The Queen's Blade IV - Sacred Knight of the Veil

by T C Southwell

  Endor signalled to the two men who had just risen from the floor, rubbing their bruises. "Disarm him."

  The warriors approached Blade while the others twisted his arms even harder to prevent him kicking them again. Blade knew enough about Cotti to be prepared for the blow that struck him in the solar plexus and doubled him over, but even so, it punched the air from his lungs.

  While he gasped, the Cotti searched him, coming away with the two daggers from his wrist sheaths. They tossed them on the floor at the prince's feet, then twisted Blade's arms to force him to straighten up and face Endor. The prince picked up a dagger and walked closer to the former assassin, testing its keen edge with his thumb. He gripped the front of Blade's jacket and used the weapon to cut the thongs that held it together, exposing his tattoo.

  "So, you are an elder now. What were you plotting with this whore?"

  "None of your damned business."

  Endor punched Blade, jerking his head to the side and filling his mouth with the copper tang of blood. "Answer the question."

  Blade raised his head, blood dripping from his chin. "You are a dead man, just like your brother."

  Endor punched him so hard that Chiana gasped, and the assassin went limp. His captors shook him, then let him slide to the floor, where he lay like a broken doll. Chiana gave a cry of anguish and ran to him, falling to her knees. The prince made a sound of disgust, then swung around as footsteps came from the doorway.

  Kerra stood framed in it, the Jashimari guards bowing as they held open the doors. Jewels dripped from her bright hair, and she wore a formal gown of royal blue, stitched with thousands of tiny diamonds and pearls. A high, stiff collar framed her face, and only her youth spoilt the impression of regal haughtier. She raked the room with a glance, paling at the sight of the pools of blood around the dead Cotti soldiers. Her eyes lingered on Blade before coming to rest on Prince Endor. She lifted her chin and spoke in a calm, authoritative voice.

  "What is going on here? What is the meaning of this outrage?"

  Endor smirked. "Queen Kerra, I presume. I am -"

  "I know who you are," Kerra said. "I asked you a question, Endor."

  The prince reddened, his brows drawing together. "Do not use that tone on me, girl, or I shall have your lips sewn together."

  "You forget yourself. I am the Queen, and I will have my guards arrest you if you speak to me thus again."

  "Do that, and your stepmother dies."

  She waved a hand. "I care nothing for a stupid Cotti woman. I will have you executed, however."

  "You have no power, little girl," he sneered. "You are nothing but a petulant child mouthing insults, which will be repaid, I promise."

  Kerra swung to the guards who stood at the door. "Summon reinforcements! Arrest this upstart!"

  As the guards started to obey, Chiana raised her head. "No!"

  The men cowered, avoiding the furious Queen's blazing eyes, but remained at their post. The Regent looked down at Blade's peaceful face, cradling his head in her lap while she wiped the blood from his cheeks with trembling hands. His stillness worried her, and she felt for the pulse at the base of his throat, finding it strong, to her relief.

  "Chiana! Order it done, this instant!" Kerra fumed, glaring at Endor, who grinned.

  "I cannot," the Regent murmured. "Do you think I would not like to?"

  "Let the Cotti woman die. We care nothing for her!"

  Chiana shook her head. "You do not mean that, Kerra. Arresting or killing Endor would only make things worse, as long as his brothers hold Kerrion's wife hostage. Cotti princes are like scuttle bugs. Kill one, and ten more come crawling out of the woodwork. You will allow your uncle to visit you, as your father ordered."

  Kerra glowered at Endor, who shot Chiana a glare for her crack about scuttle bugs, then sniggered. The Queen's gaze slid past him to Blade, and she frowned.

  "What has happened to the Lord Protector?"

  "He tried to run, like the coward that he is," Endor said. "He has learnt his lesson, and tomorrow he dies."

  "Dies?" Kerra looked startled.

  "I will have him executed."

  "You cannot do that! He is a lord of my realm. You have no right to pass judgement on him."

