“Then explain why they were here, unannounced, at exactly the time that Ariana Colla went missing.”
Neither triumvir could explain.
“So Raja Sin comes here, risks everything…risks war…for an attraction?” Hittite was floored.
“I must have underestimated the strength of that attraction. Either that or he hid it well. Do you know if Ariana ever returned the sentiment?”
Felone laughed. “Ariana and that thug? I think not.”
“Damn it. If what you say is true, they’ve had plenty of time to make it back to Kiltian borders,” Hittite said.
“It still doesn’t make sense. Why would he risk war?”
“Would we go to war for this?” Dendri asked. “Can we afford to go to war for this? It is not something that we would enter into lightly. But…before we talk of war…we need to find out if they are truly the guilty parties.”
“How do we do that, Adiron?” Hittite asked.
“You have an ambassador in Kilt I take it?”
“You mean a spy? Yes. We do.”
“Someone like Ariana will not go unnoticed in the Kiltian court. For one, she is a redhead. The Kiltians do not have redheads. Unless he has her hidden away somewhere, she will be seen. We need to send a messenger to your ambassador and have him be on the lookout for her. Then, the moment he sees her and can confirm she is there he can send a messenger back.”
“That will take weeks. God knows what he’ll do to her in the meantime!” Felone said angrily.
“If he indeed has her. We can’t accuse him without knowing for certain. You have to send the messenger at once. We need to know for certain before we can know how to act. And in the meantime we need to decide just what that act will be.”
“We must have her back. We can’t just leave her to those ruffians,” Felone said.
“I’m not suggesting we do,” Dendri said.
“So it’s war. We’ll march right to the bastard’s doorstep,” Felone said.
“We can’t afford another war.”
Hittite spoke softly, but he may as well have shouted. He got the attention of everyone in the room.
“You can go,” Dendri said to the innkeeper whose eyes were as wide as saucers. It would be around the city in no time what he knew. Innkeepers were not known for keeping their tongues. “But speak of this to no one,” Dendri said anyway.
“No. Not me. No sir.” The innkeeper scrambled to his feet and hurried out of the door.
“I figure we have until tomorrow before everyone knows what we do,” Dendri said dryly.
“As if the Sarens needed another reason to despise the Kiltians,” Felone said bitterly. Then he turned to Hittite. “What do you mean we can’t afford another war? Our coffers are full enough.”
“Our borders have changed. We’re still recovering from the lives lost in the last altercation with the Kiltians. We warred with them for autumns and never made any headway. If they dig in, there’ll be nothing we can do about it.”
“Not so,” Dendri disagreed. “There is another solution besides war.”
“And that is?”
“We steal her back.”
Dendri walked into his house, his heart as heavy as his mind. He had made a promise to his wife two autumns ago, and now he was facing the distinct possibility that he was going to have to break that promise.
This was not a conversation he was looking forward to.
He walked in the door and Tudman was upon him instantly.
“My lord, I beg of you. You must do something to—“
“Dendri!” Bess came running into the foyer, her color high on her cheeks and her long red hair in a wild disarray as it worked loose of the braid it had been loosely plaited into. “You have to stop her!”
There was no need to identify who “her” was.
“Where is she?” he asked.
“In the nursery!”
Dendri lengthened his stride and hurried down the hallway toward the master suite and the nursery the adjoined to it. As he entered the room he saw Yasra perched on her tiptoes at the top of a stepladder, reaching to something—he didn’t care what—up far beyond her safe reach. When he entered the room with a curse, she jolted at the sound of his voice and turned to face him, teetering dangerously and—
He made it across the room just in time to catch her. Her weight, a significant twenty pounds heavier than normal, hit him hard and he grunted under the impact. But he caught her right side up, preventing her from squashing their child.
“Oh!” she ejected as he shifted her weight more comfortably in his arms. “Thank you darling.”
“Thank you darling? Is that all you have to say to me?” he demanded of her incredulously.
“Thank you darling and I love you?” she asked hopefully.
He huffed in exasperation. “What in the world were you doing up there?”
“Well the curtain—“ She gestured to the crookedly hanging rod.
“And this was so critical that it could not wait until I got back?”
“Well, I suppose when you put it that way it could have waited, but—“
“I’m going to wring your neck…provided you don’t break it all on your own first!”
He dropped her feet to the ground and she leaned her body weight against him, as if she was completely dependent on him for support.
“But first could you straighten the curtain?” she asked.
He gaped at her in disbelief. Then, after a moment, he chuckled. She smiled in response to the sound, her beautiful face shining brightly.
“You took ten autumns off my life. And Bess’s and Tudman’s. You ruffled Tudman. The most unflappable man on the planet! Do you know how frustrating you are?”
“You’ve told me so many a time. I, however, do not see it.”
“You wouldn’t,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Very well. Let me at this curtain. What do you want done with it?”
After she got him to straighten the curtain, she stood back and eyed their handiwork.
“Yes. That will do nicely,” she said.
