The Twelve Kingdoms (27 page)

“On the contrary,” Harlan replied, easily pacing me. “The red of the flower very nearly matches your hair, and the curve of the petals compliments the line of your jaw and cheekbones, the fairness of your skin.”

“Just my luck—a romantic mercenary. Who knew?”

“We've had little opportunity for romance,” he agreed. “I'll have to make up for that.”

“It's hardly a high priority.”

“All the more reason. I wouldn't want you to lay that fault at the feet of Dasnarian men also. ”

We had reached about the middle of the vertical height by then, I estimated, and Andi and Rayfe dismounted in a wide apron ringed by arches and sculptures of trees. It hadn't been clear from below, but the depth of the cliff varied considerably. What had appeared to be a sheer face actually contained the length of Ordnung's practice yard in places. More so, considering the shadowed recesses beyond the doorways leading deeper into the rock. The entire cliff could be hollow, for all I knew.

Judging by the comparative stateliness of the pillars and sculptures, this would be their center of government. Indeed, a group of older Tala emerged, moving languidly but studying us with sharp, suspicious gazes. No, watching me.

I dismounted and squared my shoulders, holding my back straight. Something fluttered in the corner of my eye—Harlan's ridiculous flower. But removing it now might make it look as if I waffled in my intentions. Wishing Andi had briefed me on protocol or given me some warning that we'd face their ruling council so quickly, for surely this was a group of that sort, I decided not to bow.

“Well, Uorsin's daughter”—a white-haired woman stepped forward, addressing me without bowing either—“Annfwn did not expect to feel your feet upon her stones.”

An odd way to put it. Andi and Rayfe had moved up behind me but still stood back. The other Tala counselors arranged themselves in a sort of V formation trailing from their spokesperson.

“I came in search of my youngest sister,” I informed her, keeping my tone courteous but neutral.

“We know what you seek,” one of the men said, face set in unfriendly lines. “You pursue what your father has long sought. We see before us his hand, reaching out to throttle the life from Annfwn.”

“I am but one person, amid a host of Tala. What harm can I possibly cause you?”

“You should not have admitted her, Queen Andromeda.” The woman glared at Andi over my shoulder. “You place Uorsin's viper at the heart of Annfwn.”

“My sister is also Salena's daughter,” Andi replied, sounding entirely unperturbed, but with a thread of steel beneath. “Annfwn is as much her home as yours.”

They didn't like that, muttering to each other in their language.

“She shall not be admitted to the council session, regardless. We have information to discuss, King Rayfe, Queen Andromeda.” Now she bowed, rather pointedly, to them. “It shall rest upon you, if you choose to share our secrets with a foreign monarch.”

“That's perfectly understandable,” I said, before Andi or Rayfe could. It seemed moot to point out that I was monarch of nothing. “Neither would I admit you to private discussions at Ordnung.” I stepped to the side, to avoid turning my back on them. Behind his carefully blank expression, Harlan looked amused and Dafne seemed simply fascinated, still shimmering with the glittering enthusiasm of being in Annfwn.

I almost envied her the uncomplicated delight in it all.

“Perhaps there's a place we could wait and refresh ourselves?” I asked Andi and Rayfe. He met and held my gaze, then dipped his chin in a slight nod of acknowledgment.

Andi showed her relieved gratitude more clearly. “I'll arrange for an escort.”

A young woman appeared at her elbow, though I hadn't caught the signal. Andi spoke to her in the Tala language, a development that had me raising an eyebrow and Dafne practically salivating. Taking me by the elbow, Andi led us a short distance away.

“Phyra will show you to our home and your rooms. She doesn't speak the Common Tongue—not many here do—but I've told her that you may help yourselves to whatever you need. Sorry that we can't go with you. Given the tenor of the council, we may be gone until quite late.”

“Not a very friendly bunch,” I commented.

“Can you blame them?” she replied with some impatience. “Most of them are of an age to have observed how Uorsin conquered their eleven neighbors and would have done the same to them, had Salena not prevented it.”

“And, while you are Salena's heir, I am his. I am him.”
His hand.
Why that bothered me, I wasn't certain.