  "Try to stop me, and your regent will join him," Endor said. "You are now my hostage, and this is my kingdom. Kerrion can do nothing to aid you, even after we kill his wife. How simple it is."

  "You are going to kill her anyway?"

  Chiana glanced around at Endor, her eyes dark with hate. "He is a Cotti prince, son of Shandor. Do not expect him to have honour, Queen Kerra."

  Endor scowled at her. "Get up, woman, and take charge of your girl child. You may want to ready her for my visit to her rooms tonight. I intend to see if she will make a suitable concubine. In a few days my wives will arrive, and you will see to their comfort."

  Chiana looked up. "I will do as you say if you spare my husband, Prince Endor."

  "You will do as I say anyway, whore. The assassin will be executed as the murderous dog that he is."

  Kerra gasped. "How dare you insult -"

  "My husband obeyed the orders of his queen," Chiana protested. "He is blameless."

  "He is a murderer, and he is going to die!" Endor shouted.

  Chiana bowed her head. "Please..."

  He gestured to his men. "Take him away, lock him up and guard him."

  Chiana rose as the Cotti soldiers pulled Blade from her arms and dragged him away. She watched them leave, then turned to Endor. "Under Jashimari laws, executing him is illegal. Even in Cotti, assassins ply their trade unmolested. It is their clients who are guilty, and the Elder Queen is dead."

  "I do not care about your damned laws. Killing a prince is high treason, and all who have a hand in it are guilty."

  "You cannot prove he did it," she pointed out.

  "He stabbed Ronan in front of the entire court."

  "Ronan killed his sister."

  Endor shrugged, his lips twisted in a nasty sneer. "In Cotti a man may kill a woman if he wants to, especially a Jashimari slave. It is not illegal."

  Kerra rasped, "You are barbarians!"

  "We are men. We do not bow and scrape to a bunch of mewling females." Endor swung away and strode out, leaving the women glaring after him in frustrated fury.

  Kerra recovered first. "We must do something! He is a pig!"

  "Calm down. We must do as Prince Endor orders, we have no choice." Chiana glanced at the two Cotti soldiers who stood at the door, watching them.

  "We do! Arrest the bastard, throw him in the dungeons, and free Lord Conash."

  Chiana looked down at her bloody hands. "I wish I could."

  "You can!"

  "No. Kerrion's wife will die, and he will seek vengeance on his brothers. He has sworn it."

  "Good! Let him!"

  "No!" The Regent tried to wipe the blood off on her skirt, her eyes brimming with tears. "If he does, he will be tried for high treason and executed. Endor will ascend the Cotti throne, and the war between us will begin again. Your mother will have died for nothing. You will lose your father, and our army can no longer withstand an attack from the Cotti, for they now rule Contara as well."

  "We must do something!"

  "We cannot." Chiana lowered her voice to a whisper. "I must find a way to free Blade. He is our only hope."

  Kerra stepped closer. "They have beaten him to a pulp. Besides, Endor will guard me."

  Even as she spoke, two more Cotti soldiers came in, accompanied by servants armed with mops and pails, who began to clean up the blood and drag away the bodies. She paled, and Chiana took her elbow to guide her from the room.

  The soldiers followed them to Chiana's quarters, but her guards prevented them from entering. In her sitting room, Chiana washed her hands and poured two cups of wine. She gulped hers down, striving to calm her shattered nerves. The sudden, disastrous turn of events had left her floundering, and her stunned mind struggled to catch up.

&
nbsp; Blade's brief battle and defeat had shocked her so much that she could hardly think at all, her mind filled with the image of him lying on the floor, bloody and beaten. She had seen him injured in the past, but had not witnessed its infliction, which was far more traumatic. It hardly seemed possible that he could survive such savage blows, and she was certain his jaw must be broken. The sickening sound of Endor's fist striking his face still echoed in her mind. Kerra calling her name jerked her from her reverie, and she looked up at the Queen.

  "Where do you think Endor has gone?" Kerra asked again, sipping her wine. The girl seemed calm, considering the situation, and Chiana was proud of her. If she was at all shaken, she hid it well, for she seemed composed.

