Maelstrom Read online

  © 2016 by Jill Williamson

  Published by Bethany House Publishers

  11400 Hampshire Avenue South

  Bloomington, Minnesota 55438

  www.bethanyhouse.com

  Bethany House Publishers is a division of

  Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan

  www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

  Ebook edition created 2016

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

  ISBN 978-1-4412-3035-5

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Cover design by LOOK Design Studio

  Author is represented by MacGregor Literary, Inc.

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Cross Section of the Seffynaw

  Key Players

  Wilek

  Trevn

  Wilek

  Kalenek

  Charlon

  Hinck

  Wilek

  Trevn

  Amala

  Kalenek

  Wilek

  Kalenek

  Charlon

  Trevn

  Grayson

  Wilek

  Amala

  Hinck

  Wilek

  Hinck

  Wilek

  Trevn

  Hinck

  Grayson

  Gozan

  Kalenek

  Wilek

  Charlon

  Gozan

  Trevn

  Wilek

  Hinck

  About the Author

  THE KINSMAN CHRONICLES

  Back Ads

  Key Players

  Armania

  House Hadar

  Echad [EE-kad]-Rosâr Hadar, king of Armania

  Schwyl, Echad’s onesent

  Captain Lebbe Alpress, captain of the King’s Guard

  Zenobia, Echad’s concubine

  Lilou Caridod, Echad’s mistress

  Onika [ON-ik-ah], the True Prophet, a blind woman

  Sir Kalenek Veroth, Onika’s High Shield of Arman

  Tulay [TOO-lay], honor maiden to Onika

  Yoana [Yo-AHNA], honor maiden to Onika

  Kempe [KEM-pay], Onika’s personal maid

  Rustian, Onika’s dune cat

  Brelenah-Rosârah, Echad’s first wife, Wilek and Inolah’s mother

  Captain Rayim Veralla, captain of the Queen’s Guard

  Agmado Harton/Harton Sonber, guard

  Hawley, Brelenah’s onesent

  Wilek [WILL-ek]-Sâr Hadar, son of Echad and Brelenah

  Novan, Wilek’s High Shield

  Dendrick, Wilek’s onesent

  Janek-Sâr Hadar, son of Echad and Laviel

  Sir Jayron, Janek’s High Shield

  Hinckdan Faluk, Earl of Dacre, Janek’s backman

  Mattenelle, Janek’s concubine

  Pia, Janek’s concubine

  Sir Kamran DanSâr, son of Echad and Zenobia

  Fonu Edekk, friend to Janek

  Trevn-Sâr Hadar, son of Echad and Thallah

  Sir Cadoc Wyser, Trevn’s High Shield

  Ottee, Trevn’s onesent

  Valena-Rosârah, Echad’s fourth wife

  Enetta, Hrettah and Rashah’s nurse

  Hrettah-Sârah Hadar, daughter of Echad and Valena

  Sir Kenard Taldun, Hrettah’s High Shield

  Ulmer Gelsly, Kenard’s backman

  Rashah-Sârah Hadar, daughter of Echad and Valena

  Sir Zeric Meray, Rashah’s High Shield

  Rey Kael, Zeric’s backman

  Other Armanians

  Mielle, Kalenek’s ward

  Amala, Kalenek’s ward, Mielle’s little sister

  Darlow, Mielle and Amala’s nurse

  Inolah-Sârah Orsona-Hadar, daughter of Echad and Brelenah, mother of Emperor Ulrik

  Princess Vallah Orsona, Inolah’s daughter, Emperor Ulrik’s sister

  Oli Agoros, Duke of Canden

  Admiral Aldair Livina, admiral of the king’s fleet

  Norgam Bussie, captain of the Seffynaw

  Nietz, first mate

  Shinn, second mate

  Zaki, sailor

  Bonds, sailor

  Rzasa, sailor

  Hara, the king’s cook

  Shemme, Hara’s daughter, a maid

  Father Burl Mathal, medial priest of the Rôb church

  Jhorn, a retired soldier and amputee

  Grayson, a boy with a gray rash

  The Omatta Clan

  Rand, leader of the Omatta

  Meelo, Rand’s son

  Zahara, Rand’s daughter

  Traitors to Armania

  Barthel Rogedoth (also known as Prince Mergest III), former Pontiff of Armania, grandfather of Janek, father of Laviel, uncle to Loran

