Chapter 8
I was in my tent getting dressed, when Vomeir burst in unannounced. "Change of plans, Your Highness."
"Captain," I shrieked. "I'm not dressed."
I was standing in the middle of the tent wearing rose colored stockings, matching silk briefs, and the top half of a dress that was identical to the two-piece I wore a couple of days ago, with long sleeves, a scoop neckline, and a built-in corset. Like the stockings and briefs, the dress was made out of silk and a dark rose in color. Prentice was standing behind me, lacing up the built-in corset while I hung onto the tent's support pole.
"Now that's what I call an outfit," Vomeir said. "Ride up to the gates of the Western Palace wearing that and the Army of the West will follow you to the end of the world."
"But what would they do with me once I reached the end of the world?"
Vomeir waved Prentice out of the tent. As she scurried out, he slid behind me and whispered in my ear. "Nothing you wouldn't enjoy."
He was probably right. Even so, my entire body turned as red as my clothes. "You mentioned a change of plans."
Vomeir straightened up and his tone grew serious. "Talia is going with you."
"She's safer here. And you guys might need her."
"We're soldiers. We can take care of ourselves." He tugged on the laces of my corset, finishing Prentice's job. "Talia can wear that gown you gave her. They won't kill her if she's wearing a dress. Not if your vision was accurate."
"What if they ask who she is?"
"You can tell them that she's your handmaiden."
"Handmaidens don't shave their heads."
"Soldiers don't know that. If anyone asks, you can tell them she shaved it because she had lice, or because she was sick, or something like that. No one will think twice about the length of your handmaiden's hair."
"If you think she'll come in handy. I'll take her."
"I don't know if she'll come in handy or not. I just know I'll feel better if someone's with you. Someone that knows how to fight."
"Tell Talia that I need to see her." I grabbed the bottom half of my gown and slipped into it. "And tell her to bring her dress. She'll need to change."
I told Talia where we were going and what I expected to happen when we got there. She agreed with Vomeir, that it would be better if someone went with me. She didn't mind wearing the dress, but she wasn't happy about what she had to wear beneath it. Or as she put it, what she didn't get to wear beneath it. She wanted to wear her regular clothes under the gown and I had to explain that ladies didn't wear regular clothes under their gowns. If she did that, the men in the Army of the West would get suspicious. She reluctantly donned the silk undergarments, but strapped a hunting knife around her right calf.
"Everything's ready, Your Highness," Vomeir said, reentering my tent.
Derbe gave Talia his horse and Patera gave us one of his pack horses. The pack horse carried a pair of wicker trunks, one slung on each side of its body. My clothes were in one trunk. Food, water, and some other supplies were in the second trunk. We didn't need the other stuff, since we would reach the Western Palace well before nightfall, but we wanted to make it look like we traveled through the pass alone. I mounted my mare, then turned back to the others. I felt I should say something before I rode off, but I wasn't sure what. Finally, I said, "I won't let them kill me. I promise."
Not long after we left the Pass of Nod, the Western Palace came into view, sitting on top of a gentle hill that was more brown than green.
"Is that where we're headed?" Talia asked.
"The palace is the big white building at the top of the hill. The smaller buildings between it and the wall at the bottom of the hill house the Army of the West."
"I've never seen anything so big. Except the mountains themselves."
"There are three thousand six hundred men stationed here. A full legion."
"Who will we tell them I am?"
"My handmaiden."
"What does a handmaiden do?"
"Lay out my clothes, help me get dressed, fix my hair, prepare my bath, that kind of stuff."
"And how long have I been your handmaiden?"
"Since your mother died four months ago. That's why you shaved your head. You were mourning your mother's death."
Talia flashed a conspiratorial grin. "But we won't tell them who my mother was."
"That's something they don't need to know."
"Otherwise they'll realize that I'm a bodyguard and not a handmaiden."
Vomeir must've told Talia that she was to serve as my bodyguard. I wasn't sure what she could do against three thousand soldiers, but it felt good to have her with me. The closer we drew to the gates, the better it felt to have her with me.
"They won't shoot us?" Talia asked when we drew close enough to the wall to see a lone guard with a crossbow stationed between the ramparts above the heavy wooden gates.
"That's why we're wearing the gowns. If we were dressed as men, they'd probably shoot first and ask questions later."
"But if we play the part of damsels in distress, they'll welcome us with open arms."
I nodded. "Hopefully."
"It's a good plan. My mother always said the easiest way to best a man is to play the damsel in distress."
We rode in silence until the soldier manning the ramparts called out. "Stop and state your business."
I pulled back on the mare's reins. "I'm Lila Marie Haran, heir hopeful to the throne of Adah. I wish to speak to Trager Selis."
"One, ah, moment, Your Highness."
The man sounded flustered. No big surprise. Rebelling against the queen's emissaries was one thing, rebelling against the queen herself, or in this case, her heir, was something else, especially when you had taken an oath to serve her. It was nice to know there were still men in the Army of the West that could suffer a twinge of guilt over their actions.
