Forest Kingdom Trilogy 2 - Blood and Honor

right of his throne, was the Steward, Catriona Taggert. She had one arm in a sling, and the bandage round her head made her look both raffish and endearingly vulnerable. She and Jordan had been sharing little secret smiles all through the ceremonies. Jordan sighed happily, and smiled
    again. One of the other things he'd done was to banish the Lady Heather from Court, and send her home to Kahalimar. Not only was she a ruthless little baggage, but she'd known Viktor far too well for Jordan's peace of mind. And with her gone, it was only natural that the new King would turn his attention elsewhere. He grinned at Taggert, and she grinned back.
    I think I handled that rather well, he thought smugly.
    'Now that the ceremonies are over,' said Roderik pointedly, 'I think you and I should have a little talk, your majesty. In private.'
    'Do you?' said Jordan. 'I don't.' He watched interestedly as Roderik's face went an entertaining shade of purple. 'Whatever you have to say, Roderik, just go right ahead and say it. No need to be bashful.
    You're among friends here.'
    'Very well,' said Roderik tightly. 'We made an agreement, you and I, on what would happen once you were King. You gave me your word ..."
    'So I did,' said Jordan. 'I agreed that you should be my chief advisor, and so you shall, but it seems to me that the word advisor has a very specific meaning. I'll always welcome your advice, Roderik, but whether I follow it or not will be my decision, not yours. As long as you bear that in mind, I see no reason why we shouldn't have a long and mutually profitable relationship.'
    'There are things I could tell the Court that they don't know,' said Roderik.
    'I imagine you could,' said Jordan, 'but do you think it would be in your best interests to do so?'
    Roderik stood very still for a moment, his gaze fixed on Jordan's. Gawaine stirred restlessly. In the end, Roderik bowed stiffly to the throne. 'I shall do my best to provide you with good advice, your majesty. I think you're going to need it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a great deal of work that must be attended to.'
    'Yes, of course,' said Jordan. 'They're burying Argent soon, aren't they?'
    'Yes. Do you object to my attending the funeral, your majesty?'
    'No,' said Jordan. 'He was your friend. And I think perhaps he was more sinned against than sinning.
    Perhaps he'll be at peace now.'
    Roderik bowed again, and left the Hall. No one said anything until the great double doors had closed behind him. William looked quizzically at Jordan.
    'He'd make a dangerous enemy, Sire. He has a great deal of influence in both political and economic circles.'
    'I know. That's why he'll make a good advisor, once I've got him settled in.'
    William raised an eyebrow. 'Is that what you have in mind for me, Sire?'
    'Why not?' said Jordan easily. 'My years in exile have left me out of touch when it comes to the day-to-day running of the Kingdom. I can use your experience and support. My father trusted you. He said you were an honest man. Every King needs at least one advisor he can rely on to tell him the truth,
    whether he wants to hear it or not. What do you say?'
    William bowed formally. 'I should be honoured, your majesty. There was a time I thought you unworthy to rule, like your brothers. I was wrong. I give you my word that I shall serve you faithfully in all things, for as long as you have need of me.'
    'Thank you,' said Jordan. 'Now, my friends, we have one last matter to discuss, the most important of all. Who killed my father?'
    The question hung unanswered on the silence. William finally stirred slightly, and all eyes went to him.
    'As Regent, I ordered a full investigation into King Malcolm's death, under the Steward's direction. The body was carefully examined by the Castle surgeons. There was no trace of poison in the body, nor any sign of foul play. There was no sign of any struggle in his chambers. As far as we can tell, he died peacefully, in his sleep. The suddenness of his death made it seem suspicious, but truth be told he was not a young man, your majesty, and death comes to us all, sooner or later.'
    'Yes,' said Jordan. 'That's what we were supposed to think. But his demise was too convenient for too many people for it
    to have been a natural event. So, I've been thinking about who stood to gain most by his death. Lewis and Dominic spring to mind, but Malcolm's end was too subtle for it to have been either of them. My brothers were many things, but subtle was not one