Master of the Dance (16 page)

Black flags flew from every turret and flagpole, and the troops who followed the coffins carried their spears point down. Two saddled, riderless horses walked behind their former masters' caskets. The King and all the princes were obliged to attend, and rode in the cortege in full royal regalia, their helmets off.

This was the first time since Minna's rescue that Kerrion had been forced to leave the palace, and, to ensure their safety, he had hidden her and Kerra in the harem. Minna had begged Blade to don a female disguise and join them, but he had refused. Instead, he had moved to the empty suite, deciding that he would be safe enough there. Dravis could not enter the palace without being arrested, and Jovan would not dare to try to kill him, Kerrion asserted.

As the funeral procession dwindled into the distance, Blade lost interest in it, moved to a chair and picked up a book. It was an account of King Jadaya, who had founded the capital city almost two thousand years ago, and whose deeds the author greatly exaggerated. Parts of it he found boring, personal details that he skipped over. King Jadaya had been a diviner in an Age of Elements, a water wizard who had found the underground river over which Jadaya had been built.

Jadaya had also been a cruel monarch, and thousands of men had died digging the wells that tapped the river and now fed the city. This was before the Endless War, but, to supply his need for labour, he had raided Jashimari and enslaved poor farmers who dwelt just beyond the mountains. The Jashimari slaves had succumbed to the sand fly disease, and fresh ones were in constant demand. King Jadaya had built his palace over the largest well, which now supplied its denizens and the vast gardens.

A faint scream made Blade look up, frowning. He glanced at his bodyguards, but they stared into space as usual. The cry had been female, and possibly the servants indulged in a little horseplay while the King was away. He listened, and when no more cries came, returned his attention to his book.

The door flew open with a bang. The assassin jumped and dropped the book, then rolled out of the chair as a volley of crossbow bolts hissed across the room. Three bodyguards died with soft gasps and grunts, crashing to the floor.

The fourth rushed at Blade, who jerked two daggers from his belt as the man reached him, twisted and stabbed upwards. The soldier brought the butt of his sword down on the assassin's head as Blade jerked aside, and the glancing blow filled his eyes with stars. His dagger sank into the guard's belly, and the man staggered back, fell to his knees and pawed at the spreading red stain on his tunic. The assassin crawled behind the chair and twisted to look at the door, which soldiers wearing Jovan's pale magenta colours crowded. They advanced into the room, spreading out around the walls.

Blade glanced at the window, calculating the distance to it and how long it would take him to get there. He shook his head to try to clear the bright lights that impaired his vision, but it did not help. His injuries would slow him, and his strength might not be sufficient to scramble down the wall fast enough to escape. If the soldiers had been sent to kill him, they might succeed, but if they had been ordered to capture him, he stood a chance.

If he remained behind the chair, he would certainly be captured or killed, even if he did take a few with him. He glanced back at the soldiers, at least a dozen of whom were now in the room, their eyes fixed upon his hiding place. Several carried loaded crossbows, and he stood little chance of evading the bolts if their aim was good. One soldier removed his helmet, revealing shoulder-length blond hair and a strikingly handsome face. He grinned at the chair behind which Blade hid, his expression triumphant.

"Come out, coward, or I shall have my men drag you out. There is no escape, so you may as well give up."

Blade turned to the window again, gathering his strength for the explosive burst of energy that he would need to reach it. The soldier he had stabbed lay groaning a few feet away, and his traitorous actions explained Dravis's knowledge of Blade's hiding place. The guard was a man of starlings, whose familiar had undoubtedly carried the information to the Prince. Blade tucked the daggers back into his belt, steeling himself for the pain that would lance from his injuries, then leapt up and sprinted for the window.

Dravis yelled, and two bolts hissed past Blade's ears, ricocheting off the wall in front of him. He ducked, swerving to hamper their aim, then a tremendous blow struck his shoulder, spun him around and sent him crashing into the wall, cracking his head against it. His vision dimmed as he struggled to get to his knees, groping for the window ledge above him. His shoulder had gone numb, and a stab of pain came from the old wound in his thigh.

