The Sword and the Slave

by Michelle Levigne

  A tapping on the door startled her. She leaped to her feet.

  "My child?” Nona asked, pitching her voice soft and low. “Are you awake?"

  L'istra cast one look at Adon, who didn't stir at the sound. She reached for the closest articles of clothing and pulled them on without looking as she reached for the latch. It was a struggle to finish dressing and hold the door open only far enough to slip out without Nona seeing in. Adon had joked about Nona coming after him with a handful of her cooking knives, but L'istra didn't find the image so amusing in the light of day. Adon was hers, and no matter what her nurse thought, he was going to stay hers, in her bed and heart.

  "The Emperor is convening a council.” Nona looked L'istra over, head to toe, and clucked her tongue. “You'll need to wear something more dignified.” She chuckled when L'istra just rolled her eyes, shrugged, and ducked back into her room. “Dress as the princess, not as the general,” the old nurse said through the door.

  L'istra couldn't figure out how to get Nona to leave her quarters or be so busy she wouldn't see Adon when he woke and slipped out of her bedroom. She snatched up her jewelry and sandals and stumbled back out into the courtyard so Nona could arrange her hair out there.

  To her relief, her nurse said nothing, but set a platter of food in front of L'istra and got to work on her hair. The warm bread and apricot sauce made L'istra moan when they hit her achingly empty stomach. She laughed a moment later, getting spiced wine up her nose when she decided that lovemaking was better exercise than the most strenuous arms practice.

  "Not yet,” Nona said when L'istra got up from the table. “You'll need this.” She held out a pot of tinted cream.

  "Nona!” L'istra held her voice down to an aggrieved bark. “I do not wear cosmetics."

  "Not on your face, silly child. This also covers inconvenient marks.” She spread dabs of the golden brown cream on L'istra's neck. “I'm sure you're proud of them, but I wouldn't want to be the one to explain to the Emperor where and how you received those love bites."

  L'istra's hand flew up to touch those spots, sure she remembered every single spot where Adon had bitten and sucked and licked, shocking and soothing her in turn.

  "I'm very interested in seeing how much damage you did to him last night,” her old nurse said, with delight sparkling in her eyes. “Don't stand there with your mouth open wide enough to catch flies, girl. The Emperor is waiting.” She swatted L'istra's bottom and gestured at the door.

  L'istra had left the living quarters behind before it occurred to her to laugh. She had no idea why she thought she could hide anything from Nona. It meant more to her than she could explain, even to herself, to know that Nona approved.

  * * * *

  Prince Amaran waited, standing at the table for those called to face accusations, when L'istra walked into the council chamber. Her hurrying footsteps echoed on the domed ceiling. Hialatus and several soldiers sat on the bench where witnesses waited to give testimony. All four of her brothers sat at the curved table, on either side of Emperor Oprak, who bowed his head over a stack of wax tablets and two scrolls spread out on the table before him. He looked up when L'istra paused halfway between the door and the table. There was only one empty seat in the room. The chair reserved for the victim. Even as those hazy bits of memories from last night assembled themselves into clarity in her mind, L'istra hesitated to take that seat.

  "Princess L'istra, you are summoned here for justice,” the Emperor said, as he raised his head. From the somber set of her father's mouth, L'istra had the sudden, stomach-wrenching certainty that he knew everything she had done with and to Adon last night, and he was highly disappointed in her.

  No. He's mine. I won't let anyone take him away from me. I'll set him free, she vowed silently, as she settled into the victim's chair. It's my right. He was given to me. I'll never put that collar back on him again.

  But will he stay, now? that skeptical voice whispered.

  "Majesty ... please let me begin by stating that I knew nothing of what my people planned,” Amaran said. “Yes, we came to Parses to win the princess as my bride, to raise Gohl's status from vassal to ally, but from the moment I saw her, I wanted Princess L'istra for my own sake, and not for my kingdom."

  "Royal Father.” L'istra deliberately ignored Amaran. The victim's chair sat so she didn't have to look at him unless she wanted to. “Was Healer Adon correct? I was drugged?"

