The Harem Master (20 page)

She thumped the settee again, then decided to do something useful before she ruined all her lovely, comfortable furniture. What would Asli do? Food. Asli would demand someone bring her something to eat, and now she'd thought of it, food sounded like the best idea she'd ever had. Heaving to her feet, Euren went to the door and opened it, smiling stiffly at the guard outside. "I have been traveling for several days with little to no rest. Today alone I was on a horse for eight hours. I would like a meal brought, unless prisoners are no longer allowed to eat."

"No, Miss—Lady—" The guard huffed. "Princess, I beg your pardon. I am sorry I did not anticipate that. I will have food ordered at once, of course."

"Thank you." Euren closed the door. Striding across the room, she pushed through the layers of gauzy curtains that divided the bed and bath from the rest of the room. She removed her weapons and set them aside on a table to properly clean later, then stripped off her clothes and threw them in a wash basket.

Clothes… That was a good point. She had no clean clothes, and her trunks from the temple would not be arriving for some time yet. Glancing around, she saw no trunks or bureaus that would hold clothes; even the dressing table was barren.

Fluttering caught her eye; she turned toward it and saw the robes hanging from hooks on the wall by the bathing area. They should suffice until she could obtain proper clothes. It was not as though she had anywhere to go, courtesy of Kagan.

Going to the far corner of the bathing area, she poured water into a washing basin and quickly set to scrubbing. When she'd rinsed off all the soap from the first round of cleaning, she went for a second. The water, the soap, and the rough sponge followed by the softer sponge… The only thing that would feel better would be crawling into her soft bed, either to sleep or reacquaint herself with her husband.

Finished washing, she walked over to the bath, a deep, rectangular pool large enough to hold six, groaning as the hot water soaked into her sore body. Absurdly, even the smell of the minerals that discolored the bathwater was comforting. How anyone could miss the metallic, overdone egg smell seemed incomprehensible, but she had.

A knock came at the door a few minutes later, and she called for the knocker to enter. Two servants bustled in bearing trays of food that they arranged on the low table in a far corner of the room. Euren thanked them but did not move from the bath, determined to soak in the wonderfully hot water for as long as possible.

She hoped Asli, Gulden, Canan, and the others were being well-treated. At least they'd been confined to the harem hall instead of prison cells or thrown out of the palace entirely. There were worse places to be than the Jeweled Garden. Would the guards let her send a note?  Probably best not to push her luck for the present.

Climbing out of the bath, she pulled on a lightweight, pale purple robe. It was a touch too small but finer by far than anything she had owned before she'd left. She'd thought five years of borrowing Asli's clothes had prepared her for royal life, but wearing a robe that cost more than her entire old wardrobe…

Fleeing from those thoughts, Euren belted the robe closed and retrieved one of her knives, tucking it away in a pocket of the robe. She then walked across the room to the table and sat down, folding her legs in front of her and thumping the stiff, round cushion at her back until it settled comfortably.

She had just started eating when she heard voices out in the hallway—only just barely, they were so low. Then the guard knocked on the door, opening it when she granted permission to enter. "Highness, the Harem Master requests an audience; he says that he has brought you clothes."

"How thoughtful," she replied, brightening. "Let him in, thank you."

The guard bowed, then turned and pulled the door open wider. Lord Demir stepped inside, followed by four men in red sashes bearing two large trunks that they carried across the room and set near the bed.

Lord Demir was even more beautiful than she had remembered him being when she'd left. She and Asli had often talked and giggled about the various men and women of the court and Lord Demir had always been at the top of their lists of favorites.

Euren rose and stepped around the table to slowly approach him. "Harem Master, thank you for bringing me clothes. It…" She faltered when he sank to his knees, then bowed so that his forehead touched the floor. Right, crown princess. She was used to casual bows at most, from her harem and the monks. Even the Cobra usually bowed from the waist. This formal bow that was technically her due would take some getting used to. "Rise, please."

Demir stood as elegantly as he'd knelt. His every motion was beautiful, and effortlessly so. Grace like that only came from long hours of relentless training. Euren much preferred knowing how to throw a knife; she didn't think she'd have possessed the patience for Demir's skillset no matter how much she admired it.

