Empire of Avarice (69 page)

Amne was surprised to see drinks waiters suddenly appear
with bottles of wine, and they began pouring the liquid into each goblet. For a
besieging army in a devastated region it struck an odd note. She lifted her
half full goblet and looked at the wine. A clear white wine, probably from the
Aester coast. They tended to be a little sharp.

Astiras stood, followed by the rest of the men. “To
Princess Amne!”

“To Princess Amne!” the rest chorused.

Amne smiled and lifted her glass in acknowledgement. They
all took a mouthful, before the men sat down. She looked across at Lalaas. “I’m
pleased to see you’ve been released, Lalaas.”

“Ma’am,” Lalaas replied. He looked slightly
uncomfortable. Amne knew this wasn’t his comfort zone. “Thanks to your
testimony.”

Astiras cleared his throat. “Yes. You and I have still
to discuss that, Lalaas.”

“Sire,” Lalaas bowed formally.

“Oh, father, don’t be such a fuss. He saved my life.”

Astiras smiled at his daughter. “I wish to have a word
with both of you. After this meal.”

Amne let that go, and settled down to enjoy her first
full course meal for a long time. The captains chatted at length about the
Mazag and their prowess with the bow whilst riding. Lalaas made the comment
that he had one of their bows and Astiras pounced on that. “You will bring that
with you when you see me after the meal, Lalaas.”

“My lord.”

Amne didn’t engage much with the general conversation. It
seemed to mostly be on military matters which didn’t interest her, but she gathered
that Zofela was tottering on the edge of surrendering. No food or supplies were
getting through now and the winter was taking its toll on them. Elmar, the
garrison commander, had pleaded to allow the women and children to pass through
the Kastanian lines but Astiras had refused.

“Why, father? Surely it would be an act of charity to do
so!”

Astiras smiled at his daughter. He shook his head. “Not
military sense. Lalaas, perhaps you could explain why?”

Lalaas stirred. He looked down at his plate, then up at
Amne. “If your father allowed the women and children out, then he would have to
feed and house them. Where? There are no places for them to go, and Elmar may
insert a spy or two amongst them, maybe to sabotage things here or to pass back
information to him. Also, by letting the women and children out, it means
Zofela has longer to hold out as the food will last longer. Your father wishes
an end to this as soon as possible. All this is a drain on the imperial
treasury.”

Astiras nodded in agreement. “Lalaas has the general
idea, Amne. Also Bragalese children have murdered plenty of Kastanian soldiers
already in this war and I do not wish for my camp to be endangered in that way.
Harsh, but a realistic fact of this war. With the fall of Zofela this war will
be at an end. Thank the gods.”

Amne shook her head. It was something she didn’t
understand nor wish to. She changed the subject. “What of Kastan City? How are
mother, Argan and Istan?”

Astiras brought her up to date with events in Kastan as
he understood them. He also mentioned the treaty with the Tybar, and Amne felt
pleased. Not only had she secured a treaty with one neighbour, but her father
had done the same with another. Kastania was in a safer position that it had
been three years ago. Maybe all the hard work and sufferings she’d endured all
this time had been worth it.

Afterwards Astiras escorted her to his quarters, along
the passageway to the other end of the building. The first two rooms were guard
quarters, and the emperor’s was the third. Amne found a comfortable wooden
chair with a cushion to sit in and engaged in small talk with her father until
Lalaas turned up, escorted by Tesduskis, holding the Mazag bow.

The hunter bowed and placed the bow on Astiras’ desk. The
emperor picked it up and examined it. It was short, half the height of a
standard man, but tight and required just as much strength to pull it as a
Taboz bow. “Very interesting. Teduskis,” he thrust it at his retainer. “Take it
apart and find out what it’s made of, and then make me lots. Send it to the
imperial workshops in Kastan.”

“Sire,” Teduskis left.

“Now,” Astiras leaned forward, lacing his fingers,
staring intently at Lalaas stood before him. “You have seen my daughter naked. I
do not have to remind you, do I, if you repeat this to anyone I’ll rip your
tongue out of your mouth?”

