Volle (27 page)

Helfer clucked sympathetically. “And then you have to remember all the wedding stuff on top of that.” He ducked Volle’s swipe at him. “Hey, I’m just saying, if you see a Canid Cantor there, better ask him what you need to say.”

“I know what to say: help!”

By the time they reached the main entrance again, Helfer felt a little better, so they did a second tour. Panting, Volle bid the weasel good bye and headed for the baths, where he rolled in the powder for a while, rubbing his fur thoroughly. When he returned to his parlor, wrapped in a towel, he was a bit surprised to find Arrin waiting for him.

The fox was sitting in one of his chairs, resting his muzzle on one paw as he stared blankly at one of the tapestries Renaldo had had brought up the previous week. His ears were down and his tail rested limply on the floor. Volle had stopped with the door half-open, his tail against the doorframe, and Arrin looked up at him with a pained expression. He stepped in and closed the door as Arrin got up. He was holding a piece of paper, which he held out to Volle.

“I was going to ask if this is true, but it is, isn’t it? I can smell him.”

“Listen, he’s just staying here because he wanted to get away from Dereath…” Volle’s protest died away as Arrin thrust the paper at him. He took it and read it.

It was a notice from the Steward. A warning, more properly, that “improper conduct in public areas” was not permitted by royal decree, and that “complaints had been lodged” regarding Volle’s conduct in the garden the previous morning with Lord Ikling and “an unknown cougar.” Nothing was going to happen to him, but the tone made it clear that future incidents might be treated more harshly.

“Oh,” he said. “That.”

“You know,” Arrin said in a low tone, “what you do is your business.”

“Dereath filed this complaint, didn’t he?”

“I mean, we never promised to be true to each other. And I know you go out to that brothel.”

“Arrin? Was it Dereath?”

“But I thought—what?”

Volle had grabbed his shoulder. “Was it Dereath who filed the complaint?”

“Yeah. Him and Lady Oncit. But he’s the one who identified you. She just said she saw…it.”

Volle threw the paper down to the table. “He set it all up. He hired the cougar to attack us, and the cougar just got, um, carried away.”

“Can you prove that?” Arrin’s ears had lifted slightly.

“Yes. No.” He remembered that he wasn’t supposed to tell anyone about the cougar. “Look, it doesn’t matter. Do you believe me or him?”

“Well, you, of course, but…”

“He set it all up and then when it didn’t go like he’d planned, he tried to screw with us some other way. Damn him.”

“Why is he here?”

“What? Who?”

“The cougar. It is the same one, isn’t it?”

Volle chewed his lip. “Yeah, it is. I told you, he was staying with Dereath, and Dereath got upset with him over that. He doesn’t know anyone else at the palace, so he asked if he could stay. I said yes.”

“Is he staying in your bed?” Arrin met Volle’s eyes and then turned away. “I’m sorry. I guess that’s really none of my business. But I believed you when you said you and Lord Ikling weren’t lovers, and now after this…”

“We’re not. We were out running together, the cougar jumped out and attacked us. Helfer ran away but came back, I knocked him down, we ended up in a pile together, and then he, um, grabbed us both.” Arrin’s eyes flicked back to him, then away again. “Honestly, Arrin, that’s what happened. Hef and I are good friends, nothing more.”

The fox sighed, his tail twitching, and then he looked up. “All right. So how long is he staying?”

“I’m not sure. Less than a week.”

“And is he coming back again?”

Volle opened his muzzle to say ‘no,’ and then thought better of it. “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I don’t know if he’ll want to stay here if he does.” Although technically true, he had a pretty good idea that Xiller would be back in a heartbeat, given the chance. He tried to assuage some of the guilt that rose up at that remark. “I think he’s just here on a single assignment. I don’t know how long it’ll last.”

Arrin was quiet for a while. His paws were clasped together in front of him, and he kept working his fingers through each other and back. Finally he said, in a small voice, “Do you want to keep seeing me?”

