The Poisoned Throne

Chapter 23

Raynor

The dock where Raynor’s ship stood entrenched was alive with the last preparations for his departure. Most of his Tiberan guard as well as a small part of the Hi’taabnese army that he had inherited from Shid-al would be coming with him to Etheron. The ocean was surprisingly quiet for this part of the year and Raynor’s captain suggested that they leave the next morning, before the weather changed.

Raynor had told Sybil that he was going down to the the port to see that everything was set for the next morning. However, the walk from his villa had been just a big a reason. He had need some time and peace to think about what would happen next.

He had no idea what awaited him on the other side of that ocean, just beyond Tibera. All that he knew for a fact was that there had not been any battles yet and that Evelyn resided in the Branches, but everything else remained uncertain. He did not know where he stood with neither Elizabeth nor Evelyn, he did not know the size of their armies - though there were rumors about Evelyn’s - and he did not know how close to the first battle they were. Had he not been able to land his ships in his own kingdom, he would not have departed just yet.

“You should write a letter to Lord Delroy,” Sybil told him once he had returned. Their lunch had been laid out on the table between them, but Raynor had no appetite. “He could send his ships to Tibera and be there only a little after you arrive.”

He shook his head. “I don’t know what awaits me in Etheron, so I wouldn’t know what to do with his men. Besides, they just got married. We should give them some time together.”

She frowned. “He’s an old man. Believe me, Aurora wouldn’t mind if we got her a bit of time alone, and I am sure he no longer has the appetites of a man marrying for the first time.”

There was something of a bite in her words and Raynor frowned as he looked up at her. “Is this about them, or is it about us?” It would not be the first time in the past few months that she expressed her unhappiness with him in this sort of way.

She averted her eyes. “I’m just so lonely,” she said and reached for his hand on the table. “You’re always in meetings or walking around to take care of one thing or another. I just wish there was something I could do.”

He sighed. “It’s the war, Sybil,” he said. “You’re already doing more than enough.”

“I could give you another son,” she suggested. When he raised his eyebrows in doubt, she continued, “I’ve recovered from Raphael’s birth. You know what they say, the first son is the heir, the second the security.”

He looked away from her as he withdrew his hand from hers. “It would be a wrong to bring a child into a world at war,” he said. “Besides, Emira just gave birth to her son. There should be enough to see to with Raphael and her son.”

Sybil licked her lips and withdrew back to her end of the table. “Emira was Kadir’s favored wife, wasn’t she? His talika?”

He knew where this was going, so he did not answer her question.

“Sometimes I wonder if she has become your talika, too.”

“She isn’t even my wife,” he told her. “Now, there are more important things to talk of. How do you plan on distributing our men along the border?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “That isn’t more important, Raynor.”

He hesitated, then stood up, walked over to her and kissed her forehead. “What is it, then, that you think is so important?” he asked, looking into her eyes. “Because right now, having another son isn’t more important than protecting the lives of the thousands living in this kingdom of ours.”