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‘I can’t find the dragon,’ Macha whispered to Zax. ‘I’ve looked everywhere.’
‘He’s a little on the large side to hide effectively,’ Zax returned. ‘You’ve, obviously, not been looking in the right places.’
‘I’ve looked everywhere, I tell you.’
‘Perhaps, Lord Cantor...?’
Macha shook her head. ‘The dragon is too wily to fall prey to the likes of Cantor.’
‘Another, then?’
‘No.’ Macha looked at the robot anxiously. ‘I don’t think anyone has him.’
‘Then, find him, Macha. He needs to know.’
‘How? Cantor has me watched. I was lucky to evade his spies long enough to do my initial search, but they’re now doubled their numbers.’
‘We need to enlist the help of another... someone Lord Cantor won’t suspect.’
Macha regarded him with an expression of disbelief. ‘We can’t afford to trust anyone. By all the Gods, Zax, we’ve committed treason by keeping the queen’s death a secret. Who could we trust with that?’
Zax didn’t have the first clue, but if they didn’t warn the
dragon about Cantor and the new pretender, being caught out in a treasonous act would be the least of their worries.
They heard excited voices outside the door, and they exchanged worried glances. Macha pulled the door slightly ajar and peered out.
‘What’s going on?’ she asked a maid hurrying past.
‘The council has been called,’ she said. ‘Lord Cantor has important news to share.’ She rushed away leaving Macha staring after her. A few courtiers gathered a short distance away and each of them eyed the gynoid with suspicion. They seemed to have lost their great fear of her and that worried Macha more than anything.
Back inside the room, with the door securely closed, she began to pace – her mind a whirl of thoughts.
‘What’s happening?’ Zax asked.
‘Something,’ Macha replied absently.
‘Something bad?’
She nodded. ‘I think it’s time we left,’ she said.
Shaking off Cantor’s spies was not an easy task. Leaving the queen’s bedchamber with Zax would alert them, so Macha left first and drew them away.
Zax said a sad farewell to the corpse of his queen and followed a few minutes later. They planned to journey to the blue mountains where they would attempt to communicate with Astra and they would search for the dragon along the way.
Zax looked just like any other robot, but Macha was conspicuous. She was unique and easily recognised, so they hatched a plan to hide her in a cart full of hay and for Zax to ride from the royal castle under the guise of taking food to the attox cattle on the ridge.
The plan worked, and they left without being noticed or accosted.
Once free of the royal castle, Macha joined Zax at the front of the cart.
‘We’ll be hunted like animals,’ Zax said. ‘It’s best that we travel on foot. We’re faster than any of their horses or their two-legged Kallips. We can outrun them.
Macha agreed and, in a small copse, hidden from the road, they climbed down, freed the horses and headed north at a trot.
*
DAMANACREE DECIDED that a treaty was in order. His younger cousins were hellbent on seizing the throne, but he thought that he could offer each of them an alternative. Divided, none of them were certain of winning any battle with the soldiers loyal to Aggerron, but united, they could prove to be unbeatable. He could, of course, slaughter the lot of them, but his cousins were well guarded and, anyway, it would take too much time and effort. The Earth girl was on her way. She had disappeared from the cargo vessel and was, he was certain, poised to rally the loyal troops and take what the queen had promised her.
Cantor had summoned all of Icarrion’s elite together in the council chamber and Damanacree was sure that he was going to publicly name the new pretender as the official heir. Once that was done, war was inevitable, but not just war on the Earthling heir, but on Cantor and his unknown princess.
‘My Lord?’ Sabre handed Damanacree a sheaf of papers. ‘All of the information you required has been compiled. I’m afraid, it is as you feared – Acertron and Sytos will be beyond bribery. Each have fortunes sufficient to buy a great many mercenaries.’
‘And, the other two Assons?’
‘Paupers, my Lord. They cannot buy support and they have
no true followers. Perhaps a treaty with them would be beneath you?’
Damanacree nodded, well satisfied with Sabre’s findings. ‘If I cannot buy Acertron or Sytos, I must think of something else.’
‘May I make a suggestion?’
‘Of course.’
‘As you know, Lord, Acertron took a Platton as a wife. She brought great riches to his house and he is wholly dependent on her fortune.’
‘So?’
‘His wife is an ambitious creature and I am led to understand that she has no love for him. She wants to be queen of Icarrion above all else and...’
‘And?’ Damanacree’s curiosity was roused.
‘You are unmarried, Lord.’
‘You would have me wed an ugly Platton?’ There was fury in his words, but also a hint of something akin to resignation.
‘Her beauty is in her fortune and in her ambition. She would make a worthy queen.’
‘What of her husband?’
Sabre smiled for the first time. ‘It is her money that keeps him safe. It could be her money that brings an end to him.’
‘I like the way you think, Sabre. I would meet with this
Platton. Can it be arranged?’
‘Yes, Lord. She does not share quarters with her husband, and he pays her comings and goings no heed.’
‘Bring her to me, then. I would see for myself what nature of snake I will be forced to take to my bed.’ He thought for a moment. ‘That would just leave Sytos to contend with. What inducement would have him rally to my banner?’
‘I’m not sure that there is any such inducement,’ Sabre replied sombrely.
‘Then, we’ll just have to kill him.’
*
ANALAISION ATTEMPTED to keep her dignity as her husband ranted and raved like a lunatic. He was upset because his dinner was cold when his servant brought it to him. After throwing the plate of food at the erstwhile servant’s head, he had proceeded to smash every dish and hurl every goblet at the huge stain-glassed window of the dining hall.
