Ditanu suddenly reached around behind her to snatch the stoneware cup on her other side. While he was pouring himself a new drink—faster, she noted, than a servant could come forward to do it for him—Iltani’s befuddled mind remembered Ditanu was dominant on his left side. The cup she just took a drink from had been his.
She’d just stolen the king’s drinking vessel.
Great goddess Ishtar, please don’t let your humble servant embarrass herself further in the coming hours.
King Ditanu topped up hers.
Frozen in horror, Iltani stammered out an apology. Ditanu brushed it off and then turned to one of the other Shadows standing guard along one wall. “Have Uselli bring the cubs. They should be awake now.”
Iltani’s stomach plummeted. Knowing Ditanu was mated to another was one thing. Seeing the living evidence of Ditanu’s love for Ahassunu was something else altogether. She barely maintained her composure as it was. How was she supposed to handle this? How could she possibly think she would be able to do any of this?
A warm hand landed on her thigh as Ditanu patted her in reassurance. “My cubs will love my Little Shadow. You’ll see.”
Ah, I see Ditanu can still read me as easily as always, Iltani thought with growing despair. While Iltani was fighting her churning mess of emotions, Ditanu returned to his meal with a hardy appetite.
Iltani, feeling more nauseated than hungry, forced herself to eat so as not to draw any more attention. Blessedly, Burrukan and Consort Ahassunu were still deep in conversation and had already forgotten Iltani’s painful moment.
Chapter Three
A loud questioning squawk had Iltani jerking her gaze up from the food she was pushing around on her plate. She tracked the sound to the open throne room doors. Well, actually the sound was traveling from somewhere beyond that point.
A second more excited shriek echoed down the hall. A fluffy gryphon cub, its tiny wings flapping and its sharp talons clicking against the tiled floors as it scrambled for traction came hurtling through the door. Two more identical balls of fur and downy feathers rushed in after, chased by three flustered looking servants and seven silent Shadows.
Iltani found the sight of the three servants trying to herd the cubs and losing, somewhat entertaining. It was clear they’d been trying to catch the cubs before they made the throne room. King Ditanu merely chuckled good-naturedly at their difficulties. For their part, the Shadows merely kept a watchful eye on the cubs and kept pace with them, but didn’t attempt to restrain them in any way.
“You should see them at bath time,” Consort Ahassunu added in a dry tone. “You’d think you were trying to force a full grown mountain cat into an ice cold lake.”
The cub in the lead charged toward the consort, his beak gaping and head in the air as he ran. Tracking a scent he liked? That was doubtful. He was too young to be hunting his own food yet. He would still be drinking his mother’s milk.
His wings only had the beginnings of flight feathers sprouting out among the soft fur and downy feathers covering his bear-cub like body. The one in the lead squawked again, skidding to a halt. His head waved around to better catch whatever scent he was tracking and then his small legs began scrambling to gain traction as he headed for Ditanu.
The cub leapt onto his father’s lap, but his momentum was too great and he overshot. Iltani’s lap was suddenly filled with a wiggling bundle of feathers and fur. Before she uttered an exclamation, two more of the soft, squirming bodies were in her lap, which wasn’t big enough to hold three gryphon cubs. When the first to land on her was pushed off by the two newer arrivals, she scooped him up and held him safe in the crook of her arm while she shoved the other two more firmly into her lap before they tumbled to the floor. The one in the crook of her arm climbed up to her shoulders where he proceeded to shove his beak in her hair and began to purr. His claws, still dull in infancy, left marks but didn’t break the skin.
Gritting her teeth, she reached up and stabilized the cub so he wouldn’t fall. While she was distracted, the other two took advantage and escaped her lap, trying to get to her head or shoulders.
Great goddess Ishtar. No wonder the servants look frazzled.
Ditanu plucked one of the cub’s up from her lap. “Easy, easy. She’s not going to disappear.”
That’s when Iltani realized she was being sniffed over and scent marked by the cubs. Whatever were they doing that for?
