24
Inga, Helva, and Karyn, trailed by a wake of other ladies, entered the room, stopping short in surprise at the sight of us.
“Your Imperial Highness,” Inga said, recovering her poise and shooting me a sharp sideways glance. “We apologize for interrupting your meeting with the ambassador.”
“No need,” Kral replied, drawing on imperious arrogance like another cloak. “We needed to speak prior to the evening’s activities, and this location served the purpose.”
“What purpose is that, my lord husband?” Karyn practically snarled, thrusting herself between us and even risking a glance at him. “To flaunt your foreign rekjabrel under my nose to humiliate me and my family that much more?”
“Careful, little wife,” Kral murmured. “The law does not stand with you in this matter.”
“Because the law cares nothing for women or their fragile hearts!” she cried, then burst into copious tears. “I have been ever faithful to you—still a virgin, praying six times a day that someday you will come to me and give me children. And this is how you reward my loyalty?”
Kral met my gaze, and I gave him a rueful smile. “You’re right,” he said to her. It shocked her enough that she stopped crying, like a kid caught out midtantrum. “You’re right,” he repeated, “and I was wrong to treat you so. This day marks a change between us.”
“How?” She breathed the question, startled hope in her face almost painful to witness. “The Emperor’s edict binds us.”
“I will petition His Imperial Majesty to change his edict. I have reason to believe he will.” Kral glanced at me again, then set his jaw and concentrated on Karyn. “I will be a better husband to you, as faithful to you as you’ve been to me. Ambassador, ladies, I must go. Karyn, would you allow me to escort you, along with the Imperial Princesses?”
She nodded, hesitantly taking the arm he offered. He left without looking at me again. Inga and Helva fell in behind, both giving me raised eyebrows of inquiry. The other ladies ignored me as always—well, ignored me to my face, but no doubt made me the topic of their whispered conversations. They picked out their favored seats and I wandered about the room, picking my vantage point and calming my mind for the task ahead.
Below, people assembled. Hulda arrived, causing quite a stir of interest, and went up to speak to Kral. Interestingly, Hulda did not bother with casting her eyes down. Instead, she spoke for some time, while Kral maintained an expression of polite interest that told me nothing. Karyn still clung to his arm, doing an admirable job of appearing serene. She looked right beside him. Beautiful, even regal, in her elaborately embroidered and draped klút. I hadn’t noticed before, but she wore the deep blue that matched Kral’s uniform, bewitchingly stitched with silver-thread spiderwebs and studded with crystals so she sparkled like the crystalline lamps hanging from the ceiling.
Hestar arrived with his entourage and took note of the Dowager Empress’s presence, tellingly scanning the room for threats. Not a foolish man. He moved to greet both her and Karyn, even taking Karyn’s hand, saying something that made her smile. The four spoke congenially for some moments; then all laughed at some joke. Just another happy family.
Then Hestar raised a hand and everyone fell silent, even the ladies around me, though they slid expectant looks from me to Kral and Karyn and back again. Suppressed excitement vibrated in the air. Hestar took his throne.
“Brother, I understand you have a petition to make, but first let me welcome Her Imperial Highness Princess Karyn Konyngrr af Hardie to the Imperial Palace. You are most welcome in this visit.”
He emphasized that last ever so slightly, a repressive eye on Kral.
Karyn curtsied, chimes on her outfit ringing delicately in the expectant hush. Taking her hand, Kral bent over and kissed it, simply oozing with polished charm. “Your Imperial Majesty, when we wed at your direction, we pledged to you, our family, and all the people of Dasnaria that our marriage bed would remain pure and untainted until you established your heirs.”
“And we are grateful for the peace you’ve guaranteed with your sacrifice,” Hestar replied. “However, if you are considering requesting that I allow you to consummate your marriage, let me prevent you from making such a grave misstep that would anger me greatly. The inheritance of the throne of Dasnaria must remain undisputed if we are to have peace.”
“Her Imperial Highness and I understand and appreciate that position. We would not ask for such a thing.”
Karyn shifted, her hand tightening on Kral’s, but otherwise did not react. I had a clear path to Hestar, from my position near a largish opening in the screen. Left eye or right?
“In my travels, I’ve had much time to contemplate,” Kral was saying. “My first wife is a beautiful young woman from a powerful family. I am lucky to have called her mine. I have come to see, however, that it has been unfair of me to ask her to continue in this celibate marriage. Karyn has her entire life ahead of her, children she could bear to another husband. Therefore, I’m offering her freedom before Your Imperial Majesty and all our family, including my cherished mother, the Dowager Empress Hulda. Karyn, should you wish it, I will agree to annul our marriage.”
