"Dravis is behind this, and he will not send Blade here, no matter what you promise Jovan."
"I know. I am mustering the army. I leave for Ashmarad within the next day or two. I will find Dravis, and -"
"Does Chiana know?"
Kerrion nodded. "I have sent a message to her, and told her to do nothing. I will deal with Jovan and Dravis. If they have Blade, I shall take him from them and arrange his escape."
"You did not, when he was condemned to be executed here."
"I could not. You know that. It will be a simple matter to arrange it in Contara. I will save him, I promise."
She shook her head. "If you go there with an army, they will kill him. If you go there with a company, they will kill you too."
"I shall do my utmost."
"Yes, you will try, and so will Chiana. Do not be surprised to discover that Jashimari has invaded Contara by the time you get there."
"I am expecting that. But I promise you, I will make that little bastard pay for this. Scorpions are easily stepped on, and there is no law against killing familiars. If nothing else, Dravis will spend the rest of his days not only in prison, but also Bereft."
"You cannot save him, Kerrion." Minna gripped his hand. "Not even you and Chiana together can save him. Even if you conquer Contara utterly between you, and lay it to waste. No one can save him. Dravis will kill him."
The King sighed and stared into space. "How ironic, that he should start a war."
"He ended the last one."
"And now he starts a new one."
"Give Dravis to Chiana."
Kerrion shot her a surprised glance. "Why?"
"Because she will execute him. You cannot, according to Cotti law, even now. But she can. She has just cause if he has slain a Jashimari nobleman, especially the Lord Protector."
He gazed at her, then nodded. "Very well."
"Promise me something."
"Anything."
"Find his body. Do not let him rot in a gutter. He must be returned to Jashimari for burial."
Kerrion raised her hand and kissed it. "I swear it."
"Chiana will see to it that he has a proper funeral." She paused, her eyes distant. "Did you know that there have only been two other Lord Protectors?"
"No, I did not know that."
She nodded. "Only two, in all of Jashimari history. There was Dramar, Lord Protector in Queen Lyra-Neru's day, and Ferrus, in Queen Jilla-Katta's reign. There is a tomb for them, in the royal burial chambers. Blade must be laid to rest there."
"He will be, if he dies. Do not give up hope."
"There is no hope. You know it as well as I."
Kerrion glanced around with a frown as the door opened, and Jadar entered, looking apologetic as he straightened from his bow.
"What is it, Jadar? I ordered the guards to let no one in here."
"I apologise, Sire. An urgent message from the Jashimari Regent has arrived. I thought you should be informed immediately. It is important."
"What is it?"
"Regent Chiana has sent a battalion of troops into Contara to search for her husband and arrest Prince Dravis."
Kerrion's brows rose. "Only a battalion? I am surprised."
"What are your orders, Sire?"
"Wish her luck."
"Sire?"
Kerrion frowned. "Do you have a hearing problem, Jadar? Send a message to Chiana, and in it, wish her good luck with her search."
"Sire, Contara is Cotti soil."
"And my idiot half-brothers have imprisoned the Regent's husband. Do you think I will defend them from her wrath?"
Jadar hesitated, glancing at Minna. "According to Regent Chiana's message, her husband is dead, Sire."
"Thank you. Leave us."
As the door closed behind the advisor, Kerrion turned to Minna-Satu, who stared across the room, her expression desolate. He pulled her into his arms and stroked her hair.
"Weep for him, if you want. We are quite alone. There is no need to hide your grief from me. I know you loved him."
"I want that bastard brother of yours to pay," she whispered.
"I will hand him over to Chiana."
Chiana gazed down at her husband's body, her heart filled with misery. Tears ran down her face as she leant closer to place a hand upon his brow. His face looked as if it was carved from alabaster, the light of the bier room's many torches gilding its fine features. He lay upon the marble plinth where Queen Minna-Satu had died, his hands folded on his chest. A dagger lay under them, glinting in the flickering light. Flowing silver designs ran down the sleeves of his black velvet jacket and thighs of his matching trousers.
