Blade's Edge

by Val Roberts

  Which meant they were treating Blade like royalty, too. She swallowed against the sudden fear that she had gotten well and truly over her head, but there would be time enough to sort it out later, after they were safely across the border.

  * * * *

  "In a hurry, Captain?” Talyn asked as she stepped in front of Auran Sillivan. The Silvergarder stopped and gripped her dagger for a second before she visibly forced herself to relax.

  "I've had news, Your Royal Highness.” Her words were as stiff as her posture.

  Talyn shifted her weight and folded her arms. “Good news, I hope.” She waited expectantly while Sillivan eyed her.

  "Are you certain you want to have this conversation in a corridor, Prince Talyn?” the Captain asked, a trace of smugness edging into her voice. “Anyone could overhear."

  "I don't care,” she spat back with bravado she didn't really feel. It was true, anyone could be in this hallway at this time of day, but she had a schedule to keep to that didn't include clandestine meetings on the ass end of the palace. “I'm in a hurry."

  "Then the news depends on your definition of good. The company split, half searching the inn, the other half setting up an ambush.” Sillivan paused and licked her lips.

  "And?” Talyn prompted.

  "Another Bariani was killed, but none were captured, and I've lost half a company of my best fighters,” Sillivan said with an expression of respect. “The inn was deserted."

  Talyn blinked, stunned by the bland recital. A company of Silvergard was a group of fifty of the toughest, most intelligent women Zona could produce and train. How could seven mere men destroy half of them with only a single casualty?

  "That's impossible. Seven people couldn't take out twenty-five Silvergard on our own chosen ground.” Sillivan had to be lying, which meant she had allowed Taryn and the Bariani to escape.

  "It could have been eight, if Leone joined them, but I don't believe she would have sanctioned laser fire on Silvergarders. You've never seen Bariani weapons, Your Highness.” Auran's lips twitched in what might have been a smile or a grimace. “All of the snipers were burned to death. They had been on top of a twenty-foot cliff, unreachable by anything but a projectile weapon ... or a laser."

  Talyn felt her jaw drop. “They smuggled lasers into Zona?” They were at the top of the list of forbidden materiel and all the customs agents were trained to look for banned weapons.

  "Evidently, but it turned out to be a prudent measure.” Auran rubbed her forehead as if she were coming down with a headache. “Without it they would have been killed in the alley behind the Temple of the Serene Mother, an inauspicious event on the first day of the Redemption, and I don't care what religion they ascribe to."

  It wouldn't have done her plan any good, either, if the Bariani Crown Heir had died at the hands of her Prime, but there had to be a way to get this back to Taryn. “Perhaps the laser weapon belonged to Commander Penthes.” Yes. Possession of contraband weaponry was a court-martial offense.

  Auran appeared to consider that for a moment. “I suppose anything's possible,” she finally allowed, “but where could she learn to use it?” Talyn's mouth was already open to reply when she went on, “Leone wouldn't allow a thing like that anywhere on her property.” Talyn closed her teeth with a snap as Auran shook her head. “No, it had to be the negotiator's people who brought it in, and I'd give one of my teeth to know how. The metal detectors didn't see anything, the dogs didn't smell a power pack, and none of them would have had time to unkeister it."

  "Unkeister?” Talyn echoed, lost.

  "Believe me, Your Highness, you don't want to know.” This time Auran allowed herself a small smile, which was thoroughly irritating. “At any rate, they were headed north. I'll send another company south from Jaynesville and see if they can meet up."

  "Just remember what we talked about yesterday,” Talyn said. “I don't want any more screw ups. Tell them to cross the border if they have to. Nobody will notice in the Jags."

  Auran folded her arms. “There's a Sanctuary Enclave right on the other side of the border from Jaynesville. I'd have to authorize invading a religious compound, because their land extends for about ten miles in any direction, almost up to the border. Shall I start killing monks to keep your dirty little secret, Your Highness?"

  The irritation blossomed into full-bodied fury. “You'll do whatever I tell you to do, you uppity bitch. I want her dead, and don't touch the negotiator."

