Sacrifice: The Queen's Blade (27 page)

"Which advisors?" Lord Batian asked.

"I do not know, take your pick. There are so many of them buzzing around me I do not even know their names."

"May I ask why you are returning to the desert now, Sire?"

Kerrion sighed. "I have business to attend to, documents to be drawn up, announcements to make, rebellions to put down. I must stay close to my throne, lest I return to find one of my brothers sitting upon it. Fighting the Contara is a job for my officers and lords, Armin is just for show. Unfortunately I cannot be in two places at once, and I need to find out what plots are afoot back home."

"Yes, Sire." Batian bowed and withdrew, leaving Kerrion to finish reading the document in front of him.

That night, under the waxing Death Moon, Kerrion led a company of his best men out of Jondar. In the ornate, gilded carriage that rumbled in the midst of his troops, lay the sleeping Jashimari Queen, and in a wagon at the back of the column, the Queen's Blade. The King glanced back often at the carriage, his brow furrowed with worry, wondering if either of them would ever wake again. All his plans for the future hinged upon it. The fate of his kingdom and that of the Jashimari depended on the man who lay in the wagon, hovering between life and death.

Chapter Thirteen

A persistent rumbling and shaking dragged Queen Minna-Satu from the soft darkness. It ebbed in waves, like a receding tide. Opening her eyes, she stared at a strange wooden wall with a gilt-edged square at its centre. Her eyes roamed over it, found that it had wider edges and followed the gilt trim down to a velvet curtain that seemed to defy gravity. Becoming aware that she lay on her back, a cushioned softness supporting her, she frowned. Turning her head, she winced at her neck's stiffness and gazed at her surroundings with a mixture of puzzlement and disbelief. If this was the Everlasting, it looked terribly mundane. Much like the inside of a carriage.

The sounds confirmed her impression. The steady drumming of horses' hooves and the rattle of wheels upon a road combined with the gentle swaying sensation of a well sprung coach. Her throat burnt and her limbs seemed to be made of lead. When she tried to speak, only a croak came out. Gathering her strength, she struggled to sit up and push aside the blanket, raising a trembling hand to rub her neck.

Her head spun, and she closed her eyes to block out the swimming scenery, biting her tongue to force a little moisture into her mouth. Opening her eyes again as the world steadied, she looked around. Gold-trimmed maroon curtains covered the coach's windows, and the seats were converted to cots with blankets and pillows. Graceful, leafy designs of pale cream wood inlaid the polished dark golden variety that clad the interior. Its tasteful opulence shrieked of great wealth, the kind that only princes or kings possessed.

Her gaze fell on a young, round-faced girl curled up asleep on the cot opposite, and the Queen's brows drew together. She was Cotti, judging by the long blonde tresses that spilt across the pillow. Minna swung her legs over the edge of the cot, and the chill spring air nipped her skin through her funeral gown. Glancing down at the plain white cloth, she raised a hand to rub her brow as memories trickled back. She recalled the pale marble walls of the bier room, and the golden goblet of fizzing water.

Blade had been with her, holding her hand as the world had receded behind a dark curtain. She had died. Her mouth still had the musty flavour of the sacred water, mixed with something that tasted like fusty tea. The great golden bell had tolled for her. The memory of Shista's anguished wails sent a shiver through her. She was dead. Yet she was here, in a coach. Whose coach? Where was she? Rising on shaking legs, she lurched across the carriage to pull aside a curtain and peer out. Verdant fields and distant forests passed by, the pastures dotted with grazing herds and farm dwellings. Her legs wobbled, and she sat down on the cot, glaring at the sleeping girl.

Freeing her tongue from its sticky bed, she said, "You! Wake up!"

The girl opened brown eyes and looked around, her expression becoming alarmed. "My lady! You're awake!" She sat up. "Is there anything you wish?"

Minna tried to swallow, but her mouth was dry. "Yes, stop this coach at once. I demand to know what is going on. Who are you? Who has kidnapped me?"

The girl looked flustered at the number of questions. "I regret, my lady, I can't stop the coach. I'm your maid, Sulina, and you're in the care of King Kerrion."

"Kerrion! What has he done? Why am I still alive?"

"I don't know, my lady."

"Stop calling me 'lady', I am the Jashimari Queen!"