Blade's icy brow chilled her palm, and her breath caught as her fingers traced his face's frozen lines. His hair had been freed from its thong, and spread across the white satin pillow. Her hand brushed against his throat and lingered on the tattoo at the base of it. Her fingers came to rest on his chest, where no heartbeat. Clasping his hand, she lifted it and pressed her lips to the scarred skin as her weeping redoubled.
Chiana stroked his hair where it grew from his brow, etching his visage forever in her memory as it was now, at peace at last. His long lashes lay against his pale skin, and she traced the faint scar that ran along his cheekbone. Chiana bent and pressed her lips to his, the frigid touch of his dead flesh making her shiver. Her tears fell upon his skin and ran down his cheeks as if he wept too, and she wiped them away.
"How did you die?" Her whisper echoed around the room.
Blade's eyes opened, staring through her like pits of ice, and she recoiled with a gasp. Gripping his hand, she turned to shout at whoever was behind her.
"He is alive! Bring a healer! He is alive."
When Chiana turned back to him, his eyes were closed again. She searched his face for some sign that he lived, clinging to desperate hope. His features remained cold and still, his hand limp in hers. She clasped it and wept, calling his name over and over again, as if to summon him back from beyond death's dark door.
Chiana sat up in a tangle of damp sheets, her breath catching in a ragged sob. She was alone in her bed chamber, her heart fluttering in the aftermath of the harrowing dream. Wiping her eyes with trembling hands, she lay down again. The image of Blade's dead face filled her mind when she closed her eyes, and she opened them to banish it. The nightmare of Inka's death had been usurped, it seemed, by Blade's.
Rising, she lighted the lamp and carried it into the sitting room, where she poured a cup of wine and went out onto the balcony. The night air made her shiver, just as the touch of Blade's lips had done in her dream. Sipping the wine, she gazed at the city spires visible over the palace wall. How she wished she could be out there, searching for him. Or his body. She leant on the railing and looked down at the flagstones far below, recalling the fateful day when she had tried to leap to her death.
Blade's grip on her wrist had been painful, and the bruises he inflicted had remained for a tenday. She was still amazed that he had been strong enough to hold onto her for so long, and then pull her to safety. He did not look that strong. She recalled the look in his eyes when he had spoken the words that had made her decide to live. Anguish had filled them, mixed with rage. His words still brought her joy whenever she remembered them.
Prince Dravis stormed into his brother's study, a crumpled letter in his fist, and thumped it on the Contara Governor's desk, glaring at him.
"This is your doing!"
Jovan shook his head. "I beg to differ. You are the one who captured that bloody assassin, and then informed his damned wife. What did you think would happen?"
"But I am not the one who told Kerrion about it!"
"Did you think he would not find out? How far did you think this through, exactly?"
Dravis straightened and ran a hand through his hair. "Kerrion was supposed to come to your defence, not join forces with that damned harpy!"
"According to his message, he is coming here to find you, although I have denied that you are
here. He knows you are behind this. The whole mess stinks of your plotting, and he is not a fool, as you said yourself."
"He was not supposed to bring the entire bloody army!" Dravis shouted. "He should have had a company with him, no more. The army should have been sent to the border to stop the Jashimari battalion. Contara is Cotti territory, yet he is behaving as if he is invading it!"
"How does that hamper you? Allow him to capture you, and let your familiar do the rest. You have bragged many times that -"
"There are no sand scorpions in Contara, you blithering idiot!"
Jovan's brows rose. "Then how were you planning to murder him?"
"I... Perhaps it will still work."
"What?"
Dravis shook his head. "The less you know, the better."
"For your sake, I hope your plan is fool proof. Now he has accused me of treason too, for harbouring you. Make sure he does not find you. I will disown you if he does. I will claim I knew nothing of your presence here. Do not expect me to share your fate. Already I have been banished for freeing you, and you have brought this on yourself."
Dravis sneered, "Truly, brother, your loyalty is heartening. How long do you suppose it will take him to get the truth out of your advisors, servants and lords? Many of them know about me. They may be loyal to you, but they will not withstand Kerrion's torturers. Do not be concerned though, you are already banished. He cannot do anything more to punish you."