Volle stepped forward and wrapped his paws around the other fox’s. Arrin looked up, and Volle smiled. “Of course I do. I’m just enjoying being single before I have to get married and pick a mate. I like you a lot, and I have a lot of fun with you.” He touched his nose to Arrin’s gently.

Arrin smiled. “All right. I guess we should postpone our dinner tonight?”

“If we could. Next week, same night? Maybe we can make an evening of it and go to the conservatory again.”

“Okay.” Arrin licked him and smiled. His ears had come back up. “I’ll see you then.”

Volle squeezed his paws. “Count on it.”

Arrin headed for the door, and tapped the paper on his way out. “Oh, Volle. Do please try to keep your activities private from now on?” It was said lightly, but there were still traces of hurt in his eyes.

“I promise.” Volle lifted a paw as Arrin left. When the door was closed, he sighed and sank into an armchair.

“Glass of wine, sir?” Welcis approached him from behind. He hadn’t heard him come in from the parlor.

“No thanks. I’ve got to dress for the tribunal. Oh, Welcis, dinner one week from tonight with Arrin.”

“Yes, sir.” Welcis held the door open for Volle, who looked at him suspiciously.

“You heard the whole thing, didn’t you?”

Welcis followed him into the bedroom. “It is invaluable in the management of his lordship’s affairs that I gather what information I can.” He searched through the wardrobe and laid out an outfit as Volle dropped the towel. The room still smelled of cougar, but the cat and his armor were gone.

“What else have you gathered?” Volle asked as the skunk took a brush and applied it to his fur.

“None of the servants know very much about his lordship’s guest. Several saw his lordship’s, ahem, indiscretion in the garden. Between that and his friendship with Lord Ikling, I fear his lordship is acquiring something of a reputation.”

Volle gave a resigned sigh. “What else?”

“His lordship’s interest in Madame Rodion is well regarded. It shows a dedication to his line that is admirable, especially given how quickly he is pursuing it.”

“Well, I have Tish to thank for that. Or Tika.”

Welcis pulled the brush through an unruly tangle. “There was some speculation initially about his lordship’s authenticity, but I am pleased to say that his lordship’s interest in furthering his line and his interest in the tribunal have laid such rumors to rest.”

“Speaking of which, I’m going to be late for that. I just heard the clock sound.”

“His lordship has enough time to be brushed and dressed.” Welcis continued the brushing imperturbably, and as usual, he was right. Once Volle had dressed and walked quickly to the tribunal room, he found that he wasn’t the last to arrive. Lord Oncit walked in five minutes later and slouched down in his seat.

They actually had several cases to hear; with the fall came harvest and markets and disputes over ownership and gold. Volle had been approved by Lord Creane to take his place, and the older lord would now sit as a spectator for the next month.

He found the cases interesting, but the demeanor of the other judges indicated that the interest wouldn’t last. Oncit in particular was especially taciturn; not that he was ever talkative, but on this day he seemed angry about something. When he was outvoted on the first case by Volle and Boursin, he scowled, laid his ears back, and muttered, “Guess my opinion doesn’t matter at all.” Volle thought that was rather extreme, as they had listened to his opinion, but obviously something else was bothering him.

The wolf kept glancing at Volle, though he did it while he thought Volle wasn’t looking. Volle caught him at it once, and after that, he listened for the rustle of the wolf’s neck turning. Oncit had shown only cursory interest in him for the past few weeks, and he wondered what had changed. Surely he couldn’t know about Xiller too? That seemed too much a coincidence to be possible.

Finally, he asked Creane during a break if there were anything different about him. The raccoon inspected him, then shrugged. “Nothing I can see or smell, but my eyes and nose aren’t what they used to be. Why, you using a new scent or something?”

“Lord Oncit keeps looking at me. I’m not sure why.”

“Yeah, I noticed that. Maybe he’s annoyed at you for taking Boursin’s side in that first case.”

“I don’t think so. It’s more like he noticed me for the first time.”

