More Tales of the Southern Kingdoms (One Volume Edition)

by Barbara G. Tarn

  "Yes, thank you." The royal physician nodded with a smile. Kirit knew Abhimanyu was aware of what had happened between him and Roshan, and he was grateful the doctor had suggested it. It hadn't really ruined the king's manhood, since he was impotent – and a wreck of nerves – when Kirit had been summoned to the palace.

  Kirit glanced one last time at the fully recovered man of his dreams and turned his back on the scene. At the door Akshay stopped him.

  "Where are you going?" the captain asked, surprised.

  "I'm no longer needed," he answered.

  "Will you join the royal guard now? I mean, if you feel you're a senior officer, we could ask the king to name two captains or..."

  "Akshay, I told you I will not work at the palace. I came here by order of the king, and since my job is done, I'm leaving," Kirit explained patiently. He'd become good friend with Akshay during the past months. There was mutual respect between them, and Kirit knew Akshay was genuinely sorry to see him go.

  "But why?" Akshay asked, nonplussed.

  "Because I'm in love with the king."

  Akshay stiffened and his eyes widened in shock.

  Kirit smiled. "And that's why I'm leaving, Akshay. I'll get over it, eventually, but I need to get away now."

  Akshay nodded, thoughtful. "Where will you go?"

  "I don't know yet. I'll grab my things at the Keep and go from there."

  Akshay grinned and offered his hand. "Good luck, my friend. You know you'll always be welcome at the palace."

  Thus Kirit went back to Kabir's keep. It was empty now, since everybody had left. Kirit wondered if he should start a school for soldiers himself or just leave the abandoned building. Eventually someone might claim it – it was close to the palace, so it could become the barracks of the royal guard, for example...

  He entered his room and looked around with a sigh. He didn't own much. His horse was still in the stables outside the walls – he'd seen it coming in – but maybe he should also buy a packhorse for his tent and weapons.

  And then there were his manuscripts, a stash of them written during the years he'd spent in that room. Maybe he should donate them to the royal library – or destroy them. The journal of his training might be misinterpreted, but he was reluctant to burn it.

  He grabbed the whole stash and put it in a carved wooden box with a lock. That could be carried around... He added the ink and quill, and decided he'd take it with him after all.

  The door opened, startling him.

  "Kirit!"

  It was Falgun, who rushed to hug him.

  "I thought everybody was gone," he said, surprised to see his former attendant.

  "Yes, except me." Falgun pulled back, looking excited and happy.

  "Why did you stay?"

  "I was waiting for you to come back. I knew he wouldn't keep you forever."

  Kirit stared at Falgun, jarred. His attendant wasn't as good-looking as the king – he had little scars from his warrior life – but he was handsome in his own way.

  "What are you talking about?" Kirit asked, closely watching his attendant's reactions.

  Falgun glanced away for a moment, then grinned with a shrug. "You're in love with the king. I mean, he's gorgeous, I understand you want him as much as Kabir did. And you're better than Kabir at seducing people, but he's the king and he won't have you. So I knew you'd come back here, eventually."

  Kirit crossed his arms on his chest. "Actually, I had him, even if I never fucked him like Kabir," he said, amused. "But you're right, he loves his wife, and now that he has an heir, he doesn't need me anymore."

  Falgun's face had gone from surprise to happiness to embarrassment in moments – embarrassment caused by his stare as he rediscovered him moment by moment. Falgun's eyes couldn't sustain his anymore and he saw him gulp.

  He smiled and stepped forward, putting his hands on Falgun's shoulders.

  "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

  "Because until I saw how you stared at the king, I thought you didn't have a heart," Falgun answered, unable to fix his eyes on anything.

  "I had to protect myself. I learned to hide my feelings... but you noticed my attraction for the king?"

  "It was pretty obvious to me..."

  Kirit chuckled. "So, now that I'm here, what are you going to do?"

  "I don't know," Falgun admitted nervously. "I mean, I know I can't compare with the king, but..."

  Kirit closed his mouth with a long kiss, holding him tight. Falgun tasted good, and his arousal was obvious as their bodies touched. Finally someone who would return his caresses...