I scratched my head, slipping a shirikin into my palm, readying myself. Karyn, though, hesitated. The ladies around me held as still as rabbits under brush as the coyote goes by. Then she raised her chin and met Kral’s gaze. Letting my breath out to steady my hand, I focused on Hestar’s right eye. Once Karyn declared herself content to stay, I’d throw.
“Thank you, my lord husband,” Karyn said. “I accept your offer. I will take my freedom and resign all claim to the Konyngrr name.”
Utter chaos exploded.
Hestar sprang to his feet, shouting in outrage, spoiling my carefully planned shot. Kral stared at Karyn, utterly flabbergasted. The ladies around me sent up a caterwauling of consternation, dire predictions, and wails of terror. Even Hulda looked astonished.
Of them all, only Karyn seemed unmoved, though she swallowed hard.
“Silence!” Hestar roared, everyone instantly obeying. “Karyn Konyngrr af Hardie—are you in your right mind in this decision, free of coercion?”
“I am, Your Imperial Majesty. I’m willing to accept the consequences of my decision. I realize that I’ll be banished from the Dasnarian Empire, but it’s a price I’m willing to pay.”
My mind raced to reframe my options. I no longer owed Kral a favor. I’d won our foolish bet, so cavalierly made back on the Hákyrling, with so little thought to the ramifications. I could escape with Karyn’s entourage and call on Kral to help me, to send the Hákyrling to convey me to this side of the Nahanaun Islands. I could then make my way to the barrier and find a way to send a message, so someone would come to help me cross.
Hope flooded me, a bright counterbalance to all the dread that had haunted my day, all the grief of parting from Kral.
“I grant the annulment,” Hestar was saying, an unpleasant smile creeping through his beard. “And, Karyn af Hardie, lest our other women seek to emulate this disloyal, unfeminine course, I sentence you to death. Guards, take her to the tower. She will burn at dawn.”
Hope shattered again.
I still had the shirikin in my hand, but no clean shot. I’d hesitated too long. The guards dragged off a hysterically weeping Karyn. Hestar departed in a cluster of his own guard. Kral remained where he was, as if frozen to the spot. Hulda spoke sharply to him, but he seemed not to hear, then glanced up at our eyrie. Gathering herself, Hulda strode in our direction, and I became aware that all the ladies stared at me, whispering viciously among themselves.
One thing was certain: I did not want to be there when Hulda arrived.
I sheathed the shirikin in my headdress and slipped out the far door, finding myself on an open balcony that led onto yet another observation salon. Figuring I should be directly above one of the waiting areas that led to the throne room, I stripped off the hindering skirt, stuffed it behind a curtain, then climbed over the ornate railing. The curlicues made for excellent handholds as I shimmied along, working my way to the massive crystalline lamp that hung from the ceiling I clung to. Hot wax dripped on my hands as the thing swung with my weight, careful as I was, but I ignored the sting, concentrating on not setting myself on fire. Quite the drop to the floor below, still.
Hulda’s demanding voice rang from above, intensifying my incentive. I let go.
The plush carpet cushioned my drop and roll, allowing me to gain my feet and dash into the next salon. A startled guard shouted at me to stop, and I put a dagger in his throat. As much as I’d wanted to kill something all day, I didn’t enjoy having to do it.
I should have killed Hestar when I had the chance. Now I had no choice but to rescue Karyn.
With no planning, no knowledge of where they were holding her, and no allies.
I didn’t know what I’d done to piss off Danu so badly, but the bitch goddess clearly had it in for me.
A point further proven when I rounded a corner to nearly collide with Inga. She narrowed her pretty aqua eyes at me, then glanced curiously at the ceiling. “Ambassador. How did you manage to be here already?”
“Fleet feet,” I answered. “And I’m afraid I can’t linger.”
She sidestepped to block me. I’d have to be rude to get past her, and I really didn’t want to gather more enemies on my trail. “What did you think of what just occurred?”
“Some surprise from Karyn there.”
She sighed and stepped to the side of the hall, drawing me with her with a slim hand on my elbow. “I believe she feared she’d be poisoned if she stayed,” she told me in a low voice.
Ah. “There are no secrets in the seraglio.”
Inga tipped her head in acknowledgment. “Unfortunate that none of us predicted the reaction of His Imperial Majesty.”
And that I hadn’t taken him out when I had the chance. With Kral stepping into Hestar’s shoes, Karyn would’ve been safe instead of facing a death I brought to her as surely as if I’d killed her myself. I had to take the chance. “Do you know where they’re holding her?”
