The Queen's Blade VI - Lord Protector

by T C Southwell

  "Get up. What has happened? I heard that Chiana is ill. What is wrong with her?"

  Verdan straightened. "She is in a swoon, My Queen. No need for you to worry."

  "Why is she in a swoon? What caused it? Is she ill?"

  "No, My Queen." Verdan hesitated, glancing at Insash. "She received some shocking news."

  "What news? Why did it shock her so? Spit it out, man."

  Verdan gestured at Insash, who stood up, wringing his hands again. "Chief Advisor Insash should tell you."

  Kerra studied Chiana for a moment longer, then swung to face Insash, frowning. "Well? What is it?"

  "I..." Insash dug the message out of his pocket again, smoothing the crumpled parchment. "It is from Contara, My Queen."

  "And?"

  "It - it says that the Regent's husband is dead."

  "The... what?"

  "The Regent's husband, My Queen. It says he is dead."

  Kerra paled and raised a hand to her brow, then swung away with a swish of heavy satin skirts. "Impossible."

  "I... that is what it says, My Queen."

  "Read it to me."

  Insash looked at the paper. "The Queen's Blade is dead."

  "It is a lie!"

  "Perhaps. We hope so, most fervently, My Queen."

  Kerra snatched the message from him and read it with a thunderous scowl. "This is a lie! It cannot be true!"

  "It is from Prince Dravis, my queen, see..." Insash edged closer and pointed to the bottom of the paper. "That is his signature."

  "All the more reason to disbelieve it! He is a lying snake!"

  "Scorpion," Verdan muttered.

  "Even worse! How could she believe this? It is designed to hurt her, nothing more."

  Insash shook his head. "We have no way of knowing if it is true or not. No one knows where Lord Conash is."

  "Is he not at his estate?"

  "No, My Queen. He was for a few moons, then he left. No one has seen him since midsummer."

  "What happened to the spies Chiana sent to follow him?"

  Insash shrugged. "They lost him after he left his estate. He is a difficult man to follow."

  "I do not believe he is dead. I refuse to believe it! I want troops sent to Contara at once. Prince Dravis is wanted in Cotti for Trelath's murder. Arrest him and hand him over to my father for trial, and find Lord Conash!"

  Insash bowed, glancing at Chiana. "I am certain the Regent will order it when she wakes, My Queen."

  Kerra threw down the message and turned to the bed, took Chiana's hand and patted it. "Chiana, wake up! Verdan, give her something to wake her up. She cannot sleep now. She cannot believe this nonsense!"

  Verdan shook his head. "It is better to allow her to sleep, My Queen. She is extremely distressed."

  "She must order the troops sent, at once!"

  Insash stepped forward. "I shall make the preparations, My Queen. Allow her to sleep a little longer."

  "Good. Go then." Kerra waved a hand at him.

  Insash trotted out, and the young Queen sat beside Chiana, gazing down at her with deep concern. Verdan hovered for a moment longer, then sought the comfort of a cushion and sat down.

  Chapter Sixteen

  "You bloody imbecile!" Prince Dravis shouted, swinging away from the window to confront his brother. "What were you thinking, trying to force Kerrion to allow you to return to Cotti?"

  Prince Jovan scowled at the wine in his goblet. "I hate this foul place. I want to go home."

  "So you thought you could blackmail him by threatening to kill that damned assassin? He is already dead!"

  "He does not know that. If he had agreed, it would also prove he hired the bastard to kill our brothers."

  Dravis snorted. "And you think Kerrion is stupid enough to admit that by allowing you to blackmail him? He is not a fool, like you! Even if he had agreed, you cannot release a dead man! How much trouble would you be in then?"

  "Executing the assassin who slew our brothers is not a crime."

  "But disobeying the King is, you fool! Now he has ordered you to send the assassin to Jadaya for execution, which is perfectly understandable and does not implicate him in any way, but it certainly puts you on the spot, does it not?"

  Jovan shrugged and stroked his familiar when the ape climbed onto his shoulder, disturbed by the shouting. "So I will send another man, one whose tongue has been cut out."

