Before I could respond, Miranna hopped off the bed to bid me a cheerful good-night, then pranced from the room. A moment later, I heard her exit my quarters, leaving me alone with my tangled thoughts.
The following morning when Tadark came on duty, he brought with him a message that we were to report to the Captain of the Guard’s office. I knew that Cannan would expect to hear about my visits with Narian, and as we walked the corridors, I tried to decide what details I could relate. I was unwilling to divulge most of what I had told Miranna, for the information was either too personal or too objectionable.
We arrived at Cannan’s office much sooner than I would have liked. The last time I had been in this office I had felt as though I were under interrogation, and I was not looking forward to another round of questions. All such worries flew from me, however, when I saw Destari standing in Cannan’s office near his desk. As Destari had not been involved in any of my visits, I did not think the captain could be planning to discuss Narian.
Cannan bade me to sit in the same chair I had occupied during our previous meeting, and I felt a twinge of unease. Tadark did not follow me all the way into the room, but faltered by the door as if he were not permitted to cross the threshold.
“You are dismissed, Lieutenant,” the captain said, and Tadark departed.
As my brows knit together, Cannan turned his attention to me.
“Destari is replacing Tadark as your personal bodyguard. I assume this will be a satisfactory arrangement?”
I nodded, but could not stifle my curiosity. “Why is Tadark being replaced?”
I had known that problems would result if the lieutenant carried out his threat to put a stop to my “lessons,” but had never seriously believed he might be dismissed from his post due to my activities.
“He asked to be reassigned. He informed me that personal conflicts had arisen that were compromising his ability to protect you.”
A sinking feeling pushed me farther into the seat of the hard chair, and my pulse hammered in my temples. Tadark had spoken to his captain. How much did Cannan know? Was he aware of the things Narian had been teaching me? And if I withheld that information, would I be caught lying to the Captain of the Guard?
I swallowed but said nothing, hoping neither Cannan nor Destari would notice how overwrought I had become. Thankfully, the captain did not leave me waiting for long.
“You’ve been to Koranis’s estate several times over the last few weeks,” he said in his businesslike manner. “What can you tell me?”
I stalled before replying for as long as I dared, knowing I was risking a rebuke, then said, “Narian doesn’t say much, especially about Cokyri. I’ve learned very little.”
“I asked you what you have learned, not how much you have learned. I will judge the importance of the information myself.”
I did not think he was angry—he just did not allow anyone to evade him. I was going to have to tell him something.
“Narian talked a little about his military background,” I reported, nervously entwining my fingers. “He told me he began training when he was six.”
The captain said nothing. I had expected some reaction from him, but his expression told me he knew there was more information to be garnered. I squirmed inside, as his commanding power, coupled with his dark hair and eyes, made him tremendously intimidating.
“I don’t know the nature of his training,” I continued, hoping to satisfy Cannan without revealing too much. “But he gave the impression that he was not sent to a school, at least not at that age. He spoke of one teacher, but the man was not his Cokyrian father. He also made reference to a woman having raised him, but he did not call her mother.” As I relayed this information, something else came to mind. “In fact, he has never mentioned a mother, a father or a family in Cokyri.”
Cannan nodded. When I did not speak further, he stood to dismiss me.
“Very well, then. You will no longer meet with Narian as you have been these past weeks, although more conventional visits are, of course, permitted.”
I froze, staggered. There was no denying that Tadark had told his captain everything. My reaction was not only due to Tadark’s tattling, however. It was, to a much greater extent, due to Cannan’s lack of disapproval. The fact that he had not thought it necessary to specifically address my unorthodox excursions gave me hope that he had also considered it unnecessary for my father to be informed of them. He simply intended to make the point that nothing escaped his knowledge, and in that he had succeeded.
“Thank you,” I said as I rose to my feet, knowing Cannan would catch my true meaning.
Later that afternoon, Miranna sought me out in a state of excitement. She rushed into the tearoom on the main floor where I was sitting by the bay window, warming my hands on my cup and watching the rain fall in the expansive West Courtyard, my pensive mood complemented by the weather.
“We’ve received an invitation to Semari’s birthday celebration! And it’s just two weeks away,” Miranna announced, waving a scroll of parchment beneath my nose.
My expression mirrored her enthusiasm, but for an entirely different reason. I had been more disappointed than I cared to admit that my meetings with Narian had ended. Though I knew an occasional visit would be permitted, Cannan had deprived me of the only available justification to see the young man that would not draw questions from my father. Not to mention I would now have to deal with Destari’s much more assertive presence. I knew that I would be permitted no latitude while he was my bodyguard, whether or not he had been informed of my recent activities. This celebration, as I saw it, would provide me with a chance to see Narian in a different but completely legitimate context, one that would arouse no one’s suspicion.
I took the invitation from Miranna and unrolled it, glancing over the details. The event was to be held on October twelfth, with activities and games such as tag, footraces and apple bobbing in the afternoon, followed by an evening of feasting and dancing. As Semari was reaching the age of fifteen, I knew this would be an elaborate affair. At fifteen, young women in Hytanica came of courting age, although marriage before the age of eighteen was discouraged.
