“About fifty years out of date,” she answered with a sympathetic smile. “No wonder you got lost.”
Well, it might give him a good excuse, but it didn’t change the facts any. “Raja Amalah, I want to take this moment to assure you that I do have a good sense of direction. Truly.”
She handed the map back to him with a hint of mischief in her smile. “General Bresalier, the evidence speaks against you.”
His shoulders slumped. “It’s alright. If I were you, I wouldn’t believe me either.”
Amalah lost her control and started giggling. “If you wish, I can guide you back.”
A stubborn part of him wanted to just bull ahead and find his own way back. But he had to leave tomorrow for the harbor, so he couldn’t afford to be wandering around all night until someone found him. Resigned to being teased about this, he nodded. “Please do.”
She took his arm, eyes laughing, and led him down the stairs.
He followed her lead and his eyes searched for the woman she had been with last time. But for the first time, Amalah had no one with her. “I believe this is the first time I’ve seen you alone. You normally have an older servant with you, don’t you?”
“You mean Hali?” Amalah shrugged, unconcerned. “She’s been my nursemaid and companion my entire life. My elder sister will be married next month and at the moment, my household is in a frenzy trying to prepare for it. Even Hali’s hands were drafted to help.”
Darius’s attention sharpened. She’d never mentioned her family before this. “Does that mean you’ll be the last child married?”
“Hmm? Oh, no. I have a younger brother.” The stairs branched off into two different directions and she led them to the right branch. “My father was only blessed with one son.”
A frown passed over his face. “I’m afraid I don’t understand that way of thinking. To Arape, any child born is a blessing. My father praised Shaa for her mercy in giving him only three sons. Daughters were less destructive.”
She paused on the last step and gave him a strange look. “In Arape, daughters are as valued as sons?”
“Yes.” He’d thought with a queen reigning, that Niotan would appreciate women more, but apparently not. It had been culturally ingrained to believe men had more value at some point. Darius thought it ridiculous. Women had every bit as much intelligence and talent as men. The only thing that barred them from certain occupations was physical strength. “Actually, I think my father had a soft spot for his daughters. Not that you could ever get him to admit that.”
“I wish my father thought that way.” She sounded a little sad and wistful. “He’s always complaining that we’re expensive.”
“Women are expensive,” Darius responded dryly. When she pouted at him, he laughed and added, “But a beautiful woman is always worth the expense. Your father, especially, has nothing to complain about.”
She blushed at the sideways compliment and couldn’t seem to meet his eyes. “You flatter me, General.”
“Truth is hardly flattery, Raja.”
Amalah clearly didn’t quite know how to respond to that, as she silently directed him to a different hallway that led them into the palace. He watched her out of the corner of his eye. Did no one compliment her? She was so awkward under the words, as if she had limited experience with them. Hmmm. True, he’d seen more beautiful women. But no one could accuse her of being plain. In his eyes, the quiet intelligence and charm she had made her truly beautiful instead of the artificial beauty of most court women. It seemed wrong that she couldn’t see herself that way.
Trying to ease her past her awkwardness, he asked lightly, “So what present do you want this time?”
As he expected, she blinked at him in confusion. “Present?”
“You’re rescuing me, aren’t you?” he asked mock-seriously. “I always give something to people that help me. It encourages them to do it again. Well, that and it’s just good manners. Last time, I took a wild guess as to what would please you. But I think we know each other well enough that I can ask you directly this time. Is there something you want?”
She shook her head at him. “You don’t need to give me a gift every time you get lost, General.”
“You make it sound as if I get lost all of the time. I take umbrage at that accusation!”
She bit her bottom lip again and carefully didn’t meet his eyes. “I didn’t say that.”
“Then why are you trying not to laugh?” he accused, silently pleased that he had gotten her to smile again.
Amalah batted her dark brown eyes at him innocently. “But I’m not.”
She’s teasing me back, he realized with a start. Shaa preserve him, had he finally managed to win her trust? “Your eyes are laughing.”
