The following day, Blade paid the penalty for his indulgence, and stayed abed until noon nursing a pounding head and a sour, rumbling gut.
When he was well enough to seek an audience with the Queen, the liveried flunky who stood at the doors informed him that Minna was entertaining Kerrion again, and had been doing so for most of the day. Blade waited while the servant conveyed his request to Minna-Satu, and it was soon granted. Kerrion emerged, looking annoyed, and walked away down the corridor, two guards accompanying him. Clearly he had been sent away when the flunky had announced that Lord Conash wished to see the Queen, and was none too pleased. The servant bowed to Blade and gestured for him to enter, holding open the doors.
Blade accorded Minna-Satu a swift bow and sat on a cushion before her, trying to rub away his frown. A dull ache persisted behind his eyes, and his stomach still gave the occasional rumble. Minna folded her hands and waited for him to speak, her head tilted. He came straight to the point.
"I remember little of what we discussed last night, but what I do disturbs me. It seems that you wish me to be some sort of protector. I am an assassin, not a bodyguard."
"I have a bodyguard." She glanced at the slumbering sand cat. "I need you to take death to my enemies, not protect me from them."
"So who do you want me to kill?"
"No one, at present. But I fear that there will be, in the future."
His frown deepened. "I have done as you wished and had my reward. There are other assassins."
"But none as good as you. I will use them if you wish, but they will fail me."
He gazed out of the window, then turned back to her. "You have an army to do your bidding. Surely they can kill your enemies?"
"Not when my enemies are amongst my people. To send soldiers would start a revolt. People would cry repression and injustice. An assassin can kill without causing an outcry."
His eyes narrowed. "Why would your people turn against you?"
"Some will not like what I plan."
"I may be one of them."
The Queen looked surprised. "Why would you wish the war to continue, Lord Conash?"
"Why would I want it to end? Or more to the point, how do you plan to end it?"
Minna gazed at him as if trying to penetrate his guarded expression and read the thoughts hidden behind his eyes. She made a vague, helpless gesture, a slight frown tugging at her brows. "You make this extremely difficult. Will you not trust me?"
"No. I trust no one, least of all those in high office."
"Last night you promised to help me."
"Last night I was drunk. Set no store in anything I say in that state, My Queen, you will be sadly disappointed. You appointed me an advisor; does that not mean you will ask my opinion? You ask for my help, but is it only in the capacity of killing that you need it? You spoke of wishing to be my friend and confidant, is now not the time to confide in me? You claim to trust me above all others, though I have given you no assurance that you may. Perhaps now is the time to put your intuition to the test, rather than later."
Minna-Satu studied him for several moments before she nodded. "You have the right of it. I cannot allow my promises to you to be empty when I shall need you so much on my side. I will not confide the details; I need no advice in that regard. My course is set upon the prediction of the Idol of the Beasts, not my decisions, and cannot be at fault." She stared out of the window, her expression becoming sorrowful.
"I know that no treaty can be reached with Prince Kerrion. Even if he agreed to all of my terms, his people would never accept them, and he would probably be killed or deposed when he returned home. Kerrion has not the power to end the war, any more than I. But he is a tool I will use to achieve an end that will bring about peace. The Cotti and the Jashimari will be forced to accept peace, but there will be great turmoil before this happens. I have established that Kerrion suits my purpose. Had he not, he would have faced the gallows." The Queen turned to look at him. "As it is, he must live to return to his people, or my plan will fail."
Blade's eyes narrowed. "And what great sacrifice must you make to this end, My Queen?"
Her stiff smile was clearly forced. "You are too perceptive. Yes, I must make a sacrifice, but that is my choice. Will you help me?"
He frowned at the floor, aware that she held her breath while she waited for his answer. "All my life, I have had no purpose. I earned enough to feed and clothe myself, buy drink and gamble. Now that I no longer need to work, my life has even less purpose. My future is a bleak and empty one, unless I agree to help you in your endeavour. Therefore, I will do as you wish."
Minna inclined her head in gracious acceptance. "Thank you."
Blade nodded, shifting under her scrutiny, and was relieved when she sensed his wish to be elsewhere.
"If there is nothing further you wish to discuss, you may go."
He rose and bowed. "My Queen."
"My Lord."