  Timmons, Barthel’s onesent

  Dendron, a great shadir, bonded to Barthel Rogedoth

  Laviel-Rosârah, Echad’s second wife, Janek’s mother, Barthel’s daughter

  Eudora Agoros, Oli’s sister, Barthel’s wife

  Sârah Jemesha, Echad’s sister, Oli and Eudora’s mother

  Filkin Yohthehreth, Rôb prophet

  Zithel Lau, Rôb priest

  Sarikar

  House Pitney

  King Loran Pitney, king of Sarikar, the God’s King

  Princess Saria, Loran’s daughter

  Prince Thorvald, Loran’s son

  Zeroah Barta, Loran’s niece, betrothed to Wilek Hadar

  Doth, Zeroah’s guard

  Ephec, Zeroah’s guard

  Rystan Barta, Duke of Tal, Zeroah’s little brother, Wilek’s backman

  Rurekau

  House Orsona

  Emperor Ulrik Orsona, emperor of Rurekau

  Sir Iamot, Ulrik’s High Shield

  Taleeb, Ulrik’s onesent

  Prince Ferro Orsona, Ulrik’s younger brother

  Thallah-Rosârah Orsona, Echad’s third wife, Trevn’s mother, Ulrik’s great-aunt

  General Balat, head of the Igote guard

  Kakeeo, Rurekan sheriff

  Burk, a Rurekan Igote soldier

  Magonia

  Ruling Clan

  Mreegan, Magonian Chieftess

  Kateen, First of Mreegan’s Five Maidens

  Astaa, Second of Mreegan’s Five Maidens

  Roya, Third of Mreegan’s Five Maidens

  Rone, number One of Mreegan’s Five Men

  Nuel, number Two of Mreegan’s Five Men

  Vald, number Three of Mreegan’s Five Men

  Torol, number Four of Mreegan’s Five Men

  Gullik [GUHL-ik], number Five of Mreegan’s Five Men

  Charlon, Mother of the Deliverer

  Magon, a great shadir, bonded to Mreegan and Charlon

  Krola, captain of the Vespara

  Tenma

  Priestess Jazlyn, High Queen of Tenma

  Qoatch [KO-ach], Jazlyn’s eunuch slav, a seer

  Gozan, a great shadir, bonded to Jazlyn

  Main Ships of the Fleet

  Seffynaw [SEF-EE-naw], Rosâr Echad’s ship, flagship of Armania and the fleet

  Rafayah [Raf-AHY-uh], the vice flagship of Armania

  Baretam [BAIR-IT-am], Emperor Ulrik’s sh
ip, flagship of Rurekau

  Gillsmore [GILS-mohr], the vice flagship of Rurekau

  Kaloday [KAL-UH-dey], King Loran’s ship, flagship of Sarikar

  Vespara [Ves-PAR-uh], Chieftess Mreegan’s ship, stolen from Sarikar

  Amarnath [EY-mahr-nath], Barthel Rogedoth’s ship

  Malbraid, Rand’s ship

  Taradok, Zahara’s ship

  The Gods of the Five Realms

  Arman, the father god

  Athos, god of justice and law

  Avenis/Avennia, god/goddess of beauty

  Barthos, god of the earth/soil

  Cethra/Cetheria, god/goddess of protection

  Dendron, god of nature

  Gâzar, ruler of the Lowerworld, bringer of death

  Iamos, god/goddess of healing

  Lâhat, god of fire

  Magon, goddess of magic

  Mikreh, god of fate and fortune

  Nivanreh, god of travel

  Rurek, god of war

  Sarik, god of wisdom

  Tenma, the mother god

  Thalassa, virgin goddess of the sea

  Yobat/Yobatha, god/goddess of pleasure and celebration

  Zitheos, god of animals

  Wilek

  Upon the toll of the midday bells, a company consisting of fifty people assembled for a royal wedding on the foredeck. Some sat on stools, benches, or trunks they’d brought up from their cabins, but most stood. The wedding tent had been dug out from the hold and half erected along the port rail, as there wasn’t room enough to set up the full circle.