Jovan glowered at him, and Dravis suspected that he now regretted helping his younger brother to escape. That did not concern Dravis though, he only wished that there were not so many older brothers, and countless nephews, between him and the crown. Still, Jovan was easily manipulated, so Dravis would rule by proxy. He did not regret capturing the Jashimari assassin. That had been a stroke of good fortune and sheer genius, combined with incredible stupidity on the part of the Queen's Blade, to be alone in a Jashimari village.
"The only mystery," he murmured, "is why Jashimari is not invading Contara, but merely sending a battalion to arrest me, apparently. Weak women. And yet, I thought she would have more spine than that. I trust you have ordered the border guards to prevent them from entering?"
"That would start a war, and Kerrion will not defend Contara now. He has made his intentions clear. No, I have done enough for you. I will let them enter, so you had best find a good place to hide."
"You are a spineless worm, Jovan."
Chapter Seventeen
Kerrion arrived in Ashmarad tired and dusty from the three-tenday ride across the desert, his temper frayed by the hardships he had been forced to endure. His spies had informed him that the Jashimari battalion had entered Contara three days before. Ashmarad was almost an equal distance from Jondar and Jadaya, perhaps a little further from the Cotti capital, and the Jashimari battalion did not have to negotiate the mountain pass to reach it. He had lost a dozen men to scorpion stings and snakebite, and he intended to ensure that Jovan paid for that.
The Contara army had not impeded his march to Ashmarad, but then, he had not expected it to. Jovan knew that pitting himself against the desert army's might would be a futile endeavour, and only compound his crimes. The desolation in Minna's eyes when she had learnt of Blade's death had cut Kerrion to the core, and he intended to ensure that Jovan and Dravis paid for that, too. If he had doubted the depths his wife's love for the assassin before, he was certain of it now. Perhaps, as Minna claimed, it was a sisterly love, but somehow he doubted it. A small, jealous part of him was relieved that the assassin was dead, but a far larger part mourned his loss keenly.
Kerrion glanced back at Prethos, considering the young prince before gazing ahead at the Contara fortress once more. Appointing such a youthful brother as the new Contaran Governor was dangerous. Prethos had few friends and no powerful lords in his retinue. Kerrion would have to leave his most trusted friend and staunchest ally, Lord Batian, here to help and protect Prethos. The young Prince, however, would make a good governor, and, with Batian's help, rule Contara with fairness and compassion.
Prethos had expressed a wish to visit Contara several times, to paint its verdant landscapes and learn its varied and colourful culture and music. His appointment had pleased him, and he gazed around now with rapt interest. Prethos would be a grave liability for Batian, and Kerrion hoped his friend would be able to keep him safe. The Prince would doubtless wish to mingle with the Contaran nobility and explore the countryside, exploits that the governor of a conquered land would be well advised to avoid. Then again, Prethos, with his winsome ways and shy demeanour, may prove to be a popular ruler. At least he was a willing one.
Jovan, on the other hand, had hardly stopped whining since he had been banished to Contara. Now he would have even more to whine about, for his exile would continue, but his rule would end, compounding his punishment. Appointing a younger prince over him would also be humiliating, and Kerrion wondered if Jovan would become as scheming as Dravis in his anger. That was another danger of appointing Prethos. Kerrion sighed. Everything he did was fraught with pitfalls. Perhaps he should give Jovan to Chiana as well.
The Contaran populace that lined the main thoroughfare watched Kerrion pass with glum expressions. The troops who had entered ahead of the royal party to clear the way held them at bay with spears. Some furtive spitting was certainly going on in the crowd, and a few bold men glared. Kerrion hated visiting Contara for this reason. He had not wished to conquer the kingdom. His lords had forced him to, for they had lusted for the conquest that had been denied them when Kerra had ascended the Jashimari throne. Perhaps, in a few years, when Contara had paid enough in tithes, he would be able to free the kingdom, although finding a legitimate ruler would not be easy.
