Whispers

By M.M. Brownlow

All is not well in the kingdom of Bacovia.
Despite all that they have been through to get to this point, the reign of King Eryk and Queen Aislynn is not a peaceful one. Rumors of infidelity and betrayal abound, whispers intended to drive them apart from their allies...and from each other.
The troubles are not just confined to Bacovia either. Callum, the king of Madelia, continues to plot with his master, Rhys, and there is war to the south. Rhys has more allies than just Callum, and as he advances his plan, there are whispers of unrest all through Obyra.

• Language: English
• Publisher: M.M. Brownlow
• Release date: Mar 22, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301528394

M.M. Brownlow

M.M. Brownlow works as an elementary teacher and lives with her husband and three sons in Ontario, Canada. She's also surrounded by a variety of "critters" - a dog, two cats, two guinea pigs, a hamster, a pair of frogs, and a leopard gecko. Life is never boring, and she finds herself often wishing for more hours in a day.

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cover-image, Whispers - Smashwords

Whispers

Deadly Decisions - Book 1

M.M. Brownlow

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 M.M. Brownlow

Discover other titles by M.M. Brownlow at Smashwords.com

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Epilogue

Chapter 1

A messenger arriving during breakfast was never a good sign. 

The palace dining hall was filled with sunlight and the warm summer breeze, the delicate scent of flowers adding to the aroma of freshly baked bread. King Eryk and Queen Aislynn, the rulers of the large and powerful kingdom of Bacovia, sat at either end of the head table entertaining their usual breakfast companions. Lord Branden, the king’s chief advisor and best friend, sat beside Eryk. He leaned closer to the king as they spoke, Branden’s blond hair catching the morning sunlight streaming in from the open garden doors. Lady Marja, Branden’s wife and the queen’s good friend, sat beside her husband and to Aislynn’s right, while Lord Byron, captain of the royal guard, sat to the queen’s left. Cheta, a wolf eesprid and Aislynn’s magical companion, lay in a patch of sunlight not far from the table, and the only other occupants of the room were the guards stationed at the two sets of doors.

Breakfast was the one time of the day when the royal couple wasn’t officially available, the dining hall closed to everyone outside of the small group and their invited guests, so for anybody to interrupt this time meant that there was an emergency that needed to be dealt with immediately. The messenger was familiar enough with the habits of the king and queen to look apologetic as he passed the guards at the door and walked across the large room, his steps echoing hollowly.

I’m very sorry to interrupt your meal, your Majesties, the messenger said with a bow, but this cannot wait.

The messenger was dressed in the blue and silver uniform of Evendell, the neighbouring kingdom to the south and home of the queen’s family. He presented a sealed envelope to Eryk, bowed again, and left the room to seek refreshment after his journey.

What does it say? Branden asked after a few minutes. His blue eyes showed his worry and he glanced over at Aislynn.

There was an assassination attempt on Davin.

Who would attack a nine-year-old boy? Marja asked, startled. "And who could attack a boy living in the middle of an assassin Academy and a mage School?"

Eryk shook his head. It doesn’t say. In fact, the message is very… brief. He passed the message to Byron, who glanced at it before passing it on to Aislynn.

Davin, Eryk’s cousin and heir, had been sent to Evendell after a series of assassination attempts against the king’s family the previous year. One of those attacks had killed Tarren, Eryk’s father, placing Eryk on the throne he hadn’t wanted. In order to keep Davin safe, the boy was fostered to Aislynn’s father, the king of Evendell. Davin was learning governance, self-defence, and magic, and he should have been far too well protected for any sort of attack.

Is your father always so direct? the captain asked.

Aislynn glanced down at the paper in her hands.

Eryk,

There was an attack against your heir, about a week ago by the time you get this. He’ll be fine, and we’re still investigating.

Jackob

No, this letter isn’t like my father at all. In fact, this isn’t even his handwriting.

Did Natasha or Jayce write it? Eryk asked, naming Aislynn’s mother and brother. His voice was steady and his face neutral, but Aislynn could feel his worry. In addition to being his wife and queen, she was a highly trained assassin and Eryk’s magically bound bodyguard, and being able to sense his emotions was a side effect of the spell that bound her to him.

No. I don’t recognize this handwriting at all.