One of the two still in her lap nuzzled its beak against her breasts as if hoping for breakfast. “I’m sorry little one. I think you’re getting me confused with someone else.” Iltani glanced up across the bench to see the consort looking on with a curious expression on her face. Iltani was glad it wasn’t a hostile look. Many gryphon mothers were territorial and overly protective of their cubs.
“Your mother is over there.” She scooped the tiny female cub from her lap and set her on the table. She knew the lone female cub was called Humusi, so that was easy enough to figure out.
Iltani gently pushed her on the rump to get her walking toward her mother. The cub looked over her shoulder at Iltani, gave a little questioning squawk and then shook herself. It was too early to decide which parent the cub would take her coloring from; she was still just fluffy and brown like her brothers. Though Iltani hoped a couple of them would look like their father. She was fond of Ditanu’s rich golds and lustrous browns.
Now that her lap was empty, she reached up with both hands and gently pried off the male clinging to her shoulders and deposited him in her lap again.
Looking down, she watched as the cub nuzzled her clothing and licked sea salt residue from them. After a couple moments of that, he decided he’d had enough and settled down to chew her sword’s harness. She reached to pick him up, intending to put him on the table and encourage him to go to his mother. He hunched down and pressed its head into her lap, making a pitying sound, part cry and part thrill.
Iltani froze, uncertain what to do, but half expecting Ditanu to snatch his cub away from her since male gryphons were just as protective of their young as the females.
Ditanu chuckled good-naturedly. “He likes to be petted. He won’t stop until he gets what he wants.”
Hearing his father’s voice, the cub paused in his crying, but it was too Iltani that his dark soulful eyes looked. His tufted ears twitched uncertainly like he was thinking about renewing his crying, so she reached out and attentively caressed the soft downy feathers between his ears. He began to purr. She felt her heart melt toward the little one. If he really wanted to sit in her lap that badly, he could.
Ditanu cleared his throat. “Like this.”
He reached out and rubbed the cub along the back of the neck, ruffling both fur and feathers into disarray. She glanced to the side to see him watching her, not his cub. His expression didn’t show even a hint of disgruntled, overly protective gryphon parent as she’d half expected. Strangely, he looked somewhat sheepish. Iltani was missing something here. She looked toward the other side of the table where Burrukan and the consort were still talking. The cub Iltani had encouraged to return to her mother was now climbing Burrukan like he was her favorite tree. Again, to Iltani’s surprise, Ahassunu seemed fine with Burrukan parenting her cub.
“I must beg pardon on their behalf,” King Ditanu said. Again that flash of sheepishness crossed his expression. “The little ones don’t understand that they shouldn’t run roughshod over guests. Perhaps I may have spoiled them more than a good parent should.”
“Nonsense,” Iltani said as she grinned down at the cub in her lap. The lone female was easy to put a name to, but she didn’t have a clue about the males. “Is this Ilanum or Kuwari?”
“Kuwari,” Ditanu said with a grin in his voice when the cub rolled onto his back for a belly rub.
Just like that, the cubs were no longer just a painful reminder that Ditanu wasn’t and never could be hers. They were a part of him, and they were beautiful in her eyes.
Her magic rose up within her, danci
ng along her skin for a moment before vanishing. The reaction wasn’t strong enough to be visible to others, but it was enough that she knew Ishtar acknowledged the cubs as under her protection.
Even without a goddess’s blessing, Iltani would still have protected these cubs, because they were a part of Ditanu.
“Or maybe I just spoil Kuwari the worst since he’s the runt of the litter.” He said it fondly as he gazed upon the cub in her lap, so she knew he wasn’t passing judgement on the smallest of the three cubs.
She wrapped one arm securely around Kuwari so he wouldn’t roll off her lap and then with a touch more gusto, she started on the food set out before her. While they ate, Burrukan told Ahassunu embarrassing stories about when Iltani and Ditanu were children.
If her mentor’s purpose was to put Iltani at ease, it worked. For she was soon telling the consort about her training on New Assur, and much to Iltani’s surprise, Ahassunu seemed to honestly want to know more about her. Together the four of them laughed and joked of days past as the cubs chewed on whatever item of clothing they could get their beaks on while the adults pretended not to notice. The laughter transformed Ahassunu’s somewhat plain features into something truly beautiful.
