by C. R. Daems
As I left the room, Master Taras strode toward me down the hallway.
"Mistress Aisha," Taras said as I closed the door. "Hi'Varius has had everyone looking for you for over an hour. His daughter wants you sent away."
CHAPTER FOUR
Savona: Hard truths
Master Taras and I walked back to Varius's private study in silence. I suspect Taras was disappointed in me for upsetting Rhiannon and Varius. He had probably been harassed over my lack of respect and mountain-woman conduct. I had contributed to his embarrassment by not keeping him informed. Events had escalated quickly, I told myself. But I knew I could have sent him messages by one of the Talons.
"I'm sorry, Master Taras," I mumbled, truly regretful.
He didn't respond. Under a cloak of silence, the trek to Varius's study seemed to take forever. When we arrived, the Talon guard at the door smiled and admitted us.
"It's about time you decided to join us, Aisha," Varius shouted. "I took Taras's word that you're a Talon and not a clumsy half-trained recruit. You have proven yourself a barbarian with no manners or respect for your rulers. You will show my daughter, my heir, the respect due her, or I will have you whipped. And you will learn to conduct yourself with proper manners in her presence. Master Timotei will meet with you every day for lessons in court etiquette until he and my daughter are satisfied you can be allowed in public."
"I apologize, hi'Lord Varius, for not allowing pri'Rhiannon to eat the cyanide that was ladled on her porridge." I bowed to both Varius and Rhiannon.
"Cyanide!" Varius jerked out of his chair. His mouth moved up and down, but no further sounds emerged.
"My food had cyanide on it…and you ate it?" Rhiannon opened her eyes wide in disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I would have had to let your ladies-in-waiting know I am not the rude mountain-woman chaperone they have learned to love, but a bodyguard, and that someone tried to poison you. How long before your enemies would know we had discovered their plot? How long before they tried something new?" Damn nobles thought more about their image than their lives.
"How do you know her food contained cyanide?" Varius asked, shaking his head. "We only have your word."
Because I ate the stuff, you idiot. You trust me with your daughter's life and yet question my competence. "Leszek Talon retrieved the tray from the cook as he left the room. Master Hormiz confirmed one of the bowls with honey contained cyanide. And Master Healer Luminita confirmed pri'Rhiannon's recent symptoms were consistent with cyanide poisoning." I stared straight into the hi'Lord's eyes. "Master Healer Luminita indicated she has suffered those symptoms for several days, consistent with what I discovered during my interviews. Pri'Rhiannon had a total of three doses prior to this morning."
"My daughter said you ate the food where the cyanide had been ladled. Is that right, Mistress Aisha?" Varius reseated himself, his face, still scarlet, but he was no longer shouting.
"Yes. I was suspicious, but I had to find out without giving away the pretense that I am a chaperone. My mountain-woman persona is your daughter's best protection. If your enemies know I'm Talon, it will give them an edge and further endanger your daughter's life. The amount she ate was not designed to kill her immediately. She was given a small dose designed to kill her over several weeks."
"Ferox!" Rhiannon screamed as she came out of her chair.
"Taras, arrest Ferox! Throw him in the dungeon—" Varius shouted as he got out of his chair.
"No. Ferox is guilty of nothing except following a healer's orders, thinking he was helping pri'Rhiannon with a delicate problem." I wondered if all nobles acted first and thought later, like hi'Varius.
I explained Healer Herk's part in the conspiracy as well as his implication of Third Lady Castor and the possibility of an unnamed Second Lord.
"If you act against tri'Castor or openly punish Healer Herk, you will drive your enemies into hiding. For now, we have the advantage." I looked to Taras, who nodded agreement.
"My daughter and I owe you an apology and our thanks, but you must show her more respect, Mistress Aisha." Varius set his jaw in a stubborn line. Now I knew where Rhiannon got her attitude.
"Hi'Lord Varius, you and pri'Rhiannon must decide whether you want a chaperone or a Talon bodyguard. A chaperone will show her respect and protect her reputation. A bodyguard will worry only about protecting her life," I said without smiling. "Master Dragos instructed me specifically. I'm a Talon, not a servant."
