by Anna Kashina
“True,” Kyth said. “But I’m afraid sacrificing four people’s happiness is not the incentive I can possibly accept.”
“What do you propose then?”
“Give this up. There has to be another way.”
The King tossed his head. “My private audience with Queen Rajmella is about to start. Let’s see what she has to say.”
Kyth opened his mouth to protest, but the King stopped him with a gesture as he turned around and left the chamber.
Kara hoped for some peace, but messengers simply wouldn’t leave her alone. The Queen’s consorts came to her doors twice, asking her to join Rajmella in her chambers. When Kara dismissed them, another embassy came along, this time headed by the First Consort himself. She refused to open the door, but had to give in after a while of insistent pounding. When she did, she was surprised to find herself face to face with Jamal.
“You?” She raised her eyebrows. “Did you come here to drag me to the Queen’s chambers, brother?”
Jamal shifted from foot to foot, glancing at the First Consort crowding decisively behind him. “No. I came to prevent you from being dragged against your will, actually. Not that I believe for a minute any of our consorts are up to the task.”
“You’re right in that.” She glanced at the five men standing in the hallway.
Valmir’s face folded into the expression of grim resolve. “I was told not to leave until you come with us, Princess Aljahara. If we don’t show up soon, the Queen will come here herself.”
Kara glanced at Jamal. “And how do you plan to prevent that?”
Jamal sighed. “They are determined to force your marriage to the northern prince. But before any official conversation happens, I wanted to know your wishes in the matter.”
My wishes. She briefly turned away to control her expression before she spoke again.
“You’ve traveled with us, Jamal,” she said. “You know everything about the situation, don’t you?”
Jamal peered into her face. “Is there any chance that you could be permitted to marry the man you love?”
“None.”
“In that case, Prince Kythar doesn’t seem like a bad choice. He is handsome and gentle, and he cares deeply about you.”
“He is in love with another.”
Jamal heaved a sigh. “You haven’t spent enough time around royalty, have you?”
“I thought I have, more than I ever wanted to.” Kara raised her eyebrows. “Why?”
“When your marriage carries so much political weight, being pawned into a male-dominated kingdom means you should feel lucky if your future husband does not repulse you.”
She held his gaze. “What if I refuse to be pawned?”
He sighed again. “If you have problems with the idea, you probably shouldn’t have abdicated.”
Kara shook her head. “You’re probably right, Jamal. Yet, I don’t regret what I did. Being pawned is still better than being a queen when I feel no calling for it.”
Jamal looked at her thoughtfully. “In this case, I see no reason to resist your fate. Believe me, it could be a lot worse. What do you say, sister?”
Kara glanced around the waiting group. She didn’t feel like going with them, but Jamal was right. There was no delaying the inevitable. In the very least, going with Valmir meant she would have a chance to tell Rajmella everything she thought about the new plan. Perhaps she could even change the King’s mind? Even if she failed, agreeing to marry Kyth wasn’t the worst of evils – assuming of course, that the Prince consented to it as well.
“I–” she began.
Just then, clanging of weapons at the end of the hall froze the words on her lips. She turned sharply to see three Majat Emerald Guards rushing toward her, with Lenart in the lead. He skidded to a halt in front of her, breathless, as if he had just run across the entire palace at top speed.
She frowned. What could possibly be the rush?
“Aghat Kara,” Lenart said. “The senior Majat are on the way to your chambers. Aghat Mai sent me ahead with this warning. It was all he was allowed to do.”
Her heart skipped a beat. Here it was. The Guild’s decision. She had hoped she could be spared the necessity to stand there and be told the shattering truth she already knew so well, but she knew how some of the Majat seniors were bent on formalities. Worse, Lenart’s words suggested that Mai was aware of the plan and probably could do nothing to stop them.
She threw a restrained glance at Jamal and the consorts. “Please excuse me, my lords. You may tell Queen Rajmella that I will be there as soon as I can.”
Valmir frowned, then signaled to the rest of the consorts, who bowed to her deeply and departed. Jamal looked at Kara with question, but she responded with a brief shake of her head. He nodded and left as well, glancing hesitantly over his shoulder as he walked down the hall. Kara looked after him, a turmoil of feeling boiling in her chest. Perhaps she should have let Jamal, her closest kin, stand by her side through the devastating encounter she was about to face? But what would the use of it be? It’s not like anyone in the world had the power to change the inevitable.
The group of older men that approached her all wore Diamond-set armbands and full complements of weapons, as if dressed for a parade. They watched Kara solemnly as she led the way into the common room of her suite, taking a space by the far wall, like a queen receiving an embassy. The irony of it made her lips twitch. She was no longer a queen, and these men, more or less in control of the most formidable power in all kingdoms, were not the kind of an embassy royalty normally received. Despite their advanced years, their combined power rivaled that of an elite battalion and played a deeper role in the Majat Guild’s operation than anyone ever realized.
She suppressed a sigh as she ran her eyes around the gathering. Nearly every important man from their Guild was here, making Seldon, standing opposite her with an irritated frown on his face, seem like an average, ordinary man. No doubt he hated the feeling, which must be at least in part responsible for his expression. She didn’t even want to guess about the others. She had no idea why they all took the time to travel all the way to Shayil Yara, or they all felt it necessary to gather here and oversee her heartbreak.
