Several of the guards he passed on his way to Kerrion's rooms winked and leered, and one tried to pinch his bottom. Along the way he pilfered a bottle of wine, then walked to Kerrion's door and knocked. The guards who stood outside it grinned at him, and Blade smiled and lowered his eyes. A gruff command to enter made a guard open the door, and Blade strolled into the Crown Prince's boudoir. Kerrion sat on the rumpled bed with his hair still tangled from sleep, and looked up from lacing his boots. He scowled when Blade thumped the wine bottle down on the table.
"What is this? I did not order wine. Get out."
Blade spoke in his own voice. "So it is true that Cotti men treat their women like slaves. No wonder you do it to Jashimari children too."
Kerrion grimaced. "Blade. The guards let you in?"
"Naturally. All they saw was a serving maid with a bottle of wine."
The prince straightened and studied the assassin. "No wonder you fool everyone. I did not have the opportunity to appreciate the perfection of your disguise on the night you abducted me."
"I did not come here for you to admire me. Let's get on with this."
Kerrion picked up an embroidered white tunic and shrugged it on. "I was starting to wonder if you had lost your nerve."
Blade glared at him. "You should learn to curb your tongue, antagonising me is not a good idea."
Kerrion completed his ablutions before summoning his familiar from her perch, and the guards snapped to attention as the prince marched past with the eagle perched on his shoulder, Blade following. The assassin found the walk through the palace educational, noting the corridors and rooms they passed through with keen interest. Its echoing emptiness struck him as amusing, but the decor's sheer opulence more than compensated for the lack of furnishings.
The desert mines were rich in many things besides metal, and, in some rooms, rows of quartz pillars glimmered in the warm light, streaked with shades of pink or blue. Quartz statues glowed with translucent beauty, and, in one vast room, a circular skylight let in shafts of pale pink radiance. The Prince seemed oblivious, marching past the breath-taking scenery without a glance at it.
Arriving at a pair of massive brass-studded doors, Kerrion turned to Blade. "Wait here until you are called. I have to convince them to grant you a pardon first."
Blade nodded. "Lerton will help."
"What do you mean?"
"You will see."
Kerrion gazed at the assassin in puzzlement, then turned and headed for the doors, which the guards opened for him. As they closed behind him, Blade moved closer to the wall and stood with his head bowed, pulling the blue silk over his face to foil curious stares.
Kerrion entered the immense audience room where the trial was being held, aware that dozens of hostile eyes followed his progress. Lerton, who sat with his brothers, smirked and waved. The judges stood in a row behind a long, polished palmwood table, watching him with hard, glittering eyes that belied their reverent bows.
The lords who filled the rest of the hall kept their expressions neutral, awaiting the outcome before they committed themselves to either side. Familiars sat beside them or perched on their shoulders, those that were not twined around their necks or resident in the palace stables. The group of officers from King Shandor's camp, which Lerton had called as witnesses, whispered amongst themselves, their eyes darting. Three male sand cats lolled at their feet, one snoring.
Kerrion stopped before the most senior of the seven judges and addressed him. "My Lord, before we continue with this farcical trial, I have one more witness to call."
The judge frowned, clearly displeased by the delay. "The time for witnesses is over, Prince Kerrion."
"I am aware of that, but this person can clear me of these ridiculous charges."
The judge raised his brows and glanced at his comrades, who nodded or shrugged as they seated themselves. "Very well."
"Before I do, My Lord, I must insist that this court grant amnesty to this witness, or the person will not come forward. By clearing me of the crime, the witness will be implicated, and I have promised that there will be no punishment."
"That is unheard of," the judge declared. "If this person is guilty of some part in your father's death, he must be punished."
"My Lord, by testifying for me, this witness is saving my life." Kerrion pulled the speech he had written the night before from his tunic and began to read. "In such an instance, where a witness comes forward to save the life of an innocent, and when that innocent is the future King, any means may be used to procure their co-operation.
"By saving the heir's life, the witness performs such a great service for the kingdom that no reward is too much. Surely the court must agree that the granting of amnesty is a small price to pay for the truth? By saving the court from the massive blunder of executing their future King, an act of high treason, the witness in question, even if guilty of the crime with which I am charged, must be protected in order to facilitate their testimony."
The judge leant forward, the grey owl on his shoulder shuffling to keep its balance. "Are you saying that this witness is the true murderer?"
"That is for the witness to admit, or not, as the case may be. I ask that you grant this witness a pardon, no matter to what he or she may confess."
"We have not given our verdict yet, Prince Kerrion," another judge pointed out. "How do you know we have found you guilty?"
"I do not. Have you found me innocent?"
The judges glanced at each other, shifting in their hard, high-backed chairs.
Kerrion nodded. "As I thought."
"Let him call his witness," Lerton shouted from his seat in the gallery. "It is just another of his fabrications. His lies will not fool us."
"But my prince, if this person is indeed guilty…" the senior judge protested.
"How can he be, when Kerrion is the true murderer? It is a futile attempt to save his neck, nothing more. Grant the amnesty. You will be pardoning nothing more than a petty liar my brother has hired to take the blame for his crime."