We need to talk to that messenger, Byron commented, rising from his chair. He strode quickly across the hall and spoke to one of the guards on duty. The man saluted and left the room at a jog.

This essentially put an end to breakfast, as nobody had much of an appetite left, and Branden escorted Marja back to their home in the city. There were no official court duties today, so he was spending the day with his wife and their infant daughter, Tabitha. Byron, Eryk and Aislynn went to the king’s study in the other wing of the castle to wait for the messenger and hopefully get more news from Evendell. Eventually, the guard arrived with the courier in tow.

The man from Evendell came into the study and bowed once more. How can I help you, your Majesties? he inquired politely.

This isn’t my father’s handwriting, Aislynn began, flourishing the letter. We were wondering who gave this to you, and what happened.

The man shook his head. I’m afraid that I don’t know the details. All I know is that his Majesty’s heir, Prince Davin, was involved in an attack of some sort. That message was given to me by a servant, so I don’t know who wrote it.

Byron nodded his thanks and dismissed the courier, then turned to face his king and queen. So the note is written by someone unfamiliar, and the messenger isn’t able to corroborate the information. What’s next?

We obviously need to find out if the message is true, Aislynn stated immediately. If someone is attacking Eryk’s heir... Well, who knows what could happen next.

And I think that your father is more than capable of carrying out the investigation. The reason we sent Davin to Evendell in the first place, aside from his need for magical training, was because having him surrounded by assassin-bodyguards was a safe thing to do. Eryk stood.

Evendell housed one of the finest assassin training Academies in any of the surrounding kingdoms. In fact, the majority of the royal family of Evendell, including the king and his heir, were assassins trained specifically to be bodyguards. Where could the heir to Bacovia possibly be safer?

I say we send a message to Jackob, find out what’s been happening, and inquire about the mages we requested at the same time, Eryk stated. Following the last of the assassination attempts against Aislynn before their wedding, ones involving a mage, Eryk had decided that it was more than time that the Bacovian court had mages of its own.

Considering the fact that it’s already been a week, if we send our own messenger, it will be nearly two weeks before we get word. It would be better if I went and—

No. Eryk’s voice cut across Aislynn’s, and the assassin turned to face her husband. 

Byron shuddered, sensing the argument that was about to erupt between the couple. He’d witnessed Aislynn’s fits of temper before, and they were downright frightening. The pact that bound Aislynn to Eryk — and Bacovia to Evendell — would keep Eryk safe from the irate assassin, but Byron had no such magical protection. He drifted away from the sitting area of the study, moving across the room toward the king’s desk, hoping that out of sight meant out of mind as the argument started.

You have no right to dictate what I can and cannot do, Aislynn stated, her brown eyes flashing and her face flushed with anger. True to her nature, the queen started to pace across the study like a caged beast while she argued her point. Her dress, fitted to the waist and with a full skirt just brushing the floor, swished with her graceful movements. Her sword, the weapon looking out of place against the red silk gown, swung at her left side as she moved, and her hand twitched toward the companion dagger at her right hip as if she longed to draw the weapon. 

"It is my right, Eryk corrected her, his voice quiet and dangerous, and his piercing blue eyes narrowed. The young king of Bacovia had only ruled for a year, but the commanding inflection of his voice was perfect. As your king, and as your husband, I forbid you to walk into what is very likely a trap."

Forbid me! And how, exactly, do you think you can possibly stop me? A flicker of panic flashed through her mind. The magical pact that bound her to Eryk also prevented her from disobeying his direct order, but that fact would never enter into any conversation.

Simple. Did you know that I happen to have an entire royal guard at my disposal to keep you here?

And did you know that I can defeat any of those guards, with or without killing them? Aislynn snapped back.

"Even you can’t beat them all at once. I will have Byron station guards outside of your rooms, outside your windows, in the halls and on the roof if I have to." Eryk gestured to the aforementioned man where he was standing in the shadows across the room. The captain grimaced as he was dragged into the argument after all.

I really don’t want to be involved in this, Byron protested, holding his hands up in front of him. But if you insist, your Majesty, I’m afraid that I do need to side with the king this time. He bowed low to Aislynn in apology, his blue eyes never leaving her brown ones.

