by Anna Kashina
Walking through the suite, Kara felt instantly reassured. The size and luxury of it befitted the Majat Guildmaster’s station, showing that the Queen acknowledged the embassy and was prepared to follow the protocol. In fact, even the invitation to stay in the palace went along with the rules. Mai’s station required an in-palace apartment rather than a room at an inn.
The servants helped them settle in, serving small basins to each of them to wash their hands and faces, followed by light refreshments – mint tea and tarts, filled with sliced almonds and rose petal jam. Another group of servants came in as they were strapping off weapons, bringing in the gear and packs the Majat had left at the inn this morning. Clearly, the Queen took her offer of hospitality seriously enough to make sure her guests settled in fully, even if Kara couldn’t help wishing that this could be a very short stay. She did not relish the impending prospect of walking into a room full of people dressed the way she was, let alone without even wearing any weapons.
They were just getting ready when a commotion at the door to their suite announced the arrival of a tall, majestic woman, dressed in flowing green silks that left her stomach bare and her full breasts bulging out of the tightly fitted blouse. She looked to be in her forties, and not in the least abashed by the effect.
“Aghat Mai.” She folded her palms together in a respectful Olivian greeting. “Lady Kara. I am Hamala, the grand vizier of Shayil Yara. Queen Rajmella sent me to greet you personally and to escort you into her presence.”
Kara mirrored the greeting gesture, looking at the woman with curiosity. Hamala’s keen eyes seemed to miss nothing as they glanced around their entire group with a quick appraisal, briefly pausing on Ellah, who stood next to Magister Egey Bashi wrapped in her white Keepers’ cloak.
“Please follow me,” Hamala said.
Kara’s eyes inadvertently drifted to the four men that came with Hamala and now kept close on Kara’s heels, edging out the Majat walking in her wake. They were all young and muscular, dressed in soft silky pants and ornate vests that ended above their waists and gaped open as they walked, seemingly designed specifically to emphasize their chest muscles rather than to cover them up. The way they looked at Kara made the effect seem even worse, their eyes sliding over her bare stomach with the intensity that made her skin creep.
Hamala grinned as she noticed Kara’s blush. “Don’t mind my consorts, my lady. Rumors of your arrival reached all through the palace. They’re curious, that’s all.”
Kara grasped the opportunity to change the subject. “I was surprised our arrival caused such a stir, my lady. The crowds…”
Hamala frowned, and Kara had an eerie feeling she had touched on a forbidden topic. “The crowds are bored, that’s all. They would jump on any excuse to cause a ruckus near the palace.”
“They chanted a strange word,” Kara said. “Al–”
Hamala raised her hand in a halting gesture. “Forgive me for offering unbidden advice, Lady Kara, but during your stay in the palace it couldn’t possibly bode well with the Queen if you take the habit of repeating the nonsense you heard in the marketplace. These folk chants are of no significance, believe me.”
Kara kept her gaze. The incident at the plaza suddenly seemed far more important. She lowered her eyes to catch sight of Egey Bashi’s white robe, glad that he was walking close enough behind her to catch the exchange.
“Thank you for your advice, Lady Hamala,” she said. “I need every bit of it. My northern upbringing is definitely a handicap when it comes to the Olivian customs.”
Hamala smiled. “Any time, my lady. Actually, knowledge of your northern upbringing was another reason why I felt it useful to bring some of my consorts along.”
“Another reason?”
Hamala’s smile widened as she glanced around their entourage. “I know of your northern customs enough to understand that these gorgeous men that came with you are probably not yours to share. Some of the ladies at court may not understand it, though. I thought, by seeing my men, you would know what kind of a reaction to expect. I purposely brought the less inhibited ones. I wouldn’t want you to feel too overwhelmed all at once when you step into the throne room.”
Too overwhelmed. Kara looked at the Olivian men again. With the way their eyes devoured her as they crowded far too close for her comfort, she doubted they even saw her face, or would recognize her again if she came wearing different clothes. She felt almost relieved at the sight of the double doors ahead, swinging ajar to greet them. Stepping through those doors would mean that this uncomfortable walk would come to an end. Yet, if Lady Hamala’s words were true, what awaited her inside was probably worse.
