War of the Words/Chapter 17

"Darin?" Tralin said and looked to Draynor. "A word, your majesty."

"Excuse me," Draynor said in spite of himself, and turned to face Tralin, who gestured to take him aside. Tralin drew Draynor to the opposite end of the chamber before speaking quietly.

"Your majesty, Jano has mentioned a man named Darin on numerous occasions. I cannot conceive of this being a coincidence. This must be the same man."

"Do you think he came to inquire after his spy?"

"Unlikely, your majesty. Only the highest levels of palace society know that Jano survived his ordeal, no less that he is staying at the palace. He is generally believed to be dead. I made quite certain it remained that way, as you requested."

"Curious," Draynor said. "Can we use this to our advantage?"

"I believe we can throw him off guard, at least," Tralin said. "We may get more truthful information from him if we draw it out of him a bit."

"Very well, Tralin. Do as you wish."

"Vandarian!" Tralin exclaimed. "The king's surety of protection extends solely to those things of which you make us aware. Should we find you mislead or misdirect us, or that you are involved in some treachery against our crown, you shall find no safe harbor on any side of the ocean. Of course you are not a spy. You did not come to steal secrets or mislead us."

"I am surprised at you, Drakel. Of course I AM a spy. How else would I get to and from Deren so easily? That has no bearing on my current business. I have made myself known by doing so, and consequently made myself useless in that line of work forever."

"You are wise to choose candor, Vandarian," Tralin said.

"If you are a spy with in my kingdom, do you have agents within Deren still? If you wish our trust, you will confide the truth..."

"What, sell out my men for my own protection? What do you take me for? As it is, I have no issue speaking of it because I have no one. The crew that brought me here alone but they are just sailors and know nothing of espionage, save maybe how to smuggle goods into a closed port."

"You've no one else?" Tralin demanded.

'What is he getting at,' Darin wondered 'Could someone else be spying in Deren from Vandar?'

"I have no one..." Darin responded coldly. "I have already told you this."

Tralin gestured casually to a page. "You made a critical mistake in lying to us, Vandarian; we already have flushed out your network of spies. Fetch room three for me, page."

"Lord Prince." The page nodded and left.

"I tell you!" Darin stated with anger. "I have NO other living agents in Deren or in Vandar. All who served me in that capacity have met their end."

"You are a liar," Draynor said simply and sadly.

"I am not..."

"Darin!" a familiar voice called from the entryway. Its presence filled Darin with wonder and joy which quickly gave way to a deep dread as he connected it to the Drakel's warning.

"Jano..." he said before he even turned to confirm the presence of his supposedly dead friend.