  "Kerrion knows what the Queen's Blade looks like, you idiot. He hired him! He was at the trial!"

  "Actually, I do not believe he did hire him. I think it was that damned wife of his. He colluded with her, certainly, but, as he pointed out when he used the assassin to blackmail us into allowing his stupid laws to pass, the Queen's Blade will only work for a Jashimari."

  "He has seen him, though."

  Jovan patted his familiar and fed him an roseapple. "There are rumours that the man you captured was not the Queen's Blade, but another, who took his place, and Kerrion freed him. Anyway, even if he does deny that the man I send him is the right one, I am guilty of nothing except a case of mistaken identity, and I should be commended for at least trying to capture the man who murdered our brothers."

  "The man who murdered our brothers sits on the Cotti throne, and I intend to see to it that he pays for his crimes."

  "How?"

  Dravis shrugged. "I have not decided yet. Anyway, even if Kerrion had agreed to allow you to return to Jadaya in return for the assassin's life, how long do you think he would have let you stay there once it was discovered that you had the wrong man?"

  Jovan scowled. "If he had agreed, he would have condemned himself."

  "Which is why he did not. You should rather have asked to return as a reward for capturing the Queen's Blade, then you might have had some support from the court."

  "With his new laws, we are virtually powerless, brother."

  "As he intended. He has made himself a dictator, with a Jashimari whore as his queen. It is an insult that cannot be borne. Kerrion must die."

  Jovan brushed masticated roseapple off his chest. "Well, he is coming here to capture you now, so perhaps you will get your chance."

  "Thanks to your idiotic scheme, which informed him of my presence. If you had asked, I would have told you he is not stupid enough to believe you had captured that bloody assassin. And he will be surrounded by an army."

  "Unless you challenge him."

  Dravis made a rude noise. "I cannot. I am to be arrested on sight, remember? Unless..."

  Jovan sipped his wine. "What?"

  "Never mind. A thought, is all. A possibility."

  "You have a devious mind, Dravis, beware the pitfalls of its machinations. It will lead to trouble." He paused, looking thoughtful. "You castigate me for telling Kerrion, but you informed the Jashimari Regent, and she will tell Kerrion, in any case. What do you hope to gain by informing her that her husband is dead at your hand?"

  "War."

  Jovan looked startled. "How so?"

  "She will want vengeance, and send an army to capture or kill me. She will invade Contara without Kerrion's permission, and Contara will fight. Who knows, Kerrion may even join us, to protect his prize."

  "He will not go to war with his daughter."

  "He will have no choice if her regent invades Contara. He is still at the mercy of the lords and the courts, in that regard."

  Jovan shook his head. "The Jashimari Regent will not start a war with Cotti, she would lose."

  "Unless someone had slain her husband. Women do irrational things when under great emotional duress. She will want my head on a plate."

  "And she may get it if Kerrion helps her."

  "No. She will not, because you will protect me."

  Jovan's brows shot up. "I? What can I do?"

  "A lot, once you are the Cotti King."

  "I do not want to be king."

  "But you will be if Kerrion is killed. You are next in line, after his sons, and their deaths will be easy to arrange once he is gone. As
will his damned whore's. Then you will invade Jashimari and execute that half-breed hussy, and we will rule three kingdoms. I will rule Jashimari, I think, and you can return to Cotti."

  Jovan shook his head again. "You are quite mad, Dravis."

  "You want to return to Cotti, do you not? This is the only way that is going to happen, brother. You will return as king, or live out your life in exile. Which would you rather?"

  "I want no part in your schemes. They will lead to tragedy, in my opinion. I wish you luck, but do not expect me to help you."

  "I do not need your help. I have the perfect plan."

  "If it does not work, you will end up dead, mark my words."

  Dravis smiled. "It will work."

  Chiana opened her eyes and gazed at the silken canopy above her, becoming aware that she was clad in her nightgown, and her heart was filled with pain. Blade was dead. Her husband, whom she barely knew, but loved more than life itself. She summoned his face from her memory, his lips curled in one of his heart-rendingly sweet smiles. It hardly seemed possible that anyone could kill him. He was the Queen's Blade, and Shamsara himself had saved him last time. How could Tinsharon allow his instrument to die? Did that mean he had no more use for him? She had envisaged many possible futures, but Blade's death had not been in any of them.

