The Seven Realms- The Complete Series

by Cinda Williams Chima

  She resisted the urge to flee into her inner chamber and claim a headache, but he’d already seen her.

  Magret turned toward Raisa, a question on her face. Raisa nodded wearily. “Come on in, Amon,” she said.

  He entered, and Raisa saw that he wore his dress blues, the Lady sword at his side.

  She gestured to a chair by the windowed wall. “Please. Sit down,” she said, and sat as well. “Would you like anything? Some cider? Something to eat?”

  “No, thank you, Your Highness.” Amon shook his head, then eased himself down, perching on the edge of the chair, his hands on his knees. “I won’t stay long.”

  “I’m sorry I’ve put you off,” Raisa said, fluttering her hand. “It’s been relentless, and I knew I would see you at the reception tonight.”

  “I understand, Your Highness,” Amon said, in his Formal Amon voice. “I know we see each other almost every day, but I felt I should schedule an appointment. For this.” He glanced at Magret, then looked down at his hands, where the wolf ring gleamed on his right hand.

  A cold lump of dread formed in Raisa’s middle. She knew what this would be about.

  “Magret,” she said, not taking her eyes off Amon’s face, “please leave us.”

  She thought Magret might object, but she bowed her head and backed from the room. Magret made no secret of the fact that she thoroughly approved of and trusted Amon Byrne.

  “So,” Raisa said, when the door had closed behind Magret, “what is it you wanted to talk to me about?”

  “As you know, Annamaya Dubai has come home,” Amon said. “She’s staying in the dormitory at the Cathedral School temporarily, since her father is stationed on the border of Arden.”

  “I know,” Raisa said. “I’ve seen her at court. How nice she came home for the summer. Though I would have thought she might stay on at school.”

  “She is hoping to find a position here at home,” Amon said. He cleared his throat. “If she could earn a little money, it would help next year at school.”

  “Ah,” Raisa said, nodding. “When does she go back?”

  Amon’s gray eyes locked on hers until Raisa looked away.

  “She won’t be going back. She has decided to transfer to the Cathedral School,” Amon said. “She has only one year left.”

  “Oh? I’m surprised she’d come back here,” Raisa said. “The Cathedral School is good, but the Temple School at Oden’s Ford is the best in the Seven Realms.”

  Amon plowed on doggedly, as if telling a well-rehearsed story. “I had to leave school suddenly, as you know, and with my—with my new responsibilities, I won’t be going back. So Annamaya decided to come back home, to be closer to me.”

  Well, she’s sort of clingy, don’t you think? Raisa wanted to say. But didn’t.

  “I hoped you might be able to give her reference for a position here at court,” Amon said. “She’s had three years at Oden’s Ford. She has letters of reference from her masters at the Temple School, but your recommendation would mean a lot.”

  “Well.” Raisa fluttered her hand again like it was some kind of captive bird. “Of course. I mean, I haven’t spent a lot of time with her, but from what I’ve seen, I—”

  “I would like you to get to know each other better,” Amon interrupted uncharacteristically. “I think you would like her if you got to know her.”

  How had Amon gotten the impression Raisa didn’t like Annamaya?

  I need to be a better person, Raisa told herself. I will be a better person, the Maker willing. An unselfish person. I just don’t know if I can do it right now, along with everything else.

  “I’m sure we will become great friends,” she said, rattling on like an idiot. “Since she’ll be here at court and…here in the Fells. Permanently, it seems.”

  Amon gripped Raisa’s hands, taking her by surprise. “Rai, Annamaya and I would like to announce our betrothal at the reception tonight,” he said.

  “B—betrothal?” Raisa stuttered. “To—tonight?”

  Amon rushed on now that he’d stumbled into it. “Remember, back at Oden’s Ford I said we meant to announce our betrothal in the summer, after I returned home?”

  “So soon? I mean, you said you weren’t planning to marry until after you finished at the academy, and—”

  “Right. But now that won’t happen, so there’s no reason to wait,” Amon said. His grip on her hands had tightened, and it cut off circulation to her fingers.

