"Furthermore, I do expect to be at least patronised in this matter, for I shall not present a man to my court who is not decently attired."
The assassin raised his eyes to her face, knowing that if he opened his mouth she would interrupt him again. The challenge in her eyes was clear. She would brook no opposition, and a reluctant smile tugged at his lips. For the first time, she impressed him. Her regal bearing and demand of obedience, so at odds with her slender form, brought a twinge of respect.
He nodded. "Very well, but not the shirt."
Minna gestured to one of the girls. "Fetch another, a paler colour."
"Grey," Blade stipulated, and the Queen nodded. The maiden hastened out, and another two came forward. They sat beside him and started to brush his hair, freeing it from its leather thong. Minna settled on a pouf, smiling.
Blade glanced at her. "Surely you do not mean to supervise?"
"I do. I must speak to you now, since yesterday you were too tired and rude."
"What about?"
"The ceremony. It is short, but complex, and I must warn you, given your nervous nature, not to be alarmed by the weapons that will be used in it."
"Are they to be thrown at my head?"
She laughed. "No, certainly not, but they will be in close contact with your person, and I would not want you to think yourself in danger."
"And who will be wielding these weapons?"
"I shall."
"I see." He winced as one of the girls tugged at a knot in his hair.
"Have a care, Terril," the Queen remonstrated.
"I am sorry, My Queen," the girl replied, "it is like combing a horse's tail."Blade cast her a sideways glance, and the maiden dimpled, adding, "Though finer hair I have seldom seen, and certainly not on a man."
Minna giggled as the other maiden produced a razor, and Blade leant away from her, eyeing it sceptically. The girl ignored him as she trimmed the ragged edges of his hair at shoulder length.
"You have nothing to fear from my maidens," Minna said. "They will not harm you."
"She could cut my throat with one slip."
"She will not slip, I assure you. Now, as to the ceremony. It will take place at noon, in the audience room, before my assembled court. When the usher gives the signal, you will enter through the side door and approach the throne. There I will make the award, and afterwards, you shall sit beside me at the banquet."
He looked aggrieved. "Must there be all this pomp and ceremony?"
"Yes. You came forward to claim the reward I offered, and this is it."
The maidens finished brushing and cutting his hair, and plaited it into a tight braid.
"What title are you giving me?" he asked.
The Queen shook her head. "I promised to teach you manners when you returned, and it is customary to refer to me as 'My Queen' every so often. It is a sign of respect, you understand?"
His slight, sweet smile belied the cold grey of his eyes. "What title are you giving me, My Queen?"
"You will find out soon enough."
The maiden returned with a dark grey shirt as the other two finished braiding his hair. Minna studied him. "You have a noble face. You will look well in my court." She clapped her hands, and the maidens rose, filing out. Chiana, who stood by the door, smiled at him as Minna rose with a rustle of skirts.
"No weapons on your person, if you please. This once, you will not need them."
He looked up at her. "As you wish."
The Queen frowned at his easy acceptance. "I suppose you are just as deadly with your bare hands?"
"Yes."
She shivered, turning away. "We will leave you to dress now. The manservant will help you."
Blade dressed himself, then ate a hearty breakfast of poached neleggs and smoked ham before settling down to wait for the allotted time. When it came, the servant returned to fuss over Blade's clothes, straightening, tugging, and brushing at invisible specks of lint. Blade bore it until the man had had his fill, then followed him into the corridor that led to the audience chamber.
Outside the open door, they stopped before two guards, one of whom came forward to search the assassin. Blade wondered at the need for this, but shrugged it off as he studied the scene through the door.
In the vast golden room, the Queen had just settled upon the throne, sceptre in hand. She wore a gown of silver and gold thread, a high fish-spine collar framing her head. Her coiled hair dripped gold and jewels, and her fingers and wrists sparkled with rings and bracelets. On a table before her rested a peacock-hued ribbon, a jewel-encrusted dagger and a scroll. Two high-ranking officers, resplendent in golden armour and white plumes, stood on either side of the throne.