  Kirit pulled back to look breathless Falgun in the eyes and grinned. Maybe he didn't need to leave after all. Maybe Falgun would cure him of his obsession and he'd be able to work at the palace without lusting for an unreachable, gorgeous young man...

  ***

  "Where is Kirit?" Roshan realized his friend was gone a few days after the birth of his son. He wanted to talk about his family with his most trusted confidante, but couldn't find him, so he asked the captain of the guard.

  "He's gone, your majesty," Akshay answered.

  "What? But why?" Roshan protested.

  "He said his job was done."

  "But I wanted him to stay and become my personal bodyguard!"

  "Am I not enough anymore?" the captain chided.

  "Of course, Akshay, I mean I wanted him to be my son's bodyguard for the time being. Don't you think it's an appropriate reward for what he did?"

  "It is, your majesty, but he told me he does not wish to work at the palace, therefore he'd refuse the post anyway."

  "Oh." Roshan pondered, puzzled. "And why is that? He doesn't like me?" he asked, worried. He thought Kirit adored him and would be very happy to join the palace workers.

  "Quite the contrary, your majesty." Akshay sounded amused now. "He loves you too much and needs to get away from you before he does something he might regret."

  "He has never done anything that I didn't want during the past months," Roshan mused.

  "He has good control of his emotions," Akshay said. "This doesn't mean you should torture him. If he helped you, why do you want to hurt him in return?"

  Roshan sighed. Akshay was right. But he'd miss Kirit.

  "Do you know where he is?" he asked after a brief hesitation.

  "He said he'd grab his things and leave, but nobody saw him exit the general's keep," Akshay answered.

  "Oh. So he's there all alone?"

  "Actually, I think there's two of them."

  "Really?" Roshan stared at Akshay's grin. The captain wasn't looking directly at him, as was customary, but it dawned on Roshan what that meant. "So maybe he will work at the palace after all... what do you think?"

  "Maybe." Akshay nodded. "You want me to go and ask him before he decides to leave?"

  "Please do!" Roshan felt relieved. Maybe he hadn't lost his friend after all.

  Kirit came with a younger warrior by his side, and Roshan noticed they were holding hands. Kirit looked serene, more than when he'd stayed in his rooms.

  "I want you to be my son's bodyguard," Roshan said, pretending not to see the obvious bond between Kirit and the other warrior.

  "If you wish, your majesty, but know that I do no longer sleep alone," Kirit replied, squeezing his companion's fingers.

  "Well, neither do I," Roshan said, amused. "Thanks to you."

  Kirit smiled. "You are married. I will never marry."

  "I know, you like sleeping with men." Roshan chuckled. "Your lover is lucky." He glanced at the young man who blushed but smiled.

  "He's not lucky, he's patient," Kirit replied. "He knew my love was unrequited and just waited for me. This is Falgun, by the way. He was my attendant when Kabir was alive. We had occasional sex, but I hadn't realized he was in love with me."

  "It's because I'm even better than you at hiding my feelings," Falgun said, looking adoringly at Kirit who chuckled.

  Roshan grinned. "I wish you all the happiness in
the world, Kirit. You deserve it. Have you just accepted my latest offer?"

  "I am honored to be the heir's personal bodyguard," Kirit answered with a deep bow. "Thank you, your majesty."

  "You shall have a room for you and your lover close to the baby's. I know you will be discreet," Roshan said, satisfied.

  "What I do doesn't go out of the bedroom," Kirit reminded him with an impish smile.

  Roshan laughed at that. Indeed – Kirit had never told anyone what he'd done with the king, and Roshan was sure he wouldn't hold his lover's hand in public either.

  "Before Captain Akshay takes you to your new quarters, show me you got over me," he said, noticing Akshay's amused smile.

  Kirit hesitated, then took his lover in his arms and gave him a passionate kiss. Roshan was as breathless as Falgun when Kirit let him go, and dismissed them with a gesture, not trusting his voice.

  Oh, well, they were at the palace now. And he knew where they slept...