Strong hands grabbed him from behind, and he yanked a dagger from his belt, slashing at his attacker. A harsh grunt rewarded him, then someone kicked the dagger from his hand, and it skittered across the floor. He drew another as more hands gripped him. Several husky soldiers bent over him, taking hold of whatever part of him they could reach. Stabbing upwards, he plunged the dagger into one, and the man recoiled with a hiss. A soldier punched him in the jaw, almost robbing him of his senses, and more hands gripped his arms, pinning them. Someone wrenched the dagger from his fist, and boots thudded into his ribs.

"I want him alive!" Dravis' command cracked across the room, and the soldiers stopped kicking Blade. They tried to haul him to his feet, but he drooped in their grip.

"Gag him, bind him and bring him!" Dravis snarled.

The men dumped Blade and pinned him face down, twisting his arms behind his back. He struggled, but the pain of his old wounds, combined with the fresh one in his shoulder and the beating he had just received, robbed him of most of his strength. They took his daggers and stuffed a rag into his mouth, binding it in place, then tied his hands behind his back and bound his ankles together.

The soldiers picked him up and followed the prince, who replaced his helmet and led the way down the corridor at a brisk trot. The two guards at the end of the corridor lay dead, for they had orders to allow no one entry except a select few, and Jovan's men were not on the list. Jovan was only guilty of freeing his brother, and the rest of the palace guards had no orders to stop his men, which was how they had gained entry into the palace.

Jovan's crime had earned him nothing more than a minor fine and a reprimand from the courts, under Cotti's peculiar laws. The lax laws for princes stemmed from centuries of princely plotting to gain as much leniency as possible, and the minor amendments hardly caught the attention of the judges who enforced them. As a consequence, princes were almost immune to prosecution for just about anything, and they used it to their advantage at every opportunity. Jovan would be in trouble for killing Kerrion's men, but would, in all likelihood, shift the blame onto his men, and have them flogged. Blade shook his head again to try to clear it, but it throbbed viciously, and his action only made it worse.

The group approached another set of guards, who stared in surprise at the peculiar party bearing down on them with weapons drawn. The guards started to draw their swords, but Dravis' men rushed them and slew them before they could, taking full advantage of Jovan's reputation as a peaceful prince. Dravis led the group at a run, two men carrying Blade. Taking them to side exit that opened into the gardens, he headed for a ladder set against the outer wall and scrambled over it.

The men followed, handing Blade to more who waited on the far side. Quite clearly this operation had been well planned, and with Dravis' knowledge of the palace, would succeed. His last hope of rescue faded as he was bundled into a carriage, and Dravis climbed in beside him, removed his helmet again and grinned down at his captive as the coachman whipped up the team. The carriage rattled through the city for several minutes, then stopped at an imposing mansion.

The men carried Blade into a sumptuous, tapestry-hung room that had benefited from Jashimari trade to the tune of several polished burwood chairs and an ironwood table. The soldiers dumped Blade in a chair and retreated to stand by the door.

Dravis approached him, smiling. "So, assassin, I have you at last. Even if I did have to do it myself. The legendary Queen's Blade, pawn of the Jashimari whores. Not so tough now, are you?" His gaze slid to the barbed bolt that protruded from Blade's shoulder. "That must be painful. Allow me."

Smirking, the Prince pulled the quarrel out, watching Blade's face as he did so. Blade refused to give him the satisfaction, and remained impassive. Dravis removed the gag and stepped back, still smiling.

"So, what have you to say for yourself?"

The assassin summoned some moisture into his mouth and spat. "Cotti bastard."

"Ah. How enlightened. But then, I should not expect wit from a common assassin, should I?" He went to the table and poured himself a cup of wine. "I suppose you want to know what I intend to do with you?"

"You are going to hand me over to the court for execution, in the hope of clearing yourself of Trelath's murder."

Dravis grinned and raised the cup. "Very good. And you are going to tell them the truth, or the Jashimari slut dies."

Blade lowered his gaze to the floor while he considered his options. If he told Dravis he did not care about Minna-Satu, the Prince would see him as a greater threat, one who could not be coerced, and may tell damaging lies at a trial. That could force him to kill Blade now and forgo the glory of his capture. He also disliked the idea of his queen dying at this upstart Cotti prince's hands, while if he pretended to go along with Dravis' plans, there may be an opportunity to escape.

