The Ruby Knight Read Online Free PDF

concealment.
    â€˜So that’s where Aldreas hid it,’ Vanion said. ‘Maybe he was wiser than we thought. You said he told you some things. Such as what?’
    â€˜That he had been poisoned,’ Sparhawk replied. ‘Probably the same poison they gave Ehlana.’
    â€˜Was it Annias?’ Kalten asked grimly.
    Sparhawk shook his head. ‘No. It was Princess Arissa.’
    â€˜His own sister ?’ Bevier exclaimed. ‘That’s monstrous!’ Bevier was an Arcian, and he had deep moral convictions.
    â€˜Arissa is fairly monstrous,’ Kalten agreed. ‘She’s not the sort to let little things stand in her way. How did she get out of the cloister in Demos to dispose of Aldreas, though?’
    â€˜Annias arranged it,’ Sparhawk told him. ‘She entertained Aldreas in her usual fashion, and when he was exhausted, she gave him the poisoned wine.’
    â€˜I don’t quite understand,’ Bevier frowned.
    â€˜The relationship between Arissa and Aldreas went somewhat beyond what is customary for a brother and sister,’ Vanion told him delicately.
    Bevier’s eyes widened and the blood drained from his olive-skinned face as he slowly gathered Vanion’s meaning.
    â€˜Why did she kill him?’ Kalten asked. ‘Revenge for locking her up in that cloister?’
    â€˜No, I don’t think so,’ Sparhawk told him. ‘I think it was a part of the overall scheme she and Annias had hatched. First they poisoned Aldreas and then Ehlana.’
    â€˜So the way to the throne would be clear for Arissa’s bastard son?’ Kalten surmised.
    â€˜It’s sort of logical,’ Sparhawk agreed. ‘It fits together even tighter when you know that Lycheas the bastard is Annias’s son too.’
    â€˜A Churchman?’ Tynian said, looking a bit startled. ‘Do you people here in Elenia have different rules from the rest of us?’
    â€˜Not really, no,’ Vanion replied. ‘Annias seems to feel that he’s above the rules, and Arissa goes out of her way to break them.’
    â€˜Arissa’s always been just a little indiscriminate,’ Kalten added. ‘Rumour has it that she was on very friendly terms with just about every man in Cimmura.’
    â€˜That might be a slight exaggeration,’ Vanion said. He stood up and went to the window. ‘I’ll pass this information on to Patriarch Dolmant,’ he said, looking out at the foggy night. ‘He may be able to make some use of it when the time comes to elect a new Archprelate.’
    â€˜And perhaps the Earl of Lenda might be able to use itas well,’ Sephrenia suggested. ‘The royal council is corrupt, but even they might balk if they find that Annias is trying to put his own bastard son on the throne.’ She looked at Sparhawk. ‘What else did Aldreas tell you?’ she asked.
    â€˜Just one other thing. We know we need some magic object to cure Ehlana. He told me what it is. It’s Bhelliom. It’s the only thing in the world with enough power.’
    Sephrenia’s face blanched. ‘No!’ she gasped. ‘Not Bhelliom!’
    â€˜That’s what he told me.’
    â€˜It presents a big problem,’ Ulath declared. ‘Bhelliom’s been lost since the Zemoch war, and even if we’re lucky enough to find it, it won’t respond unless we have the rings.’
    â€˜Rings?’ Kalten asked.
    â€˜The Troll-Dwarf, Ghwerig, made Bhelliom,’ Ulath explained. ‘Then he made a pair of rings to unlock its power. Without the rings, Bhelliom’s useless.’
    â€˜We already have the rings,’ Sephrenia told him absently, her face still troubled.
    â€˜We do?’ Sparhawk was startled.
    â€˜You’re wearing one of them,’ she told him, ‘and Aldreas gave you the other this very night.’
    Sparhawk stared at the ruby ring on his left hand, then back at his teacher.