He sighed and slid his hands around her waist, holding her close. There wasn’t much to her; she was so dang tiny. Still, he held on. He probably wouldn’t have another chance to be this close to her. And she felt nice. Resting his chin on her head, he forgot about the patrons in the tavern, forgot about eavesdropping on conversations, forgot about where he was and what he was supposed to be doing. Worst of all, he forgot about Nathenek’s steadfast rule—never become emotionally attached.
Savenek knocked softly on Ari’s door before entering her bedchamber. After they’d returned last night, he’d tucked her into bed—still dressed—and kissed her goodnight on the forehead.
“I’ll be right out!” she called from behind the dressing screen.
He plopped on the sofa and grabbed a handful of grapes, tossing them into his mouth. A letter sat beside the fruit platter. He quickly scanned it. It was a letter requesting Ari—the Emperion ambassador, singular, not plural—meet with Prince Patteon to begin negotiations.
Ari stepped around the dressing screen. Savenek’s eyes widened and he choked on a grape. Once he stopped coughing, he sputtered, “You’re not leaving the room wearing that.”
Her eyes narrowed and her fingers curled into fists. “This is what they gave me. Do you think I enjoy looking like this?”
The pale orange dress was held up by two thin straps that went straight down covering her breasts and leaving her stomach exposed. Just above her belly button, the fabric twisted to the back. The long skirt flowed as she moved. There was no way in hell he’d let her walk around the palace dressed like that.
Someone knocked on the door. Ari called out for the person to enter. A sentry came in and said, “The prince is ready for you.”
“Tell the prince he’ll have to wait,” Savenek snapped.
“Pardon me?” the sentry said.
“My brother is just upset he wasn’t invited,” Ari said, trying to smooth over the situation.
“My sister needs to change. I’m not letting her out of the room dressed like that.” He folded his arms.
“I assure you,” the sentry said, “that her dress is perfectly suitable. Princess Conditto picked it out herself.”
In other words, if Ari didn’t wear it, she’d be offending the princess. Savenek rubbed his face. Dresses were meant to cover one’s skin, not show it off. It was far more alluring to not see so much. Really, it was. “Fine,” he ground out. “But my sister isn’t going anywhere without me.”
“In Emperion,” Ari explained, “young unmarried women are required to have an escort. While in Apethaga, that duty falls to my brother.”
The sentry nodded. “I will take both of you to the meeting room. It is up to Prince Patteon whether he will allow Ven to be present during the negotiations.”
Savenek swept his arm toward the door, and Ari exited. He followed close behind her as the sentry led them through the palace, up a level, and down a hallway lined with doors spaced evenly every twenty feet. The sentry opened the seventh—and last—door on the right and announced them. Inside, open windows lined two of the walls allowing the air to flow through. Savenek could see the lake in the distance. This was a corner room on the southeast side of the palace. Prince Patteon was sitting at a rectangular table, half a dozen soldiers positioned throughout the room. No other exits were visible.
The prince stood gracefully. “Aryam, Ven. Thank you for meeting me here.” If he was upset to see Savenek, he didn’t show it. There was, however, only one other chair at the table.
Smiling, Savenek went over and pulled the chair out, gesturing for Ari to take a seat. When she sat down, he kissed the top of her head, watching Patteon as he did so. The prince kept his face free from all emotion. Without saying a word, Savenek went and stood next to the door, making it clear he was there for Ari’s protection and would not be leaving. He nodded to the soldier on his left, about five feet away.
Ari immediately got down to business. “I assume you received the correspondence from Empress Rema stating that we wish to purchase weapons?”
“I did,” Patteon replied, speaking slowly and with a thick accent. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs. “What I want to know is why?”
“Our army needs them.”
He raised a single eyebrow. “I am not a fool. The Emperion army is the largest on the mainland. If I supply you with weapons, what is to stop you from using them against my people?”
Savenek thought that this sort of inquiry should have been made before Apethaga allowed an Emperion delegation to come.
“We plan to use the weapons to defend our land. We have no intention of attacking another kingdom.”
“And what do you know of your empress’s plans?” Although the prince’s face remained impassive, the comment was meant to test Ari. Did she know Empress Rema’s plans? If so, would she reveal them? Or was she merely a messenger? What kind of authority did she have? All good questions considering Ari’s age. But she was the interpreter, not the negotiator. And it was imperative that the prince didn’t discover this tidbit of information.
“Empress Rema sent me here to negotiate a price and acquire the weapons. Nothing more.” Ari’s voice had a hard edge to it.
“Emperion has a young princess of marriageable age,” he commented.
“Yes. However, I am not permitted to speak on Princess Allyssa’s behalf.”
Savenek should have told Ari that he was supposed to investigate why Apethaga hadn’t shown any interest in the Emperion princess.
“We haven’t received any correspondence inquiring about either myself or my brother as a potential suitor,” Patteon said with a shrug.
Under the table, Ari clutched her hands together. She needed to relax instead of giving so much away with her body movements. “I wouldn’t know anything about that,” she replied. “As I’ve stated before, I am only tasked with negotiating for weapons.”
