A Lotus for the Regent (33 page)

Kamen studied
the soon-to-be Ausir King. If Kamen were constantly swimming in other people’s
anger, lust, and secrets, he would have become a mental idiot years ago. He
admired the boy his fortitude.

****

Jahen’s main
audience hall was filled with all the Fihdal, Vadal, and Ausir dignitaries in
Arinport. It was the first time Kamen had seen all the factions together in the
same room. The Seranimesti faction stood on the right side of the hall, their
white banner with its red rose prominent among its allies’ flags. The Kimereth
stood on the left, and Ansim stood proudly next to his family’s banner, a flag
of blue with a silver fish in the middle.

Kamen stood near
Jahen’s throne and watched everyone file in and present themselves to King
Jahen. Ajalira stood on the King’s other side and interpreted. Everyone was
posturing; all of them were suspicious under their false smiles. Kamen was back
in his element, and his mind raced, expecting anything.

“
We’re ready, Your Grace,” Kamen said, bowing to his King.

Jahen nodded.
“Welcome, one and all, to Arinport,” he said to his assembled guests, and all
conversation in the hall ceased. “We have gathered here to embrace peace and
harmony with the hope that what we build here today our children’s children
will enjoy and continue.”

Ansim Kimereth
whispered something behind his hand to his kinsman, and they both chuckled.
Something about how long Ausir live, no doubt. Jahen stumbled in his speech,
and he looked at Kamen. Kamen wanted to kill that Kimereth bastard on the spot.
Not only had he committed regicide and tried to have Kamen killed, but now he
disrespected the Sunjaa King?

“
Go on, Your Grace,” Kamen whispered to Jahen.

“
Therefore,” Jahen said, “the Sunjaa Crown will lend its strength to
the Ausir one and place upon the Norivean throne a King worthy of the office.”

Tall, muscular,
bare-chested slaves tugged at the large double doors at the end of the hall and
pulled them open. An honor guard of Seranimesti warriors entered the room two
abreast, the lead ones bearing the Seranimesti colors. Then came Tivanel in a
white tabard. He held his chin up and looked straight ahead, walking in
measured steps toward the throne. As far as everyone knew, he was to be King.

Kimereth
whispered behind his hand again to his kinsman, and they both stared at Tivanel
in open contempt. They might accept a Seranimesti King now, but they had disposed
of the Tamari. They would do it again.

Kamen shook his
head. It would be so much easier if he could just order Ansim dragged off and
executed.

Tivanel walked
to the center of the hall with his honor guard and stopped. He swiveled on one
foot and stood facing Kimereth. Then, with his hand on his belt near his sword
pommel, he said in a loud voice, “Make way for the King, Ellon Tamar’s heir,
scion of House Tamar, the last of the Khajira blood and rightful lord of all
Ausir, both Tamari and Larenai alike.” With that last part, he looked directly
at Ansim.

Confused,
whispered conversations broke out all over the room, and Kamen watched Kimereth
carefully. Ansim followed Tivanel’s gaze to the open doors.

Kaelmoro looked
so small when he walked into the throne room, but he wore the Tamar colors
well. On his tabard was blazoned a long, black spear with a gold tip on a green
field. Gasps accompanied his appearance, and though the men of the Vadal and
Fihdal kingdoms were nothing more than confused, the Ausir were enraged. Even
the Seranimesti rushed forward, but Tivanel held them back with an upraised
hand. He had not even told his own kinsmen.

“
Who is this impostor?” Ansim Kimereth cried out above the din.

“
Ellon Tamar’s heir,” Tivanel said, “and last of the Khajira blood,
as I just said.”

“
Impossible!” Ansim’s face was mottled with rage. “They were all
killed.”

“
Yes, by you,” Kaelmoro said, and the calm of his serious voice
silenced the chamber.

“
What did you say?” Ansim took a threatening step forward, and his kinsmen
surrounded him.

