“Are you sure, sir?” Ruben asked. “It might be a trick.”
That was a possibility, and from what Darien knew of them, the Zenji were cunning. “Perhaps, but I won’t fire on a foe who has raised the white flag. The Crown will sail in. Signal the rest of the fleet to stay back. If the Zenji betray us, the rest of our ships will bury them.”
Ruben sent a series of mirrored flashes to the other ships, and once they had put sufficient distance between themselves and the Crown, Darien ordered the advance. The Zenji ships moved to make way for the Crown, so Darien sailed his ship right into the harbor. He kept his attention fixed on each ship he passed, waiting for any sign of treachery, ready to spring into action. He kept the fires burning and the catapults loaded. But the pale-faced sailors just stared silently back at him.
“This is damn peculiar,” Darien said, but then he understood. A regiment of Sunjaa soldiers waited on and around the docks. If Darien docked, his ship would be overrun.
“Turn around?” Ruben was at Darien’s elbow.
The Zenji fleet was no threat now. Darien could sail away, land somewhere up north, and march back to the Vadal army. With the harbor his, he could count on Jahen’s supporters to lay siege to Arinport and starve Ulen out. It would work, but it would take months. Arinport had granaries and storehouses to last more than a season.
“No,” Darien said at last. “Bring the Crown right up to the dock.”
Ruben’s face registered shock, but he voiced no objections. As the ship neared the dock, soldiers moved into position. They would board the renegade ship, seize its crew, and most likely execute its captain as a traitor. “Are you sure this is the right move?”
Darien found Ruben’s choice of words amusing, for this deadly game which Ulen had started Darien would finish. “They think I’m dead.”
“What?”
Darien did not answer but moved to the ship’s prow. He stood tall and proud on the Crown and looked down on all the soldiers gathered on the dock. Most of the faces he did not know, but one – the regiment’s commander – he recognized. “Hail, Zuren! Finally got your own regiment, then?”
Disbelief replaced Zuren’s clear hostility. “Darien? You’re dead.”
Darien spread his arms out wide. “I assure you, old friend, I am very much alive.”
“But your house?”
“I wasn’t home at the time.”
The ship lurched as it bumped against the dock. The soldiers moved forward to engage, but Zuren raised his hand, ordering his men to halt. He addressed Darien. “Where have you been?”
“North, raising an army.”
Zuren’s eyes grew hard. “You brought the Vadal dogs to our doorstep?”
“I’ve brought more than that,” Darien said. “I’ve brought the rightful King.”
Murmuring rippled through the soldiers below, and even Zuren exchanged wondering glances with his men. “What are you talking about, Captain? The King, his pregnant concubine, and their son were all killed.”
“Says who?”
“Says Lord Ahnok,” Zuren said, “who, though devastated by the news, stepped in and assumed the throne to maintain stability.”
Darien let loose a deep belly-laugh and continued laughing until tears flowed from his eyes. Zuren’s irritation was as plain as the summer sun. “Yes,” Darien said, his body still being wracked by sobbing laughter, “I’m sure he was devastated. How noble of the King’s cousin to step in for the good of the nation.”
“What are you saying?” Ruben asked.
“You know me, Zuren. You’ve never known me to lie. I’ve always been a plain-spoken man, never one to make claims I couldn’t support.”
Zuren blinked slowly as he regarded Darien. “Do you have Prince Jahen with you?”
“No,” Darien said, “but Lord Itenu, who is leading the Vadal, has him. And he’s not the Prince; he’s the King.”
Zuren smiled. “Kamen? Is he going to lead those dogs against the city?”
Darien stepped forward and leaned over the rail around the prow. “That depends on you,” he whispered loudly.
“Well, the infantry is loyal to Lord Ahnok, but if they found out he lied about Prince – King Jahen ... he did lie, right?”
Darien shrugged. “In the best-case scenario, Ulen is negligent and lazy, assuming the whole royal family was killed without having all the bodies. At worst, he killed them and was covering up.”
Zuren just stared at Darien.
“He sent assassins after me,” Darien said.