  Wilek had put aside all other cares for this moment. The search for new land and the rebels plotting to sink the ship would have to wait. Today he would be married.

  The ceremony between Sâr-Regent Wilek Hadar and Lady Zeroah Barta began with prayers in ancient Armanian, which were chanted by Father Burl Mathal, the only priest Wilek trusted after the Heir War conspiracies. This was the priest’s second attempt at performing this ceremony, and Wilek had instructed that it should go much swifter than the original had been scheduled to. A small altar stood on the priest’s left; a brazier burned coal on his right. Wilek dared not risk an open fire any larger or it might catch the rigging, so the sacrifice would be small. Wilek hoped that Arman, understanding their predicament, would grant mercy.

  When the prayers ended, Father Mathal called Wilek forward with his five witnesses—Rayim, Kal, Janek, Trevn, and Dendrick. Wilek read from a scroll a list of gifts he had offered Lady Zeroah as a bride-price. Rystan, the Duke of Tal, accepted them on his sister’s behalf, as he, despite being only thirteen, was now the head of the Barta family, and Lady Zeroah’s welfare fell to him until she was married.

  Wilek’s five men erected a canopy of blue silk and cloth of gold in the small open space between Father Mathal and the assembly. The canopy had five poles, and each man held one.

  “Who wishes to marry this day?” Father Mathal asked.

  “I wish to marry Lady Zeroah Barta,” Wilek said. “And she has accepted my suit.”

  “Come under the holy canopy,” Father Mathal told them both.

  Lady Zeroah stood with her five witnesses—Miss Mielle, Wilek’s mother, Hrettah, Rashah, and Inolah, since Rosârah Valena was still too ill. Zeroah’s deep blue and bronze dress had rendered her a most lovely object for the delighted assembly to gaze upon. A thick veil covered her face and fell to her waist.

  Miss Mielle and Wilek’s mother each took hold of one of Lady Zeroah’s arms and led her under the canopy. The two sârahs carried the long train. Wilek stepped in through the back of the canopy and positioned himself opposite his bride. The female witnesses formed a line behind Zeroah, while Wilek’s men continued to hold up the canopy.

  “Kneel in this holy place,” Father Mathal said.

  They knelt, and Wilek, without being asked, took hold of Lady Zeroah’s hands. It was strange not to be able to see her face, as the thick veil hid it from view. He imagined her looking down, shy as always.

  Father Mathal began another ancient Armanian prayer. Since they had no doves on board, he sacrificed a bird from the crow’s nest and drained the blood into a consecrated bowl. This he placed on the altar to his left, dipped a feather into it, and sprinkled the blood over Wilek’s and Zeroah’s heads as he chanted a petition of blessing to Arman—as Wilek had requested. When he finished, he butchered the crow, cut out its breast, and set it and the whole bird on the coals. “Arman, accept this fragrant offering.”

  As the bird cooked, Wilek prayed thanks to Arman for protecting Lady Zeroah when Charlon might have killed her.

  Father Mathal removed the cooked meat and tore it in three. He handed a piece to Wilek and one to Lady Zeroah, keeping the last piece for himself. “With your own hands, wave this breast before Arman, a token of your regard to the God you serve.”

  Wilek held the small piece of warm meat with both sets of fingers and lifted his arms above his head, bowing in prayer as he did. Lady Zeroah and Father Mathal did the same.

  “Now feast upon this wave offering and rejoice in Arman’s blessings.”

  Wilek ate the meat, which had already cooled in the brisk sea air. Lady Zeroah’s hand threaded up under her veil as she too ate.

  “In the sight of these witnesses,” Father Mathal said, “we ask the gods to bless this union. Drink now from the cup of life, that you may live long in the land the gods will give you.”

  He handed the goblet to Wilek, who drank and passed it to Lady Zeroah. She lifted the cup under her veil to drink, then handed it back to Wilek, who passed it to the priest.

  “I charge you now to consummate this marriage in the wedding tent and return with the bridal cloth as evidence of the bride’s purity,” Father Mathal said.

  Wilek’s men removed the canopy and set it aside, then formed a line that stretched between the bridal tent and where Wilek and Lady Zeroah knelt. The female witnesses lined up facing the men, together forming a path for Wilek and Zeroah to walk through.

