by C. L. Scheel
Kitarisa looked down. "He was one of Reddess' men and it was necessary. Besides, all my words of love were taken away from me when Rhynn was killed." She was again the distant princess, iron-willed and cold. "You will wait a long time to hear them, my Lord Assur."
"Then, I will wait."
Abruptly he stood up, helping her to her feet. He motioned to the bed. "Sleep well, Kita'lara." Assur shrugged on the heavy fur and with a slight bow, brushed past her and slipped out the side opening of the tent into the chill night.
Kitarisa stood in the middle of Assur's tent unsure of herself. It was now certain she would not be returning to the other tent and she felt reasonably certain he would not visit her again.
Lord Assur. High Prince D'Assuriel, the Ter-Rey, she corrected herself. It was easy now to reconcile the keen deference his men paid him. Fierce Talesians all and fanatically loyal to their lord. Her old Nans had been right. Assur was a strange blend of regal civility and terrifying ferocity. And she had been here, in his tent, held in his arms like a lover. She reluctantly admitted to herself that it had been most pleasant and so safe. For a few moments her dark terrors had been smothered. Assur's warm, strong arms had separated her from her fears and the desperate misery of her life.
What he had told her, could it be true? Her father a traitor? And what he had said about that guard in Sherehn? Kitarisa could scarcely recall what she said to that unfortunate guard. But she did remember Assur's fingers on her shoulders, gently adjusting the ribbons. His scent. And those eyes, hypnotic, fierce, magnificent--but not a trace of cruelty or mockery in them when he looked at her.
Kitarisa eased under the soft pelts of the bed and looked up at the silk hangings above her. A bed designed for passion. She found herself slipping quickly into exhausted sleep, but not before she looked at the empty expanse of bed at her side and wondered what it would be like with him being there, close enough to touch and to love.
ASSUR STRODE FROM the tent and almost ran into Jarad who had been keeping a discreet watch by the tent.
"Find Kuurus and Nattuck," he snapped, a little too sharply.
Jarad sketched a brisk nod of his head before he spun on his heel and hurried off into the camp to find the two Siarsi warriors.
Assur paced like a trapped animal. His rigorously-ingrained discipline to remain calm under stress began to fray with his fury. He could not even begin to think of a punishment too hideous for Kazan. The blood of his savage ancestors beat through him, making him nearly blind to anything else but his unutterable rage.
Assur leaned over the small folding camp table, resting his weight on his clenched fists and tried to take deep, calming breaths. For one irrational instant he felt like smashing the table and anything else within reach.
A royal heir of his Dominion lay in his tent, beaten like a cur. He would never forget the humiliation in her eyes, nor the depth of her terror. The outrage to her was damning enough, but that Kazan had dared to defy him, flaunting treason, was more than Assur could tolerate. His original willingness to deal evenhandedly with Kazan had evaporated like smoke. Kazan would beg to die.
The sound of running feet broke him free of his mental ranting as he glanced up to see a worried-looking Kuurus and at least four others close behind him.
"Great Lord?" Kuurus began a little breathlessly. Among his own kind now he was free to pay proper respect. Kuurus dropped to one knee and beat his right palm against his left breast.
"Get up, Kuurus," Assur ordered, at once impatient with unnecessary formalities.
The Siarsi sprang to his feet, immediately battle-ready. Behind him, the others had shifted from worry to keen attentiveness. They too, were ready to do battle at the first word from their lord.
"Take Courronus and ride south. Find Kazan's camp. Learn all you can and then return to Riehl. It is time we pray to Verlian to be Summoned. I am sending message birds to D'Achad to have the tribes made ready. Go, old friend."
Kuurus sketched a hasty salute and fled into the darkness, seeking out his nephew and their horses.
Assur turned to the others. Nattuck fairly trembled with eagerness. "Do we fight, Great Lord?"
"Soon, Nattuck. At dawn we break camp and ride west to find D'Achad's encampment. We will meet with the legions there. We must move as quickly as possible--we have that witch on our trail and her dogs have been sent to do her tracking."
A sneer formed on Nattuck's lean face. "Allow me to remain, my lord, and skin them. I will bring you their bloody hides for tanning."
