The port of Niotan didn’t have the natural shape to it that most harbors would. It had, in fact, been constructed in parts by a series of dikes and dams in order to create a deep enough harbor to allow shipping vessels. The main focus when these dikes had been built was to keep water in but if they could somehow be modified to let water out as well….
Knock knock.
“Enter!” Darius called, making a quick note to himself of a question he needed answered.
Sego entered and for once, didn’t have something in his hands that he intended to give his raj. He did, however, have an expression that suggested he was up to something.
Darius paused, quill posed over the parchment, and looked at him warily. “Yes?”
“General,” Sego started with a benign smile on his face, “I have a question to ask you. Do you intend, at any point, to hire on more staff?”
Staff? Well, that was a thought. If he had a runner or two, he wouldn’t be running Sego off his legs. “Ah, I’d thought of hiring a runner.”
“Splendid.” Sego clapped his hands together, smile turned up another notch. “What about a manservant? And a stableboy for your new stallion? I think another bodyguard would not be amiss either, unless you intend for Bohme to only get five hours of sleep a day and no time to rest?”
“In other words,” Darius rephrased dryly, “you are tired of doing the work of five people and you’ve given up waiting on me to realize that I need to hire on more people.”
“I would never say such a thing,” Sego demurred mock-innocently.
“Ha!” Under all of that ‘suggesting’ that was exactly what Sego was saying. “Alright, fine, go hire people. But Bohme gets to choose who he works with, so take him with you.”
Happy to have gotten his way, Sego beamed and ducked into a quick bow. “Of course, sir.”
Before Sego could take more than two steps, a thought occurred to Darius and he called him back. “Wait, Sego!” His aide retreated far enough to stick his head around the door. “On second thought, I have a preference as well for a runner. Go find Payam for me. If he’s interested, I’d like to have him.”
Sego had that blank, impassive expression to his face that indicated Darius had said something strange. “You want to bring an Army runner, who has no education, here to serve as a runner.”
He met the man’s eyes squarely. “The boy’s a quick study, knows how to work hard, and we already get along. He’ll learn the tricks and nicks soon enough.”
His steward sighed as if he were missing the point. “But he won’t know the inner roads of the palace.”
Hmmm…good point. “Then hire two runners. Shaa knows we can keep them both busy. A palace runner can show him everything he needs to know quickly enough.”
Sego clearly thought the whole idea needed to be re-considered, but he must have also realized that arguing with Darius wouldn’t make him change his mind. “Very well,” he sighed in acquiescence. “I will see to it.”
Making a snap decision, he added, “And we’re leaving for the harbor in two days, so find everyone before then.”
“Two days?!” he spluttered in protest.
“Well, if you need more time, I can make it three,” Darius amended, logistics running through his head. “But I need to go there soon and get a better idea of the layout.” If it truly played out like he thought it would, he had another building project to hand to the queen and it would take months to get that in place. Right now, time was his worst adversary.
“Three,” Sego repeated in despair, his head lifting towards the heavens as if pleading for divine aid. Or maybe he was asking for some divine hand to reach down and smack sense into Darius.
Darius hid an evil smile. His steward could maneuver him into hiring on more staff, certainly, but Darius had every right to torment him a little in return. Trying to keep his tone even, he suggested helpfully, “I’d hire the bodyguard first.”
Sego gave him a glare hot enough to melt steel before giving a short bow and stomping out of the room.
Snickering, Darius went back to planning.
~~~
Once again, Sego proved that when he set his mind to it, he could complete any task—even in spite of impossible deadlines. Within a mere four hours, he had somehow laid hands on Payam, convinced the boy to come work for the House of Bresalier (which probably hadn’t taken much convincing), and hauled him straight to Darius.
He stood in front of his general now, bright eyed and almost trembling with excitement. Darius looked him over from head to toe. Strange, the boy looked far cleaner than expected. And those clothes…the white shirt and baggy brown pants looked a mite large, but they were in excellent condition. Had Sego taken the time to buy the boy new clothes and get him scrubbed before bringing him here? If so, it was a very kind gesture on his steward’s part. Everyone they passed would have remarked on Payam’s presence and condition. It would be easier on the boy if they thought of him as more than just another street rat.
“Payam,” Darius greeted with a smile. “I see Sego found you quickly.” He gave his steward an acknowledging nod, which Sego returned with a wry smugness. “Since you’re here, I take it you want to be my runner?”
“Yes sir!” the boy snapped out a salute, a sharper one than he’d ever executed before in Darius’s presence. “I’ll work my hardest for you,” he added, clearly enunciating each word in an effort to sound more educated.
“I’ve no doubt,” he assured him gently. “We’ve a great deal of work to do, and Sego will hire another runner that you’ll work with. But in those moments when neither of you have anything to do, I expect you to study.”
“Study?” the boy repeated as if it were some foreign word.
“Study,” Darius repeated firmly. “You’ll learn to read, write, arithmetic and history while working for me. As you get older, I expect you to rise to a higher position than runner. The more educated you are, the higher a position you can earn.”
