The Harem Master (40 page)

Once they had Demir and Sabah back, he would be more than happy to never leave the palace again.

Kitt squeezed his hand, lifted it to kiss his fingers. "We'll get them back, and soon. No one escapes when the Dragon casts His Shadow."

"Just leave one or two alive for purposes of information," Ihsan replied. Movement caught the corner of his eye, and he looked up to see Emre and Altan walking toward them, faces set in grim lines. Ihsan rose. "What's wrong?"

"My inquiries tells me we're going to be dealing with a man by the name of Chetkari, that's what's wrong," Altan said. "The only thing nastier than a slave smuggler is a diamond smuggler."

"Well at least that confirms the barkeep did not lie, for he told us the same name." Ihsan sighed and resumed his seat, motioning the others to do the same. "I am surprised we've not heard Pelenna mentioned sooner if they're tangled up in this."

"I doubt they're tangled up in overmuch, probably not more than sharing a ship. Diamond smugglers and slave traders generally keep as much distance as they can. Too much of a bad thing in one place draws attention neither wants, though there are places where they inevitably overlap. If our Havarin friends want passage on a ship owned by one of the most notorious diamond smugglers in the business, Chetkari is going to make it hurt."

Ihsan glared at the table. His daggers were still drying, the steel glinting in the light from the flickering fire nearby. "So we need to make it worth Chetkari's time to give us Havarin. Have any ideas as to how we're going to do that?" He scowled when every last one of them burst out laughing. "What's so funny?"

"You're
King
, Ihsan," Altan finally said. "It is time to stop sneaking around. Summon guards, shut him down, take away everything he has and force him to tell you. Pelenna is locked up with all the other ambassadors; he's got no protection when every foreign dignitary in this place is in trouble for suspected slave trading. He'll cooperate if it means you'll leave him alone. Pelenna isn't so powerful they afford to make us angry."

That was so pathetically obvious Ihsan winced at his own idiocy. "Let's try something a bit quieter, first. Just us. If that doesn't work, we'll terrorize them properly." His mouth tipped up at one corner. "And probably scare the entire harbor into obeying the law for an entire week, maybe even two."

"Don't pin your hopes," Altan replied with a fleeting smile. "Shall we, then?"

Ihsan nodded and rose, following the others back outside and through the streets to the warehouse district.

"This is going to be one of the longest days of my life," Euren muttered, shuffling the papers in front of her, rearranging them, then promptly re-rearranging them. "Worrying about my husband may actually be less stressful than taking on the entire council."

Gulden chuckled beside her, arm sliding around her waist. Euren looked up, and Gulden dipped her head to nuzzle Euren's cheek before dragging her mouth over to suck and nibble leisurely at Euren's lips. Asli's lips pressed to her bare throat on the opposite side, one delicate, long-fingered hand resting heavy on Euren's thigh, warm through layers of linen and silk.

They drew back after a moment, and Euren smiled faintly. "You're beautifully distracting, but I'm still anxious about this meeting."

"You'll be fine," Canan said from the door, returned from fetching trays of wine and food. Meltem, who had taken up position at the door, closed it behind Canan then resumed her post. She glanced toward them, caught Euren's gaze briefly, and for a moment it seemed like a faint, sad longing flickered across her face.

But that could be Euren seeing her own thoughts, seeing what she wanted to see. Once everything quieted down, perhaps she would get a chance to find out.

Looking away, Euren tried once more to focus on the papers in front of her: notes on every last member of the council, as well as their deputies, assistants, spouses, children, and any friends and peers who seemed worth noting.

"Have some wine," Canan said as she poured a smoky purple wine into a pale orange glass wine dish. She held it out, but when Euren reached out, Canan captured her hand and kissed the fingers. Matching Euren's smile, she surrendered the wine then arranged the other wines at the designated places for Lord Cenk and Lady Seth.

A few minutes later, just as Euren had started to relax, the doors opened and Cenk and Seth strode in. Behind them came four defeated-looking councilors, escorted by two guards each. Euren made a point of ignoring them, glancing down at her papers until everyone settled.

She looked up again just as Meltem closed and locked the doors. She caught Euren's eye as she returned to her post, smiled ever so briefly.

