Forest Kingdom Trilogy 2 - Blood and Honor

Howerd, stood waiting impatiently before him, still dressed in his formal robes.
    Jordan shot a quick glare at the two guards for not having warned him who it was. They stared determinedly straight ahead, avoiding his eyes. Jordan supposed he couldn't blame them. It was the Regent, after all.
    'Well?' said Count William. 'Aren't you going to invite me in?'
    'Of course, sir Regent,' said Jordan quickly. 'My rooms are yours.'
    He stepped back out of the way, and the Regent swept in. He looked round the room distastefully, his gaze implying he'd seen more tastefully furnished slums. Jordan shut the door, and moved hesitantly forward to greet the Regent. He wasn't quite sure what to do for the best. Private audiences with the Regent hadn't been covered in any of his briefings.
    'Would you . . . care for a drink, sir Regent?'
    'Not at this hour, Viktor.'
    'Then what can I do for you?' Jordan suddenly decided he was being too polite. He was, after all, a Prince of the Realm whose rest had been disturbed. He deliberately turned his back on the Regent, and walked unhurriedly over to the nearest chair. He sank down into it, and draped one leg idly over the arm of the chair. The Regent gave him a hard look. Jordan smiled blandly back. 'I am here to see you on a matter of some importance, Viktor,' said the Regent coldly.
    'I should hope so, at this hour,' said Jordan. 'Well, out with it, man. We haven't got all night. What's so important it couldn't wait till morning, when my advisors could be present?'
    'You were at the Court this morning,' said the Regent slowly. 'You were there when I proclaimed the Rite of Transference. No matter what you or your advisors may believe, I assure you it wasn't a move I made lightly, nor was it intended as a threat to your or your brothers' positions. I've never made any secret of my feelings towards you or your family, but I've never allowed my personal feelings to influence my duties as Regent.
    'Redhart needs a King. You saw what the Steward uncovered at Court; the Unreal is loose in the Castle and growing stronger all the time. Only the King can put a stop to this, by drawing on the Stone; the rest of us are helpless. Viktor, any King is better than none. I'm not blind to the practicalities of the situation.
    If anyone other than a Prince of the line is declared King, a civil war is all but inevitable. People are already choosing sides. They seem to have forgotten the horrors and bloodshed that such wars mean.
    Hundreds of thousands would die; not just guards and men-at-arms, but ordinary men, women and children too. Farms would be burned, towns gutted, rivers poisoned. I don't want that. And I'm hoping you don't.'
    'I'll do anything I can to avoid a civil war,' said Jordan carefully, 'but you must understand that I may not have much say in the matter. If my brothers start raising armies, it will be impossible for me to stay neutral. They wouldn't allow it.'
    'Yes,' said Count William. 'I understand.' He sighed suddenly, and shook his head. 'It's late and I'm tired, so I'll come straight to the point. You always used to be the most reasonable of the Princes, so I'm going to appeal to your sense of honour, to your duty to the Kingdom. Do you have the crown and the seal?'
    Jordan looked at the Regent blankly, while his mind worked furiously. By asking that question, the Regent was openly
    declaring that he didn't have the crown or the seal, and had no idea of who did have them. And by that very openness, he was also declaring the weakness of his position, and his need for allies. He was asking Jordan to work with him.
    'I don't have the crown or the seal,' said Jordan finally. 'And as far as I can tell, neither of my brothers has found them either.'
    The Regent waited, but Jordan said nothing more. The silence stretched on, pregnant and uncomfortable with hidden mean-ings, until the Regent nodded reluctantly. 'I see. Thank you for being so frank with me.
    In return, I'll be honest with you. You won't have heard yet, but open fighting has broken out between Lewis and Dominic's troops. My guards are doing their best to restore order, but there's a limit to what they can do. Particularly since they've been spread so thin trying to contain the Unreal. Viktor, it seems to me that you're bound to be drawn into the conflict sooner or later. If I were you, I'd start preparing against magical attacks. Your protective wards here are excellent, but they have their limitations, as I'm sure you're aware.