  "To make you behave improperly, with witnesses, to control your mind so you would declare your desire for the prince as your husband,” the Emperor said, nodding slowly. He beckoned to the witnesses.

  It took three hours for all the testimony, and L'istra was grateful for the breakfast Nona made her eat. Hialatus and his men recounted their suspicions, all Prince Eber's secret meetings, the information he had asked for, and the testimony of the exiled priest, who had been placed under magic bounds to obtain the truth. L'istra's head ached after the second hour, and she didn't even flinch when she learned there had been a falling out among the conspirators. Prince Eber tried to betray his partners and take her as his prize. Three men were wounded and Prince Eber was dead.

  Prince Amaran apologized profusely, explaining the desperation and pride of his kingdom, the belief of the people that they had been punished for a crime no one living had committed. L'istra almost felt sorry for him, mixed with surprising relief that he was innocent.

  "After what I saw when my sister was murdered, Gohl will never hold anything but cruel memories for me,” L'istra said when the witnesses had all left, soldiers had been sent to carry out the punishments decreed for the conspirators, and it was only Amaran, the Emperor, his sons and L'istra who remained in the council room. “You wear your brother's face. Perhaps it is weakness, Highness, but I could never look at you and not remember what was done to my sister and to me. How could I live with you? How could I let you touch me? Some could say that is a weakness in me that I cannot leave behind the torment of my childhood. But I could not walk blithely into that slaughterhouse and make it my home."

  Amaran's eyes gleamed with tears, but he gave no other sign that her words hurt him. He bowed to her, to the Emperor, to the royal sons, and mouthed the ritual phrases before he left the council room. L'istra sank down in the victim's chair, closed her eyes, and thought she had never done anything so strenuous in her life. Her brothers left without a word, just the respectful nods and grim smiles that meant so much more to her than the showers of treats and toys they had resorted to when she was a child.

  Finally, only she and her father remained. The Emperor held out his hand and L'istra got up, crossed the room to perch on the table, and let him hold her hands.

  "This won't stop, will it? Until I'm safely married and so many political hopes and aspirations are destroyed.” She sighed, knowing her father's response before he slowly nodded and squeezed her hands. “How many will be discouraged if I take a lover?"

  "If it were that easy, I would have removed your healer's collar as soon as I saw there was friendship between you, and encouraged you to take him into your bed.” Emperor Oprak saw her flinch and he chortled. “Ah ha. So. And how long have you kept this secret from me?"

  "Half a day.” L'istra's face warmed. She squirmed a little, the hard table uncomfortable against a newly sensitive portion of her anatomy. She could have sworn that spending two days straight in a saddle had never made her so sore. Was something wrong with her that she wanted to go back and do it again before she healed?

  Nothing is wrong with you, that smug voice whispered. Everything is finally coming right.

  "Were you acting with the drug still in your blood?” Her father's smile faded and concern darkened his eyes.

  "Oh, no. Adon thoroughly cleansed me and broke the magic. It was all my idea, when I woke up from that nightmare, and he was protecting me, and I wanted to keep him in my bed.” She clapped one hand over her mouth. What was wrong with her, to blurt such things? Shouldn't her father be infuriated by now, that she
had sacrificed her sacred virginity to a hostage slave?

  The Emperor stood, released her hands, and beckoned for her to follow. L'istra felt like she had the day he caught her trying to sneak a scroll of stories too mature for her comprehension from his library. She thought of Adon, probably waiting and wondering and worrying about her, and fearing for his manhood if he knew what she had so easily confessed to her father.

  Her father led her to his workroom and opened a long, low chest that lay under the massive table full of maps. He pulled out a matched set of marriage neckbands. The smaller and more delicate was in gold, with the sapphire, emerald and diamond triangle of their royal house as big as her thumb. The larger neckband, made for a man, was in silver, the jewels smaller.

  "Who have you chosen for me?” she whispered, and stayed standing when her father sprawled into his chair and set the neckbands on the worktable.