  "Probably to find the Cotti advisors and celebrate his triumph. Some of them are nobles, I think, far more suitable company for a Cotti prince than us, in his opinion. Besides which, we are only women."

  She tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice, but it crept in, and Kerra seemed to note it. Chiana gulped the last of her wine and stood up. "I must find Blade and have Verdan tend him. Wait for me here."

  "No, I will come with you."

  The Regent forced a stiff smile, admiring the young queen's pluck. Blade was right; she had inherited some of Minna-Satu's courage. She summoned a maid and sent her to fetch Verdan, who arrived a little out of breath and quite flustered by her urgent message. The tragic turn of events clearly horrified the old healer when she explained it in a few terse sentences, answering his questions as they went in search of Blade. He knew most of it from the servants' gossip; the news of Endor's arrival had spread through the palace like wildfire, but he had not heard of Blade's injury, or even his return.

  With the help of yet another well-informed servant, who all seemed to have taken up spying as a pastime, they found Blade in one of the smaller guest suites. The two soldiers who had carried him there and dumped him on the floor guarded him. The servant, a strapping youth whose job was mopping floors and carrying furniture around, lifted Blade onto the bed, and Verdan examined him under the Cotti guards' watchful eyes. Chiana sent the servant for cloths and water, which she used to wipe the blood from her husband's face, sitting next to him on the bed. Verdan looked grim when he finished his examination, but not despairing.

  "His jaw is not broken, my lady," he informed her. "He appears to be bruised, nothing more. The blow to his jaw has rendered him unconscious. I cannot say for how long."

  "Can you wake him?"

  "I can try with smelling salts. But first I will remove the crossbow bolt."

  Chiana considered, studying her husband's peaceful face. As it had on previous occasions, unconsciousness made him look young and vulnerable. As yet, the marks of his beating were only red blotches, later they would darken into bruises. She glanced at Verdan, wondering if she would be allowed to see Blade again. If not, she must wake him now, otherwise he may remain comatose until it was too late, but she longed to let him rest a little. Her eyes flicked to the Cotti guards, who leant against the wall, looking bored, but watching her.

  "Give me the salts," she whispered to Verdan, who looked surprised. He rummaged in his bag and produced a vial. She hid it in her hand, then whispered, "See if you can distract the guards for a little while. I want to speak to him if he wakes."

  Verdan nodded, and Kerra, who had been listening, moved to stand between Blade and the Cotti, blocking their view. Verdan went over to the men, and Chiana turned to Blade, preparing to uncork the vial. She jerked in fright when his eyes opened, flicked briefly to Kerra, then met hers.

  "You wave that foul stuff under my nose, and you will be sorry. It has been abused enough for one day."

  Chiana gasped. "You are awake!"

  "Obviously. But I do not want them to know, or they will tie me up, now go away."

  "Are you all right?"

  "No! Stop asking stupid questions."

  "Can... can you still help us?" Tears burnt her eyes.

  He frowned. "I have no wish to be executed. I will take Kerra, but say nothing."

  "Why?"

  "Endor will see through her."

  "She is afraid..."

  "Good, perhaps she will be more co-operative."

  Chiana glanced at Verdan, who appeared to have found a boil on one of the guards, and examined it, pressing another into service holding his bag while the other two watched. None of them seemed interested in their prisoner. She turned back to Blade, swallowing the lump in her throat.

  "Thank you."

  He closed his eyes. "I have no choice."

  A tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. "Be careful, please. If... if anything happens to me... remember... that I love you."

  "Make sure the Queen is alone tonight."

  "I will have the Knights guard her."

  "Good."

  Chiana glanced up as a Cotti guard walked closer, scowling at the former assassin and ignoring Verdan's requests for his continued attendance. She patted Blade's cheek and called his name, pretending to try to rouse him while she allowed her tears to flow unchecked. Her distress was unfeigned as she turned to glare at the guard.

  "You have killed him. He will not wake."