  She should have said, Oh, that’s fabulous news! You’ll make a perfect couple. But somehow, her usual ability to dissemble deserted her when she was with Amon.

  Instead, she managed, “Well, what a…happy…and surprising surprise! Thank you for letting me in on your secret ahead of time.”

  Amon studied her face. “Well, it hasn’t been a secret. And I—as the Captain of the Queen’s Guard, I’m expected to let the queen know about marriage plans.”

  “Really?” Raisa said. “Do I have to approve them, too?” She tried to say it lightly, but the quaver in her voice gave her away.

  She’d lost Han, and she’d lost Amon, and Micah was a snake, and Nightwalker was exhausting. She felt like the belle of the ball standing on the sidelines with an empty dance card.

  Amon bit his lip, his face a mask of misery. “I have to marry, Rai,” he whispered, looking down at their hands. “And I’m eighteen now. I think it might be…easier…if I were married.” He looked up rather hopefully. “Don’t you think?”

  Raisa shook her head. “Nothing will make this easy,” she said. “Marriage just seems so terribly, awfully final. Even though I know we can’t be together, it’s still hard to give you up for good.”

  “You are not giving me up,” Amon said. “I will always be here—you know that.”

  She nodded, gathered herself, and managed a wry smile. “I do know that. I am being unreasonable. Of course, you of all people know that I am not a reasonable person. Because you are my friend, I am telling you how I feel, in my selfish heart.”

  Raisa leaned forward, looking into his gray eyes. “But know this, Amon Byrne. I wish you every possible blessing in your marriage. No one deserves happiness more than you—I mean it.”

  She released her grip on his hands and stood, clutching her skirts to either side. “Thank you for the warning. It will help…tonight.”

  Amon stood also. “Good-bye, Your Highness,” he said, in a strangled voice. “Thank you for meeting with me. I’ll see you tonight.” He saluted her, his fist pressed over his heart, then backed to the door and was gone.

  That night, Raisa ana’Marianna hosted a reception for officers of the army and the guard. She wore an unwrinkled dress of green satin that matched her eyes. She danced with all the officers, encouraging the Princess Mellony and her ladies of the court to join in.

  Midway through the evening, the Captain of the Guard, Amon Byrne, asked her blessing on his marriage to Annamaya Dubai, a student at the Temple School at Oden’s Ford and the daughter of one of the officers in the army of the Fells.

  The couple knelt before Raisa, and she raised a glass to toast their marriage and their future happiness, noting that they were exceedingly well matched. Taking Annamaya’s hands in hers, Raisa lifted her to her feet and stood on her tiptoes to kiss Captain Byrne’s tall lady on the cheek.

  “Thank you for sharing Captain Byrne with me,” she said, smiling. “I know we will be great friends.”

  There followed a series of toasts, led by Raisa, who promised to dance at their wedding, which would likely be in the fall.

  All of those present agreed that the newly betrothed pair was a charming couple and congratulated Raisa on a successful party.

  That night, Raisa lay awake for a long time, staring up at the high ceiling, imagining that she heard Han Alister breathing in the next room.

  C H A P T E R T H I R T Y - T H R E E

  MORE STRANGE

  BEDFELLOWS

  Having Cat next door as Raisa’s chambermaid gave Han m
ore freedom of movement—and less. He didn’t feel like he had to stick to his room all the time, keeping his ear to the door, waiting for someone else to take a turn at trying to hush the queen-to-be. When Raisa was out and about—within the palace or outside—there were two of them now to split the responsibility of keeping her safe. Three, counting Captain Byrne.

  But he felt less able to come and go from Raisa’s rooms at will—which was a good thing when it came to resisting temptation.

  The princess heir wasn’t there much anyway. Raisa entered into an endless whirlwind of parties and receptions as the coronation loomed closer. Amon, Han, Cat, and Dancer began meeting each morning to discuss security and strategies for protecting her during the festive turmoil, what with comings and goings and strangers in the palace. The Gray Wolves stood twelve-hour shifts, seven days a week, without complaint. They took a personal interest in keeping their friend safe.

