Lord Protector (41 page)

"I will not risk losing you again."

The assassin sighed.

Blade walked along the passage towards the audience hall, tugging at the too-tight collar of the black velvet suit Arken had selected for him. The manservant had finally, it seemed, realised that Blade would not wear any of the more garish outfits in his wardrobe, and had laid out the simple silver-edged jacket with matching trousers and a dark grey silk shirt. Silver designs patterned the sleeves from shoulder to elbow and around the cuffs, as well as down the outside of trousers from waist to mid-thigh.

It was still too ornate for the assassin's taste, but he had endured Arken's clucking, fussing, tugging and dusting with only a few impatient snorts and one irritated jerk of his arm. A golden torque had replaced the silver one that had once denoted his rank as lord, and his Knight's medal hung on his chest beside the blue ribbon of the Queen's favour. He felt rather like a sacrificial bull must, when they were washed, groomed and be-ribboned before being taken to a temple for slaughter.

Ahead of him, two guards snapped to attention, bowing as he passed them, and the attendant who waited at the Regent's door, through which he would enter, opened it. Blade would have preferred to enter through the back of the hall, with the rest of the nobility, but apparently his new status as High Lord, along with his former stint as Regent, had elevated him to the Queen's dais. Since the court was assembled in order of rank, he must arrive ahead of Chiana, and the Queen would enter last if she chose to attend.

All the pomp and ceremony irked him, and he longed for this to be over, especially since he disliked being the centre of attention. Through the open door, he glimpsed Chief Advisor Insash in his position in front the dais, at the bottom of the three steps. A murmur arose from the assembled court as they awaited the Regent's arrival.

The attendant bowed as Blade walked past, and the herald spotted him with a start of surprise, then turned to the court.

"His Grace, High Lord Conash," he bellowed, "Lord Protector of Jashimari and sacred Knight of the Veil!"

A deathly hush fell as his announcement reverberated around the hall, followed by a soft rustle as the assembly bowed. Blade's skin prickled as he sauntered across the dais to the right hand side of the throne, where he was expected to stand, apparently. Casting an eye over the nobles and courtiers, he searched for signs of unease, hoping Chiana would not be tardy. Most looked stunned, a few scowled, and a hiss of whispering arose from them. His instinctive wish to seek a shadowy niche made him glance longingly at the pillars around the dais.

The herald bellowed, "Her Grace, Lady Chiana, Regent of Jashimari and Priestess of Tinsharon!"

The assassin glanced around. Chiana walked towards him, looking regal in a flowing, deep aquamarine gown with azure panels and gold trim. Her chestnut hair was piled atop her head in a loose coil, and tresses framed her face. A net of seed pearls covered it and hung to her shoulders, and more encircled her throat. Her eyes sparkled, and a flush brightened her cheeks when she smiled at him.

He bowed as she came to his side. "My lady."

"My Lord."

Blade smiled as she sank down on the gilded chair beside the throne, and the assembly straightened from their bows. An attendant hovered beside her with the sceptre, but she ignored him.

A moment later, the herald proclaimed, "Her Majesty, Queen Kerra-Manu!"

Kerra entered, resplendent in a shimmering white silk gown picked out with tiny diamonds on the bodice and sleeves, her slender form sheathed from breast to groin in fine gold mail. Shining ringlets framed her face, and a diamond-studded net covered the gleaming coils atop her head. More diamonds dripped from her ears, graced her neck and flashed on her wrists. A greater rustle came from the court as most prostrated themselves, save for the nobility, who bowed, and Chiana, who remained seated. Kerra settled on the golden bench that was her throne, arranging her skirts before gesturing for the assembly to rise.

Chiana took the sceptre from the attendant and brought it down with a soft clink.

Insash stepped forward. "May I say how pleased we all are to learn of the safe return of High Lord Conash, Regent."

"None more so than I, Insash."

"Indeed, my lady. A fortuitous and joyful event."

