The Queen Maker

by Kristen Gupton

  Cinat looked nervously down toward the ground but didn’t hesitate too long. She knew just as well as Thana did they were constantly in danger of being seen. It took some acrobatics on her part to get up into the window and squeeze out through the opening, keeping a hold of the rope. Once she was out, she made her way down the rope, hand over hand.

  Thana watched in amazement at how quickly her partner scaled down the entire rope, getting to the end and dropping silently to the road below. Despite the apparent ease Cinat had in doing so, Thana’s own nervousness was now threatening to freeze her body in place.

  Cinat stayed where she’d landed, looking up and down the street. It was late, so the previously crowded streets had been mostly abandoned. There were still people out, but most were far enough away as to not see what was going on.

  Deciding she would rather die trying to escape than live in a thinly veiled prison, Thana gave a silent prayer before climbing into the window frame. She tested the poles to ensure they were going to remain in place. They had held Cinat’s weight without suffering any damage.

  Thana wriggled through the hole in the window, her hands cinched as tightly as possible around the rope. Immediately, she realized she was past the point of no return, her heart racing faster than it ever had. She forced one of her hands to loosen against every instinct she possessed, sliding it down the rope then repeating the action with the other. Her arms were shaking so badly she feared the vibrations alone from it would loosen the poles up above, sending her falling to her death. Cinat tried to whisper encouragement up to her, but Thana’s ears were filled only with the sound of her own panicked heart.

  Whereas the Quitam woman had made the descent in seconds, for Thana minutes were ticking away. While she was in good shape from her years of work, the act of climbing down a rope was taxing muscles in ways they had never been worked before. Her hands were blistering, and her arms were on the verge of losing all remaining strength.

  Any concerns she had about her arms, however, were immediately cut short when she heard the distinct sound of wood cracking above her. One loud snap and the entire rope dropped down several inches. To her horror, Thana realized one of the poles had failed, meaning there was every chance the second was going to let go, too.

  Before she had a chance to do anything about it, the second pole did indeed break, all tautness in the rope vanishing as she started to fall backward. Thana didn’t scream, however, tensing down with her eyes closed, simply waiting for the fatal impact onto the road below.

  She hit hard, rolling onto her seat. While it hurt, it certainly wasn’t fatal or even seriously injurious. Thana had never looked down as she climbed, and she hadn’t realized she was only a few short feet above the ground. Almost embarrassed, she quickly struggled up to her feet before turning around and looking at Cinat.

  The Quitam woman picked up Thana’s right hand and quickly touched it to her forehead while giving a deep bow of sincere gratitude. That done, she turned and ran silently down the road into the darkness, having her own intended destination clearly decided.

  Thana watched her go, wishing she’d had the chance to say something first. She had to be a realist, however, and knew they stood better chances of making it on their own.

  Mercifully, the rope wasn’t left dangling down the side of the building as a beacon of their escape. Though she didn’t have any orientation to where she was or where she needed to go, Thana began to run as well. She disappeared into the shadows cast by the eaves of the buildings along the street.

  ***

  General Danier stood outside of Cinat’s chamber door. The emperor had given him permission to visit his tribe’s asashi, in the hopes he might sway the still-childless woman to allow him into her bed. He flipped open the latch on the outside of the door, eager to force the woman into her predestined role as a mother.

  Smiling, he pushed the door open before him, knowing the asashi would be foolish to turn someone as successful as he was down. The smile was short lived as he found himself staring at a broken out window and a vacant room. He walked inside, trying to make sense of what he saw. When he spotted the secret passageway to the room next door also opened, he darted forward toward the window, looking out.

  Far below lay the rope as it had fallen. There were no signs of the escapees, and he instantly flew into a fury. Cinat could be replaced, but the same didn’t hold true for Thana. Danier tore from the room and began calling for the guards.

  ***

  Keiran and Jerris spent the entire day and evening casing out the area around the palace. The smooth walls of the exterior offered no reasonable way up, and the gate leading into the courtyard was under constant guard.

  They’d remained nearby, moving from one shop to another. As they’d circled the massive property, they studied how often the guards changed and how frequent the gates were opened to let coaches and wagons in.

  It was a given they weren’t going to make any move before nightfall, wanting the cover of darkness on them for whatever operation they carried out. The Tordanians realized the building was secured well. How they would get in covertly was something they weren’t figuring out too well.

  Many of the shop keepers near the palace were able to communicate with them, though it was hit and miss. Keiran had gathered up the nerve to ask them if they knew of General Ahman Danier. While some of them waved their hands and refused to comment, there were a few he’d been able to persuade with a bit of gold.

  The consensus from them had been the general was back in town, having returned from a brief military encounter up north. While they didn’t know the details of it, they agreed Danier stayed in the palace when he was in Takrah. It was clear from the way the shopkeepers spoke about Danier that he wasn’t much liked by the people residing in the city. Keiran tried to get more details about that from them for his own curiosity, but that was as much as they were willing to say.

  There were some vague rumors regarding a woman being brought back from Danier’s conquest, and Keiran assumed it was Thana. Keiran had been happy with this information and felt he was on the right track.

