Sworn To Defiance (10 page)

Vana didn’t hesitate. “When
you
decided we were going to face a god.”

“But why not you? Why not Sebastian?” Ciardis cried out from where she leaned.

“Because she’s not a leader. She’s a follower,” muttered Seraphina from where she lay across Skarar length-wise with one eye open.

Ciardis looked over at the girl in astonishment that anyone would blatantly insult a woman who looked like walking danger cloaked in leather, weapons, and enough attitude to take on a garrison.

A low chuckle emitted from Vana. “She’s half right, you know. In her childish way, that is.”

Seraphina raised her head to protest. Vana pierced her with a look and said, “Hush.”

Seraphina piped down.

Focusing back on Ciardis, Vana said, “I’m not a people person. I don’t lead.”

Before Ciardis could protest she held up a hand and said, “Neither do I follow. I take orders. I follow commands. But I make my day-to-day decisions and follow my own intuition when on a mission. Why do you think that is, Ciardis?”

Ciardis frowned as the litter jostled. She heard the voices of normal city denizens flooding the streets. The morning hawkers were coming out. It was soothing. Still as she peered into the darkness of the litter, she was reminded uncomfortably of the time she had traveled alone to the Ameles Forest with the representative of the Panen people, Alexandra. During that journey, the woman had taught her lesson. The same lesson Vana seemed determined to reawaken in her.

Taking a deep breath, Ciardis answered the assassin’s question with a question of her own. “Why wouldn’t you? Best of both worlds, actually. Independence and conformity without the responsibility of being held to account for your actions.”

Dark satisfaction echoed from Vana’s mouth. “Exactly. And Sebastian?”

“Why wouldn’t he lead?” Ciardis said with some confusion.

“Why would he follow you?” was the question Vana flung back to her.

Ciardis thought about it. “Because this isn’t his battle.”

As she spoke it aloud, she felt the realization flow through her like shock. 

“Because he’s along for the ride. He’s not fully invested in this one way or the other. He maybe the prince heir, but he’s acting like a boy. A boy enjoying an adventure,” Ciardis said breathily, trying to hold back emotion from her voice.

“He would,” piped up Seraphina. “Just like Michael the carriage maker’s son loves to ride around in carriages and doesn’t spend an hour a day in his father’s shop learning the trade.”

They both avoided the girl’s interruption, although it rang true.

Vana’s voice was non-committal. “What are you going to do about it?”

Ciardis’s voice hardened. “Drag him in kicking and screaming. He wants the glory, he’ll have to pay the price.”

“That’s a good girl. We’ll make a proper companion out of you yet.”

Ciardis couldn’t tell if Vana found more enjoyment in acting the part of an assassin or a Companions’ Guild member. Truth be told, she suspected both personas gave Vana equal enjoyment.

G
ently, Ciardis reached out a hand and drew back the curtain on the palanquin. Their conveyance hovered half a dozen feet off the ground. Each corner resting on the shoulder of a soldier picked for his endurance and strength. Ciardis took in the man stationed at the corner nearest her. He had stripped down to his waist and already his skin gleamed with sweat from the morning exertions. She didn’t think the weight of the three humans on board was that heavy, but add in a growing griffin and you easily topped four hundred pounds.

Sebastian rode up by her side. She didn’t move and he didn’t look at her. Presently she could see him scoping out the enemies surrounding them—always wary of subterfuge.

That’s what she liked about him. That and the fact that he understood her.

But love was more than understanding someone and enjoying their presence. It was a commitment and Ciardis knew that she had been thrusting herself from situation to situation while relying on his good intentions. Trusting him, even when she suspected him of unsavory actions. Trusting that he would do the right thing. Now it was time to go beyond trust. Go beyond promises. Instead she wanted commitment. Because by the seven nights of darkness, if she was going to fight a
god
side-by-side with someone, she wanted to know that she could do more than rely on them.

As if sensing the dark turn of her thoughts, Sebastian looked over at her with a disturbed look in his eyes.

“Something wrong?” he asked quickly. “Is it the girl, Seraphina? Or the griffin, Skarar?”

