Seeds of Betrayal by David B. Coe

I’m glad just the same.”
    “As am I,” Ansis said. “You’ll thank Pazice for me?”
    “You can thank her yourself in the morning. We’ll accompany you to the city gates.”
    “I’d like that.”
    “Wait a moment, boy,” Bertin called, as Ansis stepped to the door. “I’ll walk with you. I’ve got a journey ahead of me as well.” He nodded to Brail. “Always a pleasure, Orvinti. Good food, good wine, and I always enjoy seeing the hills and lake, even this late in the year.”
    “You’re welcome any time, Bertin. You know that.”
    Noltierre give a quick smile. “ ‘Til the morning then.”
    Brail closed the door and looked at Tebeo.
    “Are you going as well?”
    Tebeo shook his head. “I’ve a shorter ride than they do.”
    Brail nodded, knowing that wasn’t the real reason his friend chose to stay. Dantrielle may have been closer than Kett or Noltierre, but it was still more than thirty leagues from Orvinti. It would be several days before the duke reached his own realm. Brail didn’t say this, of course. He merely had the servants bring another flask of wine before dismissing them for the night.
    Even after they were alone, the two dukes merely sat for some time, sipping their wine and watching the fire, which had burned low. Wind lashed the shutters again and Brail knelt by the hearth to place another log on the glowing embers.
    “Our young friend may have a point,” Tebeo said as the duke lowered himself back into his chair. “It may be that one of us needs to speak with the king.”
    Brail grinned. “One of us?” It would have to be him, and they both knew it. In the eyes of the king, Tebeo had been too closely allied with Chago. By siding first with one and then the other, Brail had managed to keep House Orvinti from becoming entangled in the dispute between Solkara and Bistari.
    “All right,” Tebeo said, smiling as well. “You should speak with him.”
    “To what end? You don’t expect me to ask him if he had Chago killed.”
    Tebeo shrugged, the smile lingering on his round face. “Why not? As Bertin said, the murderer did everything but write ‘The king did this’ on Chago’s neck. If it was Carden’s work, he meant for us to know it.”
    “And if it wasn’t Carden’s work?”
    Dantrielle’s smile vanished. “Then we have a problem.”
    “The Qirsi.”
    “This is not just idle talk, Brail. The conspiracy is real. I’m certain of it.”
    “What have you heard?” Brail asked, not really wanting to know.
    “Rumors mostly. Speculation. But I’ve heard similar tales from so many quarters that I can’t dismiss them anymore. In the past few years, Eandi nobles have been murdered in nearly every kingdom in the Forelands.”
    Brail forced a grin. “That’s hardly unheard of, Tebeo. As Bertin said, the Eibitharians don’t need any help butchering themselves. Unfortunately, that goes for the rest of us as well. Court assassinations are as old as the throne itself.”
    Tebeo shook his head. “These are different; at least some of them are. Take the incident in Jetaya early last year.”
    “Jetaya? You mean Hanan? He was poisoned by men from Rouvin. The two houses have been rivals for centuries.”
    “He was killed with sleeping camas-seems his food was laced with it.”
    “So?”
    “Camas works slowly, and its symptoms are subtle compared to most. In most cases, the victim is in a death sleep before those around him suspect anything.”
    Brail raised an eyebrow. “I had no idea you were so well versed in the ways of poison. I’ll have to remember that the next time I’m asked to a feast in Dantrielle.”
    “This is no joke, Brail.”
    He opened his hands. “I’m sorry, Teb. I guess I don’t see your point.”
    “My point is this: Hanan was killed with a poison that must be used in large doses. It’s rare and costly, works slowly, and is difficult to spot. Whoever killed him went to a great deal of effort and did so with some skill. Yet within a day of his