  Magret Gray was the official gift wrangler, recording and storing the coronation gifts that poured in. Han inspected all of them for hidden hazards, such as magical snares, sorcery, poisons, or the like. It also gave him the chance to see who was cozying up to the queen. Lots of movables flooded in from the down-realms, including a gaudy tiara from Gerard Montaigne. Han couldn’t help wondering who was walking around bareheaded in Tamron now. Or maybe the previous owner had had her head chopped off and so had no need of tiaras anymore.

  The Bayars sent more lavish presents of jewelry and silver candlesticks. Han gave them an especially close going-over, calling on Dancer’s expertise as well. They seemed to be unmagicked. It didn’t matter much, because Magret Gray locked them away without even showing them to the queen-to-be. She wasn’t taking any chances with wizards bearing gifts.

  The maiden still gave Han the evil eye, refusing to speak to him directly, even though he went out of his way to be polite to her.

  Han began thinking that he should give Raisa something for her coronation, too. He wanted it to be unique and yet meaningful. But it also needed to be something he could afford. He’d just bought a building, after all.

  Finally, inspiration struck. He talked his idea over with Dancer, who thought he could get the piece made in time for the coronation if he got to work right away. There was a silversmith at Demonai that would help him with it.

  Han and Amon and Cat and Dancer attended all the parties and dances, too, working out a schedule of handoffs that kept the queen-to-be constantly under surveillance by at least two of them.

  Unfortunately, this meant that Han spent a lot of time watching Raisa circling the ballrooms and salons with Reid Nightwalker and Micah Bayar. To Han’s dismay, Nightwalker seemed to have moved permanently into the city. Weren’t the Demonai supposed to be up in the Spirits patrolling for jinxflingers?

  And Bayar—Han assumed those dances were driven by protocol, but still. How could she stand to have him touch her?

  There were other suitors, too—locals and foreigners—mostly minor bluebloods who hoped to make a marriage with a queen. Han made note of them, got to know their names, matched them up with the gifts flowing in. Cat assigned members of her crew to shadow Raisa’s suitors in the city, to find out where they went and whom they met with.

  The Klemath brothers were eager and persistent, like a pair of overgrown puppies, but Han wasn’t too worried about them. Raisa seemed resigned to marrying for the good of the realm, but even duty had its limits.

  All of this surveillance left little time for dancing himself. Which was all right. The only person Han really wanted to dance with was somebody he dared not show an interest in—publicly or privately. Private often became public in a castle with a thousand ears.

  He did get in a little practice. Han didn’t have a dance card (an odd blueblood scheme for lining up dance partners), but if he did, it could have been filled for every dance. There seemed to be no shortage of highborn women interested in getting to know him better.

  One of the most persistent was Melissa Hakkam, Raisa’s cousin and daughter of the head of the Council of Nobles. Han found it hard to believe that she and Raisa were related. Missy giggled constantly, like a dedicate deep in her cups. She hung on Han like a thorny vine, and, as usual, Han got the blame. Her father, Lord Hakkam, glared daggers at him every time she twined her arms around his neck.

  It wasn’t like he’d offered any encouragement.

  Most of his classmates from Mystwerk were home for the summer, and the girlies he’d schooled with seemed to have forgotten what a pariah he was. Though likely some of them were crewing for the Bayars, trying to lure him someplace private for a shoulder tap.

  One night, he’d just handed off queen-watching to Cat and was helping himself to some potent blueblood punch when some equally potent blueblood fingers wrapped themselves around his arm.

  He swung around, nearly flinging his punch into Fiona Bayar’s face. She wore her glitter-pale hair loose around her shoulders, and a black dress that was mostly bottom half. She’d filled in the plunging neckline with ropes of pricy baubles.

  “Come dance with me, Alister,” she hissed. “I want to talk to you.”

  It was the first she’d spoken to him since Oden’s Ford. The first he’d seen her since the old queen’s funeral. The first he’d seen her since Raisa had assigned him to the Wizard Council instead of her.

  Han gulped down his punch and wiped his mouth on his sleeve on purpose. The punch glimmered his middle pleasantly. “You sure you want to be seen with me?” he said, making a show of looking around the room.