Inga studied me. “Yes. Do you mean to liberate her?”
“If I can, and if you’ll tell me where to look.”
“Tell me what you came here to discover.”
Canny wench. But I had no time to put her off. My neck itched with the surety that Hulda would be upon me in a moment. Not to mention the penalty looming for that dead guard in the other room. I spoke fast and low. “There’s a man here, Kir, who sometimes wears pink robes. He’s a companion to the Emperor.”
She nodded. “I know this man. A priest of Sól.”
I snorted at that. “Where is Karyn being held?”
“Why do you care about this priest?”
“Can we walk and talk?”
“No.” She added a serene smile.
Danu take her. “We believe he means to cause trouble for the Thirteen. That he’s here to collude with . . .” Damn it, I slammed face-first into that weird memory hole.
“The Temple of Deyrr,” she supplied. “I agree. He’s friendly with the High Priestess.”
“I don’t know her.”
Inga looked faintly surprised. “Surely you do. She greeted you by name in the seraglio earlier today.”
The pretty blonde who’d waved right before I felt ill. This was bad. She’d done something to me, I felt sure of it. Not Hulda. Deyrr. I needed to escape this place.
But not without Karyn.
Shouts echoed down the hall. My time was up. Inga’s eyes flicked to it and back to me. “The third tower, top cell. It won’t be easy. I’ll wish you luck anyway.”
“Thank you.” I almost didn’t ask, but... “You could come with us.”
She shook her head, as if she’d anticipated me. “I’m needed here. However, if you do get out and care to . . . establish an exchange of information? You know where to find me.”
Impulsively I kissed her, then gave a cheeky grin at her startled expression. “If you feel moved to distract my pursuers . . .”
“Go.”
Her laugh followed me down the hall as I took off at the fastest pace that wouldn’t make it look like I was running away from something. Third tower. I might as well head there directly. It could make sense to hide out until the wee hours, but instinct shouted that every passing minute brought me closer to discovery and Hulda’s revenge.
No, the smartest bet was to get to Karyn before it occurred to anyone that’s what I’d do.
I ducked out of the main hall at the next intersection, then found a narrow stairwell to the servants’ corridors. Once there, I moved faster, following my mental map through the branching passages, making my way to the warren of supply rooms that lay far under the third tower. I passed any number of servants, who looked surprised by my presence but only bowed and did not question me. At least I had that much advantage.
I hadn’t been in the third tower yet, though we’d passed it on Kral’s tour of all things jurisprudence. Should’ve guessed that’s where they’d hold prisoners, convenient to all those judgment and sentencing halls. If they planned to burn Karyn, that would almost certainly be outside. Wouldn’t want to stink up the Imperial Palace with the stench of burning human flesh. I’d had plenty of experience with that miasma, even if I hadn’t actually helped burn Illyria’s living dead.
Illyria. Deyrr. Something there, but what? Maybe I should find that fucking High Priestess and kill her. I could make a rampage of it, run around the palace killing as many of the people who’d pissed me off as I could before they took me out. A reasonably fine way to go.
If I didn’t owe it to Karyn to get her out.
Danu, if you get me out of this alive, I’ll never try to fix anyone’s life again. Or make bets. Or fuck married men. Or any men.
About twenty other character flaws occurred to me to promise to fix, but I didn’t want to overcommit. Besides, I’d reached the narrowing part of the tower and had to exit the servants’ corridors again, so I needed to focus on stealth.
Would it have killed Sunniva and Runa to make me a black costume?
Keeping to the shadows and quieter halls, I made my way floor by floor, altering the stairwells I used, though always choosing the dustiest. Once I was forced to hide behind a larger-than-life bust of Hestar holding scales, apparently dispensing justice, markedly without his broadsword. That artist had a vivid imagination. The noblemen passed by without noticing me, laughing as they discussed their plans for some hunting excursion. Lucky bastards. I had no idea how I’d get Karyn out, over that drawbridge. Maybe she could swim. I could chuck her into the lake, wave good-bye and good luck, and then . . . what?
Maybe she could swim and drag me with her. Ha!
Finally I reached the top floor, which seemed to contain more than one cell, thank you, Inga. However, guards in full armor stood before only one of the solid doors, at the end of a long corridor. With no convenient alcoves to hide me. Wonderful. Nothing to do but brazen it out. I hadn’t followed through with my plan to rescue Dafne from Nakoa’s palace; by Danu, I’d get Karyn out or die trying.
Bryn never look back.
They follow you back to your hole, another voice whispered in my head.
On the plus side, if I died, I wouldn’t have to worry that I was losing my mind.
