by Anna Kashina
“They can handle it,” Mai said.
I hope they can. “But…”
Mai laughed. “You look far too terrified. They’re all grown men. Don’t worry about them.”
Kara let out a sigh. She supposed he was right. She should stop putting herself in their place. Besides, she herself was already committed to a visit this evening that she might find potentially challenging in more ways than one. She glanced at Prince Jamal. Why was he looking at her like this? Did he hope his status as a prince meant she would grant him some special favors?
“What do you know about Prince Jamal?” she asked on the way out of the throne room.
“He’s the Queen’s nephew,” Egey Bashi said. “The son of Queen Jameera, whose portrait we saw this morning at the inn.”
Kara’s heart raced. Was this why Jamal was looking at her this way? Did she remind him of his dead mother? Kara let out a breath. This was highly unlikely, given that he couldn’t possibly have remembered what his mother looked like. Besides, very few painters could actually portray a person well enough to achieve extensive resemblance to the original. That portrait at the inn must have been a coincidence, that’s all.
“They say Jameera died giving birth to him,” Egey Bashi went on, “but from the way the chronicles are written, I’d say there was definitely foul play.”
Kara frowned, turning to look at the Keeper. “Foul play? Was Rajmella behind it?”
Egey Bashi shook his head. “Unlikely. Rajmella was eleven at the time. Her grand aunt ruled as regent until she came of age. To the best of my knowledge the plot was conceived by an outsider, a woman of power who paid in full for her crimes. People here don’t like to talk about it much.”
Kara wished she would have had a chance to learn more about the royal family, especially given the fact that she was about to get so closely acquainted with them.
The group of the Majat around them pretty much dissipated by the time they left the throne room and made way back to their chambers. Seldon was the only one left, walking with his head high and an air of defiance around him. Kara wondered if he was the only one who didn’t receive any propositions, or if the women who approached him didn’t strike his fancy. Whatever his reasons, she didn’t feel comfortable venturing any further thoughts into this.
The four Emerald Guards left behind in their chambers greeted them in stunned silence. Mai threw a few words over his shoulder in a brief explanation as he led Kara into the inner room of their suite and closed the door behind them.
“We have nearly no men left,” she said.
Mai laughed. “Let them all have some fun.”
Fun. “Are you sure they would see it this way?”
“Have you seen these ladies?” Mai continued laughing at her frozen expression. “I’d say our men will all have the time of their lives tonight.”
“But…what if something happens here in their absence?”
Mai shrugged. “We have you, me, Seldon, and four Emeralds. I don’t believe we should worry about our safety tonight. On the contrary, if anything were to happen, I see it as a tactical advantage to have a top Gem stationed near pretty much every powerful woman in this palace. Don’t you?”
A tactical advantage. It was good that Mai was able to keep a cool head in a situation where she got too easily flustered.
“You and Seldon are the only ones they didn’t pick,” she said. “No offense.”
He laughed. “Seldon got propositioned all right. He just chose not to do it. As for me, I don’t think anyone dared. It hardly befits my station, does it?”
“I suppose not.”
He grinned. “Besides, they probably noticed the way I looked at you. Even these ladies can recognize a hopeless situation.”
Her stomach fluttered. She and Mai hadn’t had privacy for a very long time, not since that time back in Ayalla’s realm. It seemed cruel that she had to abandon an opportunity to spend time with him so that she could go to the Queen’s chambers, where she knew she would be made uncomfortable in so many ways.
Mai seemed to have read her thoughts.
“In my estimation,” he said, “you have about an hour before the Queen sends for you. I asked Lenart to make sure no one disturbs us until then.”
Her eyes widened. “You did?”
“Yes.”
“Then,” she said, “we’d better make good use of the time.”
She felt lightheaded as he scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bed.
It seemed far too soon when she heard distant banging on the outer doors, followed by footsteps and voices, and finally, a tentative knock on the door of their own chamber. She stirred, not ready to move just yet, immersed in the movements of Mai’s hands over her bare skin that left trails of goosebumps in their wake until she was tingling all over.