When the doors closed behind him, Minna slumped, not realising until then how tense she had been, how nervous that he would not accept. His agreement lifted a tremendous burden from her shoulders, and the future seemed less uncertain.
The following day, she met with Kerrion once more, and sat down to a luncheon of roast fowl and vegetables bathed in sauces. The Prince ate heartily and sampled the excellent wines with obvious pleasure, remarking that they were finer than his. He seemed to have accepted his situation, and the fierce, angry look had faded from his eyes, replaced by a disgruntled one. From time to time, his eyes would drift to the window, and he would gaze out at the sky like an eagle longing for freedom. Minna could not shake the impression that she had trapped a man with a wild heart, whose element was the wide open spaces and drifting golden sand.
Kerrion longed for the sun's warmth on his skin and the wind in his hair, just as Blade preferred stalking the night's shadows. Never had she met two men so completely opposite. One of cold nights, the other of warm days, and yet she could not say which one she preferred. Kerrion drank only a little wine and ate heartily; Blade picked at his food and consumed far too much alcohol, a foil for the Prince's sunny nature with his bitterness. She was glad that there was no need to choose between them, for she doubted that she could.
Kerrion looked up and opened a new subject, as if reading her thoughts. "Your assassin, Blade. He is not a man to be trusted."
"What makes you say that?"
"He cares for nothing and no one. Such a man is not to be relied upon."
"He told you this?"
"He did. We had a few interesting conversations on the journey here, although it was like pulling teeth to make him talk."
Minna smiled. "But you acquired the knack, I daresay?"
"I did. He would dearly have liked to kill me for it, but I found myself able to goad him into divulging his true nature."
"And you maintain that he is not to be trusted?"
"No indeed. He is a cold, unfeeling man. He told me this himself, and boasted that no one is safe from him, should that person find a price on his or her head." He shot her a meaningful glance.
Minna laughed, helping herself to more vegetables. "You think he is a danger to me? His nature is no secret. He told me of it himself. And yes, he even said that he would kill me if he was paid. But I will have you know that he was lying to both of us."
"How can you be so certain? He has no reason to care for you."
"I am his queen, and he is Jashimari, born and bred. He hates the Cotti with a depth I have never encountered before, but he would not harm me. I trust him with my life, and he knows it. Perhaps my trust in him can earn his trustworthiness."
The Prince shook his head, lifting his cup to take a sip of wine. "I would not rely on that. Malice has drowned his finer emotions. I fear that no one can reach him now. Look into his eyes and tell me that you see anything other than two pits of ice, and I will call you a liar."
"I will not argue his nature. I am touched by your concern, but I fear that time will prove you wrong. Blade is not a murderer, only an assassin. There is a difference."
"Indeed, he told me that killing brings him no pleasure. Nothing does, but he also has no pity. A man like that is dangerous." Kerrion sighed and pushed aside his empty plate, looking despondent. "I must own that his mutilation was the heinous deed of Cotti soldiers, performed upon him when he was just a boy. I abhor it, and will put an end to the enslavement and torturing of captured Jashimari children, if I am allowed to return to my people."
Minna stared at him, aghast. "I had not been told of these crimes against children. Did Blade admit this to you?"
"Yes, he was enslaved, and lived with my soldiers for four years. It shames me deeply."
"I had guessed that the Cotti were responsible. It explains his hatred of them. But I had thought him an isolated case, now you tell me that there are many?"
"Aye," the Prince admitted, "too many."
"This is yet another reason to stop the war. Such atrocities cannot be allowed to continue."
"I agree, but we both know that to stop the war is impossible. The moment I sign a treaty, Lerton will denounce me as a traitor and my life will be worthless, my crown his."
She nodded, lowering her eyes. "I am aware of this. I have another proposition to make, however, one that will solve those problems."
"What is that?"
She took a deep breath and looked away, a faint flush warming her cheeks. "If we are ever to achieve peace between our lands, we must establish blood ties between our thrones. If you were to become my consort, our daughter would inherit the Jashimari throne upon my death. She would be half Cotti, half Jashimari, bridging the gulf between our peoples. Our families would be forever linked, so even her descendants and the future kings of the Cotti would be related by blood. Nothing is stronger than that, and we can stipulate that your heir must take a Jashimari bride from a powerful noble family, thereby strengthening the ties."