Patteon leaned forward on the table. “How much is Emperion willing to pay?”
“How many weapons do you have ready to sell?”
“Ten thousand swords and fifty thousand arrows. I can have double that ready by the end of the season.”
Ari bit her bottom lip, momentarily distracting Savenek. He’d have to work with her on not fidgeting when negotiating.
“We are prepared to pay you three hundred lunds,” she said.
An enormous amount of money. He’d known Emperion was a wealthy kingdom, but that amount of capital was astronomical.
“I will discuss the matter with the king and get back to you.”
“How long will it take?” Ari asked.
He shrugged. “Why? Are you in some sort of hurry?”
“We fear Russek is going to make a move against us. We need to be prepared. Time is of the essence.”
Patteon tilted his head to the side, watching Ari. “And yet, Russek is not next to you. They would have to go through Landania and Fia to reach Emperion. Either your fears are unfounded, or you’re lying to me and wish to do something else with the weapons.”
Savenek had to give Ari credit for not punching the prince.
“You may want to consider the ramifications of a Russek invasion.” She stood and placed her hands flat on the table. “If Russek attacks Emperion, what will that do to your trade? The livelihood of your people? Apethaga will have to pick a side.”
“Exactly,” the prince replied coolly. “And if I choose to sell you weapons, Apethaga’s fate is sealed. We will have chosen a side.” He stood. “Forgive me if I don’t just drop weapons at your feet and gush all over you simply because you come from a large and wealthy kingdom.”
“Maybe you should have thought of that before you invited a delegation here. I’m sure Russek has heard Emperions are visiting. It won’t take them long to figure out why.”
Perhaps Russek was behind the assassination attempts. It made sense—if they stopped the delegation from coming, Emperion couldn’t acquire more weapons. Regardless, Savenek didn’t understand
Apethaga’s hesitation to sell them weapons.
“I will take this matter to my father. He will decide what is best for our kingdom.”
Ari gave a curt nod. Savenek opened the door, ushering her out. As they left, the prince muttered something to one of the soldiers in the Apethaga language. The soldier laughed in a way that made Savenek’s skin prickle.
“Unbelievable,” Ari whispered.
He hurried her along, hoping no one would follow and insist on escorting them through the palace. “Do you know what the prince said as we left?”
“Yes.” She was practically stomping down the hallway.
When they came to an alcove with a large potted plant, he pulled her inside, behind the plant. “What did he say?”
Ari’s eyes flashed. “He said that it was easy to stall when dealing with someone as vapid as I am.” She folded her arms over her chest, fuming.
“Stall?” Savenek asked, refusing to think about Patteon calling her vapid. Because she was anything but vapid, and if he’d heard the prince insult her, he would have pummeled him.
“That’s what he said.”
Savenek shook his head. They’d already spent about a week here, and this was the first time they’d met with the prince to discuss the weapons. “I wonder to what end?”
“I don’t know. But when he started asking about Allyssa, I knew something was wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
“Prince Patteon damn well knows that if Apethaga has any interest in joining with Emperion and entering into marriage negotiations, they are supposed to initiate correspondence. Not the other way around.”
Savenek couldn’t believe a curse word had come out of her mouth. She was usually so well-mannered.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she snapped.
He held up his hands in surrender, not wanting her to take her anger out on him. He was about to ask her something when he heard voices coming from down the hallway. He put his finger to his lips and they held still, waiting for the group to pass. Thankfully, the potted plant had large leaves, concealing them from sight.
The prince walked past with the king, a dozen soldiers trailing behind them. Father and son were speaking to one another in hushed whispers using the Apethaga language. Once they were far enough away and Savenek could no longer hear them, he relaxed. He glanced at Ari, about to suggest they return to their rooms. Only, she was shaking from head to toe, her face as white as snow. Reaching out, he took hold of her arm, trying to steady her. “What’s the matter?” he whispered.
“The…the king,” she stuttered, “he wants to know where our army is stationed and where we keep our weapons and supplies. He told his son that this information was vital.”
“Did he say anything else?” Savenek demanded, his mind already thinking of the implications.
She shook her head. “Just that Patteon needed to drag out the negotiations as long as possible in order to gleam as much information from us as he could.”
Savenek cursed. This was so much worse than they’d thought.
No moon shone in the sky, making the night exceptionally dark. Perfect for snooping. Savenek crept into Ari’s room, crossing to her bed. She was on her side, the covers thrown off her body. He sat next to her, gently brushing the hair off her face.
“It’s just me,” he whispered. “Don’t bother grabbing the knife under your pillow.”
“How’d you know about that?”
“I felt you tense and your arm slowly moving.” He shrugged. “Seemed only logical.” And something Ari would do. It was one of the reasons he admired her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, rubbing her eyes. “It’s highly inappropriate for you to be in my bedchamber at night like this.”
He ignored her comment. “If I’m not back by morning, I want you to get away from here as fast as you can.”