Sulina bowed her head. "How should I address you?"

"As your Queen." Minna frowned. "But I am not your Queen, you are a Cotti."

"I'll call you 'My Queen' if it pleases you. Would you like some wine? Water perhaps?"

"Yes. And I want this coach stopped, right now."

"I can't, My Queen."

"Then I shall." Minna rose and lurched to the window, pulling aside the curtains again.

Sulina grabbed her and pulled her back, pushing her onto the cot. "No! You must not!"

Minna stared at the girl, shocked and incensed at being so inexcusably handled by a mere minion, and a Cotti at that. Rage washed away her disbelief, and she slapped the girl. "How dare you lay your hands upon me? Insolent girl!"

Sulina fell to her knees, clutching her cheek. "I'm sorry, but you can't disturb the march, My Queen, it's forbidden."

"Forbidden! By whom, Kerrion? How dare he kidnap me? Who does he think he is?"

"He's the King."

"Of the Cotti! You may have noticed, girl, I am Jashimari. I will not stand for this. I demand to be set free. I demand to see him, now!"

Sulina gaped at the furious Queen, shaking her head. "I can't help you, I'm sorry."

"You will be even sorrier if you get in my way, girl."

Minna slid to the end of the cot and started to pull aside the curtains. Sulina grabbed the Queen's wrists to foil her design, cringing away from the expected blow. Minna jerked a hand free and slapped the girl again. Sulina imposed her hands between Minna and the curtains, preventing the Queen from achieving her aim. A tussle ensued, and Minna's weakness hampered her, though she still landed many resounding slaps that brought shrieks of pain from Sulina.

At the head of the march, Kerrion gazed at the green fields and thick forests of this alien land, pleasing in its way. He longed for the wide open spaces of his desert kingdom, with its sea of golden sand that stretched away to the horizon in an unbroken expanse of trackless, ever changing dunes sculpted by the hot wind. Jashimari's dampness and its oft-leaden skies depressed him at times, especially when days passed in sodden misery as rain poured from grey clouds. Then the sun would burst forth to bathe the lush land in golden warmth, and he marvelled at its verdure and the many streams that gurgled across the road on mossy beds.

For one raised in a desert, the abundance of precious water was a wonder. The cold was unpleasant, however, as was the irritating necessity to wear a thick fur jacket all day. Patches of melting snow still lay under the trees, and on two occasions since his army had invaded Jashimari, fluffy white flakes had fallen from the sky. It had amazed and fascinated his troops, who had taken time to play with it when they had camped at night, but soon discovered that it was wet and cold. Since then, the novelty had worn off, and now they cursed the cold that, unlike the desert, lingered all day as well as at night.

Kerrion turned as an officer rode up and matched pace with his steed. "Sire, there seems to be some sort of uproar in your coach. Since we're not allowed to enter it, I thought you should know."

"Uproar?" The King stared at the man, then yanked his horse's head around and dug his heels into its sides, yelling, "Stop the march!"

His officers took up the cry, and the company slowed to a halt as the King galloped back to the coach in the middle of the column. He leapt down from his horse, alarmed by the shrieks and thuds coming from within the carriage. Yanking open the door, he climbed in and closed it behind him. Minna stood in the middle of the coach, her eyes sparkling with rage and a handful of Sulina's hair gripped in her fist. The girl wept and struggled, trying to pry the Queen's fingers loose. Kerrion straightened in surprise and banged his head on the roof.

He grimaced and rubbed it. "Minna, let her go."

The Queen glared at him, her cheeks flushed with rage. "Do not presume to give me orders, Kerrion! This is an outrage! You will release me this instant!"

"No, I will not." Kerrion tried to pry her fingers from Sulina's hair.

"Take your hands off me!" Minna snarled, and released the luckless girl to turn on the Cotti King and slap him resoundingly across the face. Sulina shrieked and crawled under a cot. Kerrion banged his head on the roof again as he jerked back in shock. He rubbed his cheek, smiling as he gazed at her.

"I suppose I should have expected this." He grabbed her arms and forced her to sit on the cot, then knelt in front of her, holding her in place. "Listen to me, Minna."

She struggled. "Unhand me this instant! How dare you?"