Could Iltani ever forgive Ahassunu for catching the king’s eye and his heart? No, she admitted as even that reminder caused pain deep in her soul, but Iltani couldn’t hate Ahassunu. One of the earliest gifts Ishtar had gifted to her was the ability to see what was in a person’s heart. Ahassunu was a good person.
Iltani almost wished Ditanu had instead mated a haughty, beautiful shrew.
She sighed.
King Ditanu was far too wise to pick beauty over brains. Iltani was certain his consort was every bit as intelligent and politically cunning as the king.
They were a perfectly matched pair. All of New Sumer was fortunate to have them to rule over and guide the ten city-states.
Ishtar had chosen wisely.
Iltani accepted that truth. At least in her mind.
Her heart?
That would take a little longer.
Chapter Four
After the meal was finished, servants came and moved the table, screens and plants to other parts of the throne room while King Ditanu and Consort Ahassunu relocated to the two imposing thrones on the raised dais at the north end of the vast hall. Lesser priests and priestesses drifted into the room from one of the side entrances and took up their customary stations halfway up the wide stairs.
From her position behind and to the right of the king’s throne, Iltani watched as other nobles, both gryphons and humans, trickled in next and executed elegant bows.
Ignoring the nobles, she rolled her gaze to her mentor, where he stood at the king’s left shoulder, whispering something into the king’s ear. Focusing on them, she caught the tail end of the conversation.
“I want the ceremony performed tomorrow night,” Ditanu was saying as he took a sip from a goblet of wine. The heavy cup hid his lips from view as he spoke, effectively hiding what he and Burrukan said if anyone in the room was trying to read lips. “The moon is in its dark phase and Iltani is ready.”
Burrukan looked unhappy as he bent down to whisper in the king’s ear, but Iltani’s heightened hearing still caught his words. “If it were up to me, I’d like to see her settle in first, familiarize herself with the court and all the politics that goes with it. As soon as others see what she is, she’ll become a target.”
“It doesn’t matter what we want or think is best,” Ditanu said, sounding a touch impatient with Burrukan. “Ishtar has given her blessing.”
They could only be talking about her blooding ceremony. Iltani hadn’t thought much beyond that she’d be returning home and seeing Ditanu for the first time in years. But Ishtar had declared her ready, and the blooding ceremony was the first step to becoming Ishtar’s Blade and renewing the pact between the Queen of the Night and the line of the Gryphon Kings.
Yes, it would likely cause a few ripples in the court as Blades were rare and Ishtar hadn’t anointed a Blade in nearly five hundred years. Most of the nobles and council members wouldn’t know how much power she would wield, or if she would challenge them for a seat on the council.
In the past, Ishtar’s Blades had proven very diverse in their powers and roles. Some simply watched silently from the shadows, only acting to strike at dangers that came too close to the crown while others took on a much more active role. From the little she’d gleaned from ancient texts, those that engaged in politics and the day to day rule, did so because the king or queen at that time required that form of aid.
If she was given a choice, Iltani wanted nothing to do with the ruling of the ten city-states. She’d much prefer to be a Blade that waited in the shadows to strike out at threats as they came. Besides, she figured she had a good chance of having her wish granted. Both King Ditanu and Consort Ahassunu were competent rulers, in no way needing Iltani’s input.
That notion was reinforced as Iltani watched how they handled the business of the day. During the morning hours, both Ditanu and Ahassunu listened to grievances and other petty squabbles, doling out their judgements in a fair manner.
Second meal came and went, and still Ditanu sat his throne and listened to more bickering. In the afternoon, more nobles and council members arrived from the outer city-states. By Ditanu’s clipped replies, she assumed this was an old argument he and his councilors had been over several times. It revolved around the fact he and Ahassunu had not picked a regent to raise his cubs should there be another successful assassination attempt like the one which had killed his parents and siblings.
Iltani fought the urge to smack certain councilors alongside the head with the flat of her sword. What a terrible thing to remind the king of, repeatedly.