She sat upright. “What?” she asked, suddenly very alert though it was the middle of the night.
“I’m going to do some investigating,” he explained. “If anything happens to me and I don’t return, I want you to leave. Don’t bother negotiating, just get out of here. Head east; they won’t expect that. When you reach the ocean, charter a boat. Sail south, around Dromien, and then to Emperion. Promise me.” Since it was dark in her bedchamber, Savenek couldn’t read her face to anticipate her response.
“Why?”
“Trying to go west through Apethaga will be difficult if they’re tracking you—”
She reached up and placed her fingers on his lips, shutting him up. He froze, not sure what to do. She was touching him on purpose. On the lips. He swallowed.
“I meant, why are you snooping?” She slid her fingers down his chin, letting them linger there as she did so.
“We need more information.” He wanted to know where the armory was, where the royal chambers were located, and to see if there was any pertinent correspondence lying around.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
Was she worried about him? “I’m trained for this.”
“I know. Just…please be careful.”
“I will.” He stood to leave. “Remember what I said.”
“Wait.” She went up on her knees so they were eye level.
“What is it?”
She hesitated a moment before saying, “Never mind.” She sat back on the bed. “Just don’t get caught. I’d rather not have to leave without finishing my job.”
“Likewise.” He turned and headed for the windows.
“You’re not going to use the door?”
“Too obvious.” He pushed a window open and climbed outside. “And not nearly challenging enough.” He grinned.
Grabbing hold between the stones, Savenek started scaling the palace. Even though the moon wasn’t out and it would be difficult for someone to spot him, he still proceeded with caution. Moving slowly, he made his way to the third floor. He had to assume there was some sort of watch on the roof, so he needed to be careful. He started moving sideways, wanting to enter the palace near the meeting room he and Ari had been in earlier. In some places, the lack of space between the stones made it difficult for his fingers to find purchase. His arms started shaking from the effort it took to climb a vertical building.
Approaching the last couple of windows before the corner, Savenek peered inside one, trying to determine if it led to a bedchamber or an office. He couldn’t tell. Blasted. Moving sideways, he went to the next window and glanced inside. There was an empty bed and an armoire. Not seeing anyone in the room, he slid the knife Ari had given him from his waistband and popped the window open.
He climbed inside and closed the window. The room was small, probably belonging to someone who served the royal family as an advisor or steward. In that case, the person could return at any minute. He hastily moved across the room, not making a sound.
Opening the door a couple of inches, Savenek peeked into the hallway. It was dark and no sentries were present. The office he and Ari had visited earlier today was on this level, to the right. He crept into the hallway, pushing his body flat against the wall, heading that direction. The key to remaining undetected was to keep moving so no one had the opportunity to see him. Still clutching the knife, he made his way down the hallway until he came to the office. The door stood ajar; no one was inside.
Savenek entered and went over to the table. Not a single piece of paper was anywhere to be seen. Most likely, this was simply a meeting room. He needed to get into an office of a high-ranking individual. Exiting, he crept halfway down the hall. Picking a door at random, he tried to open it. It was locked—always a good sign. He wedged the knife into the lock and popped it open.
Taking one step into the room, he closed the door and examined his surroundings. The curtains had been pulled shut, completely covering the windows, making it impossible to see anything. Savenek remained still, hoping his eyes would adjust. He was just about to take another step when he heard a noise about five feet in fron
t of him and to the right. It sounded as if someone had rolled over in bed.
Savenek silently cursed. This was someone’s bedchamber. It couldn’t be a member of the royal family based upon the room’s location and the lack of security. It probably belonged to an advisor of some sort. There could be information here to be gleamed. Why not? He stepped farther into the room. The sound had come from his right, so that was where the bed must be. If the windows were straight ahead, then the desk—if the room even had one—was probably to the left. He moved that way, shuffling his feet so he wouldn’t trip and fall on anything. His fingers touched wood. He ran his hands over it, thinking it felt like an armoire.
Mumbling came from behind him. The person—a man by the sound of it—was talking in his sleep.
Savenek moved to the right. He swept his hands across more wood and then his fingers touched paper. This had to be a desk. He went back to the armoire and opened it up, thanking his lucky stars that the hinges didn’t squeak. He pulled out some heavy fabric and wrapped it around his body. Then he went back to the desk and felt around for the candle. When he found it, he leaned forward, draping the fabric like a tent around the candle, and lit it. Once he could see, he examined the desk, careful to keep the candle in the confines of the fabric-tent so it would neither wake the occupant nor catch someone’s attention from outside.
Upon closer examination of the papers, Savenek realized he didn’t recognize any of the words. Everything had been written in another language. Quite inconvenient. He would have to ask Ari to show him a few important words such as swords, bows, and arrows. Anything that might be pertinent to their mission. He still examined the papers, looking for the word Emperion. He didn’t see it anywhere. Not finding anything of use, he made sure the desk was exactly the way he’d found it. Then he moved the candle back to its proper location. Using his fingers, he snuffed it out and waited.
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