She waited while he turned to the guards who had brought the trunks, silently issuing them some order to which they nodded before they turned to her and bowed low. She nodded to them, and they slipped away as soundlessly as they had arrived. Turning back to Lord Demir, Euren said, "It's been a long time, Harem Master. Not that you and I ever really interacted, but I remember seeing you around the palace, speaking with my father."

Demir smiled. "Welcome home, Highness. I remember you very well, and you look even more like your mother than you did before." He dipped his head. "She would be happy and proud to see you so, if I am permitted to say."

"You are," Euren said quietly, blinking rapidly. "Thank you."

Lifting his head again, Demir said, "It is good to see you back with us, Highness. I am so very sorry for the unhappy reception you've received."

"Being confined to my room is better than the immediate execution I half-expected and feared, given His Majesty's opinion of our marriage," Euren replied. "At least I got to see Ihsan before we were all dragged away. I don't suppose someone will explain everything to me? I am woefully behind on matters of attempted assassination."

Demir glanced at her briefly, a bare smile on his face. "Yes, Highness, we will tell you everything. Speaking of His Highness, the trunks are his welcome gift to you."

"I should have guessed," Euren replied. "He excels at thinking of others, even when it brings him harm." A pity his stupid father could not have appreciated the trait, taught his son to use it without being abused or otherwise bringing himself to harm because of it. "Thank you for delivering them personally, Harem Master. I hope your visiting me will not turn His Majesty's wrath on you."

"No, Princess, I promise. He is busy catching up on all that he has missed."

Euren's brow drew down. "Missed? What do you mean?"

Demir bowed his head. "My apologies, that was carelessly said. I refer to the attempted murder for which you've been arrested. A few nights ago someone attempted to poison the royal table during His Highness's celebration banquet. His Majesty nearly died and has been slow to recover. Ambassador Jove and a concubine, Barra, were regretfully killed. A few others were struck by the poison but recovered thanks to the knowledge of Lord Kitt."

"Merciful Divine," Euren said. "Those poor people. I'm glad the fatalities were not worse, though certainly they were bad enough. I am glad Lord Kitt was here to help."

"Yes, Princess," Demir replied softly. "I—" he broke off as a peculiar sound filled the room—stone scraping against stone, reminding her sharply of the secret tunnels in the monastery that were used for smuggling. She turned, jaw dropping open as a part of her wall swung open, tapestry and all.

Kitt, beautiful and mischievous as ever, stepped out of the open doorway and grinned at her like a proud little boy showing off for the younger children. Save for the hardness around his eyes that never truly went away, no matter how hard he played at being the indolent, clueless foreigner. "Greetings, Princess." He bowed low. "You are a warm fire on a cold day."

"You are still ridiculous," she replied, planting her hands on her hips. "Is that a secret passage? Because I distinctly remember Ihsan telling me those did not exist and were merely palace gossip."

It was Demir who laughed, causing both of them to look at him. "In His Highness's defense, he is forbidden to discuss them with anyone not family. By the time he could legally tell you there was probably no time, or he simply forgot in the chaos."

"Chaos," Euren replied. "Yes, that is one word for it. So where do they go?"

"All over, Highness," Kitt replied. "We'll have a key obtained for you. For now, we'll leave this door unlocked. Come along now and we'll show you how to get to the harem hall should you need to reach us without drawing attention. Later, when everything has quieted down, we'll smuggle your jewels in." He grinned, winked.

Euren lifted her eyes to the ceiling. "Let me get dressed." Demir and Kitt bowed their heads, and Euren slipped through the gauzy curtains dividing the sleeping area from the rest of the room, stripping off her robe and hanging it back up before she went to the trunks the guards had placed against the wall between the bathing area and the bed.

"Would you like assistance, Princess?"

Euren flipped open the nearest of the two trunks and clasped her hands, sighing happily at the bright, colorful contents. "I would not be opposed, Harem Master."

