All true. Gavriel sighed silently at Leo’s grasp of the situation and continued. ‘We know of no family and to my knowledge we don’t even know why or how this campaign of war began but we assume he dreams of empire. His intention is to cripple the power of the Denova Set, with Penraven the jewel of his new crown.’
‘Because politically and financially we’re the most powerful of all the realms.’
‘Correct.’
‘Yes, but why?’
‘Lo help me — what is your history teacher doing with you, majesty?’
‘He’s so boring I don’t pay attention. Out here with you it’s more fun.’
‘All right, let’s see,’ Gavriel began. ‘Penraven, Barronel, Dregon, Gormand, Vorgaven, Cremond and Medhaven make up the Denova Set.’
Leo made a sound of exaggerated exasperation. ‘I know that much.’
Gavriel ignored him. ‘Of the seven, Penraven is the largest, the most powerful and the most wealthy. And Penraven was the first of the realms, so the others tend to look up to the Valisar crown. However, each is its own sovereign state, governing itself. You’ve seen the seven Kings coming together for the Denova Meet every three years, haven’t you?’
‘Yes, although I was never allowed to be involved.’
‘No, well you were ill for the last one I recall and barely six for the one before that, still, I might add, sucking your thumb! The King of Gormand disapproved.’
Leo sniggered. ‘So another is due.’
‘Yes, it was meant to happen last moon but Loethar’s actions have changed everything.’
‘I still can’t believe we didn’t take action. And he now controls the other realms.’
‘Medhaven is hardly a stronghold or much of a prize but my father heard through runners this morning that Barronel was set to fall — probably later today. We have to hope that some renegades somewhere are hatching plans for overthrow in the various kingdoms. It’s to those rebels we must look, find them somehow, link up if we can.’ Gavriel was thinking aloud. No one in authority had said as much but he believed there had to be survivors who were not prepared to succumb to the tyrant’s rule.
‘And so now he wants to rule Penraven.’
‘Yes, but …’ Gavriel stopped himself too late.
‘But what?’
‘What do you know about your family, majesty?’
Leo spun around to face Gavriel. ‘That’s an odd question.’
‘Do you know its history?’
Leo began reciting the Kings. ‘My father is the 8th. Before him, my grandfather, King Darros, and —’
Gavriel interrupted him. ‘I mean do you know what makes the Valisar Kings so revered … and feared?’
The boy shook his head, looked down. ‘A secret, no doubt.’
Gavriel nodded. ‘You should be learning this from your father, not me.’
‘But you can give me a hint.’
The eldest of the De Vis twins — by just three minutes — felt a stirring, a premonition perhaps. ‘It’s known as the Valisar Enchantment. I’ve never heard much about it to tell you the truth, but my father told me rumour abounds among the people.’
‘What is it?’ Leo asked, frowning.
‘I was told it is a powerful magic that belongs to the Valisar line alone.’
Leo’s eyes were shining with the intrigue. ‘So father has it. What is it?’
Gavriel shrugged. ‘The power of coercion.’
The boy frowned, looked at him quizzically. ‘What does that mean?’
‘Well, with it presumably you can bend people to your will.’
‘Make them do what you want?’
‘You could put it like that.’
Leo whistled. ‘Imagine that power!’
Gavriel’s mind drifted momentarily. As Leo threw out suggestions of how it might be manipulated to their own ends, he imagined instead what could happen if such power fell into the wrong hands.
‘… and Sarah Flarty could never refuse you.’ Leo finished, breathless, grinning.
‘What?’ Gavriel’s attention had returned just in time to hear the last few cheeky words.
‘Well, you want to kiss her, don’t you?’
‘I don’t think that’s any of your business, your majesty. I should never have mentioned her to you,’ Gavriel replied.
‘She’s pretty. I like her. You should kiss her anyway and then you can teach me how to because I’d quite like to kiss Duke Grendel’s daughter but she thinks I’m dirty.’
‘Dirty?’
‘Says I always smell of horses and mud.’
‘Young girls can be a bit priggish, Leo. Older ones are more fun,’ Gavriel added with a wink. ‘Like that delicious new girl, Genrie.’
Leo screwed his nose. ‘She’s hideous!’
‘Hardly.’
‘Old!’
Gavriel shrugged. ‘Only to you.’
‘And you … ugh!’
‘Older women have experience, Leo. Something you can’t quite appreciate yet.’
‘She hates me.’
‘Ah, here’s the truth of it. She doesn’t hate you, she’s brisk with everyone, very efficient, very … desirable. I wouldn’t mind her ordering me around —’ He stopped, catching himself in time. ‘Er, where were we?’
Leo didn’t seem to mind the abrupt halt and he hadn’t forgotten where they’d left their previous topic. ‘But if the Kings of Valisar have this … this power of —’
‘Coercion,’ Gavriel prompted.
Leo nodded. ‘Why hasn’t my father used it to stop the tyrant?’
Gavriel stood, dusted off his trousers and hauled a reluctant crown prince to his feet. ‘Because your father does not possess this power.’
‘But I thought you just said —’
‘I told you what the Valisar legend says. The reality is that we don’t know what it is or who possesses it, how it works, or how to stop it working. Your father told my father that he does not wield any magic that he’s aware of, cannot wield anything more dangerous than a sword.’
‘So it’s a lie, then.’
‘Not necessarily.’
‘Gav, you’re confusing me.’
‘It’s a confusing subject. Come on, majesty, we’re late. I promised Morkom I’d have you back to take supper with the queen.’ He gave the crown prince a gentle push. ‘We can talk as we walk but keep your voice low — what we discuss is secret.’
Leo fell into step alongside his tall keeper. ‘So if it’s not a lie, what is it?’
‘No one knows. Your father believes that it is a contrary phenomenon, er … by that I mean it’s a thing that can appear whenever it chooses. No one knows for sure but I’m told it can skip generations, lie dormant for endless years if it wants.’
‘How does someone know if they have it?’
‘I