The Queen's Blade III - Invisible Assassin

by T C Southwell

  Blade turned away, bowing to the Queen. "I shall retire now, My Queen, it seems that bloodshed is imminent."

  She inclined her head. "By all means, My Lord. In fact, I would rather not be forced to witness it myself. Shall we walk?"

  The assassin headed for the door, standing aside to allow Minna to precede him into the corridor. Kerrion watched them leave, then turned to his brother once more. Ronan retreated, shaking his head, and Kerrion advanced on the Prince.

  When Minna-Satu returned, Kerrion was slumped in the chamber's only chair, rubbing his bruised knuckles, a half empty bottle of wine next to him. He rose to embrace her, stepping back to brush an errant lock of hair from her brow.

  "I apologise for his insults, Minna."

  "Doubtless you made him pay."

  "He will carry the marks for tendays, and I will ensure that everyone knows how and why he received them. His humiliation will be grave."

  She sighed, turning away. "And his anger will grow in proportion, I venture to say."

  "You think I made a mistake?"

  "No, I just fail to see any benefit in it. He will not give up. Each time he is foiled he grows more determined, and more dangerous."

  Kerrion nodded, scowling. "That is why he must be assassinated. It is the only way to keep you safe."

  "I will not order Blade to do it. It is too dangerous. If you want him dead, then it is time you organised an accident for him. You said yourself that one accident would not be suspicious."

  "But I may still have to deal with Armin." He threw up his hands in a gesture of frustration when she shot him a hard look. "Very well, I shall see what I can do. I think it is ridiculous that we have the best assassin in our kingdoms willing to take on the task, and you will not let him."

  "Not at the cost of his life, no. When you have a priceless weapon, you do not risk losing it."

  "But what good is it if you do not use it?"

  "It is a deterrent. So long as your enemies know you have it, you need not use it recklessly. Once it is lost, you are ten times more vulnerable than you were before you had it, because now there are those who would seek revenge for their humiliation."

  He regarded her with a faint, rueful smile. "I should know better than to pit my wits against you, My Queen. You are right, of course."

  "Of course. I had much training to become a Queen, the wisest tutors in all of Jashimari."

  Kerrion poured two goblets of wine and handed her one. "Then let us drink to our secret weapon."

  She raised her cup. "To Blade."

  "And I have other good news."

  "Oh?"

  "I have had word from my spies. They believe that Blade's sister still lives."

  Her eyes sparkled. "That is wonderful. We must tell him at once."

  Kerrion caught her arm as she turned away. "No, not yet. I want to be sure first. There is a Jashimari woman named Alenstra dwelling in the harem of one of My Lords, but she may not be Blade's sister. I have sent two advisors to question her, and if she is the right woman they will bring her to me."

  "It must be her. Alenstra is not a common name, and for her to be a Cotti prisoner is too much to be coincidence."

  "Perhaps, but I want to be absolutely certain."

  She shrugged. "Very well, if you insist."

  "I do. It will only be a few days before we know for sure, and there are other things to keep you occupied until then."

  "Am I so difficult to please?"

  He smiled. "Actually, you are, my love. Tomorrow the stipend will arrive from Jashimari, and I have ordered many things for you."

  Minna turned away, putting down her cup. "Baubles and trinkets? Do you think me so shallow?"

  "No, I -"

  "I dislike this stipend that you have inflicted upon my people. They are not defeated. They have no need to pay you any form of tithe. By what right did you claim it?"

  He bristled. "For driving the Contara from Jashimari lands."

  "Your daughter's kingdom. Has she not the right to claim her father's aid?"

  "And she is receiving it -"

  "At a price." Minna swung to face him. "She should not have to pay for the privilege of having the Cotti King as her father."

  Kerrion frowned at her, then inclined his head. "No, you are right, she should not. But I have to keep many people happy in this situation, not only you. My people want some reward for the centuries of war they have endured, some tangible evidence that I have made the right decision and they will not be empty handed because of it.