Blade listened with half an ear as the business of the audience got underway. Nobles came forward to air grievances or pleas, advisors vied to offer the best guidance to settle disputes and make recommendations. Blade stifled a yawn and edged away to lean against a pillar, longing for the tiresome discussions to end. Kerra fidgeted and shifted on the hard bench, looking bored, while Chiana mediated disputes and granted or denied petitions. The assassin shifted his weight as his feet started to ache, then became aware that a dispute had grown loud and turned his attention upon it.

Two high-ranking nobles waved their arms in angry gesticulations, shouting insults at each other and demands at Chiana, who looked a little dazed.

"This land has been disputed since my grandfather's day!" one man yelled. "I demand its return to my fiefdom!"

"That land was given to my family two centuries ago!" the other noble shouted back. "You only want it back now because a town has sprung up there, and you want the taxes! I built that town! You have no right to it!"

"That is my family's land!"

"The town belongs to me! What would you have me do, tear it down and rebuild it elsewhere?"

Chiana raised a hand. "Perhaps you should share the taxes, My Lords."

"I built that town, Regent. He has no claim to any of it!"

"Except that it is on my land!" the other lord said.

"Then Lord Moremar should pay a rental for the land, Lord Darver," Chiana suggested.

"Not good enough! I want it returned!"

"Then I fear Lord Moremar will indeed have to rebuild the town elsewhere."

"And who will pay for that?" Lord Moremar demanded.

"Whatever is now on that land belongs to me," Lord Darver avowed.

Chiana shook her head. "The town, and the taxes paid by its inhabitants belong rightfully to Lord Moremar."

"I cannot rebuild an entire town!" Moremar yelled.

"Then you should not have built it there in the first place," Chiana pointed out.

"The land was given to my family! This is intolerable! I demand that you uphold my claim of freehold to it, Regent."

"I cannot take from Lord Darver what is rightfully his without recompense, Lord Moremar. Are you willing to purchase the land?"

"I am not!"

"It is not for sale!" Darver cried.

Insash stepped forward, raising his hands. "My Lords, perhaps a division of town and land between you, fairly?"

The two men swung on him in unison. "No!"

Chiana sighed. "And yet, a solution must be found. I do so order that the disputed area, and all in it, shall be divided between you."

The nobles turned to her once more. "That is unacceptable!" Moremar shouted.

"I will not agree," Lord Darver averred.

Blade scowled, wishing they would come to an agreement. The shouting was giving him a headache.

"You have no choice," Chiana pointed out. "The crown has decided."

"You are nought but a regent, and not qualified to make such a sweeping and irrevocable decision!" Darver contended, overstepping the bounds of protocol in his anger.

"Then why did you bring your dispute to me?"

"For justice, not the foolish ignorance of a commoner!"

Kerra rose to her feet, and the court sank down into prostrations or bows. Blade's interest sharpened as the young Queen walked to the edge of the dais to frown at the two lords.

"You will not address the Regent in such a rude manner," she commanded.

Lord Darver raised his head. "With respect, My Queen, we cannot accept such a sweeping decision from a mere regent."

"Then wait six years and receive it from me."

"You cannot mean to do such a thing, My Queen," Lord Moremar protested, "Half the town is worth far more than half the land, and the taxes -"

"The decision is made, My Lords."

"We will not accept it, My Queen. You are but a child. You do not have the power to enforce the Regent's foolish decision."

Blade frowned, thoroughly annoyed with the lords' bold challenge and argument, which seemed likely to continue all afternoon. His feet ached and his head throbbed. Straightening, he walked towards the dispute, his boots silent on the marble. Lord Darver noticed him first, since he approached from behind and to the side of the throne. Moremar glanced up as his antagonist fell silent, and Chiana looked around. Kerra continued to glare at Darver, who frowned at Blade. The assassin glowered at the nobles.

"I shall give you a decision," he murmured. "The disputed land, and the town, shall revert to the crown forthwith."

"You cannot do that!" Darver shouted.

"You do not have the power to make such a decision," Lord Moremar blustered.

Blade cocked his head. "Argue with me at your peril, Lord Moremar. You forget who I am. My decision is final, and binding, and I will hear no more upon it."

"But..." Moremar turned to Chiana. "Regent?"

