In Treachery Forged (The Law of Swords) Read Free Page B

pointing accusingly at the ambassador. “We are not fools, Hussack! You slipped up. We now know why Abindol and Borden abandoned us – you subverted them. You turned them against us and funded their rebellions to force us into alliance with you.
    “I had hoped to choose my own time to address this, but your actions tonight – and those of your nation – cannot go unanswered. As of this moment, the Kingdom of Svieda withdraws from the Sho’Curlas Alliance. Our armies will stand ready to meet you whenever they’re needed.”
    Hussack didn’t even flinch. If anything, he looked amused at the revelation, smiling coldly. “I see. Well, sire, I’m afraid it’s a bit too late for that. Your spies missed one rather important detail: We already had an army stationed north of here, along the border of your Province of Sycanth. According to a message I received this morning, that army began the invasion yesterday. Given the lack of any organized defense along that border, they should be arriving here...” he paused, considering. “Perhaps as early as tomorrow.
    “Your armies are scattered and cannot be marshaled in time to defend this city. Your people may be able to put up a token resistance, but it will take some time before you can amass a proper army to match us. Your kingdom will fall, and the men and women of your royal line will become the subservient little pissants they should have been since the time of our great grandfathers.”
    With an arrogant grin, Hussack raised an arm towards Troubuxet, who was standing behind him, well outside of the protection of any of the guards or lodestones. With a single thought. the iron-chained medallion Mussack had recently gifted their tutor was torn off, snapping the tutor’s neck in the process.
    “He’s a mage!,” Maelgyn cried out. He hurried to bring up the mindset needed to counter a magical attack. “Watch yourselves!”
    Troubuxet fell to the ground, dead, as the chain was bent, warped, and melted to form several seven-inch long senbon needles, landing safely into Hussack’s outstretched palm. Before anyone could react, he threw those needles into the throats and eyes of several guards around the room.
    Maelgyn barely managed to raise a magical defense against the improvised weapons, shielding himself, his cousins and his father from the deadly needles mere moments before they would all have been struck.
    Hussack didn’t even notice Maelgyn’s feat as he had moved on to a new target. With the guards disposed of, he had the time to punch his magic through the disruptive barrier provided by the lodestones, and ripped the Royal Sword right out of its sheath, still in its belt at King Gilbereth’s side.
    “Hmm, not bad,” Hussack mused absently, testing the sword’s weight. “I suppose I might grow to like a weapon like this... but I need to test its sharpness, first.” Gilbereth tried to dive for one of the downed guard’s weapons, but he was cut off by Mussack, who had already taken one and was moving to help his father. A white-hot line of pain across the back of his neck was the final sensation Gilbereth felt, as Hussack turned the old King’s sword against him.
    “I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” Hussack taunted the dying king. “But I must inform you that it is too late to withdraw your kingdom from the alliance. And, well, I’m afraid that the chances of your armies ‘meeting us when they are needed’ are not as good as you think.”

Chapter 2
     
    Nattiel was the first person to recover from the shock of Gilbereth’s assassination. Grabbing the three younger princes, he shoved them behind him. Hussack hardly noticed, his attention occupied fighting off the dozens of royal guards streaming into the room as cries of alarm drew them in. Hussack was now wielding two swords recovered from the dead bodies of his victims, while a third was handed off to his son. Even Mussack, who obviously knew of the plot beforehand, seemed a little shocked, but he