Pawn (The Pawn Series Book 1)

by Robin Roseau

  The queen had sent a page to her as well.

  Mellara wasn't alone. Xiella, Juleena's lady-in-waiting, was also waiting. I held my hands away from my sides and let them pull my clothes from me. Then one of my formal dresses was pulled down over my head and efficiently adjusted. They shoved me into a chair. Xiella started on my hair while Mellara slipped shoes over my feet. Then she fussed at my face, working quickly and without the care she might normally use.

  "I do not know why you don't let your hair grow longer," Xiella complained.

  "I've always worn it short," I replied.

  "You look like a boy."

  "Don't tease her," Mellara defended. "She doesn't look remotely like a boy."

  "No," Xiella said. "I suppose she doesn't. That's the best I can do."

  "Me, too," Mellara said. "Go."

  "Pause and breathe outside the door," Xiella said. "The queen wouldn't want you appearing out of breath."

  I nodded and ran.

  But I took Xiella's advice. Lady Malta was waiting, and she was ready to announce me immediately, but I held up a hand and panted. She nodded, but as soon as I was ready she knocked, stepped into the door, and announced me.

  I strode into the room.

  It wasn't remotely as filled as it was the first time I was here. There weren't more than forty or so people in the room. I stepped forward, watching the queen and not looking around, then lowered into a deep curtsey.

  "Lady Yallameenara," she said. She didn't immediately offer to let me rise. "We have an interesting issue to resolve, but we are waiting on one more participant. Go stand beside your foster sister, and I will continue with an intervening item."

  I rose, looked around, and saw Juleena standing to the side of the dais. I moved to her side with a questioning look. She pointed with her nose, and I followed her gaze.

  I almost didn't recognize him, the boy from Balstead. He was pointedly looking away, but there was a stern-looking man beside him. He wasn't looking anywhere else. He was looking at me, and I didn't care for his expression.

  I knew better than to talk to Juleena while the queen held court, and so I half paid attention as she dealt with a few minor issues. And then in back, the doors opened. Lady Malta didn't announce her, but Muranna entered the room and made her way around the perimeter until she stood beside me. We offered each other looks, and then I gestured the same way Juleena had.

  At that point, Juleena grabbed my arm, pulled me to my left, and she inserted herself between the two of us. I guess she wanted to be sure we didn't talk.

  Queen Ralalta finished the issue before her then looked around, finishing with a look towards the back of the room. I saw Lady Malta nod.

  "Well, I see everyone is here," the queen declared. "Lady Yallameenara, step forward." She gestured to a spot before the dais and to the left, and so I moved forward. But when I looked back at Muranna, I saw Juleena had had a firm grip on her shoulder.

  "Lord Baggar of Balstead," the queen said firmly, "and Thurmish Baggar, his son, step forward." She indicated another place, and when they came to a stop, we were separated by perhaps three paces.

  Then the queen looked directly at me. "You will remain quiet."

  "Yes, Your Majesty."

  "Lord Baggar, I believe you wished to register a complaint. Now that we are assembled, I would hear your complaint."

  "That girl," and I could hear the sneer, "cheated my son of a valued heirloom."

  "That's a lie!" I burst out. "It was an honest wager, a fair race, and it wasn't even my idea. I was ready to be done after our second race, but he's the one who wanted a third race, and he asked for a kiss from me if he won. I had no idea the knife was all that valuable, but if it was such an important item, he shouldn't have wagered it. It's his own fault."

  I'd been looking at Lord Baggar when I'd said it, but then I looked at the queen, and she was glaring at me.

  "Lady Yallameenara," she said firmly, "I told you to be silent. But if you are going to speak, you will do so with respect."

  "But-"

  "And you will do it in a language everyone here understands."

  That was when I realized in my sudden anger I'd been speaking Arrlottan.

  "I'm sorry, Your Majesty," I said, hanging my head.

  She glared at me for a moment longer then turned to face Lord Baggar. "Lady Yallameenara denies your assertion but admits to acquiring a certain item. Perhaps we can first discover upon what we can all agree and then see where the accounts differ. Why don't you explain what you believe has happened?"