  Verdan hurried over, looking horrified, and Chiana shot him a meaningful look. He grasped the situation, and, with an imperceptible nod, came to Blade's side and picked up his limp hand, taking his pulse with a worried frown. Kerra turned to watch as he shook his head, placing Blade's hand on his chest once more.

  "I am sorry, Regent, he is getting worse, and slipping into a deeper coma. I doubt that he will wake again."

  The nearest guard sniggered. "He'll die tomorrow anyway."

  "Bastards!" Kerra cried, stepping forward to slap the guard. He recoiled in surprise and raised his hand to return the blow, but stopped when Chiana rose from the bed.

  "Touch the Queen, and your prince will not be able to save you, lout!"

  The man glared at them and swung away, muttering some foul comment to his comrade. Chiana jerked her head at the door, and Kerra led the way back into the corridor, two guards following.

  As soon as the extra guards left, Verdan bent to examine the bolt that protruded from Blade's shoulder, clicking his tongue. The heavy, barbed iron quarrel had punched right through, but that made it easier to remove, since it would have to be pulled out by the head. A glance at the guards assured him that they had lost interest, and he bent lower to whisper in Blade's ear.

  "This will hurt."

  Verdan dug in his bag and drew on a thick leather glove, then gripped the bolt's head and yanked it out. Blade stiffened, his face growing paler and muscles standing out in ridges on his jaw. Verdan pulled the assassin's jacket off his left arm to expose the wounds, then washed and dressed them.

  In the corridor, Kerra fell into step with the Regent, still frowning. "Is he very ill?"

  Remembering Blade's instructions, she nodded, brushing the tears from her cheeks. "Yes."

  "Then there is no hope for me?"

  "There is always hope. Perhaps a letter will arrive tonight, telling us that Kerrion has found his wife and ordering Endor to leave here."

  "And if not?"

  Chiana hated to deceive the girl, and was not a good liar, so she kept her response brief and vague. "You must do what is necessary to save your stepmother and avert a complete catastrophe. That is all you can do."

  "But what if father is right?"

  "Hush now. Do not fret."

  Kerra's mouth twisted. "But Endor... is horrible! I think he will hurt me."

  Chiana casting a meaningful glance back at the guards. "We must hope for the best. Perhaps he will fall in love with you."

  "He frightens me."

  They arrived at Chiana's private apartments, and she ushered the Queen inside. The Cotti soldiers who followed them like heavy-footed shadows were once again forced to wait outside by Chiana's guards. An odd stand-off existed between her men and Endor's, neither empowered to take action against the other without p
rovocation or orders. Lacking either, they stood on opposite sides of the corridor; one pair making sure the Queen did not try to slip away, the other guarding her privacy, and that of the Regent.

  Kerra flopped down on a cushion in Chiana's sitting room, looking despondent, and the Regent poured her a cup of wine. Enough of it on an empty stomach would calm her down and numb her to the horror of her situation, as Chiana had been tempted to do recently. The girl was unused to strong spirits, and often bewailed the fact that she was not allowed to drink un-watered wine. Now was her opportunity to find out what it was like to become roaring drunk, Chiana decided.

  Chapter Seven

  Chiana spent most of the day comforting the Queen, plying her with wine, sweetmeats, cakes and pastries. Kerra's questions and demands grew less heated and intelligent as the liquor took effect, and her eyes drooped. The Regent summoned a bard to strum a lute and hum soft tunes, lulling the Queen further into an inebriated stupor. Chiana sat and worried about what might be happening to Redgard and her loyal advisors, but decided to stay with the Queen, even after she passed out.

  Dismissing the bard, she waited for dusk, wishing the day would pass more quickly, and with it the threat of complete disaster. By the time the sun sank in red-gold splendour outside her windows, her nerves were raw and her stomach a sour knot. The closer nightfall came, with its promise of redemption in the form of a slim black-clad killer, the more nervous she grew that Endor would appear and ruin everything. His continued absence filled her with hope that he had drunk himself under the table, and now snored on a couch somewhere.