  "And how will they know which one is the negotiator?” Auran asked, sounding singularly unaffected by the threat. “After all, another one was killed this morning.” She paused long enough to shrug. “He might already be dead."

  "Just do it!” Talyn hissed, then stalked off to get breakfast before she found Tanaka and reported her progress. Or lack of progress. She was at the end of the corridor before she heard the captain's boots start moving again.

  * * * *

  Silean tucked her shoes back into her armpit and followed Auran Sillivan to her office without making a sound. The conversation she had just overheard had confirmed one idea, but had also thrown grave doubt onto the loyalty of her personal bodyguards.

  "Your Majesty!” Sillivan's aide blurted as Silean padded into the outer office. “The captain has only just arrived for the day, so I don't think she could have any new information on the commander."

  "Oh she has information,” Silean said in her silkiest snarl. “And I'm going to get it from her right now. Sit, girl, before I have you up on charges as well."

  The aide, whose name she couldn't remember, went white-faced and dropped back into her chair. Silean opened the door to the captain's inner office and slammed it behind her.

  "Praise the Goddess, my part in this is over,” Auran said, glancing up from a stack of notes, probably messages. “I hope you heard the whole thing, Silean. Talyn is a menace to Zona."

  "That's treason,” Silean said, controlling her voice through sheer force of will.

  "And threatening my children if I didn't dispatch troops to kill Taryn wasn't treason?” Auran dropped the sheaf of papers on the desk. “I have no witnesses, of course, but that's exactly what she did. And Goddess help me, I sent a company to Leone's place for the purpose of killing Prince Taryn.” She scrubbed her hands over her face. “I lost half of them and they failed in Talyn's crazed quest, but I did it. I can fall on my dagger now, Your Majesty, or we can go through the messy formality of a trial."

  "Leone Varakis?” Silean sank into a chair facing the desk.

  "Yes. We were in the same class at the academy, and I always counted her among my friends, Your Majesty.” Auran took the opportunity to sit as well. “I've betrayed not only my oath, but the bonds of shield-bearers as well."

  "She went to Leone?” Silean asked herself quietly, not quite able to believe it. Her daughter felt she could trust Leone Varakis more than her mother. Because of Talyn. Because Leone had protected her from Talyn when Silean could not. Her view of Auran began to blur, and she had to blink very hard to keep the tears from spilling.

  "It was on her way to the border, Silean,” Auran said quietly, one mother to another and all titles forgotten. “She had a duty to get the Bariani to safety, and that was her only option.” She sighed, sounding tired. “If it helps, she's still alive, and so is the negotiator. The description of him from Customs doesn't match the description of the Bariani casualty.” Her eyes narrowed. “Talyn doesn't know that, but she seemed very concerned that he not be harmed."

  Silean came back to herself and leaned forward. “He's more than a negotiator. Codreascu was scared almost spitless when I told him something had happened yesterday. I think we're dealing with a high noble here, maybe even a von Stassos. Maybe even a member of the royal family."

  Auran frowned, then rummaged through several stacks of papers until she came up with a drawing. “Have you ever met any of the Barian royal family? Does this look familiar?” Silean took the charcoal drawing, now slightly smeared, and felt her he
art begin to thump with anxiety.

  "What color is his hair?” she asked, praying silently for anything but blond, because she knew that face. It was almost a copy of Ramondar von Stassos’ coronation portrait from some three decades in the past.

  "Funny you should ask that,” Auran said, steepling her fingers. “The head hair was dark brown, but his eyebrows were lighter, as if it had been dyed. It made the head customs inspector suspicious, and she ordered his luggage searched twice."

  Silean let the drawing drop back to the desk. “Goddess preserve us, it's the Crown Heir.” Ramondar von Stassos’ eldest son had been sent into Zona, and someone had dared to try to execute him, using Talyn's Prime as their weapon. Nightmare. She dropped her face into her hands and wished with all her will to wake up, but nothing happened.

  The nightmare was her life.