“Sire,” Lalaas stood stiffly to attention.

“Father!” Amne said, shocked.

“Amne, I am your father and have a father’s instinct for
his daughter. You are also a princess of the imperial dynasty, and Lalaas is a
commoner. This just does not happen!”

“He saved my life!” Amne stood up, clenching her fists. “Without
him I would not be here now!”

“I charged this man here before he left with saving your
life no matter what, even if it cost him his own. He was doing his duty.”

“Saving my life no matter what,” Amne shouted heatedly,
standing alongside Lalaas, “means no matter what, father! If he hadn’t done
what he did I would have died. Have you ever seen cold fever?”

Astiras eyed his daughter. Something deep had changed
within her. She would not have dared challenge him before. She was much more –
adult – since leaving Kastan. “He still took liberties, Amne. I am not comfortable
with that!”

“Oh for Kastan’s sake, father! What did you expect him
to do, gouge out his eyes before doing what he did?”

Lalaas remained standing, staring at the ceiling. He
wanted to hug the furious woman by his side. She was so alive, passionate,
beautiful. She was shouting down the emperor on his behalf!

Astiras grumbled. “He’s still seen you….”

“I know, and it matters not to me, after all, it’s my
body he’s seen, not yours.”

“Amne, you’re sounding like a courtesan. What’s happened
to you?”

“Father, do you have to say that, especially in front of
Lalaas?”

“Sorry,” Astiras waved a hand in the air. “But you’re
not the same woman who left Kastan.” He looked at Lalaas. “I suspect you’ve had
something to do with this?”

“My lord?”

“Just exactly what did you teach my daughter?”

“To survive, lord. Your daughter can look after
herself.”

“Hmph! She will have servants at Court to do that.”

Amne pulled a face. “I don’t want empty-headed ninnies
attending my needs, father.”

“Amne Koros, you will accept what is given to you, and
do not be ungrateful.”

“Father, you and I have to have a serious discussion,
but not in front of anyone else.”

Astiras looked at his daughter for a long moment, then
stood up abruptly. “As you wish. Before that, Lalaas, I thank you for
succeeding in bringing my daughter safely back unharmed. I shall reward you
appropriately in due course. You are now to report back to General Teduskis for
your new orders.”

“Sire,” Lalaas saluted, thumping his chest. He left.

“Well?” Astiras faced Amne.

Although Amne only came up to Astiras’ collar, she stood
her ground. “I am not going to follow your wishes, father, unless I’m happy to
go along with them.”

“What?”

“You think I’m just another woman to do your bidding? I’m
your daughter! You’ve got plans for me, haven’t you? I wouldn’t even be
surprised if you’ve lined up someone to marry me on my return to Kastan.”

Astiras looked perplexed. “Well…”

Amne drew in her breath sharply. “You have! You didn’t
even ask me first! How beastly! I’m not twelve anymore, father!”

Astiras spread his hands in a conciliatory manner. “Amne,
you’re twenty-three, and not a young girl anymore. You have to marry and soon,
or you’ll be too old. There’s a young nobleman at Court we’ve identified would
be perfect as a match.”

“And who is this man who is going to make me happy the
rest of my life?” Amne asked acidly.

Astiras looked uncomfortable. It had seemed perfect when
he and Isbel had discussed it a short while ago. “You know the Pelgion family? Big
estates in Frasia near Kastan City?”

“I know of them, yes.”

“They have a son, Elas. Twenty-one, tall, a potential
warrior. Seems the right choice.”

Amne glared at her father. “And without me seeing if
he’s suitable to me? What if he’s got the face of a bovine’s rear end?”

“Amne! Where did you learn to talk like that? He hasn’t,
incidentally, so rest assured there.”

“So what is he like? Does he like riding? Does he eat
properly, or with his mouth open? Does he smell? Does he know how to talk to a
woman? Does he like children? Does he hate children?”

“Uhhh..”

“Father!” Amne shrieked. “You have no idea whether he’s
a courteous pleasing man or an axe wielding maniac! I might be married to a
moklar!”