“Good. Now…we have to talk. Come with me.”
He took her hand and led her through the adjoining door and into the master suite. He shut the door, giving them the privacy they would need.
“What would you like to talk about?” she asked as he led her to the bed and urged her to sit down. “Was it something to do with the triumvirate? Although…it can’t be called a triumvirate any longer can it? It’s more like a biumvirate. That is, until we get Ariana back. Are we any closer to getting Ariana back?”
“A bit. That’s what I wanted to discuss. We think Raja Sin took her.”
She gasped. “Raja Sin! But…how is that possible? Why would he do such a thing? Is he trying to start another war? What more could he possibly want than what he was already given?”
Her questions were rapid fire and he waited until she drew breath.
“I don’t think his intention is to start a war. In fact, I would say he doesn’t want war any more than we do. Two autumns ago the Sarens and the Kiltians were both in dire straits, teetering on the brink of failure. It was just a question of who would give out first. It was anybody’s game. The truce and land sale was a last gasp at saving both empires from total ruin. Neither can afford to go back to that.”
“Then…why would he take Ariana?”
“I think his reasons are much baser than they are a political machination.”
“Baser?”
“He wants her. He’s wanted her ever since they sat across the table from each other two autumns ago. I suspect that want has been at a slow boil these past two autumns. But something happened…something made him explode into action. It made him willing to risk everything.”
“He would risk everything…his people, his country, his peace…for a woman?” Yasra’s cool blue eyes looked skeptical. “Are you sure?”
“No. Not sure. Not yet. But we will find out soon enough.”
“A
nd if he does have her? If not war, what will we do?”
“Take her back.”
“Just…waltz right into Kilt and take her back?”
“Just like they did here.”
“But it won’t be so easy. She is likely to be under guard at all times.”
“She was under guard here. It is all a matter of planning and having good men to do the deed.”
“And what will that require?”
“Men who have been to Kilt before. Who have been able to pass as one of them.”
“You mean like you did when you were a spy for—“ She broke off and her eyes went wide, her hand sliding over her distended belly in a reflexive protective gesture. “No! You promised me!”
“Yasra…”
“You said yourself you couldn’t go. They would recognize you now. They’ve seen your face and know you work for the triumvirate!”
“There are ways around that for a man of my skill. I could easily make anyone perceive me as looking different than I do now.”
“That takes constant effort! And what about when you sleep? You can’t keep up a disguise when you sleep!”
“It is possible I won’t even get close to anyone who could recognize me. I won’t know until I get there. Yasra, they need a man of my power there. I’m the only one who could get that close and go by undetected to any Jadoc looking out for a spy. All I would need to do is assume the identity of a servant and maneuver my way into wherever they are holding her. If I can do that, I can get her out.”
“If. That’s a very big ‘if’.” She frowned and rubbed her belly. “What about the baby? We need you here.”
“By the time we know for certain if she is there, the baby will be here. I will be with you for the birth. I promise.”
“Provided the baby comes on time,” Yasra said, anxiously biting her lower lip.
“Hush,” he soothed her, going to his knees before her, his hands joining hers on her belly. “All will work out well. I will not leave until the baby is born. I promise you that.”
“You’ve promised me other things before,” she said petulantly.
“Yasra…” he scolded.
“But any delay could mean Ariana remains under Sin’s power.”
“After going through so much trouble to get her, I don’t think he will hurt her. She is too valuable to treat badly…no matter how you look at it. If he is smart. And Raja Sin is not a stupid man.”
“No. He is not. He is far too cunning. If he has her…he has thought this through. He did not act on impulse.”
“That’s just it. I think in a way it was impulsive. Actually, compulsive. He couldn’t help himself. Couldn’t control his desire for her. If he has her then he has convinced himself that not having her would be far worse for him than the ramifications of his taking her. He weighed this carefully…then acted.”
“Do you think he’ll…” she trailed off, her eyes wide.
“Raja Sin did not strike me as a rapist. You spent those days across from him as well. Did you see him as such?”
“No. But he’s ruthless. He will not stop until he has what he wants. He will go after her relentlessly until she gives in,” Yasra said.
“She is just as stubborn as he is. She won’t give in easily. Especially if she thinks there’s a chance she could be rescued. Right now she must feel so alone.”
“Except for Mariah. As far as we know, Mariah is with her. But Mariah is young and a non. She won’t be able to do much to help her mistress. In fact, she could be a hindrance. Have you thought of that? Any rescue attempt would have to include Mariah. Ariana is not likely to leave her behind.”
“This is true. We will have to take that into consideration. Good thinking.”
“Thank you. I try.” She reached out and stroked his face in a loving manner. “What will happen if we don’t get Ariana back?”
“I don’t like to think about that. Her sister would inherit her lands and the power that goes with it. It would go straight to her head. She has already been buzzing about Hittite and Felone, inserting herself in as though she were already a part of the triumvirate. Felone and Hittite won’t stand for it. They won’t want a grasper like Gretha as a leader for our people. It will mean civil war. Sarens from her army fighting against Sarens from theirs. That is, if they even follow her. The majority may not in which case it would be over quickly. But with that looming on the horizon…war is the last thing we can afford.”