Miranna gleefully snatched the invitation from my hand as soon as I had finished, and skipped out the door.
“I simply can’t wait!” she called as she disappeared from sight.
The two weeks until Semari’s party flew by, as preparations for the Harvest Festival generated a maelstrom of activities throughout Hytanica. It was exhilarating to roam the city and observe the changes as merchants and businessmen positioned themselves to earn a sizable profit off the large number of visitors that were certain to attend.
The site for the faire was the grassy area that was the location for market day. Here, additional tents for vendors had been set up and small stages were being erected at intervals among the tents for use by performers. The shop fronts in the Market District were being cleaned, and I noted several freshly painted signboards identifying some of the establishments. The taverns, inns and public bathhouses in the Business District were also being readied for a large influx of guests.
The land just west of the faire sloped down to the flat military training field that would be the locus of the tournament. The field was south of the sprawling Military Complex that lay to the west of the palace. Both the Military Academy and the military base that made up the complex used the field for maneuvers, although it was being marked out at this time to serve the needs of the upcoming competitions.
When the day of Semari’s birthday was upon us, Miranna and I traveled in luxury in an enclosed carriage to Koranis’s estate as part of a large contingent from the palace. My parents led our caravan in their private coach, as they thought it probable they would return to the palace at an earlier time than their daughters, and a third carriage bore the King’s and Queen’s personal assistants. A dozen Elite Guards, including Destari and Halias, rode alongside our caravan on horseback, while twenty-some Palace Guards brought up
the rear. As my parents were not interested in the games mentioned in the invitation, we left the palace so that we would reach our destination in the late afternoon, just before the feasting was to begin.
The weather had become noticeably cooler and the days noticeably shorter, which encouraged the leaves to fall from the trees and put additional spring into the horses’ trots. Given these seasonal changes, the carriages had been stocked with fur throws and lanterns for use during the journey home.
As soon as we arrived, grooms came to take charge of our horses, and servants escorted us to the grounds behind the house, where a large, multicolored, open-sided tent in which the feast would be served had been erected, and a planked floor had been laid for dancing. As we ambled toward the tent, I could see that long rows of tables had been arranged inside, with one raised table at the far side, perpendicular to the rest, at which the royal family and the hosts would sit. The high table was draped in royal-blue cloth, and several of the kingdom’s royal-blue-and-gold flags fluttered behind. Cooks were busy setting out dishes laden with food on a table draped in white linen at the near end that would be used for serving. While some guests were milling about the area, most had strolled down the gentle slope to watch or participate in the variety of games taking place at the forest’s edge.
Koranis, resplendent in all his finery, and Alantonya, a more understated match, came to greet us. I glanced around as my parents talked with their hosts, but I could not find Narian. I did not dare ask Koranis and Alantonya his whereabouts, lest the inquiry be considered rude in light of the fact that this occasion was in Semari’s honor. Such an inquiry might also have piqued my father’s interest.
Miranna and I walked the grounds, ostensibly in search of her best friend, although I continued to sweep the crowd for her older brother. As it turned out, Semari located us and came bounding our way with a large and inviting grin upon her face.
“I’m so glad you could come!” she exclaimed, clutching Miranna’s hands. Before my sister could return her greeting, Semari had begun to drag her down the hill toward the place where another round of horseshoe toss was beginning. “You’ll never guess who’s here!”
I looked toward the group of boys and girls surrounding the area designated for the game and saw among them the young man with reddish-brown hair whom my sister had come to favor. Clinging to his arm was a boy about half his size and age, presumably his brother.
Semari and Miranna joined the group, Miranna smoothing the skirt of her dark green gown in anticipation of talking with Temerson. She attempted unsuccessfully to capture the curly strands of hair that fell across her cheeks, which had escaped the ribbon that gathered her locks at the nape of her neck.
Although I knew Narian did not necessarily appreciate the way Hytanican women adorned themselves, I, too, had taken special care with my appearance this evening. I was attired in a flared deep blue velvet gown with a square-necked white satin stomacher. The shoulders were puffed and slashed, and the sleeves were tightly laced from elbow to wrist, extending over the back of my hands to a point. My dark hair had been swept up off my shoulders and was encircled by a delicate tiara consisting of two parallel silver bands set with alternating sapphires and diamonds.
I had not gone with Semari and Miranna, as I knew their chatter would center on the male species, a subject I did not want to discuss. Looking back toward the house, I saw that Cannan and Faramay had arrived and were approaching my parents, having elected to forgo the games just as we had. I had already determined that the man I reviled was not on the grounds, and his absence from his parents’ side gave me reason to believe he had chosen not to attend.
Most of the guests had gathered at the bottom of the hill, and I went to join them, my parents and their friends following soon after. I did not spend much time greeting those around me, for I wanted to find Narian. As I scanned the area, I saw Cannan break away from my father and mother and, leaving Faramay behind, begin to walk in my direction. Confused as to what he could want with me, I glanced over my shoulder and realized he had made eye contact with Destari, who stood about ten feet away.