28
Queen Rajmella
The throne room looked vast, yet it also created an impression of being far more intimate than the formal audience halls Kara was used to. Perhaps this was due to the room’s low ceiling, painted in warm terracotta tones that brought to mind sun-baked clay and warm wind. Or the way the windows along its sides opened into the greenery of the garden beyond, alive with bird songs and splashing of the numerous fountains. For a brief moment, the waiting crowd of Olivian courtiers made Kara feel as if she was returning home, greeted by her eagerly waiting relatives after a long absence.
A wave of gazes hit her like a storm as she walked steadily toward the throne, with Mai by her side and Egey Bashi one step behind. It occurred to her belatedly that they should perhaps have requested a more personal audience. On the other hand, it probably wouldn’t have mattered in the end. After the request had been sent, the Queen was the one calling all the shots.
She stopped ten paces away from the throne and folded into a respectful bow, then straightened and looked up at the Queen.
Queen Rajmella looked much younger than Kara imagined – perhaps not that surprisingly, since her eldest daughter, raised at the court in Tallan Dar, was only five. She seemed to be no more than ten years Kara’s senior, and very beautiful, her dark skin accented by hair of such a rich golden color that even her jewelry seemed pale by comparison. She wore a lot of it, starting with an elaborate head piece that wove into her hair, to a set of massive golden bracelets that snaked all the way down her left arm, covering it from shoulder to wrist. The bracelets of station, worn in place of the crowns favored by the northern kings.
The Queen’s violet eyes stayed on Kara as she leaned over and whispered something to a handsome young man standing next to the throne. The man looked to be about Kara’s age, and was probably the only one in the room whose eyes didn’t venture anywhere lower than her face. There was no lust in his gaze, just a quiet curiosity that made Kara feel instantly alert. She glanced at the woman sitting on the Queen’s other side, a bit younger than the monarch, bearing an unmistakable likeness to her. Princess Nelimah, Rajmella’s younger sister, Kara guessed. But who was the young man? A consort? Not likely. He looked far too haughty for the role.
“Aghat Mai,” Queen Rajmella said. “It is our honor to receive the Majat Guildmaster as our guest. I must admit, however, that I was surprised to see someone of your young age at this post. What happened to Aghat Oden Lan?”
Mai’s lips creased into a brief smile that didn’t quite touch the rest of his face. “He has been deposed, Your Majesty.”
“Deposed?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Due to an internal Guild matter, Your Majesty.”
The Queen looked at Mai with curiosity, then leaned over and whispered something to her sister, who giggled and blushed, looking away.
“You are very spirited, Aghat Mai,” she said. “Not to mention handsome. Looking at you, I cannot help but find it a shame that northern men hold themselves so unavailable to women. Especially the Majat. Such a fine display of men you brought with you, and none of them open for an exchange. Isn’t it so, Lady Kara?”
Her direct look made Kara instantly uncomfortable. Or was it all because of the young man by the Queen’s side, whose eyes hadn’t left her face
during the entire exchange?
“Northern customs are indeed different, Your Majesty,” Kara said. “In the north, Aghat Mai would have been speaking to you directly, without the need for my interference.”
“Directly.” The Queen looked at Mai thoughtfully, then ran her eyes over the Majat of his suite. “I do like my men to be direct with me in my bedchamber, but there is no place for this kind of demeanor in my audience hall. Besides, your company is so delightful, Lady Kara. Wouldn’t it have been a shame to miss it?”
“You are too kind, Your Majesty.” Kara kept her eyes on the young man as she spoke, unable to escape the feeling she was being tested. She wished she understood the game, or at least had been given some clue on who this man could possibly be.
“Not at all,” the Queen said. “I mean it. Perhaps, after our talk about Aghat Mai’s business is over, we could have a chance to get more personally acquainted?”
