The Traitor Queen (41 page)

“She’s lying,” Telano declared. “Why would you believe her over me? She has already admitted to working with a Thief.”

“We did give you the opportunity to allow a simple mind-read,” Osen pointed out. “Have you changed your mind?”

Telano stared at Osen, then straightened. “No. I will prove my innocence in more convincing ways.”

“You’ll have your chance, when we hold a Hearing to judge you,” Osen said. He turned to Kallen. “Take him away.”

Telano scowled as he was ushered out of the room. Lilia stood awkwardly as the Higher Magicians exchanged glances.

“Did you see any hint of other spies in the Guild, Lilia?” Osen asked quietly.

She shook her head.

“That’s a relief.” He looked at the others. “We should wait for Sonea to return before holding this Hearing, but announce
the ban on roet and our intention to find a cure as soon as possible.” He looked at Vinara. “I want you to involve Sonea in
the search for a cure.” Vinara frowned and opened her mouth to protest, but Osen stalled her with a raised hand. “She identified
the problem first, and it is time you two were seen to work together. It’s also the best way I can think of to keep her occupied
and out of Sachakan matters.”

Lilia frowned.
Why would they …?
She saw Vinara nod in her direction, then Osen turned to her.

“Thank you Lilia. We will need you to speak at the Hearing, but for now you can go.”

Lilia bowed and headed for the door. As she passed Rothen he smiled and nodded.

It’s all over
, she thought,
as much as it can be “over”. Anyi is as safe as any new Thief can be, which is not particularly safe but better than when
Skellin was around. I can now finish my studies. Even though I have no choice about what I’ll be doing after that, I don’t
mind so much now. As long as I still get to see Anyi
.

How they’d manage that, she didn’t know. But one thing she was sure of: Anyi would find a way.

Sonea slipped Osen’s ring off her finger and put it away.

“Well,
that
was interesting.”

Regin turned from the window of the carriage to regard her. “Oh? What news from the Guild?”

“The Rogue Skellin is dead. So is his mother, Lorandra. I don’t have the details yet. Osen said they can wait until I get
home.”

“That’s good news.”

“Yes, but there’s bad as well. Lord Telano was working as Skellin’s spy, and had set himself up as the main supplier of roet
to the Guild. His powers have been blocked and he now resides in the Lookout.”

Regin’s eyebrows rose. “
Telano?
The Head of Healing Studies?”

“Yes. Of all people.” She shook her head. “The only good to come of that is they’ve finally banned roet.”

“What about the magicians who are addicted to it?”

“Vinara managed to acquire roet seed, so the Guild can wean magicians off it. She has started looking for a cure, too. Osen
wants me to help her.” Sonea looked out of the window at the wasteland. “Now I understand why he was so insistent that I come
home.”

Regin smiled. “I’m sure that’s not the only reason.”

“Why? Do you think there’s another reason?”

He shrugged and looked away. “Lilia isn’t quite Kallen’s equal, yet. You’re the only one who can keep him in check.”

“Ah. Kallen.” Sonea grimaced. “Until you mentioned him, I was looking forward to getting home.”

Regin turned so that his elbow rested on the top of the seat
back. “I got the impression you wanted to take charge of Healing in Sachaka. Perhaps start a hospice.”

Sonea shook her head. “No, not really. I would like to see things change for the better in Sachaka, but I don’t think they
need me to do it for them. I just … I don’t want to be so far from Lorkin.” She sighed. “Are you looking forward to seeing
your daughters?”

He shrugged. “Yes. But they don’t need me. In fact, I’m not looking forward to getting back at all.”

“No? You want to stay here?”

“Not particularly. But …” His eyes narrowed. “I’m not sure I’ve quite figured you out yet.”

Sonea blinked. “Me? What’s there to figure out?”

Regin eyebrows rose. “Oh. Plenty.”

Crossing her arms, she turned to face him. “Really? What have you figured out so far?”

He smiled. “That you are attracted to me.”

Sonea stared at him and felt her heartbeat suddenly increase.
Curse him. How did he work that out?
She drew in a deep breath, let it out slowly, and considered all the ways she’d thought of to let him down gently.