Andi studied my face. “You're not him, but they don't understand that yet. Believe me, it's taken me much time to earn their trust—thank Moranu for Rayfe's unwavering faith in me—and even still . . .” She finished with a lift of her shoulders.

“Go find out the news. Settle your council. We'll leave in the morning still?”

“Yes. Dafne, there's a library you'll enjoy.”

“Is it a problem if we explore a bit?” I asked her, glancing at Harlan, who nodded. Neither of us would want to cool our heels inside. “Walk around, see the sights?”

“That should be fine. Just don't skewer anyone.”

“Ha-ha. Seriously—should we expect trouble?”

“No. You're here under our protection. No one would dare harm you.”

“What about the elements of unrest?” I lowered my voice, in case any could understand enough to overhear.

“Elsewhere.”

“Ah.” Interesting. I'd figured they knew more than they'd revealed thus far. “Take your time. We'll be fine to keep ourselves occupied.”

She gripped my arm. “Thank you for understanding. I never thought I'd be holding court while
you
were out playing.” She made a face, then drew herself up, shrugging on her queenly authority like a cloak.

I watched her join Rayfe and go with him and their council into the inner chambers, feeling such a surge of love and pride for her that it took me a little aback.

“It's good to see her find her place,” Dafne remarked.

“Yes. Yes, it is.”

A
ndi and Rayfe's home turned out to be several more flights above. We walked there, the bright-eyed Phyra leading the way.

“A person could keep in good condition just walking up and down these roads all day,” I remarked after we'd traveled a few of the loops, and Dafne gave me a rueful smile, more than a little out of breath and looking less delighted, more ragged.

Harlan plucked at his leather vest, to allow some air under it to his sweat-soaked shirt. “I begin to understand their custom of wearing such light clothing also.” He eyed a group of long-haired young men who passed us in loose-fitting shirts with billowing sleeves and flowing trousers. “Perhaps we can borrow some.”

“I doubt they have anything that will fit your mountain of a body.”

He slid me a sly smile. “You seemed to enjoy it well enough last night.”

Dafne studiously looked in another direction while I glared at the mercenary. He took my hand. “Don't frown so. Lady Mailloux knows full well we spent the night together and she keeps your secrets well. If secret this is.”

“I'm not frowning.”

“You are.” He tapped a thumb between my eyebrows. “You get this vertical line right here when you're thinking too hard.”

Dafne made a soft sound of amused agreement and I batted his thumb away. To prove a point, however, I kept my hand in his as we continued to climb. Despite his accusation that I was thinking too hard, I felt strangely serene. The sunshine, flowers, the sheer, staggering beauty everywhere I looked, all conspired to create a sense of a space out of time. We could do nothing more until morning, so for the rest of the afternoon and evening, we might as well take in Annfwn.

I'd been to the seashore in Elcinea but had never had time to walk the beaches there, as so many liked to do. Looking out now over the calm, aquamarine waters of what surely had to be the Onyx Ocean—though it possessed an entirely different character here than at Windroven—I thought I might like to try it.

“If my mental map is correct, we look toward Dasnaria, somewhere over this sea.”

“That's how I have it, also,” Harlan replied, squinting into the distance. “Yet none of our sailing vessels have made it to this spot.”

“Not even in legend?” Dafne asked.

He tipped his head. “It's possible that some tales referred to this place.”

Open-air, as all the dwellings seemed to be, Andi and Rayfe's home, while grander than most, was hardly palatial. It rose several stories, with flower-draped balconies that all looked out over the serene waters. No guards appeared to be posted, but since anyone could climb in any window, you'd have to man the place with an army for any kind of effective security.

“Not at all defensible,” Harlan commented, keen gaze taking in all the opportunities for trouble, just as I had.

“The Tala clearly lead a much more peaceful life than we do.” Dafne sounded entirely too complacent to my ear.

“Except for that pesky business of rebels they haven't contained who clearly threaten Rayfe and Andi's rule,” I reminded her. “Not to mention the suspicious-sounding death of Tosin. If Salena was Queen of the Tala before Rayfe was King, was Tosin king or consort, I wonder?”

