Empire of Avarice (72 page)

“Amne, that’s simply not true!”

“It is, too. You have him wrapped round your little
finger. Ask him to crawl and bark around the corridors and I think he’d do it.”

“Amne! Enough!” Isbel said, uncomfortable with the way
the conversation had turned. She made her way to the door. “Before I go out,
get into the bathroom. I don’t want to risk anyone looking in and seeing you
like this!”

Amne smiled again and wiggled into the bathroom. Isbel
shook her head, made an exasperated noise and left. In the corridor she looked
at Lalaas. The guard returned her look blankly. “Lalaas, a word with you please,
in my office, now?” She looked at the other guard. “Make sure nobody goes in
here, you understand?”

“Ma’am.”

Lalaas followed Isbel down the stairs, wondering what
would be said to him. He hadn’t met the empress before, so was unsure what was
going to happen. He stood waiting in front of Isbel as she got herself
comfortable in her chair. Pepil was standing by her right hand side as usual.

“Lalaas, I understand you saved Amne’s life on more than
one occasion during your journey together. You have my thanks for that, but I’m
concerned that there would appear to be an over-dependence from my daughter
towards you. In fact,” she looked up at the hunter right into his eyes, “to the
extent she bullied the emperor into allowing you to take up a permanent post here
in the palace.”

“Ma’am,” Lalaas bowed his head.

“Do you have any thoughts as to why this would be so?”

Lalaas clasped his hands together behind his back. “She
feels safer with me about. After protecting her on more than a few occasions, I
think she feels she needs me around her most of the time.”

Isbel pursed her lips. “I’m not entirely convinced by
that argument, Lalaas. Let me make myself clear to you; she is about to be
betrothed to a member of a prominent noble family, and I won’t let anything get
in the way of that, even my daughter’s feelings of affection towards anyone. Do
you understand me?”

“Ma’am.”

“So if I think your presence here is threatening that, I
shall have you removed from the palace no matter what she says. She does not
run affairs here; I do. Also, if I find that you are directing feelings of
affection towards her, then may the gods help you. The dungeons aren’t a place
for anyone to enjoy themselves.”

Lalaas inclined his head again. “Ma’am, I have no desire
to become embroiled in imperial politics or intrigue. I’m a hunter. I would
much prefer to be out in the open scouting for the army.”

“Hmm,” Isbel leaned back. “But you agreed to accompany
Amne here anyway.”

“As if I could refuse an imperial command?”

Isbel smiled thinly. “Granted, I concede that point. Very
well; you may return to your duty, but don’t think I won’t be keeping an eye on
you or Amne.”

Lalaas saluted and left. Pepil looked at Isbel. “Ma’am?”

“Make sure you have agents watching them at all times,
Pepil.”

“Already arranged, ma’am.”

“Thank you, Pepil.” Isbel heaved herself out of her
chair. “I am to go prepare myself for the banquet. Make sure all the places are
correctly labelled and the chamber fully prepared. This is our first big
celebratory banquet since we’ve been here and I don’t want anything going
wrong.” She glided out of the room and wandered towards her chamber. As she got
to the bottom of the staircase, Vosgaris appeared, checking on the guards. Isbel
paused, thought for a moment, then called the captain over. Vosgaris came up to
her and saluted. “Captain, may I have a discreet word with you? In a room
somewhere here?”

“Uh, yes ma’am – this one here I think is unoccupied.” He
tested the door, peered in and saw nobody was around. Isbel went in first, and
Vosgaris followed, a little apprehensively.

“Shut the door, Vosgaris.”

“Ma’am.” He stood before her, trembling slightly inside.

“Captain. Am I correct in understanding that you have,
shall we say, affectionate feelings towards me?”

Vosgaris felt himself turning red again. He didn’t know
what to say; technically it could be interpreted as a treasonous offence. “M-Ma’am….”

“Oh, Captain, you’re not a twelve year old encountering
a female for the first time! This shall not go beyond this door, I promise.”