Byron, the youngest man in the history of the Bacovian kingdom to be captain of the guard, was an incredibly talented fighter and was also able to defeat any of the men under his command; he even managed to defeat Aislynn occasionally during their morning practice sessions. Byron looked every inch the soldier he was, with short sandy blond hair, and an impeccable grey and red guard uniform. He wore a long sword at his side.

Hearing Eryk’s words and Byron’s agreement made Aislynn pause. In the relatively short time that she’d known these men, whenever both Eryk and Byron agreed on something, it was always in her best interest to pay attention… though she was often hesitant to follow their advice. She sighed and sat down on the couch. Eryk waited for a few moments before joining her, making sure she wasn’t about to lash out at him, and Cheta came over and laid her head on her mistress’s lap. The wolf could sense the assassin’s frustration, and wanted to offer comfort.

Eryk ran his hand through his black hair, pushing it back from his eyes. Look, he started, I know that you’re angry about the attack on Davin, and I don’t blame you. I’m angry too, especially since sending him away was supposed to keep him safe. But going to Evendell is just asking for trouble. I don’t need to remind you about how close you came to dying, and how often, do I?

Aislynn shook her head, her long brown hair waving softly back and forth. In the months leading up to their wedding, there had been four ‘accidents’ and eight outright attempts to kill her. A few of those tries had come very close to succeeding, actually.

But it’s been quiet since the wedding, she muttered. And the execution that had preceded it, but neither of them mentioned that. The woman behind the attacks on Aislynn’s life, Alexius, had been obsessed with the idea of marrying Eryk and becoming the queen of Bacovia herself. The fact that Alexius had been the sister of Eryk’s best friend made her execution even more painful.

True, the king agreed, but we both know that Alexius wasn’t working alone. Who’s to say that it’s only been quiet because whoever it is was planning the attack on Davin? They’re likely just trying to draw us out from the protection of the castle, and we’d be stupid to walk right into their hands.

You can’t honestly expect us to just sit here and do nothing, Aislynn protested, her frustration starting to boil up into anger once more. Byron took the opportunity to slip silently from the king’s study, just in case.

Captain!

Glancing around the pair of guards on duty, Byron saw his junior lieutenant walking quickly down the corridor toward him. Her red hair made her immediately recognizable, as well as the fact that she was the only woman in the entire palace, aside from the queen, who wore a sword. Amanda had now finally settled into the guard and into her role as his lieutenant, after six long and difficult months.

Did the courier provide any useful information? Amanda asked quietly when Byron met her a few steps away from the study door. One of the guards who’d been on duty in the dining hall had obviously passed along information of the attack in Evendell. What are they going to do about Davin?

I don’t know, the captain admitted. Given the attacks on her Majesty in the recent past, as well as the attacks directed against his Majesty over the past year, if the message is true, I think it’s reasonable to assume that the heir to the throne will see more attacks directed at him.

Byron lapsed into silence, and the two of them made their way out of the palace proper and across the courtyard to the barracks. The captain could see labourers hard at work on the renovation project, and he hoped they’d be finished before the winter. After damage sustained during an attack on the castle the previous fall, the barracks had required some repairs. They’d started in the spring, but Byron’s plans made the project bigger than originally intended.

Following his gaze, Amanda smiled. Still considering adding more women to the guard? The second storey addition under construction was intended to house the new recruits.

"Yes, but they’re going to have to live up to your standards," Byron replied with a smile of his own. While Amanda’s introduction to the guard had been a rough one, she’d managed and was thriving now.

And do they get to experience the same interview?

Oh, most definitely! Byron grinned, remembering how he and Aislynn had ‘interviewed’ the last candidates for the guard. Aside from their application and statement of experience, guard hopefuls also needed to prove their weapon expertise.

So what happens now? Amanda asked as she followed Byron into his office.

I’m going to err on the side of caution and assume that the attacks on Aislynn will begin again. Likely attacks on Eryk too, if they’re going after Davin.

The lieutenant sighed. So that means that I’m back on bodyguard duty. 

Byron nodded, but he understood his junior lieutenant’s disappointment. As the only female guard, she was the only one who could be near Aislynn all the time.

Yet another reason to have more women in the guard, and the sooner, the better , he thought. Amanda needed to spend more of her time with Owen, Byron’s senior lieutenant and Amanda’s mentor.