  "One week ago yesterday," Lord Baggar explained, "my son and his friends were taking a ride on the beach south of Framara. It was there that they encountered that girl and one other."

  "That girl has a name," the queen said. "Perhaps you would care to use it."

  "Fine. Lady Yallameenara and her friend encountered my son and his friends as each rode in opposite directions on the beach. They all came to a stop and exchanged greetings."

  The queen held up her hand and looked at me. "Do you agree with this account so far?"

  "Yes, Your Majesty."

  "Very well. Continue, Lord Baggar."

  "Two of my son's friends engaged in a race on the beach," he explained. "And then they attempted to entice Lady Yallameenara and her friend into a similar event."

  "Are you aware, Lord Baggar, that I discourage the racing of horses on the beach, as it can lead to mishap with others who are encountered unexpectedly?"

  At that I raised my hand. The queen turned to me. "Yes, Lady Yallameenara?"

  "They were careful, Your Majesty," I said. "Two raced, but the others marked out the course and ensured there would be no accidents."

  "Very prudent," said the queen. "Go on, Lord Baggar."

  The man's expression grew marginally less fierce. Perhaps he hadn't expected me to defend his son. But I hadn't done anything wrong, and his son had actually been gracious. But today he hadn't once looked at me.

  "Yes, well," said the man. "The girls indicated they did not care to race upon the uneven footing of the beach but suggested a race at your race track would be a better idea."

  The queen glanced at me, and I nodded. "That is correct, Your Majesty."

  "Was there discussion of any sort of wager at this time?" the queen asked, looking at Lord Baggar.

  "Um. I don't know, Your Majesty."

  "Your son stands beside you. Perhaps he can answer the question."

  "They both were wearing hair ribbons," the boy said, never looking up. "I wanted one."

  "And was this when you offered a family heirloom in exchange?"

  "No, your majesty. That was later, and I didn't offer it. Not exactly."

  "Then we'll come to that. What did you offer in exchange for the tokens from their hair?"

  "Lunch with us," he said. At that he looked up. "I wasn't sure whether I wanted to win or lose, but I thought even if I won, we could talk them into lunch either way."

  "Very well," said the queen. "Please continue."

  "At the track, it was decided Lady Yallameenara would race my son," said Lord Baggar.

  "For the terms just mentioned?" the queen asked.

  "Yes, Your Majesty," I provided.

  "And who won?"

  "He did, your majesty, by perhaps two lengths."

  She pursed her lips. "A decisive victory. What was the distance?"

  "A quarter mile."

  "Quite a decisive victory in such a short distance."

  "Yes, your majesty."

  "And did you pay your debt?"

  "Yes. I gave my ribbon to Thurmish and Muranna gave hers to one of the other boys."

  "So far I see no cause for complaint, Lord Baggar. Surely you do not claim offense at the quality of the ribbon your son has won."

  "I'm not done, Your Majesty."

  "Very well. Continue."

  "There was a second wager," Lord Baggar explained. "This one was more substantial." He pointed to me. "She suckered my son."<
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  "Lady Yallameenara," the queen said, "Did you, as Lord Baggar explains, sucker his son?"

  "Yes, your majesty," I said clearly. "I certainly did."

  The room broke out in a mix of excited chatter and laughter. I'm not sure anyone expected me to actually answer that.

  I looked at the queen, and her eyes twinkled for a moment, but then she grew serious again. "Explain."

  "I suggested a test of real skill."

  "I presume you mean a race around your barrels."

  "Her barrels?" Lord Baggar asked. "They were her barrels?"

  "Well, technically they are mine," the queen said. "But I once asked for a demonstration of her riding skill, and that was when the barrels appeared. Since then, Lady Yallameenara has taken responsibility for quality of the grounds in question as well as the placement of the barrels themselves. So yes, 'her barrels' is most appropriate."

  "She's just a girl!"