“Aghat Mai?” the Emerald Guard called from the outside. “The Queen’s messengers are here for Kara.”
“She’ll be out in a minute, Jahib.” Mai shifted Kara in his arms, holding her close so that she could rest her head on his shoulder.
“Are you ready?” he asked quietly. “Or did I exhaust you too much?”
She nuzzled him. “You always do.”
He grinned. “I try to. Especially now, when you are about to face the temptations of the Queen’s consorts.”
She shuddered at the reminder, lifting away from him. The Queen’s consorts. What was she getting herself into?
Mai sat up and looked at her thoughtfully. “You don’t look like you are ready to move just yet. How about I dress you up?”
“You?”
“You think I don’t know how to do it?”
She smiled. “Let’s see it then.”
Deep inside, she felt grateful for his help. She was feeling so spent, not only from their lovemaking just now, but from the whole day that preceded it. She wanted nothing more than to curl up by his side and sleep, not dress up and depart alone for an encounter she really didn’t look forward to.
Mai picked her up and carried her to the next room, where the servants had prepared a bath for the evening. He got into the water with her as he washed her clean, then lifted her out and rubbed her with a towel. She could feel the energy he put into his movements, massaging her back to life, his closeness filling her with a surreal sense of happiness she did not experience in a very long while.
His hands moved deftly as he dressed her up in a new silky outfit the servants had left out for the occasion, even more luxurious than the previous one, then brushed out her hair until it shone.
“You make a wonderful lady’s maid,” she said.
Mai grinned. “Thank you, my lady. I pride myself on having many different talents.”
“I could get used to this.”
His grin widened. “I hope you will. If it was up to me, I’d never let you dress by yourself – perhaps, never dress at all?”
She pulled him close for a brief kiss, then stepped toward the door and flung it open.
29
Prince Jamal
The two men waiting for Kara in the outer chamber made her pause in the doorway in a sudden uprush of panic. They both looked more muscular than many of the other men she saw here, their silky vests so scant that they seemed nearly non-existent. Their dark purple eyes devoured her with the expressions that made her instantly hot with embarrassment. She felt grateful when Mai stepped up behind her, his brief look forcing the men to recede.
“My lady Kara,” one of the newcomers said, bowing. “I am Valmir, Queen Rajmella’s First Consort. This is Dahim.” He indicated his companion.
Kara looked at the man with curiosity. The title of the First Consort meant that he was not only the Queen’s favorite, but likely the father of her First Daughter Aljbeda, raised in Tallan Dar. This made this man as important as men could possibly be at this court.
“I am honored that you personally came to pick me up, Valmir,” she said. “Please forgive the wait.” She glanced at Mai, hoping her blush wa
sn’t too obvious.
Valmir smiled. “The honor is all mine, my lady. The Queen is very interested in getting to know you better. Are you ready?”
She stepped forward, but Mai placed a hand on her shoulder, halting her. The men stiffened, their eyebrows flying up in surprise.
“Valmir? Dahim?” Mai’s tone forced them to pull to attention. “Bring her back safe. I am holding you two personally responsible.”
The two men exchanged uneasy glances as they bowed and escorted Kara out of the chamber. Kara smiled at Mai as she followed them. They both knew she didn’t need any physical protection. But Mai’s warning, and the way he manhandled her briefly to show the kind of relationship they had, would likely make these men, and others in the Queen’s quarters once made aware of it, think twice before trying anything improper.
She soon lost count of the winding hallways and corridors. This palace seemed to have no stairs at all, only rooms and passages, with plenty of niches and alcoves holding ornate benches and divans. The whole environment, in fact, seemed as suggestive as the glances the men threw at her, echoing those she had encountered in abundance back in the throne room.