Kerrion stared at her, stunned, then rose and walked over to the windows to gaze out at the sun-drenched garden. Shista raised her head to watch him, sensing the tension, then flopped back with a sigh. He faced her again.
"So, this is your plan. It is impossible. Your people would never accept my daughter as their queen. They would revile her, call her a half breed and a mongrel."
"Allow me to know my people a little better than you, Prince. Yes, they would be angry at first, but my daughter will inherit, so it is laid down in the law. Also, I may choose my consort, and nowhere does it state that he must be Jashimari."
Prince Kerrion shook his head. "My people will not accept it, nor will I. Cotti kings marry, they have wives to bear their sons. I could never be a consort."
"Will you have your pride stand in the way of peace? You will have your wives and sons when you return to your land. To be the Queen's consort is the greatest honour amongst Jashimari."
"But not amongst the Cotti. No, it is impossible."
"Your kings take many concubines, and brag of them. To your people I would be your concubine; to mine you would be my consort. Is either office less insulting than the other? If I can bear the shame of being your concubine in the eyes of your people, surely you can stoop to being my consort in the eyes of mine?"
He frowned. "You are too logical, and too clever by half. But I plan to take no concubines and only one wife. I am not my father."
"Then you plan that this war should truly be endless, and this does you little credit."
Kerrion swung away, tearing his gaze from her accusing face. Her proposition surprised him, put as it was in such cold terms. Over the past three days, his initial attraction to her had blossomed into something stronger, although he was not yet prepared to put a name to it. His longing to be free warred with an illogical wish to stay and become better acquainted with this fascinating woman.
Never had he met such a strong-willed female, so bent upon her own way that she ran roughshod over others, and yet they took it gladly, if her smile rewarded them. He found her exasperating and beguiling, a mixture of sharp wit and shy looks that entranced him. Her presence quickened his heart and filled him with an irrational wish to impress her.
That she held him in little regard was evident from her cold-hearted plans to conceive his daughter, then send him back to his people without regret, using their child to bring about peace. Her wishes were noble, however, and he had little objection to them. His father had tried to make him love war, and be proud of the struggle, but now he had seen its ugliness too.
The Prince stared at the gardens, where the wind ruffled the leaves, and longed to be in the desert, galloping across the sand on his swiftest steed. Yet, at the same time, he yearned to spend more time in the company of the Jashimari Queen, and he hated his disloyalty to his people. Escape was impossible, but he could not agree to her proposal. He would be branded a traitor for consenting to be her consort, and she would be reviled for taking a Cotti Prince to father the future Jashimari Queen. At worst, both kingdoms would plunge into bloody civil war, and their rulers would pay the ultimate price.
He faced her once more, barely able to meet her hopeful gaze. "I will not agree to this, Queen Minna-Satu."
Minna rose to her feet, her eyes filled with anger. "Your people will not make war on the daughter of their king, any more than mine will wish to fight the father of their queen. It is the only way."
"No. Return me to my people, and I shall stop the atrocities. Perhaps, in time, I can divert their interest, start new industries, and the war will grow less fierce."
"You are a coward, Prince Kerrion."
"Think what you will, I will not be a part of your insane plan."
Kerrion walked out, his audacity leaving Minna-Satu shocked. Her anger leaked away, and she sank down on the cushions, tears of sorrow and frustration burning her eyes. Shista, sensing her distress, came over to rub against her and purr. Minna stroked the sand cat's soft dappled fur, the cat's love a balm to her wounded pride. In all her many moons of planning and preparation, she had not entertained the possibility that the Prince might refuse. Shamsara's prediction had been certain. If she captured the Cotti Prince unharmed, a child would be born to her that would be neither Jashimari nor Cotti, and she would heal the breach. Kerrion's handsomeness and intelligence made her task easy, for she found him attractive and enjoyed his company. His stubbornness, however, was a challenge that she must find a way to overcome.
The following day, she entertained the Prince again, but from the outset he looked to be on his guard. Each time she mentioned her proposal, he frowned or turned away, which was far more frustrating than if he had argued. She put forward every argument she could think of to persuade him, but his expression remained disinterested and he rose to none of her bait.
Finally, her temper broke its bonds, and she thumped the table, making the crockery jump. "Damn you, Kerrion, you must see the sense in my proposal! It would pain me greatly to give you to Blade, and deal with your brother instead."
"You would get no joy from him. Lerton is a snake. He would agree to your plan, then stab you while you slept."
