Chapter Eight #4
I’d never spent much time with Dlyenko, my half-brother and the youngest of the first queen’s children, but as I walked across the chamber and peered out the thick glass of the window on the far side of the wall, I was suddenly jealous.
I opened the door next to the window and stepped out onto the small balcony jutting out of the rock.
Looking down, I had a clear view of the ocean waves crashing against the rocks below.
If I squinted, I could see the rotting masts of the great shipwreck.
When the red vein disease had come, some of our people had tried to escape on a large trading vessel.
But the sailors had been killed and eaten, and those who piled on the ship were not seafarers.
They wrecked the ship on a sandbar and had to swim back to shore, where Hollows waited for them.
“This water is loud,” came a voice. I turned to see Taio emerge behind me.
“Most people find the sound of the ocean soothing.”
He raised his brows, a gesture I was beginning to understand meant he thought something strange but was too polite to say it outright.
I glanced at the position of the sun in the sky and sighed.
It was already late afternoon. We did not have much time.
“We’d better make our plans,” I said, pushing past him.
I crossed the center of the room and went to the door, but Yung stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
“No!” Yung said followed by a stream of words I didn’t understand.
Taio closed the balcony door, listened to Yung then turned to me. “Where are you going?”
“The library. I want to consult the maps and plan our route.”
“That is good, but we will not leave this chamber. Send a servant to bring the maps.”
“Fine.” I went to the bell pull and yanked it then looked about the room until I spotted a table near the hearth.
An inkwell and parchment sat on one corner of the table.
I crossed to it, sat, immediately regretted that, and rose stiffly to write out the list of books I wanted.
Taio looked over my shoulder. I’d written no more than three words when he plucked the quill out of my hand.
“What—”
“No writing. You say the names of the books.”
“Why? It’s faster to write the titles down.”
He folded his arms over his chest, an indication he would not budge on this.
“Taio,” I said, pointing to the window. “The hour grows later, and you want to leave at first light. We are running out of time.”
“Then speak quickly.”
I opened my mouth to argue, when I remembered that he’d had that parchment in the royal language.
Mayhap he worried I would write in that language or there were others I knew that he didn’t.
All our problems came back to trust—rather, the lack of trust. He didn’t trust that I wouldn’t write something to betray him.
“Fine,” I said. The door opened, but instead of a servant, Gaz and Nize stood in the doorway.
Gaz’s eyes went to me and widened. I realized Taio and I were standing close together, and I took a step away from him.
Omira and Kintle moved forward in defensive postures.
Clearly, they hadn’t expected two soldiers to appear at the door.
I saw Gaz reach for his weapon, and I started across the chamber to place myself between the two groups.
I’d taken one step before Taio grabbed my shoulders and hauled me back against his chest. I was so surprised I did nothing for several seconds.
“Hurt them,” Taio said, “and I hurt her.” He ran a hand down my arm, and I flicked my elbow to dislodge him. I did not like being his insurance. His words had an effect, though. Gaz lifted his hand away from his sword and resorted to glaring at Taio.
“You summoned us,” Gaz said, his gaze slipping to mine. In his expression I saw pain. My own heart ached in sympathy. I didn’t want to lose him, but I no longer had a choice.
“Mara summoned servants,” Taio answered.
“The servants are busy elsewhere,” Nize said. “What do you need?”
The king had most likely asked for soldiers to guard the Zulenii chamber. I prayed to the gods Papa hadn’t concocted some sort of plan to rescue me from Taio. I didn’t want anyone else hurt—on either side.
“I need maps,” I said, straining to make my bruised voice heard across the chamber. “I thought perhaps Bothkin’s Atlas might show the western border.”
Gaz looked at Taio and then me. “You want to map out your path from here to Zulen.” Gaz’s tone was one of resignation.
I nodded. Perhaps it was fortunate that Gaz had answered my summons. He would know the sort of information I needed.
“I will fetch you Bothkin’s Atlas and the historical maps of the area.” He glanced at Nize. “Who has been on the western-most patrol?”
“Jolen was on patrol in the west a few years ago,” Nize said, speaking of Finnrey’s brother.