It was a toss-up on who was more surprised—Sego or Payam. Darius couldn’t see why. He had no intention of keeping the people working for him ignorant. The more educated they were, the more useful they were. And they were usually more loyal to their employer as well.
When the surprise had passed, Payam’s eyes shone with unshed tears. For a boy of his background, the offer probably seemed like a gift straight from the heavens. He gave another salute and said in a choked voice, “I’ll start now, sir.”
“Settle yourself in first,” Darius advised, trying not to laugh at his exuberance. “I trust you’ve informed your family?”
“I actually found him at home and informed them myself,” Sego offered.
“Ah, that’s fine. Then, Sego, settle the boy in the dormitories. Payam, your task today is to figure out the basic layout of the palace as much as you can. Take it a piece at a time.” He grimaced as his own disastrous exploration flashed through his mind. “The place is a labyrinth.”
“Yes, sir.” Hesitating strongly, he finally ventured, “Buskshee tween jobs?”
“Prolly.” Darius outright grinned at him. “I’ve got a lot of words to learn from you yet.”
Sego shook his head indulgingly as they grinned at each other. “Well, the language lessons can be continued later. Payam, follow me. General, Bohme is searching for another bodyguard. I will of course screen whoever he selects before bringing them to you.”
“That’s fine.” Darius waved them out, sitting back down at his desk with every intention of going back to his plans. But the question he had asked Payam echoed within his mind. You’ve informed your family?
With a sigh, he sat back in his chair and stared blindly at the ceiling. When he’d made the decision to kill the king, he had written a full letter to his family and sent it to them, explaining everything he was about to do and why. But he hadn’t written them since. In part because he had been so focused on just staying alive and undetected from moment to moment that he hadn’t had the spare energy to worry about
them. He didn’t know what to say to them either, aside from that fact that he still had his life.
So what had stopped him from writing once he had sanctuary in Niotan?
Had he really been so busy here that he couldn’t spare a few minutes to write a quick letter to them? True, he had been scrambling to put his feet under him ever since accepting Queen Tresea’s offer. It seemed to him that every time he thought he had a handle on this strange turn his life had taken, the handle broke. But surely now, he could spare an hour to write a proper letter to his family and arrange a courier. Especially since he had only good news to convey.
Actually…since his family had merchant ties, they might well find a way to sneak over here to visit him, someday. His heart rose at the thought. After all, if he could somehow secure Niotan’s independence, then it would become a free trade country and any citizen of Brindisi would have unlimited trade access with it. When that happened, then any member of his family could come without being under suspicion of treason.
No, he was getting ahead of himself. If that day ever came, it would be years from now. What he needed to focus on now was the letter and putting their fears to rest.
Determined, he pulled blank parchment out from under the corner of the map, dipped a quill in the ink pot and set to giving a proper account of the last year.
~~~
Bohme could give Sego a run for his money when it came to hiring people. Darius barely had his letter to his family written and dispatched to a courier before his bodyguard arrived in his study with the new man in tow.
“Shir,” Bohme gestured to the man standing at his side with a cat-in-the-cream smile. “Thish ish Tolk.”
Did his mother not feed him? was Darius’s first impression. Tolk barely made it to Bohme’s shoulder, body slim to the point that his clothes hung on him. He looked like a strong wind could break him in half although the dark tone to his skin silently said that he spent a great deal of time training outdoors. Darius re-evaluated his first impression when he got a good look at the man’s eyes. Those dark eyes radiated a self-assurity and depth to them that he’d only seen in veteran fighters.
“A friend of yours, Bohme?”
“Trained under shame mashter,” Bohme answered, smile bordering on a smirk.
He’d sparred with Bohme often enough that he knew without asking how good Tolk must be. Besides, Bohme would never jeopardize Darius’s safety by bringing aboard a sloppy fighter. Darius trusted his judgment enough to say to Tolk, “Welcome. Has Bohme explained the terms to you?”
“Yes, Raj,” he answered in a soft voice. “I found them generous.”
“Good.” His accent wasn’t as thick as Bohme’s but it could still be detected in the slight slur of the s. “Did Bohme warn you that I like to spar?”
Tolk’s lip teased up in a feral grin. “Look forward to it.”
Darius grinned back. Yes, this man had the fire in him of a strong fighter. “Tolk, I think we’ll get along just fine. Take a day to settle in but be warned: we leave for the harbor in two days.”
“I will be ready, Raj,” Tolk promised.
“Bohme, show him around. Oh, and introduce him to Payam. We just hired him as a runner.”
Bohme blinked, clearly a little taken aback. “Payam?”
“Sego was badgering me about hiring on more staff,” Darius explained with as much innocence as he could muster. “It’s only fair I get to pick people I like, right? Besides, having Payam to team and train will keep him busy.”
“You mean you got tired of hish nagging,” Bohme translated dryly.
Darius had to bite the inside of his check to keep a demented chuckle from escaping. “He’s happier when he’s busy,” he protested.
Bohme shook his head in a sad manner. “Poor Shego.”