The judges conferred, then the senior man turned back to Kerrion and nodded. "Very well, My Prince. We will pardon your witness for whatever crime he has committed, or will commit here by perjuring himself. Since your accuser has no objection to this, we do not either. What is your witness' name?"
"I would rather the witness remained nameless for now, My Lord. The reason will become clear soon enough. There is no one else outside, I assure you."
The judge turned to the guards who stood by the doors. "Call the next witness."
Kerrion turned to flash a triumphant smile at Lerton. "Thank you, brother."
Lerton looked smug, stroking the golden snake that hung around his neck. "Do not mention it, doubtless this will be entertaining."
"I am certain of it," Kerrion agreed as the guards pulled open the doors and bellowed into the corridor for the next witness.
Blade entered with gliding, graceful steps, pausing to bow to the judges before facing the officers from King Shandor's camp, who erupted with excited shouts.
"That is the whore from the camp!"
"She was the one who went with the King!"
Blade pushed back the blue silk to reveal the wig's long golden tresses and let them have a good look at him.
Kerrion turned to the officers. "You are certain?"
"Absolutely," a young officer stated, and Kerrion recognised the man who had kept Blade company for most of that evening while the King had dined. The Crown Prince had noticed the attractive whore long before his father had. The other officers nodded in agreement. Two of the sand cats roused sufficiently to yawn and stretch before flopping down again.
Kerrion pointed at Blade. "This is the woman who was with King Shandor on the night he died, you all agree?"
The officers nodded one by one as the Prince's gaze rested upon them, and when the last had assented, Kerrion turned to the judges.
The senior judge inclined his head. "So noted."
Lerto
n chuckled. "My Lords, she is his partner in this heinous deed, naturally she would come forward to exonerate him now that he has procured a pardon for her. This only proves my case."
"Either that, or she is a harlot who looks like the woman these good officers saw, whom I have hired to lie on my behalf, eh, Lerton?" Kerrion suggested with a smile.
"Exactly!" Lerton crowed. "And doubtless she will admit to murdering the King, a preposterous claim!"
Kerrion swung back to face the judges. "Is there any doubt in your minds that this is a woman, My Lords?"
The senior judge leant forward, scrutinising the assassin. "Let her speak. What has she to say?"
Blade spoke in a sweet, whispery voice. "I killed King Shandor."
"You see!" howled Lerton, thumping the railing in his glee. "Exactly as I said! My Lords, this is either Kerrion's partner in crime or some cheap harlot hired to speak those words."
"Why could it not be true?" Kerrion demanded of his brother. "Perhaps it is she who killed our father."
"Impossible!" Lerton asserted. "She is a woman! It would require a man's strength to overcome and stab a man as powerful as the King!"
"She is a large woman," Kerrion pointed out.
"No matter. She would not have the strength. She was sent to distract him so you could sneak in and stab your own father. Women do not kill in such a manner," he went on, becoming a little pompous in his mien. "They rarely have the stomach to kill, and when they do, they use poisons or hire assassins. They do not use daggers. Not only are they too weak and squeamish, they would not know how to kill a man so efficiently. My father was killed by an expert, someone trained in the arts of war, such as you, brother."
"So there is obviously no doubt in your mind that this is indeed a woman, and you seem to be quite an expert on the subject."
Lerton smirked. "I have known a lot of women, yes."
Kerrion faced the judges again. "My Lords, what do you see before you?"
The eldest judge shrugged. "A woman."
Kerrion nodded and turned back to Lerton. "I agree with you, brother, no woman would have the strength to murder King Shandor. He was a strong man, as we all know. But the person you see before you is, in fact, not a woman."
"Ridiculous!" Lerton shouted, leaping to his feet. "This is to substantiate your nonsensical story of an assassin who turns into a woman at will!" He laughed. "As if such a person could exist. No man can disguise himself as a woman without being discovered. I will show you!" He vaulted over the wooden partition that separated the gallery from the floor before the judges' bench and approached Blade. The assassin faced him, keeping his head bowed and his eyes downcast. Lerton stroked Blade's cheek, then turned to his brother with a triumphant grin.
"Smooth as a baby's bottom! What fools do you take us for? Will you trot her out now and bring in a man, then claim that they are one and the same person?"
"No." Kerrion glanced around at the audience. "None of you are fools. I never said you were. This disguise, in all its perfection, has fooled many people. It fooled my father, it fooled me, and it has made fools of all of you. The person before you is a man."
"Rubbish!" Lerton retorted. "Next you will claim that he is a mage!"
"No."
"Then prove it! Beyond a shadow of a doubt!"
Kerrion turned to Blade, who unpinned the blond wig and pulled it off. Lerton gaped as the assassin stripped off the gown with swift movements, removing the water bags that hung from his neck, then took off the jewellery and added it to the pile on the table beside him. Hisses of surprise came from the audience as they witnessed his transformation. A few murmured to their neighbours, setting up an excited buzz that spread around the room. Blade pulled a damp cloth from his pocket and wiped away the berry juice and skin dye. The buzz of conversation grew louder as he revealed his pale skin, then he turned his back on the audience and faced the judges. Blade unhooked the earrings and wiped the dye from his hands, standing before them in his simple black outfit.