Even if he did not escape, the forum of the trial would give him the chance to make Dravis regret trying to force him to do as he wished. Although the humiliation would be great, it was better than giving up all hope of vengeance or escape by signing his own death warrant. After this, killing Dravis would be a particular pleasure, and one that he wanted to enjoy. It took only a moment to decide, then he raised his eyes and shrugged.

"Very well."

Dravis' brows shot up. "Indeed? I had not thought you would agree so easily. I even brought my torturer along. He will be so disappointed. I thought assassins never named their clients."

"We do not."

"Then my torturer will have work to do after all."

Blade shook his head. "It will do you no good."

"Oh? You think you can withstand a Cotti torturer?"

"I have done it before."

Dravis's smile faded. "Then what truth did you agree to tell?"

"That I killed Trelath and Chaymin."

"Name Kerrion as your client, or the woman dies."

Blade shook his head. "That is not the truth. I do not work for Cotti scum."

"I do not care, just name him. You should not have a problem with that if he is not your client."

"If Kerrion is executed for treason, what happens to my queen?"

Dravis waved a hand. "I will see to it that she is returned to Jashimari."

"You expect me to trust you?"

The Prince frowned. "I shall write to the courts and order her expulsion as soon as Kerrion is executed, they will see to it. You have my word."

"You are a traitor. Your word is worthless."

"You do not have a choice, assassin. Either agree, or you die now, and your queen soon after you."

"Put it in writing, and let me hand it to the judges at my trail, then I will agree."

Dravis pondered this, then shrugged. "Very well."

"Then we have an agreement."

The Prince sipped his wine, looking disappointed. "I thought it would be far more difficult to make you do as I wished. It does not bother you that you are destroying the Jashimari slut's hopes of becoming the Cotti Queen?"

"No."

"Yet you want her to live."

"She is my queen."

"Ah." Dravis smirked. "But I think she will be rather angry when her husband is executed."

"Then she will ensure that you pay for it."

"She will not succeed, because you will be dead."

Blade raised his chin and smiled. "Scorpions are easily stepped on."

Dravis' smile vanished, and he swung away to snarl at his men, "Take him away and chain him up."

Chapter Eleven

Kerrion frowned as he strode through the palace, alarmed by the uproar he had discovered upon his return from the funeral. No advisors were about to tell him what had caused the ruckus, and he knew that questioning servants or sentries would do him little good. Soldiers ran around, maidens wept, and servants scuttled from his path as he headed for the harem to collect Minna and Kerra. Fearful that something had happened to them, he trotted down the last stretch of corridor and burst into the harem. The women fell to their knees and prostrated themselves, all except two, who hastened to him, looking anxious. Minna reached him first, her eyes filled with worry.

"What has happened?"

"I do not know. I feared that something had happened to you."

"Only a rumour has reached us. Apparently a group of Jovan's men came into the palace, and some guards were killed. Perhaps they could not find us, or the guards prevented them. Is Blade all right?"

The King took her hand and headed for the door. "I intend to find out."

Kerrion hurried down the corridor to the wing where Blade was hidden as fast as he could while still retaining some dignity, the queens trotting beside him. The hubbub grew more intense as they neared Blade's rooms. Soldiers crowded the corridors and servants ran around with messages or mops, some in wide-eyed confusion. The throng parted for Kerrion, and all activity ceased as servants fell to their knees and soldiers stepped aside and saluted. A couple of junior officers took it upon themselves to run ahead and announce his arrival. He headed for the empty rooms where Blade had chosen to stay during the funeral.

Kerrion's heart sank as it became clear that this was the epicentre of the furore, and the two guards at the end of the corridor lay dead. He ascended the stairs two at a time, Minna and Kerra close behind. The rooms where Blade had been spending the day were crowded with officers and judges, all of whom turned and bowed at the King's entrance. Kerrion swept the room with a glance, the four bodyguards' corpses confirming his worst fears. Minna stifled a gasp of horror and Kerra covered her mouth to muffle her moan of despair.