At Euren's signal, Asli and Gulden moved to sit beside Cenk and Seth, settling at the end of the table so they were still close to Euren as well. Canan moved to sit immediately to Euren's right, refilling her wine and keeping it close to offer up the moment Euren needed it. When everyone was settled, the guards taking up posts against the wall all around the moderately-sized, rectangular meeting hall, Euren folded her hands on top of the table and said, "Greetings, Councilors."

"Your Majesty," they all murmured, bowing as low as they were able without moving away from the table.

Euren looked at each one: Lady Tethta, Councilor of Food & Beverage; Lady Tehma, Councilor of the Army; Lady Imari, Councilor of the Melera Province; and Lord Cathaar, Councilor of the Valta Province—Asli's father.

"I'm sure you would at last like to know why you've all been imprisoned. Rather, I'm sure you would like for me to finally state the reason that all of us already know. Shortly after he returned home, His Majesty became aware of several strange goings-on here in the palace. The death of Lord Arda spurred a closer look at matters, and it did not take long before we unraveled the plot of several ambassadors and councilors to create a slave-trading ring." Not a single councilor said a word, though two of the four had the decency to look alarmed and upset. "Unfortunately, we are not surprised to know that ambassadors were seeking to take advantage of our generosity and use the royal concubines to terrible purpose. What troubles me is that the nobles we entrusted with the health and safety of our people have instead betrayed those people, betrayed the crown, and betrayed themselves."

"Majesty—"

"You do not have permission to speak," Euren cut in, glaring until Lady Imari murmured an apology and dropped her head. She glanced down at her papers then turned to Cenk, who sat to her right. "Steward, you and Lady Seth have sorted out the role played by every councilor."

"Yes, Your Majesty. As best we were able to determine, of the council of thirty, four were party to the plot, nine were bribed into cooperating, and four were blackmailed." He looked at the four councilors, who all dropped their heads.

Lady Seth shifted and leaned forward slightly, resting her hands on the table. A geometric pattern of diamonds and stylized flowers covered both her arms, from the wrist all the way up to her shoulders, and red lacquer gleamed on her nails. "Respect, Majesty, while I think these four should be punished for their wrongs, they are also victims, and so the punishment should not be as severe as it will be for the others."

"Agreed," Euren said. "If you and the Steward have recommendations for punishment, I am happy to hear them." Everything had, in fact, been decided ahead of time, but let the councilors think the matter was up for discussion.

"Suspension for one year, banishment from the royal palace and the capital for half a year," Cenk said and turned to look sternly at each councilor in turn. "It is strongly advised that in that time they do something to ensure that the secrets used against them in this affair are done away with, or otherwise reconciled."

Euren nodded. "The punishment sounds fair to me. Let it be so."

Lady Seth bowed slightly, then turned to the councilors and said, "You are trusted to be unbreakable, honest and trustworthy. You have not just disappointed, but hurt all those people who trusted you by making decisions that put you in a position to be blackmailed. It is not your fault that you were blackmailed, but it is your fault you have secrets that you thought were more important than the lives of your people. You will be returned to your cells until we have addressed the whole council. When matters are concluded, you will be released and given three days to leave Tavala. Should you or your families be seen anywhere in the city or the royal palace after those three days, you will be banished permanently, titles revoked, and will face either more jail time or heavy fines, at the whim of Their Majesties. Do you understand, councilors?"

"Yes," said Lady Tethta. "Your mercy is appreciated, Your Majesty. We offer our most humble apologies for failing you and Tavamara. We will endeavor to spend our time away remembering what it means to be councilors." She bowed her head low, and the other three councilors did the same, murmuring their own apologies and echoing her vows.

Cathaar looked sadly at Asli, who glared back briefly then turned away and stared only at Euren.

"You are dismissed," Euren said. "Guards, take them back to their cells and bring in the next nine."

"Yes, Majesty," said the nearest guard, bowing low before he grabbed Lord Cathaar and followed the others from the room.

Euren rested a hand on Asli's thigh beneath the table, and when a hand covered hers she twisted it to grip Asli's hand and squeeze it. Asli gave her a sad smile, then straightened and fell completely back into her role of concubine. Euren withdrew her hand with a soft caress and gratefully drank the wine that Canan offered up. "That went better than I dared hope, but they were the easiest of the lot. Shall we proceed?"