"Taras, your sister exceeds herself," Varius said. Taras was the senior Talon and my superior. I could argue with Varius. The most he could do was cancel my contract. The Talons were not his subjects. However, I could not argue with a senior clan brother.
"No, hi'Lord Varius. She speaks the hard truth. Your enemies struck again at your heir. This will not be their last attempt on her life. Aisha Talon has proven her worth. My sister may appear clumsy, barbaric, and overbearing, but she already saved your daughter's life, penetrated your enemies' associates, and managed to maintain her mountain woman image. Her cover has been established. Even you doubted that she is a Talon. By now everyone in the castle believes she is an ill-mannered mountain woman. You would be wise to trust her approach. She hurt your daughter's pride, but she saved her life."
"Taras, you Talons are arrogant…but I must admit the girl is effective. And I must protect my daughter." For the first time I saw a look of grief wash over his face. "For now I will let you do it your way. However, Mistress Aisha will keep you informed, and you will keep me informed." Varius then turned to his daughter. "Listen to Aisha Talon, Rhiannon. I could not bear to lose you."
* * * *
"I'm sorry I complained to father about you," Rhiannon said as we made our way back to her rooms. The bluster was gone, and she appeared subdued.
"Let's go to my room, I would like to talk to you alone."
"I've already apologized," Rhiannon whined and pursed her lips. I remained silent as we continued down the busy hallway, passing guards and several lords and ladies. I detected the presence of several weak sigils and one strong Illusion Sigil. The sigil holder was a man walking with an attractive young woman. She smiled as she clung to his arm; I didn't need to use my sigil. I could see a double image, one misty and one clear. The youthful image he had superimposed on his older, wrinkled face was misty; his real face clearly visible. The perfect assassin's sigil, I mused as we walked down the hallway and entered my room. I pointed to a chair and waited for her to sit.
"Pri'Rhiannon, you don't owe me an apology." She looked at me. "You're in a life-and-death game, and you need to decide what kind of player you are going to be."
"Poisoning me isn't a game," Rhiannon cried.
"Yes, it is a game. A deadly game. You can choose to be an active player or a passive player who merely watches, but you can't choose whether to play or not. Your enemies will not allow you or your father that option." Looking down at her, I felt her pain. I knew what it was like to lose loved ones. She had recently lost her mother, sister, and brother. Now her life was being threatened. She felt abandoned and helpless. As I had done years ago, she would make a choice in the next few minutes that would affect her entire life. My choice had been to fight, and that worked out well for me. But I could not choose for her. I could only do my duty and wish for the best.
"You and my other Talon guards must protect me." Rhiannon drew up her lips in a pout.
"So you choose to be a passive player. That will significantly reduce your chances of survival." I shrugged.
"Why?"
"Because I'm merely one player you have to use against your enemies. If you don't care, you won't use me effectively, or your other Talon guards, or your loyal friends. You will give your enemies an advantage, a deadly one, over you and over your father."
"I don't know what to do. I can't fight. I can't hide. How can I be active?" Tears glistened in her eyes. "I don't want to die."
"I will teach you, pri'Rhiannon, if you are willing to lea
rn. I am very good at what you need to learn. If you are serious, you will meet with me each day for one hour before your normal wake-up time." I'm very good at games. I've spent many years pretending to be slow, stupid, or incompetent as I fought to survive. I can teach Rhiannon to survive as well.
"I'm not strong," Rhiannon said as she looked down at her soft white hands.
"You don't need to be strong, only smarter than your opponent. We Talons will take care of the strong part."
"I'll try, Mistress Aisha." Tears trickled down her cheeks.
"Good. Freshen your face. We will join your ladies for lunch." It had been an interesting morning. I felt good that I had made progress in protecting Rhiannon. I thwarted a plot to poison her, I redirected her father's priorities from protecting her pride to protecting her life, and I secured Rhiannon's cooperation. I was ready for lunch.
"Pri'Rhiannon, you're back." Irenka pointed a ringed finger at me. "What did your father say about her barbaric conduct? I'm surprised he didn't have her whipped."
"Father chastised her, but I think I'm stuck with her." Rhiannon darted a nervous glance at me as I settled into one of the chairs. Neither Silva nor Raya said anything.
