by Erin Beaty
Alex shook his head. Let me in, there’s room for all of us.
I can do this myself. She shoved him again, and he stood with his hands up in surrender as the boat slipped away. To her horror, she realized she had a bow in her hands and an arrow aimed at his heart.
I love you, he whispered.
She let the arrow fly.
* * *
Sage woke screaming, seeing only darkness. Then, remembering where she was, she crawled off the low, wide bed without fully untangling from the blankets. Once free, she stumbled to the door open to the outside. The cool air hit her sweat-drenched nightshirt, refreshing her a little but not enough, and she ran across the patio and was sick in the decorative plants at the bottom of the steps.
She sat back and wiped her face with her sleeve. So much for Banneth’s garden. Sage rested her cheek on the cool stone of the knee-high wall. Was there protocol for vomiting in your host’s flowers?
“Saizsch?”
Her eyes flew open. “Palachessa?”
Lani stepped out of the shadows, pulling a silk dressing gown around her. “Are you well?”
Sage lurched to her feet and found her knees were too shaky to hold her. An arm slipped around her for support. “I’m sorry to wake you,” she mumbled, turning her face away. “I had a bad sleep.”
“I was already awake. Come, I will take you to the fountain.”
Sage let herself be half carried to the center of the courtyard, where a six-foot-high fountain bubbled. Lani set her down on the wide marble edge of the pool and produced a metal cup from somewhere. “Rinse your mouth.”
Sage gratefully accepted and obeyed, spitting into the grass off to the side, then drank what remained in the cup.
“I thank you, My Princess.”
“I need no thanks. It is what friends do.”
A day of shopping and pleasant conversation—under orders—did not a friendship make. Even a few hours in the training arena later did not, especially when one was with a princess. Sage trailed her fingers in the fountain, afraid to ask if Lani meant the word.
“Who is Ah’lecks?” Lani asked.
Sage froze. “How do you know that name?”
“You were saying it in your sleep. Then you screamed it.”
Sage pulled her hand back from the water and fiddled with her cup.
“Is he your lover?”
“No,” said Sage. “Not anymore. And we never…” He’d wanted to wait. There was to be no doubt that he married her because he wanted to, not because he had to.
Lani glanced over her shoulder in the direction of her rooms. “I think I would cry and scream, too, if I lost someone I loved.” There was a long pause. “Why did you part?”
Sage had resisted saying it until now. “He is dead.”
“I am very sorry.” Lani reached across and put a hand on Sage’s knee. “How did it happen?”
When Charlie had died, Alex blamed himself, and Sage had never understood why until now. Even if the duke had been the one to cut Charlie’s throat, it was Alex’s decisions that had put his brother in that room. Sage looked down at her hands. “I killed him.”
“You what?”
“He died escaping Nicholas and me to Casmun.”
Lani shook her head. “That does not mean you killed him, Saizsch.”
Maybe not physically. “I lied to him. Right before the battle, I admitted my betrayal.” Why couldn’t she cry? “I killed his heart,” she whispered.
“No,” Lani said firmly. “He gave his life for yours. How can you doubt his love?”
“I don’t doubt,” Sage said. “But he knew not I loved him still. He knew not I was sorry.”
Lani was silent for a few moments, then she scooted closer to Sage. “Do you know who Tamosa was?”
“Was she Banneth’s queen?”
“Yes,” said Lani. “It was an arrangement neither wanted.”
“Then why married him to her, or not call for a wait?”
“You made marriages in your own country; you know why such unions are made.” Lani folded her hands on her lap. “I think he was afraid to act against the council. I was only six years, so I saw this through the eyes of a child, but looking back, I understand better what that time was like. Our father and two older brothers died in the year before, and our mother only a few weeks after his crowning. He was young and frightened and alone.”
Banneth had been third in line for the throne. “He expected never to be king?”