  Wilek, suddenly nervous, stood and helped Lady Zeroah to her feet. He offered his arm, she took hold, and they walked down the makeshift aisle toward the tent, where Hinckdan and Oli stood holding open the door flap.

  It was but ten steps at the most, but with so many eyes upon them, and considering their destination and objective, the journey seemed an eternity. Somehow they made it without cursing, crying, or fainting dead away. They passed inside and the curtain fell closed, shrouding them in what at first appeared to be darkness. Wilek’s eyes adjusted. They stood alone in the blue tent, which glowed orange overhead from the sun’s rays. There was nothing inside but a bed made up of a neatly dressed feather mattress with a white linen cloth spread across the center, a small table holding an amphora of wine, a lit lantern, and two bronze goblets.

  Outside, the crowd cheered, then someone started a wedding song—Hinckdan, by the sound of the voice. The majority of the assembly joined in.

  “Together they walked into the wedding tent

  To close on the vow of this blessed event.

  Outside did come, a sweetly sung song

  Intoned of witnesses from the throng.

  ‘Most lovely maid,’ said the noble bridegroom,

  ‘Be not thou afraid, instead presume

  My troth shall endure, long as life in me lasts,

  Rest you secure, long after youth is past . . .’”

  Wilek and Zeroah were alone for the first time all day, though the singing outside did not offer the peace he had hoped for.

  “The singing is quite distracting,” Lady Zeroah said softly.

  “Agreed.” Wilek took hold of the hem of Lady Zeroah’s veil and lifted it over her head. He briefly met her golden eyes until the veil tangled with a comb in her hair. Distracted, he set about extricating the fabric from the tongs of the comb and accidentally pulled the comb out completely. Zeroah’s coil of hair unwound, falling in large twists down around her shoulders. Studying her, he rather liked the outcome of his clumsiness. />
  “You are very pretty, Zeroah,” he said.

  He caught sight of a small smile before she lowered her gaze to her hands, which were fidgeting before her. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

  “Wilek,” he said. “I am Wilek to you now.”

  “Very well, Wilek.”

  Outside, the song ended. Someone shook the tent supports and trilled like a skylark, which brought a wave of laughter.

  Zeroah clasped both hands over her mouth, holding back laughter of her own. Thankfully another song began—a slower song, which suited much better.

  Wilek took Zeroah’s hands from her mouth and held them captive. He leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled back. “It’s a lovely day outside, isn’t it?”

  “It is. I’m glad it didn’t rain.”

  She nodded. “That would have been a shame.”

  Wilek leaned in to kiss her again. This time their lips touched, and then—

  “Will you take a second wife?”

  He released a silent breath, understanding she must be nervous, and wanting to be patient. “I do not plan to. Sometimes a king must, for political reasons. Alliances and such. But as Arman forbids it, if ever I find myself needing to make alliances, I will strive to find another way.”

  This made her smile, and he managed to kiss her and keep her silent.

  Wilek and Zeroah took their time helping each other re-dress, and when they were ready, they exited the tent to much exultation. Wilek handed the bridal cloth to Kal, who took it to Father Mathal to be verified. Wilek watched as the priest passed the cloth to Rystan, who fairly blushed to be the keeper of proof of his sister’s virginity.

  Father Mathal announced the couple properly wed, and a general shout of joy rose up. The festivities continued while the fifty witnesses came forward to sign the marriage contract. Once everything was legal, Wilek and Zeroah started a procession from foredeck to stern, accompanied by a piper playing a jovial tune as they greeted the long line of well-wishers. Wilek’s stomach twisted each time he clasped hands with one of the traitors Hinckdan had identified. Fonu Edekk, Canbek Faluk, Lady Zenobia, Sir Jayron, and all the others. How could these people smile and wish him well when they were plotting ways to kill him? He would have arrested them all by now but had been waiting until they formed an actual plan, hopefully involving Janek, so that Wilek could wipe out the whole nest of vipers at once.

  Zeroah, sârah of Armania, would not hear of a feast given only to the fifty official witnesses. Not when the ship would fill with the smell of food, taunting hungry commoners. So all were invited to celebrate—despite Trevn’s concern that they should start rationing food more strictly. Wilek understood but knew that the people were restless, worried, and grieved. He felt a celebration would do them all some good.