  "Prime Minister Naqueron has worked wonders in the moons since you conquered the valley kingdoms. With the right leadership, all ten kingdoms could be united under one throne, and granted the status of ally kingdom. With the right leadership.” Emperor Oprak nodded at the neckbands. “It's a double-edged wedding gift, but you are the only right choice to rule."

  Strange, how she could look at the neckband and know what was about to happen, and not feel much of anything. “Who have you chosen for me, Father?"

  "Your uncle thought he was a good choice from the first time they worked together. He has high rank and the respect of his own people, no ambition, a concern for the common people, and I think he makes you happy."

  L'istra choked, and finally sank down into the chair facing him. “Adon? You'll free Adon and make him a prince?"

  "Do you want him? Does he make you happy?” The Emperor reached across the table and took hold of her hands. “Do you love him? Your mother made me swear on my soul that I wouldn't let you marry anyone but the man you wanted and loved. I think I'm powerful enough to allow that indulgence without harming the empire."

  "Love him?” she whispered. “I think so. It's all so new, but ... I don't want to be without him, ever again."

  Only later, as she hurried back to her quarters, her heart bursting with the news, did she realize something.

  Her father didn't ask if Adon loved her in return. Wasn't that just as important?

  All questions vanished when she walked into the courtyard of her quarters and found Nona lying halfway in the lily pond, blood on the stones lining the pond, a crumpled parchment lantern in her hand, and a broken bench showing where it had collapsed under her. L'istra flew across the courtyard and lifted the old woman out of the water. To her relief, Nona breathed, but she had an ugly knot on her forehead.

  "Adon!” L'istra shouted his name four times before she realized Adon would have heard Nona fall. He would have been there to hang those ridiculous lanterns Nona loved to use for private celebrations.

  Either Adon was gone, or dead. She expected to walk into his quarters and find him dead, stabbed by some overzealous servant who overheard her admitting to her father that she had taken Adon as her lover. But his room was empty.

  Her room was also empty. Without realizing what she did, L'istra walked over to the corner where she had tossed the slave collar. It was also gone. She had a very clear image in her mind of Adon wearing the collar that gave him clear passage through the palace, walking out through the gates, claiming he was on her business. Who would stop him, since the collar did not stop him?

  L'istra swore at herself for letting Adon distract her for one moment from tending to Nona. She stepped out into the hallway and shouted. Before the sound of her voice could echo back to her, two palace guards came running.

  She stayed by Nona's side, and when that interfered with the healers who clustered around the elderly woman, she sat stiff and alert on a bench against the wall. L'istra concentrated on Nona, trying to force out of her mind the repeating, silent cry, Where is Adon?

  Hialatus finally appeared when the shadows of afternoon lay long and soft across the courtyard. L'istra could see the movement of the shadows from her seat at Nona's bedside. She refused to let the healers move the old woman to the palace healer hall. Nona deserved the comfort of convalescing in her own room. She flinched, rising halfway out of her seat when she heard the door of her quarters open and a male voice questioned the guard outside. A moment later, she recognized her uncle's voice, and subsided back into her chair.

  "Well, I don't know who's more miserable, you or Nona.” Hialatus appeared, pausing in the doorway. “I didn't hear about the fall until just now. We had a major influx of injuries. Too much celebrating last night. Has she awakened yet?"

  "Every other mark on the hour candle,” Nona muttered. “Can't an old woman be allowed any rest?"

  "Not when we fear for the inside of your head,” He winked at L'istra and gestured for her to get up so he could take her seat at the bedside.

  "I understand that, but she won't let me talk when she does wake me up, except to answer those ridiculous questions.” Nona gasped a little as she tried to sit up under her own power. She scowled at Hialatus when he gently pushed down on her shoulder to keep her lying flat. “How can I go back to sleep with so much on my mind?"

  "What can you possibly be concerned about?” He lifted the poultice off the multicolored lump on the side of her head and whistled appreciatively. “I've seen less glorious wounds after a four-tavern battle in the Dregs."