Lani shook her head. “He was to be a scholar, at the school where his son now studies. I barely knew him, but suddenly he was all I had.” In the starlight Sage could see Lani grimace. “I think this is why he still treats me like a child, despite that I am half a mother to Reza.”
The princess shifted uncomfortably. “I do not know the arrangements in your country, but here it is unusual for a king and queen to have separate rooms. They obviously did their duty, but to the council it was another excuse to pressure him. Even after Tamosa’s death, they pushed him around. Sometimes I think he would leave for months at a time, visiting corners of the country, just to get away.”
“Is that why he went in the desert this year?” Sage asked.
“Yes and no,” Lani answered. “It has long been Banneth’s dream to make peace with Demora and reopen trade, but the council resisted and turned people against the idea. Dev—Minister Sinda—told me all about it. My brother’s solution was to make his yearly journeys to the place where he might ‘accidentally’ make contact with Demorans.”
Sage’s stomach turned over. She and Nicholas were far more important than she’d realized. Their presence was a threat to a council unwilling to lose the power they’d wielded for years. Everything the Demorans did or said could be used to undermine the king. “I would like to help Banneth,” she said.
“Me, too,” said Lani. “But he does not make it easy.”
84
LANI WAS DISGUSTINGLY cheerful the next morning. She came into Sage’s rooms and hopped onto the bed. “Wake up!” she chirped. “You’re being presented to the council today. You have to get dressed.”
“The meeting is after breakfast,” Sage protested, pulling the covers over her head.
“Yes.” The princess yanked the blanket down. “Which is why you must be ready before then.”
Sage let Lani haul her to the wardrobe full of dresses that had been delivered last night. Apparently Lani had taken it upon herself to purchase everything Sage had looked at for more than two seconds.
“You want to look humble,” Lani said. “But not fragile.”
“I think you forgot that style yesterday.” Sage yawned as the princess sorted through the bright fabrics.
Lani pulled a light-colored dress out. “I absolutely did not,” she said, holding it up for approval.
Sage grimaced. “It’s pink.”
“So is your face,” said Lani. “They match.” Sage continued to glare at the princess until she shrugged and put the outfit back. A few seconds later she pulled out a blue dress that was so light it was almost white. “This will make you look less pale.”
Sage rolled her eyes. “Fine.”
Lani not only shooed away the maid and dressed Sage herself, she combed and styled her hair. No one had done that for Sage but Clare, the first time being when they were on their way to the Concordium. Sage let herself sink into the misery of missing her friend. It was safer to think about Clare than anyone else.
Even with the short length, Lani managed to weave Sage’s hair into a braid that hugged her head like a crown, then moved on to paint her face. Suddenly Sage could bear it no longer; it had all become too much like preparing for her disastrous interview with the matchmaker. “Enough,” she said. “I’m not a doll.”
The princess frowned but didn’t force the issue. When Sage went to put her daggers on her belt, however, Lani objected. “You’re not going to a fight, Saizsch.”
“You’re wearing one.” Sage pointed to the curved kni
fe at Lani’s waist. Most Casmuni carried one at all times, as a tool more than anything.
Lani pressed her lips together. “Just one, then.” Sage relented, and they went to breakfast together. Eating improved her mood enough that she thanked the princess. There really wouldn’t have been enough time to prepare afterward. Lani took her by the arm and led Sage to the council chamber, Nicholas trailing behind them like a stray puppy.
The meeting began with the sharing of water, though it was done in a businesslike fashion, with a cup merely passed around the table. The king introduced her as a scholar of some renown, and she flushed. Nicholas must have put him up to that. With the exception of Minister Sinda, the council members did not appear impressed.
“What is it you study, Mistress Saizsch?” the minister of roads asked, twisting his waxed mustache. “Fashion?”
Beside her, Lani scowled. “Just because I like pretty things doesn’t mean I cannot grasp dull subjects,” she muttered.
“Does Palachessa have something to say?” The minister frowned at Lani like she was a disobedient child.
“No, forgive my interruption.”
