Heroes' Reward

by Moira J. Moore

  “Your judgments, please,” said Firen.

  “I find in favour of Her Majesty,” Ogawa announced.

  “I find in favour of Lady Aryne,” said Thax.

  Lady Ovan prodded at the diamond piece with her index finger. “With my limited experience,” she drawled, “I would guess this would buy everything else on the table several times over, and would be useful to anyone to wear or to barter. I find for Lady Aryne.”

  They had allowed Aryne to win another task. Were Thax and Ovan actually going to be objective through the entire code? Who had picked them for their roles? Had they been chosen with clearly mistaken expectation that they would find for Green no matter what happened?

  “It is impossible that you bought that piece with the funds you were provided,” Green said to Aryne. “Did you use your status as a Shield to compel a merchant to give it to you?”

  “Did any among the witnesses observe Lady Aryne using her position as a Shield to force items out of the merchants?” Firen asked.

  Everyone murmured in the negative. What was surprising was that no one was mentioning that they didn’t know how Aryne had gotten the piece at all, that they hadn’t seen her buy it. Maybe no one had actually seen her take the jewellery, but surely they could guess how she’d managed to acquire it?

  “Lady Aryne is triumphant.”

  Two tasks out of three. Not a bad start. And only one more to go that day.

  “The contenders may withdraw until the seventh hour, at which time we shall all convene in the Emperor’s dining room.”

  Amid the rustles and clatters and scrapes of so many people leaving a single room, Aryne palmed the diamond cascade and whispered, “Do you want to watch me fix it?”

  “You’re going to do it now?”

  “Needs to be done before he closes.”

  All of our official witnesses had left. That didn’t mean there weren’t people who needed to be ditched. “I need to go back to one of the merchants,” Aryne informed the Commissioner and the others who trailed behind us.

  “For what reason?” Sato asked.

  “You’d probably prefer not to know.”

  “You can’t be permitted to wander about Erstwhile unescorted.”

  “I won’t be alone. Shield Mallorough and Source Karish and Source Steeler will be with me.”

  “With all due respect, Lady Aryne, they could hardly provide adequate protection against a physical attack.”

  That was true.

  Aryne sighed and shrugged. “Fine. It doesn’t really matter, anyway. Come along.”

  The merchant scowled when we entered his shop. “The prices haven’t changed.”

  Aryne pulled out the necklace. “I’m here to return this.”

  The merchant’s eyes widened and he whirled towards the display in which the piece had been held. Then he turned back to Aryne, his face reddened with anger, and thrust out his hand. As Aryne laid the necklace across his palm, he growled, “Plan to steal whatever you want like the other one?”

  Was he referring to Green in that cavalier manner? Brave man.

  “Borrowed,” Aryne corrected.

  The merchant snorted.

  “I returned it to you, didn’t I? In good time?”

  “Borrowing implies permission. You sought none.”

  Aryne tilted her head in a slight bow. “You are quite correct. I apologise. It won’t happen again.”

  Ah. Acknowledging an inappropriate action and apologising for it. A sign of basic human decency and maturity, a demonstration of respect. But would it work?

  He looked disconcerted. “Well … I … thank you, Lady Aryne.”

  Huh. Maybe he wasn’t used to hearing apologies from his customers?

  “Thank you for your understanding.” Aryne bowed again and swept out of the shop with great aplomb.

  Well done.

  A handful of people descended upon Aryne as soon as we entered the camp. Maid Kryys, Maid Slof, Maid Otto, and Lady Chain. Hair, cosmetics, dress, and supervision. Because that night’s test was to be a demonstration of courtesy and culture, and Aryne had to dress for it.

  Taro itched to be part of the preparations because he thought he had better taste than just about anyone else, and he was probably right. However, he found very disturbing the idea of seeing naked someone he had known when she was still a child. He did linger near Aryne’s tent, though, should anyone ask for his advice. No one did because Lady Chain was just as convinced of her superior taste as he was of his.