She grimaced. "I do not like snakes."
"Few people do, especially cats."
"Perhaps I should send Blade to threaten his life, then he would have the task of persuading his people to accept peace between us."
Kerrion smiled at her confidence in Blade. "Even the Invisible Assassin may fail to kill Lerton in his palace."
Minna leant forward. "You know how he does it, do you not?"
He nodded. "A clever trick."
"How? Tell me."
"He prefers to keep it a secret."
Her brows rose. "You keep his secrets for him now? I thought you disliked him?"
"I do, but I also respect him. He made it plain that he would be unhappy if I divulged what I know."
"So, you are afraid of him, too." She smiled. "Rest assured, it will go no further than me, and I shall not tell him that you told me."
"We would all do well to be afraid of him. He is a dangerous man."
"Tell me."
Kerrion sighed and sipped his wine. "Why do you not order him to tell you?"
She pulled a face. "Order Blade? I hesitate to try. It would be far simpler if you just told me."
The Prince toyed with his wine glass, studying it. "Simply put, he becomes a woman. A very beautiful one, I might add."
"Of course. I suspected it."
Kerrion stared into his wine. "It is uncanny. The first time I saw him, he was a Cotti woman with blond hair and dark skin, a woman's voice and graceful ways. No one would see through his disguise, I will wager. Not even someone who knew him as a man."
"He must hate it," she mused.
"I would say so."
"Death walks beside him, and he will not escape it until he embraces it."
Kerrion nodded. "He is aptly named, for he cuts both ways, just as a blade would. No one is truly safe from him. Do not imagine that you have a hold of him, Minna. A blade cannot be safely grasped, it cuts any who touch it. Hold it lightly and you may be safe, take a firmer grip, and you will lose your fingers."
She gazed at him, impressed. His deduction made a great deal of sense. "I shall bear that in mind."
After Kerrion left, Minna spent the afternoon wrestling with her problem. That he was not about to be persuaded was now obvious, and she had to find another way. Chiana's interruption with the day's business was unwelcome, and she dealt with it as quickly as possible.
By dusk, she had arrived at the only possible solution, and no matter how she pondered the problem, no other choices presented themselves. Her mind made up, she invited Blade to dine with her.
The assassin arrived at the allotted time, clad once more in his old clothes. He glanced around, finding himself alone with the Queen.
"Has Kerrion fallen from favour, My Queen?"
"In some ways."
They sat down to a simple meal, and Blade filled his wine cup under her worried gaze. He caught her glance and smiled. "Do not make yourself uneasy, I do not intend to get drunk."
"I am glad to hear it, for there is a matter I wish to discuss with you."
He spooned braised lamb cutlets in lemon sauce onto his plate. "Ah."
Minna studied him, trying to fathom his mood, but his countenance gave nothing away and his slight smile mocked her efforts. "I have been thinking about your reputation."
He glanced at her, his smile fading.
She hurried on, "You are called the Invisible Assassin because no one sees you, so I must deduce that you are a master of disguise."
Blade shrugged. "Yes."
"I need your help in that regard. I need a disguise that no one can see through, even one who knows me."
"I see."
"Will you help me?"
He sampled the lamb. "How well does this person know you?"
"Quite well."
"By voice as well as sight?"
"Yes."
The assassin took a sip of wine. "And how close will the encounter be?"
"Very close."
He eyed her. "Touching?"
"Yes." She looked away, a flush warming her cheeks as Blade's strange eyes seemed to pierce her soul with their chilly gaze, and she was glad when he lowered them to his plate.
He concentrated on his food. "That makes it a little more difficult, for you will not be able to use skin dyes. They tend to rub off, unless you use the permanent variety, and I suspect you would not wish to do that."
"No, I must be myself again the next day."
His eyes flicked over her face again. "You will have to wear a wig, red, I think. Some kohl and powder, a little paint, and you must whisper."
"All right."
"When do you wish to do it?"
"Tomorrow night. I shall come to your room quite late. No one else must know of this. It must be our secret."
"Very well. May I ask why you wish to do this, My Queen? You may have your pick of consorts."
"I cannot tell you just yet, but one day soon, I shall."
The assassin regarded her from under lowered brows. "I should warn you that Kerrion does not approve of loose women. He professes not to lie with whores, so be sure that he does not mistake you for one. Whether he lies with anything is another matter, I know nothing of his preferences."