“Mistress Saizsch?”
Sage cleared her throat. “I am a student of languages and history.” At least, that was what was relevant at the moment. “Thus I arrived in Casmun with a grasp on your speech.”
“And your little boy?”
Her lips twitched with the urge to smile, as Nicholas probably understood that. “My brother isn’t much for studying.”
“How did you come to be in Casmun?” asked a man whose title she’d forgotten.
Sage recited a story with enough truth that she couldn’t be caught in a lie. “We were fleeing a Kimisar attack. A boat was our best chance to escape, and we came into your territory. We were still being chased, so we accepted Casmun’s protection. Your nation’s generosity saved our lives, and for that we will be forever grateful.”
“How convenient that My King was in the area,” the minister said sarcastically.
“Our record of springs across the desert hadn’t been verified in decades,” said Banneth smoothly. “I was doing the minister of roads a favor.”
“Saving life is always fortunate,” added Minister Sinda. “That it brings a chance for our nation to learn and grow is equally fortunate.”
When he turned his head, Sage saw a large bruise on the side of his face. The back of his head also had a swollen area and a long vertical scab. The injuries looked recent.
“What is it Mistress Saizsch wishes to accomplish now?” asked the minister of war, once again sniffing like he smelled something foul about her.
“We only wish to return home as soon as possible,” she said. “Our family would repay your efforts twice over.”
“The effort would be considerable,” said the minister of war with a sneer.
“Consider how our nation looks if we make such an effort to return our guests,” said Minister Sinda. Sage thought Lani would burst with pride beside her.
“Very well,” said the man who was equivalent to a lord chamberlain. He’d spent the whole proceedings looking bored. “We will discuss the matter and decide what resources to commit.” He waved his hand. “Thank you for your attendance today.”
Sage stood and bowed, and Nicholas did the same. “I thank you for your consideration,” she said.
“Princess Alaniah, you are also excused.”
Lani’s face reddened with anger, and Minister Sinda’s hand on the table clenched into a fist, his knuckles curling under the large rings of state he wore. “I may be able to contribute to the meeting,” she said. “As I have been attending them for many months now.”
“As I recall, you missed our last session to visit shops in town,” said the minister of war dryly.
“I was asked to do so by the king,” Lani retorted.
“She was attending to the needs of our guest as only she was able,” added Sinda.
The chamberlain’s thin mouth twisted in an ugly smile. “Spoken by a man who knows about attending to a lady’s needs.”
All the color drained from Sinda’s face. Lani flushed scarlet. “I wish to stay,” she said. “My presence harms nothing.” Her eyes went to Banneth for support, but the king only shook his head slightly. She held his gaze for a dozen heartbeats, then shoved her seat away from the table and stormed out the door so fast Sage and Nicholas had to run to keep up.
85
OUTSIDE AND WELL away from the chamber, the princess allowed herself to explode. “The nerve of that man!” She picked up a potted plant and hurled it against the wall, where it shattered. A servant rushed to clean up the mess. “‘You are excused, little girl,’” Lani said in a mocking voice. “‘Why don’t you go shopping, little girl?’”
“That’s not exactly what he said,” Sage said carefully.
“No, but it’s exactly what he meant.”
Lani frowned at the floral victim of her rage. “I am sorry for your trouble,” she told the man on his knees, sweeping up the dirt. “When that is repotted, you may put it in my room. I will care for it in apology.” He bowed his head in acknowledgment.
Sage smiled wryly. “Will you share water with it and give it a name?”
“Maybe I will.” The storm had passed. Lani grinned and plopped down on an upholstered couch under a colored glass window. “Did you see how Dev fought for you, and how angry he was on my behalf?”
Sage had appreciated Minister Sinda’s efforts, but she’d also seen Lani’s secret romance wasn’t quite as secret as she believed. “I saw,” she said, taking a seat beside her friend. “I was glad to have a smile among so many frowns.”