What I wanted to know was why did they rebel? Why did they go along with Trager Selis and throw General Dacus in prison? What made them want to do it? I understood Trager Selis. He was ambitious. He lusted for power. I didn't understand the men that supported him. If I was going to gain their support, I needed to understand them. I needed to find out why they rebelled against my mother.
After what seemed like an eternity, Trager Selis appeared between the ramparts directly over the gate, just like in my vision. And just like in my vision, there were half a dozen soldiers on each side of him pointing crossbows at us.
"Princess Lila," Trager Selis said. "What brings you here?"
"My journey has been a long and tiring one. Let me rest in comfortable quarters and I will tell you."
"Tell me now."
"If that's what you wish."
"It is."
"You call yourself the King of the Western Hills. But you, and I, and the men that surround you, know that you are no king."
"You came here to insult me?"
"On the contrary, Commander. I came here to make all your dreams come true."
"How so?"
"You call yourself a king, but we all know that you are no king." I paused to smile. "However, I can make you a king. A legitimate king. A true king. A king whose children will have royal blood flowing through their veins."
"And what do you want from me?"
"My mother is dead. The throne is up for grabs. I think you can figure out the rest. Now, if you would be so kind as to open the gates. It's been a long ride and my handmaiden and I are weary."
Trager nodded to one of his men, who called out, "Open the gates."
The heavy wooden gates opened inward. When they were open all the way, Trager Selis and six armed men rode out to meet us. He stopped next to me and looked me over. "You've changed since I last saw you, Princess. You've grown up."
"The death of one's mother does that, Commander."
"Especially when one's mother is the Queen of Adah. How fair your sisters?"
"Salisha is dead. Iderra flees to Sorea. Only Bedonna and
I remain to fight over mother's throne."
"How many men does Bedonna have?"
"So far just the palace guard."
I could see the wheels turning inside Trager Selis's power hungry little mind. He was beginning to see what I wanted him to see. He was beginning to see how an alliance between the two of us could make him a king. A legitimate king. A true king.
"The trunk on the right has my clothes," I said, when one of Selis's men grabbed our pack horse's reins. "Please put it in my suite. The other one contains what's left of our food and supplies. Do with it as you wish."
We passed through the gates and followed the road that wound its way to the palace on top of the hill. Trager Selis rode on my left. Talia rode on my right. Selis's six men--who I took to be his most loyal supporters and personal guard--followed behind us. The rest of the Army of the West was going about their business, but they all stopped to look at us as we rode by. I wasn't wearing the Ruby Crown, but I was wearing the silver headband known as a princess crown and had little doubt that everyone recognized me.
"How did you know that I've been calling myself the King of the Western Hills?" Trager asked me.
"You mean how could I possibly know that, since you've imprisoned all the messengers my mother sent?"
Trager smiled, a smug smile. "If you want to put it that way."
"I'm a seer, Commander. I know many things."
Okay, so maybe it sounded a little pompous. Or a lot pompous. Either way, it wiped the smug grin off Trager Selis's face. It also let him know that I possessed abilities that he might find useful. I figured the more reasons he had to keep me alive, the safer Talia and I would be.
"There have always been rumors about you and your sisters. But I never heard anything about you being a seer."
"That's because I didn't tell anyone. You might say that I was hiding my assets."
He leered at my breasts and smiled. "In more ways than one, Your Highness."
"Sword fighting against Bedonna was easier when I dressed and cut my hair like a boy. I didn't have her size and strength, so I tried to make up for it with speed and quickness."
"How did you fair?"
"Better than my late sister, Salisha, but never as well as I would've liked."
"Bedonna killed Salisha in a sword fight?"
"Yes."
"We'll have to make sure you don't suffer the same fate."
"Your help will be appreciated and rewarded, Commander."
"I would expect no less, Your Highness."
We reached the top of the hill and circled around to the front of the palace. Palms were scattered across this hill and the surrounding hills. Beyond the hills, I could see the edge of the Desert of Shifting Sands. Its red sands providing a stark contrast to the brown hills.
“Do wild men really live on these hills?"
"Wild men. Wild woman. Though in truth, it's hard to tell the women from the men." Trager dismounted and came over to help me down. He noticed I was straddling the horse. "I see you still ride like a boy."
"Old habits are hard to break." I dismounted without his help and handed him the reins to my horse. If my treating him like a servant bothered him, he didn't let on. "I assume you're staying in the Queen's Suite."
"The Queen's Suite is too frilly for my tastes. My men will take your clothes there and pour you a bath. I imagine you'd like to freshen up after your long journey."
Trager played the perfect host, giving us a tour of the Western Palace. Inside, it looked a lot like the Summer Palace and the Winter Palace, with white granite walls and floors. Brass oil lamps hung from the ceilings. Hand woven tapestries hung on the walls. The first floor consisted of the usual rooms, the great hall, the throne room, the dining hall, the kitchen, and the servant's quarters. The second floor was all suites, the Queen's Suite, along with suites for princesses, advisers, and consorts. Trager Selis was in the largest of the suites set aside for the men.