The audience chamber was filled to capacity with ranks of advisors and nobles. Guards stood, statue-like, at the back of the throng. The silence would have made a pin falling sound like a thunderclap.
Queen Minna-Satu addressed her court. "Today, we honour and reward a man who has achieved what most people believed to be impossible. I set a task, some time ago, that of ending the life of King Shandor and bringing his son to Jondar. More than two-score warriors took on the task, and failed.
"One man succeeded, alone and unaided, in completing that task. His name may be known to you. His reputation is well told, though his profession is not well liked. But, in this instance, he has served me well, and deserves all of the reward that I today bestow upon him. Let no man slight him or offer him harm. He has my favour and my ear. Any insult to him is an insult to me. From this day forth, he will be a noble, and join the highest ranks of my court."
The manservant gripped Blade's arm and pushed him towards the throne, overcoming his reluctance with a shove that almost sent him staggering into the room. The assassin swung around angrily, then realised that he was in full sight of the entire court. Minna turned to face him, and he swallowed his anger and embarrassment as he walked towards her.
"I present to you a man who holds my highest regard, and has many names to his credit," the Queen stated. "He is known as the Silent Slayer, the Invisible Assassin, or simply Blade. Today, he is Conash of the cats."
A murmur went through the assembly, and many turned to their neighbours with incredulous expressions. Minna raised her sceptre and brought it down with a clink. Silence fell. Blade reached the bottom of the dais and hesitated, but the Queen beckoned him forward, and he climbed the three shallow steps to her level. She rose as he approached, and he dropped to one knee and bowed his head.
"My Queen."
Another whisper hissed through the crowd, for most prostrated themselves before the Queen.
Minna gestured for him to rise, smiling. "Welcome, Conash of the cats."
Blade stood, uncomfortably aware of the numerous glares directed at his back. The tension and anger radiating from the members of the court was palpable, and if looks could kill, he knew that he would be dead many times over. To distract himself from the itchy prickle between his shoulder blades, he watched the Queen step towards the table and pick up the jewelled dagger. She returned to stand almost toe-to-toe with him, and raised the weapon, pressing the blade to his shirt in the vicinity of his heart. He smiled at her inaccuracy, for had she pushed the dagger in, she would have missed the vital organ and pierced his left lung instead. Blade remained immobile, even when he became aware, with a slight start, that the two officers had taken up position on either side of him. The ceremony was starting to resemble an execution more than an award, and he frowned.
The Queen gazed up at him. "As a man of my realm, you are beholden to me, but as a noble of my court, your life belongs to me alone. No one may take it from you without my permission, lest I do hunt them down and exact vengeance in kind upon them. But should I require it, none shall gainsay me. In return, you shall offer me no harm, nor disobey me. Do you so swear?"
He hesitated, unsure of the correct response. "Yes, My Queen."
Minna raised the dagger, and his scalp prickled as the officers drew their swords with a hiss of steel. The naked blades pointed at his flanks, almost touching his clothes, and he darted a surreptitious glance at them. The Queen pressed the edge of the dagger to one side of his throat, then the other.
"I grant you the title of Lord of the Realm, holder of the lands of Josham and the town of Bardim. I appoint you the Queen's guardian and personal advisor, second only to the chief advisor in that regard. I bestow upon you a living fitting to your title. Give me your hand."
Startled, Blade raised his right hand. The Queen never touched people, as far as he knew. Her maidens attended her, but all others remained at a polite distance. She took his hand in a cool clasp, running her fingers with apparent pleasure over the smooth skin of his palm.
"A nice hand," she murmured for him alone, and pressed the hilt of the dagger into it. Holding his fingers around the hilt, she turned the blade upon herself and poised it before her breast. Blade, startled and uncomfortable, tried to release the weapon, but could not until she freed his hand, whereupon the dagger clattered to the floor. He snatched his hand away and stepped back, unsettled.