  Lord and Lady Bayar shared a large table with other blueblood wizards, including the Gryphons. Han was surprised to see Adam Gryphon, his former teacher, sitting with the rest of them in his wheeled chair. Han hadn’t seen him at any of the other parties, and he didn’t look happy to be at this one. Gryphon was watching Han and Fiona, his brows drawn together in a puzzled frown.

  Fiona tugged at Han’s arm, dragging his attention back to her. “Never mind them. I’m spying on you,” she said. “I’m supposed to be winning your trust.”

  “Supposed to be?” He raised an eyebrow. As if that would ever happen.

  “Are you coming?” Fiona jerked her head toward the dance floor.

  She was ordering him around again. It was a habit with her.

  Well, Han thought. I do want to know what she’s up to. He took her elbow and walked her into the midst of the dancers.

  They circled the floor in silence for a few minutes.

  “Well?” Han said.

  “Where did you learn to dance?” Fiona asked. “You are better than I expected.”

  “I’m always better than people expect,” Han said, still keeping that little bit of distance between them.

  “I understand that now,” Fiona whispered. “I’m beginning to realize that you have…great potential.” She paused. “That was brilliant, getting yourself appointed to the council,” she went on. “Even though it was at my expense. However did you persuade the queen to do that?”

  “I can be very persuasive,” Han said. “You’d be surprised.” On the sidelines, he saw Missy Hakkam chatting with a crew of bluebloods but keeping her eye on him. They swept past Raisa dancing with Nightwalker. He wasn’t keeping any distance between the two of them. Raisa’s eyes were closed, her head resting on Nightwalker’s shoulder.

  Han couldn’t help himself. He pulled Fiona closer against him, allowing a little heat to flow through his fingers.

  She smiled at him slit-eyed, purring like a cat on a warm hearth. “Have you thought any more about my proposal back at Oden’s Ford?” she asked, sliding her hands up to his neck and resting her head on his shoulder.

  “The one where I give you my amulet?” Han said. “And you get to be queen of the Fells?”

  “I notice you haven’t been wearing it lately,” Fiona said, looking down at his chest, where the Lone Hunter amulet was on display.

  “I wear it,” Han said. “Just not where you can see it. With all you Bayars around, tha
t’d be like waving a bag of gold in front of a slide-hand’s face. And in case anybody’s thinking of tossing my room, I wouldn’t chance it if I were you.”

  She laughed. “If I send anyone, I’ll make sure they’re expendable.” She paused, the smile fading. “I haven’t forgotten that you saved my life in Aediion. I’m in debt to you.”

  That and a copper will get me a pork bun, Han thought.

  Han scanned the Bayar table again as they swept by. Adam Gryphon slouched back in his chair, head tilted back, his blue-green eyes fixed on Han and his dance partner.

  Oh. Right, Han thought. Gryphon is sweet on Fiona. Was that why he’d come home—to court her? Don’t worry, Master Gryphon, he thought, I’m not really getting into your game.

  “I’m surprised to see that Adam Gryphon is back from school, too,” Han said.

  “His parents brought him back here to assume the family seat on the council,” Fiona said. “He would have been better off staying where he was. The Gryphons are fooling themselves if they think there’s any chance he’ll ever…” She clamped her mouth shut, maybe thinking better of what she was about to say. “Forget Adam. Let’s talk about us. What if I came to you with a different proposal? Would you be interested?” She looked up at him, lips slightly parted.

  “Different how?” Han said. “A better one, I hope?”

  “Of course,” Fiona said. “That was just the opening of negotiations.” She pressed closer against him.

  They passed Raisa and Nightwalker again, tight as ticks in Ragmarket. This time, Raisa was staring at Han and Fiona, a frown on her face.

  “I don’t think we should be talking about this here,” Han said. “Your family and friends aren’t the only ones looking on.”

  Fiona nodded. “You’re right.” She drew back a little. “But if you are willing to listen, we should talk soon.” Her lips twisted in disgust. “The princess heir has agreed to allow my brother Micah to court her,” she said. “In secret, of course.”