness. Christian's rooms were located at the far end of the White Corridor. The high gilded doors were slightly smaller than those that led into the royal chambers. Asking the officer who saluted her if her brother had been away, Liramel unlocked the heavy doors without knocking and, entering, immediately lowered the inner bolt behind her. It was against the rules, but they didn't bother her much now. Christian didn't sleep. In general, he rarely went to bed before midnight, and sometimes the light in his
THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 36
Tarham felt that he was missing something important, but he could not catch the right thought, as if someone had thoroughly worked with his mind. However, none of the Initiates had such power. Nevertheless, as soon as it seemed that a little more - and Karl's actions would become clear, the built-up chain collapsed. The move with Liramel was quite predictable. As expected, Lirdan's son wanted to send his sister away and find out who was behind the assassination, and at the same time advance his plan with Lord Varuta. He acted consistently, but Tarham did not understand his interest in the northern borders. Why Karl needed to control the Secret Intelligence Service and what he was trying to do behind the back of the Order, also could not be figured out. Even the younger brother failed, missing one of the messengers: the son of Lirdan removed the witness before he could reach him, Groaning, he got up and sat heavily on the edge of the bed. My legs ached so much that I wanted to cut t
THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 37
Smiling indulgently, the priest crossed the room with unexpected speed and ease and sat down. He looked pleased and solemn, like a cat that has taken a mouse by surprise. “I didn’t want to keep you long. There was a hidden grin in his thick tenor voice. “I just stopped by to wish you a good journey on behalf of myself and the other members of the Council. Elikar said to especially thank you for the fact that you decided to invite his wife as an escort: the duchess had long wanted to visit Rovmen. Sitting at the opposite end of the sofa, Liramel folded her hands in her lap and parted her lips into a smile. Apparently, Christian decided to show diligence, since the Council already knew about her plans.“I consider it an honor to hear words of parting from you,” she answered, carefully avoiding his gaze. The old man nodded approvingly.“I've already talked to the regents,” he added, as if reluctantly. – Karl assured that all security measures would be taken, but it is not desirab
THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 38
The rains had painted the sky a dank gray and turned the roads into a mess. For the fourth day, a thunderstorm raged over Lausens.Throwing on a cloak, Ali-Nari pulled her hair under her hood and went out onto the balcony. The wind blew cold spray from the railing in her face, so she had to stop just outside the door. From everything it was clear that it would not be possible to continue the journey before next week: even empty trade wagons were stuck at the entrances to the fortress tightly. Only horsemen managed to get to the tract, and even then with difficulty.The mood that reigned in their small company was so bad that Ali already regretted that she had gone. Liramel did not want to see anyone and spent all the time in her room. Angry and irritable at the beginning of the journey, she soon plunged into a state of complete indifference. Not once in recent days did a smile appear on her face, although Aunt Falinor did her best to cheer up her niece.From Paraman, Ali heard in gene
THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 39
Sending the guards away, Karl locked the secret door and lowered the tapestry with a sigh. It was getting light. Motes of dust danced lazily in the dim half-fan of light falling from the open window. Furrowing his brow in displeasure, Karl took a couple of steps and ran his finger along the windowsill. Dust outlined a gray rim on the pillow. While Lyramel was away and Linnie helped her mother in the kitchens, the servants neglected to clean thoroughly.Looking up at the overcast sky, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the damp morning air. The wind touched his hot forehead and blew the beads of sweat from his temples. The night was difficult, but the coming day promised a long-awaited peace. The mechanism began to move independently, and for the time being, nothing more depended on Karl. All that remained was to wait.The treasury was dark. Lighting the candle, he raised it above his head and looked around. He needed a weapon, and from what he had seen in the last year, ther
THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 40
Carefully placing a female wax figurine on the windowsill, the tall, fair-haired man ran his bony fingers over it once more and whispered something. His eyes rolled unnaturally, and the skin on his white, sunken cheeks turned blue and stretched, outlining his cheekbones and the network of blood vessels at his temples. He stood motionless for a minute, then opened his eyes and looked around as if searching for something. Surprise and a strange, incredulous joy reflected on his face. Looking up at the dark ceiling, he uttered a couple of sharp words, more like a croak, and laughed out loud. Opening her eyes, Lyramel immediately threw off her cloak, which was soaking through, and shivered in the chill. She fell asleep at dawn, never waiting for Tory to take over from her post. Even the downpour that rinsed the forest from the first to the last leaf, and he did not manage to wake her from a viscous strange nightmare. "It's all tiredness and cold," she thought, getting up and walking
THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 41
The white dove cooed on the windowsill so loudly that Yakir heard it from the bedroom. Jumping up, he pulled on a wrinkled red shirt and glanced out the window. The gray morning foreshadowed the same chilly day as the day before, which meant that dressage in the fields was out of the question. A disturbed, damp shutter creaked for a long time, and there was a smell of freshly cut grass and fumes—garbage was being burned outside the fence for the second day. Carefully taking the bird, Yakir removed a thin silver tube from his cold paw and, returning the dove to the windowsill, whispered affectionately:- Well, dear, thank you - did not disappoint. Fly home! The small handwriting, so ornate that even skilled scribes could envy, was well known. From whom the news came, it became clear immediately. Pigeons, sent only by Ali-Nari, were knocking at Yakir's bedroom window. As children, they often wrote to each other - this was their entertainment in an endless routine of gossip and secr
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- THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION
Epilogue
Paraman kept to the right of his father. Lord Wancel rode in front with a sword drawn, and behind him were about two hundred Sapphorus warriors dressed in blue and white Gorgoth uniforms. General Lafast himself preferred a closed carriage. He left a few hours early in order to get his people out of the White Castle: Kyle gave him this opportunity in exchange for neutrality. Having learned about the scale of the impending coup, Erinma chose not to interfere. As for the Duke of Auroc, he supported Kyle even before Lirdan's coronation, so he helped unconditionally. In Eliste, judging by his father’s reservation, the situation was more complicated, but several dozen executions decided the case in his favor in exactly the same way as in Gorgota: in the morning alone, more than three hundred people from the people and nobility were killed there, and about twenty military officers who tried to raise the garrison and the townspeople to revolt. Most of them belonged to Rod. However, these exec
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78
Kyle was waiting. Stroking the emerald ring - the only thing left to him in memory of his mother - he snatched out familiar faces flashing in the crowd. Elicar answered something with restraint to the head of the Remak clan, who chuckled nervously, already knowing that the elderly adviser had only a few minutes to live. Kyle wanted to kill him with his own hands: Sarah Elikar did not deserve the fate, and Tarem, who was sitting opposite and did not take his former comrade-in-arms down with a cold gaze, would not fail to vent the anger accumulated over the years - he never forgave him for marrying Falinor, although none of the born the Leader did not restore her children. Putting down his fork, Paraman stood up and, bowing, slowly approached his cousin. With his hands behind his back, he looked out the rain-drenched window and seemed to be waiting for something. "Consider that I repaid the debt," Kyle mentally said, remembering his brother's frozen face and his last memory. Lird
- THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION
77
Lafast greeted me coldly. Despite the early hour, he was dressed for travel and, judging by the plates set aside on the edge of a wide desk, he had already had breakfast. - Are you leaving somewhere? Karl asked calmly, looking around the luxuriously furnished office in a businesslike way. Looking away, the general nodded. “And I would be grateful if you would not detain me,” he answered in tone. “Yes, and I would advise you not to linger. - Why is that? - Smiling deliberately carefree, Karl looked at him inquiringly, but not having received an answer, he said more seriously: - Do not bother explaining, I already understood everything myself. I do not blame for the choice, for the advice - I thank you. It’s a pity, I can’t follow him - I’m not looking for an easy death. Scowling at him, Lafast shook his head and, turning to the table, poured a full glass of wine from a tall carafe. - Want to? - I will not refuse. Carl took a glass from his hands and drank it in one gulp
- THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION
76
Waving his white mane, Snowball neighed loudly and, breaking into a gallop, rushed headlong along the path. Closing her eyes, Lyramel spread her arms out to the sides and exposed her face to the sun's muffled foliage. A warm breeze immediately blew into the wide sleeves of the dress and played in the hair. It seemed a little more - and she would take off. The speed pierced through body and soul, sweeping away everything but a jubilant, almost painful joy. Everything around was full of life. Liramel felt it in every breath, in every beat of her heart, and she wanted to cry and laugh at the same time.A bluish-blue shadow lay on the ground, cooling the warm colors in an instant. Liramel blinked as she heard the shout, and grabbing the reins, she turned around. Waving to her in greeting, Karl spurred on the black mare. Did you decide to take a walk? she asked as they drew level. “I heard you have an appointment in the morning. “Things can wait,” the brother dismissed, letting the ma
- THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION
75
Lyramel spoke quickly and without much emotion. Thanking the audience for their attention and patience, she congratulated everyone on the victory and awarded the generals and several stopmen. Then she presented certificates to the families of the dead officers. The Ruby Order of the Hyde was taken by Elikar. When Lyramel called his name, Falinor shuddered, silently turned away and defiantly moved away from Paraman standing next to her. Ignoring what was happening, the duke was quietly talking about something with Lord Astin, and, judging by the expression on his face, the conversation was clearly unpleasant for him. - Go ahead. - Ali imperceptibly pushed Yakir in the side, causing him to blink in surprise. Thinking, he lost track of time and did not notice when the official part ended. The musicians on the balconies began to play again, and the people began to part, freeing the center of the hall. Reluctantly stepping forward, Yakir greeted Karl, who was helping Liramel down fro
- THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION
74
Having convened another Council, Tarham decided to openly call on the Heads of Ten to deliver an ultimatum to Rod. For almost eight months, Her Majesty was between life and death, and Charles, who, contrary to the law, again arbitrarily assumed the regency, relying on Aarmani and the rest of the generals who supported his twin, each time rejected the request of the Order to allow the queen to quietly pass into eternity. Tarem was even ready to give the sons of Lirdan the opportunity to return to where they were born, giving guarantees that he was not going to give before, but in response, Karl only once again reminded him of Tarem's mistakes and threatened with a scandal. “Firsar Kael is waiting for his turn,” he remarked, knowing full well that Tarem was in no hurry to part with power. “I think he will certainly be interested in my information. As well as Councilor Elikar, Sarah and all the others. “Nothing, soon there will be justice for you,” Taram thought angrily. Don't expe
- THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION
73
– This medallion, after the creation of the Council, was transferred only to the High Priest from the Kael family. I admit that over time they got too used to it to understand and think about it. I will not retell everything that led me to these thoughts, but I guessed almost immediately. Then it was only necessary to collect confirmations, and believe me, there were enough of them. From the very beginning it was a one-player game. What he achieves by trying to exterminate the Host, and why he has such power, I don’t know yet. The answer should be sought somewhere at the very beginning. And if fate gives me a chance, I will find it. Loud footsteps, heard from somewhere to the left, seemed to break the silence around them into small pieces. Cautiously looking around, Karl froze, and then leaned towards her and quickly whispered:“Close your eyes just in case. Until you get on your feet, outsiders should not know about your awakening. Obediently closing her eyes, Liramel took a deep
- THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION
72
In the middle of a spruce forest, a lone apple tree bloomed, tall and so old that its bumpy roots rose almost a palm above the ground. A warm wind tore off the white petals from her and threw them on the ground covered with needles. Recognizing the outlines of three gentle hills, Lyramel looked around in bewilderment. Neither the White Castle nor the road was in sight. There was such silence around, as if the world had become uninhabited. Even the birds did not chirp, and only a string of red ants flowed from north to south, skirting a white pebble sticking out of the ground. About a dozen men on foot descended the eastern hill silently and quietly. Dressed in long, belted tunics, they looked tired and depressed. Two were carrying a stretcher, on which lay a body tightly wrapped in a white cloth. A tall girl walked in front of the stretcher. Long black hair was braided into two thick braids, a white dress, already dirty at the hem and heavily wrinkled, clung to her slender legs an
- THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION
71
For ten minutes a heavy silence hung in the tent. Holding his hand on the elderly warrior's neck, Paraman mentally counted the beats of his heart and furtively watched his cousin. Next to death, anger and hatred were out of place. Karl knew this very well and skillfully introduced it into the game without making a single move. As always. Even now, having lost all his trump cards and standing on the very edge, the son of Lirdan behaved so confidently and calmly that Paraman involuntarily doubted that he really did not know about the networks that were woven around while he was building a path to power through Miel. “Yakir sent a messenger…” Paraman finally said softly, breaking the protracted silence. “I want to know how things really are. I need time too. Taking the needle, Karl exhaled slowly and made the first stitch.“Lyramel lives and will live,” he replied. “But he won’t come to his senses soon. - The reason?- Many reasons. The Order is one of them. You know very well what