  "Concerned about? I've done nothing for dinner tonight. I wanted it to be special.” The old woman glared at him, and pressed her lips flat together, visibly refusing to say more.

  L'istra choked back a laugh. It would have been just like Nona to want to celebrate the fact that she and Adon had become lovers.

  But Adon wasn't here. The few servants she asked hadn't seen him. L'istra refused to make herself look like a fool, searching all over for him. She was supposed to know where he was, because of that collar.

  She had taken that collar off him last night, as brainless as a cat in heat. What had happened to cool, calculating, brilliant General Istrak? She never would have made a mistake like that even three moons ago. What was wrong with her?

  The door banged open and she heard stomping, booted feet clattering across the pavement. Something hit the ground hard and a man grunted.

  "Little sister!” Inak sounded seriously drunk. “Little sister, we have a present for you!” Judging by the snorts and guffaws, her other three brothers were with him.

  Swallowing back a stream of curses that scalded the back of her throat, L'istra stomped out into the courtyard. Didn't that fool at the door warn her brothers she had a sick woman here? She opened her mouth to scold, and stopped short when she saw Adon sprawled on the pavement, removing a large sack from his head and shoulders, with his hands bound.

  "I suggest the four of you leave before your sister proves her well-earned reputation as a warrior,” Hialatus said. He made shooing motions toward the door.

  L'istra stayed where she was, watching dumbfounded as her brothers obeyed with snickers and snorts, wobbling steps, and utterly ridiculous grins. Adon struggled to sit upright as the door closed with a loud bang.

  "Why are you wearing that collar?” she demanded, focusing on that telltale band around his throat. She fought not to shriek like a fishwife, demanding to know where he had been.

  "I was called to an emergency and it was easier to wear it than have to explain to a dozen people who had no right to know.” Adon rubbed at the back of his head. Probably where he had landed when her brothers dropped him. “Nona agreed with me. She borrowed some green gemstones from your jewelry box, so the collar wouldn't magically lock again."

  "Nona—” L'istra felt sick. She stomped back to her nurse's room and braced herself on the doorframe. “You knew where he was all this time?"

  "And when did you ever ask me?” the old woman returned. “Just remember who is nurse and who is child, and stop treating me like I'm made of soggy parchme
nt.” She nodded for emphasis, which made her wince.

  Sighing, L'istra turned around. Adon still sat on the ground, struggling to untie his bound ankles. She felt like a fool, but something angry still rumbled inside as she went to the cooking alcove to find a knife to cut the bonds.

  "Where have you been all day?"

  "Your brothers wanted to know what kind of man I am.” Adon flinched as the last piece of rope fell off his wrists. “Once I finished at the healer hall—three broken legs, two cracked skulls, an entire wagonload of cracked ribs. Quite a lot of celebrating last night out in the city.” He let out a gusting sigh and rubbed at his wrists where the bonds had chafed. “They insisted I had to come with them. Who am I to argue with the Emperor's sons? After a while, it seemed like the only thing they cared about was if they could drink me under the table. They gave me all sorts of advice about keeping you happy, but considering they were drunk.... “He shrugged. From the slight flush in his cheeks, L'istra guessed that advice was interspersed with threats.

  That answered that question. Her brothers knew their father's plan to give the ten valley kingdoms to her and Adon as a wedding present. They had followed the old family tradition, from the ancient days when the Parsadi Empire had been little more than a loose alliance of warrior tribes, and took the prospective groom out to test his endurance.

  "They didn't like it that my healing magic keeps me from getting drunk,” Adon admitted, when she finished sawing through the bonds on his ankles. “They decided that I was planning on running away, so they tied me up and brought me back here."

  "I thought.... “She swallowed hard, but she knew she had to admit her suspicions and fears that had plagued her all day. It was the only way to get the poison out of her blood. “I thought you did run away. When I got back and Nona was hurt and you weren't here—"

  "Nona is hurt?” Adon leaped to his feet and made it to her doorway, with just enough wobble to show he hadn't been entirely protected from getting drunk.