Guardians of the West

"I crown thee," he declared in a voice almost squeaky with fright. " -I crown thee Emperor Ran Borune XXIV, Lord of all Tolnedra."
    It took a moment for that to sink in. Then the temple was filled with howls of anguished protest as the Tolnedran nobility grasped the fact that by the choice of his imperial name, Varana was clearly announcing that he intended to keep the crown for himself. Those howls were cut off sharply as the Tolnedran legionnaires, who had quietly filed into place along the colonnade surrounding the main temple floor, drew their swords with a huge, steely rasp. The gleaming swords raised in salute.
    "Hail Ran Borune!" the legions thundered. "Hail Emperor of Tolnedra!" And that was that.
    That evening as Garion, Ce'Nedra, and the newly crowned Emperor sat together in a crimson-draped private chamber filled with the golden glow of dozens of candles, Varana exclaimed. "Surprise is as important in politics as it is in military tactics, Belgarion. If your opponent doesn't know what you're going to do, there's no way he can prepare countermeasures." The general now openly wore the gold mantle of the Emperor.
    "That makes sense," Garion replied, sipping at a goblet of Tolnedran wine. "Wearing your breastplate instead of the Imperial Mantle kept them guessing right up until the last minute."
    "That was for a much more practical reason." Varana laughed. "Many of those young nobles have had military training, and we teach our legionnaires how to throw daggers. Since my back was going to be toward them, I wanted a good, solid layer of steel covering the area between my shoulder blades."
    "Tolnedran politics are very nervous, aren't they?"
    Varana nodded his agreement. "Fun, though," he added.
    "You have a peculiar notion of fun. I've had a few daggers thrown at me and I didn't find it all that amusing."
    "We Anadiles have always had a peculiar sense of humor."
    "Borune, uncle," Ce'Nedra corrected primly.
    "What was that, dear?"
    "You're a Borune now, not an Anadile -and you should start acting like one."
    "Bad-tempered, you mean? That's not really in my nature."
    "Ce'Nedra could give you lessons, if you like," Garion offered, grinning fondly at his wife.
    "What?" Ce'Nedra exclaimed indignantly, her voice going up an octave or so.
    "I suppose she could at that," Varana agreed blandly. "She's always been very good at it."
    Ce'Nedra sighed mournfully, eyeing the pair of grinning monarchs. Then her expression became artfully tragic. "What's a poor little girl to do?" she asked in a trembling voice. "Here I am, maltreated and abused by both my husband and my brother."
    Varana blinked. "You know, I hadn't even thought of that. You are my sister now, aren't you?"
    "Perhaps you aren't quite as clever as I thought, brother dear," she purred at him. "I know that Garion's not quite bright, but I thought better of you."
    Garion and Varana exchanged rueful glances.
    "Would you gentlemen like to play some more?" Ce'Nedra asked them, her eyes twinkling and a smug smile hovering about her lips.
    There was a light tap on the door.
    "Yes?" Varana said.
    "Lord Morin to see you, your Majesty"' the guard outside the door announced.
    "Send him in, please."
    The Imperial Chamberlain entered quietly. His face was marked by the sorrow he felt at the passing of the man he had served so long and faithfully, but he still performed his duties with the quiet efficiency that had always been his outstanding characteristic.
    "Yes, Morin?" Varana said.
    "There's someone waiting outside, your Majesty. She's rather notorious, so I thought I should speak to you privately before I presented her to you."
    "Notorious?"
    "It's the courtesan Bethra, your Majesty." Morin said with a faintly embarrassed look at Ce'Nedra. "She's been -ah- shall we say, useful to the crown in the past. She has access to a great deal of information as a result of her professional activities and she was a longtime friend of Ran Borune's. From time to time she kept him advised of the activities of certain unfriendly nobles. He made arrangements for there to be a way by which she could enter the palace unnoticed so that they could -ah- talk, among other things."
    "Why, that sly old fox."
    "I have never known her information to be inaccurate, your Majesty." Morin continued. "She says she has something very important to tell you."
    "You'd better bring her in, then, Morin," Varana said, "With you permission, of course, dear sister," he added to Ce'Nedra.
    "Certainly," Ce'Nedra