“Lord Regin. I—”

“I also know that
you
have worked out that I am attracted to you,” Regin interrupted. “You took your time with that one, though I supposed you
first had to forgive me for being a malicious, bigoted bastard when I was a novice.”

This was not going to be easy.
For either of us
, she had to admit. “Regin, I’m not …”

“Attracted to me?” His eyebrows rose. “So you deny it?”

She hesitated, then forced herself to straighten and look him straight in the eyes. “Yes, I do.”

His eyes narrowed. “Liar.”

What am I doing wrong?
Uncrossing her arms, she attempted to place her hands on her hips, but it proved too difficult in a moving carriage, so she
settled on shaking one finger at him.

“Don’t you call me a liar when …”

He laughed. “Ah, Sonea. If I’d known it was so much fun to tease you, I’d have started sooner.”

The panicky feeling that had been growing in her eased.
He’s only having fun with me. He’s not serious
. Relief was followed by disappointment.
Oh, don’t be silly
, she told herself. She sighed, straightened in the seat and leaned against the back.

“You may not be a malicious, bigoted bastard any more, but you are still just as manipulative, Lord Regin.”

Regin shrugged. “Well, that’s not news. I hope you agree, I always do it for a good cause.” He leaned toward her. “But I would
like to know what you have against the idea of you and me being a couple.”

She paused before answering.
At least he wants to discuss it sensibly. Maybe we should. Get the idea aired and out of our heads
.

“It would be … well, a lot of people would object to it. I’m a black magician. You’re … married.”

“Is that all?” He shook his head. “How
conventional
of you. Sonea, the woman who changed everything – the Guild, Kyralian society, the way we regard black magic – is worried
about
gossip?
”

“Of course. It took years for me to gain people’s trust. I can’t risk losing that.”

“You won’t. They’d be happier seeing you settled with another magician.”

She looked away. “You can’t know that.”

“I know Kyralia’s gossips better than you,” he retorted. “I have the dubious pleasure of knowing them personally.”

He sighed. Glancing at him, she felt her heart twist a little. He looked disappointed.
Maybe he’s right. No, he doesn’t know what it was like, these last twenty years. People constantly weighing in on every move
I made, every friend or lover I had
.

But as she stole another glance, she knew he was right about one thing. She did find him attractive. A lot.
Crazy as that may be
.

“So,” he said quietly, “would it be acceptable if I was divorced?”

“No!” she protested, though whether at his question or at him continuing to pursue this she wasn’t sure.

“Maybe I should rephrase that. Would it be acceptable
to you
if I was divorced?” He leaned closer and she turned to face him. “If nobody else’s opinion mattered, would you want me then?”

He was staring right into her eyes. It would not be easy to lie to him. She hesitated, then opened her mouth to try.

But the words never came out because he was suddenly kissing her. As she froze in surprise he slipped his arms around her,
drawing her closer, and she found she could not quite get coordinated enough to do anything about it. Her body did what it
wanted to: it relaxed against the warmth of him.

It was, she had to admit, a very good kiss. She was disappointed when it ended, though she was a little out of breath. He
looked at her, but not with the full confidence he’d had a moment before.
He will stop this now, if I tell him to
.

I don’t want to tell him to
.

She searched for something else to say.

“You’re not divorced yet,” she reminded him.

He smiled. “Oh, but I am. The king granted it before I left.”

“What? You never told me that!”

“Of course not. I know you too well. You might have guessed my intentions, and kept me at arm’s length,” he told her. “Well,
more than usual.”

“You planned this all along. You scheming, manipulative—”

“Always for a good cause,” he said. Then he kissed her again.

As Lorkin stepped into Savara’s suite of rooms the queen looked up from the papers she was reading and smiled. Lorkin stopped
and put a hand to his heart, but she made a face and waved him past.

“Stop that. Nobody’s watching. And Tyvara’s waiting for you,” she said.

He walked over to the room he and Tyvara had been sleeping in. Tapping lightly on the door, he heard a faint reply, and pushed
it open. Tyvara was lying on the narrow bed reading yet more documents, dressed only in a short shift. He closed the door,
leaned back on it and hoped he wouldn’t have a reason to move again too soon.