  One advantage Aryne had over Green, especially for this test, was that she was beautiful while Green was not. For some reason, beautiful people were seen to be more intelligent, more talented, and harder working than those who were plain. If they were beautiful enough, they didn’t even have to speak in order to appear witty. Others would enjoy their attention, do all of the talking, and leave believing they’d just been involved in a brilliant conversation. It was possible for a beautiful person to alienate others, of course, but they really had to work at it.

  The whole thing was kind of stupid, but that was just the way people were.

  It took over two hours to bathe and dress Aryne, because such things always demanded a ludicrous amount of time. Her dress was of the finest red silk cut in the latest fashion. It fell against the arms and torso without being tight. The neckline was perfectly balanced between too modest – no one wanted a monarch who found sexuality at all distasteful – and too revealing – no one wanted a monarch who was ruled by a constant craving for sex. A light trail of white stitching along the neckline, cuffs, and the hem of the skirt allowed the white Shield braid to appear a natural element of the gown rather than an eyesore.

  Actually, the combination of the colours had a strong visual impact. Not in a tacky way. They just really jumped out.

  Her hair was not so fashionably tied. It was a little too short for the stupidly elaborate collection of coils and spirals and the high tower that were currently in vogue. Instead, her hair was sleekly pulled back from her face, which put her beautiful black eyes and fantastic cheekbones on display. At the back of her head, her hair was coiled into a circle of secure braids that ended in loops down her neck and shoulders.

  She wore small teardrop rubies in her ears and a thin ruby choker. She carried a very light scent of sandalwood. On her feet were sandals crafted from strips of red leather.

  None of these items had been demanded from merchants for free. The Triple S had paid for all of them, and at a fair price. That had been important.

  She stood straight and tall, shoulders back and head held high. She shone with an aura of dignity I’d never seen in her before.

  The rest of us were dressed as elegantly as we could manage. I was told the ‘quality’ of each contender’s followers would be considered important in judging the contenders themselves. This meant looking our best while taking care not to overshadow Aryne.

  Druce wore blue, her gown of slightly more modest design. There was no additional stitching to incorporate the black braid. For some reason, the black braid never interfered with the look of clothing the same way the white braid did. Her hair was piled up into a tower. She’d been the sacrificial lamb, poor thing. She wore sapphire studs in her ears and a simple sapphire choker.

  My dress was also of the latest fashion, as no one would let me get away with anything less. Green, with white stitching. My hair had been styled in the same manner as Aryne’s, and I wore only the smallest of emerald earrings and choker.

  Taro wore black, as he did when he wanted to look imposing, a closely cut tunic and trousers, with low black boots. His hair was tightly pulled back and he wore a small emerald stud in his ear. He was gorgeous, of course.

  Brown wore a simple dress in healer’s red. Source Zoffany wore traditional black, waistcoat and trousers with robes over everything, the front hanging open. Sato wore the same, except in white.

  The Commissioner and all of the soldiers wore their uniforms, their buckles, belts, and boots sh
ining.

  After we reached the palace, we were shown to the largest dining room. The enormously long table was covered with centrepieces that were bursting with expensive white tren blossoms. Kind of ostentatious. I quickly counted the flatware at each setting. Thirty ivory pieces, including a pair of chopsticks and fish forks.

  If Green’s people thought they were going to trip Aryne up with forks and spoons, they were in for a shock.

  Green wore a dress similar in design to Aryne’s, but in orange. Orange suited Green’s colouring, but I hated orange, so I hated her dress. The current hair fashion wouldn’t flatter Green’s face. Instead it was loosely bound into a bun at the nape of her neck. Diamonds sparkled in her ears, at her throat, around both wrists, and one all fingers. Tacky. And she wore a delicate diamond tiara, clearly meant to suggest an entitlement to the crown.

  Subtle.

  Green sat at the head of the table, which was what I’d expected, but Aryne was placed at the foot, stating her status as inferior only to Green’s. If I had been Green, I would have stuck her in the middle on the side of the table. That’s where people who didn’t really matter were usually seated.

