Since I had a good idea of how raucous it must have been been, I was very glad I had not been around to hear it. But my sister was right — I needed to walk amongst the young women, smile upon a chosen few, and make it seem as if I had not a care in the world, and specifically no special regard for a certain Ashara Millende.
As I stepped from the pavilion, two guards immediately fell in behind me. It appeared Renwell Blane was taking no chances.
Smothering a grin, I went to the tent where roughly a third of the young women had gathered. At once they fell in around me, filling the air with their babbling: “Your Majesty, is all well with you?” “Your Majesty, you gave us all such a turn!” “Your Majesty, are you going to have another hunt, since this one ended so badly?”
I turned to see who had asked that last question, and looked down into Brinda Aldrenne’s glinting dark eyes. It did not surprise me that she should be so forward; I had heard she was quite the horsewoman, and so of course she would be upset that her chance to shine should be set so awry.
Raising a hand, I said, “Ladies, my deepest apologies if the afternoon has not gone quite the way we all expected. I am here now, and am quite well. And Lady Brinda,” I added, making sure to catch her gaze and hold it, “I do regret that the hunt did not turn out as planned, but unfortunately we have a strict schedule this week, and I cannot ask my seneschal to set up another hunt.”
Her mouth turned down, making what I normally would have considered to be a rather pretty pout…if I did not know how much lovelier Ashara’s mouth was, or what a viper Brinda could be. “I understand, Your Majesty,” she replied, and although her tone was uncharacteristically meek, I saw a flash of anger in her eyes.
I knew better than to acknowledge that anger, however. Still smiling, I said, “Be of good cheer, Brinda. Perhaps I can assuage your disappointment by asking you to sit by me at the musicale tomorrow evening?”
The anger was gone immediately, replaced by a bright avaricious glint. “Oh, Your Majesty, I would be so honored!”
“Excellent,” I told her, and went on to smile and even laugh as best I could as I made my way through the pavilion before moving on to the next. Gods, what a sacrifice I was making. To have to endure Brinda Aldrenne’s loathsome company all the next evening! But I could think of no better way to pacify her, and it was only for a few hours. Besides, I had already told Ashara I would find a way to slip off and be alone with her, so I did have something to look forward to. How precisely I was going to manage such a feat, I did not know. Ah, well, I had some hours in which to formulate a plan.
In the meantime, I would just have to suffer the company of all these importunate young women, and hope none of them would notice how weary I already was of all of them.
* * *
Truly, the rest of the afternoon proved to be as tedious as I had expected, with two exceptions. As I returned to the royal pavilion after dutifully making my rounds, I spied Lord Senric and Gabrinne Nelandre standing very close to one another, their fingers entwined. Probably no one else noticed, or cared; he was not the prize all those girls sought. Well, save one. But I smiled a little as I entered the pavilion, a smile that only broadened as I saw my sister and Lord Sorthannic apparently deep in conversation, oblivious to the jaundiced stare my mother was sending their way.
“You look displeased,” I said casually, signaling one of the servants for a goblet of wine. All that talking to all those young women had dried out my throat most uncomfortably. “I thought you did not disapprove of such a match.”
She lifted her shoulders. “My daughter should be marrying a prince. But since there are none to be had, I suppose she must settle for a mere duke. I just wish the duke in question were someone else.”
Good thing the two subjects of our discussion were so engrossed in their own conversation that they seemed not to notice my mother’s words, for she took no care to keep her voice down. A servant handed me my wine and bowed. I took a sip before saying, “Why? Sorthannic Sedassa seems like a very worthy person.”
“Oh, he is handsome enough, I will grant you that. And he does seem to have some skill on the tourney field. I just wish his father had had the sense to marry a good Sirlendian nobleman’s daughter instead of some commoner from South Eredor!” She uttered the word “commoner” with such bile she might as well have said “whore.”
I did not know why I should be surprised; I had heard much worse from her over the years. Even so, I found myself defending the woman in question, though I had never met her and doubted I ever would. “I have heard that her family is quite prosperous, and in fact owns extensive vineyards in South Eredor. So I do believe there are commoners and commoners, Mother.”
She gave me a blank look. “But they are involved in trade, Torric.”
At that point I decided to abandon the argument. I knew I would never win, and expending the energy seemed a useless exercise. For all her complaining, she would not openly oppose the match, if it were to happen at all, simply because she knew there were few candidates of acceptable rank and age to take Lyarris’ hand in marriage. Lucky for Lyarris, only I as the Emperor had the power to outright forbid her the match, and of course I would do no such thing. If the Dowager Empress envisioned Lord Sorthannic’s mother as some common wench not above stomping the grapes from her family’s vineyard, well, so be it. I did not know the Duke of Marric’s Rest all that well, but I rather imagined he would only laugh if word of such spiteful fancies came to his ears.
Wishing to turn the conversation away from Lord Sorthannic’s relations, I asked, “And how is the work progressing on your gown for the ball on Friday evening? Lyarris told me it was going to be quite magnificent. Everyone else will pale beside you.”