Minna stared at him, dumbstruck, then gathered her wits. "How dare you? Do not presume to know what I intend."
"Am I wrong?"
She looked away, embarrassed and confused. The assassin was far too perceptive, and she could not reveal the reason for her actions, which compounded her guilt. "No, you are right."
"Then he is a fool if he does not desire you."
"There is much more to it than that."
"Politics." His eyes narrowed. "This is folly."
"What is?"
"To place the daughter of a Cotti king upon the Jashimari throne."
Minna sighed, shaking her head. "You are too clever."
"I did not come this far on stupidity. Do you think that your people will accept her?"
"They will have little choice, she will inherit by law."
He looked down at his food, toying with it. "They may demand that you bear a full-blooded Jashimari Queen. That is within their rights, I believe."
"I shall not."
"Obviously Prince Kerrion does not agree with this scheme of yours, which shows some little wit on his part."
"Does this mean you will not help me?"
He raised his eyes to her face, and she met his gaze with a defiant one. He shook his head. "I have agreed to help you, My Queen. I do not go back on my word."
She took a gulp of wine to steady her nerves. For the time it had taken him to answer, she had thought that he would refuse. The possibility had shaken her, for she knew of no way to make him obey. "And you can make sure that Kerrion does not recognise me?"
He shrugged and turned his attention to his meal once more. "A lot depends upon you. You will have to act the part of a servant or handmaiden. You must be humble and obedient, you may not argue or object to anything he wishes. The best way is to imagine that you are who you claim to be, give yourself a name and take on the personality of the person you wish to emulate. Forget that you are a queen and become an awestruck handmaiden whose greatest wish is to bed the Cotti Prince. Do you think you can do that?"
Minna nodded, her eyes wide. "Is that how you do it?"
"No. I am an assassin. I would be of little use if I forgot that."
"Of course." She resumed her meal, which had become tasteless and unappetising. "Is there anything else I must do?"
"Yes. Bathe before you come to me and use no oils or perfume. I shall purchase something exotic and unfamiliar for you to wear."
Minna glanced at him, smiling at the incongruous picture his words conjured up. "Will it not seem strange for a man to buy perfume and women's clothes? What will the traders think?"
"Men buy such things for their wives and sweethearts all the time, there is nothing strange about it."
"I suppose so." Her smile broadened. "Have you ever bought such things before?"
A frown furrowed his brow. "This venture of yours may still fail, if the Prince is as he claims, and unmoved by your charms. I shall purchase a potion as well, which you must put in his wine at dinner. It will make him more… amenable."
The Queen concentrated on pushing her food around her plate, a flush warming her cheeks again. After the maidens had cleared away the plates, Minna leant back on her cushions and studied the man opposite her. His reticence irritated her. She longed to know more about him, but knew that he would not discuss his past with her, nor had she Kerrion's knack of goading him into speech. Blade sipped his wine and studied a tapestry.
Minna broke the silence. "Have you no objection to a queen who is the daughter of your enemy?"
He glanced at her. "By the time she takes power, I shall either be dead, or too old to care."
"I know that you despise this plan, but it is not mine."
"No?"
"No. Some moons ago, I summoned Shamsara and asked for his advice. He gave me a prediction, that peace will come to the land when a child who is neither Jashimari nor Cotti sits upon the Jashimari throne."
"And what of the Cotti throne? Why should their blood remain unsullied while we have a half breed Queen?"
She considered that, frowning. "That is an excellent point, I grant you, but I doubt that a Jashimari bride would live long in Cotti lands, even under Kerrion's protection. Still, it should be attempted."
"And what of your daughter? Do you think that she will live long if the people hate her?"
"They cannot kill their queen, that would leave them without a ruler, and plunge the land into anarchy. Kerrion would invade and conquer Jashimari."
"They will not kill you, My Queen, only your daughter. Then you will have to bear another heir, and Kerrion will have returned to his kingdom."
"That is why I shall need you." She gazed at him. "My loyal spies will inform me of the plots, and you will take care of those who would pit themselves against me. When it is announced that the Idol of the Beasts has sanctioned this child, even some who dislike the idea will take my side."
Blade nodded, turning his attention elsewhere once more, and shortly after, Minna-Satu gave him leave to go.