A faint smile touched Assur's firm mouth. Was there no end to Siarsi boasting? "No, Nattuck. You will have your opportunity to dull your blades on Gorendtian bones as well as on Wrathmen. For now, I have need of you for other duties."
He shifted his attention to the map spread out before him on the camp table. "The princess and Captain Mar'Kess have both confirmed that Prince Kazan will join forces with Maretstan and that their warriors are on their way to meet with Kazan's army. If this is so, then we must be ready to fight with Riehl much sooner than expected. Mar'Kess also told me Kazan has allied himself with a White Sister, Malgora. What her purpose is in this game, I cannot be sure, but it is certain that both of them are seeking complete control of the Eastern Lands."
"Great Lord," Brekk interjected softly, "perhaps she wishes to rule one of the provinces?"
"A White Sister will want more than a mere throne, Brekk. No. There is much more to this than a war over Riehl."
"Can we reason with them? Perhaps Kazan will reconsider and withdraw," Brekk continued.
"I do not reason with traitors," Assur retorted. He tapped the map where the long thread of the River Sherehn stretched from the far north, all the way to the Sea of the Volt. "The shortest and most efficient route for an army the size of Kazan's, is straight up the river to the Kor Breach. That is why he set up stores in the old Keep, as a stop over for supplies and weapons, as well as a base to fall back upon should the battle drag on too long. Only now, his stores are gone. They must hurry and take Riehl, secure the Kor Breach, and hold it through winter. We must beat him to Riehl and hold the Breach ourselves so they cannot get through."
The Talesians looked grim as Assur finished. As fearless as they were, they were not fools. An army the size of Kazan's, plus the forces of Maretstan were nothing to sneer about, particularly facing an oncoming winter.
Assur snapped the map into a tight roll. "Nattuck, we ride at first light. See that all is in readiness."
The tall Siarsi beamed at Assur as he dropped to his knee to show his obedience as well as his willingness. "It shall be done, Great Lord!"
Like Kuurus, Nattuck slipped away from the knot of warriors, eager to be off.
Some of the heat from his rage had cooled. Assur passed tired a hand over his forehead.
"Where is Mar'Kess?" he asked wearily.
"He is at rest, by your command, lord," Brekk answered.
"Wake him and bring him to me...and bring me two messenger birds."
Assur dropped into the nearest campstool and tugged the heavy fur more tightly across his shoulders. He fervently wished he had not removed his tunic and jerkin earlier. Foolishly, he had thought he would still be in the tent with Kitarisa, not out in the cold night. The faintest thread of vanity had goaded him into believing she would have encouraged him, even invited him to stay with her for the remainder of the night. That was the man in him talking, not the Ter-Rey.
He ran his hand over the smooth surface of his hair until he touched the silver ring. Besides, in her eyes, he was only a coarse barbarian, regardless of the fact that he was indeed her sovereign lord. She was obliged to obey and respect him, but he could never force her to love him. Alea's ill-concealed revulsion had told him a wealth of information-- whereas Alea did not hide her distaste of them and their appearance, Kitarisa was too well-bred to show it.
Still, the memory of her in his arms, pressing her wet cheek against his chest was all too vivid. In that moment, he had the distinct fe
eling she was not clinging to him as a poor substitute for Rhynn Palinn, but because she needed him--Assur.
He glanced down at his arms and the firemarks just showing from the edge of his sleeves. Like every Ter-Rey before him, and every man who had ever held a position of great responsibility, he wished he were just an ordinary man, like Jarad or Brekk. If he was to have her, then he would have to make her see beyond the terrible burn marks in his arms and the frightening patterns around his eyes--and that he was not merely a barbarian.
The blackened marks reminded him of her back and her own terrible scars. There was no question about Kazan's punishment. For every welt on Kitarisa's back, Assur would multiply ten times the pain Kazan would suffer.
Boots crunched on the ground causing him to look up and see Mar'Kess approaching him. The Gorendtian captain had not taken the time to dress completely, but had merely thrown his cloak over tunic and breeches.
"Highness? Great Lord?" Mar'Kess fumbled with the Talesian address for him. Unlike Kitarisa, the discovery of Assur's true identity evidently had not surprised the captain. Without question, he had accepted Assur as the High Prince.