  The Conspiracy

  The rain kept pouring outside of his window, matching his mood. Harish lay on his plush curtained bed in the fetal position, barely listening to the sound. It was morning, but the light had gone away and the room was bathed in a dim gray light.

  A gush of wind brought in the smell of earth and leaves. That season when they changed colors and fell still felt new to him after five years in the royal palace of Amrendra. Not a golden prison, but home, on the hills of Delen, facing the ocean.

  When he'd first set foot in the three-room apartment five years earlier, his eyes were wide in wonder at his sudden change of status. From jester to prince heir of the most northern southern kingdom, that was quite a jump!

  But then, he was an acrobat, jumps were never a problem. He'd jumped off Master Zahin's wagon to run away from his itinerant circus with Kartik. He'd jumped down the wall of the royal palace gardens of Lakeshi, to escape from the king's lust. And he'd jumped into his new life with the same ease. Because Kartik was by his side.

  His savior, his protector, his lover, his world. The one and only he cared for. The hero he had admired for ten years in the itinerant circus and who had finally admitted he loved him. They'd been so happy together, whether wandering through Lakeshi, hiding in its jungle, or even here, in the Amrendran palace, in this very room that now felt so empty and cold...

  He heard voices and footsteps. Servants were bringing lamps for him, but he wasn't going to get out of bed anyway. He barely watched as they set down the flickering flames and left with deep bows.

  The shadows started dancing on the white walls and the downpour slowly stopped. It was still a gray day, but it was less dark outside. Inside, nothing had changed. Not for him and his empty bed.

  "What do you mean my wretched cousin is still in bed?" Ajay's voice erupted from the antechamber, sounding indignant.

  Harish didn't move. Not even his twin had managed to shake him so far.

  Ajay muttered something and then everything was quiet. A redbreast sat on his balcony and sang, which made him cry.

  Rohit stepped into the room unannounced and came to sit on the edge of the mattress.

  "Rahul," he called softly. "Will you come downstairs to eat?"

  "No," he answered with a lump in his throat.

  He hadn't gone to the family dining room in over a month. He hadn't left his apartment in over a month. He didn't want to see anyone, but couldn't leave Rohit out. They were twins. He knew Rohit could feel his pain and his sorrow. But they couldn't read each other's mind and some things he couldn't say, not even to Rohit. Especially since Rohit called him by his new name.

  Of course only Kartik had promised to keep calling him Harish. Everybody else called him Rahul or Your Highness. Your Majesty, even, since King Daruka Dahana had passed away, both twins close to each other, Dahana first, then Daruka.

  The shadow king always goes first. He wondered if some great sorrow had killed his uncle, and then his father. He was now the shadow king, since Rohit was more fit to govern than him, but still had to attend all the High Council and Private Council sessions.

  "Rahul, you're being stubborn," Rohit said patiently. "If you don't go out of you apartment, how will you find another Kartik?"

  "There is no other," Harish said sourly. Nobody could compare to Kartik. "And I don't want to see the people who murdered him."

  Funny, he'd said it at last. He heard Rohit hold his breath for a moment.

  "Rahul, we don't know what killed him," Rohit said. "A sudden, unknown sickness the royal physician couldn't stop or prevent..."

  "He was murdered," Harish repeated somberly.

  At first, he was so upset he had let anyone see him. Even at the funeral, lords and servants had come to him, and sometimes said things that had upset him even more. Not the servants, of course, the lords who attended the High Council.

  Thus he had retired to his apartment and refused to see anyone. Only Rohit was allowed in his bedroom, Ajay wasn't allowed beyond the antechamber.

  "What makes you think Kartik was murdered?" Rohit asked cautiously.

  Harish uncurled from his position and sat. He leaned towards the bed table and took a small ivory casket, normally used for small items. It contained the rings he'd received as prince heir, a golden bracelet, a golden medallion and a small piece of parchment where he'd written his name – Harish, not Rahul – and Kartik's enclosed in a heart when he was still learning to write.

  He opened it and took a small dart the length of his middle finger that lay over the folded parchment and showed it to Rohit.

  "I found this when it was too late," he said. "The sudden sickness was a poisoned dart."

