Imperial Spy (30 page)

‘A pleasure,’ Reynik answered. ‘What shall we drink to?’

Shalidar poured two glasses of deep red wine and handed one to Reynik.

‘To a swift and successful conclusion to our business,’ Shalidar offered, raising his glass slightly.

Reynik raised his glass in response and took a slow sip. I’ll drink to that, he thought silently.

‘Thank you very much . . . No, nothing else, thanks. I’ll send my servant boy out if I require anything.’

Danar closed the door with a sigh and leaned against it briefly before turning around to look at the room.

‘Is my Lord ready for his bath now?’ Femke asked casually from a large sofa. She was sitting with her feet up, drinking a glass of water.

‘Make yourself comfortable. Don’t mind me,’ Danar said sarcastically. ‘A bath would be wonderful right now. I don’t suppose you’d like to start drawing the
water for me? I mean, I wouldn’t want to distract you from your other duties or anything.’

‘Consider it done, my Lord,’ Femke replied, her voice heavy with subservience. ‘If my Lord would like to take a look in the bathing room my Lord will find his heart’s
desire.’

‘I doubt that,’ Danar replied with a tired grin. ‘Unless you’re clever enough to be in two places at once.’

‘Very droll, Danar, though actually, if you think about it, I am! I’m here with you, yet I’m also in the King’s dungeons,’ she replied. ‘The bathing room is
through that door. I think you’ll find the water temperature to your liking.’

‘There’s no chance of you scrubbing my back, I suppose?’ Danar asked wistfully.

‘As much chance as there is of Lady Alyssa walking in from the hallway right now,’ Femke replied airily. ‘Everything you need is in there. Here, take a drink with you. We can
talk about your conversation with the King when you’ve cleaned and changed. I’ve laid out a change of clothes.’

‘Thanks,’ Danar said. ‘I won’t be long.’

‘Take your time. There’s no rush. I doubt we’ll see Shalidar tonight, but I’ve rigged the windows just in case. When you’re ready for bed, I’ll rig the door
as well. If Shalidar comes, we’ll get plenty of warning.’

‘We?
So you’re going to stay here tonight?’

‘Don’t get any ideas, Danar. This is serious.’

‘So am I,’ he muttered under his breath as he went into the bathroom. ‘But you think I’m toying with you.’

A little while later Danar emerged from the bathroom wearing the silk shirt and hose that Femke had placed in the bathing room for him. His eyes were sparkling with renewed energy and his
dimpled cheeks were glowing with the aftereffects of the bath. His dark hair was still wet, but was combed back neatly over his head with a wave at the front that accentuated his roguish looks.
Femke eyed him up and down with a cool objectiveness.

‘Feeling better?’ she asked.

‘Much, thank you.’

‘Good, now come and tell me what the King had to say.’

Danar walked across the room towards Femke, but changed his mind halfway, choosing a chair on the other side of the low rectangular dahl table in the centre of the room. He sank into the chair
with a gentle sigh, then reached for the jug of cold water on the table and poured some into a crystal glass.

‘The King is not happy—’ Danar started, taking a sip of water.

‘You don’t say,’ Femke muttered.

‘If you’ll let me finish – the King is not happy because he’s having second thoughts about whether Ambassador Femke killed Baron Anton and Count Dreban,’ Danar said
firmly, his eyes sterner than Femke had ever seen them before. In this more masterful guise she could imagine Danar being an effective Lord. After all his impulsive gestures and his boyish
romanticism, this came as a genuine surprise.

‘Really? Now that is news,’ Femke replied.

‘Yes . . . and no,’ Danar said thoughtfully. ‘King Malo is obviously a thinker. He’s clearly reviewed the facts and drawn his own conclusions about the two murders, but
he was reticent about sharing his theories with me about who did kill Anton and Dreban. He mentioned you looked convincing in your servant’s uniform when they caught and imprisoned you and
commented that you were nobody’s fool. I don’t think you’re totally off the hook in his mind. He told me his new advisor on matters magical had cautioned him to be careful in
negotiations with you, because he considered you to be particularly sharp-witted. Therefore, King Malo could not make sense of why you would kill both Anton and Dreban with weapons which were
clearly your own. That isn’t to say he’s ruled out the possibility altogether.’