She looked up, then rolled her eyes. “Stop that.”

“Can’t,” he said.

“Very well then. Stay there. You’ll get bored eventually.”

“I doubt it.”

She tried to ignore him, but he could see that her eyes were moving back and forth without actually descending down the page.
Eventually she closed them, sighed, and looked up at him again.

“I suppose there is a way to make you stop which would be mutually agreeable to both of us.”

He widened his eyes in mock innocence. “Mutually agreeable?”

“Definitely. Come here and let’s do some experimenting with your new ability. I suspect there are some mutually agreeable
ways that skill could be applied.”

Some time later Lorkin found himself on the floor, lying beside her with the bedding serving as a not-entirely-comfortable
substitute for a mattress. He had been tired before, and now he was more so, but it was a pleasant sort of weariness and he
resisted the temptation to Heal it away.

“We really need a bigger bed,” Tyvara said.

“Yes.”

“How are our Ambassadors?”

Lorkin resisted a smile. Savara had begun to refer to Dannyl and Tayend as “our” Ambassadors the day after she’d met them.
“They’re fine. They were in the library, happy as children with new toys. I think they’d just found something for Dannyl’s
book.”

“Are those two what I think they are? Are they a couple?”

“They used to be. For a long time, actually. Until Dannyl came here. They’d parted company, but I don’t know why.”

“And now?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. They seem close again. But they seemed that way just before Dannyl came here, so maybe I can’t
tell with them.” He frowned. “Though there was a tension between them then that isn’t there now.”

She turned to look at him. “Aren’t you going to ask me what Savara wanted to talk about?”

He rolled onto his side. “What did Savara want to talk about?”

“We talked about her plans for Sachaka.”

“Now there’s a surprise.”

Tyvara poked him in the ribs. “Listen. We figure the country estates will maintain themselves without too much assistance
for now. There are a few we still have to liberate. They were too out of the way for us to deal with before moving on Arvice.
But once they’re done, the main challenge is to revive the wasteland.

“Before then, however, we need to sort out the city. It’s structurally unsuited to the changes that need to happen. It’s nearly
all mansions, because the Ashaki were mostly self-sufficient. Though each mansion could house many ex-slaves, they’ll want
their own homes eventually. We also want to gather people with the same kinds of expertise to work together. That all means
lots of buildings will have to be demolished and new ones constructed.”

“That will take years.”

She nodded. “In the meantime, we need to establish good relations with the Allied Lands. Savara is worried that other lands
will hear of the upheaval here and try to take advantage of it. Maybe not by invading. The stones will hopefully deter anyone
from trying that. But there are other ways, through trade and politics, to hobble a new and recovering country.”

Lorkin held his breath. This was the mission the former queen had sent him on. It was what he was best suited to. He knew
how both Traitors and the Allied Lands worked.

“Savara has decided to send me to Kyralia to continue exploring trade options and the possibility of an alliance.”

He stared at her as confusion was followed by disappointment and then dismay.

“You don’t mean …?”

“Yes.” Tyvara smiled. “We’re going to Kyralia. You’ll be my guide and assistant.”

He sighed.
Well, it wasn’t what I was expecting, but it’s good enough I suppose
.

“Ah, Lorkin.” She reached out to touch his cheek. “You would never have been chosen for that role. You haven’t been a Traitor
long enough to negotiate on behalf of Traitors.”

“And I’m a man.”

She nodded. “That, too.”

“You do realise that no other land thinks like that. Everything you believe men aren’t suited to, everyone else believes women
aren’t suited to.”

“I know. They are going to have to get used to us as much as we have to get used to them.” Then she laughed. “Besides, if
I’m ever going to be queen, as Savara intends, then I can’t be seen to follow some man around. Least of all a Kyralian.”

His stomach flipped over. “You’re … you’re planning to be
queen?
”

“
Savara
is planning for me to be queen.” She shrugged. “I’m not sure I want to be. But a lot can change. If it does happen, it won’t
happen for a long, long time, I hope. I’m hoping she will live as long as Zarala. Being queen is a lot of responsibility,
and there’s a lot I want to do first. Like have some children.” She tilted her head slightly. “Does that sound like a life
you might want to live?”