Silva seemed a happy young girl who enjoyed being around Rhiannon. She was a pretty girl, slim but filling out in all the right places, with a contented smile and a happy word for everyone around her. Raya was more serious. She seemed to enjoy being one of Rhiannon's ladies-in-waiting. The way she enjoyed giving orders to the servants and courtiers gave me the idea she enjoyed the prestige of the position. She was smaller than Silva but far more developed. Irenka, on the other hand, sought to influence Rhiannon. I had already seen her pressure Rhiannon to ask the hi'Lord for favors. I wondered about Irenka. Silva and Raya were passive, while Irenka was an active participant. She wanted me gone, but why?
When Master Timotei entered for Rhiannon's afternoon tutoring, I left the room.
"I'll be at the seamstress if I'm needed," I whispered to the Talon on duty.
It felt good to be able to find my way around the castle. Theory was good and necessary, but nothing satisfies more than experience. Mistress Karla was on the second floor of one of the smaller attached buildings, but I found her easily. "Good afternoon, Mistress Aisha. I'm glad you came. I finished one of your dresses. I'd like you to try it on for size."
"Good afternoon, Mistress Karla. I'm looking forward to wearing it. Your work is beautiful."
I slipped out of my roughly made peasant clothing into a calf-length yellow skirt and blouse. They were of a soft silk that felt delightful against my skin. I had never thought about clothes, cloth, or material at the Aerie, so this was new and fascinating. I couldn't help but feel pampered. As I had asked, they were not tightly fitted and were short enough for me to move easily, but they still didn't quite fill my needs.
"Magnificent, Mistress Karla. They are the most beautiful skirt and blouse I've ever owned. However, because I am pri'Rhiannon's chaperone, I'll need you to make a few adjustments for me. I hate to ask you to change even one stitch on anything so beautiful but—" I hesitated. "I would like two more pockets, one here and one here, as unnoticeable as you can make them. I'll need to carry things for pri'Rhiannon, and the pockets will allow me to keep them hidden. And please loosen up the blouse and skirt another size. I don't want to draw attention to myself and away from pri'Rhiannon."
"I had thought you young for a chaperone, Mistress Aisha, but I see that you are wiser than your years. I will make the changes you requested." Karla frowned again and sniffed.
* * * *
"What?" Rhiannon opened one eye to find me standing next to her bed.
"Time for your lesson," I threw back her blankets.
"It's not light yet."
"Remember our agreement, pri'Rhiannon? Active or passive?"
"All right, all right. I'll try." As she got out of bed, I grabbed her arm and started walking.
"What do you do now?" I asked when I suddenly stopped.
"I don't know. Fight?" Rhiannon asked, her eyes still filled with sleep and on the verge of crying.
"No, you don't know how to fight. You would just get hurt. You need to use your Talons. Every Talon can put a knife in your enemy's throat from twenty paces away. But you must help." I drew one of my throwing knives. "See the flower in the middle of your door?"
"Yes."
I threw the knife. It spun several times and landed with a thud in the center of the flower. Rhiannon's eyes opened wide with awe. The knife vibrated on its mark.
"How can I help?"
"First, you need to be aware of who is in the area. You are looking for Talons. Look for one watching you. Then give him a target."
"How?" she asked.
"That is what we will practice this morning. Falling is the easiest way if your enemy doesn't have you held around the waist."
For the next hour, I went through ten different scenarios and the things Rhiannon could do to expose an attacker: collapsing to the ground, going limp like a faint, or hugging the person, especially if he was tall. Each situation interrupted an assailant's plan and exposed him for a brief moment.
"I understand now what you meant about being passive or active, Aisha. Passive, I do nothing to help you. Active, I help you save me. I'll be ready for practice tomorrow." Rhiannon beamed, her eyes bright with excitement.
The next several days settled into a boring routine. I ate with Rhiannon and her retinue at her morning meals, sat with her during her sessions with tutors and seamstresses, attended dinners, and saw her to bed. If this kept up for long I feared I'd lose my edge. I stretched and practiced in my room as much as I could for an hour every day before I worked with Rhiannon, but this would not keep me at my fighting peak for long.