Demir slipped through the curtains, knelt in front of the trunk, and rifled through it briefly before pulling out a pile of dark orange fabric. He handed her a bundle of underclothes that she quickly pulled on herself, then stepped in close to wrap the skirt around her hips. It was beautiful, decorated with crisscrossing blue and green bands overlaid with scattered gold glowers and slit up both sides to just a little higher than her knees. A matching wrap went around her breasts, deftly tied closed by Demir's quick, efficient fingers. He draped a wrap over his shoulder and bent to the trunk once more, pulling out a comb and a gold box the size of his palm. Quickly smoothing out her hair, he tugged and twisted gently until it was pinned at the back of her head, curls tumbling down, all of it held in place by jeweled pins. He then took the wrap draped over his shoulder, folded it in half lengthwise, and wound it loosely around her shoulders. "Did you want the jewelry that goes with it, Highness?"

"Seems to be no point for the moment. Thank you for the assistance."

He bowed low. "It is always an honor to serve, Highness."

"It is appreciated." They rejoined Kitt, who hopped up into the secret passage, and then offered a hand. Euren took it, stepping up inside the cool, dark passageway. "This is incredible."

Demir and Kitt chuckled. "I will meet you both back in my room," Demir said, then pushed the door closed for them, sealing them in darkness cut only by the flickering lantern Kitt held.

He reached out and took her hand, squeezing it as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Good to have you home."

"It's good to be home, and I'm glad all of you are unscathed." They started walking, steps echoing faintly against the white stone walls. "Lord Demir says it is thanks to you that more people did not die from the poisoning. Sounds like I've missed quite a bit of excitement."

"Quite a bit," Kitt said, chuckling in that too-casual way of his. "I would wager Lord Demir did not mention that he was one of those who nearly died."

"No," Euren said, startling to a halt briefly. Kitt turned around, his wry smile just visible. "Does he do that a lot?"

"He and Ihsan have certain frustrating qualities in common."

Euren sighed, but smiled faintly. "I see. At least we have the Harem Master on our side; we could use all the allies we can muster. What else have I missed?"

"Much—we'll catch you up momentarily. How did you enjoy your escort?"

"They are as fierce as I've ever heard, but otherwise nothing at all like their rumors, which does not surprise me," Euren said. "How is the palace taking to you, little dragon?"

Kitt laughed and grinned toothily before he turned and resumed walking. "I am still getting the feel for being a concubine, but so far I am being tolerated. These secret passages are abominably stupid, but unfortunately they're proving useful."

"That is the way of secret passages. Does my father know about these?"

"Yes, but only because he and Lord Demir have been using them to smuggle out people your father orders executed. Several concubines, the crown princess…"

"Mercy Divine," Euren said, stumbling to a halt again "My father and Lord Demir were responsible for that?"

Kitt looked over his shoulder, saw she had stopped again, and turned to face her once more. He tilted his head. "What do you mean, responsible for that? How could you know anything about it?"

"I helped smuggle them out of the country after they were delivered to the monastery," Euren said.

Kitt burst out laughing. "Of course you did. Please make certain I am there when you tell your father and Ihsan, I want to see their expressions." He resumed walking, and only a moment later they were stepping down from another doorway and into a small, handsome bedroom.

"Somehow I always thought the harem master would have a more… interesting bedroom," Kitt said.

Demir's soft chuckle washed over them before Euren could do more than roll her eyes. "The interesting things are kept in the hall, Lord Kitt. And anything I keep for myself I am not going to leave where others can see."

Kitt grinned, and Euren nearly rolled her eyes again at his unsubtle flirting. "Would somebody finally explain to me all that I have missed? You can flirt with each other at a less serious time."

"Yes, Princess," Kitt said easily. Demir's face gave nothing away, though the levity that had filled it was also gone. Euren felt bad because she'd meant it as a tease, not a reprimand, but before she could apologize, Kitt and Demir related everything she had missed: the assassination attempt, Lord Arda's death, the council's outrageous suggestions regarding the harems.

"And now His Majesty is accusing Ihsan of doing it because that no doubt suits his purposes, and I suspect the purposes of the council."