“Are Hittite and Felone also making moves to protect themselves against Gretha?”
“As we speak they are pulling their armies closer to the city. Ariana’s army—Gretha’s potential army—is quartered half in Capitol Province and half in the Gunterlands. Plus, Ariana’s army has been divided further so that they could be used for peacekeeping methods. It would take Gretha some time to draw them together. That is the time we are using to get Ariana back. Gretha has already begun recalling those troops to Capitol City under the guise of helping Felone and Hittite keep martial law in the wake of Ariana’s disappearance.”
“She’s mad. She can’t possibly stand up against both of the triumvirate’s armies.”
“She is gambling that they won’t want a civil war fought over Capitol City…and she would be right. They would do anything to avoid it. Possibly even let her into the triumvirate.”
“Oh no! They can’t do that!”
“I said possibly. Odds are they won’t. They are hoping that it won’t come to that. But we must get Ariana back.”
“And you must go to get her.” She drew in a panicked breath. “I don’t want you to go! They could kill you!”
“I doubt they’d do that. They’d be more likely to simply boot me out of the country.”
“You can’t know that! You have no idea what they’ll do. If Sin wants her bad enough he might—“
“There’s no sense worrying about this now,” he said quickly when she broke off and winced, pushing at a spot on her belly. “We don’t even know for certain if he has her.”
“You seem pretty certain.”
He was pretty certain. There was no other logical reason for Sin to be in the city unannounced. None that they had found yet anyway. They would be continuing to research that as they waited for the messenger to return from Kilt. But he didn’t want Yasra to worry. He would do anything to see to that.
Yasra suddenly reached out and gripped his hand. She closed her eyes and he felt her probing at his mind.
They were a Gestalt couple. The only one of their kind. To be Gestalt meant they had access to all the houses of majic…not just one as was normal. It also meant they were connected on a visceral level. Even though he was extraordinarily beyond her skill level in the Aspano house of majic, she would have a unique and immediate insight to his thoughts if she worked at it hard enough. Provided he let down his guard enough. And with her he always let down his guard.
“Stop,” he whispered before pressing a compelling kiss onto her lips. Her eyes opened and went wide as he deepened the kiss. His tongue slipped silkily between her lips and caught up hers. Her breathing double-timed and her hands slid onto his shoulders.
He had meant only to distract her, but quickly found himself snared by a web of his own making. And why wouldn’t he? She made his blood boil. She always had. From the moment they had first touched she had been in his blood like a fever that could not be cooled. Her advanced pregnancy had done nothing to calm that. Though she insisted he couldn’t possibly want her when she looked like she was smuggling a hornlet, a small wild pig, under her dress, he consistently proved her wrong.
His fingers went to the hem of her gown, sliding beneath it and caressing her bare ankles. He slowly removed her slippers, caressing her feet as he bared each one to the air.
“What are you doing?” she asked against his lips as a sultry groan erupted out of her. He was rubbing her poor beleaguered feet. He knew that some days she felt that it was better than sex. Well…almost.
She kissed him alm
ost frantically, wanting to return his gift of pleasure any way she could.
“Hush,” he said once he could come up for air. “Let me do this. Let me do all of the work.”
He rose up off of his knees and bent to slide her back onto the bed, laying her down onto the pillows. She had to adjust her weight a moment and he helped her by tucking in a pillow here and arranging a limb there. Once she was reclined in a half supine position, he sat on the bed at her feet and pulled them into his lap. He immediately set about rubbing the swollen appendages.
“You’re too far away,” she complained, reaching out toward him.
“And you shouldn’t be on your feet so much,” he scolded gently.
She settled down, not having the means to argue with him when he was making her feel so good, which he had been counting on. Eventually his massage began to work its way up her legs.
It wasn’t long before he had slipped her dress off of her body entirely, followed quickly by her underclothes, and was massaging her everywhere he thought a tense or sore muscle could possibly lay. When he focused on her belly, his child rustled about as if in response to his touch. He liked to think that was it. He liked to think that his scion knew he was there, already taking care of his every need. Taking care of his mother’s every need.
By the time he reached her breasts, she was sleepy with sated pleasure. Now, this was a tricky moment. His instincts were to let her be, to let her fall asleep and relax. She needed the rest more than she needed the intrusion of his desires for her body. However, if he stopped she might take it as an insult…that she was too unattractive to him for him to want her. It was ridiculous of course and on a good day she would admit that, but there was no telling if this was a good day.
He slid up on the bed behind her, cupping her entire body with his, spooning her perfectly although she was nude and he was clothed as yet. He let his hand fall onto her belly and he simply rubbed her in a slow languorous circle, hoping she would fall asleep and rest.
“Don’t you want me?” she murmured sleepily.