Well, let’s get on with it, shall we? She kept her eyes on Seldon, the center figure in the semicircle facing her. Calling in the calmness and balance that came with her training, she assumed a relaxed stance. She would be damned if she would give them the satisfaction of breaking the silence, asking the first question.
Seldon looked uncomfortable as he cleared his throat. “Aghat Kara.” He paused. “I know we had our differences before, and you have been among those who questioned our Guild’s decision of sending me to accompany Aghat Mai on this trip. I was not at liberty to talk about my reasons before, but as of now I have been empowered by our Guild’s seniors to speak openly.”
Kara raised her eyebrows. She and Seldon had resolved this before, or so she believed. Besides, he had actually proven very useful in this campaign – not to mention that he was, technically, the person who saved Mai’s life by reviving him after the battle. For that alone she would feel indebted to him to the end of her days, no matter how much she wished she didn’t have to face him right now.
“In addition to doing my best to assist Aghat Mai in his military campaign,” Seldon went on, “the Guild charged me with an investigation that followed up on Aghat Mai’s request for permission to marry you.”
Her eyes widened at this admission, the small oddities about the way Seldon behaved throughout the trip suddenly clicking into place. An investigation, eh? She supposed it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that they sent someone like Seldon to do this, the man who always felt negative about any personal interactions involving the Guild’s warriors. And now, he was also apparently going to be the spokesman to relay the bad news.
“You may not know this,” Seldon said, “but given how serious the implications are of a Guildmaster’s marriage for the entire Guild, thi
s type of an inquiry involves far more than a mere investigation into your lineage. The task I was charged with was to observe you two together and determine the likely effect your relationship could have on Aghat Mai’s ability to perform his duties. Privately, I must add that I have been one of those skeptical from the start, and that this attitude actually prompted our Guild’s seniors to choose me for this task. In a way, we all wanted to know the worst.”
Skeptical. Well, you must be elated now that you know this isn’t going to work. She was surprised she could still feel this kind of anger, careful not to show it as she listened to his words.
Seldon’s gaze wavered. “This campaign has not been an easy one. I feel privileged that I was not only a part of it, but able to contribute my skill and knowledge where it was needed most. I want you to know that I felt intensely uncomfortable about this additional role I had to play, observing you and Aghat Mai closely in all kinds of situations, making a judgment even when I couldn’t help feeling it wasn’t warranted. This war has tested all of our limits in every possible way – and from my side, I can only envy the love you and Aghat Mai have for each other.”
Envy? Kara’s eyes widened. This was the last thing she expected to hear from someone like Seldon. Was he trying to make this hurt even deeper than it should?
“My conclusion,” Seldon went on, “was unexpected even to myself. While I do recognize that love in itself could be viewed as a distraction, I am also aware that separating you two would likely cause damage far worse than any danger one can foresee if you are together.
“Aghat Mai is the greatest commander our Guild had in a very long time. He is still young, but we all look forward to the time he develops to his full potential. I strongly feel that without you by his side, he would never be able to achieve the greatness we all know he is capable of. Dealing with this kind of a loss would shatter him. This conclusion, which, as I am sure you know, is very uncharacteristic for me, has driven the recommendation I’ve submitted to the Majat Guild after our victory.”
Kara heaved a slow breath. It was astounding to hear Seldon say these things. It also hurt like hell, as if the older man was probing into a deep wound that hadn’t had a chance to start healing yet. She hoped that Seldon was wrong, that Mai would recover from all this better than she did. She was also beginning to regret letting them all into her chamber just now. Seldon spoke the truth, at least where she was concerned. Dealing with the loss would be shattering. Was it really necessary to lay out the wreck in plain view?
Seldon regarded her with an unreadable expression. “I know you may be wondering why I’m saying these things to you now. This is because you are the only one here who hasn’t been appraised of my conclusions yet. I had a chance to relay all this to Aghat Mai earlier today, just prior to our arrival here. I also included this in the detailed report I’ve sent on our return trip back to the Guild.”
Great. So you’ve discussed our private life with everyone here already. Yet, she knew this was an unfair thought. The Majat Guildmaster couldn’t possibly have a private life. Excluding what went on in his bedchamber behind closed doors, everything else he did was not only widely discussed, but potentially used as material for the chronicles.
“And now,” Seldon said at length, “I defer the rest to Master Abib, whose charge was to supervise a team of scholars looking into your lineage. He will relay to you the results of his investigation.”
You know everything about my bloody lineage. Kara’s eyes narrowed. Yet, from the determined faces of everyone around her, she knew she had to listen to this part too. Perhaps it was essential for the Guild’s proceedings to relay the details so formally, so that everything could be properly documented. This had to be why so many of the Guild’s seniors had traveled all the way down here, wasn’t it?