“He’ll live,” Darius observed with a distinct lack of sympathy. “But don’t let me keep you. We all have a lot to do before we can leave. Once again, Tolk, welcome.”
Tolk gave him a bow although it looked rough, as if the man had limited experience with the motion. “Thank you, Raj.”
Both bodyguards took themselves out of the room. Darius looked down at his desk as he resumed his seat. Now, what had he been doing before the interruption? Oh, right, he’d—
A quick knock on the door and then Payam stepped in. “Adit, sir!”
His announcement of his arrival seemed superfluous considering he had already made it halfway into the room. “At work already, Payam?”
“Yes, sir,” Payam responded with clear satisfaction. Darius understood without needing the boy to explain. Working had its own joy and being employed by someone you respected made the work even more satisfying. “Master Sego asks: do you want a House uniform?”
House uniform? Darius hadn’t thought of it, but the idea had merit. Anyone working for him would automatically be given more respect if they were affiliated with a House—even one as new as his. “Tell him yes and design one for the runners first.”
“Yes, runners first,” Payam parroted back.
Darius nodded confirmation and shooed him off. Now, what had he been doing? For the life of him, he couldn’t remember.
Blowing out a breath, he shoved away from his desk and headed for the door. He might as well hunt down his commanders and notify them of his plans. For that matter, he’d have to tell Queen Tresea he’d be out of the capital for a while.
On second thought, he’d better tell Queen Tresea first….
“Now wait a minute,” Darius objected to a very empty courtyard. “Where did this come from?!”
He looked down at the map in his hands in frustration. He hadn’t read it wrong. He’d swear on that. This admittedly pretty water garden he’d stumbled into couldn’t be found on the map Payam had found for him. Which begged the question: just how old was this map?! The water garden looked quite established to his eyes, with mature flowers and obvious wear on the blue tiles so it had to have been here at least five or ten years.
Growling in frustration, he crushed the paper in his hands. All he wanted was a quick shortcut from his wing of the palace to the stables. Really, was that too much to ask? He needed to spend at least an hour with Sohrab everyday otherwise things could get dicey with the warhorse later. But he hadn’t wanted to trudge all the way out of the palace through the main gate and around to the back just to get to the horse.
“At the rate I’m going,” he growled to himself, “I might as well have done just that. Especially since I’m lost. Again.” Darr take the architect of this mad labyrinth anyway. For that matter, Darr take the dogs that had bred the man!
If he could just find a door, any door that would lead outside, he’d be able to make it back to his suite without embarrassing himself. But he couldn’t retrace his steps back the way he had come—he knew that route didn’t have outside access. Alright, maybe this garden had another door somewhere. He walked inside and took a closer look. The setup seemed to subscribe to the same pattern he had seen in other gardens—a large water fountain in the center with benches surrounding it, pots with flowers standing here and there. This one had a raised arbor over the benches with vines growing along the wood. There were only two walls, both with fountains carved in the stone and a trickle of water flowing out and into a small dish at the base. The sound of trickling water was quite soothing, actually. His irritation eased as he stood there and listened.
But the part that truly interested him lay ahead. Instead of being enclosed, the other two walls were pillars with a stone staircase leading up between two of the pillars. Stairs were promising. Stairs tended to go from one place to another.
He headed straight for the staircase. The last time he’d gotten lost, he’d seen a flight of stairs leading up toward the roof. Maybe this was the same staircase. If that were the case, he might remember enough to get back to his suite. Maybe.
“General?”
Amalah? He froze on the second step and looked at her with mixed feelings. She stood near the base of t
he stairs, a book in her hand, and she’d obviously been heading up toward the garden when she’d spotted him. He was always happy to see her, as he liked being in her company, but this was the second time he’d stumbled into her while lost. And that was not the impression he wanted to leave on this woman! Clearing his throat, he smiled and offered pleasantly, “Raja Amalah, what a pleasant surprise.”
“Yes, it is,” she responded as she continued to climb the stairs. “I thought that only I knew of this particular garden. I’ve never seen anyone else up here.”
Alright, so he hadn’t intruded on someone’s private garden this time. Phew. At least he had that in his favor. Darius widened his smile. “I just chanced upon it. It’s quite pretty.”
For some reason, she paused and really looked at him, as if his innocuous words had hidden meaning to them. “You’re lost again, aren’t you?”
Curses. Why is she so good at reading me? Growling, he waved the crumpled map in the air. “I had a map this time. An inaccurate one.”
She bit her bottom lip as if struggling not to laugh.
“Oh go ahead and laugh,” he said in resignation. “Everybody else will when they hear about this. Doesn’t this palace have at least one accurate map?”
“I doubt it,” she responded frankly. Gesturing to the paper still in his fist she asked, “May I?”
He handed it to her and watched as she smoothed it out and looked it over. “I think I see the problem,” she said after a moment of study. “This is based off the blueprint for the original palace structure. Or at least, I think it is, considering what’s not drawn here.”
“The original structure, eh?” Darius looked around him but he couldn’t begin to discern between the original and the renovated areas. His specialty lay in breaking into buildings, not building them. “And that would make this map…?”
Kingslayer Page 16