"Mar'Kess, I would know something about the princess, about her punishments from Kazan," Assur said in a low voice. He waved the captain to sit on the adjacent campstool.
"It is no secret Kazan hated her. I have known the princess for many years and during all that time, I have never seen Kazan fail to take an opportunity to insult her or misuse her."
"Why does he do this? She will only tell me that she is the daughter of his enemy."
"The provinces of Riehl and Gorendt have always quarreled bitterly over the division of lands between them, their boundaries and the rights to the waters of the Sherehn. They have always been at odds with each other and on occasion, there have been accidental deaths, some minor thefts, and petty blackmail. Finally, it was the people themselves who demanded a truce. Through arbitration between both councils, a plan was drawn to have the two houses marry, however, it was not well received by Gorendt. The old prince, Kazan's father, had great plans for his son. He wanted Kazan to marry into the Maretstan house and hold all the southern regions. In his eyes, Kazan's marriage to Princess Liestra was an insult and a lowering of their chances for glory. Kazan hated Liestra from the beginning, which was a great shame. Princess Liestra was a beautiful, gracious lady and more than willing to do her part for their two provinces. Unfortunately, she died much too soon."
Mar'Kess paused and furrowed his fingers through his fair hair.
"Then there was the rumor that Kitarisa was not Kazan's child. It is a lie, of course. All of this added to his resentment. After Liestra died, Kazan married his whore--that dancing girl--and she promptly produced Alor and Alea. At once, Kazan saw his chance to claim glory through both these children and Kitarisa was forgotten. When Prince Murliff died, it became imperative that she not succeed him."
"Do you believe that is why Kitarisa and Alea were abducted?"
"Knowing what I know now, yes. When I first received the news that Alea had been abducted, I ordered a detachment to begin the search, but was stopped by Prince Kazan. He ordered us to wait. My men fretted and chaffed, eager to break a few skulls. That is why your arrival in Gorendt was such a surprise. No one knew he had sent for Talesians."
"He did not send for us, Mar'Kess. The High Council from Riehl sent me a message stating that Alea had been abducted. Her ransom was five thousand crown talins and that she would be killed if the ransom was not paid. Riehl was blamed for the entire scheme and on that flimsy excuse, Gorendt would declare war on them."
"Obviously a lie to force Riehl into war, my lord. The plan would have worked, except no one counted on you looking into the matter."
Assur stood and began pacing around the fire. "I am sure Kazan now knows who I am. That in itself should worry him. What troubles me is this business with the witches. Why would Kazan ally himself with them?"
"I do not know, my lord, but it must have something to do with their Reverend `Fa. They spoke of using Alor and how weak he was."
Assur stroked the slim beard thoughtfully. "The Sisters' power has been merely an annoyance, until now. Their allegiance to that traitorous woman, Medruth, has made them vicious and now their lapdogs have grown arrogant. It is time they were punished."
"The Wrathmen have caused much mischief in Gorendt, my lord. I have nearly come to blows with a few of them myself."
"There is another mystery, Mar'Kess. During our return to Gorendt, we were forced to stop in a village to rest. We were surprised by a band of Wrathmen claiming they had been asked by Kazan to help look for the Princess Alea."
Mar'Kess frowned and shook his head, bewildered. "If there had been Wrathmen in Gorendt Keep, I would have known about it. I had my own informers and they would have told me if they were in contact with Kazan."
"Another trick?"
"They were informed by someone and I imagine it was their mistress."
Assur nodded and then motioned for Mar'Kess to get up.
"We will have no answers tonight. Get some rest. Tomorrow you will take the princess into Riehl. I will send Brekk, Del, and Jarad with you. And, I will send along papers for the Council. They must prepare for the worst--they must hold the Keep until the legions arrive from the west."
"The legions, lord?"
"Tomorrow I will ride west to bring back six Talesian legions to fight against Kazan."
The captain stood and bowed his head.
"Mar'Kess?"
"My lord?"
