First came the younger royal children and their attendants, followed by the queen’s ladies and the king’s household, including Sir Jiri Redfearn, Kenneth, and several of the king’s other ministers of state. As the king and queen appeared, attended by Prince Brion in page’s livery, the chamberlain again rapped with his staff of office and announced, «Their Majesties: Donal Blaine Aidan Cinhil Haldane, King of Gwynedd and Lord of the Purple March, and Richeldis his queen, and also His Royal Highness the Prince Brion, Prince of Meara».

The royal couple proceeded to their thrones, but did not yet sit. Prince Brion stood attendance on his mother. The two Archbishops MacCartney followed close behind — Desmond of Rhemuth and William of Valoret, both of them coped and mitred appropriate to the season — and were shown to chairs of state to the right side of the dais. Before taking their seats, Archbishop William blessed the assembled company, «In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, Amen».

Court began with the usual business peculiar to Twelfth Night Courts, with the king receiving a dozen new pages into royal service and promoting several senior pages to squire. Prince Brion was among the latter, having turned twelve the previous June, and proudly knelt before his father with three others to pledge his ongoing fidelity.

After each of the new squires had received a pair of blued-steel spurs and a dagger from the king’s own hand, they exchanged their simple pages’ tabards for the more elegant scarlet tunics of royal squires, with the king’s cipher embroidered on the left breast. Prince Brion was the first of the four to be so invested, and stood thereafter at his father’s elbow as duty squire for the remainder of the afternoon. Last of those received as squire that afternoon, separate from the first four, was Jamyl Arilan, nephew of one of Donal’s council lords, who previously had trained as page and squire at the court of Illann King of Llannedd, brother to Queen Richeldis.

«Master Jamyl, you are most welcome», Richeldis said to him, as she helped him don the scarlet tunic of a Haldane squire. «My brother speaks highly of you. I wonder that he was willing to give you up».

Jamyl smiled, a poised and confident young man of fifteen, and handsome as his uncle must have been in his youth.

«The king your brother is a man not easily parted from what he wants, my lady, as well you know», Jamyl replied, «but the king your husband can be very persuasive. And I am given to understand that my lord uncle also pled my cause». He nodded to Seisyll Arilan, standing behind and at the king’s right hand. «I am honored now to be the second Arilan serving the Crown of Gwynedd».

Richeldis inclined her head in acknowledgment of the gracious reply, and glanced at Seisyll, proudly watching.

«We thank you for your efforts, my Lord Seisyll», she said. «I am certain that this new squire will be an asset to our court».

«That is my fondest wish, Majesty», he replied with a bow.

Next on the agenda was the dubbing of the season’s new knights, some come from far afield to receive the accolade from the king’s own hand. Most had been in training with Duke Richard, or at least had served as squires at court for several years, and now, having achieved their majority, were deemed ready to assume the duties and privileges of knighthood. All of the candidates had kept their vigil the night before, following a ritual bath and robing.

The court candidates came first, according to the usual custom, with each being brought before the king by his sponsor, there to kneel and be invested with golden spurs. The candidate then received the sword accolade from the king’s hand or, in some cases, from the hand of his father or other older male relative who was also a knight, after which the queen girded each new knight with the white belt, symbolic of the purity of his new vocation. After being presented with a goodly sword, the new knight then placed his joined hands between those of the king and pledged his fealty to the Crown of Gwynedd.

Court candidates were somewhat sparse that year, though the half-dozen dubbed were of excellent quality. Jaska Collins and Ulf Carey excelled at horsemanship. The twins Thomas and Geoffrey de Main, whose swordsmanship was equaled by few others of their age, were so different in every other respect that they might not have even been brothers. Trevor Udaut had been the king’s personal squire for the past several years, and would remain in royal service. Phares Donovan, the last of them, was a keen archer, especially from horseback.

«Do you like the looks of that one?» Zoë whispered to Alazais, as the queen girded Sir Phares with the white belt. «He’s very well connected».

«Zoë, stop it!» Alazais hissed, with a wide-eyed glance over her shoulder at the Lendour candidates.

«Well, he is well connected, Zaizie», Alyce agreed, slipping an arm around her youngest stepdaughter’s waist. «His father was castellan to the Earl of Marley».

«And it doesn’t hurt that he was squire to Prince Brion», Zoë added, «and is utterly devoted to him. Hopefully, he will also prove to be a friend to Alaric», she added more softly.

For answer, Alyce only slipped her arm through Zoë’s and briefly laid her head against the shoulder of this, her sister of the heart, grateful that Zoë also would always be a friend to her son. Very shortly, she knew, the king would make public his latest decision regarding all of their fates. Kenneth’s appointment as Earl of Lendour would greatly ease her position as well as his, for she would share his rank — and finally have a status at least somewhat commensurate with her station as mother of a future duke.

For a Deryni like herself, of course, it was a double-edged distinction, since it would thrust her into public prominence again, when she had only just begun to live down the notoriety of using her powers to unmask murderers at Twelfth Night four years ago. Already, she had seen the brother of one of the murderers, scowling across the hall at her.

With luck, however, the new rank should help her keep Alaric safe until he was grown and could fulfill the destiny for which he had been born. Toward what else had her life been preparing her, than to support the House of Haldane in whatever way was needful?

Next to be called forward were two candidates from Meara: Alun Melandry, son of the murdered former royal governor of Ratharkin, and Arthen Talbot, youngest son of the present governor. Alun’s knighting had a bittersweet quality to it, for he had seen his father put to death at the end of a rope by Mearan rebels when he was too young to do anything to stop it. His reception of the accolade now affirmed his determination to carry on in his father’s footsteps, where he would serve among the knights sworn to the service of the present royal governor.

The son of that royal governor, by contrast, was relaxed and almost informal. Presented by his father, Sir Lucien Talbot, young Arthen knelt eagerly before the king, upturned face alight with joy. Behind him, Sir Lucien carried a goodly sword with which his son would be invested, with the straps of a pair of golden spurs looped over the quillons.

«So, Lucien», Donal said with a smile, rising with the Haldane sword cradled in his arm. «How many sons of yours have I knighted now, including young Arthen here? Three? Or is it four?»

«Arthen is the fourth, Sire», Lucien replied, bowing. «You knighted Caspar last Twelfth Night, and Julian the year before. And Joris was first, of course».

«Ah, of course. Well, they all look incredibly like you. I can’t keep them straight. The others are not with you today?»

«Alas, no, Sire, but they send loyal greetings and apologies for their absence. I fear that all of them had duties in Meara that precluded their attendance. But they look forward to having their brother join them in service».