"Take the O'Baarni back to his quarters." He looked down at the scrolls and waved his hand absently, not even bothering to make eye contact with me.
Before I rose, Isslata dug her nails into my arm and was pulling me out through Alatorict's suite and into the hallway toward my room. The other two female guards followed us quickly. I didn't remember the walk back; my head was spinning out of control from the possibilities.
Isslata's lips were suddenly on mine. Her passionate kiss took me from my broken memories and slammed me into the present. The woman's right hand gripped tightly through my hair, pulling my face into her eager mouth. Her left hand scratched at the front of my tunic in a rushed attempt to open the ties. I realized that my hands wrapped around her hips and I tried to push her away from me.
"I'm so fucking wet for you," she seethed into my ear before she bit the lobe. She slid through my grip and pushed her body against me, moving her left hand to circle my neck. If this were a fight I would be in serious jeopardy, you never wanted to let someone get control of your head. "Did you see his face? He can't figure you out and it irks him so much." She moaned and moved her mouth down from my ear and ran her tongue across the ridge of my jaw. Her scent reminded me of waking up with her a few hours ago.
I should have felt nausea again. I should have wanted to walk into the bathroom and puke out the food I had just eaten. But my mind was gone, drifting and dreaming through what memories I had scraped together, trying to find out an answer. It acknowledged Isslata's actions like it viewed a painting on a wall, or a tree that I didn't need to climb.
My body was not so aloof. I felt my erection pushing through my pants and against her groin.
"Bed,” she murmured the word while ravaging my neck with her mouth. Her legs and hips leaned away and pulled me toward the place we had shared for the last week.
"No," I said without conviction or emotion. The words didn't stop my feet from moving after her.
"You want me standing? Fine." Her lips met mine again and her tongue swirled against my teeth, flicking and tickling the roof of my mouth. Somehow my shirt had been untied and she pulled it off of my chest. This gave her a whole new area to bite, kiss, and lick.
Mostly bite.
"When did the Destroyer die?" I asked.
"What?" She stopped unfastening my belt.
"When did the Destroyer die? I can't remember."
"If you are going to talk about the Destroyer while you fuck me, then this might top the last week of nights I spent with you." She moaned and bit the skin below my rib cage.
"Isslata. Really. When?" I was focusing now. I could get her to tell me. She was in heat and wouldn't think about my questions. My fingers moved from her slender shoulders to smooth her golden hair away from her face and the tips of her ears. She looked up at me from where she was kneeling.
"I am unsure. Many years before the Treaties were signed." She made a sudden movement with her hands and my pants came undone and fell to my ankles.
"How many years?" I couldn’t feel her nails dig into my skin anymore. Or her bites. Everything was numb. I glanced down through fog and saw her take my penis into her mouth. The woman begun to lick and suck on the tip with an erotic purr, but it was someone else that she was pleasuring. I was hundreds of miles away.
"How many years?" I asked again. My lips felt like I was talking in water.
"Maybe two or three thousand years before. Our kind never kept track, and yours didn't either." She moaned out each word between wet sucking sounds.
Kaiyer was five thousand years away.
Chapter 21-Nadea
"Stop looking out the window," I said to Runir. He moved his hand quickly away from the curtain of our carriage as if he had been bitten, then glared at me like I was the one who had done the biting.
The carriage bounced harshly over a bump in the cobblestone streets and I grasped the plush velvet seat to steady myself. It was a difficult task to get any movement out of my body with the tight corset constricting my chest. The dress I wore was fashionable thirty years ago, and I almost laughed at Countess Detoria when she recommended that it would be the best attire for me to wear to the ball.
At least, if I wanted to go in disguise.
I had imagined my plan would be more difficult to execute. Instead, the countess was delighted to see I had survived, “as beautiful as ever,” which somehow seemed to be the pertinent detail to her. I had only ever seen her at a few banquets, she had missed the last one and said she did not care for parties anymore and would be happy to help me go in her stead.
Well, it hadn't been quite that easy.
I had to tell her about Nanos’s betrayal. About the Ancients trying to take over Nia. About me taking control of the army from Maerc. About what I wished to accomplish at the banquet. She had bobbed her ancient head and made faint humming noises after each of my recounts, and then, when I finished, she gave me her ideas and listed what she wanted in exchange for her cooperation.
Her terms were agreeable and prudent, she wished to heighten her family’s control over its already respectable wine trade. They were things I could easily provide if the banquet went as I hoped. Then the old woman granted me access to her wardrobe, stables, and personal guard.
"I always show up in style Nadea. Your figure isn't quite as good as mine was back in my youth, you're spending too much time on thuggish undertakings, but this should still fit you," the countess had said when she pulled the silver and blue monstrosity I was currently wearing out of her closet.
