Forest Kingdom Trilogy 2 - Blood and Honor

round that. He was more worried about the worsening situation in Castle Midnight. As if the Unreal wasn't enough trouble, it now appeared Lewis and Dominic had declared war. Their troops were fighting running battles in the corridors, and Dominic had sacrificed his
    own wife in an attempt to gain more power. And despite the Regent's declaration of the Rite of Transference, there was still no sign of the damned crown and seal. Jordan sighed heavily. Trying to keep track of all the factions and their varying motivations made his head ache.
    Back at Jordan's suite, the conspirators gathered together for yet another desperate gamble. Robert Argent sat stiffly in a chair by the fire, his dour face as unreadable as ever. Brion DeGrange, the Head of Castle Security, stood with his back to the fire, his face set and grim. Prince Viktor sat in the most comfortable chair, opposite Argent. He still looked painfully gaunt and drawn, but some of the colour had come back to his cheeks, and he looked a little stronger than before. His mouth was firm and his eyes were clear and sharp, but he had to clasp his hands together in his lap to keep them from shaking. The Lady Heather sat on the arm of his chair, one arm draped protectively across Viktor's shoulders.
    Jordan stood with his back to the closed main door, and leant against it. The more he dealt with his fellow conspirators, the more he appreciated the value of a nearby exit. He looked unobtrusively around for Sir Gawaine, and was relieved to see the knight was standing at parade rest, not too far away. Jordan felt a little better knowing he had at least one ally in the room. There was an air of barely suppressed tension among the conspirators, and everyone was talking too much and too loudly while they waited for Count Roderik to bring the meeting to order. He, however, seemed more interested in trying to fire up the apathetic Argent, who looked even more tired and unhappy than usual. Jordan didn't blame him. If his entire livelihood depended on the success of this conspiracy, he'd be worried too. It quickly occurred to Jordan that it did, and he was. He coughed loudly to get everyone's attention, and went on coughing till he got it.
    'I think perhaps I can save us all some time,' he said affably. 'Yes, Roderik has told me about the Testing, and yes, I do have an answer. It's quite simple, really. I'll make a slight incision in Prince Viktor's arm, and collect some of the Blood in a small glass vial. I will then conceal the vial up my sleeve. At the Testing, I will pretend to cut my arm, but actually spill the Prince's Blood, from the vial. A simple enough illusion, but since they won't be expecting such a thing, it should fool them completely. You may now applaud, or throw money.'
    Roderik nodded slowly. 'I can see a number of things that could go wrong, but given how pressed we are for time, I think we're going to have to go with the actor's plan. Unless anyone has a better idea ..."
    He looked around hopefully, but nobody said anything. Viktor stirred uneasily in his chair, and they all looked at him.
    'I'm not sure I like the idea of being cut, like a pig being prepared for slaughter. It's not dangerous, is it?'
    'Don't be such a baby, darling,' said Heather. 'It'll just be a little scratch, I promise.'
    'You're looking rather better, your highness,' said Sir Gawaine slowly. 'Would I be right in thinking there's been an improvement in your condition?'
    'Damn right there has,' said Viktor. 'I'm feeling a lot stronger. And do you know why? Because I've stopped eating food from the kitchens!'
    'Your highness, there can be no question of your meals having been poisoned,' said Robert Argent. 'I've personally tasted everything you've eaten . . .'
    'Then you must have a cast-iron stomach,' snapped Viktor. 'Over the past few days I've eaten nothing but raw fruit and vegetables that Heather gathered and prepared herself. And this morning I actually woke up feeling hungry, for the first time in days. I've had all the kitchen staff hanged, of course.'
    Everyone looked at the Prince speechlessly. Jordan was one of the first to recover, and took advantage of the moment to study the others' reactions. They all looked shocked, but it was the raw hatred in DeGrange's face that caught Jordan's attention. It was one thing to know DeGrange only served Roderik because of the geas on him; it was quite another to see the rage and hate that lay under the spell written openly on the man's face.