Abib stepped forward and unwrapped a long parchment, bearing an official Guild’s seal. “After receiving Aghat Seldon’s report and completing my investigation, I hastened to put together this official letter that has been copied and shared with our Guild’s seniors, both those present here and those left behind. Our best scholars have done extensive research on your ancestry. Our task was relatively easy, given the fact that you’ve spent most of your life at the Guild and all your official records were kept in order, but given your Olivian blood, we also consulted with the Shayil Yaran scholars, in case their records contained any additional information. I, and all the Guild’s seniors who traveled here with me, did so with the intention of making sure that any decisions reached in response to Aghat Mai’s inquiry are irrevocable and protected by the Majat Code.”
Bloody hell. The Majat weren’t only going to trample over their lives, they were going to pile rocks on top, to ensure that nothing could possibly rise again. She glanced at Abib, but could read nothing at all behind his stern expression.
“The Majat Guild,” Abib went on, “has accepted you for training after receiving extensive assurances that you are an orphan and an abandoned child, with no lineage or political alliances that could have precluded your Majat ranking. Our archives contain no paperwork or records to the contrary. Many of us have all known you nearly since birth, and closely oversaw your training from the very beginning, all the way until you became one of our very best warriors. While you have been forced to leave our ranks through a set of unforeseen circumstances, I and all my peers can personally vouch that any issues related to that have been addressed. Furthermore, I am personally convinced that despite not being an active Guild member, you, Aghat Kara, remain, at heart, one of us.”
Kara’s eyes widened again. What was Abib saying? Where could this speech possibly lead him to?
“The Majat Guild,” Abib said, “is aware that very recently the Queendom of Shayil Yara has put forth a claim that you are a lost member of their royal house and the rightful heir to the throne. However, our internal investigation, which, as I can assure you, has been conducted in the most thorough way, was unable to find any evidence in support of these claims. According to our records, Princess Aljahara never existed at all. We were able to finalize this conclusion after our arrival here, by comparing these records to Shayil Yara’s official chronicles and finding no discrepancies at all.”
Kara’s mouth fell open. Abib knew what he was saying wasn’t true. He couldn’t possibly believe otherwise. Those men who participated in their campaign knew it too. Surely they had to. She ran her eyes around the gathering, noticing some smiles now, feeling as if she was asleep and dreaming, for there was no reality she knew in which any of this could possibly be happening to her.
Abib stepped forward and placed the parchment into her hands. “It is my privilege to inform you, that our formal investigation found no circumstances that could prevent your and Aghat Mai’s union.”
Kara heaved a breath, once again having serious trouble keeping up. Her head was spinning, and she resisted the urge to pinch herself hard, just to make sure she was awake.
“I must apologize to you,” Abib said, “for the way we had to relay this information to you in such an official way, without giving you any prior indication of where this was going. Please understand that it is utterly important for the entire proceedings to be conducted strictly following the protocol. If it’s any consolation, Aghat Mai was adamantly opposed to this conversation. The only reason he allowed it because we all assured him that this was the only way to proceed.”
Kara swallowed, trying and failing to find her voice. She felt numb, as if the events around her were happening in another reality just outside her grasp.
Abib stood up straighter, exchanging glances with the men around him. “Before seeing Aghat Mai again, you must give us a formal answer whether or not you wish to proceed with the marriage.”
Kara shook her head, unsure if she heard him right. “Is this a bloody joke?”
“Far from it. If you say ‘yes’ right now, you will be officially bound to our Guild, and to Aghat Mai, irrevocably and for the rest of your life. Do you truly wish to
do it?”
She heaved a breath. “Yes.”
Abib bowed his head, his face betraying no emotion at all. “Then, follow us.”
The guards outside Kara’s chambers tried to protest when she directed her steps away from the Queen’s quarters toward the suite designated for the Majat. They went as far as blocking her path, but a few whispered words by Seldon sent them rushing down the hallway in the opposite direction. To warn the Queen that something was going on, Kara assumed, even though she didn’t give a damn. She focused her entire being on walking steadily, holding her head high, not breaking into a run. This couldn’t possibly be happening, she was telling herself. Somewhere, someone was going to catch them and tell them this was all a mistake. Except that every Guild senior she feared the most was walking beside her now, crowding on her, as if determined to prevent her from straying from her path. If only they could know how far she was from this kind of a possibility.
She didn’t remember how long it took them to walk down the hallway to the Majat quarters. She barely registered the faces of the Emerald guards, crinkling with smiles as they threw the doors open. Mai stood on the other side, his face pale with determination, and as soon as he saw her he stepped forward and swept her into his arms.
Kara didn’t think she would cry, but finding herself in his embrace, something she was sure would never happen again, brought tears into her eyes far too easily. Dear Shal Addim, was she becoming one of those women who cried at the merest excuse? She hid her face on Mai’s shoulder, unable to focus on anything besides the fact that she was here, with him, and that if the absurd reality around her was going to prevail she would actually be allowed to keep this place as long as she wanted.
Mai stroked her hair, the strength of his embrace telling her of the mix of emotions inside him.
“Was this bloody necessary, Master Abib?” he asked.
Kara didn’t want to turn and look, but by the way the silence stretched behind her she imagined the senior Majat shuffling uncomfortably in place. She heaved a breath and finally disengaged from Mai’s arms, finding the strength to stand on her own.