Once again, Kara saw a short glance that passed between the Queen and the young man by her side. She stifled a pang of concern as she forced her face into a smile. “It would be an honor, Your Majesty.”
The Queen nodded, and Kara imagined she saw the older woman’s shoulders relax, as if Kara’s agreement to get acquainted, whatever it meant, had resolved an important question in the Queen’s mind. “Very well. And now, pray tell me what kind of a business has prompted the Majat Guildmaster himself to venture this far south?”
“Aghat Mai and his men are in pursuit of a very dangerous enemy,” Kara said. “We have information that they are hiding out in the deserts along your Bengaw border. The land of the Cha’idi nomads.”
The Queen frowned. “Does your information suggest that the Cha’idi are allied with this enemy you speak of?”
Kara shook her head. “We possess no such information, Your Majesty. In fact, our hope is that the Cha’idi would help us find the enemy’s secret stronghold. All we need is for Your Majesty to sanction this – as well as to allow Aghat Mai’s army to pass freely through your lands.”
The Queen raised her eyebrows. “His army?” She glanced over Mai’s suite again. They wore no distinctive signs, not even their weapons. Kara hoped the Queen wouldn’t be able to guess that the men in this room, a dozen of their Guild’s best, were equivalent to a small army all on their own. With the numbers waiting for them back at Gard’hal outpost, they could easily wipe out the entire kingdom of Shayil Yara – not that she would ever feel necessary to bring up the possibility.
“Aghat Mai’s men are waiting at the edge of your lands,” she said. “In the hope that your support would enable them to proceed.”
The Queen smiled. “I feel flattered that the Majat would ask for my support. Normally, they have been dealing only with Tallan Dar. We were beginning to wonder if this selectivity may have been due to the fact that they find us inferior.” She looked at Mai as she spoke, her gaze spelling challenge.
He calmly returned her gaze. “The Majat deal with everyone equally, Your Majesty.”
The Queen’s full lips twitched. “Hardly true, Aghat Mai. You know well that your Pentade duty to the king is no more than a form of tribute the Majat Guild receives from Tallan Dar, both in the gold your Guild is paid for these services – a rather high price for the ceremonial job the Pentade is expected to do – as well as in the way it gives your top men the right to be present at all official functions alongside the king. No dealing in Tallan Dar ever happen without the Majat’s knowledge, or so we heard.”
Mai smiled. “I suppose it could be viewed this way. However, we did prove, on occasions, that our help could be invaluable when it comes to the King’s protection.”
Rajmella measured him with a dry gaze. “I heard of those, as you put it, occasions, Aghat Mai. Including the most recent one, where my daughter’s life was nearly jeopardized.”
Mai bowed slightly. “If you are this well informed, Your Majesty, you will also know that Lady Kara here is the one who saved your daughter’s life.”
“Yes, I am, Aghat Mai, and I am very grateful to her for this. I also know that you were the one who threw your life on the line to save them both in the end. Please believe me that this gratitude I feel toward you both does factor into my decisions, especially when you tend to so charmingly breach the protocol all the time by speaking directly to me.” She leaned toward her sister again, and again Princess Nelimah blushed and giggled at the Queen’s words.
“Please forgive me, Your Majesty,” Mai said.
He looked easy and relaxed, but Kara noticed the way he kept his arms by his sides, ready to act in a blink of an eye. His men echoed his stance. Her skin prickled. One wrong move, and this whole room would erupt in chaos. She hurriedly turned back to the Queen.
“The enemies who threatened your daughter,” she said, “are the same ones we are pursuing right now. Your help would ensure that they never bother anyone again.”
The Queen looked at her, as if hesitating, then briefly inclined her head.
“I will consider Aghat Mai’s request,” she said. “I will give you my answer tomorrow. In the meantime, I hope you will all enjoy our hospitality.”