Palming several daggers, I pumped breath in Danu’s Cycle, then burst into the hallway, running at top speed and yelling a Bryn war chant.
One guard goggled in shock, but the other drew his sword and ran straight for me. Fortunately for me, he didn’t take the time to drop his visor, so I felled him with a dagger in the eye. Should’ve been Hestar. The other guard recovered and pulled a broadsword from his back sheath, taking a fighting stance. Just like the good old days, sparring with the Vervaldr and their bloody big weapons. Without pause, I engaged. The surprise helped. These Dasnarians always expected fighters to square off. Come hunt Tala criminals in the hills with me sometime and I’ll teach you not to square off.
The Vervaldr never wore this hard armor, though, so it took me a few tries before I found a chink in the join between plates. With me inside his reach, the guard couldn’t quite get his sword into me, but he was smart enough to punch me with a mailed fist. Rang my bell pretty good. Didn’t hit me hard enough to knock me out, though, and that was his last mistake. I got my big blade under the chin guard and through his throat before he could clonk me again.
Thank you, Mother.
I waited a moment, to see if my noise would bring anyone running, but my luck—such as it was—held. The key to the locked door hung conveniently nearby. I wouldn’t be able to count on this level of complacency for much longer. The mechanism worked much as on the other doors I’d observed, so I got it open quickly to find a wide-eyed Karyn backed against the wall of the windowless chamber, looking like a cornered doe expecting the arrow to hit home.
“I’m here to rescue you. Let’s go.”
She gaped at me. “Why would you—”
“I hate the stink of burning person,” I snapped. “We can have a long conversation later. Move.”
She moved. Surprisingly fast, too. Still wearing all of her jewelry, she chimed as she ran beside me, otherwise reasonably quiet on her bare feet. We made it to the disused stairwell, and I made her stop. “We need to lose the bells. As much of the glitter as possible, too.”
For once she didn’t argue, efficiently stripping off bracelet, armbands, and the jingling chains that decorated her ankles and feet. I prowled down to scout out the level below. Quiet and empty. Good news, and yet . . . I didn’t like this.
Karyn had tucked up her klút, tying the tails between her legs.
“Good idea,” I said, somewhat surprised.
She grimaced. “Country girl. Better for running, riding, and climbing trees.”
“Smart. I don’t suppose you can swim?”
“Of course.”
Of course. Okay, all I needed to do in a pinch was get her to a point where she could jump in the lake. Hopefully the dark night would cover her from all the guard. I’d take her through personally if I could, but that would be the last-ditch effort. I explained the plan to her as we made our way from floor to floor.
“I can’t jump in that lake,” she hissed at me. “It’s ice water. I’ll die before I reach the shore.”
“Possibly freeze or definitely burn—take your pick. I called it a last-resort solution for a reason.”
“What’s the first resort?”
“I don’t know yet,” I muttered.
“I couldn’t hear you.”
“I’m working on it. Now, be quiet.” Mostly I was praying to Danu for some kind of divine intervention, and look how well that had worked out so far.
The servants’ corridors had to be the best bet. If we could work our way around to the side of the palace where the stables stood, we’d at least be out of the main defensive areas. Once they discovered Karyn’s escape, they’d focus on that damn bridge, knowing we’d have to cross it. Even if we made it to the bridge before they were onto us, we’d never get through all those guard posts. We’d be swimming for it regardless. It was the only way out, which meant I’d have to do it. All kinds of animals swam—how hard could it be? And the exertion would keep us warm. Water shouldn’t be any different.
We ran through the maze of the corridors, astonished servants flinging themselves to the ground to bow before Her Imperial Highness. At least they didn’t dare try to stop her, if they even knew what had happened. We were one level below the open deck that led to the stables, so I turned us into an empty stairwell that went up.
And ran straight into a pack of guards.
These were on alert, visors down and swords already drawn. I thrust Karyn behind me and went on the attack. There were too many. I went into a Whirling Wind pattern, big knife in one hand, smaller blade in the other, but their armor made it nearly impossible to get any kind of damage in. They moved together, boxing me in and trapping me against a wall.
“Run!” I yelled at Karyn. “Run for the lake!”
But they already had her, several guards holding her while she fought tooth and nail, a spitting, hissing wildcat of a woman. Too bad we’d both die now—I could have taught her how to use that fighting spirit.
The guards had me at sword point. Behind them, Hulda came down the hall, more guards with her. I knew then with crystal clarity why my mother wanted me to have her knife, wanted me to know her story. See you soon, then, Mother. I lifted the knife to my throat with a sense that all my life had headed straight to this moment.