Destari did not move as his captain arrived. Judging from their serious demeanor and hushed tones, the issue about which they spoke was of some importance. Even though they were not far from me, the incessant prattle of the people in the area made it difficult to distinguish a single word, regardless of how hard I strained my ears.
Their conversation complete, Destari and Cannan walked toward the edge of the forest. While I had not expected my bodyguard to stay at my side all evening, given the vast number of guards who had accompanied my parents and were now scattered about the estate, the reason for his departure seemed official and therefore worth knowing. My curiosity burning, I determined to find out where Cannan was going and what was so important that he needed to have Destari accompany him.
CHAPTER 20
NEVER WITHOUT A WEAPON
I FOLLOWED DESTARI AND CANNAN TOWARD the tree line as furtively as I could, weaving my way through the guests. Though they walked purposefully, I was unsure of their destination until I noticed Narian, dressed once more in dark colors, leaning against the trunk of a large maple tree. Narian had an uncanny ability to hide in plain sight and thus pass undetected by almost everyone, including me, but apparently not by the Captain of the Guard. The sixteen-year-old was indifferently observing the celebratory activities, but shifted his gaze to Destari and Cannan the moment they began to approach him, as though he had been monitoring their movements.
I could see no harm in what Narian was doing and did not understand why Cannan would want to meet with him. I found myself worried for the young man’s sake, but he moved away from the forest’s edge and toward the two soldiers, no sign of misgiving in his stride. This time, as I inched closer so that I was on the fringe of the crowd, I was able to overhear their discussion.
“I have been informed that you have quite a talent for acquiring weapons,” Cannan stated. “I hear you are never without one. So, tell me, are you now armed?”
“I am,” Narian replied without hesitation.
The captain inclined his head in appreciation of receiving an answer as straightforward as his query, then his eyes flicked toward Narian’s hip, where he would have held a sword or dagger, finally moving down to check his boots.
“I see no weapons,” the captain pronounced, with a measure of disbelief that sprang from the fact that his own men had disarmed Narian when he had been taken prisoner. Still, it could not be denied that the young man had managed to acquire a weapon on at least three occasions.
“I have them,” Narian repeated.
“Is there a problem, gentlemen?” interrupted a self-important voice I recognized as belonging to Koranis. The Baron was panting lightly, his thinning blond hair dampened with perspiration, as he hurried over to the two men confronting Narian.
“Are you aware that your son has been impermissibly obtaining weapons?” Cannan asked, without taking his eyes off the boy standing before him.
“Surely you overstate the situation,” Koranis blustered. “As you well know, he took a dagger off my person several weeks ago and was duly punished. There have been no other such instances.”
Cannan gave a small shake of his head and Koranis rounded on his son.
“What weapons are these? Where have you been getting them?”
Narian shrugged, unruffled. “Some are my own. Others are yours.”
Koranis’s affronted frown deepened and he looked from Destari to Cannan as if trying to assess their reactions.
“That’s impossible,” he sputtered, evidently concluding that he needed to defend himself. “I keep all my weapons in a locked trunk in my bedroom.”
“Perhaps you need better locks,” Narian responded with not-so-subtle disrespect.
“This is absurd!” Koranis’s face turned a shade close to maroon. I guessed he was insulted by the fact that Cannan and Destari did not doubt the young man.
Naria
n ignored the Baron, presumably deeming his father no longer worthy of his time, and addressed Cannan, his tone disdainful.
“You can hardly expect the rabbit to keep up with the fox.”
Koranis let out a breath, too appalled by his son’s audacity to formulate a response. Fortunately for everyone involved, the Baron did not see Cannan’s nod toward Narian that indicated he understood his point.
“We will be requiring a location away from your guests,” the captain informed Koranis. “Narian was about to show us the weapons he carries.”
Narian’s eyebrows lifted, as if he were trying to recall when he had so agreed, but he did not protest.
The Baron huffed a few times, unaccustomed to taking orders while on his own property and irked that Cannan had not referred to his son as Kyenn. But he chose not to make his complaints known.
“We can go around to the front of the house,” he indicated with some measure of grace, and began to lead the way.
Cannan, Destari and Narian followed, while I trailed a fair distance behind, praying I would not be discovered. The four men reached the top of the hill and I allowed a few minutes to pass before pursuing them, knowing that once I left behind the bantering guests, my movements would be easier to detect. When I felt relatively safe, I sidled up to the side of the house and peered around the corner to look into the front yard.
“Any weapons you may have in the home are of interest to me as well,” the captain was saying. “Go and retrieve them.”
Narian stood a few feet in front of the others, facing them. “None of my own weapons are in the house. I could, however, retrieve Koranis’s for you.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Cannan said, ignoring once more the disrespect for his father in the young man’s voice. “Well?” he prompted.
“It would be best to demonstrate my weaponry,” Narian stated. “I need a target.”