“What?”
“Everything can be explained, but we aren’t going to get anywhere standing here talking at each other. Now, as I see it, we’ve got two options. You either let me and my men into the city and stand down, or the Vadal lay siege to Arinport and I blockade the harbor.”
Zuren looked out at the Zenji ships in the harbor. “Damn cowards.”
“Don’t be so hard on them,” Darien said, glancing back over his shoulder. “That’s not what they’re here for.”
“Then why are they here?”
“All will be revealed, but you have to stand down. Jahen shall take his throne, one way or another.”
Zuren pursed his lips and ground his teeth as he considered the offer. Same old Zuren, always cautious, always weighing the options.
“The fate of the city lies with you, Zuren,” Darien said. “I know you never liked making the big calls, but you’re a regiment commander, so you better get used to it.”
Zuren narrowed his eyes. “I have no desire to fight you. We’ve been friends too long. And my men? Well, they’ve already heard of the legendary Darien.”
“Then let’s be friends once more.”
Zuren’s stare softened, and his rigid stance relaxed. He nodded. That was all Darien needed to see. He considered himself a good judge of character and trusted that Zuren would not stab him in the back.
“The ship is yours again, Ruben.” Darien embraced his first mate.
“Thank you, Captain.” Ruben slapped Darien on the back, and when he pulled away, his eyes shone with pride.
Darien took one last long look around his ship. “Take care of her.”
Ruben nodded but did not speak. Tears filled his eyes.
Darien had no time for sentiment, so he just grasped Ruben by the shoulders, nodded once, and sprang away, taking a hold of a net and riding it down to the dock. He found himself among uneasy Sunjaa soldiers, all armed, all twitchy-fingered and shifty-eyed.
“Stand down, men,” Zuren called out.
Darien did not want to scrap with his own countrymen, and he guessed that none of the soldiers wanted to get into a tussle with him. They all gave him a wide berth.
Zuren and Darien met in the middle of the crowding regiment and embraced like free Sunjaa. “So,” the commander said, “what do we do now?”
“We give the little king a place to sit.”
****
Saerileth was waiting for Darien outside his tent. He should have known that he would be unable to surprise his all-seeing, all-hearing Lotus. Once Arinport was safe, Saerileth must have heard. She ran to Darien and jumped into his arms. She kissed every inch of his face, starting with his lips and ending there as well. Darien had never tasted anything more delicious, had never held anyone more precious. She smelled of lavender, her touch like silk. She ran her hands across Darien’s scalp, draping his head in her pallav. He reveled in her, inhaling her and crushing her to him with as much strength as he could without hurting her. And she did not seem to mind, for she smothered him with her kisses.
“My love,” she whispered in his ear. “How I missed you.”
“And I you,” Darien said, “my little Lotus.”
The cold desert wind blew across their skin, and they held each other just a little closer. Darien’s hard cock pressed into Saerileth’s belly.
“And I missed that,” she said, her lips curling up in a wry smile.
Darien kissed those lips, and she moaned int
o his mouth as her tongue touched his. They were half naked before they ever reached the tent. By the time they were inside, they were clawing at each other’s bare flesh. Saerileth pushed Darien down on her cot and knelt between his legs. She opened her mouth wide and took his cock between her lips, twirling her tongue around the head. Darien threw his head back and closed his eyes as he grabbed handfuls of her hair and guided her mouth further down. He felt his cock hit the back of her throat, and she held him there, letting his penis slip even deeper. Darien watched as Saerileth came off his cock, as she licked the shaft up from the balls, as she kissed the tip, only to deep-throat him again. His cum built up inside him, and it sought release at once. But Darien denied his instant pleasure; he reached down and cupped her breasts, rolling her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. Saerileth’s muffled moan on his cock was the sexiest thing he had ever heard. He wanted her now more than ever. But it was her turn.
