The Kinstrife
Part
38
In
which Neithan holds council upon the death of his parents, asking Brand to
officiate at the funeral; we sail to Tolfalas to find
Estel, Neithan’s sister,
has arrived, along with her parents’ bodies; we view the bodies and find
Maeglin has been turned to stone; an interview with Estel
reveals she under some curse preventing her from talking but Aerin casts a
counter-spell and Estel recovers her voice.
April 1442
News
arrives of the death of Prince Maeglin of Morthon.
Then Brand reports that he’s been summoned to attend on Neithan at the Ethir Garrison (so has Aerin). Since things are slow for
the moment on the quays, I decide to invite myself as well.
April 27th 1442
In the
Garrison Neithan holds council with Ilviren also
dancing attendance. (It seems Neithan is developing an ‘affinity’.)
Neithan has
a letter from his Uncle, Prince Adrazor of Belfalas, asking Neithan to retain a loremaster
to conduct the funeral. Brand duly accepts the request. Neithan directs Aerin
and Brand go to Tolfalas where all the House of Belfalas are interred, Morthond being a cadet of the Belfalas line (see below). Neithan will be attending the
funeral but it will be a week before he can sail to Tolfalas
but he wants Aerin and Brand to go immediately to ‘look after my interests’.
House of Belfalas
Gildor
(son of Tarannon)
|
Tirkhôr Tauron
| |
| | | |
Adrazor Edrahil (Orthanc) Miriel x Maeglin
| | k.1442 | k.1442
| | | | | | | | |
Aradan Giladan Tirazôr Mordulin Lothriel x Castaher Lorin Tirion Neithan Estel
(Iriel’s son
of
student) Castamir
I ask about
the succession: Neithan knows nothing specific but, if his disbarment holds, in
the absence of a male heir the matter goes to the King for his decision. But
for the moment the political situation will be in chaos so I can see why he
feels the need to have a representative present as early as possible.
I ask what
exactly he sees his interests as being. Among other things, Neithan wants to
know how his father died and who was responsible. He wants retribution and
would be happy for this to be done by proxy. He definitely does not want one of
Castamir’s cronies as Prince and he does not want his
sister to become a pawn in a political free-for-all.
I suggest
that the best (perhaps the only) way to prevent Estel
being married to a favourite of the King will be to spirit her away and to a
safe hideway. Neithan agrees but can think of no particular
refuge. I suggest his Uncle’s court at Belfalas and
Aerin volunteers that she has links with Mordulin in
Minas Anor who apparently is as close to being
politically untouchable as is possible under Castamir’s
regime.
I volunteer
my services as Neithan’s representative pending his
arrival but I warn him that this is surely the first in a series of events
whereby certain dark forces will try to force his hand. Neithan appears to view
the prospect of such events moving to the
I ask for a
letter of introduction to Princess Estel to allow me
access to her person. He promised to write letters to all interested parties,
including his uncle, Prince Adrazor. Neithan observes
that his parents must have died on or just after Estel’s
birthday.
The voyage
to Tolfalas is uneventful. On our arrival we are
shown to an impressive house with a garden, heated baths, and many servants and
luxuries. A grand place to live but not defensible. It
has its own mooring so Ilveren’s ship is close should
we need an urgent means of escape. They seem to think we are all Brand’s entourage.
We learn
that a ship has docked bearing the bodies of Maeglin and Miriel. Another has
brought Princess Estel and her servants, escorted by
Lord Aradan of Belfalas and he sends word that Brand
can view the bodies. We are also welcome to pay our respects to Estel but it seems she hasn’t uttered a word since the
tragedy, which makes me think the poor child must have witnessed her parents’
deaths. Unpleasant!
The bodies
are laid out in a hall built specially for the purpose, this being the Isle of
the Dead. Miriel looks fairly normal but Maeglin looks like a statue! Aerin’s
cursory examination reveals that Miriel died of a cut throat but Brand
immediately senses that Maeglin is the victim of fell magics,
while he thinks Miriel may have been ‘consumed’ in the process of that magic.
Unpleasant!
After
making a few tests with some noxious unguents, Brand thinks that Maeglin’s condition is what remains after all the life has
been withdrawn, leaving a mineralised husk. Unpleasant!
So on to
our audience with Estel. She seems composed and a
little curious about us. Brand reckons she’s the victim of magic but also that,
while no magician, she is also innately magical herself! It seems the dweomer
upon her prevents her from talking and even writing.
I explain
that Aerin and Brand will examine her. I ask Aerin she can do anything to
alleviate the dweomer. Aerin then sings a spell and incredibly Estel says, “Can I speak?” The servants are abuzz and I’m
sure news of this will quickly spread throughout the household.
Estel
still cannot talk about her parent’s deaths but now she can at least talk a
little and tells us to speak to Aradan.
Aerin
consults Estel’s servants: it seems Estel was asleep in her parents’ room with her mother. A
blood-curdling shriek from Estel brought Maeglin and
Aradan running from the next room and that is when Maeglin was struck. However,
it is clear that this is mere gossip as by their own admission no servant was
there at the time.
We must
speak to Aradan. It seems he and his young brother, Tirazôr,
were present for Estel’s
birthday and Tirazôr is Iriel’s
new student – Ilviren thinks this may be significant,
but Ilviren is very prejudiced against anyone in that
family, tainted as they are with membership of the Benish
Armon cult.
To do list:
Interview
Aradan
Get Estel to safety
Survey my
estates and produce a plan to improve them
Ensure
Brand looks for the 5fth part of the Key of Fuinur’s Well
Who was Tevildo from the Benish Armon tomb in the Ethir Anduin?
Inquire
after Perhaladin – might be a cult for Ragnor