I met Gaz’s eyes. I remembered that patrol returning.
Half the soldiers had been lost to Hollows.
We kept a patrol on the perimeter of the western side of the kingdom now, but we didn’t venture further than necessary to defend the outermost farms and settlements—if any had even survived.
This was one reason Taio had passed into Earsleh undetected until he was only a couple of days from Highcastle.
“Could you see if Jolen will consult with me?” I asked. Nize nodded.
“Anything else?” Gaz asked, his gaze on mine.
Taio answered. “We require food and water for bathing. My bride”—his hand settled heavy on my shoulder—“is hungry and dusty.”
Gaz’s dark eyes flared with anger, but he held it in check.
I was too shocked at Taio’s use of the word bride to do more than stand in place like some sort of statue.
I had almost forgotten I was to be Taio’s bride.
What was the Zulen wedding custom? Was I expected to bear him children?
Did he have other wives? Children? Did the Zulenii allow for divorce?
Gaz finally gave a sharp nod and turned on his heel, followed by Nize. Yung said something, and Taio answered.
“What did he say?” I asked.
“He said be careful of that one,” Taio answered, moving away from me.
“Gaz is a good soldier. He has years of experience fighting Hollows.”
“He is your lover?” Taio asked.
I started. “What?”
“Is that not the correct word? A person with whom you are intimate? The kissing and touching and—”
“I know what intimate means,” I said hurriedly. “No, Gaz is not my lover.”
“He wants to be.”
I turned quickly, so quickly my head spun. Those words had come from a feminine voice. Omira had been silent so far, but now she had spoken in my language, and her speech was clear. Her accent was not as pronounced as Taio’s.
“You speak our language?”
“We have all had lessons,” she said. “Some of us remember better than others.” She glanced at Yung.
I had thought only Taio knew our language, but that was an assumption. I’d probably made far too many assumptions. “Who taught you?” I asked. Old Ceba knew some Zulenii, but he had never taught any of us, as far as I knew.
Omira shrugged and gestured to the room.
She said something in Zulenii and Taio answered.
For the first time, I realized I was at a disadvantage.
They could discuss anything they wanted about me, and I would have no idea.
I watched Omira’s hand gestures closely and realized she was probably discussing the sleeping arrangements.
Dlyenko had a large bed on one side of the chamber.
It was quite large, actually, and could probably sleep three.
Near the hearth, on the other side of the chamber by the writing table where I stood, was a rug, a chair, a couch, and a small altar with an incense pot that looked untended.
Omira pointed to the bed and then the couch.
“I’ll sleep on the couch,” I said, volunteering. It was only a little shorter than my bed at home. I would have volunteered to take the floor, but I didn’t think my ass would thank me for that.
Omira shook her head. “I sleep on the couch. Yung will sleep on the floor, and Kintle will take first watch. Then we change for second watch.”
“What about me?”
She smiled. “You sleep in the bed. With Taio.”
My breath caught in my throat and my belly fluttered.
I cut my gaze at Taio, and his lips curved into a smile.
His smile matched his sister’s, and both were expressions of victory.
I might have tried to argue if a knock hadn’t sounded on the door.
It was too soon for Gaz to return or for my mother or Finnrey to have finished their work.
Taio’s smile disappeared, and he gave me a questioning look. I shook my head and shrugged.
Taio nodded to his team, who moved closer to me, reminding me I was the insurance. Then he called out, “Come!”
The door opened, revealing Ecdra. The last time I’d seen my father’s man was at the arena. He’d been standing behind my father in the king’s box. The head of the honor guard still wore his official regalia. He gave me a stiff bow. “Lady Mara. Prince Taio. The king wishes an audience.”
“Bring him here,” Taio said.
I gasped and gave him a horrified look. One did not order the king to do anything. One obeyed the king. But it seemed Ecdra had anticipated this response as he only frowned in disapproval. He gestured behind him. “He has sent the Court Historian to speak for him. Will you receive him?”
“I will,” Taio said. He went to the nearby chair, and I thought he would sit in it, but instead, he placed it near the hearth, in which a low fire burned. “He may sit here,” Taio said.