‘Good logic,’ Femke commented.

‘Good for you too, when it comes to your trial,’ Danar said positively. ‘The way he spoke about you initially made me think he was halfway to believing you innocent. However,
he may have said it for diplomacy’s sake. The King stressed to me that I wasn’t to feel unwelcome because of the “unfortunate events” that occurred during your short stay.
He suggested I remain here in the West Wing unless I was going to and from pre-arranged meetings with him, to minimise the chances of any repeat embarrassments. I said I would comply with his
wishes whilst in the Palace, but I didn’t like being cooped up all day every day. The King was gracious. He suggested I take walks in the Palace grounds where the guards could monitor me, or
us, if you wished to join me. He said it was for our own safety. He cited the demonstration at the gate the other day as a clear sign that the general populace here in the city are in a volatile
mood.’

‘Huh!’ Femke huffed. ‘So we’re rats in a trap. What other restrictions did he place on us?’

‘We’re not to leave the West Wing without an escort and we’re not allowed to visit Ambassador Femke,’ Danar said, his voice and facial expression showing no humour in the
strangeness of that statement.

Femke nodded, a small smile flickering across her face. ‘It’s for the best. We would be exposed as untrustworthy if we tried.’

‘I was thinking the same,’ Danar said. ‘Our discredit would be a diplomatic disaster on a scale that even Emperor Surabar would have problems fixing. It’s fortunate for
us that the possibility of a visit to the prison has been removed.’

‘OK, so you’re effectively confined to quarters. I’ll be able to move a bit more freely around the Palace, as I can always “get lost” whilst running errands for
you. I never did have a good head for direction. No matter how hard I try, I always seem to end up in places that I’m not meant to be,’ Femke said with a grin. ‘Overall, the
situation has worked out well. It limits the number of avenues for Shalidar to attempt his hit. It will make it far easier to watch for him and to protect you whilst you’re confined to such a
limited field of movement.’

Femke looked thoughtful for a moment or two and then smiled across at Danar. ‘Things are beginning to swing in our favour. Let’s hope we can give the final proof to the King that
I’m innocent of the murders before the Emperor arrives, shall we?’

‘Sounds good to me.’

‘OK, I’ll rig the door now – unless you have anything else you require from outside?’

‘Food would be good at some point,’ he replied, rubbing his stomach slightly to emphasise his requirement. ‘How long will it take to disable whatever it is you’re about
to set up?’

‘A few seconds,’ Femke assured him. ‘If someone knocks at the door it won’t be a problem. The alarm will be rigged to alert us when someone is entering who hasn’t
knocked. The problem then is that Shalidar will come armed to the teeth and we haven’t got a single regular weapon between us. I’ll try to rectify that tonight if I can. If it proves
impossible, I’ll get us something to improvise with.’

Femke got to her feet and started to move towards the door. Danar rose as well, intercepting her before she had gone more than a few paces. Before Femke realised what was happening Danar had put
an arm around her waist and pulled her body close up against his. The kiss started as a one-sided affair, but after a couple of seconds Femke found herself kissing him back with a passion she had
not realised she possessed. They finally parted and Danar breathed a deep sigh of satisfaction.

‘Thank you,’ he breathed, his mouth close to her ear as he continued to hold her tightly.

‘For what?’ Femke replied. ‘For the kiss, the bath, or for trying to keep you alive?’

‘For everything,’ he whispered. ‘For being the most amazing, most daring, most devastatingly attractive, surprising, remarkable woman I’ve ever met – and yes, for
the kiss too. I’ve waited a long time for it.’

‘I hardly merit “devastatingly attractive” at the moment, or if I do, then I’m a bit worried about you! Didn’t it feel strange, kissing me when I look like
this?’ Femke asked, pulling back slightly from him and grinning as she indicated her boyish looks.