I’m going to assign Ray and Stephen to her Majesty too, so you’re not alone. But you’ve got the first shift.

I’ll go and get started then. 

Amanda left the captain’s office and almost collided with Mateo. Mateo, previously one of Aislynn’s personal guards, now spent the majority of his time as the king’s visible bodyguard since Aislynn’s role as Eryk’s protector wasn’t well known. He was also on his way to begin his day, and she fell into place beside him. 

Glancing carefully over at the man walking with her, Amanda wondered about him. He had very curly brown hair, dark eyes and a slightly haunted expression. She knew that something had happened to him before she joined the guard, but she didn’t know what. And since Mateo never spoke, it was hard to find out about the situation from him and she was hesitant to just ask around. Still, even if Mateo was mostly a mystery to her, she figured that there were worse ways to spend her time than in his company.

The pair of guards reported for duty outside of the king’s study, and Amanda chuckled to see the relieved expressions on the faces of the men they were replacing. 

Be careful, one of the men warned. Things have quieted down, but they were fighting.

Mateo nodded and Amanda thanked the man for his warning. They took their places on either side of the door and settled in. Life is never boring around here , Amanda mused silently.

Chapter 2

Jackob straightened awkwardly from where he knelt beside the bed. The sleeping boy looked tiny, surrounded by blankets and pillows to keep his body as still and stable as possible so that the healing magic could do its job. Shaking his head, the king of Evendell turned away and left the room.

How is he? 

Resting. Jackob made his way over to the couch and sat down. The blond woman remained seated in the chair across from him. Thank the gods that he’s progressing as well as he is in his studies. If he hadn’t cast that spell...

Chelle, head of the Hearthridge Mage School, nodded. I’m going to be personally thanking Kaydra again. If she hadn’t seen his aptitude and started him on his second year spells early, he wouldn’t be here. Chelle was tall, blond and beautiful. She was also one of Davin’s teachers.

I wish we knew what that creature was, the king said softly, more talking aloud than anything else. And where it came from. It certainly wasn’t anything natural.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, each contemplating the recent attack. Davin had been up on the parapets of the castle walls with one of Jackob’s grandsons. While the boys were there, a huge bird-creature had attacked them, and Davin had fallen, pushed from the top of the wall. Only his quick thinking had saved him, Davin casting a new spell he’d been working on. The spell slowed his fall enough that he hadn’t died, though one of his legs was broken, his pelvis was cracked and one of his shoulders was dislocated. 

When Jackob rose to leave, Chelle followed his example. Together they left Davin’s rooms and walked down the hall toward the royal family’s suite. Jackob nodded to the guard standing duty as they passed into Jackob’s private dining room and sitting area.

I assume you came to find me because the mages are ready to leave, Jackob stated, taking a chair beside his wife at the table. He pulled a bowl of fruit closer and chose an apple while Chelle remained standing respectfully, looking at the royal couple. Jackob had straight brown hair and rich brown eyes, and Natasha, queen of Evendell, had wavy brown hair and blue eyes. They made a lovely couple, but right now they reminded her too much of their son, Jayce.

Yes, your Majesty. We have one mage from each element, so there’s a full complement of teachers. Midsummer is approaching quickly, and ideally everyone will be in place in Eaglecrest so that we can cast the summoning spell on schedule, give or take a few days.

Excellent. It will be a good thing to have mages in that court. Jackob remembered those final attacks on his youngest daughter. The fireballs that had collapsed part of the cathedral had buried him as well as Aislynn, and he still had nightmares from time to time.

How much about the attack should I reveal when her Majesty inevitably asks about it? Chelle wanted to know.

You might as well tell her everything, Jackob said with a sigh. She’ll find out one way or another, eventually, so it might as well come from you.

Natasha, who’d been listening to the conversation without comment, looked between her husband and the master mage standing a few feet away. When Jackob made no move to say anything further, she took a deep breath. When will you be returning to us, Chelle?

Jackob looked over at Chelle, startled. He’d missed her use of a personal pronoun.

I’m not planning to return, she answered quietly.

Why not?

Chelle dropped her head, brown eyes looking at the floor. I just can’t take it anymore, she finally admitted, her voice still quiet.