At that moment,
Kamen wished he had made the Ausir disarm before the ceremony, but they had all
thrown such a fit about being in proper military attire. Such were the ways of
the Ausir, apparently. Kamen stepped in front of Jahen, took the King’s hand,
and helped him to his feet. He was ready to move if need be.

Kaelmoro turned
to face Ansim. “You killed my uncle and my father and all those loyal to the
Crown. You dealt in poison, and you used your assassins to clean up anyone who
escaped your murders.” He glanced upward, his blue-green eyes, so like
Ajalira's, full of melancholy. “And the pearls return to the sea.”

Ansim leaped
forward in a rage, drew his sword, and struck at Kaelmoro before anyone could
respond. After all, who would have thought that the Kimereth lord would
actually strike the King in front of a thousand witnesses?

Kamen
immediately ordered the evacuation of the Sunjaa King, and once Saerileth had
Jahen safely away, he leaped down the steps and into the fray. This was going
to turn into a full-fledged melee if he did not do something.

“
I charge you, in the King’s name, put up your swords! Any who draws
blood in the King’s presence, his life is forfeit, Ausir and man, alike. Put up
your swords.” Kamen shouldered his way past people to get to Ansim Kimereth,
but he was already disarmed and in the custody of the Seranimesti.

The Kimereth all
drew their longswords and made ready to attack. It would be a bloodbath. But
Ansim raised his hand.

“
No,” he said. “Stand down.”

Kamen glanced
over at Kaelmoro. He lay dead in Tivanel’s arms, blood pouring from the wound
in his chest. Tivanel looked up at Kamen with such bewilderment swimming in his
green eyes that the Regent could not predict the Seranimesti’s next action.

Kamen stood on
the balls of his feet, his limbs as light as a cat’s. Ansim was being held
down. Tivanel wept. Kaelmoro lay dead. All the Ausir from the opposing factions
rushed forward. The Ausir civil war had infected Jahen’s own court.

“
Hear me speak.” Ansim struggled against his captors. “I admit my
guilt in everything.”

This gave the
Seranimesti and their allies pause. For a moment, this admission held eager,
bright swords at bay.

“
Speak on, dog.” Tivanel gently laid Kaelmoro’s body in his kinsman’s
arms. “Tell us how you and your ilk killed King Javin, this sweet boy’s uncle.”
His veins stood out on his neck as he spat the words through clenched teeth.

Ansim relaxed in
his captors’ grasps. “Not true. I worked alone.”

“
Liar.”

“
I tell you I did. Who will gainsay me? Present your evidence.”

But no one had
any, and Ansim knew that. He had played this one perfectly. He had murdered the
only one able to discover the truth and extent of the treachery, and he took
all the blame on himself. Certainly Ansim had not worked alone. He had
assassins do his work for him, probably men from his own house as well as from
other, lesser houses. Kaelmoro could have ruined everything with nothing more
than a caress of his mind. Ansim ended that, and thereby ended his own life.
But as Kamen looked in Ansim’s placid eyes, he saw how the murdering Ausir had
resigned himself to death. He would die for his crimes, but his family would
live. His house would retain its reputation, and there would be no retaliation
beyond the execution of Ansim. He took all the blame upon himself.

If Kamen were
not so disgusted by the slaughter of a child, he could have applauded Kimereth
for his cunning.

“
You are a murderer, and you will hang for it.” Tivanel marched
toward Ansim.

“
A patriot, not a murderer.” Ansim thrust himself forward, but strong
hands restrained him. “And I would do it again. I shit on the Tamari. I piss on
that boy's corpse!” And he spat on the floor.

Tivanel screamed
and drew his longsword.

“
No!” Kamen cried, but it was too late.

Seranimesti's
kinsmen held Kimereth up while Tivanel ran him through. The Ausir's lifeblood
flowed out over the crosspiece and down Tivanel's forearm.