The Queen’s chambers looked even more luxuriously suggestive. The large area Kara was shown into had a complex shape, set with semi-private areas along the sides – used, she assumed, to entertain small groups without providing any real seclusion. Kara followed her guides to one such area at the back, separated from the rest by a fountain that trickled down the wall into a deep stone basin large enough to fit ten.
Rajmella reclined next to it on a low divan, a well-muscled man leaning over her from behind to massage her shoulders. When the Queen saw Kara she smiled and waved, gesturing to another divan beside her. Kara took the invitation, trying not to act too openly curious as she glanced around the room. She stiffened briefly as another man appeared at her back, running his fingers down her neck so deftly that her body reacted to the touch even before she could give it any conscious thought. She met the Queen’s eyes, but saw nothing threatening in the woman’s encouraging smile. After a brief hesitation, she relaxed into the massage, ready to protest the moment the man’s hands ventured to any place she didn’t feel comfortable with. She wasn’t sure how far Olivian hospitality went, but she was fairly certain about her limits in that regard, even at the risk of appearing impolite.
“I am happy your Majat companions proved to be so agreeable,” the Queen said. “Their compliance with our customs surely came as a relief.”
“Relief, Your Majesty?” Kara frowned.
The Queen laughed. “We heard rumors that the Majat are required to give up their manhood in order to receive their high ranking. However, my sister assures me this isn’t the case. In fact, when I stopped by her chambers just now, I found her quite preoccupied.”
Preoccupied. Kara knew she should probably be glad that Lance was pleasing the Queen’s sister so well, but the mere idea of what was going on over there made her cheeks burn. She always thought of her fellow warriors as brothers, with the added awkwardness of having to deal with the gender differences when it came to sharing training quarters and camping together on the long marches. Thinking of any of them as sexually able men felt like a taboo. Now that she was faced with this kind of a situation, she couldn’t stop feeling embarrassed.
“I am very glad things are working out so well, Your Majesty,” she said.
The Queen smiled again, shifting on her couch to give the man massaging her shoulders access to her lower regions. Kara remained firmly in place to prevent a similar change in her own massage. The Queen watched her growing discomfort with barely disguised amusement.
“You certainly look the part of an Olivian noblewoman,” she said. “But you don’t act like one at all. You’re far too shy. If you are to succeed in your career as a negotiator, you definitely need to work on that.”
Kara hated the way these words made her blush deepen. “I’m only here this one time, Your Majesty. I don’t expect to do this again.” Not if I can help it.
The Queen shook her head. “That would be a shame, Lady Kara. You are beautiful and well-spoken. Perhaps, if you do not wish to be a negotiator, you would consider a position at my court? I can give you an easy job to start with. A chancellor, perhaps. How about it?”
Kara’s eyes widened. She certainly didn’t expect an offer like this.
“I am very honored, Your Majesty,” she said truthfully. “But I must return to the north as soon as this assignment is over.”
The Queen nodded knowingly. “The Majat Guildmaster is a very handsome man. If not for his station, our ladies would probably have ripped him apart. Don’t think I didn’t notice the way you look at him. Does he feel the same way about you?”
Kara’s blush rolled down her neck. She didn’t realize she was being so transparent.
The Queen laughed. “Now that I know his manhood is likely just as intact as that of his subordinates, I can only congratulate you on your choice, my dear. I know that the Majat Guildmaster enjoys more freedom in this regard than any other man commanding this kind of power. At least, his choice of women is not constrained by considerations of rank and birth.”
It is, just not the way it works with others. Kara kept her silence. Discussing her relationship with Mai in this chamber couldn’t possibly lead to anything good.
“One aspect of the negotiation process that you grasped especially well,” the Queen went on after a pause, “is the art of being secretive. In my observation, the things we don’t say are sometimes far more important than those we do.”