“A trick of the light,” she offered, innocence firmly in place.
“Ha!”
“Don’t worry about a gift,” she ordered firmly.
“Oh, then I can pick anything,” he responded as if he didn’t hear her. “Hmmm, as I understand it, it can’t be related to clothing. Perhaps a book?”
“That’s too expensive!” she protested in shock.
Darius nodded, pretending to be deep in thought. “It’s true I don’t know all of the books you have. It might be dangerous to randomly pick one.”
She sighed in exasperation, dragging him to a stop in the middle of the hallway. “Will you listen to me? You don’t need to buy me a gift! Especially not an expensive one.”
“I’m sorry, Niotanese gives me trouble from time to time,” he said apologetically. “Did you say you needed an especially expensive present?”
Amalah stamped her foot, crossed both arms over her chest, and glared at him. “Darius Bresalier, you are the most impossible man!”
She’d never called him by his full name before, and without any honorific or title. His smile became more genuine even as he continued to tease. “Yes, my mother often complained about me being just like my father. But truly, won’t you give me a hint? Men do better picking out presents when they have hints. Detailed hints, with actual names of what you want, are the best.”
Taking in a deep breath for patience, Amalah said slowly, “I don’t need a present.”
He nodded just as seriously. “A book it is, then.”
Amalah stared at him, incredulous, eyes wide. “This is the first time in my life I’ve ever felt the urge to hit somebody.”
Placing a hand over his heart, he swore, “I’ll stop teasing when you give me one good hint.”
“What kind of compromise is that?” she groused, mouth flattening.
“Take advantage of my generosity,” he encouraged, sincerely this time. “Since I doubt I’ll get lost again.”
That put the spark back in her eyes. “Why don’t we bet on that? If you get lost again, and I have to rescue you, then you can buy me a book.”
His grin was outrageous, but he couldn’t control it. “A bet, eh? Alright, I’ll accept those terms.” He extended a hand and she accepted it, sealing the deal.
“But for now,” she took his arm again, “I’ll make sure you get back to your suite.”
“I appreciate that, considering I’m leaving tomorrow.” He fell into step with her, paying careful attention to which hallways she took.
“Leaving?” she asked in surprise. “Where are you going?”
“The harbor. I have a suspicion that we’ll eventually be attacked from that side, and I need to come up with a good defense for it.” He smiled to ease her worry. “It’s just a precaution on my part, really. Brindisi couldn’t begin to attack from that side until next spring, earliest. But if I want good, strong defenses, then I need to see the land for myself and start building fortifications.”
“If…,” her mouth worked over the words before she released them slowly. “If Brindisi has the ability to fight a naval battle, why haven’t they done it before?”
“Because I was three months away from winning,” he answered steadily. “If I hadn’t been ta
ken away from the Niotan front lines when I was and re-assigned, then this country would already be under Brindisi’s rule.”
Her eyes were wide with horror. “You were that close?” she whispered.
“Yes. That mad king’s greed and impatience saved you. I thank Shaa every night that I didn’t stay and conquer this country. It would have been a disaster if I had.”
“Shaa…is that the name of your god?”
Darius nodded. “That’s right. Shaa is the god of all that is good. We believe in another god, as well: Darr. He is the source of all evil. We don’t pray to him, though, just curse him when things go wrong.”
Her head canted a little to the side as she thought. “Most people believe that their gods only have power within their country. You don’t believe this?”
“Heavens, no. Wherever there is light, Shaa can be there. For that matter, wherever there is darkness, Darr can be there as well. The boundaries that humans establish have nothing to do with the affairs of the gods.”
“That makes a great deal of sense.” She gave him an odd look as if he had once again confounded some preconception. “I overheard your steward say that you are a religious man, but I wasn’t sure what to make of half of what he said.”
“I’ve overhead him a time or two as well.” Darius still didn’t know how to curb the man either. “So far, everything he said about me is true. Sometimes exaggerated, but generally true.”