“I rather doubt that,” she said, “seeing as I am far past the prime of my youth. But thank you for distracting me.” She cast a disapproving glance toward the Duke of Marric’s Rest and my sister, and then at the denizens of the pavilion as a whole. “Since you have done your duty and walked amongst your adoring crowds once again, how much longer must this farce go on? I am becoming weary and wish to lie down and rest before supper.”
For once I agreed with her. I had had my stolen time with Ashara, and then done as I must and met the other young women once again, and so there seemed to be little reason to continue the reception. Save one, of course.
I looked toward my sister and the Duke just in time to see him bow low over her hand and smile before exiting the pavilion. Since their little interlude had come to an end, it seemed an appropriate time to signal to Lord Hein.
He came over at once, and bowed. “Yes, Your Majesty?”
“It seems that the event has run its course. You may begin the business of having the young women disperse.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
Watching him perform his duties was always a pleasure — he seemed to manage everything so smoothly that one didn’t quite know how things happened, but somehow they always did. Within a few minutes crowds of young women began to flow past, those who had participated in the hunt retrieving their mounts, and those who had not going to the carriages that had been waiting for them all this time. They assembled into a huge moving mass, heading toward the road and back to town, leaving a trail of dust in their wake.
As they passed I searched in vain for Ashara, thinking surely I would see the rich burnished copper of her hair amongst the sea of brown and black, but the crowd was too thick. I tried to keep the disappointment from rising in my breast, for truly I had shared a precious space of time with her, something which could not be taken from me. And I would see her tomorrow evening, whatever it took. I needed some sort of reward for inflicting Brinda Aldrenne upon myself.
In due time the imperial pavilion emptied as well, and I saw my sister and my mother into their carriage before mounting my own horse and riding off after them, accompanied by my guards. There was still a hum of activity around the reception area, activity I guessed would go on until sunset — packi
ng up the uneaten food, breaking down the pavilions and the camp furniture and loading it all onto the great wagons that had been parked some distance away so as not to interfere with the festivities.
Although I enjoyed riding, I almost wished I could be in the carriage with Lyarris, just so I could learn something of what had passed between her and Lord Sorthannic. Then I realized we could not share any confidences, not with our mother there as well. We would have to talk later, after she had retired for the evening. That was one blessing — at least the Dowager Empress did not care to stay up late, and often retreated to her chambers long before the rest of the company would even begin to contemplate repairing to their various domiciles.
It would be good to see Lyarris settled, although I knew I would miss her a good deal. Marric’s Rest was some days’ ride north, and although the Sedassas had a very fine townhouse here in Iselfex, Lord Sorthannic did not appear to have much taste for the capital’s entertainments and diversions. This raised him in my estimation rather than the reverse; I knew my sister would have a steady, worthy man as her husband, and not someone given to dissipation and idleness, or hanging about the court and currying favor.
But I was getting ahead of myself. One conversation, no matter how intimate it might look, was certainly not a clear indication of an attachment. Perhaps now that I had my future with Ashara settled, I wished to make sure everyone else around me enjoyed that same happiness. I thought again of her sweet lips, the heat of her body, and wanted to drive my spurs into my mount’s sides so I might rush forward and find her, take her to the palace here and now, make her my wife before the night was over so I might taste all of her, not just her lovely mouth.
Somehow I managed to restrain myself. Such headlong action would gain me nothing, save a group of very disgruntled young women — not to mention their parents, who had gone to considerable expense to make sure their daughters would present as well as possible at court. Better to expend my energies on determining the best way to slip out of the musicale and have Ashara meet me someplace hidden, someplace secret and safe.
The musical entertainment was planned for the large audience hall, as we did not need quite as much room as we had the night of the banquet. Besides, Lord Hein had intimated during his planning that preparing the grand ballroom would take more than the space of a day, and so another room was required for the musicale. In the audience chamber was a dais which usually held the throne I used on audience days, but on the night in question would instead host the musicians, with large screens of carved wood set behind them.
I would be seated in the front row of the audience, of course, which was better than sitting on a throne on the dais, but still highly visible. What I needed was a reason to get up and leave the room…but with everyone watching me, how could I do so in a manner which seemed plausible? Well, an Emperor had many claims on his time. It should not be too difficult to have someone appear and summon me away — on urgent matters of state, or a similar emergency.
Lord Keldryn came to mind first, but I knew he would vigorously protest such a subterfuge, especially if he were to learn of the true reason behind it. Lord Hein would be too busy making sure everything was running smoothly for me to make any further demands on his time. But Renwell Blane…yes, the captain of my guard would do as I bade him, and surely no one would think it odd that my captain might need to speak with me, even in the middle of a musicale.
Yes, that would probably work. Now, to get Ashara out of the room as well. I could always send her a note — once I had someone identify exactly where the Millende household was located — but that seemed as if I would be tipping my hand, to send a personal note to her house. I recalled then that she had appeared friendly with Gabrinne Nelandre. That young lady certainly had no interest in being Empress, and so it should not discommode her to carry a note from me to Ashara.