  "I don't see that this information changes anything very much,” Auran said after a moment. “If she can get him back to Barian, we're all right."

  "What do you mean, all right?” Silean looked up and glared at the woman she had trusted with her life until that morning. “Assuming Taryn can get him across the border and make the Bariani accept that the attack wasn't a government action, they'll still demand concessions we don't have the resources to give.” She pounded her fist on the desk in sheer desperation. “We're not producing enough food, Auran, let alone all the glazed bowls and earrings they want to buy. The only thing between most of Zona and starvation right now is the extra coming out of the Jags, and I'll bet you ten gold we both know where it's really coming from. One way or another, Zona is doomed."

  "Unless she mates with their Crown Heir,” Auran said thoughtfully. All of the fine hairs on the back of Silean's neck tried to stand on end. “I hear he's been looking for a...” her lip curled, “...wife in some of the strangest places."

  "That's it,” Silean said, her heart thudding in her chest. It also explained the ambassador's slip. “Mother of All, they sent the Barian Crown Heir to Zona to seduce Talyn in the negotiations."

  Auran's eyes narrowed. “And Talyn knew it. She's planning to be queen of Grant Barian and she's terrified that Taryn will get to him first.” Her face paled. “I sent a full company out of Jaynesville to intercept them at the Sanctuary Enclave."

  "Recall them,” Silean snapped.

  Auran shook her head. “I can't. They've already left, and they're out of communication until they report back.” She looked troubled. “Taryn and the Bariani have already taken out a half-company."

  A half-company. Twenty-five of the toughest, most experienced fighters Zona could produce and Taryn had killed them with only half-dozen or so Bariani as backup. Silean chewed her lip as she thought. If Taryn could keep the Bariani Crown Heir alive and under control until she got him across the border—no, just crossing from one side of the peaks to the other wouldn't be enough; she would have to get him back inside the circle of Bariani security, because anything could happen in the Jags and did so regularly.

  Maybe it all depended on Ramondar's son. What did she know of the Bariani Crown Heir? Beyond the facts that he was big and blond and constantly in the middle of scandals, she didn't know much at all. She knew, however, that he must be very good at hand-to-hand combat with primitive weapons—primitive by Bariani definition, anyway, because eight against twenty-five was bad enough odds if the twenty-five picked the ground and had the advantage of surprise, even with a laser pistol smuggled through customs. Taryn against twenty-five Silvergard was suicide. She had to have had help from him, which meant he hadn't done the stupid thing, the Bariani thing, and underestimated her effectiveness based on gender stereotypes.

  Maybe there was hope, for him, for Taryn, for Zona. But Silean had to do something to even the odds.

  "I need a courier that can cross the border and deliver a message to the Sanctuary Enclave before tomorrow night,” she said into the silence.

  Auran started. “Your Majesty,” she began tentatively, “what about my court martial?"

  Silean waved a hand in dismissal. “You're exonerated. Extenuating circumstances and all that.” She fixed Auran with her most flinty look and finished with, “But if circumstances ever come up like that again, I expect to know about it immediately. Not the next day, and not because I was skulking in a corridor, do you understand?"

  Auran seemed to shrink an inch or so in her seat, but bravely picked up a pencil and pulled a sheet of paper closer. “Certainly.” Her voice showed no sign of her relief. “What would you like to say, and who shall I deliver it to, Your Majesty?"

  Silean smiled and began to dictate.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter Nine

  Talyn slid into a cushioned bench opposite the blue-haired Sharif Mustafan Tanaka and had to repress a wince. Damned man had made muscles sore she hadn't been aware of possessing, even if it had been worth it at the time. He looked up from the remains of a breakfast that would have fed her three or four times, judging by the number of empty plates, and smiled, showing his fangs.

  "I'm glad someone is pleased this morning,” she snarled at him in irritation. And he definitely was pleased, probably with himself. His face hardened and took on that aloof mask she was used to seeing.