  Puzzled, Rohit took it to look more closely.

  "It's still poisoned," Harish warned. "Don't scratch yourself with it."

  "How do you know?" Rohit gave back the dart.

  "I've seen some in Akkora. The Assassins' Guild sometimes use them down there. They have blowpipes and can kill by shooting those poisoned darts from a safe distance." Harish put the dart back in the casket and closed it. "Someone hired an Akkoran assassin to kill Kartik."

  "But how do you know it's what killed Kartik?"

  "I found it on the floor and I checked his body. I found the wound on his neck, it was so tiny nobody saw it. It was a quick way to dispose of him."

  Harish could feel again the still body under his hands, the small cut that had stopped bleeding, see the strange color of Kartik's face. Unknown sickness my ass, he was killed!

  Rohit's eyes were wide in shock. "But... why?"

  "So they could offer their daughters to the poor mourning shadow king," Harish snapped, looking his brother in the eyes. "You might have welcomed him to the family, but the council never liked Kartik. And they got rid of him so they could push their daughters at me. I will not set foot in the council room while those people are there."

  "Which people?" Rohit asked.

  "Ask them. You'll know." Harish curled up again in the fetal position. "I have no proof against anyone. I'm sure you'll find who did this to me."

  Rohit hesitated, then stormed out. Harish felt strangely relieved. He was still mourning, but now that he had managed to pour out his suspicions, he felt better. He knew Rohit was a true king and would handle the matter better than him.

  ***

  Rohit was furious. He couldn't believe someone in the High Council had paid an assassin to kill Rahul's lover. Why? To weaken him, them? Was someone trying to get rid of the twin kings? And who dared?

  Rahul suspected one of the lords who had pushed his daughter after Kartik's death. Many lords had the means to pay an assassin, including his cousin Ajay. But Ajay hadn't mentioned he should marry more than Rohit did. They both knew how much Rahul loved and trusted Kartik. Besides, if Rahul married, Ajay's position might be rickety again. No, Ajay would never think of killing Kartik or getting rid of Rahul.

  Rohit was also mad at his twin who had kept his suspicions to himself for well over a month. He might not have proof, but he'd
found the poisoned dart, and that was enough to start an investigation.

  He knew Rahul was deeply wounded and mourning, but he couldn't believe his twin had kept his sorrow to himself, as if he weren't aware they shared so much. Laxmi had given him twin heirs and baby girls, but after Kartik's death, he'd felt as empty and lost as Rahul was.

  Ajay read on his stern face that he was angry as soon as they met outside of the High Council room.

  "What is it, Rohit?" he asked, puzzled. "Will Rahul attend today?"

  "No, he will not attend until I throw out a few people," Rohit answered through clenched teeth.

  "What? Why?" Ajay asked, nonplussed.

  "You'll see."

  Rohit marched in and sat at the round table with Ajay at his left. The chair at his right was empty, and had been so since Kartik's death.

  Rohit watched the councilors gathered around the table, twelve men that ranged from his father's age to his own. Some had been in the council of King Daruka Dahana, others had taken the place of retired members under the request of King Rohit Rahul.

  Not that Rahul ever chose anyone, not even Kartik. Rohit knew Rahul wanted to keep his private life separated from his public life, and had succeeded for five years. Why would anyone decide to get rid of Kartik if not to push a daughter into a royal wedding?

  Rohit put his hands on the table and interlocked his fingers, staring at the polished wood to gather his thoughts.

  "My lords," he said. "Let it be known that my brother will not set foot in this room until I get rid of a few people. He has never requested anyone to join this council, but now he's asking me to remove someone, and I feel compelled to oblige him."

  He heard mutters, but didn't look up yet.

  "Which of you suggested he marry your daughter?"

  "What does this have to do with it?" Lord Durjaya asked.

  He sat right in front of Rohit, a plump nobleman who had been in the council for twenty years. He had a son, Arjun, slightly older than Rohit himself, and his daughters were all married off. But he'd always showed contempt for Kartik, even though the gypsy had always been very well-behaved in his few public appearances by Rahul's side.