  "Lady Yallameenara, at any point prior to suggesting a barrel race, did you mention your heritage?"

  "Yes, Your Majesty," I said. "The boys didn't realize that both Muranna and I speak with an accent, and not even the same accent. So I spoke in Arrlottan a few times as if by mistake."

  "Intentionally?"

  "Of course," I said. "Unlike my outburst earlier."

  "But did you specifically mention you were from Garneer?"

  "Yes. And Muranna said something about when I was a girl of the Arrlotta." I looked over at Lord Baggar. "We wouldn't want to cheat anyone, and I don't want anyone to complain later they didn't know I was once one of the Horse People."

  "Thurmish Baggar, do you wish to dispute Lady Yallameenara's claims?"

  He looked down for a moment. "She didn't say anything about Horse People."

  "Did she mention Garneer?"

  "I suppose."

  "Did she speak a language you don't know?"

  "Yes."

  "Did she say she was Arrlottan?"

  "No. Muranna did."

  "Well then," said the queen. "Lord Baggar, if your son was willing to be lured into a barrel race against one of the Horse People, I do not know where the complaint is. Is this when he lost the heirloom you mention?"

  "No. That wager was of a trifling amount. It was when Thurmish demanded a third match that he was cheated."

  The queen held up a hand, looking back and forth between us. "Lady Yallameenara, do you accept Lord Baggar's claim that you cheated his son?"

  "I don't know how he believes I cheated, but I don't believe I did anything wrong. And he didn't seem to think so, either. He was actually quite gracious. At first, I wasn't sure he was going to be."

  "Well then, you must continue, Lord Baggar."

  He went on to explain the terms of the final race, speaking succinctly but accurately. It was when he described the terms of the wager that his lips grew tight.

  "I still do not detect cheating, Lord Baggar."

  He explained how I hadn't used the lance. And he complained about the uneven nature of the wager.

  The queen sat back on her throne. I still hadn't figured out why he thought I had cheated. I hadn't cheated. The queen turned to me.

  "Is his account of the race accurate?"

  "Technically," I said. "But I verified before we started I wasn't obligated to use the lance. We were quite clear on that."

  "We were, Your Majesty," Thurmish offered. "Although I didn't realize she could do what she did. She stood in her saddle at a full gallop!"

  "Oh please. I stopped Zana under the orange for that."

  "And she scooped the oranges from the ground with her hands!"

  "That's true," I said. "But if I was not obligated to use the lance, I do not know why that is considered cheating. I didn't make the rules. I only asked about them. I do not believe I cheated."

  "Lord Baggar?" said the queen. "It seems both racers agreed to the rules prior to the race, and it seems like neither racer felt cheating was involved."

  "I told you, Father," Thurmish said, but his father hushed him.

  "And it seems your son agrees with me," the queen continued. "Do you still accuse Lady Yallameenara of cheating? It seems like she was quite fastidious in following the rules."

  "That is not tent pegging!" he said firmly. "She should have used the lance."

  "Then you accuse her of cheating because your son gave her poor advice?"

  The man didn't have an answer to that. Instead he said, "The wager was hopelessly uneven, and she admits she suckered him."

  "But you yourself admitted it was for a trifling amount. It sounds like this third race is the one in question, and it also sounds as if your son nearly won. Would we be here now if he had?"

  He stared at her. "No."

  "Well then, we shall confine ourselves to events from the third race. You claim she cheated him through an uneven wager. Would Lady Yallameenara have known your son wagered a valued heirloom?"

  He sighed. "No."

  "Does your son?"

  "Yes."

  The queen sighed herself. "Lord Baggar, I understand your frustration, but I still don't understand in what fashion you believe Lady Yallameenara cheated." The man said nothing, and I thought the queen was going to send him away unsettled. She paused then turned to me. "You won the race." I nodded. "Do you have the item you won?"

  "No."

  That was when Muranna stepped forward. "I do, Your Majesty." She stepped forward and curtsied beside me, holding the knife in her hands. At the queen's gesture, she stepped forward and handed her the knife.