"The Lord Protector's decision overrides mine, My Lord," she stated. "It is his right, in times of strife, to make the final ruling."

"There is no strife! It is a dispute, nothing more."

"And how would you have settled the dispute, if you would not accept my ruling?" Chiana leant forward. "You would have started a war between your realms. That is strife."

"I demand recompense!" Moremar insisted.

Blade snorted. "The crown does not compensate blithering idiots. One more word out of either of you, and you will find yourselves sharing a dungeon. Your next dispute will be over who must wash out the pisspot."

Lord Darver opened his mouth, then thought better of it and swung away, followed by Moremar. Insash sagged with relief, and Chiana cast Blade a grateful smile. He plucked the sceptre from her hand and brought it down with a clink. The assembly looked stunned, then sank down once more as Kerra headed for the Queen's door. Chiana rose and walked to the Regent's portal, and Blade followed.

Outside, she took his arm as they walked down the corridor. "That was very bold of you, My Lord."

"They were giving me a headache."

She giggled. "How inconsiderate of them. You have just robbed Lord Moremar of most of his livelihood, and confiscated half of Lord Darver's land."

"If they had not stopped arguing, I would have confiscated both of their estates."

"Such ruthlessness. Wielding power becomes you, My Lord." She cast him a sideways glance. "I thought you despised it."

"I do, except when it may be used to my advantage."

"You have just made two powerful enemies. Beware of how you use it. To do so without consideration can lead to a great deal of ill will."

"I do not care if they hate me more. They hated me before anyway. To them I am an upstart assassin, a dirty commoner reared in the gutter and raised to a lofty status by my ability to kill the Queen's enemies. They do not care that I earned my rank while they did not. All they see is what I am."

Her grip on his arm tightened as the guards ahead pushed open the doors to her apartments. "You are a hero. A legend in this kingdom, and even to the furthest reaches of Cotti and Contara. Those who hate you do so out of envy."

The doors closed behind them, and Blade wandered over to the windows, where the first winter snowfall turned the vista white. He turned to her, took her hand and raised it to his lips. His fingers traced the curve of her cheek and came to rest on the edge of her jaw.

"If Shamsara asked me for another favour... I would ask him to give Inka back to you."

Her eyes filled with tears, but she shook her head. "Not if it puts you in danger. Do not risk your life again, I beg you. I have accepted her death, and her return would not make up for your loss."

Blade drew her close and enfolded her in his arms, stroking her hair as she leant against him with a sigh. The warmth in his heart suffused him, and he glanced at Rivan, who watched him, purring. The cat's love was a balm to the assassin's bleak spirit, and although his love for Chiana was a pale reflection of what he had once felt for his family, it was more than he had felt for anyone since then. He could still sense the iciness that waited, like a crouching shadow, to engulf him again. Only his familiar's presence held it at bay. Would it loosen its grip on him eventually, he wondered, or would a part of him be forever bound in the cold gloom of his past?

Blade gazed out at the winter garden, sensing Chiana's love in her embrace, and wondered how his bloody trail had led to this end. His restless spirit demanded that he leave the palace, but when he thought of it, a tug on his heart kept him here. The only way he could be free of this place now was to take her with him. He released her and stepped back, raising his hands to clasp her face.

"I do not wish to stay here. I intend to purchase a better estate on which to retire."

Despair filled her eyes. "You will leave?"

"You will come with me."

"I cannot leave the palace for another six years."

He released her and frowned. "Then change the laws."

She shook her head, reached for his hand and hesitated, then took hold of it. "Only a queen can do that, and Kerra is too young."

"That causes an impasse."

"I cannot, in any case. I must give an audience every tenday."

"You do not need to do that here. Let the petitioners come to the estate."

"All the courtiers? It will transplant the entire court to your estate."

He snorted. "A pox on the courtiers. They are not needed. Let them stay here and entertain Kerra."

"Some may remain to curry her favour, but most will follow the seat of power."

Blade tugged his hand from hers and swung away. "I will not remain in this infernal place any longer than I must."

"Please, do not leave again."

The despair in her voice made him face her, and he took her hand, shaking his head. "I will not, little dove. Did I not already make that promise?"