It was stiff and thick, the material caked in gaudy beadwork and sharp crystals that dug into my skin in some places and scratched others if I dared to move. The skirt was so heavy it actually slowed down my existing limp. One of the countess’s handmaidens had shown me how to squeeze my body into a corset that constricted my waist down the required inches needed to make my muscular figure somewhat close to the measurements the countess boasted in her glory days. My rib cage was also reined in by the sharp boning in the corset, making it difficult to breathe, especially while seated. The boning ran all the way down to my hips, digging into them and forcing me to sit straight and tall to avoid a puncture wound. My breasts were smashed upward and together, to the point that they almost reached my chin when I looked down to read. This seemed particularly useless, as my entire face, neck and chest would be covered by a long veil that was conveniently still seen as fashionable for elderly countesses.
"We are approaching the castle walls." Runir's voice cracked a little.
"Don't worry. This will work out fine," I reassured him. I'd never seen him this afraid.
"We are walking into the bear's mouth. If you are discovered before the banquet, we won't even have an opportunity to fight. I'll lose my life, my country, and the woman I love in one swoop. I'm going to be a little worried." His eyes pierced into mine and he tried to force a smile through his fake mustachio.
I'd made him shave his beard, cut his hair, dye it black, and then wear this ridiculous mustachio as a disguise. I was more concerned that he would be discovered by any of the remaining guards at the castle that knew him than of anyone discovering I wasn't really the Countess Detoria. He looked so outlandish that my guards all agreed that no one would believe it was Runir.
"This is no less dangerous than you sneaking into the dungeons to save me. Besides, the worse possibility here is that we get to go down in a splendid display of bravery, killing hundreds of Losher warriors before we reveal Nanos for the snake he is."
"Aye," he said after taking a moment to consider. "I actually didn't see many Losher soldiers. Do you think they’ve left?"
"The scouts are reporting to the main army." I shrugged, or attempted to shrug, but instead the torturous dress creaked painfully and restricted the gesture. "One of the runners would have alerted us to any danger before we got here."
We rode in tense silence for the next few minutes. The dress made it almost impossible to be relaxed. We traveled almost a full week from the De
toria Estate to get here, but had stopped only recently for me to don this silvery blue lung and bladder prison. I had not been able to tighten the corset on my own as well as the handmaiden had, but it was still much more restrictive than anything I had ever worn. The carriage stopped and a knock sounded on the top of the roof. One of my personal guards, dressed as a coachman, indicated that the castle's sentries approached.
"Good luck," I whispered to Runir before I put the silver veil over my face. He sighed and then opened the door to step out.
"The Countess Detoria," he said loudly. I heard a muted reply from the guard.
"She requests a room in the Royal North Wing. Whom do I speak to about that?" There was another reply that I couldn't quite hear.
"Fine." His voice dripped pompous disdain. "She is weary from her travels. Direct our carriage. Where will her personal attendants be staying?" Another reply sounded, but I was again unable to understand the words.
"Follow his orders, coachman," Runir said as he opened the door and jumped back into the seat next to me.
"That was Gerolf. I never liked the guy, spent too much time trying to impress Nanos. He looked right at me and suspected nothing." Runir knocked on the roof and the carriage moved again.
"Some of them will be people you do like. Be careful," I squeaked out a deep breath and tried to sigh. There was no way I could ever fight in this dress, so I prayed to the Spirits that we would not be discovered. At least the cane and my limp made me look old. I just had to bend my back a little to complete the transformation.
The carriage rolled for a few more minutes before shouts from outside caused the vehicle to creak to a stop. Runir and I both tensed and held our breath. Then we moved again.
"Why didn't you have one of your personal guards be your escort? This mustache is itching like a spider clinging to my lip and I know someone will recognize me," he said the words quickly with his exhale.
"Because you would have gone crazy sitting back in the campsite wondering what was happening." He nodded and moved his hand again to the curtain of the window. "Put your hand down." He grunted and put it in his lap, clenching the fine velvet of his uniform to wipe away the sweat.
The horses stopped again and the knock came. Runir stepped out with a sidelong glance of apprehension.
"Welcome to Castle Nia, sir!" a familiar tenor said pleasantly from outside the carriage. My body broke out into a cold sweat when I realized who owned the voice.
Herin.
If anyone would see past this farce it would be the royal family's herald and house master. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
"The countess is weary from her week of travel and wishes to be shown to her suite. Will you escort us, usher?" Runir's voice came across full of disrespect.
"Of course, friend. Whenever your lady is ready I can discuss her room with her. I'm sorry, I don't recall your name, but you do look familiar--"
"Jervin. I've been under employment with the Detorias for the past four years. I believe that we met two years ago at the Spring Ball?" Runir's voice sounded rehearsed, but I doubted Herin would notice. Jervin was actually the name of one of the countess's personal assistants.
"Ah yes, I recall meeting a Jervin with Countess Detoria."
"Of course you do. I hate to repeat myself; my lady is tired and wishes to be shown her suite." Runir gained more confidence in his voice.
"Oh my apologies! Yes, I have five servants here. They will handle all of the countess's luggage and lead you to your room. We were a bit surprised that she wished to attend this ball, but have still prepared one of our best rooms for her." Herin spoke quickly with his apology. The man was good at smoothing political tension, and I felt extremely happy that he hadn't been killed during the invasion, but I wished that he wasn't here right now. I'd only spent a handful of hours practicing Detoria's walk and mannerisms. Herin would quickly spot the fakery.