Ciardis shook her head, bronze curls bouncing softly against her cheeks as she looked him in the eye, uncertain as to how she should go about saying what she would say. She knew where this needed to end. With him one hundred percent by her side. But it wasn’t every day you took concrete steps in a new life plan, and, well, it was daunting.

Finally she was forthright. “I think we need to approach the gathering of the nobles from a position of strength.”

He shifted the reins in his hands and leaned over. His voice came out in a whisper. “I agree.”

She fluttered her eyelashes. Not a coy movement, but a sign of the flash of nervousness deep in her belly.

“What else is there?” he demanded, worry lacing his tone. Sebastian could read her like an open book, the same way she could him. Except it was probably much easier for him, seeing as she was horrible at hiding her emotions. She worked hard at it, but when she was around the people she knew and trusted, her feelings arrayed themselves on her face like a broadsheet declaring the daily news. So Sebastian could tell something was wrong. But unlike Thanar he couldn’t or
wouldn’t
break into her thoughts to discern what is.

She knew he had the ability as she remembered the time he had seen through her eyes on her first and—so far—only solo audience with the emperor. When their minds and visions linked, Sebastian had announced with horrifying certainty that the man who stood before her as his father was in fact his uncle masquerading as the true emperor.

Ciardis swallowed and concentrated on the present. If she had been announcing that she wanted all of them to ride into the nobles’ council with swords swinging and magical powers flashing, she would have been less nervous. That was action. That was a plan of attack. This, this was more than just a
plan
. It was her life in motion. Her life taking a new path and one she wouldn’t know if it was the right choice until she took the first steps. Perhaps not even then.

Exhaling, Ciardis said, “We need to enter into their arena with a show of force. We cannot have them thinking they can strong-arm us into an alliance or an agreement. Yes, we need them. But we already have allies.”

She went on to list them. “The Ameles Forest, the soldiers of the north, the damn Land Wight, and even the Companions’ Guild.”

Although she really wasn’t too sure about that last part. Whether they would support her
or
their usefulness, but if half the women were like Serena or Vana, she’d take her chances with the companions.

Sebastian frowned.

“It’s true we have a great need for the might of the nobles, but we can’t let them see that. They must think they need
us
to survive this oncoming onslaught. I know that nothing will convince them more than seeing us as a united front,” Ciardis said.

“Just as when we strode through the halls of power for your mother’s trial?” Sebastian said in a questioning tone.

“Yes,” she said nodding grimly, “And we need all of the strength we can get. Because we’re not asking them to take our sides on a minor squabble in the city of Sandrin or give up land in a valley for a mercantile project. We need them, those with power, those militias, to give their support, their troops and if necessary their lives, to unsure the entire empire isn’t swallowed whole. This isn’t some game.”

Sebastian looked at her with uncommonly hollow eyes, “Thousands of lives are at stake.”

She nodded. “Our entire empire. Our friends, our family, our home.”

“What are you suggesting, Ciardis Weathervane?”

She smiled and looked him full in the face. Then she felt the litter come to a halt. Sebastian pulled back on his reins to stop his horse and peered ahead to see the problem. She looked over at the soldier in front.

The captain called back, “Standard procedure to exit the noble quarters. I’ll deal with this.”

She watched him walk forward, presumably to talk to the guards at the gates that marked the formal entrance to the noble quarters. Of course, with the way Sandrin was built, this wasn’t the only entrance into this quarter. There were side entrances upon side entrances. Winding, dark streets that exited in unbecoming alleys and over the river. But this, this was the gate through which legitimate residents and activities flowed to and fro.

Sebastian turned to look back at her. She felt nervous sweat bead on her forehead. She wasn’t sure of this action. She wasn’t even sure if she could call this a plan. But she was damned tired of being one step behind of Sebastian Athanos Algardis’s motivations. Even Thanar was more forthright. He told her what he wanted. He had unscrupulous means of
achieving
what he wanted but he didn’t bullshit about it either. It was time to pull one over on the prince heir of the realm. If he accepted her proposition, she would have his resources at her disposal. If he dismissed her proposition, then she would know where they finally stood.