  "I have asked for gold, which Jashimari has in abundance, and that will be handed out to the widows of men killed or maimed in the war. I have asked for exotic oils and perfumes, rich cloth and wood, things that are rare in the desert. These will please My Lords and whet their appetite for more, which they will have to purchase for themselves, thus beginning trade between our kingdoms. I could have looted Jashimari on my way to your palace, but I did not. So now I must take peacefully what I did not take by force, in order to keep my people happy. I cannot make everyone happy -"

  Minna stepped up to him and placed her finger on his lips. "Enough. I was foolish to object. I was thinking only of my people and my pride. You are right. It is necessary. You could have conquered Jashimari, were you not an honourable man, and taken all you wanted. Forgive me."

  He took her hand and kissed it. "There is nothing to forgive. I wish it was not necessary. I too had many wise tutors, and I learnt this lesson from a particularly clever one. He told me a story about an old man who lived in the woods. Would you like to hear it?"

  She nodded, smiling, and he led her to the cushions and sat with her. "One day, his grandson came to visit him and stayed for several days. On the third day a fox came into the yard, and the old man went to the chicken house and took an old hen from it. He threw it to the fox, who grabbed it and ran off. The grandson, confused, asked why the old man had given the fox one of his chickens, and he replied, 'I'd rather give him one occasionally than have him raid the chicken house and kill all my hens'."

  Minna laughed, her eyes sparkling. "A wise old man indeed. Of course, one could always shoot the fox."

  "Then another would take its place. Rather keep your rivals content than invite their anger. By giving My Lords some of the wealth they would have gained from Jashimari's conquest, I keep them happy without inviting their rebellion. This way the Jashimari people do not get hurt, and my people do not lust for the spoils of conquest. My army will have plenty of work occupying Contara, which will keep the soldiers content and my armourers busy."

  Her gaiety faded at the mention of war. "And what is left of my army will find honest work trading with the Cotti instead of fighting them, since more than half were killed in the war with Contara."

  "Those who choose not to remain in your army. They still have borders to patrol and great estates to guard."

  Minna-Satu raised her wine cup. "To peace, long may it reign."

  "I will drink to that."

  Chapter Five

  Jayon sat in the shade and gazed at the gilded minarets of the Cotti city, comparing it to Jondar. Tall palms cast scant shadows on hot sandy roads bordered by pale, flat-roofed buildings with narrow windows and arched doorways hung with bead curtains or gauzy cloth. The faint bleating of goats seemed all-pervasive. He heard it everywhere he went, along with the cackle of domesticated fowl. Flocks of colourful birds sat in trees or swarmed in the sky, their chattering cries alien and discordant.

  The arid heat sapped his strength. Already his skin had reddened and his clothes chafed his sweaty skin. As before, when he had patrolled the border, he disliked the desert. He longed for Jashimari's cool mists and gentle spring rains. The burgeoning greenery of his home appealed greatly when compared to the harsh existence the desert offered, and he was certain that upon his return he would never again curse the rains and mud of his verdant land.

  Since arriving in Jadaya two days ago, he had spent most of his time close to the palace, loafing
about while the Cotti officials noted each item offloaded from the wagons and allotted them to their new owners. Jayon and his fellow Jashimari disliked the way in which the Cotti strutted about with puffed-out chests, lording it over the Jashimari drovers. Already he had headed off a couple of brewing confrontations, going against his feelings in order to keep the peace.

  Jayon had kept his ears open for local gossip, and learnt that the people of the city mourned two recently deceased Cotti Princes. What really interested him was the fact that one of them had been assassinated, while the other had been killed in some sort of brawl involving one of the King's concubines. It sounded like trouble was afoot in the Cotti palace, and he longed to get inside and learn more. Being a spy required a great deal more furtiveness than he was accustomed to, and he watched the passers-by while he pondered the problem.

  A group striding past caught his eye. Two regally robed elder men and four soldiers, not unusual in themselves, but for the fact that they appeared to be escorting a woman. He had barely glimpsed a woman since he had been in the city, and they were heavily veiled, as this one was.