She watched him from the corner of her eye, brow quirked. “He said that you regularly eat breakfast with your bodyguard.”
“I do.” He laughed at her incredulous expression. “It’s dangerous to do that, though. Bohme eats like a starved horse. Some days, I’m lucky to get a piece of bread and some fruit. It’s likely to get more interesting since I have another bodyguard now. I might be without breakfast altogether.”
“Another? When—”
From the far end of the hallway, Payam appeared at a dead run. When he saw Darius, he lit up in relief and increased his pace. Amalah saw him as well and cut herself off.
Darius looked at him in resignation. Once again, he never seemed to get more than a few minutes with Amalah before someone intervened. And judging from that look on Payam’s face, the boy had been looking for him for a while. Probably on Sego-the-slave-driver’s urging.
“Sir!” Payam skidded to a stop in front of him and ducked into something that might have been a bow.
“Payam,” Darius greeted dryly. “Raja Amalah, this is my runner, Payam. Payam, Raja Amalah Sebresos.”
Payam’s eyes widened in recognition. He clearly had heard the story of Amalah’s previous rescue from somewhere. Bohme, likely. His bow this time was much more proper. “Raja.”
“Payam,” she greeted kindly. “I have heard much of you from your Raj. He speaks well of you.”
Darius looked at her in approval. So, she might be surprised by the way that he treated the people under him, but she clearly did the same thing. Perhaps not on the same level, but with the same kindness. He didn’t think her the type to be callous. He glanced at Payam and found the boy looking at him with a stunned expression.
Reaching out, he gently smacked the boy on the side of the head. “Focus, Payam. You were looking for me, right?”
“Oh. Uh, yes. Sir.” He had to blink and shake his head a little to get himself back on task. “Master Sego says he needs you. He’s chalant. Prolly no road by dawn’s bells.”
“Sego’s worried about the situation,” Darius translated for Amalah’s benefit. “He doesn’t think we’ll leave by daybreak like we planned.”
“You understood that?” she demanded in amazement.
He flashed her a grin. “I told you Payam was teaching me slang, didn’t I?” Granted, he had a lot to learn yet. To Payam he said, “Twig. Seg’s a rasp but won’t diddle. Adit in a clock’s tick.”
Clearly relieved, Payam said, “Euu.”
“Now you’re showing off,” she accused although she didn’t seem irritated by that, just amused.
He flashed her a grin. “I told him that Sego’s a worrier but I won’t dawdle. I’ll be there soon.”
“You really do enjoy it, don’t you?” she wondered.
“Yes.” He grasped her hand and gave a short bow over it. “But not as much as I enjoy your company.”
She gave him that look again, the one that said she didn’t believe him and thought him only to be teasing. And he was, but only in part. He knew she wouldn’t believe him if he tried to convince her so he slowly let go instead and said, “Duty clearly calls. But I hope that we can meet and talk again.”
“Hopefully under different circumstances than today,” she offered slyly.
He grimaced at her, which made her laugh. “On that auspicious note, I’ll take my leave. Payam, let’s go.”
Payam took off in a quick walk, which Darius easily kept up with. He glanced back and waved, which Amalah returned before she retraced her steps. No doubt going back to the water garden as she had planned.
His runner clearly saw the exchange as he offered, “Pretty gyne.”
“She certainly is,” Darius agreed. “She certainly is.”
Chapter 17
Despite Sego’s pessimistic predictions and worrying, they were on the road heading out of Khoor just as the sun started flirting with the horizon. Half of the trouble upon leaving had occurred because the two bodyguards didn’t have horses and Sego didn’t think it appropriate to borrow from the palace stables. Darius didn’t understand all of the protocol behind this opinion. After all, they were traveling out on official business and with the queen’s blessing. Why would borrowing two horses be inappropriate? But Sego let him know in decisive terms that it Would Not Do, and so Darius had headed out with the two bodyguards on a hasty shopping expedition.
