Surrender to the Will of the Night by Glen Cook Page B

Boniface had asked for peace in Brothe for months.
    Peace there would be, now.
    ***
    Piper Hecht meant to steal every moment he could with Anna Mozilla and the children. And received an outstanding gift his first visit. The children surrounded him immediately. Pella was proprietary, having just spent all that time in the field with his adoptive father. Lila was shy. He had not been around much since her arrival. She kept looking to Anna to see if she was doing the right thing.
    Vali was the amazing one. First, she had grown dramatically. She promised to become an attractive woman. But the greater thrill was having her hug him, then say, “Welcome home, Father.” Plain words. Straight out. Speaking in his presence for the first time ever.
    Hecht hugged her back and looked over her at Anna. Anna smiled, nodded. Vali had regained her ability to trust. Vali had enlisted fully in their makeshift family.
    Pella said, “We thought you’d never get here.”
    “You and me, both. Every time I started this way they found something else that had to be handled right now. Otherwise, Mother Church and the Episcopal world would go under before sundown.”
    Anna said, “You’re here, now. Leave the world outside. Madouc sent word you were coming. The children made a special meal.”
    “Wonderful.” He could smell the mutton cooking. “I wish I knew how to tell you all what an anchor you are to me when I’m out there.” Which he meant absolutely, however hard temptation might nip.
    “Tell us about the wedding!” Vali enthused. Lila nodded. The older girl would break no hearts. Nor get a chance to do if her background came out. “Pella wouldn’t.”
    “Because they didn’t let him inside.” He settled at the table, began describing the Imperial wedding.
    The girls rushed back and forth with food. Hecht talked only when both were there to hear. Pella remained seated, Anna judging him to be too old now to run with the girls.
    Anna no longer had servants. She did not trust herself or the children not to give something away. And they all had secrets.
    Vali wanted to know what King Jaime looked like. Was he as handsome as they said? Lila wanted to know what the Empress and her sister wore. Lila was almost appealing when she was excited.
    “Jaime is as pretty as a man can be. And as spoiled. He makes enemies almost as fast as he can talk. He won’t stop saying stupid and offensive things. The Empress and the Princess Apparent were stunning. Their gowns cost more than any of us can hope to see in our lifetimes. Katrin wore gold. Helspeth wore silver. They were soaked in gems and pearls. Katrin favored rubies, Helspeth emeralds. The ladies of the court were nearly as gaudy. I do wish you could have seen them. But I’m still thinking it was a miracle that I was invited.”
    “That is curious,” Anna observed.
    “They said it was because Boniface can’t travel. After the crusade in the Connec, I was better known than anyone else connected with the Patriarch.”
    “You were invited when Pacificus Sublime was Patriarch, too. And he wasn’t handicapped.”
    “Are you sure? He went way before his time.”
    Anna shrugged. “It just seems strange.”
    “I won’t argue with that.”
    “Pella says you had a private interview with the Empress.”
    “I did. She tried to hire me away from the Church. So maybe that explains why I was there.”
    “What? Why?”
    Lila asked, “You aren’t going to do it, are you?” In a voice so soft Hecht almost missed it.
    “No. She wanted me to lead a crusade to the Holy Lands. I don’t want that. I’d have to deal with all those pompous idiots. … Never mind. I have a job here. At the moment, to ensure an orderly transition. But let’s don’t talk about that. You girls tell me what you did while I was gone.”
    ***
    Anna was more than usually demanding that night. She was troubled. It took a while to get her to open up. “I’m afraid,” she said. “All the time, anymore. Not