  It struck him as odd that such high-ranking officials and soldiers should escort a woman, and he wondered who she was as the group vanished into the palace. One of the King's harem, perhaps, but what was she doing out of the palace? From what he had heard, Cotti women stayed at home. Only the poor ones were forced to venture out to shop, beg, or fetch water from a communal well. The rest were virtual slaves to their husbands or jealously guarded by their fathers. Shrugging the matter off, he returned to pondering the problem of gaining entry to the palace.

  Alenstra walked with her head bowed, as was proper, her heart fluttering. No one had told her where they were headed when they had left Lord Dorgon's home in the nearby oasis of Indala. From the grandeur of her surroundings, however, she suspected that she was entering the King's palace. Lord Dorgon had been annoyed and astounded when two officials had arrived at his home three days ago, but allowed them to question one of his slaves.

  Alenstra had been afraid when they had asked about her family, but told the truth, that they were all dead. Through the slit in her veil, she could make out marble walls and statues standing in niches. The cool floor soothed her bare feet after the burning sand outside, and she was glad of the significant drop in temperature within the imposing structure.

  The officials stopped before a pair of tall, polished wooden doors and knocked. A plump, veiled serving woman opened one, bowed and stepped aside. They entered a grand anti-chamber, and the servant vanished through a door at the back, returning within a minute with another veiled woman. She approached and bowed to the officials, one of whom gestured to Alenstra.

  "This one is to be washed and given new clothes at once."

  She bowed her head. "For which prince?"

  "For the King."

  The woman nodded, and the officials left as she bowed again. Taking Alenstra's wrist, the woman led her through the door at the back of the anti-chamber, leaving the servant to return to her idle post. Alenstra gazed around, her breath catching. From the number of unveiled women and children, their rich garb and fine amenities, she was in the royal harem. The woman removed her veil and led Alenstra deeper into the harem.

  "You may unveil now, child."

  Alenstra stripped off the veil with a sigh and breathed the cool air. The woman stopped in surprise. "Why, you are no child. Nor are you Cotti. You are Jashimari, are you not?"

  Alenstra nodded, biting her lip.

  "Well, it seems the King is partial to Jashimari women, but you are too old. You are older than he." She shook her head in confusion, leading Alenstra forward again. "Odd that he should choose one such as you."

  The woman led her into a white marble room dominated by a pool, where many women bathed and washed their children. There she ordered Alenstra to strip and handed her a cake of soap, and a younger woman carried off her cheap dusty clothes. The opulence of the harem amazed Alenstra. Never had she seen so much marble or so many statues and tiers of flowering plants watered by the mist of small fountains. The sheer dampness of the place was a luxury in itself after the arid air outside. Water dewed the gold fittings and jade inlay in a haze of soft moisture.

  When she emerged from the water, the woman waited with a sheer white satin gown edged with gold, by far the loveliest dress Alenstra had ever seen.

  "The King's colours," the woman explained as she helped Alenstra to dress. "You are the only one wearing them here."

  Alenstra glanced around at the other women, many of whom watched her. Most wore shades of green, blue or yellow, except for a few who wore grey.

  "The ones wearing grey are King Shandor's widows," the woman explained. "The rest are the Princes' wives and concubines. You are the first to wear the King's colours since Shandor died."

  Alenstra noted that the woman wore grey, and thought it odd that a king's widow should attend a lowly harem girl. The Cotti woman smiled as she finished fastening the dress and picked up a brush. "I am Patriss, the King's mother. Have you no tongue, girl?"

  Alenstra cleared her throat. "I'm Alenstra."

  "Ah, good. Well, Alenstra, you are honoured indeed, though I do not know what Minna is going to say about this."

  "Minna?"

  "The King's concubine, and the only one until you arrived. She is Jashimari too, though younger and prettier than you. I had thought... well, men change their minds, do they not? So, you will wear the perfume and scented oils he likes, and I will dress your hair as he prefers."

  Alenstra nodded. "And then?"