Kamen's gaze
swept the room. How would he contain the chaos? He snapped his fingers, and a
slave brought him his shortblade. If he had to cut his way out, he would.
Ajalira was at his elbow. Of course. Tamari women fought beside their men. She
pulled the dagger from its hiding place in her dress and nodded at him. They
were ready.

But nothing
happened. Everyone silently stared at the two corpses lying on the throne room
floor. Just then a commotion outside caused everyone to turn. Through a side
door burst Darien and a squad of soldiers.

Kamen held up
his hand. “Hold!”

In that moment
of calm death, he understood Ansim's stratagem. Not only did he take sole
responsibility for the slaying of both kings, but by avoiding a trial and
public execution, he prevented anyone bringing evidence forward or his kinsmen
saying something under examination that would incriminate him. By slaying
Kaelmoro and bringing about a quick death for himself, Ansim secured his
family's position and ensured the continued thriving of his house. A brother or
cousin would inherit, and things would go on as they always had. And the Ausir
would have no King whom they could not hope to deceive.

Tivanel let his
sword clatter to the floor, whirled on the stunned crowd, and thrust out his
bloodied hands. “So much for regicides! Let this be my first official act as
your King. And let the world hearken now to my words: we
shall
have
peace, and any who bar the road shall follow this wretch into the grave. No
funeral, no rites. Your body will be tossed to the birds and beasts. Your wives
and daughters will be forbidden to mourn you. Test us, and you will see what strength
lies in Seranimesti mettle.”

That was
certainly one way to take the crown, and Kamen could not fault him his
ultimatum. The world had had its fill of war for a season.

Tivanel marched
halfway up the steps of Jahen's throne and turned back to his subjects. “This
war ends now.”

No cheering. No
coronation. Just blood and death, just Ajalira weeping over her brother's body.
A brother she never had the chance to know. Now the ancient and royal Khajira
blood lived on only through her and her children. It did not escape Kamen's
notice how Tivanel looked on her. He wanted her now, more than ever. Ajalira
was the last of Ellon Tamar's line.

But Kamen would
not give her up. He would set the sea on fire before he parted with his only
love.

****

Morning broke its
cold dawn over the desert, and as Arinport awoke to another day, Kamen and
Ajalira lay in bed. Kamen had awoken an hour earlier in the grey morning light
to find himself caressing Ajalira's hip. Now with the sun up, he lay on his
back with Ajalira lying in the crook of his arm. His erection tented the white
sheet that lay over them. As Ajalira snuggled on his shoulder, she played with
his nipple ring.

“
You know, Kamen,” she said, “I am the same as ever I was.”

Kamen glanced
down at her, but all he could see were her golden horns in his face. “What do
you mean?”

“
I will not break.”

Their sex had
been gentle this past week since his discovery of her pregnancy. He liked it
rough, but for the baby's sake, and her own, too, he was taking it easy.

“
But isn't it dangerous?”

Ajalira kissed
his chest. “Dearest one, perhaps you should not strap me to your X for a while,
but that does not mean you cannot give me that magnificent cock of yours just
the way I like it.”

Kamen rolled her
over and lay on top of her. He pulled the sheets up around them, making soft
sunlight filter through the thin fabric, illuminating Ajalira's pale skin. She
was lovelier than ever. Pregnancy suited her.

“
I love you, my concubine. My secret wife. Mother of my children.”

“
And I love you, my master. My secret husband. Father of my
children.”

Ajalira leaned
up and kissed Kamen's lips. When she lay back down, her hair fell around her
pillow, crowning her. “I must confess I was surprised that I conceived.”

“
Really?” Kamen propped his head up on his elbow. He walked his
fingers down from her full breasts to her belly. He wondered when she would
start showing.

“
When my mother got pregnant with Kaelmoro,” Ajalira said, “everyone
was surprised.” Her voice trailed off. Kamen knew the pain of her recent loss
was still with her, though it was not as deep as it could have been had she
known her brother better.

Kamen patted her
head and caressed her horns. “My lovely one.”

“
But they should not have been so surprised. My mother was, after
all, one-eighth human.”