Kerrion returned his attention to the Contaran fortress as his horse clattered into the courtyard and a groom ran up to take the animal's reins. The royal abode could not be described as a palace. Compared to Jashimari and Cotti, Contara was a poor kingdom. Its poverty was due, in most part, to the warlike inclinations of its people, who spent much of their time in minor conflicts and neglected the economy as a result. Nobles had carved out realms for themselves, and defended them in a formidable keeps such as this one. The castle's sheer grey stone walls, crowned with crenulations, boasted only a few narrow windows.
The outer wall was two man-heights tall and a man-height wide, and a sectioned battle courtyard surrounded the castle, each area separated by an equally high wall. Fortified buttresses overhung high above, where, during a war, catapults would be stationed to hurl their deadly cargo over the outer walls. Jovan's banner flew from the highest turret, snapping in the breeze.
Kerrion dismounted, stifled a groan and resisted the urge to rub his aching posterior. It felt as if several layers of skin had been rubbed off it, and he made a mental note to look into having a padded saddle made for the return trip.
An honour guard of Jovan's soldiers snapped to attention when he turned to them, then lowered their spears and knelt, as was expected of a prince's men. Prethos jumped down with the boisterous enthusiasm of youth, making Kerrion shoot him a sour glance. There was something humiliating about travelling with a youngster. It seemed to make Kerrion's bones ache even more. He glanced up as Jovan emerged onto the steps above him and hurried down to his level, bowing low.
"Welcome, Sire."
Kerrion glared at him. "Do not delude yourself that this visit will go well for you, and do not think to ingratiate yourself with humble ways or sly compliments. I am in no mood for it, nor will I tolerate any whining."
"Of course, Sire." Jovan straightened, glowering at Kerrion's feet.
"My feet are not to be addressed by you, either. Look me in the eye when you lie to me, so I may be sure to mark your duplicity."
Jovan raised his eyes and drew himself up. "We are honoured by your -"
"Enough false greetings, too. I require a hot bath, wine and a meal. First, I wish to see the Queen's Blade."
"At once, Sire."
&nbs
p; Kerrion walked towards the citadel's open doors, where liveried servants knelt. "Bring him to your audience hall now. You do have an audience hall, do you not?"
"I do, Sire. I shall order it."
"Get on with it then."
Jovan trotted ahead to snap orders at a servant, who ran off. The Prince turned to Kerrion again, gesturing towards the entrance. "This way, Sire. Allow me to -"
"Still your tongue unless I ask you a question."
The Prince reddened, glancing at Prethos, who giggled. Kerrion shot the youth a hard look that wiped the smile from his face and stalked into the palace, following the servant who trotted ahead.
The Contara audience chamber proved to a spacious, banner-hung room, its walls built from expertly dressed grey stone fitted together so perfectly that no mortar was required. Kerrion gazed around, admiring the workmanship and zeal that had gone into constructing such finely crafted walls from such massive stone blocks. Each one must weigh several horse-weights, and he pondered the effort that must have gone into placing them so flawlessly atop their neighbours. High above, war banners and lordly emblems adorned massive beams. Coats of arms hung between the wall flags, and a shield emblazoned with Jovan's crest stood behind the gilt throne.
Kerrion sank down on it with a grimace, shifting to ease his bruises and longing for a cushion. Lord Batian came to stand on his left hand, and Prethos took up his position to the right, making Jovan glare at him in confusion. The King accepted a cup of wine from a hovering attendant and sipped it, tapping his fingers on the arm of the throne. Several minutes later, two guards entered, dragging a dishevelled black-haired man. He was clad in black leather clothes, and walked with dragging steps and a bowed head. Kerrion knew immediately that it was not Blade.
The guards forced the prisoner to his knees and gripped his hair to raise his head. Kerrion studied the unfortunate's gaunt visage, then looked at Jovan, who fidgeted.
"Who is this?"
"The Queen's Blade, Sire."
The Queen's Blade VI - Lord Protector Page 19