"Yes, Majesty," Cenk and Seth chorused.

"I think this next lot will be the crankiest," Asli said. "The most likely to have the temerity to be offended… And the last group will be the dangerous one."

"Dangerous only to themselves," Meltem said from the door.

Cenk sighed. "I do not hold out much hope, but ideally they will have the sense to behave themselves and not do something stupid." He made a face. "Something
else
stupid."

"We shall see very soon," Euren murmured, just as a knock came at the door. Meltem pulled it open, and once more guards paraded in escorting prisoners, though this set was in chains and strode in arrogant and angry, precisely as Cenk had predicted: Lord Hari, Councilor of Labor; Lord Velut, Councilor of Justice; Lady Beleth, Councilor of Tey Province; Lady Leyna, Councilor of Remm Province; Lady Wihsa, Councilor of Fenn-Bar Province; Lord Parath, Councilor of Nyne Province; Lord Kefir, Councilor of Shar Province; and Lord Omar, Councilor of Kenira Province.

When they'd all taken their seats, Euren ignored them, but only because Asli rested a hand on her thigh, reminding her to do so, one of the many little digs Asli had taught her over and over. It still seemed childish, but politics were in the details, in all the little gestures, good and bad, that took and conceded power.

She accepted another sip of wine from Canan, then a bite of food, followed by more wine. Only then did she stare at each councilor in turn. When she could feel their anger and impatience, Euren finally said, "Every last one of you is a disgrace to Tavamara. I hope you have the decency to be ashamed of yourselves, but given it only took handing you money to convince you to violate the sacred royal harems and sell them off to be sex slaves in Havarin, I doubt it."

"We did no—"

"You did!" Euren said. "You will be silent, Lord Hari.
All
of you will be silent. This is not a hearing. I'm not interested in listening to you try to justify your actions. We have the proof of your deeds from the Master of the Treasury and the Master of Collection. Every bribe, every tax evasion, every last suspicious financial transaction to your names is here before me." She fanned one hand over the papers. "King Kagan was assassinated, two attempts were made on King Ihsan's life, and two attempts were made on my life. You have endangered the harems; you have provoked your conspirators to kidnap Lord Demir and Lord Sabah. Do I need to keep listing your crimes? Now, councilors, you have one chance to convince me not to have your heads removed right this very moment."

To their credit, every last one of them remained silent.

"Lord Cenk, Lady Seth, can you give me cause that these nine should not be executed?"

"Their fortunes and estates may not be able to adequately cover their debt to Tavamara," Lord Cenk offered. "Best to keep them alive to repay the debt."

"There has been enough executions in the past several years," Lady Seth added. "Respect, Majesty, I believe there are councilors who will face execution this day, but it should not be these nine."

"Your council is appreciated, and I acknowledge your points," Euren said. Canan offered up more wine, and she lingered over a few small sips before finally saying, "The councilors will not be executed." She waited until they had all slumped or otherwise relaxed in relief. One or two were holding back tears. Euren then added, "Though by the time you've heard your punishment, you may wish that I had opted for execution." She spread out her papers and took another sip of wine, reassured by the hand on her thigh that stroked in approval of her actions.

She still didn't feel much like a queen, more like an impostor no one had caught out yet, but at last she was proving to be a good impostor. "Councilors, you are forthwith stripped of your positions, your titles, and your fortunes. You will be left with enough funds to care for yourselves the rest of the year, a sum to be calculated by the Steward. You will be left with one home, not of your choosing, and the rest of your estates and property will be confiscated by the throne. We have calculated the debts you owe the crown and the people, including the fines being levied for gross misconduct, abuse of power, and additional fines in lieu of the execution and jail time that you should rightfully be serving.

"You will be placed under strict house arrest, with royal guards handpicked by the Captain of the Guard to ensure you serve your sentence. If at any point you violate the house arrest, you be arrested and serve the rest of your sentence in prison. Should you attempt to flee the country, you will be executed. At the end of five years, the house arrest will be lifted. But you and your immediate descendants are not permitted within Salla Province, and your grandchildren and so forth must present themselves to the throne for permission to remain in the province. Do you understand me?"