“I cannot wait to marry him. Then I will not be shut out of council meetings and important matters.”
“How will that help?” asked Nicholas, who had followed them. His Casmuni speech lagged far behind his understanding, and he spoke slowly and awkwardly.
“Because then…” Lani hesitated. “As the wife of a council member I will have more standing.”
“I saw not other wives,” the prince said. “You are princess. There is no higher but queen, and there is none now.”
Lani frowned, and Sage saw Nicholas had a good point. Lani and Minister Sinda’s love might be genuine, but the princess was a bit blind on what she stood to gain.
“Nicholas,” Sage said. “Will you excuse us?” The prince shrugged and left.
“Lani,” she said quietly. “How far has your relationship with Minister Sinda gone?”
Lani blushed a little. “Don’t be such a taku, Saizsch. I’m going to marry him.”
After overhearing Lani and Sinda, Sage wasn’t surprised, but it still complicated things. As for being called a taku—an overbearing grandmother—she’d been just as willing if Alex had ever wanted … Sage cut that thought off before it could gain traction. “What power does a chessa’s husband have?” she asked.
“Not more than Dev already has,” said Lani. “He will actually have to resign his current position as minister of finance. It is a conflict of interest to have two royals with direct access to the treasury.”
“Will he leave the council?”
Lani nodded. “Yes, but I have plans for him.” She leaned toward Sage and lowered her voice. “General Pig-face will be retiring soon. All I must do is plant the idea in Banneth’s head that Dev is the man for the job. Minister of war is traditionally held by the king’s brother or uncle, anyway. Pig-face is only there because our brothers died.” She sat back. “Of course, Dev has no idea that is my intention.”
“I think what Casmun needs is a princess on the council,” said Sage. “As Nicholas said, there is no woman higher than you.”
Lani smiled thoughtfully. “Perhaps what Casmun really needs is a queen.”
Sage didn’t like the look on her friend’s face. “What happened to Minister Sinda?” she asked to change the subject. “His head was hurt.”
“Oh, you didn’t hear about yesterday!” The princess br
ightened. “He was auditing the prison’s weekly accounts when a Kimisar man tried to escape, but Dev stopped him. He was a hero,” she boasted.
“You have Kimisar prisoners here?”
Lani nodded. “Two spies caught last month and one who was brought in with you.”
“Can I see them?” Sage asked.
“I don’t see why not.”
86
LANI LED SAGE down several winding staircases to the lowest levels of the palace. The air became damp and cool, and they frequently had to lift their skirts to step over puddles in the corridor. “It doesn’t drain well,” said Lani, pointing to one. “The stones are worn from use, and that traps any water that drips from the ceiling. Perhaps we should fill them with cement, or carve grooves so the water can flow out.”
Lani was much cleverer than she gave herself credit for.
Eventually they came to a landing with several guards. The princess waved her hand, and they stood aside. Sage followed, thinking Lani knew her way around the prison as well as she did the marketplace. “Do you come here often?” she asked.
“I inspect when Banneth is gone,” Lani answered. She walked up to a man who looked to be in charge and spoke with him briefly. He bowed and led the way down more steps and tunnels until they came to a guarded door. Within was a large room with metal bars running down either side of a central aisle. Lani swept past him with a thank-you.
The only occupied cells were at the far end. As Sage and Lani approached, both prisoners lifted their heads from the straw mats they slept on. In spite of the dank conditions, the prison was generally clean. The guard came running up behind Sage, carrying a torch to supplement the dim light coming through a grate in the ceiling. “Stay back, My Princess,” he called. “These men are dangerous.”
Lani rolled her eyes at Sage. “And I thought these men were here for a picnic.”
One of the prisoners stood and walked to the front of his cell. “Princess, ay?” he said in Kimisar. The man looked at Lani with disdain. “I think I understand a few things now.”
The other man sat up and squinted at Lani in the same way. Neither man seemed bothered by their surroundings, like they had become a way of life.