Rhiannon and I spent each morning on scenarios I invented. I showed her places to poke, scratch, bite, and kick to get free, even if it bought only seconds in an attack. After a week, I switched to people issues.
"Pri'Rhiannon, who can you trust, excluding the Talons?" I measured my voice to sound calm.
"Why exclude the Talons, Aisha?"
"Because if we want to kill you or your father, you can't stop us. Therefore, you must trust us, because you have no choice."
Her eyes rose to the ceiling as she palmed her fingers, one by one. "Silva, Raya, Irenka, Minister Lucas… Why? They are my friends and Minister Lucas is my father's friend."
"Someday, you will be the hi'Lady. Some people will be your friends because they like you. Some will be your friends because they admire the way you rule. Others will pretend to be your friends for what they can get from you, but they will turn on you if someone offers them more. And some people will hate you. Who should you trust?"
"Those who are my real friends."
"No, pri'Rhiannon. Those who hate you," I answered.
"Why?" Rhiannon's mouth opened as her eyes grew like saucers.
"Because no one hates another in pretense. Therefore, you know their true feelings and how they are likely to act. Everyone else must be suspect."
"Silva, Raya, and Irenka are my friends!" She shook her head and stared down at her lap.
"Each will benefit from her friendship with you. There is nothing wrong with that so long as you understand that they do. Don't allow their friendship to manipulate you."
"I hate you!" Rhiannon shouted. "You're making me doubt my friends."
"No, I'm pointing out the truth of being the heir to a kingdom. I'm suggesting you use your mind, not your emotions. Active versus passive. Think of Ferox the cook. He is totally loyal to you, yet what he did would have killed you."
Rhiannon was less enthusiastic for the next two days. On the third day when I arrived, Rhiannon was up and waiting.
"I told my father what you have been telling me, Aisha. He actually said something nice about you. He said that he had hoped I would be older before I had to face the realities of being hi'Lady, but with someone trying to kill both of us, it was time."
&
nbsp; After that, Rhiannon was up each morning when I arrived.
* * * *
Rhiannon had finished her midday meal. "Mistress Aisha, I would like to go to the markets today. We will need castle guards to accompany us."
"Talons," I said.
"Why?"
"Castle guards will watch you and be attentive to your needs. Talons will be watching everyone else to ensure your safety. I'll notify Leszek. We will be ready by the time you finish dressing."
We left an hour later. Leszek had joined us with four additional guards. I thought Rhiannon was as well protected as possible. I doubted an assassin knew we would be going to the markets today and was waiting to kill her. When we reached the Savona Temple area, Rhiannon dismounted and began walking among the Blessed Ones.
"Aisha, when you were being measured for your new dresses, I noticed that you had no sigils on your arms. I thought…all of you had at least one sigil."
"Most have at least one. Some have two." I wasn't sure what she had on her mind.
"I would buy you one. A War Sigil." She pointed to one of the Blessed ones who sat at the top of the steps at the temple honoring the god Dai. Amulets, rings, and other objects lay on his table engraved with the War Sigil. Next to him lay a bowl marked with the War Sigil that he used for those who desired a living War Sigil. The Blessed, however, couldn't guarantee the god would grant a living sigil.
As we passed them, Rhiannon pointed out the three temples on each side of the road. In front of us, the splotched-red granite temple of War dedicated honor to the god Dai. The sigil imbued the holder with an ability to learn weapons or fighting skills with an expertise far above normal ability. The white marble temple of Truth dedicated honor to the goddess Yao. This sigil permitted the holder to tell if a person was telling what he believed to be the truth. The onyx temple of Illusion dedicated honor to the god Huan. This sigil enabled the holder to project images created in his mind.
Across the road, the golden-brown temple of Charm and Luck dedicated honor to the goddess Yun. This sigil caused the holder to be more likeable and lucky. The blue granite Energy temple dedicated honor to the goddess Liu. This sigil imbued the holder with additional energy and endurance. The green granite Healing temple dedicated honor to the god Jian. This sigil gave the holder the ability to sense the exact injury or disease and to administer the correct treatment.