“Does it matter?” Harlan's voice stayed mild, but some kind of annoyance crawled beneath it.

Better to clear this up now. “In the Twelve it would. For instance, were I ever to marry—which I have no intention of doing—and if I succeed to the High Throne, my husband would never be High King.”

“A good thing I'm not interested in a throne, then,” he returned equably. “And you're frowning again.”

We'd ascended several internal staircases as we talked, and Phyra elegantly gestured Dafne toward an open doorway. She curtsied to me. “On that note, Your Highness, I think I will excuse myself to rest my tired legs. I'll be either in my rooms or in this promised library, should you have need of me.”

“Coward,” I muttered after her.

Phyra continued down the hallway, showed us into a large suite of rooms at the end, said something gracious sounding, and left via another door. It took me a moment to realize she wasn't coming back. Harlan looked toward the one great bed, folded his arms, and raised his eyebrows at me.

“Andi and I are going to have words,” I said, wandering over to the wide windows, with more of the amazing view and a surprising amount of privacy. Only someone out at sea could look in to see us.

“She loves you and wants you happy.”

“And she figures me sharing a bed with you will see to that?”

He'd moved up behind me, bracing his hands on the window ledge to bracket me with his arms. His lips brushed the back of my neck, sending shivers through me. “I love you and want you happy, too. I can sleep on the floor, if you prefer.”

The tranquil sea glittered. Had my mother sat in a window like this, watching it, the way she had in the western windows of Ordnung, always gazing off toward Annfwn?

“I can't think about these things, Harlan. The future feels too far away. I need to keep my focus on the next immediate step. On the moment.”

“Let's enjoy the moment, then.” He kissed under my ear, in the soft, sensitive hollow. “What would you most like to do? A run on the beach? Some sparring? Stay here and make love?”

I could almost imagine that, sinking into the netting-draped bed with him and indulging in some love play with the warm breezes blowing in. The way his mouth caressed my neck, the delicious flutters that sent through me, made it seem possible. But I couldn't face coming apart again like I had the night before.

“I've never run on sand before.”

“Then you're in for a treat. Let's see about changing clothes and do that.”

The closet boasted a selection of the typical Tala gear, though, as I'd predicted, none were large enough to fit Harlan. He solved the problem by doffing the leather vest and using a blade to cut off a pair of trousers he'd brought. In his white sleeveless shirt and the shorts, he looked even more impressively muscular. And enticing. He raised a brow at my attention.

“Change your mind?”

“No. Though I feel silly in this getup.”

None of the trousers provided would fit me, either—all ending at the knee so I looked like the quickly growing child of impoverished parents. I'd resorted to one of the filmy gowns—relieved to shuck my own stifling fighting leathers—with a flowing uneven hem and ribbon ties at the shoulders.

“You look gorgeous in it, actually. Though the sword belt diminishes the effect. It doesn't look comfortable.”

I'd taken off most of my knives, keeping only a few, just in case. I hesitated to leave the sword behind, however. Not just because I felt naked without it, but I didn't like to let the Star out of my reach, especially given the great interest in it. Then again, nobody but Andi and I knew where I had it.

Harlan, with his uncanny perception, seemed to follow my thoughts, gaze dropping to the topaz. Moving slowly, as if not to startle me, he came close enough to rub a thumb over the jewel, which still glowed with a constant heat.

“Very beautiful,” he said. “And very clever.”

My mouth had gone dry and I wasn't sure what to say, even had the words come easily to my tongue.

“Would you trust me to wear it for you? That way we can have it at hand, but you won't be so encumbered in the dress.”

“All right,” I agreed, surprising both of us. I unbuckled the belt and the gown unbunched, definitely better, unthreaded the sheath from it, and handed the sheathed sword to Harlan, feeling much as I had when he'd gazed on my bare breasts. Oddly intimate. As if he felt the same sense of ceremony, he added my sword to his belt on the opposite side from his.

Then he grinned at me and touched my cheek. “Thank you.”