He picked her up and flipped her over, throwing her down on the cot. He spread her legs and ate her shaved cunt. He flicked her clit with the tip of his tongue as his first and middle fingers sought her wet, warm center. He stroked the rough patch on her vagina, making her squirm and hold his head by the ears. He sucked her clit, drawing more blood into her flesh so that it would be more sensitive when he lightly bit it. His tongue and fingers and teeth worked in and around her until she cried out in orgasm.
Darien smiled up at her from between her legs. “It’s just not fair.”
Saerileth looked down at him, her blue eyes wild with desire. “What?”
“Women can come multiple times, but men...”
Saerileth pulled at Darien, bringing him up to kiss him. “Then let us make yours count.” Without looking, she guided his cock into her.
There was no purer bliss for Darien than to feel himself inside Saerileth, to have her thighs pressed against his own legs, to feel her heels locked around the small of his back. Saerileth arched her back and thrust her pelvis forward, sheathing Darien completely inside her. She ran her fingers down his chest and over his nipples, making him shudder in pleasure. He hunched over and licked her nipples, grasping at a breast and pulling it near him. Darien and Saerileth fucked until the moons were past their zenith, and only when they collapsed in orgasmic exhaustion did they once again turn their minds to their present situation.
After their bath, they lounged on the pallet. Darien balanced a plate of sliced pears on the tight muscles of his abdomen, and as they munched, they talked.
Saerileth rested her head on his chest. “I have found the one whose death is owed me.”
“Who? It’s not Ulen, after all?”
“No, it is Talex Chamri, leader of the clan who took me in and gave me to the Guild.”
“The Chamri are responsible? But then why take you in?”
“A Sunjaa warrior had witnessed my survival.” Saerileth leaned up and kissed Darien. “They could not know that you would not speak about my sudden death before being turned over to the Guild. Besides, I am sure they did not think I would retain my clan identity after becoming a Lotus. Most Lotuses do not care about their former clans, but then, most Lotuses do not have their clans massacred.”
“Why did the Chamri do this?” It pained Darien to ask Saerileth such distressing questions, but at the same time he was happy for her. The mystery had been solved, and soon she would have her vengeance.
“You may not realize that the Zenji have an export besides Lotuses, but they do, and it is pearls. The Kesandrahn were the leader in pearl exports, followed by the Chamri. Now the Chamri have a monopoly on the market. They are now the most powerful of the Zenji clans, thanks to Ulen’s massacre of my family. But no one connected the Chamri to it, however, because it was carried out by Sunjaa, and also because they did not kill me. Furthermore, they did not take the money from the Guild promised for me. Why would they need it? Instead they donated the cash. But to the Zenji, this seemed an unparalleled act of kindness.”
“Cunning.” Darien thought of the Zenji blockade then. “The ships in the harbor surrendered as soon as they saw me.”
“If they were Chamri ships – and I cannot imagine they would be anything else – they are there not because they want to be but because Ulen is blackmailing them. That is the only thing that makes sense. Up until now, their relationship has been mutually beneficial, but now Ulen has called them out to do something they do not want to do. They need no coin from Ulen, but if Ulen were to tell their secret, the Chamri would be exterminated by the Zenji.”
“The ships flew a white flag with a horse on it.”
Saerileth nodded. “Chamri.”
“And don’t you want them all dead?”
“No. Just one death. Like a Zenji.”
Darien kissed the top of Saerileth’s head, inhaling the scent of her hair. “Your revenge is at hand. How did you learn all this?”
“Lord Itenu found the documents of their mutual trade in Ulen’s house, and I was able to piece the rest together from what I already knew.”
Darien half sat up in surprise. “Kamen went to Ulen while I was gone?”
“Yes,” Saerileth said, “and he paid a heavy price for it. He tried to return the documents he had stolen, but on his second trip, he was captured.”
“Is he dead?” Darien was on his feet, having scattered the plate of fruit.
“No, he is in his tent resting.” Saerileth, too, rose, though not as quickly as Darien had.
“How was he even able to get into Ulen’s house? He’s not sneaky like you.”