Minna smiled. "Good."
The officers sheathed their swords and stepped back, and a servant scuttled forward to pick up the dagger. Minna-Satu went to the table and picked up the blue-green ribbon, coming close again to pin it onto the lapel of his tunic.
"Here is my favour," she intoned, then turned and picked up the scroll. "The deeds to your lands and title, which is, of course, hereditary." She lowered her voice to add, "Choose a fine son to adopt, who will do you honour."
He took the scroll. "What if I do not?"
"Then all shall revert to me, or my daughter, who will bestow it upon whomever she sees fit." She smiled and stepped back. "Now, you bow and step from the dais."
Blade did so, turning away as a desultory applause started amongst the courtiers. The accolade was so unenthusiastic that Queen Minna-Satu frowned and lifted her hands to clap, shooting a hard glance at the crowd. The courtiers redoubled their efforts, and Blade walked towards the door through which he had entered. Along the way, he passed Prince Kerrion, who grinned and clapped.
At the door, the manservant took the scroll and gripped his arm, steering him away from his room. "I shall see to the deeds, My Lord. You must now go to the banquet hall for the feast. Your place is beside the Queen."
"Not more rigmarole," Blade groaned, allowing himself to be steered down a hall.
"Just a great deal of food, My Lord."
A vast table, draped with a gilt-edged white satin cloth, dominated the centre of the banquet hall. An amazing variety of food covered it, laid out in crystal bowls, translucent jade plates and golden platters. Feathers and flowers decorated the steaming spread of succulent fowl, game and fish that jostled for space between jugs of rare herb sauces and dishes of vegetables. Many smaller tables surrounded it, set with alabaster plates and golden cutlery.
The servant led him to the high table at the far end of the chamber as nobles wandered in, talking amongst themselves. Many stared at Blade in a hostile manner, but his glare made them look away. The ceremony had, by now, started to annoy him, and he growled at the servant when the man tried to guide him to a chair.
"For God's sake, leave me alone!"
The man bowed and retreated, leaving Blade standing beside the Queen's table. Before he could decide what to do, a mocking voice spoke behind him.
"So, your deeds are rewarded, and quickly too, I must say."
Blade swung around to find Kerrion grinning at him. The Prince went on, "Usually these things take days to arrange. It seems your queen knew in advance of your success."
The assassin scowled at his former captive. "So, they let you out of your cage."
"Oh, yes, I have already dined with the Queen and spent many long time-glasses talking to her. She is a little naive, but no more so than any other young woman. She wants a peace treaty, as I suspected. You will not be allowed the satisfaction of adding me to your tally."
Blade shrugged. "Life is full of little surprises."
"The Invisible Assassin, hmmm? If only they knew."
"I have never left anyone alive to tell my secret before."
"Well, I am sure it will make fascinating dinner conversation tonight." He chuckled. "Perhaps you will give a demonstration?"
Blade stepped closer, his demeanour threatening. "I should have killed you."
"Too late now. Lords do not kill princes."
"One word from the Queen, and I will stop your flapping tongue forever."
"You will be disappointed, she plans to send me back."
Blade turned away. "She may yet change her mind."
"I doubt it. She wants peace too much. I would say that she will do anything to achieve it."
"But since you do not, you are quite useless to her, are you not?" The assassin faced him again. "Perhaps your brother will be more amenable, especially to threats upon his life. Now that he has seen that he is vulnerable, as your father was, he may wish to protect himself."
Kerrion looked put out. "Lerton's ego is too big for him to give way to such threats."
"You do not sound entirely confident of that."
"My brother will not leave the city."
"That is supposed to daunt me?" Blade smiled, and Kerrion glowered at him.
"Your queen will not sanction it."
"If you co-operate, I doubt it. But if you do not, you may well end up dead, and your brother may find himself faced with a choice between peace and death."
"You have a high opinion of your abilities," Kerrion growled.
"Surely you cannot be such a fool as to doubt me?"