“I should be thanking you—you're the one acting as my page and sword bearer.”

“It would be my honor.” He bowed ostentatiously, a mischievous bent to his smile. “Let's go play.”

Funny that he called it play—just as Andi had—because the afternoon felt that way. It took a while for me to banish the nagging sensation that I'd forgotten something, so rarely did I go without my sword. In the light gown, going barefoot because boots would not do, I also felt more free and unencumbered than—well, maybe ever.

We followed the road down the cliff face, discovering ladders here and there that let us cut through some of the endless loops. Harlan spotted them, seeing children clambering up and down and goading me to try it also, whooping in delight when he discovered a rope one that worked like a pulley system, dropping him quickly down an entire level.

No one bothered us. In fact, they gave us the studious inattention we'd encountered everywhere. A Tala version of privacy in close quarters, I suspected. The kids showed more open curiosity, tagging along behind us and then, once they grew bolder, showing us more of their shortcuts, including a final dripping series of tunnels that opened onto the shimmering sands of the beach.

It burned my feet some, having absorbed sun all day, and sucked at my leg muscles, forcing me to work harder just to walk. “I might not be doing much running,” I commented, feeling the burn already. “This is more of a workout than climbing that road.”

“Very good for leg strength, yes.” His powerful legs churned through the loose sand, thigh muscles working easily. “In Dasnaria we have beach running as part of our training program. It weeds out the . . . less committed.” He grinned and I nearly felt sorry for those soldiers. “However, we need not go through that today.”

Instead, he showed me how to run where the waves had wet and dampened the sand, at the edge of the gentle surf. It felt odd, with my breasts unbound, but they aren't large, so they didn't bother me overmuch. We jogged companionably for some distance, passing more and more of the extensive cliff city. The soft, moist air made for easy running, flowing gently in and out of my lungs, as nourishing as the sunshine on my skin. After a time, however, my feet grew sore.

Ruefully, I examined the reddening sole of one foot, holding my ankle in my hand as I looked over my shoulder. “Clearly I have worn boots too much—my feet need toughening.”

Harlan traced the arch, where my skin looked as pale and wrinkled as a fish, making me jump. “Ticklish? At last I've found a weakness, a chink in your formidable armor.”

“Don't even think about it, or I will cut your throat as you sleep.”

“Is it any wonder I've fallen in love with you?” He took my hand and guided me into the shallow water. “The salt will help.”

The sun lowered toward the horizon, the sea darkening from that brilliant aquamarine to a deeper violet, as we walked back. Other people walked as we did, some holding hands. Others in family groups, chattering and enjoying the evening. A shouting group of kids cut directly in front of us, running at top speed for the water and shape-shifting in midair into brightly colored fish that plopped into the water, leaping and swimming.

Harlan shook his head in bemusement. “I wonder when I'll become accustomed to such sights.”

“I'm sure I never shall.”

“If the enemy we chase possess similar abilities, they'll pose quite a challenge. I'm envisioning trained fighters with your speed and flexibility, plus the ability to shift into a lethal predator.” He huffed out a breath. “I wish I had more men with me.”

I felt much the same, missing my Hawks and being able to count on them. “It sounds as if Andi and Rayfe plan to accompany us—and they'll bring loyal fighters of their own.” I hoped.

“I'm sorry I said anything. You weren't worrying for a while there.”

“Tomorrow will bring what it will. This has been a nice afternoon. Relaxing.” Something I'd never seen myself doing. “I've liked spending it with you.”

He stopped and tugged me into an embrace, smiling. “I've liked it, too. An unexpected treasure.” He kissed me, softly at first, then deeper when I wound my hands behind his thick neck and opened my mouth to him, to the deep, drugging sensations that swam through me. His hands roamed over me, carefully keeping to my back, my waist, the outside line of my hips, but in the thin fabric of the Tala dress, every caress penetrated to my skin as if I wore nothing at all.

Though people occasionally passed, talking softly, one man singing, their presence didn't bother me. It seemed that Harlan and I existed in an amber bubble of sunshine and heat, untouched by the rest of the world.