Kara bowed, feeling only partially reassured. The way the Queen looked at Mai, the way the conversation tended to skid off into edgy topics, seemed to be a recipe for trouble. Worse, the young man by the Queen’s throne kept looking at her with calm evaluation, as if eyeing a thoroughbred horse he was considering buying. Despite the lack of open lust, Kara was beginning to wonder about his intentions toward her. Princess Nelimah did not help much either as she ran her eyes over the Majat with an appraising look of her own, then leaned over and whispered in the Queen’s ear.
“Before you go,” the Queen said. “My sister wants to know if any of your men would be open to an exchange. She is prepared to send you an equal number of her own consorts.”
Kara opened her mouth wordlessly. She had been preparing for this, and she had practiced a number of suitable answers that would keep them all in the clear, but she never imagined for the request to be coming from the Queen on behalf of a member of the royal family.
“Our northern customs–” she began, but the Queen waved her hand to interrupt.
“I am aware of your northern customs, Lady Kara. However, I believe, you are also well informed about our customs here. My sister especially fancies the tall blond one over there.” She pointed at Lance, standing beside Mai. “Of course, if this particular one is not available, she would be glad to consider others.”
Kara glanced around helplessly, somewhat relieved to see Lance grinning as he bent over to Mai and exchanged a few whispered words. The two men seemed unabashed, but she couldn’t fully share their calm reaction. In fact, she was beginning to panic. An exchange the Queen proposed was supposed to be done by consent – and discreetly, without putting anyone on the spot. Of course, this probably didn’t apply when it came to the royal family. And now, she had no idea how to deal with it.
Lance and Mai exchanged more quiet phrases. From the few words she caught, Kara could tell they were using the Majat language, but she wasn’t standing close enough to understand what they were talking about. She was still wondering when Lance stepped forward past Mai and bowed to the Queen.
“I would be honored to entertain Princess Nelimah,” he said.
Kara’s mouth fell open as she stared, at a loss for words. The whole situation simply refused to fit into her head. She had to assume Lance understood exactly what he was agreeing to. She also assumed by his calm look, as well as by Mai’s spreading grin, that he didn’t mind. She looked at Princess Nelimah who rose from her seat excitedly, whispering into Queen’s ear as she kept her eyes on her prize.
The Princess looked to be no older than twenty-five, and beautiful enough to turn heads. Did her looks factor into the easiness with which Lance agreed? Kara felt her cheeks warm up at the mere thought, her blush deepening as she noticed Queen Rajmella’s eyes fixed on her.
“Excellent,” the Queen sai
d. “Princess Nelimah is willing to send you one of her favorite consorts in return.”
Kara took a much-needed breath. “I thank Her Royal Highness, but this won’t be necessary.”
The Queen nodded. “I thought so. Besides, since you have so graciously accepted my hospitality this evening, I hope to be able to engage you otherwise. My own consorts would be more than happy to entertain both of us. And of course, I also invited Prince Jamal.” She pointed to the young man standing by her chair.
Prince Jamal. Kara didn’t remember learning this name when she was studying up on the Shayil Yaran royal family. She also didn’t quite recall accepting this sort of hospitality from the Queen, but it didn’t seem to be a good moment to bring this up. She forced herself to relax, reminding herself that with her combat skill she couldn’t possibly be afraid of anything awaiting her in the Queen’s chambers, even if she had to go there alone and unarmed. Perhaps, if she played along, she could even use this chance to gain enough trust to facilitate a favorable outcome to the negotiations?
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” she said.
“Good. I will send someone to pick you up from your chambers, Lady Kara. I look forward to it.”
Just then, Kara became aware of the excited chatter behind her. Court ladies were giggling and pointing, some stepping toward the Majat, mixing into their group.
“It seems that everyone’s taken Princess Nelimah’s experience to heart,” Egey Bashi said quietly. “I think we’re about to get more offers.”
Kara glanced at Mai only partially reassured by his smile.
“You should relax,” Mai said. “I see no harm in it.”
“No harm?” Her eyes widened. The way the court ladies devoured the men with their eyes seemed unnerving. Were the Majat men really prepared to do what these women wanted? She blushed, hastily looking away from the mingling crowd, where the noble ladies were ogling the men like goods on display.