  Which was where all of Aryne’s supporters were placed. We couldn’t even speak to her.

  The Minister of Water Works was on my right, and Lady Ralentine was on my left. Both of them had sworn oaths to Gifford and Green. I greeted them and braced myself for some hellishly awkward conversation.

  “Lady Aryne is unexpectedly impressive,” said Ralentine, all out of the blue.

  “Unexpectedly?” I echoed. “Why would you anticipate anything else?”

  “Everyone knows she’s from Flatwell,” the Minister interjected. “Those people are so uncivilised.”

  A typical allegation from people who had no idea what they were talking about. Aggravating. It never failed to astonish me, how many people were prepared to express opinions as facts when they didn’t know anything about the subject. “That is the common misconception, I fear.” I emphasized ‘common’ in the hope that the Minister and the Lady would recognize it as a verbal shot. “However, my time there showed me a people who were not only extremely well-mannered and informed, but one that observed a very sophisticated system of rules and positions. True, there are significant differences, but Aryne enjoys great intelligence and has had no difficulty becoming accustomed to our ways.” Though she thought some of our ways were asinine.

  This was a chance, perhaps, to moderate people’s opinions of Aryne, at least a little. Though Ralentine’s and the minister’s opinions were probably hampered by their oaths to Gifford.

  Oh my gods. Gifford was dead. Did that mean the casts supporting the oaths were eliminated? That could change everything. Possibly that was the reason for the slight resistance to Green seething under the surface, and the slight weakening of hostility towards the Triple S.

  I bit my tongue to ensure silence. It was difficult to hide epiphanies from an audience.

  Gifford had died months ago, so if the casts were to fade, they would have done so then, wouldn’t they? Had those who had sworn oaths known Gifford was dead long before Green had reached Erstwhile and told them?

  “You’re reputed to be very logical,” said Ralentine.

  “So I understand.”

  “You can’t think it logical to put such a young person on the throne.”

  “Lady Aryne is very logical herself, and she knows the value of advisors. It’s just a matter of finding the right ones.”

  “Meaning you and Source Karish.” Ralentine’s tone had a slightly sarcastic edge.

  “Not at all. Source Karish and I will be returning to Flown Raven once the Empress is chosen.” Kebit hadn’t even been sent to participate in the Triple S campaign. To me this suggested that he didn’t have a great deal of talent, and if that was the case, there was no reason for him and his Source to remain in Flown Raven.

  Besides, Fiona liked having us there. Given her generosity regarding the efforts of the Triple S, I was sure the council would be agreeable to accommodating her wishes.

  “Then some other Pair.”

  “It has never been the custom of the Erstwhile Pair to advise the monarch.”

  “It has never been the custom of the Triple S to attack Erstwhile, either.”

  That wasn’t an honest interpretation of the facts. “All we have ever wanted was the recognition of our rights as guaranteed by the Tripartite Act. We all hope to return to our proper roles once this is over. Should Lady Aryne ascend to the throne, she will need competent advisors who live in Erstwhile. Advisors who represent all sectors of the people, including the High Landed and members of the Council.”

  My words must have satisfied them in some way, perhaps because I actually meant them, and the conversation declined into weather and fashion and the shocking price of beef, now that there was so little of it to be found in the area.

  I tried to keep an ear focused on Aryne, but I couldn’t hear her over all of the chattering in the room. She looked composed, though.

  After dinner, there was dancing. For some reason, dancing with people I’d probably be trying to kill under other circumstances was more disturbing than eating with them. And I had to watch every word I said, because every single partner questioned me about Aryne, no doubt hunting for knowledge of her weaknesses. I tried to portray her as competent but not too threatening. Just threatening enough not to be perceived as spineless. It was a fine line to walk and I had no idea whether I was successful at it.

  The dancing was dangerous due to the cracks in the marble floor. People had to step carefully. Some tripped and even fell down. It wasn’t an elegant affair.