“Thank you ma’am. Yes, I do have those feelings. You’re
an incredibly beautiful woman.” He stood to attention, his heart pounding. He
wondered if he would be arrested or dismissed. He’d said it now.

Isbel sighed. “Oh, Vosgaris. I wish partly you hadn’t
said that – but I’m grateful you have. That puts me in an awkward position. What
do I do with you? I don’t want to lose your services, but if you do feel like
that towards me it could compromise my standing here, let alone incur the wrath
of the emperor. You do understand, don’t you?”

“Ma’am,” Vosgaris replied. He stood to attention, not
daring to look the empress in the eye. His attention was fixed over her
shoulder on the far wall where a tapestry hung. It was of a hunting scene, made
some indeterminate time ago. There were equines, hunting avians, canines and
lots of flora. Vosgaris thought it rather beautiful. “Am I to resign my
commission here?”

Isbel said nothing for a moment. Then she shook her
head. “I have just spent some time trying to make other people remember their
duties. I will now do the same with you; you are the palace guard commander,
Vosgaris. I am empress. You are not to show me any affection. You are to do
your duty as a loyal subject of the House of Koros. You know it is strictly
forbidden to love the empress, don’t you? It can carry the death penalty.”

“I do know that ma’am. Fear not; I shall perform my
duties as befits my rank and position. I will not compromise your standing
here, as I know there are enemies even within these walls who would wish you
and your family to fall. And I also know, ma’am, if you fall then so would I. Do
not worry about my dedication and loyalty to the House of Koros. It is
unquestionable.”

Isbel nodded slightly, then her face softened. “You are
a silly man, Captain Vosgaris; your heart is doing you a disservice.”

Vosgaris nodded and smiled, looking down. “I cannot help
how I feel, ma’am, but I shall not let you down.”

“Then we shall speak no more of this. Wait here a few
moments after I leave, then resume your duties.”

Vosgaris was left alone for a few moments, his heart
pounding. He felt weak and had to hold onto a handy chair until the feeling
passed. He knew he’d come close to losing his position. Fortunately Isbel had
seemingly either felt pity towards him, compassion, or something else.

Perhaps she, too, felt affection? Vosgaris smiled to
himself. He would think of that, even if it may not be true. The thought warmed
him. He waited a few moments more, then slipped out of the room, carefully
closing the door quietly. Checking left and right, he saw nobody, and walked
off as if nothing had occurred.

But someone had seen him – and the empress – leave the
room, and made notes.

Pepil.

____

 Amne lay in her bath soaking her skin in the perfumed
waters, enjoying the unaccustomed experience. It had been so long since she’d
had such a pleasurable bath. The two maidservants handed her the oils and
scented cloths she used to wipe her skin with. As Amne lay there, her head back
so that her hair floated free in the water, she thought on her life, past,
present and future. True, she had more now than she had ever before. Being a
princess gave her plenty of privileges and status, and on the surface it would
seem to be the perfect life.

But she’d seen the other side of life, that of people
struggling to exist, people living a fundamental level of subsistence, and she
felt uncomfortable that she and her family should have so much and these people
so little. It had been a shock to her. Lalaas had not been surprised to see
what he’d seen, and Amne had tried to hide much of her surprise from him, lest
he think her naïve and over protected. But she had been, and her journey had
been one huge awakening for her. She had to admit it but she had been
complacent and conceited with her life. It wasn’t something she’d deliberately
engendered, but something that had come simply through being cosseted away by
her social position.

Her two maidservants were from that lowly position, but
they had been lucky in getting employment in the palace. Amne wondered if they
would be surprised at the amount of understanding she now had of their social
lives. She wouldn’t speak of it, thought, as it may be patronising. She would keep
her thoughts to herself unless a situation that demanded it arose.