The Prince met Blade's eyes, and the assassin knew that Kerrion would find in their wintry depths the chilling certainty that to doubt him was folly. Blade went on, "Tread softly, Prince, and listen well to the Queen's suggestions. Your life may depend upon it. Killing you and all your kin will give me more pleasure than lands and titles."
"One word to the Queen, and you could find yourself on the gallows, assassin. I doubt that she takes kindly to her minions threatening the man with whom she would negotiate peace."
Blade affected a startled air. "Did I threaten you?" He smiled. "I never kill without a client, but she may grow weary of your foolishness yet, and decide to take another course, such as the one I have suggested. And since I now have her ear, I may suggest it to her myself, especially if I should find myself at all annoyed by certain disclosures regarding my occupation."
"I will not be blackmailed," Kerrion declared. "I will judge the negotiations upon their merit, and not be swayed by your threats."
"Bear it in mind, nonetheless."
By now, the hall had filled, and the Queen arrived with her retainers to seat herself between the assassin and the Prince. Blade found himself on her right hand, with Chiana just beyond him. As soon as all had taken their places, the meal was served, starting with the Queen, then her guests. As soon as the servants moved away, Minna turned to Blade.
"So, My Lord, how did you like the ceremony?"
Blade's brows rose. "You call me 'My Lord'?"
"Of course. That is now your title. Any who do not address you thus are rude, and you may chastise them, if you will."
"Really?" He glanced at Kerrion. "I will have to remember that."
"You did not answer my question, Lord Conash."
"The ceremony? I could have done well enough without it."
"I could tell." She smiled. "Nevertheless, it is now official. You no longer have to prostrate yourself to me. Not that you ever did, but a bow is all that is required of you."
He sampled the sucking pig and steamed vegetables in a spicy sauce. "And these lands that are now mine, when may I see them?"
"For now, you are required here. When I can spare you, you may travel to inspect them. They are administered efficiently, at the moment."
"What do you need me for, My Queen?"
Minna shot him a quelling look, and Kerrion commented, "You obviously have no knowledge of protocol, Lord Conash. It is not polite to question the Queen."
"What would you know of queens, Kerrion, since you have none in Cotti lands?" Blade shot back.
"I treat them the same as kings, of which you have no experience, either."
"I would not say that. I know that they bleed like any other man, and their blood is red. They die just like commoners, too."
Minna frowned at Blade. "This is not a subject I wish to hear of, Lord Conash, and both of you will stop sparring this instant."
Blade smiled and turned his attention to his meal, ignoring Kerrion's furious glare. The two did not speak to each other again after that, and Minna-Satu divided her attention between them for the rest of the meal. When at last the feast ended, Blade had imbibed a great deal of excellent wine, and felt quite expansive. He had not been so drunk, he reflected, for several years. To do so was dangerous. It slowed his reflexes and interfered with his reasoning. This night, however, at the Queen's side, he was confident of his safety.
The assassin's wariness of becoming inebriated had never stopped him from drinking, for that had always been one of his few pleasures. Usually he only allowed himself to reach the point of being comfortably numb, when many things became amusing, and he could laugh. This night he had not laughed, but quickly passed to the point where he could no longer think clearly, whereupon the manservant helped him to his rooms. Blade flopped down on the bed and fell asleep as the servant removed his boots. A short while later, he snapped awake, his heightened senses warning him of a presence in the room, even in his drunken state. Minna sat on the edge of the bed, regarding him with deep concern.
He relaxed. "You should not be here, My Queen."
"Why, pray tell?"
"It is not seemly for you to be in a man's bed chamber."
Minna smiled. "With you I am safe."
"Still, rumours may grow from this. It is not right."
"What will they say? Most know of your… misfortune, though I have only told Chiana, for she was too innocent to see it. I think she was greatly disappointed."
He rubbed his eyes, trying to see her more clearly. She had shed her finery, and wore a simple robe of vivid green, her hair loose about her shoulders. "Do you often frequent the bedrooms of your lords?"