  Then the music took a sharp right into dangerous. It was a waltz played with drums and piercing trumpets instead of the more common soothing strings and woodwinds. I had always found the idea of a martial waltz ridiculous. A waltz was supposed to be a serene activity. Why anyone would use it to inspire violence was baffling.

  Of course, it didn’t push regulars to actual violence. It just tended to encourage them to pick up the pace. For a Shield, though …. While most people were influenced by music, moved to sadness or cheer or even anger, Shields experienced reactions that were far more intense. We were too easily driven to tears, to violence, to lust. It was one of a Source’s responsibilities to subdue his or her Shield, should that Shield lose control.

  And I, lucky thing, was particularly sensitive to music. After merely a few bars, my heart started pumping faster and my mind was filled with images of running and jumping and hitting people in the face. I could only vaguely hear those around me, the music pounding in my ears. The only voice to pierce the fog was someone shouting, “Stop the godsdamned music!”

  Arms circled me from behind, and I struggled until the words were spoken directly into my ear. “It’s Taro. I’ve got you. Listen to me. Hear me.”

  I pulled in a few deep breaths. In slowly, out slowly. I focused on Taro’s voice as he repeated the words, and the sensation of his embrace. Calm down. Calm down.

  It took a few moments more to remember there were two other Shields in the room. Right then, I didn’t care about Sato. Aryne held my concern. She wasn’t as sensitive as I, but she was sensitive enough.

  Taro and I quickly pushed through the crowd. Aryne was easy to find. She was in a circle of space, where the nearest dancers had drawn back to avoid her behaviour. Druce’s arm was around Aryne’s waist, and the Commissioner was standing on the other side, a hand on Aryne’s shoulder.

  Aryne and Druce looked furious.

  I wondered what Aryne had done.

  Green, standing a few feet away, called out, “Do you truly wish for a monarch who can’t control herself when common music is in the air? A Shield who can’t be controlled by her own Source?”

  Druce was significantly smaller than Aryne. She would have trouble restraining Aryne when needed, and it appeared that the Commissioner had had to give her assistance.

  People were whispe
ring, and most of their words were not complimentary.

  Damn it.

  Firen didn’t need to announce who’d won the test, because it was dead obvious.

  As was the fact that Green had arranged to have that particular piece of music performed, knowing of the effect it would have on Aryne. It wasn’t against the rules. So, well played.

  The cow.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  The next morning, Taro and I went to Aryne and Druce’s tent for breakfast. The tension was thick.

  “You two all right?” Taro asked.

  “Aryne’s still sulking because she didn’t win all of the tests yesterday,” Druce answered calmly.

  Aryne glared at her. “This is important.”

  “You have two more days to prove yourself. And you will.”

  Aryne didn’t appear at all soothed by this.

  “You need to eat,” Druce continued.

  “Don’t tell me what to do,” Aryne snapped.

  “Don’t show such a lack of respect for your Source,” I admonished her.

  Taro looked at me and cocked an eyebrow, appearing amused.

  I refused to feel like a hypocrite. So, fine, perhaps my behaviour hadn’t been above reproach just after we had been Bonded, but he’d acted like a complete prat at our very first meeting, flirting not only with me but with my entire family. Including my parents. I couldn’t have appeared to condone that behaviour by being all smiles and kind words.

  He’d deserved it. Really.

  Aryne grumbled and finally let out a, “Sorry.”

  So much a child, right then.

  After breakfast, we collected our usual crew as we left the camp. Sato greeted Aryne and asked, “How are you feeling?”

  And Aryne, her shoulders loose, her stride easy, smiled at him. “Ready for anything.”

  I always found it a little disturbing when people flipped from one manner to another so quickly.

  Sato didn’t seem to find her behaviour at all strange. “Excellent.”

  Once we reached the palace, we were taken back to the court room. On one side of the room, a long table had been placed. It was covered with scrolls, books, and stacks of paper. Four people sat at the table. Solicitor Natson, Solicitor Grinberg, Barrister Dawkins, and Barrister Trayvon.