Creane shrugged. “Maybe he fancies you. I’ve heard he doesn’t pay much attention to his wife these days.” At Volle’s look, he grinned. “I pay attention to
my
wife, and she talks to the other wives.”

Volle grinned back and shook his head. “It doesn’t feel like that.”

“Well, then, who knows? He’s always been a moody one. Look, the next case is coming in.”

They finished in time for dinner, and as they were heading out, Volle felt a paw on his shoulder. He turned to see Lord Oncit.

“Lord Vinton. I wonder, if you’re not busy, if you’d join me for dinner in my chambers?”

Volle breathed in, but got no scent of arousal or desire. Puzzled, he flicked his ears. “I’m not otherwise occupied, but may I ask, er, why?”

The wolf managed a smile of sorts. “I thought that since we’ve been serving on the tribunal, we should get to know each other a little better.”

Volle nodded. “All right. Let me go change, and I’ll be right up.”

Oncit gave him directions to his chambers, and they parted. Volle pondered the odd invitation until he returned to his chambers, where he told Welcis about it.

“What do you know about Lord Oncit?”

“He is a lord in good standing, sir, a resident of the palace for twelve years. I have heard from the servants that he and his wife are no longer on the best of terms. It is likely that he has another…interest somewhere, but nobody knows who or where.”

Volle nodded. “I’ve heard that from several places. About his wife, I mean. I didn’t know he had a mistress.”

“Begging your pardon, sir, but that is merely speculation on the part of the staff. My own thought would be that if the servants have not seen her, then either he is going to great lengths to hide her or she does not exist.”

“Why would he hide her?”

“It is not my place to speculate. Please, sir, lift your head. There.”

Volle adjusted the shirt slightly as it settled over his shoulders. “Anything else about him?”

“I will investigate, sir.”

“Thank you, Welcis.”

Lord Oncit’s chambers proved to be more spacious than Volle’s. He saw what he assumed was Lady Oncit’s touch in the decorating; much of the large parlor had frills and lace on it, and the curtains over the windows were a cream-colored sateen that Volle liked, but couldn’t fit with the dour wolf he knew. Lord Oncit greeted him with a curt “Thanks for coming,” and waved him to a table.

The wine and appetizers were already laid out. Volle looked around for a servant, but none appeared. Oncit saw him looking around and said, “I dismissed Chauncy for the evening.”

“Is your wife joining us?” Volle was beginning to be a little worried.

“No, she’s out.” He waved a paw vaguely and sat down. “Wine?”

Volle nodded. The wolf filled both glasses, then raised his without ceremony and took a long drink. Volle sniffed the wine and then sipped it. It was good, though not remarkable. He looked up at Oncit, expecting him to say something, but the wolf just started eating the appetizers. Volle didn’t know what to say, so he followed suit.

After a period of silence, he said, “I thought that third case was interesting. You know, the one where the weasel cub stole a knife and threw it?”

Oncit grunted, and nodded.

“I’m Volle, by the way. Please don’t use ‘Lord Vinton,’ it sounds so formal.”

Now the wolf looked up. “Maron,” he said. “Maron of Oncit.”

“Pleasure.” Volle took another bite, but the wolf didn’t.

“So, you grew up in Ferrenis.” Volle nodded. “Liked it?”

“I’ve fonder memories.” Volle trotted out his story of how the Ferrenians took his farm and killed his mother.

“Of course, of course. And your father…”

“Died fighting them.” He put on a morose look. “I just hope I can avenge him somehow.”

“Yes.” And now Oncit looked a bit disturbed. He flicked his ears and set down his fork. “How serious are you about that?”

Volle met his gaze. “Pretty serious, I guess.”

“It’s easy to talk like that, safe here in the palace. Would you go out and fight on the front line?”

Volle frowned. “Are we at war?”

“I mean hypothetically.”

“I…suppose I would. I mean, it wouldn’t be fair to ask someone else to fight if I weren’t willing to as well, would it?”