Saerileth sat on the edge of the cot with her hands folded in her lap. “You remember how Kamen loved you so. Trying to seduce me in the Vadal king’s palace was not his first attempt to separate us. Not realizing how bloody Ulen’s thoughts would be, he told Ulen that your concubines were going upriver. It was not merely a careless word. It was purposeful. He told them when and where, assuming that I would be with them. Ulen would take me away, and we would have been forever separated.”
Darien heard a snarl escape his lips. Wrath seized him.
Saerileth ran to him and laid her hands against his heaving chest. “Kamen did not know Ulen would kill them all. He did not mean for anything like that to happen. He intended only to separate us.”
“And he’s in his tent now?” Darien wanted to throttle Kamen, friend or no.
Saerileth nodded. “But he will have to be carried to the parley tomorrow. He cannot yet walk.”
Darien anger fled as quickly as it had come, and he breathed easier. “What? What did Ulen do to him?”
“Torture.”
“Then how did he escape?”
Saerileth ran his hands slowly down her sides as she looked up at the ceiling. “I rescued him.”
“You?” Darien’s shock prevented him from asking the full question. Why should she rescue Kamen, her rival for Darien’s love?
“I.” Saerileth slipped her arms around Darien’s waist. “I knew how it would grieve you if he died.”
“So, for my sake you brought him out.” Darien leaned down and kissed her brow, secure in the happy thought that she did not desire Kamen. He wanted to see his friend, and he asked Saerileth to accompany him to Kamen’s tent.
“He will be sleeping, my love.”
“Yes.” Darien extended his hand to Saerileth. “But I cannot until I speak with him.”
A few minutes later, Darien stood inside Kamen’s tent. He trimmed the wick on a nearby lamp and filled the small room with light. Holding the lamp over Kamen, Darien could see the bloody bandages laid out in strips across his friend’s chest. It pained Darien to see his friend so wounded, and his anger burned against Ulen all the more. A Vadal priestess of Chiel, with a small pouch around her neck, and clad in a long, blue gown belted with a white sash, sat near Kamen’s head.
“Leave us, healer,” Darien said.
“Lord Itenu should be left to rest,” the priestess said.
“I appreciate your concern for your patie
nt, but I shall speak with him now.”
The priestess rose, bowed, and left.
“Be brief, my love.” Saerileth retreated into the shadows.
Darien awoke Kamen, and when the young man saw his captain, his eyes, once full of pain, emptied of everything except love.
“Darien.” Kamen’s voice croaked.
Darien supported his head as he poured some water into his mouth. “Better?”
Kamen nodded.
Darien had so many things he wanted to ask, wanted to say, but he did not know where to begin. Now that he saw Kamen, he pitied him more than he ever had. “Why?”
Kamen’s eyes filled with tears. “Because I love you.”
“Kamen.” Darien loved Kamen, too, in a brotherly fashion, and though he cared for his friend deeply, he did not share the romantic attraction.
“I was trying to prove to you, by bringing you Ulen’s head on a platter, that I was worthy of your affections.”
“I already knew how you felt.”
“You did?” Kamen’s eyes searched the darkness. “Did she tell you? Is she here?”
“Yes,” Darien said. “She told me.”
“Then you know my hopelessness.” Kamen closed his eyes, and tears rolled down his cheeks. “That’s why I went back.”
“You knew you would be captured. You let yourself get caught. Oh, Kamen.” Darien shook his head, frustration filling his brain. He did not know what to say. “It was just sex, Kamen. It didn’t mean anything. It’s just the Sunjaa warrior way.”
Kamen’s look pierced Darien as sure as any spear might. “I know that now. You and Saerileth are suited, as you and I are not.” His words were nearly incomprehensible because his voice trembled so thickly. “It is bitter to know that you can’t be jealous of the person who has repeatedly saved your life.”
“You’re young, my friend.” Darien wanted to hug his friend and show him comfort, the way he used to, but considering the circumstances, he thought any touch from him would only exacerbate Kamen’s pain. At that moment, Darien resolved to never spend time with Kamen again, and the decision moved him to tears. “You have your whole life ahead of you. One day you’ll find the right one for you.”
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