  A few hours after sunset, the air cooled and gave them some relief from the heat and humidity of the day. With the activity in the town beginning to settle, they tucked themselves down into an alley between some shops. They had a view of one side of the palace and sat down onto a pile of discarded rugs to think about what they’d seen.

  Keiran had managed to purchase a fair number of food items throughout the day even without Etras accompanying them. He’d stored all of it in a fabric sack a merchant had given him. He and Jerris started to rummage around inside of it for something to eat.

  The guard settled back with a handful of dried meat, struggling to rip into it. “So, I’m not seeing any reasonable way into that building from the outside.”

  “Aye, and I wish I had some of Athan’s abilities to get into places uninvited, but I don’t,” Keiran replied, pulling out some fruit leather. “We need to get into one of those coaches or wagons going through the gates somehow. I think it will be our best shot.”

  Jerris abandoned his jerky, deciding it was too hard to eat. “Well, then I suppose we will waste another whole day trying to find out how to do that. Even if we do, Keir, that palace is huge. How in the hell are we going to find her in there before we get discovered?”

  “I don’t know, I’ll just have to try to feel for her,” he said. “If you wanted to remain out here while I went inside, I wouldn’t fault you for it. It might be easier for one person to move around in there, anyway.”

  “I’m not leaving your side.” Jerris dragged the sack over again, renewing his search for something to eat. “But this just seems hopeless. I know we came all this way, but we can’t risk getting you killed.”

  The musty stench of mildew from the rugs they were sitting on started to get to Keiran, and he stood up. He shoved the rest of the chewy fruit treat into his mouth. He worked away at it for a few minutes while he thought abo
ut their situation. There had to be a way into the palace.

  He turned from Jerris and strolled a few paces away. “Perhaps I will simply have to go to the gates and announce who I am. Surely, they will take me inside and throw me into whatever manner of dungeon they have if I do.”

  Jerris narrowed his eyes, seeing movement down the alleyway toward the palace. It was most likely just a vagrant looking for a place to hide for the night. Still, he didn’t like the idea of being disturbed, and he slowly stood up, drawing his sword from his belt.

  “That is a terrible plan. Now, shut up. We have company,” he said quietly, tightening his grip around his weapon.

  Keiran quickly spun around, a strange sensation overtaking him as Jerris uttered his last sentence. His hand didn’t move toward his rapier at all, instead, he started walking then running. He didn’t need to see anything to know it was Thana. Though his senses were dull, he’d picked up something from her clear enough.

  Thana heard their voices coming from the alley once she’d turned into it. While she thought she’d been hallucinating, the voices were real, and she saw Keiran coming toward her. Catching an ecstatic squeal of happiness in her throat, she ran toward him, relief like she’d never known sweeping over her.

  When they met, Keiran said nothing and pulled her up into his arms, holding on for all he was worth.

  Thana pressed her face against the side of his neck for several moments, her body shaking from all the emotions running through her. She finally pulled back just enough to meet him for a heated kiss, tears of absolute happiness in her eyes.

  Jerris huffed and turned away from them. While he was secretly relieved they’d found her, or rather she’d found them, their display of affection was annoying. “Knock that off.”

  They disregarded him, only stepping apart when they were ready. Keiran kept his hands on her shoulders, looking her over carefully. There was a faint burn on his lips and tongue, and he knew she’d been fed garlic during her stay. In her case, however, he was willing to push past the sting it caused in his sinuses.

  “Thank God, I wasn’t sure how we were going to get into that palace to rescue you,” he admitted.

  She offered a proud smile and closed her eyes for a few seconds. “Well, I saved you that trouble by rescuing myself. I can’t believe you’re here.”

  “Of course I am.”

  Jerris scoffed, facing them again. “No, we are.”

  Keiran glanced over his shoulder. “Yes, we are. I couldn’t let that bastard take you away like that.”

  Thana gave a nervous laugh. “Aye and I appreciate it greatly. However, I don’t think we should linger here. They’re going to notice sooner or later that two of their asashis have gone missing.”

  “Asashis?” Keiran asked, unfamiliar with the word. “There is someone else with you?”

  “There was but she ran the other direction. I’ll discuss it with you at length later,” she said with a smile before looking over her shoulder. “Please, I’d feel much better if we were as far away from that palace as possible.”

  Keiran agreed and nodded. “Let’s go, we have someone to meet who can help us out of this damned country.”

  Chapter 9

  Etras had stayed in the tavern exactly as promised. The owner was beginning to move from table to table, encouraging his last remaining customers to clear out. Taking the cue, the guide sighed to himself and rose from his seat.

  There were very few people left milling about outside. After just a few minutes, the patrons who’d been ushered out of the tavern dispersed and wandered off toward their homes. Knowing it was getting close to midnight if not already later, Etras felt a good deal of disappointment the Tordanians hadn’t returned. Spending the next few days sitting in the tavern didn’t appeal to him. Still, the duo had paid him more money than he’d made over the previous several months.

  He turned and started to walk toward the bridge, enjoying the coolness that had settled into the air.

  “Etras!”

