A Burning Sea by Theodore Brun (i am reading a book txt) 📕

far there were no signs that the Arabs feared any surprise attack from the west. ‘You’d think they’d have learned their lesson by now.’ Forbidding as the land walls appeared, Erlan couldn’t help admiring the discipline with which the Arabs took up their dispositions. From this side of the walls, the mass of troops looked damned menacing.

‘Perhaps they know something we don’t,’ said Einar, picking a strand of mutton from his teeth and tossing the bone to Aska, who dropped to the ground and started gnawing at it eagerly. ‘Someone coming, look.’ A small cloud of dust was moving down the hillside in the distance, cutting north away from the Arabs’ position towards the Judas tree under which they stood. The agreed meeting point with Davit when he returned. Standing alone on the ridge brow, it wasn’t exactly discreet. Since Davit had left to carry word to the city its branches had bloomed into a blast of pink blossom. In the north, such signs meant the raiding season was close at hand, and sea-kings would be mustering their crews. Here in the south, the blossom came earlier. And so did war.

The sun was well clear of the horizon when the horseman reached their position.

‘You’re a damn ugly rider, you know that?’ called Einar.

‘I’ll not take lessons in elegance from a barrel of northern lard,’ Davit called back.

‘What word from the city?’ said Erlan impatiently.

Davit jumped from his saddle. ‘The Egyptian fleet is man-oeuvring south of the Marmara gates. The emperor has given Arbasdos his orders. He’s refitting our fire-ships in the Horn as we speak.’

‘Then this’ll be a day of death like no other,’ growled Einar ominously.

‘What’s Leo’s message for the khan?’

‘To deploy his horde however he thinks best. Only that he must hold off his attack until he sees the beacon fires lit. Timing is all, he says.’

‘Good. Better get moving then.’ Erlan turned to his horse.

Davit caught his arm. ‘Not you. Leo wants you to report to him. Personally.’ He tipped his head at the fat man. ‘Both of you.’

The two Northmen exchanged a look. ‘Who knew we were so popular?’ said Einar.

‘He said as soon as possible,’ continued Davit. ‘You can circle north and enter the city via the Horn. That way is clear for now.’

By the time they reached the palace, the corridors and colonnades were filled with court officials all in a hurry somewhere, ladies-in-waiting twittering past in a cloud of perfume, palace guardsmen marching by. Not exactly panic, but urgency laced the air everywhere.

They found Emperor Leo enthroned in the Golden Hall. He interrupted his business as soon as they were announced. ‘I had started to wonder what had become of you,’ he said when they stood before him.

Erlan bowed his head. ‘The muster took time, Majesty.’

‘There were times I thought we’d lost you completely.’

‘There were dangerous moments—’

‘Not to danger, Northman,’ he snapped. ‘To desertion!’

‘Desertion? Why should we desert? Our queen remains within the protection of the city. Your ally—’

‘Is she?’ Those flat eyes glared imperiously.

Erlan frowned. ‘Do you have reason to think she is not?’

‘Huh! Then you don’t know.’

‘Know what?’ A knot of fear for Lilla’s safety tightened in his throat.

‘During your long absence it has occurred to me that we do not know you northern folk. None of you. You suddenly appeared among us. But why? No one has yet given me a plausible explanation. And so now I find myself unable to trust you.’

Erlan snorted and put his hands to the neck of his tunic. ‘See here, the marks of my loyalty, Majesty.’ He ripped the garment clean open. The scars of the wolves’ claws were gouged like runes across his chest. ‘I was damn near eaten alive in your service,’ he hissed. He pointed angrily to the west. ‘You have an army waiting on your signal. And yet you say you cannot trust us!’

‘Your passion is obvious to all, Northman. But is your integrity, I wonder?’

‘If I had any grievance against you, why would I put in your hand the weapon of victory?’

‘I ask myself the same question. Even so, could it be that you take from the other hand a weapon equally potent?’

Erlan shook his head. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Your queen,’ replied Leo, ‘is now a prisoner in this palace.’

‘A prisoner? What have you done to her?’ he snarled.

‘The question is what she has done. The lampros Nikolaos was murdered the night before you left. Queen Lilla was heard arguing with him that evening. And an article of hers was found on his body. He had been tortured. His body mutilated.’

‘Lilla could never torture anyone. This is madness—’

‘There is another possibility,’ the emperor interrupted. ‘That she had accomplices. Men who immediately after committing their foul deed had cause to leave the city.’

Erlan nearly choked on this. ‘So now you accuse us of murder? We swore an oath—’

‘You had motive and opportunity. The means to cover your tracks.’

The man was either blind or a fool since he seemed unable to tell friend from foe. Then through the fog of his anger, Erlan remembered the plans. Of course! ‘I can prove our loyalty and our innocence. Here and now.’ His dark eyes cast around the other courtiers in attendance. ‘But alone. These halls stink of betrayal.’

Leo considered a few moments. ‘Very well. Clear the hall!’ he cried at last. ‘Everybody out!’

There was a brief hesitation before the guards and other officials filed out through the great double doors. ‘You too,’ Erlan said to Einar. The fat man shrugged and followed the others outside. Only Lord Katāros lingered.

‘Go on, High Chamberlain. I will give him this chance.’

‘I would counsel against it, Majesty,’ he replied. ‘No one can be trusted.’

‘Go,’ insisted Leo.

When the hall was finally empty, Leo led Erlan out onto an adjoining balcony. ‘So then, Northman. Speak.’

But Erlan didn’t speak. Instead he reached into his ripped tunic and pulled out the folded piece of parchment tucked inside his belt.

‘What have you there?’ demanded the emperor.

‘The key to Lilla’s freedom,’ replied Erlan