I recalled then that the audience chamber had a secret passage in the southwest wall, opposite of the wall where the dais was located. If I instructed Ashara and Gabrinne to take their seats in the back row, then Ashara should be able to slip away and use the passage, which was hidden behind a tapestry. But how to keep people from noticing? I would have to enlist the Lady Gabrinne’s aid in that — surely that enterprising young lady could come up with some way to bring all attention to her, so that no one would be looking in Ashara’s direction.
Yes, that should do nicely.
That night I could not avoid company, as the trade ambassador from South Eredor had arrived several days early — an over-zealous wind, he claimed, although I wondered if King Vandor’s spies had alerted him to my quest for a bride, and so sent the ambassador ahead of schedule, so he might bear witness to the goings-on and report back when everything was done. Not that I cared one way or the other, for the affair was certainly not a state secret. Besides, Sirlende certainly had nothing to fear from South Eredor. Its location made it an important shipping partner, but it was so small that the least of my provinces could have swallowed it whole.
So I endured the dinner as best I could, and smiled and made the appropriate responses. I had been glad to learn that Lord Hildar and Lady Gabrinne were to attend the function, as were Lord Senric and Lord Sorthannic. No doubt my seneschal had tendered their invitations solely to make sure it was a congenial group at dinner that night. At least he’d had the good sense not to invite the Baron of Kheldane and his gimlet-eyed daughter, although I thought that decision probably had been made based on the gentleman in question’s rank and not because of his less than amiable personality.
Once I had learned Gabrinne would be there, I penned a hasty note to Ashara, instructing her on where and when to slip away from the audience the following evening. I did not sign the letter, deeming such a precaution wise in case Gabrinne should somehow let the note out of her sight. Then I folded it up and put it in the pouch on my belt, waiting for the opportunity to speak with her.
I had to hold back until after the dinner had concluded and she and her father were preparing to leave. The ambassador, of course, was staying on at the palace, but the Nelandre family had taken up residence at their townhouse for several weeks.
A touch on her elbow, and I said quietly, “A word, Lady Gabrinne.”
She shot me a quick, speculative look but curtsied immediately. “Of course, Your Majesty.”
I led her a few paces away from everyone else, noticing as I did so her father’s smile of sudden interest, and the frown that passed over Lord Senric’s face. He certainly had nothing to fear from me, but a little jealousy might just help to spur him along.
Dropping my voice to barely a whisper, I told Gabrinne, “I need you to do a favor for me.”
Questions fairly danced in her eyes, but she said only, “Anything, Your Majesty.”
I passed the folded piece of paper to her. “Make sure you get this to Lady Ashara before the musicale begins tomorrow evening. You will see her, won’t you?”
“Oh, yes, Your Majesty. We’d already planned to sit together, since you went and told Brinda Aldrenne that she could sit next to you.”
At another time I might have taken her to task for such pertness, but I let the remark pass. After all, I could not tell her that I had made such an offer to that wretched girl merely to throw any sharp-eyed observers off the scent. My tone neutral, I said, “Very good. And make sure to sit in the back row tomorrow evening.”
“As you wish, Your Majesty.” The words were correct, but I caught the lilt in her voice and the glint in her eyes, and knew she was madly speculating as to the contents of the note.
“I will know if that seal is disturbed,” I told her, and she tossed her curls.
“As if I would do such a thing, Your Majesty. Don’t worry — my friend will get this safely.”
“Thank you, my lady. That will be all.”
She curtsied again and all but tripped back over to her father, who gave her an indulgent smile. His hopes would be dashed soon enough, I feared. I would just have to hope that a
duke would be an adequate replacement as a son-in-law.
As for the rest, everything seemed to be falling in place. Tomorrow evening I would see Ashara again, and we would have a stolen time together once more. After that remained only the ball, the time when we finally would be able to announce our engagement.
I smiled, knowing my plans were set, and that nothing should be able to hinder us further.
Chapter 11
Ashara
Returning home after such a glorious afternoon brought with it an even greater sense of disappointment than on the previous days. For this time he had kissed me, had professed his love, had asked me to be his wife. Bad enough we should part after such shared moments, that he must go among those other young women and pretend his heart was not yet given — that he should offer to have Brinda Aldrenne, of all people, sit next to him at the musicale.
The worst, though, was returning to the house on Stonecross Circle, of hastily trading places with my aunt before I could be discovered missing. It was still light, and Janks was roaming in and out, fetching firewood now that the nights had begun to be chill. There was no time to tell Aunt Therissa of what had passed between Torric and myself, no time for anything save a whispered “thank you” and a quick flight across the courtyard and up the back steps while my aunt hurried through the back gate and shut it quietly behind her. I had had no opportunity to inquire as to where she might be staying, but I thought it must be an inn near enough by that she could come and go here without too much difficulty.
And oh, how wretched to assist with serving dinner and have to listen to my stepmother grill Jenaris and Shelynne on the events of the afternoon, and to get their decidedly skewed perspective on what had occurred.
“The Emperor disappeared with that red-haired girl whilst on the hunt, but then they came back and went their separate ways, so I doubt he has any great desire for her company after all,” declared Jenaris, after putting not one, but two rolls on her plate.
Ashes of Roses (Tales of the Latter Kingdoms Book 4) Page 14