They’d found two geldings with solid staying power and even dispositions for a decent price. (Not that that stopped Darius from haggling, to his bodyguards’ amusement.) With Payam riding in Sego’s chariot and he aboard his own warhorse, the party had the means to leave.
Sohrab seemed especially delighted to leave the palace walls. He pranced out of the main gates at a rolling pace that wouldn’t be out of place in a parade. Darius would know, as he’d been in several. He tried to encourage the horse to settle into a more normal walk, but nothing he did lasted for more than a few seconds. Giving up, he let the stallion have his fun. This mood of his would wear off soon enough.
Izeh Harbor lay a day and a half away from Khoor. With this dawn departure, he expected them to arrive somewhere around noon the next day. Darius had every hope of simply looking over the lay of the land, making some notes and sketches for himself, and leaving again a few hours later so that he could sleep in his own bed three days from now. He had brought enough money with him to pay for an inn and several meals just in case Darr decided to meddle though.
They rode the first day in a companionable way, making idle talk between them as they rode. The roads here were paved with square stones, wide enough that two wagons abreast could pass each other with space in between. Darius had expected as much of a trader’s highway. This close to the coast, the days didn’t get unbearably hot, fortunately.
He did notice in passing that the land changed as they steadily went westward. Khoor sat on several natural springs (or so it had once been explained to him) that sustained the city’s populace, but it still had desert on every side. But here, things grew without excessive watering. He saw grapevines and small orchards, tufts of wiry grass that clung stubbornly into the soil, and less sand. The architecture changed as well, subtly, becoming more flat and angular instead of perfectly round. The pointy roofs didn’t change, though.
But still, by the time they reached the inn at Soohr, it almost looked like a different country. Looking at this green environment and feeling the slight humidity against his skin, he could almost believe that the desert land he had traveled in this morning had been a mirage. Either that, or this more lush countryside wa
s the mirage.
They stayed at a respectable inn that night that apparently saw every nationality of traveler. Darius knew this for a fact because, for the first time since entering Niotan, he didn’t warrant a second glance. It relaxed him enough that he slept soundly and rose early the next morning with the sun, feeling oddly refreshed. The party even lingered long enough to indulge in a large breakfast of flat bread, cheese, fruit, and boiled eggs before reluctantly dragging themselves back onto the road. It all felt a little like a vacation, really.
After an hour or so on the road, Darius had this urge to find out a little more about his new bodyguard. Yesterday the man hadn’t said much, leaving Bohme and Sego to do most of the talking. Darius glanced at Tolk, who rode on his right side and a little behind. Sego had somehow managed to find a tailor that would make a House uniform in just two days. The shirt and pants were in the loose-fitting style that Niotan preferred, with the pants tucking into black boots. But the shirt was the color of moonstone, his crest on the left breast, and the pants a blue-grey. The tailor had even, somehow, managed to make the clothes look like they fit right on Tolk’s too-thin frame. The man had looked a little rough when Darius first met him. Now he almost looked respectable—in a soldier-for-hire sort of way.
Bohme and Payam had the exact same clothes, Payam in sandals instead of boots, but Sego had opted for a sleeveless coat that went over his own clothes in the House colors and with the crest on the left breast. He didn’t know why there would be a difference and he didn’t really care. Sego knew more about protocol than he did in this country. If the steward felt his choice more appropriate, Darius trusted his judgment.
Darius waved Tolk to ride right next to him. He didn’t know much about the man, but traveling like this gave him plenty of time to ask some questions.
“Tolk, I don’t see any weapon on you except that long dagger at your back. Do you fight bare-handed?”
He nodded easily. “Yes, sir. Aase style.”
Aase style? Darius knew it, as he had tangled with a master of that style once before. He let out a low whistle. “I am now impressed. I fought with a man once that knew that style. I almost lost my nose. I think the only reason why I walked away alive is because he was drunk.”
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