“Amne, for Kastan’s sake!” Astiras yelled. “I will not
have you using such language!”

“Then don’t provoke me, father! I’m not the empty vessel
I was before, waiting for a man to fill me. I know what I want from my life and
I will have a say in it!”

“You will obey me, Amne; I am your father and the
emperor of Kastan!”

“The emperor of empty-headed planning!”

Astiras went beet red. “You have gone too far with me,
Amne. I may be your father but that does not entitle you to defy me in this
way. If you persist in this sort of behaviour then I shall arrange for you to
spend the rest of your days in a temple serving the gods, forever a virgin. Daughter
of mine or not – if you do not serve this family and the empire in the way I
wish, then that is what your fate will be.”

Amne clenched her fists. Her face was white with fury. “Is
that all I am to you, father? A useable object for your own dynastic ambitions?
Do my feelings have no value? Don’t you want happiness for me? Do you think so
little of me as a person?”

“You do not understand, Amne,” Astiras said gravely,
staring hard at her. “We all must make sacrifices. Kastania comes first. Our
wishes are secondary. I hoped you would understand that. When you agreed to
take on the mission to the Mazag I thought you did, putting the needs of the
empire before your own comfort and safety.”

Amne fumed, opening and closing her hands. “I can serve
the empire, father, my marrying a noble of my choice; not one of yours or of
mother’s. What does it matter if it’s Elas Pelgion or…or… anyone else?”

“Anyone else?” Astiras said softly but with an
underlying menace. “Such as?”

Amne hesitated. She saw danger opening before her. “Oh,
Vosgaris Taboz, for one.”

“Vosgaris?” Astiras exclaimed, looking in surprise at
his daughter. “You would consider marrying him?”

“Why not?” Amne retorted. “He’s not a bad looking man. He’s
kind, honest, hard-working. He’s known by us all. I would be quite happy to
marry him. And he’s a noble!”

Astiras growled, waving his hand dismissively. “A minor
noble. No real political power. The Pelgion are powerful and we need their
support. Marriage between our Houses would make us much more powerful and gain
a huge amount of support in the Council. We could push through more difficult
changes with their backing. I need their support Amne, please. Please?”

Amne had never seen her father pleading with her before.
The fire had gone out of her when she’d nearly blurted out Lalaas’ name. Suddenly
she felt the gilded prison bars of being a princess closing around her. It
depressed her. She closed her eyes and bowed her head.

“I would be very grateful, eternally so, Amne.”

Amne snapped her eyes open and gave her father a steely
look. “Then I shall marry this Elas Pelgion, father, on two conditions. I want
your word on both. If you give me them, on the gods, then you’ll have your
marriage alliance.”

Her father looked long and hard at her, then sat down
slowly. “What are these two conditions, Amne?”

She told him. Astiras shook his head. Amne folded her
arms and turned her back on him. Astiras tried to reason with her. Amne shook
her long blond hair and stood her ground. Then she walked to the door. “I’m
going out, father. I’ll stay out until you see reason. You’re so stubborn.”

“And what of you?”

Amne paused in the doorway. “I am your daughter, after
all. I’m just like you, so I’m told.” With that she was gone, leaving Astiras
tapping his desk in irritation. She marched along the passageway and went to
her room, changing back into her riding clothes. She needed to work off some of
the frustration she felt.

Teduskis, having sent Lalaas as far from the camp as
possible, on orders from Astiras, was returning from checking the guards when
Amne came striding past him, her hair blowing in the chill wind. “Ma’am?” he
asked, surprise showing on his face. Alarm replaced it when he saw her making
her way to where the Mazag were seated, around the stables, cooking up a stew
in a large pot on a blazing fire. A couple of their equines were saddled up
still. “Hey, Miss Amne, I wouldn’t go over there…”

“Oh, phoo-ey, Teduskis, you’re like an old nervous
grandmother. I’m fine!” She carried on, calling out to the Mazag. “Boys, can I
ride one of your beautiful equines?”

“Princess!” the Mazag stood up, smiling. “Yes, yes! We
would be honoured. This one?” one of the soldiers patted an equine standing
next to him.