  "Then you sit quietly and wait for him to summon you."

  "Of course," she agreed with dull resignation. Life in the King's harem, it seemed, was little different from Lord Dorgon's, except that the clothes and amenities were better. Like Patriss, she wondered why the King had chosen her, an older Jashimari woman of no great beauty or culture, who had dwelt in the harem of a minor lord for sixteen years and borne him five children. Her years amongst the Cotti had taught her the futility of pondering such things, however, and she had already resigned herself to what lay ahead.

  Minna-Satu was overjoyed when Kerrion gave her the good news, and she rose from her mound of cushions to hug him.

  "This is wonderful. I am eager to meet her."

  "Doubtless there is much chatter in the harem at the moment," he commented. "They will all assume that she is to be my new concubine."

  Minna giggled. "Little do they know."

  "I am going to surprise Blade. I think he will be pleased."

  She nodded, her smile fading. "He will certainly be pleased, but I do not know if he likes surprises. Somehow I doubt it."

  "Too bad. I like surprising people."

  "It may not be such a good idea ..."

  Kerrion looked impatient. "I went to a great deal of trouble to find this woman. I deserve some satisfaction from the deed."

  "But it is Blade's payment. I do not feel that it should be sprung upon him without warning."

  "He knows I am searching for his sister, so it will not altogether be a shock."

  "Still..." She shot him a doubtful glance, but Kerrion swung away with a snort.

  "She should be ready by now. I am going to fetch her." He headed for the door, and Minna gazed after him.

  After the door closed behind him, she stood irresolute for a moment, then picked up her veil.

  A collective gasp went through the harem at the King's entrance. This was the first time he had graced it with his presence since he had left it as a six-year-old Crown Prince. The women fell to their knees with a scuffle of movement and the odd clatter of dropped objects and tinkle of breaking glass. Mothers hushed wailing babies and grabbed their children, forcing them onto their bellies. Kerrion frowned as he picked his way through the women, who shuffled from his path as he approached. None dared to raise their heads, and kept them lowered almost to the floor. The new girl was easy to spot, the only one clad in white and gold. His mother
knelt beside her, and Kerrion gestured for them to rise.

  Patriss dragged the girl to her feet, and Kerrion studied Blade's sister. Although no great beauty, she possessed a ravaged loveliness that held an elusive quality. Patriss forced Alenstra's chin up, allowing him to scrutinise the pale contours of her face. He found a strong resemblance to her brother in the clean lines of her features and the glossy raven hair that framed her high cheekbones, but there the resemblance ended. She had a broader, low-bridged nose, a wide, generous mouth, arched brows and a rounder countenance. Lines of worry and hardship scored her brow and framed her mouth. She kept her eyes on the floor, frustrating Kerrion's wish to see them.

  "Look at me, girl," he ordered.

  Alenstra raised her eyes to his chin, and he found them to be the identical silver-grey of Blade's, but unlike his chilly stare, hers contained only fear and resignation. He gazed at her for several moments, trying to put a name to the elusive quality she possessed, but it escaped him, and he turned away unsatisfied. Patriss gave Alenstra a push, and she followed him, keeping the appropriate three steps behind.

  Out in the corridor, Kerrion stopped and turned to Alenstra, who look down, her expression a mixture of dread and confusion. She looked poised to drop into another prostration, but hesitated as if unsure of whether it was required. He spoke in a gentle tone.

  "Do not worry, you are not here to be my concubine, Alenstra. I had you brought here at the request of a very important man, and that is where we go now, to meet him. I know you will be happy to see him, as will he to see you." He hesitated, unsure of what else to say, then added, "You have nothing to fear. In fact, I am certain you will be much happier after today."

  Kerrion turned and led the way down the corridor, ignoring the salutes of the guards he passed.

  Minna pushed open Blade's door and swept into the room with her usual lack of consideration. The assassin sat by the window, reading a book, his hair wet from a recent bath. His brows rose as she strode towards him, and he rose to his feet in a leisurely manner, bowing.