"Blade!"
"I did not mean…" He groaned. "I am drunk. What are you doing here?"
"I was concerned. You drank far too much tonight."
"Indeed I did, and now you torture me. I must sleep."
Minna smiled again. "And so you shall, when I leave."
Blade tried to sit up, and found that his right arm had gone numb. He rubbed it, grimacing as it tingled with returning blood. "Well, I am still alive, My Queen. You need not concern yourself."
"But I am concerned. You abuse yourself. You are consumed by a great sadness and hatred. I saw it the moment I met you. What is it that makes you so sad?"
"I would have thought that was obvious."
"There is more to life than the pleasures of the flesh."
He tried to unlace his tunic, which pinched him, but the laces kept slipping from his fingers. "I have been denied more than that. I will never have a family, or be anything more than a paid killer with a fancy title." He gave up trying to undo the laces and raised a hand to his brow. "Why am I telling you this?"
"Because you are drunk. But now that you are a lord, you can make a good marriage. Many women would be honoured to wed you."
"I do not need some trollop who will sleep with every man in the city and present me with a troop of bastards to feed and clothe."
She shook her head. "A woman of good breeding would not do that."
"Nor would she be happy. Why are you so concerned about me?"
The Queen rose and wandered around the room, multiplying in Blade's blurred vision until he closed his eyes to block it out.
"You are a good man," she said. "I knew it the moment I met you, and so did Shista. I shall need you at my side in the future, and I do not want you to drink yourself into an early grave, no matter how deep your sadness and hatred."
He smiled. "You are wrong, My Queen. I am not good. I am a cold, unfeeling bastard, a remorseless killer. I care for no one, not even myself, and I do not care if I drink myself to death. If there was a price on your head, I may even kill you, but now you have made me so rich that I do not think you need worry about that."
She swung to face him with a frown, but his wry smile melted her anger. "You are lying. Why do you want everyone to hate you? Already you have made Kerrion dislike you, and that was deliberate, I will wager."
"A fair bet. But Kerrion is an idiot."
"No, he is not. He is a good man led astray, but he can be redeemed."
"He is Cotti," Blade growled.
"Yes, I forgot. For that, you can never forgive him."
"Why should I?"
"He did not do this to you, nor would he." She reclaimed her seat beside him. "You have been mightily wronged, and you are bitter. But I shall need you at my side."
"As a killer."
Minna inclined her head. "Probably. If this war is to be ended, I shall make many enemies, and I need someone like you, someone I can trust, who cannot be bought or seduced."
Blade made another attempt to undo the laces. "I thought I was to retire."
"I am asking for your help."
He slumped, closing his eyes. "You have it. Now may I go to sleep?"
"Not yet. You said something to Kerrion tonight, for he has become more amenable since your conversation. What did you tell him?"
He chuckled. "The dolt. I told him that if he did not agree to your plans, you would give him to me, and then I would threaten his brother into a treaty."
"Excellent. He believes you."
"He is a fool, then."
"Maybe not. With you, I have death at my side, and no one is beyond your reach."
He sighed and rolled onto his side, facing away from her. "I am just a man who knows how to stick a dagger into people and get away with it. One who is very drunk, and probably will not remember any of this conversation tomorrow."
Minna gazed at him, then grasped his shoulder and rolled him onto his back. Her deft fingers undid the laces that had foiled him, while Blade watched her through slitted eyes.
"What will your spies think, My Queen?"
"Jashimari queens were once tended by eunuchs as well as maidens. They will think nothing. Nor is there any shame in it."
Blade smiled and closed his eyes.
Minna studied his peaceful face and the sweet smile that held such innocence. It could warm the heart of its beholder even as he slid two hand-spans of cold steel into it. It was perhaps a greater weapon than his daggers, more deadly than steel, with its ability to melt even the strongest resolve. Already she knew its power, yet she had never seen any joy in it. She shivered and left him to sleep, returning to her room, where Shista waited.