Kerrion walked over to his brother. "Lerton, I would like you to meet the assassin who killed our father."
Lerton closed his mouth, shaking his head in mute denial. Kerrion looked at the stunned judges, and a hush fell over the assembly. "My Lords, I present to you the Jashimari assassin, Blade. Also known as the Invisible Assassin, the Silent Slayer, and most recently, the Queen's Blade."
The eldest judge cleared his throat, staring at Blade. "You admit to killing King Shandor?"
Blade shrugged. "I do."
"You acted on the orders of your queen?"
"Yes."
"What were they?"
Blade glanced at Kerrion. "To assassinate King Shandor and bring his son Kerrion to her, unharmed."
"For what reason?"
"She wished to talk of truce."
The judge shot Kerrion a doubtful glance. "And he refused."
"He did."
"So she released him."
Blade nodded, clasping his hands behind his back.
"And now she sends you to testify on his behalf, even though he would not co-operate with her. Why?"
"The same reason that she released him. She wishes to deal with a Cotti King whom she perceives to be honourable and intelligent, not a devious, lying one, such as Prince Lerton would make."
"Our realms are at war," the judge pointed out, glancing at Lerton. "What difference does it make to her?"
"She still wants peace."
"But Prince Kerrion refused."
Blade shrugged again. "I am an assassin, not a politician."
"And a dead one!" Lerton shouted, recovering from his stunned stupor and stabbing a finger at Blade. "He murdered King Shandor, he must die!"
Kerrion stepped between them. "He has been granted amnesty."
"You would protect your father's murderer?"
"By coming here, he has saved my life. Had I not offered him amnesty, he would not have come forward, and I would be facing the gallows because of your lies."
"They were not lies!" Lerton protested, glancing at the judges. "The evidence against you was damning. No one believed this man existed. If you could call him a man."
"I have to keep my word. He is free to go."
The senior judge nodded. "Unfortunately, he has the right of it, Prince Lerton. We cannot charge him with a crime for which we have already agreed to pardon him. At your urging, I might add."
"He is dangerous!" Lerton cried. "You cannot let him remain free."
"Nor can you lock him up when he has committed no crime other than the one for which he has been granted a pardon," Kerrion stated.
"He is a Jashimari!"
"One who has done me a great service, and has thereby earned his freedom. Since I am no longer accused of any crime, I will soon be King, and he has my protection so long as he obeys the laws of our land."
Lerton's eyes grew cunning. "He might have been sent here on the pretext of saving you, in order to assassinate someone."
Kerrion shot his brother a surprised look. "He did not need a pretext to come here. He arrived undetected in my rooms last night, and offered to testify for me if I was able to grant him amnesty. Had he wished to assassinate someone, he could have done it then. One thing is certain, he was not sent to assassinate me."
Lerton paled, stepped back and shot Blade a hunted look. His snake hissed and coiled more tightly around his neck. The assassin smiled and gathered up his disguise.
Kerrion turned to the judges. "My Lords, what is your verdict?"
The senior judge stood up to address the throng. "We find Prince Kerrion innocent of King Shandor's death."
As if released from a trance, the audience burst into a hubbub. Some members turned to each other, others rose and left to carry the news far and wide. The judges filed out through a door at the back. Lerton returned to the clutch of brothers that awaited him, vanishing into their midst as they drew close to listen to him.
Blade glanced at them, then at Kerrion. "Perhaps I should get
rid of a few more of them."
The Prince gave Blade a push towards the door. "Try to control your bloodlust, Blade. They are still my brothers."
Back in Kerrion's rooms, Blade dumped his burden and perched on the edge of the desk to pour a cup of wine. Kerrion went to the window and stared out, his hands clasped behind his back. Kiara flapped to her perch and preened herself.
"Did Minna send any other messages with you?"
Blade tasted the wine and grimaced. "Not really."
"Is there any way I can repay her?"
"Make peace."
"I cannot do that." Kerrion turned to scowl at him.
"Jashimari cannot fight two kingdoms and survive. The Contara will overrun us, and you will descend like vultures to feed on the spoils."
"That was Lerton's plan."
Blade sipped the wine. "And you approve of it."
"No!" Kerrion gestured. "It is dishonourable. I have inherited a war that I have no wish to continue, but cannot end without being overthrown." He paused. "If she surrenders to me, I can promise her fair treatment. I will ensure a peaceful occupation, offer her protection and banish the Contara back to their land."
"She will never surrender, not to you, or anyone else."
"Then the Jashimari will be wiped out."
"You will continue the war against your daughter?" Blade enquired.
"She will not take power for five and twenty years, but then no, I will not."
"Jashimari will not outlast the spring, and when Jondar falls, your daughter will be at the mercy of the Contara. Why not end it now?"
Kerrion sighed, rubbing his eyes. "If only I could. My nobles will not agree to end the war against Minna-Satu, but they too will not wish to fight against a Cotti Queen."
"Half Cotti."
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