  "And once again, that mouth opens,” he murmured, picking up a blueware mug and sipping before he grimaced. He set it down again with a thump. “What is it about this planet that renders Timarrians incapable of producing a decent cup of kava?” He glared at her for no reason, his jolly mood vanished, and it mollified her for some reason she wasn't about to examine. “Even Barian can only make watered-down mud."

  "I spoke with the captain of the Matriarch's Own this morning,” she said into his vibrating silence, using her silkiest voice. He arched an eyebrow, but the glare didn't diminish. Talyn cleared her throat, suddenly self-conscious, and leaned over the table. “They escaped a dawn raid at the smugglers’ inn near the border."

  He lifted his mug again, expressionless. “You said you didn't know where they were going.” He sipped, still-green eyes following her every twitch with predatory intensity.

  "I might have had a suspicion,” she admitted. “One of the Barianis was killed, but it took a half-company of Silvergard to do it."

  Tanaka sat up straighter. “Which one?” he demanded in a voice harder than anything he'd let slip past his lips in the six weeks she'd been dealing with him.

  "I don't know.” A waitress arrived, staying carefully to Talyn's side of the table, before she could say anything more, and she ordered a pot of maidwort and a plate of fruit. She'd already had a dose of maidwort that morning, but, with someone like him, a woman couldn't be too careful. He was insatiable.

  "The group of Bariani sent to Balsom for the negotiation included the Duke of Northshield and Viscount von Stassos, the duke's youngest,” he said softly when the waitress left, loaded with empty plates. “They are King Ramondar's brother and nephew, respectively. You need to find out if the casualty was either of them."

  Talyn leaned forward again and glared at him. “And how am I supposed to do that, since I don't know what either of them look like?"

  He took another sip of whatever was in the mug. “Never mind, I'll do it myself. Now tell me why a half-company of Silvergard was sent after them."

  Talyn felt her mouth drop open. Why? How could he even ask such a stupid question? “So he wouldn't get away, of course."

  "I believe I told you yesterday, all the Dozen Worlds requires is a union between House von Stassos and House Penthes. The Penthes doesn't have to be you."

  "And I believe I told you that wasn't acceptable.” She tapped the table several times to get her thoughts in order. “I'm going to be queen of Grant Barian, Tanaka. Essentially, I will rule over all of Timarron."

  "All of Timarron,” he echoed. “One small, backwater world just emerging from a dark age is as large as you can think? Talyn, Talyn, Talyn. You can do better than that."

  "You don't think ruling an entire pla
net is big?” she challenged back. “I happen to disagree."

  His lips quirked as if he was suppressing a smile of some kind and he shook his head minutely as those green eyes glinted. “The galaxy is a big place, little prince."

  "Stop calling me that,” she snapped, just before the waitress appeared again and set a plate of sliced pears and apples in front of her, then poured a mug and left it, along with the pot. Talyn waited for the woman to get out of earshot before she finished, “My title is Crown Prince.” She picked up the mug and took a mouthful of the strong tea.

  "You didn't seem to mind it last night,” he drawled, and she nearly spit the tea across the table when she choked. A hard swallow let her set the cup down with a thump while her eyes watered in reaction. He reached across the scarred wooden plank to trace his taloned fingertips delicately across the inside of her wrist and she couldn't pull away. Again it was something new, something totally outside her experience; she wasn't in control and she discovered, to her dismay, that it was actually sort of a relief. “You liked it. So why would you want me to stop, little prince?” He traced one blue vein a few inches up her arm with the nail, hardened and pointed, of his index finger. She shivered in response.

  "Please, not here.” She shifted her eyes around the restaurant and made the effort to pull away from his touch.

  "Most definitely not here,” he agreed, but his tone was odd, almost thoughtful. “There are so many places better than here, but you wouldn't know. Have you ever even been off this planet?"

  "No.” It was pulled from her by the force of his personality. She didn't want to answer, didn't want to look provincial and stupid and coarse in front of him, but the question, the tone of voice, the look—they all demanded an answer and, indeed, promised punishment if it wasn't the Goddess's own truth.