  Someone clasped her hand, and she turned her head to find Kerra sitting beside her. The young Queen looked concerned, angry and stricken.

  "It is a lie, Chiana."

  "Perhaps."

  "He is not dead."

  "It could be true."

  Kerra shook her head, glancing around. Verdan approached the bed, holding a cup.

  "Drink this, Regent. It will make you sleep," he said.

  "Why must I sleep? Have I not just woken?"

  Kerra stated, "You must order troops to Contara at once."

  "Why?"

  "We must find him, before it is too late."

  Chiana pushed herself up against the pillows, holding a hand to her chest, where the pain burnt. Tears filled her eyes and ran down her cheeks, and Kerra's grip on her other hand tightened. Verdan held out the cup. Chiana looked away as the pain in her heart engulfed her, but kept her expression serene. Kerra pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and mopped the Regent's cheeks, her eyes shimmering.

  "He is not dead, Chiana. Please, do not weep."

  Chiana raised her eyes to meet Kerra's, and the Queen's face crumpled. Kerra averted her eyes and bowed her head.

  "Get out, all of you."

  Verdan hesitated, then put down the cup and followed the maidens. When the door closed behind them, Kerra leant closer and stroked Chiana's hair, her chin trembling.

  "He is not dead," she murmured. "You must not believe it. You must be strong now, for his sake. Perhaps Dravis has captured him, but he is not dead. You must send troops to Contara, and arrest Dravis."

  Chiana gazed at her, trying to swallow the lump that blocked her throat. Her heart laboured under a burden of pain that she had not felt since Inka's death. It seemed so unfair that everyone she loved died. Inka's demise had devastated her, but Blade had saved her. Her father's death had plunged her into sorrow, but he had been there to shelter her from that pain too. Now he was gone. The tears dripped from her chin and dampened her nightgown despite Kerra's efforts to mop them up.

  "Please," Kerra begged in a choked voice. "Please do not weep."

  "How can I not?" Chiana whispered.

  "He is not dead! It is a foul lie!"

  "No one can find him."

  "That is not so strange. He has vanished before, for fifteen years, but he was not dead."

  Chiana shook her head. "Dravis would not dare to send such a message... unless there was some truth to it."

  "There is not! He cannot be dead!"

  "Why not?"

  Kerra rubbed her eyes. "Because he is Blade! He has escaped death so many times already. He is a legend."

  "Legends die too."

  "No..." Kerra's face twisted, and she stifled a sob. "You must not believe it."

  "Not believing it will not make it untrue."

  "I will not believe it until I see his body."

  Chiana looked away, her breath catching. "You may not. Dravis may throw him in a gutter. That would be just like a Cotti."

  "You cannot think like that! Pull yourself together! Even if you believe it, send soldiers into Contara now! Avenge him! He would want you to do that, would he not?"

  "No." Chiana gasped as a sob tore through her, then took the damp handkerchief from Kerra and scrubbed her eyes. "I swore I would not."

  "To whom?"

  "Blade."

  "Why would he ask you not to avenge him?"

  Chiana gulped and drew a shuddering breath, striving to calm herself. "He said it would start another war."

  "No one will care if you hunt Dravis down. Father will be pleased. He will help you."

  "Jovan will defend Contara, and his brother."

  "I do not care!"

  "Thousands will die."

  Kerra jumped up and turned away, rubbing her eyes again. "What if he is still alive, in a dungeon in Contara?"

  "What if he is dead?"

  "No!"

  Chiana tugged the cord that summoned her maidens and pushed back the bed covers. Kerra turned as the Regent sat up and slid her legs off the bed.

  "What are you going to do?"

  The Regent bowed her head, shaking it, then looked up as her maidens came in, followed by Verdan and Insash. She addressed Insash.

  "Summon General Andira to me now."

  Insash bowed and left, and the maidens surrounded Chiana, wiped her face with damp cloths and tidied her hair. She stood up and gestured, sending girls hurrying to the wardrobe. Kerra retreated to a cushion and sank down on it while the maidens dressed Chiana in a severe black gown.

