Free Duel of Fire (Steel and Fire Book 1) by Jordan Rivet Page B

influence the acceptance of some of our less specialized Works of . . .”
    Siv did his best to listen politely. Zage was a quiet man with a penchant for sweeping about the castle in his dark robes and giving lectures in his raspy, papery voice. Despite his unfortunate lack of charisma, he had been the king’s friend for decades. Siv had been afraid of him as a child, but as he grew older he had realized that Zage was actually quite shy. He was meticulous in his stewardship of the Fire of Vertigon, and he was earnest, almost fanatical, in his desire to give Siv a proper education in the nuances of Fireworking politics.
    But today, Siv was distracted. Dara Ruminor had his attention. He went over their lengthy duel in his head step by step, looking for her weaknesses. She didn’t have many. She was a precision instrument. They had stopped keeping score, but he was fairly certain he had lost the bout by a point or two—not that he’d ever admit that to her.
    “My prince.”
    “Huh?”
    Zage sighed, hissing like a furlingbird in deep winter.
    “I said that when you are in Trure you must be sure to visit the palace of the Earl of Eastfell to ask his opinion on—”
    “I’m not going to Trure anytime soon.”
    “Pardon me, my prince, but your royal father informed me you had discussed a visit to the home of your grandfather.”
    “He mentioned it in passing,” Siv said, “but nothing has been decided.”
    Zage frowned. “I understood from my meeting with the king this morning that your journey is to commence before First Snow.”
    “First Snow! He wants me to spend the whole winter there?” Siv stood and paced in front of the Fire Gate. Or more accurately, he hobbled. He really was out of shape, and his muscles had seized up after sitting in the chair for hours. Well, maybe it had only been twenty minutes.
    “If I may say so, I think it’s a wise decision,” Zage said soberly. “You would do well to better acquaint yourself with our closest neighbors and their noble families.”
    “I know everything about them, Zage. Trure is literally the only thing my mother talks about.”
    “The queen’s reminiscences of the land of her birth are not without value,” Zage said, “but you must learn of Trure’s intricacies for yourself and begin building your own relationships. Its politics are more complex than those of Vertigon.”
    “Vertigon isn’t simple, though,” Siv said. He had nothing against Trure. His mother had taken lengthy visits there throughout his childhood, often leaving Siv and his sisters behind on the mountain. She was there now, in fact. Siv and his sisters had always known Trure was the only place their mother was truly happy. But when they accompanied her on visits, they hadn’t seen her much more than during her long absences. Their time was always consumed by stuffy state dinners, preening cousins, and walks about the Truren Horesplains, which were every bit as plain as they sounded. Give him the heady heights and wild mists of Vertigon Mountain any day. Come to think of it, he did have a lot against Trure. He needed a better reason to avoid the trip, though—if he could refuse his father.
    “The variety provided by such a journey would do you good,” Zage said.
    “I don’t want to go for the whole winter,” Siv said. “I’m making headway with a few noble families, including a certain lady who is our mutual acquaintance.” Would he use that leverage? Oh, yes he would. It may be a little premature, but he was sure Lady Tull was starting to warm to him.
    “True enough,” Zage said. “But I believe now may be an opportune time for you to be out of the castle. There are dangerous games afoot. As you said, Vertigon isn’t simple.”
    “Dangerous games?”
    “Whispers fill the smoke of the mountain,” Zage said. “We must all keep watch lest the whispers turn to shouts.”
    Siv sighed. “Oh, what shall we do?” He mimicked Zage’s hoarse, papery voice. The Warden was getting