In her heart of hearts, she hoped he accepted because no one wanted to learn that they had just been a means to an end for more than a year. A tiny part of her really, truly believed he loved her. Sure, she could read his mind and discern his emotions. But love was a complicated entity. One could love a dog, because it was your possession. A pet. But that didn’t mean it was the same all-encompassing love that would overcome everything.
That’s
what she wanted when she thought of his love.

This. This would just be the first step to test that will.

“Ciardis?” queried Sebastian.

Ciardis reached out a hand—the one not covered in blood—and gripped his right hand. “Sebastian Athanos Algardis, will you marry me?”

Astonishment flowed over Sebastian’s face like a wave of shock. His jaw dropped and true surprise flowed into his eyes.

He coughed and spluttered before taking his hand back to cover his mouth.

She sat back with a glare. Somewhat affronted.

“No!” he hastily said, holding out the hand again.

She felt her spine stiffen at the rejection.

“No, I mean yes!” he said.

She raised an eyebrow.

“I meant...” he said, his voice trailing off. “Forgive me, words allude me. But Ciardis Weathervane, did you just propose to me?”

“I did,” she said. Her voice made it both a question and a confirmation. 

He looked down at her with a silly grin on his face.

“What are you smiling at like a loon?” she finally snapped.

“You actually—” he said with a pause. “You’ve been unconventional since the moment we’ve met. I don’t know why I thought our courtship and engagement would be anything but abnormal.”

She shifted uncomfortably, well aware that he had yet to answer the question and there were at least three pairs of ears attuned to this conversation. 

“Well?” she demanded.

“It was quite romantic of you,” he said. The mocking tone in his voice made her draw back. She had her answer.

Before she could turn away, his voice caught her attention, “I, Sebastian Athanos Algardis, accept your proposal of marriage, Ciardis Weathervane of the Weathervane family and the Companions’ Guild. In return, I submit to you my proposal to be your husband as well as your patron before the Companions’ Guild.”

Ciardis looked over at him puzzled. “Doesn’t one cancel out the other?”

“No,” said Vana behind her. Ciardis was pretty sure Vana was answering her question.

“No,” said Sebastian with an unreadable look in his eyes, “but for now we’ll let them both stand. What’s your plan, wife-to-be?”

Ciardis raised an eyebrow.

He amended the statement. “Well, I assume there was something else to go along with this proposal.”

“Yes,” Ciardis said. “Let’s get everyone cleaned up. Someone will need to summon Lord Meres and Terris, then we can figure out where we go from here.” 

Sebastian looked up at the sky and back down at her. “I know just the place. But I suggest Terris and Meres stay where they are. We’ll send word to them to keep our home away from home fortified in case we need to beat a hasty retreat and send them supplies for the space.”

She nodded, reluctant to leave Terris there but seeing the wisdom in his counsel. Besides, she’d pushed enough in these last few minutes. She had other actions in store, including the confrontation over her powers that they had yet to have. Storing goodwill for that would be better. Because come hell or high water, Sebastian and Thanar would learn that she was their equal. Treating her like baggage stopped now.

“Where are we going then?” Ciardis asked.

A solemn expression appeared on Sebastian’s face as he answered, “To my mother’s palace.”

Without a further word to her, he rode off to inform the captain of their decision.

Ciardis sat back in the confines of the moving palanquin, her mind abuzz with thoughts.

Seraphina looked over at her. With the impetuous nature of youth, she informed Ciardis, “You don’t look too happy for a lady that’s getting married.”

Ciardis looked over at Seraphina. “I’m not sure I should be.”

“Why not?” Seraphina blurted out.

Ciardis gave a weary smile. “Because to be honest, I had a lot less to worry about when I was planning to be engaged to a baker’s nephew.”

Seraphina blinked and sat back. There wasn’t really anything you could say to that.

Vana announced from her perch across from Ciardis, “I’d be more worried about the verbal agreement he just trapped you in.”

Ciardis looked over at the assassin with a frown.