  He stopped and turned to look behind him, spotting the two men and a woman running toward him. He offered a sincere smile, happy to see them. “Ah, you almost missed me! I was on my way back.”

  The three reached the Sadori, however, the vampire quickly grabbed his shoulder and turned him away from the others.

  Keiran glanced around before speaking. “Etras, thank you for waiting. We need you to get this woman across the bridge immediately.”

  “We all go, yes?” he replied, looking confused. “Who is she?”

  “She’s the one I came looking for,” Keiran said quietly, trying to get Etras to feel the gravity of the situation. “I need her across the bridge. Jerris and I won’t be far behind you.”

  “But why not together?” Etras asked, growing concerned.

  He may not have known the details, but the fact they were all caught in a dire situation wasn’t lost on him. The Sadori was subconsciously picking up on the emotions Keiran pushed toward him. It gave him an uneasy feeling in his gut, and his smile faded.

  “It will be easier to go separately. There are going to be men coming, and if they get to the bridge before she’s across, none of us will be leaving.” The vampire pulled the pouch containing his remaining money from his belt, pressing it into one of Etras’ hands. “Everything I have left is yours. It should be several more ounces of gold. Hurry and get her across, I’m begging you.”

  Etras felt the considerable weight of the pouch and knew it was a great deal of money. He sighed heavily, realizing he was already embroiled in something he’d rather not have been a part of. From just briefly looking at Thana, he could see she was a woman of status. Why the Tordanians would have come for her, he couldn’t fathom.

  There was something compelling in the Tordanian’s earnest attitude, however, and Etras conceded. “Very well, I can get her across.”

  Keiran nodded and waved Thana over. “Go with this man, he’ll get you across the bridge. Jerris and I will be right behind you.”

  “I’m not leaving you after all of this!” she protested, not well for taking off with a stranger.

  The vampire lifted his head, looking back down the street. His senses perked up, and he felt the danger growing. “Thana, we can’t all cross together. They are out looking for a woman, and if they see one traveling with Tordanians, they’ll not have much trouble in figuring out it’s you. Please, go with Etras, he’s a good man.”

  She let out a pained groan, legitimately angry they were going to split up. “You swear to me, Keiran Sipesh, you will get out of this country and find me again!”

  Etras’ eyes suddenly flew wide to hear Keiran’s actual name blurted out. Thanks to his previous station in life, he recognized it at once, and his heart jumped into his throat. Though he was unaware of the latest Sadori invasion into Tordania, the history of their two countries was something he understood well. To see the king now before him, acting on his own with only one guard in pursuit of this woman, told him all he needed to know.

  Etras reached out and took Thana’s hand. “Dear woman, we must go at once. I have no doubt they will make it out as well.”

  She didn’t recoil at his touch, feeling the sincerity behind it. In the distance, there was a growing din, guards on alert nearing their position.

  Thana looked up at Keiran one more time. “All right, let’s just get away from this wretched place.”

  Keiran bent down to give her a light kiss before Etras started walking with Thana toward the west as they headed right for the bridge. She looked back a few times toward him, desperately hoping she wasn’t making a mistake in leaving him.

  Once they were a good distance off, Keiran drew his rapier and looked to his friend. “All right, let’s go create some delay for those guards coming, shall we?”

  Jerris gave a small nod as he drew his own sword. “Words cannot express how damn much I hate you.”

  ***

  Danier led the forward-most pack of guards in search of the escaped asa
shis. Groups of men were sent out in all directions through the town, but he’d volunteered to head for the bridge with his assigned men. He believed it would be Thana’s most likely destination.

  As he rounded a corner atop his horse, he spotted two men standing on an abandoned street. Though the moon was bright, they were too far away to identify. They took notice of him, however, and started walking toward the general and his guards. With the distance between them closing, Danier saw the glint of their weapons soon enough.

  Keiran and Jerris continued toward the group even though it was a dozen men. While they had survived being outnumbered before, these were elite palace guards and likely better trained in combat. They came to a halt as Danier reined his horse to a stop before them.

  The Sadori motioned for his men to stop as well, his dark eyes quickly assessing his adversaries. “You have the nerve to walk right into the Sador Empire and kidnap our women!”

  Keiran couldn’t help but go deadpan at the irony in his statement, and he looked up at the general with a quirked brow. “Now, who would I have learned such a thing from?”

  “Tordanian mongrel,” Danier growled back. “Tell me right now where they are, and I may see to it you’re not tortured before your death!”

  The general didn’t care about either Thana or Cinat on any personal level. In fact, if only the Quitam woman had gone missing, he wouldn’t have worried at all. Thana was his one mark of glory in his failed invasion, however, and he would be damned if she was going to slip away just days after her capture.

  Jerris felt the pangs of anxiety within him again, realizing they were in over their heads. Still, he tried to act unfazed. “We’ve already been tortured, walking around this crowded, stinking city all day.”

  Danier slowly blinked, annoyed the lowly guard had addressed him directly. How the Tordanian King tolerated such behavior was beyond him. “Insolent, little troll.”

  The redhead looked at Keiran for a moment and shrugged. “I’m not accustomed to these high-class insults.”