  By the time General Andira arrived a few minutes later, she was ready to receive him in the sitting room, her hair bound in a simple coil, her face pale. Andira ruled the Jashimari army with an iron fist, a veteran of the Endless War, and her most senior officer. His square, somewhat brutal face bore the scars of many battles, and his dark blue eyes glared from under fierce brows above a blunt nose and cleft chin. He performed a prostration to Kerra, then rose and approached Chiana, who stood by the windows, gazing out. She turned, and he bowed.

  "Regent."

  "General Andira. Gather a force of your best troops. A battalion, no more. Do it immediately."

  He looked a little mystified, glancing at Kerra. "Of course, Regent. What are they to do?"

  "You will lead them to Contara to find my husband. You will ride to Ashmarad and arrest Prince Jovan and Prince Dravis. You will search the Contara capital, especially the royal palace, for the Lord Protector, and if you find him, you will bring him to me. Dead or alive."

  "Lord Conash is in Ashmarad?"

  "So I am told."

  Andira glanced at Kerra again. "My Lady, if he is alive, and a prisoner of the Cotti princes, they will slay him the moment we cross the border."

  "I am aware of that, General. They intend to murder him in any case, if they have not done so already. As far as I know, he is already dead. I want the princes charged with his murder."

  "Should we not try to save Lord Conash?"

  "If he is not dead, he is their prisoner. They will kill him before they allow you to rescue him. Since Cotti is our ally, they should not prevent you from entering the kingdom. If they do, tell them it will be war."

  Andira bowed. "It shall be as you order, Regent."

  When the general left, Chiana dismissed her maidens and Verdan, who looked disgruntled at being sent away again, his potion still untasted. The Regent gazed out of the windows once more, and Kerra scowled at the floor.

  "So that is why you say he is dead. Even if he is still alive, they will kill him."

  Chiana nodded. "There is no way to rescue him, even if he is alive, which I doubt. Nothing I can do or say will save him. Dra
vis wants him dead. Even if I offered him a pardon and sanctuary in Jashimari, he lusts for Blade's death more. He will think, and rightly so, that the chances of Kerrion executing him for the crime of slaying the assassin, or even a Jashimari lord, who is responsible for the deaths of so many Cotti princes, are slim. He will flee back to Cotti, where I cannot follow."

  "Father will arrange for him to die. I shall ask him."

  "Your father cannot murder his brother."

  "He can devise an accident for him."

  Chiana glanced around, forcing a slight, brittle smile. "Perhaps. Either way, it will be too late for Blade."

  "What about offering a ransom?"

  "The princes are rich."

  "There must be something we can do!"

  Chiana shook her head. "Only what I am doing. If Blade is still alive, they will torture him. If nothing else, sending the battalion to Contara will end his suffering."

  "Blade assassinated Endor in the Contara palace. There must be a way for men to rescue him."

  The Regent sighed, striving to remain composed. "Only Blade could do what he did. Others will fail, and by trying, increase Blade's suffering. Dravis will delight in punishing him for my mistakes."

  "How did he do it, do you know?"

  "He scaled a fifty-foot wall."

  "Perhaps he will escape."

  Chiana bowed her head, biting her lip. "Kerra... He is not a magician. I imprisoned him in these dungeons, and he could not escape. He is just a man."

  Kerra rose and approached the Regent, her expression forlorn. "Is there no hope at all?"

  "No. Please, I wish to be alone."

  The young Queen hesitated, then swung away and left. Chiana turned to the windows again, her eyes blind to the dying leaves and withered grass. Instead, she recalled the moment she had met a certain proud, aloof assassin with frigid, bitter eyes. She remembered his sweet smile and gentle touch, and her tears overflowed once more.

  Queen Minna-Satu stared at her husband as the colour drained from her cheeks. She glanced down at her embroidery, then put it aside before looking at him again.

  "What will you do?"

  Kerrion sat on a cushion beside her and took her hand. "I have already ordered Jovan to send him here. If he does not -"