Kara frowned. Did she imagine an implied threat in the Queen’s words, or was this just a friendly comment? She bitterly wished she had brought Ellah with her, but she knew it would have been not only impolite, but also likely useless. Ellah was even more shy than Kara when it came to men. The sight of all the well-muscled bodies as the consorts gathered around their divans was beginning to feel oppressive. She could only hope they were drawn closer by the conversation, and not by an upcoming activity she couldn’t possibly consent to.
A movement in the back rows caught her eye, a chill running down her spine as she recognized the newcomer. Prince Jamal.
He strode toward them with an easy grace that inadvertently made her wonder about his skill with weapons. His quality of movement lacked the refinement of a top-ranked Majat, but it definitely drew enough attention to make her feel instantly alert. She kept relaxed not to show the reaction to her masseuse, who could likely sense her moods through touch by a slightest shift in her muscles.
As if to confirm these suspicions she noticed the sharp glance the Queen cast past her shoulder to where she was sure the man’s face currently was. Kara frowned. Had the man been placed by her side to detect her mood changes and signal them to the Queen? She forced her muscles to stay relaxed, making sure not to give him anything to report.
Prince Jamal knelt by the Queen’s side and whispered something into her ear. She patted his bare shoulder before turning back to her guest.
“Please forgive me, Lady Kara,” the Queen said. “I have been impolite just now. I also believe that back in the throne room I failed to introduce Prince Jamal properly. He is my nephew, the son of my dear older sister, who, alas, departed this world far too young, without leaving an heir.”
Once again Kara noted the Queen’s glance past her face, as if she had expected the man massaging her to detect a reaction to these words. She also realized that as the Queen spoke just now he had kept his hands flat and relaxed over her shoulders, in a position ideally suited to sense the slightest twitch of muscles. She kept still, returning the Queen’s smile.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Prince Jamal,” she said.
The Prince briefly bowed his head, then sat on the floor between her and the Queen. Some of the other men crowded around her too, their meaningful glances suggesting the activities were about to change.
Kara sat up straight. “I’m afraid I must take my leave
, Your Majesty.”
The Queen smiled. “So early, my lady? My men were just about to serve refreshments.” She signaled into the depth of the room and a younger man hurried forward with a covered tray.
The masseuse resumed his circular movements over the back of Kara’s shoulders, parting her hair to touch the sensitive spot at the nape of her neck. Kara stiffened, refusing to give in to the pleasure. She briefly noted Jamal’s stare, as if the Prince was interested in joining the exercise, and edged away. Being entertained by the Queen’s nephew definitely wasn’t part of the plan, if only because saying no to anything he had in mind would likely be viewed as an insult. Consensual or not, members of the royal family were clearly used to getting what they wanted. The way Lance’s services were requested told her this much.
Absorbed in these thoughts, she didn’t pay much attention to the man with the tray, who knelt in front of her and placed it on a small table in front of her, as if the covered dish was intended only for her. As he lifted the lid, the masseuse at her back pushed her down toward the table with unexpected force.
Her body reacted instantly with all her trained reflexes, twisting out of his hold and flipping away from the table faster than thought, but even as she landed on the floor and rolled over to avoid the men trying to grab her, she knew it was already too late. She recognized the smell, thick and smoky, lingering in her nostrils long after the brief exposure. This sleeping powder was one of the nastiest substances around, banned from most places she knew precisely because of its potency. Inhaling a full breath of it knocked a person out instantly. Even the half-breath she took was enough to make her limbs heavy and her reflexes far too slow to defeat a roomful of muscular men.
She kicked the divan into the way of her advancing attackers and rolled over, trying to stand up. She made it as far as kneeling when something heavy pounced onto her shoulders, iron-hard arms grasping her, pinning her to the ground. Her blurring eyes recognized Jamal, moving so fast that in her dazed state she couldn’t anticipate him at all. Where the hell did he learn to fight like this? She sensed more than saw his fingers descending onto the pressure points that could render her immobile, and summoned all her skill to shift out of the way and kick him under the ribs, using the brief moment as he tried to recompose to throw him off.