"Why would you think the Countess Detoria would not attend?" Runir sneered in anger.
"Well, we just--"
"Is this not a banquet for the royalty and nobles of Nia?" My friend continued his tirade
"Well, yes but--" Herin gasped.
"And is the Countess Detoria not one of the most powerful and well-respected nobles in the realm?"
"Yes, Jervin, but you see-"
"So I find it hard to believe that you would not consider that she would attend a meeting that would involve rebuilding our country. Really, good sir." Runir puffed in annoyance.
"Oh no Jervin! We just have not seen the countess for quite some time, and she did not alert us to her intention until a few days ago, well past the other attendees of this ball."
"Oh, I understand. You are seeking to compare the countess's punctuality to that of the other nobles?" Runir raised his voice again so it would be obvious that his lady could hear inside of the carriage. "See here man, you don't have the look of a warrior about you, but I'm sure you are familiar with the customs of our family. We don't take kindly to insults thinly disguised as comparisons."
What was Runir doing? I feared this would prompt Herin would now seek me out in order to make up for the slight. I did not need him paying particular attention to me.
"But that was not what I implied--" Herin sounded frantic.
"It is not what you are implying, but how it is taken. I understand that you are the king's man, and not a soldier. So I can forgive this slight, but my ladyship might not be so kind, especially because she is tired and wishes to go to her suite. I will gladly give her your regards while you greet the other nobles who might need your assistance." I realized now that Runir was trying to prevent Herin from greeting me now by creating a reason to hurry us through the welcome process. I supposed I could avoid him for the rest of our stay in the castle, while here I was trapped in a way that would make it easy for him to look closely at me. The veil could not hide everything. It was hard for me to know for sure if I was holding my breath or the corset was choking the air out of me while I waited for the herald to respond.
"I'm sure that would please the king," Herin said finally. "I meant no disrespect to the countess, I'm sure you know that. If you or the countess needs anything, please ask for me."
"I will do so."
"I am Herin, good sir, and thank you." I let out a pained sigh of relief when the herald quickly walked away.
Runir, the coachman, and a few of my guards assisted in the removal of our baggage from the top of the carriage and the horses we brought. We had packed more than I would ever have thought to bring for a week-long stay at a castle, but the countess advised me in her practices and I complied to keep up appearances.
"My lady?" Runir spoke softly when he opened the door to the coach. I took his outstretched hand and let him guide me down the steps and on to the cobblestone pathways of the inner castle ramparts.
For a few seconds I was blinded by the change in brightness. The sun glared in full force and the inside of the carriage had been dark. The veil prevented much of the light from getting to my eyes but it still reflected off the smooth walls of the fortress.
It was a cold day, and a biting breeze made me shiver. Runir threw one of the countess's fur coats over my shoulders and the gesture reminded me that I was supposed to be an eighty-year-old woman. I bent over slightly, putting more of my weight on the decorative cane. Then I took Runir's arm and dragged my legs across the cobblestones toward the massive castle.
It really did look like a giant spider, with its hundreds of window eyes looking down upon the streets of the city.
It felt as if I was about to be ensnared in its web and never released.
I brought five guards with me, two from the countess's employ who agreed to support our plan. The other three were from my father's personal staff who had stood by me when I threatened Maerc.
There were almost four hundred yards between the stables and the main entrance to the castle. The distance seemed enormously long when one was trying to hobble at an old woman's pace, but the speed gave me the op
portunity to look around and determine how many Losher soldiers were here.
I didn't see any.
There were countless servants running to and fro, about two score of Nia’s uniformed sentries, and maybe a hundred or so personal guards, brightly clothed heralds, and coachmen of various other nobles.
"Losher?" I whispered to Runir quietly enough so that the attendants leading the way with my baggage couldn't eavesdrop.
"I noticed a few squads on the roads through the city, but I didn't get a good look, someone wouldn't let me gawk out the window." He sounded angry, but I kept my head down and tried to creep like an old woman. I felt frustrated by the speed I walked but as long as I continued this pace I would be okay.
The main entrance to the castle had been redecorated in a theme of dark green and gold, instead of its usual purple and gold. The area bustled with servants, Nia soldiers, and private guards of the upper crust of the country. I didn't know how many people would attend this banquet, but I imagined there would be at least five hundred. The Great Hall would easily fit as many, and Nanos would need to coax all the support he could into the city.
The attendants exchanged words with Runir, explaining that they reserved a suite in the North Wing. I smiled under my veil; Runir had grown up in this castle and knew every back route and passage in the massive fortress. From the North Wing, we could travel to any other part of the castle in fifteen minutes of walking, or less than five if we ran.
Eventually, the servants explained they would hurry on ahead to set up my room, and they gave directions to Runir. He agreed to release them from our presence since I would prefer to have my suite ready by the time I got there. After the servants gave us their directions, we both had a good idea of which room it was: Maerc's family suite.
The Destroyer Book 2 Page 32
