Page 36 of Fox of Fox Hall

Fox gave him another sharp glance. “MatlinLoriloft does not admire me,” he argued.

Domvoda cut his tail through the airdismissively. Fox risked a look out over the rooms. Everyone waswatching them, some not even pretending they weren’t. They were alldying to know what Fox and the king were talking about. Whichlikely amused Domvoda and at least had improved his mood.

Fox nodded to himself. “But you can assure her Iwill stay far from her if she prefers it.”

“What of what I prefer?” Domvoda did not raisehis voice but he slapped the tip of his tail against the arm of theseat. Then he went still again, his tone level and perhaps evenbored. “I suspect she also admires you and that is what bothersher. But they are not you and can never be.”

Fox stared at the side of Domvoda’s head andthen looked blankly to the crowd. “And what am I?”

“Not byr,” Domvoda answered after severalmoments of silence. That answer was so obvious Fox wondered whyDomvoda would bother to say it. “Some have suggested this is noplace for you.”

Fox couldn’t help but scoff again. “That’s not asurprise to me, my king.”

Domvoda laughed, which probably made several byrin the room jump. “They tell me a musician is a servant and shouldnot offer comment on anything.”

“Not even if the king asks?” Fox returnedlightly and felt for a moment like he had when he’d first made theking smile.

“I will do as I please. Don’t worry.” If Domvodameant that to be calming, it wasn’t. He kept telling Fox not toworry but offered no reason why he should.

Fox cleared his throat to indicate he was goingto speak of something more difficult and when Domvoda did not stophim, said, “In all honesty, they know the gossip about me. Wouldanyone be pleased to have me here while they try to win youraffections? You will do as you please, but I would understand ifthat meant you had to send me from you. If that was why you left mealone.” When the talks about an heir had begun, Fox had no longerbeen invited even to the occasional night in Domvoda’s bed. Hehadn’t made the connection at first, but others had, and theirwhispers had put a puzzling melancholy in Fox’s chest for months.Now there was only a distant ache. “If you had told me, I couldhave left on my own for you. I never thought…”

“Fox.” Domvoda stopped him but still didnot turn around. “I believe Falnya has spoken to you once ortwice.”

Fox dropped his head and took an unsteadybreath. Domvoda was not breathing evenly either, but Fox took nopleasure in the knowledge. He focused on Domvoda’s pointed changeof topic.

“Yes, briefly.” Fox raised his head again andsmiled blankly at the watching byr, and Byr Falnya, silentlyobserving all of this. “His cousin as well, Byr Shine, who is oneof those competing in your tournament this year. She demonstratedfor everyone with the other knights.”

Several more moments of silence passed. ThenDomvoda exhaled and glanced to him, cold and bored once more. “Nothoughts yet to share with me on the tournaments and who willwin?”

The previous subject was closed. Fox couldn’ttell if Domvoda was angry, but Fox hadn’t been ordered out ofDomvoda’s sight yet, so he smiled with slightly more enthusiasm andtold Domvoda the truth. “In the individual events, they have manythoughts and some love to boast. But in the larger mock-battle, itwill likely come down to two of them, which I am sure you know. ByrDrashnal and Byr Conall.” Fox did not react at all as he said thename. He’d practiced that morning while braiding his hair.

“Good, loyal Fox.” Domvoda studied him as hepronounced the words. Fox stared back without flinching, though hisback and shoulders were so stiff his head would ache soon.

Then, as if Domvoda had personally ordered itto, the rain stopped.

ChapterFourteen

As the improved weather gave Domvoda a chance tofinally do something, Fox tried not to mind when he was taken alongwith everyone else to view the muddy fields. He sat in an opencarriage for the journey itself, next to Byr Din, who stared at Foxwith wide eyes, which were really quite exquisite even if Domvodadid not seem to notice or care. Fox took to asking about herbs tokeep the silence from becoming strained. Byr Din answered him withthe glowing enthusiasm of far more than a hobbyist, but probablyonly spoke to Fox because Domvoda had publicly favored Fox againand now the court was confused about how to treat him. Fox didn’tfeel like addressing that, so he did not, but he was as otherwisepolite as he could be while being inundated with information aboutmedicinal plants and then forced to trail Domvoda and look attrampled grass and mud on a hot day.

The knights did not seem to mind the mud,although Fox hated to think of the launderer’s work after the twodays of the tournament. The first day would be single events, suchas archery or fights with blunted swords, the most dangerous beingcombat while seated on a horse, but all the participants would endup covered in copious amounts of sweat and dirt. Fox thought of theknights falling onto hard ground and supposed the softer, damperfieldswereslightly better, but the whole thing still madehim shudder.

The knights tested the softness of the earthseveral times by using one of the hand-to-hand, weaponless fightingmethods to toss each other around. They cheered as they did it,proving Fox would never understand knights.

One of them, noticeably older than the rest,spoke with the air of an approving instructor, loud enough for Foxto hear even after Fox had made his delicate way back to thecarriage to wait for everyone else to come to their senses andreturn. “You see that? That’s why you train so much, so when yousee an opportunity, you can react decisively and swiftly like ByrLiniah did. That is key to victory. Thank the emperor for givingyou the chance butyouhave to take it.”

‘Thank the emperor’ was an expression unique tobyr, mostly the older byr. They must know a story of the lostempire that others did not. Fox always took it to mean ‘be gratefulfor whatever fortune has given you’ which seemed very unbyrlike,since byr never seemed grateful for anything they had.

Fox rested his head on his arms on the side ofthe carriage and watched Conall and the other most experiencedknights discuss the state of the fields with Domvoda. If Domvodasuspected anything between Fox and Conall, or was bothered if hedid, Fox couldn’t see enough to be certain. Although Conall was thecalm, quiet Dragonslayer he always was at court, so perhaps Domvodapoked and prodded and got nothing from him.

Yet Fox did not breathe any easier after tellinghimself that. Foolish. He had warned Conall several times andConall had shown no serious concerns about Domvoda. Conall was ahero in all respects and would participate in the stupid tournamentwith the same of lack of concern for his own well-being. Fox shouldworry over himself; Domvoda’s possible barbs wouldn’t bother a manwith two exhausting days of competition ahead of him.

The second day of the tournament was the largemock-battle between two sides. Fox had never understood the pointof it, but the ground would have dried more by then, which meantthere was no reason to avoid the battle except sense. But theknights in a circle around Domvoda and his advisors smiled as theyall agreed—the tournament would begin tomorrow, weatherallowing.

Fox looked up at that, but the sky wasunfortunately clear of all but the smallest of clouds.

ChapterFifteen

The mood in the dining hall in Saravar thatnight was exhilarated. The tournament was back on and betting hadbegun to take place in earnest. The byr would have diversion forthe next two days and perhaps some new heroes to admire when it wasall over. They’d regret all the wine in the morning, but for now itflowed freely and brought smiles to many faces.

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