"One other question...were you present the day Princess Kitarisa was--"
"Flogged?" Mar'Kess finished for him, his voice full of anger at the memory. "Yes. I had the regrettable duty of ordering Rhynn Palinn to his death and then was forced to watch Kitarisa's punishment. Kazan beat her himself, my lord. He tore her gown from her back and tied her to the courtyard wall. He whipped her with a redreed."
Assur's jaw tightened. He, himself, had taken a few strokes on his backside from his own swordmaster who had used the fearsome redreed. The pain had been excruciating.
"Princess Kitarisa did not make a sound, my lord. Not so much as a whimper. She nearly bit her lip clean through. I saw it myself."
Assur cursed softly in his ancient tongue and clenched his jaw in hard line of rage. "Did she love him, this Rhynn Palinn?"
Mar'Kess shifted uncomfortably, at once recognizing Assur's true meaning. "Very much, my lord."
Assur nodded and then lifted his hand to dismiss him.
"Do not speak of this to her or anyone else," he said sharply.
Again, Mar'Kess bowed his head respectfully. "Your Will, Great Lord."
Chapter 14
THE KEEP Of Riehl had been built on raised ground with the city and streets laid around it in ever expanding concentric circles, spreading out like a gigantic wheel.
The first defensive wall had been built at the outermost limits of the city and high enough to keep sheep and cattle from straying. Between the first wall and the second inner wall, were the enormous meadows kept for grazing.
The second inner wall had been designed for defense and at the four compass points were four high towers, each with a heavy gate that could be shut and barred from invaders.
Inside the second wall was Riehl itself set in its orderly circular pattern, each street encircling closer to the Keep. A final wall separated the main part of the city from the Keep, it having enough stabling for a thousand horses and accommodated in its barracks at least two thousand men.
As they rode through the final gate to the inner yard, Mar'Kess found himself gazing upward to admire the sweeping lines and soaring arches--a Keep and city designed for both protection as well as to delight the eye.
The news of their arrival had long preceded them. There were only polite stares, an occasional curtsey or a doff of a cap, but no terrified children ran to hide from them and none of the women scurried to reach safety behind closed doors. Unlike Gorendt, there was
an easier air about the city--no roaming, bullying patrols sent out to intimidate the citizens; no threat of punishment to spoil the bustling activity of the markets or shops.
However, Mar'Kess sensed a feeling of unease and uncertainty. Their prince was dead and that lack of leadership was painfully apparent.
Once inside the innermost wall, a row of somber-faced gentlemen stood respectfully before them and bowed low the moment they set foot to the courtyard stones. One of them, their leader, stepped forward--a handsome man in his late fifties, with dark compassionate eyes and clothed in a deep blue tunic that came nearly to his ankles.
"My lords, welcome. We are delighted and relieved you have arrived so safely. I am Councilor De'Tai" He looked at each one of them expectantly, brows raised in anticipation. "His Highness is not here?"
Mar'Kess bowed to the councilor. "Captain Raldan Mar'Kess, your grace, lately of Gorendt. Lest you worry about an enemy in your midst, I have since renounced my oaths and bonds to Kazan and left his service. If you doubt my word, then I defer you to these Talesians, who will vouch for my truthfulness."
The councilor glanced at Brekk and the others, who nodded solemnly at Mar'Kess' words.
Brekk stepped forward. "You have no reason to doubt the Captain. If you like, I shall take an Oath upon my knife."
The councilor waved his hand, dismissing the idea. "I accept your word, good Captain, as I would Prince Assur's."
Mar'Kess helped Kitarisa down from the Wrathman's horse and made a slight bow to her.
"May I introduce to you the Princess Kitarisa. Our Ter-Rey has helped her escape from Kazan."
De'Tai and the others made short, polite bows to her, however, the man to De'Tai's right, clearly was not pleased by Kitarisa's presence.
"I see you are unharmed from your captivity in Sherehn Keep, but I am somewhat surprised, my lady. We were told that your sister, Princess Alea, had been abducted." Councilor De'Tai said smoothly.
Kitarisa almost bowed to the councilman, but stopped just as she began to tug at her skirts.
"Both of us were abducted, your grace. It was my father who led you to believe it was only Alea who had been taken. My Lord Assur and his men rescued us and brought us back to Gorendt. His Highness has sent along papers explaining everything to you and the council."