"I dare a great many things, now listen to me." He shook her. "I am taking you to the desert, where you will be safe. Your people think you are dead. Kerra is the new Queen, and I have promised to honour her legacy. Everything is as you planned it."

"Except this!"

"Did you want to die?"

She sagged. "It was my fate. It had to be done."

"No, it was not. You can still have a life. There is no need for you to die."

"What life? With you? As what? Your concubine? Why are you doing this?"

He shook his head. "I cannot tell you that right now, but I will not make you do anything you do not wish to, I swear."

"Then let me out of this coach, now!"

"What will you do? Go back to your city? Start the war again? All your plans will fail."

Minna frowned at him. "What have you done?"

"Saved your life."

"So I can be your slave, is that it? You want to humiliate me because I outwitted you and stopped the war?"

"No! How can you think such things? I am not a barbarian! You did not outwit me, you gave me a reason to stop the war, and I am grateful for that, not angry."

"You did not agree with my plan when I asked for your help."

"I did not think it would work." He shook his head. "It still may not, although at the moment it seems to be."

"So I am to be your hostage, should things go wrong. It will not work, I -"

"Stop jumping to conclusions! You are not my hostage. I know that would not work. I am not a fool."

"Then what am I?" she shot back. "Why have you kidnapped me?"

"I have not kidnapped you!" Kerrion was ready to tear his hair out. "I rescued you, for God's sake! You could show a little gratitude."

"I did not ask to be rescued."

He groaned and released her, sitting on the cot opposite. "I know you did not, but I thought you might appreciate it anyway." He ran a hand through his hair, pausing to rub the lump on top of his head. "You will be my guest, all right? You are not a prisoner, hostage or slave. You will be treated with the utmost respect. No one will harm or insult you, and you will not have to do anything you do not want to."

"Why have you done this?"

"I cannot tell you that. I will someday, but not now."

"And how can you ensure my safety? You are taking the Jashimari Queen into your city, and your people hate me."

He shook his head. "They do not know who you are, nor must they ever. You are a Jashimari lady. Minna-Satu is dead. I will arrange a funeral when we reach Jadaya."

"Some may find out. You may be able to hide me from the commoners, but your brothers... Even if they do not know who I am, they will not tolerate a Jashimari woman in your palace, not even as your guest."

He sighed and folded his hands. "I did not only save you."

"What do you mean?" Her eyes widened. "Blade!"

"Yes. I think so, anyway. He has not woken yet, as far as I know. Any plots against you will be dealt with the same way you kept me safe when I was your prisoner."

"You cannot do this. He is... They will surely demand his torture and execution. He will be in more danger than I."

"Not if they do not know who he is."

She shook her head, her loose hair falling around her face. "You cannot hide him, and he will not obey you. You cannot use him thus."

"He will obey you."

The Queen gave a bitter laugh. "How little you know him. He will not."

"You are his Queen."

"That does not matter. He did my bidding because I paid him handsomely with lands and titles as well as money." She waved a hand. "He has no loyalty to me. He told me so himself. He is useless to you, release him now."

"He can be made to co-operate. I will find a way."

Minna slumped against the wooden panelling, looking pale and upset. "You are making a mistake."

Kerrion leant forward, concerned. "Are you all right? Do you want something to eat or drink?"

"Water."

Kerrion winkled Sulina out from under the cot, and the girl brought Minna a cup of water. Kerrion studied her, his expression guarded. The Jashimari Queen was undoubtedly the most beautiful woman he had ever set eyes upon, and utterly different from his people. While he possessed the golden skin, flaxen hair and tawny eyes of the Cotti, Minna's creamy skin contrasted starkly with her midnight tresses and blue eyes that glowed within frames of thick lashes. Her delicate features lent her an air of fragility that he knew to be false, for although she was small in stature her will was equal to his own. She still wore the flimsy gown in which she was to have been buried, yet the cold did not seem to trouble her. Minna handed the empty cup to Sulina with a sigh.

The Cotti King indicated the girl. "This is your maid, Sulina. She will take care of you on the journey to Jadaya."

"I am accustomed to choosing my maidens."

"Well, I could not bring a selection. Sulina is trustworthy, that is why I chose her. At the moment, we three are the only ones who know you are alive, and I would like to keep it that way. That is why I do not want you to leave the carriage on the way to the desert."