‘Well, if I’m honest, then yes – a little,’ Danar admitted with a lopsided smile. ‘But it didn’t make any difference, because I know what’s hiding under
that disguise. I have a reputation for dallying with attractive women, Femke, but looking at you now, I see the beauty that
is
you. You can be as attractive as any woman if you choose to,
but you’re far more than just a pretty girl, Femke – you are special, unlike anyone I’ve ever met before.’

‘I can’t help but wonder how many other pretty girls have heard similar sincere-sounding speeches,’ she noted sceptically. ‘Your reputation is coloured, Lord Danar.
Don’t forget I’m no Lady of Court. I’m a commoner. And I’m not some air-headed fool who sees you as my chance of marrying into a title. I’m not proud of my heritage,
but I am realistic about my future. Please, try to be realistic about yours. This is not a good idea.’

‘I don’t care if it’s a good idea or not. I didn’t travel the length and breadth of Shandar and then all the way here to Mantor on a whim. I felt that if I didn’t
do it, I would have missed out on getting to know you. Getting to know you has been at the forefront of my mind since I first met you. Surprisingly, it’s been the single most consuming drive
I’ve ever known. Common sense never came into it.’

Femke gently pulled herself from Danar’s arms and stepped back, not sure whether to be flattered, or frightened by his intensity. She knew that moving this relationship forward now was a
bad idea. It would distract her from her goal, which could prove disastrous.

For the briefest moment, Femke wished she could forget her responsibilities and run away with him back to Shandar. Common sense told her that any relationship she had with Danar was doomed to
fail. Lord Tremarle would never stand for his only son to marry a commoner. He would see it as dilution of the bloodline. The best Femke could hope for would be a romantic interlude. That was not
practicable now, whilst she was a fugitive. This situation had to be resolved before she could return to her life as a spy. And then what? Giving up her profession was not an option. She enjoyed
the life too much to relinquish it in exchange for a dead-end romance. The whole situation was very confusing.

‘All right, Danar, let’s imagine for a moment I accepted your sincerity and I was interested in exploring the possibility of a relationship with you. I still couldn’t do it
right now,’ Femke stated, trying desperately to keep the angst from her voice.

‘Why not?’ Danar asked, his eyes giving that sad, puppy-dog look which silently accuses its owner of being cruel and heartless for not returning its selflessly offered devotion.

‘Shalidar is now working on a way to kill you. Regardless of feelings, I must keep you alive. You’re distracting enough without making things more complicated. No. You’ve
waited this long, you’ll have to wait a little longer. Please, Danar, don’t touch me again until this is over – I beg you.’

Danar looked at her with his sad eyes and nodded. Feelings of guilt and frustration swamped Femke until she almost gave in to them. The temptation to throw aside common sense was overwhelming,
but she steeled her heart. Having regained some fragile self-control, Femke turned away and set about rigging the door. Being busy would help, if only for a short while. Much of the next few days
would be time spent waiting, and Femke sensed the temptation would worsen. It would taunt her at every opportunity, playing with her mind until it distracted her as much as if she had gone ahead
and flung herself at the handsome young Lord.

‘Oh, Shand!’ she groaned quietly. ‘Why me?’

As soon as the guard changeover was complete Ennas knew he was in trouble. It was the young guard again and he sounded determined Femke should not ignore him this time. Ennas
remained silent while the young guard rattled the door and called in through the window at him.

‘You’re ill, aren’t you, Ambassador? That must be it,’ he said eventually. ‘Speak to me, Ambassador. If you’re ill, the medics should see you. I’m sure
the King doesn’t want you to die in there. And even if he does,
I’m
not going to let that happen.’

Don’t come in. Please, don’t come in! Ennas prayed silently, fervently hoping the young guard would just leave him alone.

‘Right, I’m coming in,’ the guard announced. ‘Don’t try anything foolish. I don’t want to have to hurt you.’