Natasha rose gracefully from her spot beside Jackob and walked across to the woman. Putting her arm around the mage’s shoulders, the queen guided her over to a chaise, and sitting down beside her, Natasha took Chelle’s hand. Jackob, a little uncomfortable with the emotional demonstration, remained seated at the table.

Oh sweetie, what’s happened now?

Jayce is a self-centred, arrogant man who thinks of nobody except himself, Chelle spat, her voice low and angry. He’s gone again, and not on an assignment, according to the guild. He left sometime in the night.

Natasha shook her head, and Jackob muttered something unintelligible behind them. Jayce, their only son and their heir, was a trained assassin, like his father and youngest sister. He’d been seeing Chelle on and off for years, a relationship his parents heartily approved of. Unfortunately, his job required him to leave Hearthridge frequently on assignments, and he often left without saying goodbye, which was a source of frustration for the master mage. Chelle also suspected that Jayce had other women scattered around the kingdom, which is why he wasn’t willing to commit to her permanently. The political situation was stable and Jayce didn’t need to worry about an alliance through marriage, so there wasn’t any reason for him to avoid her… unless there was someone else.

So I’ve had it, Chelle continued, anger making her voice stronger. I’m going to start the School in Bacovia, and I won’t need to worry about seeing him any longer.

Are you sure that’s what you want to do? Jackob asked, finally coming over to the women. Is that going to make you happy?

It certainly can’t make me any more miserable than I am here. I’m always waiting to see if he’ll come back to me, and it’s always worse when I know he’s alive but hasn’t bothered to check-in.

We will miss you, Natasha commented, both at the School and in the palace, here, with us. But we understand. Jayce can be very...

Childish, the king supplied with a scowl. He didn’t understand his son’s reticence. What more could Jayce possibly be looking for in a wife? The woman seated in front of him was beautiful, an accomplished mage, and the head of the Hearthridge School.

Chelle nodded, agreeing with both monarchs. I’ll miss you too, and I’ll miss Hearthridge, but I hear that Eaglecrest is a beautiful city.

It is, Jackob agreed, but it’s very different. If you get homesick, know that you’ll always have a place here.

Thank you. I’m going to appoint Kaydra the new head of the School, and the mage taking over the Spirit position is a good man. He’s strong and dedicated. He’ll do a good job.

After Chelle left, Jackob sat down next to Natasha on the chaise. It was a tight fit with the two of them, and he put his arm around his wife, drawing her closer.

What are we going to do about that boy? he asked.

"There’s nothing we can do, Natasha replied with a shake of her head. He needs to grow up on his own terms. He doesn’t neglect his duties as heir, nor his obligations as a member of the guild. If he doesn’t want to marry, that’s not really any of our business. Sherilynn has enough children to provide an heir for Evendell’s throne, if it comes down to that."

But she’s so perfect for him!

Is she? Do you really think that Chelle is perfect for Jayce, or are you just saying that because you can picture her on the throne one day?

Can’t they be one in the same? the king asked with a smirk.

Natasha just shook her head and leaned back in Jackob’s arms. Since the attack on Davin a week ago, this was an unusually quiet moment and she intended to enjoy it for as long as she could.

I really wish Jayce would leave word when he’s leaving the palace, Jackob muttered a few moments later. Natasha sighed, their moment of peace broken. 

"Talk with him when he returns. It is important that somebody know where he’s going, just in case we need to send for him."

Do you really think he has other women? Is that where he goes?

Natasha quirked an eyebrow as she turned around to look at her husband. The expression on her face answered him before she said a word. "Really? You’re asking my opinion about that?"

Yes, I am.

She sighed. I’m almost certain of it.

Sadly, I have to agree with you. Oh well… As long as he’s careful, it’s none of our business, but I sincerely hope that there aren’t any unknown grandchildren running around this kingdom.

"Maybe leaving is the best thing for Chelle, after all, Natasha mused, rising from the chaise. Come on, let’s get this day started, shall we?"

With a smile, Jackob stood and took his queen’s hand. They had a party of mages to send off, and an investigation to continue. Their son would turn up sooner or later, and then they all needed to have a little chat.

Chapter 3

Mortimer rode slowly through the streets of Eaglecrest, heading toward the palace. He shook his