What of her position now? Now she was aware of the huge
differences between being a princess and a subject of Kastania? She couldn’t
carry on her life feigning ignorance. Neither would she allow herself to be
pushed around. She’d already stood up to her father and step-mother. She wasn’t
sure that Isbel was the easier of the two; in many ways she could be a far more
dangerous opponent. And that was how she now viewed her family. Opponents. Traditionalists.
Conservatives. Her more relaxed views certainly would not go down well in the
palace. But she felt liberated in her mind. Standing up for herself was such an
exhilarating experience. She would not let these people beat her. But she would
need allies. She would have to tread carefully, finding them out.

She already had plans for the future, and it was an
inescapable fact that she had to marry. Using her as an alliance contract was
demeaning to her, but she knew that to get what she wanted she would have to
concede a point or two. Her father had agreed to two things in return for the
marriage. Lalaas was the first. The second was a long-term plan and would only
bear fruit long in the future, but now was the time to plant those seeds.

And they had been planted.

A sharp pain in her abdomen broke through her thoughts. She
hissed and grabbed her lower stomach. The pain grew, then subsided. It was a
familiar pain and she cursed under her breath. Not tonight, of all times! Why
couldn’t it wait just one damned day? Her cycle was an inconvenient occurrence.
Of all times, now was not the right one! She would have to get out of the bath
before the blood came.

Men didn’t have this to deal with. They just didn’t
understand, or indeed probably care. She would be irritable, and knew that she
would have to bite her tongue at dinner. Oh, by the gods, fate sometimes played
wicked tricks upon a woman. She would need to get to her supply of dry cloths
in her dresser.

On her journey she’d used up her supply long before they
had gone halfway, and Lalaas had cleaned her while she’d been ill. She’d known
that, and he’d merely smiled when she’d asked him. Such intimacy was probably
unsurpassable. If a man did that for a woman, how much closer could he get? The
fact he had not been disgusted or appalled warmed Amne and she smiled in
remembrance.

Kiri began drying her back and Selana stood waiting with
her clean undergarments. Once she had half-dressed she moved to her bedroom and
found one of her cloths, padded with the cuttings of a wool beast. It would
help. She sat on a small stool and allowed the two girls to dry her hair. “Kiri,
please go fetch Lalaas.”

“Ma’am – you’re not dressed!”

“I know. Lalaas is my bodyguard. He will not do anything
untoward. Please fetch him.”

Kiri strode across the carpeted room, stiff with
disapproval. She called in Lalaas and the familiar sight of her travel
companion cheered her mood. He looked surprised at first to see her in her
undergarments, but quickly recovered. “Your highness?”

“Lalaas. This Evas Pelgion; I assume you nothing of
him?”

“No, ma’am, sorry, but he’s not someone I’ve had
dealings with.”

Amne huffed. “Well, someone must have, surely! What
about that young guard captain, Vosgaris? He’s nobility, from Frasia. Please
bring him here.”

“Uh, ma’am, to see you like this?”

“Oh, Lalaas! Certainly not. By the time he gets here
I’ll be dressed.”

Lalaas grinned, bowed, and left. He informed the other
guard where he was going, and wandered the corridors, looking for the guard captain.
A few enquiries led him to the office wing and he saw the casual stride of
Vosgaris. He hailed him. Vosgaris came up, his expression unreadable. “You’re
the new bodyguard to the princess, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Lalaas. Formerly a hunter to the emperor,” Lalaas
thought it wouldn’t go amiss to demonstrate his status.

Vosgaris was unimpressed. “You ought to be in attendance
with the princess. What are you doing here on your own?”

Lalaas didn’t know whether Vosgaris’ slight undertone of
hostility was directed at him personally or that he was normally like this. He
did recall seeing him running after the boy Argan and getting a telling off
from the empress. “Princess Amne sent me to summon you to her chamber. She
would like a word with you.”

“What for?” Vosgaris was surprised. He’d not had much to
do with the princess in his time at the palace, even before she had gone on the
mission to Mazag.

“Best to ask the princess that,” Lalaas said
offhandedly. “I’m just the messenger.”

“Hmph! Very well. It’s hard enough checking on the
security of this place without being called at a moment’s notice. I’ll have to
impress upon the princess there’s a protocol through my office on the ground
floor.”