Ditanu merely frowned at the marble steps leading down from his throne while deep in thought. Long heartbeats crept by as his councilors waited in silence. Iltani fisted her sword’s hilt and visualized what she’d like to be doing.
Then at last, when the sun was starting to sink toward the horizon, Ditanu stood and stretched. Iltani shifted her position to limber up stiff muscles and sluggish circulation, being careful not to draw attention from the king.
“I have taken your suggestions under advisement,” Ditanu addressed his councilors. “Tomorrow we will travel to Ishtar’s great temple where High Priestess Kammani will bless and formally anoint my oldest cub as heir. After the ceremony, I will announce my choice of regent for my cubs.”
Chapter Five
Iltani was a touch surprised at the king’s sudden compliance to his councilors’ wishes when it seemed this was an old, bitterly disputed argument. Until she figured out King Ditanu was probably using this as an excuse to hide the Blooding Ceremony required to seal the pact between the gryphon kings and the Queen of the Night.
Shrewd.
Though now he really would have to pick a regent for his cubs. Many councilors would like to have that prestigious position, but few would willingly relinquish their power later. Should something happen to either Ditanu or his mate, there was always the possibility the surviving mate might succumb to grief madness, and with Ditanu being an only child, it would leave only his aunt to raise his cubs. High Priestess Kammani raised him, and she’d been a wise and loving influence on both Iltani and Ditanu when they were children, but Kammani had more responsibilities now that she was High Priestess. It didn’t rule her out as a regent, but the other councilors would use her responsibilities to Ishtar as an excuse to undermine her as a possible regent.
Ditanu rounded his throne so quickly, the hem of his robe brushed Iltani’s salt-stained leathers. Consort Ahassunu came around her throne just as quickly, but Burrukan was ready and didn’t have to scramble to catch up like Iltani did. She closed in on Ditanu’s retreating form just as his other Shadows closed ranks around him.
Iltani might have found herself part of the rearguard had King Ditanu not shortened his stride as he turned a corner and rea
ched back with one hand to grip Iltani by the arm and pull her up even with him.
“My consort needs to nurse the cubs, but she will join us later to talk in private about tomorrow night,” he said. “You will accompany me for the time being. I hate eating alone, and Burrukan will need to stay with Ahassunu and the cubs while she nurses them.”
Iltani’s eyes sought Burrukan. She desperately didn’t want to be alone with Ditanu without her mentor present. “Surely you both have things you need to discuss. I can keep Consort Ahassunu and the cubs company while you and he go over plans…”
Ditanu jerked his head in her direction, pinning her with an intense look. “If I am not with my cubs, then Burrukan is. That is our rule.”
It made sense to assure that his cubs were guarded by the best when Ditanu couldn’t be with them, Iltani acknowledged with growing dread. Unfortunately, it also meant Ditanu likely intended for Iltani to entertain him over his evening meal. It wasn’t like she had daily reports to share with him yet. How did one entertain a king?
This wasn’t the Ditanu she’d grown up with. Oh, there were still hints of the boy she’d known buried deep within the ruler. This morning, when he’d hugged her and called her his Little Shadow, she had thought this transition might not be so hard, but after seeing the stoic king all throughout this day, it drove home how much he’d changed, or maybe how much the throne had changed him.
She wasn’t some great lady able to hold an audience enrapt by her voice or ability to tell great ballads. The only songs and games Iltani knew were the coarse kind soldiers played.
What were they supposed to do, compare training scars?
Oh, great Ishtar, hear your humble servant and grant me even the tiniest drop of your grace so that I may survive the next few hours with my pride intact.
*****
Iltani was sure her earlier prayer must have gone astray and never reached Ishtar’s ears. As soon as King Ditanu reached his suite, his guards did a thorough search of the area, stationed pairs at each of the doors and windows, and then the last four inquired if the king required anything. Ditanu shook his head and dismissed them. They gave him swift bows and then took up positions outside in the hall which left Iltani standing ten feet across the room from Ditanu, casting fugitive glances around the area looking for a nice wall to stand guard against.
Ishtar's Blade Page 4