As usual, the hall was packed with courtiers. Acertron liked to dine with his subordinates and, since his wife had come on the scene, those subordinates were now vast in number. He gave them no thought as he blundered from table to table, swiping everything to the floor and venting his anger on every morsel of food.
No one dared move. When the Lord Acertron was venting his spleen, everyone knew to sit silently and do their best not to catch his eye.
He really is quite mad, Analaision thought to herself and wondered how Icarrion would fare with such a mad king on its throne.
Someone approached her shoulder and whispered in her ear. Acertron was making such a ruction that no one noticed as Sabre led the lady Analaision away.
Sabre reached into his pocket and withdrew Damanacree’s seal.
‘Do you recognise it, lady?’
Analaision nodded and swallowed back a lump in her throat. She thought that it meant death for her.
‘What does the Lord Damanacree want with me?’ she asked, not a trace of fear in her voice.
Sabre stared down at her and marvelled at her brave stance. He knew that she must fear for her life, but she gave no sign of it. Despite himself, he felt a touch of respect for her.
‘My Lord Damanacree has a favour to ask of you,’ he said.
‘I will do no favours for him. It is foolish of him to expect otherwise.’ She felt her insides turn to water, but straightened her shoulders and looked him square in the face. ‘I could call the guards, and have you run through.’
‘But, you would rather hear the favour my master asks?’
She glanced back towards the dining hall and opened her mouth to call out, when she felt his hand on her arm. He didn’t hurt her, merely squeezed it gently, and she turned back to face him.
‘What is this favour?’ she ground out through clenched teeth. ‘Ask it and be done.’
‘He asks that you permit him to make you queen of Icarrion.’
‘What?’ She was shocked to her core. ‘He would support my husband’s bid for the throne?’
‘No, never,’ Sabre hissed. ‘Icarrion doesn’t deserve such a king as Acertron of Asson.’
‘I... I don’t understand. What does any of this mean? Stop speaking in riddles and tell me what this means.’
Sabre dropped his hand from her arm. ‘Is there somewhere we can speak privately?’
Analaision threw her head back and gave a hearty laugh. ‘Somewhere out of the reach of my guards? You must think me a fool. I’ll go nowhere with you. I don’t want to die today. Speak now, or leave me.’
Sabre appreciated her good sense. She was well aware of the risk of assassination and was well versed in avoiding it. She would make a good mate for his master – ugly or not.
‘Very well,’ he said. ‘My master would bond with you. He wants you as his mate and as his queen.’
‘I’m already bonded and mated, as well he knows.’
Sabre looked at her steadily and allowed the silence to
develop between them. He wanted her to work it out for herself.
When she finally spoke, he knew that he had her.
‘Follow me to my bedchamber,’ she said. ‘We will speak further on this.’
With the door closed and bolted, she turned to him and forced herself to smile. ‘Your Lord asks a great deal of me,’ she said. ‘Though, I’m not loathe to consider it.’
He gave her a small bow. ‘You would have nothing to lose, and much to gain, my lady.’
‘Perhaps.’ She wasn’t entirely convinced. ‘What if I do as your Lord requests and he abandons me to my fate? How can I be sure that he would bond with me?’
‘You have a great fortune. You have already bought your Lord husband an army. Damanacree wants what you can give him. He would treat you better than Acertron. You wouldn’t have to put up with tantrums and fits of madness.’
Analaision snorted at that. ‘Your master is a rapist and a thug. I’d do better with the madman.’
‘You won’t be queen on the arm of a madman.’
There was a great deal of truth in that. She was already thinking of leaving her husband – giving up on him as a bad job – but, she was now faced with an alternative that might – just might – get her everything she wanted.
‘I need an answer,’ Sabre said.
‘And, I need to think,’ she returned icily. ‘Murder is not an easy thing to decide lightly upon.’
‘Think of it as a kindness. You would be putting a mad dog down.’
‘How soon does he want it done?’
‘Immediately. You could be bonded and mated before the sun goes down on Plutonia tomorrow.’
‘It’s just as well that I have a fast ship at my disposal, isn’t
it?’
‘I know that you are always well prepared, my lady. Is your ship large enough to carry your army?’
‘It is large enough for two armies.’
‘And, can you get word to your men to be ready to leave with you before the night is over?’
She nodded.
‘Then... we are agreed?’
There was no longer any hesitation. ‘We are agreed.’
Acertron had calmed down considerably by the time she returned to the dining hall. He had resumed his seat at the high table and was gorging on fresh meat, hot and to his liking, delivered by a bruised and battered servant.
‘Where have you been,’ he said, spitting out mouthfuls of food. ‘You missed all the fun.’
‘I had to relieve myself,’ she said. ‘The wine ran right through me.’
‘I can’t imagine a lady such as you squatting and pissing.’ He laughed at that. ‘It conjures up such a sordid picture.’ He rammed a leg of fowl into his mouth and bit down on the greasy flesh.
He turned her stomach and, not for the first time, she wondered what had possessed her to tie herself to such a creature. She smiled to herself. She would soon be free of him and the thought of mating with Damanacree sent a little shiver through her body.
‘Will you retire early with me, my Lord?’ She leaned in, so her lips brushed his ear. ‘I believe that a child would cement our bonding and, if you had an heir...’ She said no more and sat back and watched the play of emotions flit across her husband’s face.
‘I will go and prepare myself. Will you follow directly?’
He nodded, stunned by her proposal. His wife was a cold bitch, and this was the first time that she’d ever made any sexual overtures.
She smiled, kissed him tenderly on the lips, and stood to leave. Before she climbed down from the table, she signalled one of her guards to follow her.
With her instructions understood, the guard left to muster her generals. By the time Acertron was dead, her army would be marching for the ship.