  The queen withdrew it from the sheath and wordlessly examined it. Then she held it in plain sight. "Is this the heirloom, Lord Baggar?"

  "Yes, Your Majesty. I wish its return."

  "He can have it," Muranna said. "If he's going to be a cry baby about losing a wager."

  "That's enough," the queen snapped at her. But she turned to Lord Baggar. "I believe the knife has greater value to your family, due to its history, than it does to Muranna. Perhaps you would offer her fair compensation for it." She turned to me. "What was your half of the wager?"

  "One hundred crowns and a kiss from Muranna," I explained.

  From behind me, there were titters. I ignored them.

  The queen looked at the knife again. "Lord Baggar, you are right about one thing. The wager was deeply uneven. Without even discussing the historical value, this knife is certainly worth more than one hundred crowns. I do not know that we can place a price on the value of a kiss from the lovely Muranna. So far, I find fault of this wager rests not with Lady Yallameenara, but with your son. However, in the interests of good will between our two countries, Muranna will accept one hundred crowns in exchange for this knife. That is more than generous." She turned to Muranna. "Won't you?"

  "Of course, your majesty. We didn't cheat, but we wouldn't want anyone to think we did. Or that we were ungracious, win or lose."

  "That is not the point, Your Majesty," Lord Baggar complained. "Honor is at stake."

  "Honor," said the queen coldly. "I see. You do not accept Muranna's generous offer, but I presume you have a counter offer."

  "I wish a rematch," he said.

  Before I could respond, the queen held up a finger to me. I wasn't interested in a rematch with such a sore loser, and I didn't like Lord Baggar.

  "I presume there would be a wager associated with this rematch."

  "Of course." He gestured, and a man stepped forward. He was carrying a small chest. He set it down in front of Lord Baggar and tipped it open.

  It was filled with money, large, gold coins. I stared at it. So did everyone else close enough to see.

  "That is quite a sum," the queen said eventually. "Think carefully before you respond, Lady Yallameenara."

  I didn't have to think. "I am sorry. They can have the knife. If he refuses to pay a paltry hundred crowns for it, we'll give it to him."

  "I require a rematch," Lord Baggar said firmly.

  "And I am sorry." I pointed at th
at chest. "I cannot remotely match that amount, and even if I could, the queen allows me to make no wagers greater than two hundred crowns." I looked at the queen. "He can have the knife, can't he, Muranna?"

  "Yes."

  "If there must be a rematch because of honor, it will be only for honor. Eight furlongs should be more than sufficient." I was offering to lose, and lose quite badly. The queen knew it, too.

  "No," said Lord Baggar firmly. "This is the wager." He toed the chest and looked at me. "If you win, then you take the chest. If you lose, then you will become my son's wife."

  Uproar

  I was too stunned to speak, and when I looked to the queen for help, so was she. The people in the room, however, were not. They were quite vocal, and they weren't impressed with the whole idea.

  Finally the queen got them settled. As soon as I could be heard, I turned to Ralalta and spoke in Arrlottan. "No. I will not marry him, and I will not make a wager I am unwilling to lose. You can't send me somewhere they believe a good lady is obedient. And I do not care for the father. He reminds me far too much of my grandfather."

  "Quiet," she told me. "You will do as you're told."

  "He'll spend the rest of my life punishing me for beating his son," I said. "And I have a pretty good idea what that will entail. I won't do it. I'll throw myself from the top of the tower before I'll let you let that man take me away."

  "Quiet," she said again. "I mean it."

  I folded my arms and glared, first at her, then at Lord Baggar.

  "It seems the Lady Yallameenara is not so sure of her riding ability," Lord Baggar said with a sneer. Where had his son learned to be gracious, if this was his example?

  "Would this competition be between your son and Lady Yallameenara?"

  "No. She already bested him twice, but it is my family honor at stake. She will ride against the head of the family. She will ride against me."

  "She is just ten and six," the queen said.

  The man toed the chest. "Which is why I have offered odds." He smiled, letting me know he thought I was worth less than the contents of his chest.