The Queen's Suite consisted of a large drawing room with half a dozen arched doors that opened onto the palace's extended balcony. There was an equally large dressing room and bedroom, each with half a dozen more doors opening onto the balcony. The balcony doors were all open and the pink silk curtains had been pulled back to allow the warm desert air into the room. The furniture was a mixture of oak and pine and covered with brocaded silk cushions. A hand woven pink and gold throw rug covered the middle of the drawing room floor. In one corner of the drawing room, near the balcony doors, sat a brass tub filled with steaming water.
"Somebody liked pink," I said.
"I believe it was your great great grandmother. According to the stories, she was the last queen to stay here. They say she gave birth here, although I don't know if it was your great grandmother or one of her sisters."
It suddenly occurred to me that if I were to somehow assume the throne and have daughters--I say daughters because no woman in my family had ever given birth to a son--they would never meet their aunts. Salisha was already dead. There was no way Bedonna would let me assume the throne while she still lived. And with Iderra heading for Sorea, it was doubtful she would ever be seen or heard from again.
"Are you all right, Your Highness?" Trager Selis said, drawing me out of my reverie.
"Fine. I was just wondering why my mother or grandmother never came out here."
"Probably the dry air. They say it's hard on a woman's skin." Trager bowed and backed out of the room. “When you've finished freshening up, join me in the dining hall. We have much to discuss."
He closed the door to the hallway, leaving Talia and I alone.
"He doesn't seem so bad," Talia said.
"Your mother was a thief. You know better than anyone that what a thief says to your face, and what he does behind your back, are two different things."
Talia nodded. "That is the way of the thief."
"While I'm dining with Commander Selis, I want you to slip out of the palace and talk to some of the soldiers we passed on our way up here. I need to know why they supported Selis when he rebelled against General Dacus."
"Can I wear my regular clothes? I can move a lot quicker in them."
"As long as Selis doesn't see you." I looked out the doors that opened onto the balcony. They faced west, toward the setting sun, which was casting an orange glow across the sky. It would be dark soon and that would enable Talia to move freely.
"I think Commander Selis will be too busy looking at you to notice whether I'm around. You have a way with men, much like my mother did."
I didn't know how to respond to that. My way with men, if I did have a way with men, was untested. Any interest men had in me, I attributed in large part to my station in life, in small part to my appearance, and in no part to my feminine wiles.
Talia and I unlaced each other's gown. While I slipped into the tub to soak, she donned her old clothes and headed out to talk to some of the soldiers. About a minute after she left, the door to my suite opened. I started to ask her why she was back so soon, then saw that it was Trager Selis.
"I trust this is important, Commander." I tried to not sound as nervous as I felt. I wasn't used to men walking in on me when I was naked, whether I was in a tub full of water or not. Truth be told, I wasn't used to men paying attention to me.
"I brought you something to wear. I suspect it will be a bit more comfortable in this hot dry climate."
"Where did you find something that would fit me?"
"The palace storage rooms are full of women's clothing. I have no idea who any of it belonged to, but some of it looks to be about your size." He laid the outfit on a chair next to the door and left.
Trager's sudden appearance in my room made it hard to relax, so I finished my bath, climbed out of the tub, and dried off.
I padded barefoot across the drawing room floor and looked at the outfit he left. It was sapphire blue in color and made out of silk. The top was a triangle-shaped scrap of material that went over the breasts and tied behind the neck and the m
iddle of the back. It left my back, arms, shoulders, and waist bare.
The bottom half consisted of two straight pieces of silk that reached the ankles. They were attached to a gold chain that went around the waist, but weren't attached to each other. A pair of sapphire blue sandals that laced up the calves completed the outfit. There was nothing else, not even a pair of skimpy silk briefs to wear underneath it.
Unlike my gowns, which consisted of several layers of silk, this getup was nothing more than three thin pieces of silk. I had no intention of wearing something that skimpy, so I headed into the dressing room to find a gown to wear. The problem was my clothes weren't there. Not only was my trunk not there, but the rose colored gown I arrived in was gone. Even Talia's dress was gone.
"So it begins," I said.
I knew Trager wouldn't just let me ride in here and do what I wanted. I knew he would try to control me. I just didn't know how he would do it. Taking my clothes away from me never entered my mind. I figured he would just assign a couple of men to follow me around, like those six men that followed him around. Then again, maybe he didn't have that many men. Maybe his hold over the Army of the West wasn't as secure as I thought. Maybe there were only six men that he could trust. Really trust.
One of our legions consisted of three thousand six hundred men, with each legion being divided into six divisions of six hundred men each. General Dacus had been in charge of the legion. Six commanders were beneath him, with each commander in charge of a division. One of those commanders was Trager Selis. To take control, he would've had to jail General Dacus and the other five commanders.
Seven men might be enough to take control of the Army of the West, especially if General Dacus and the other division commanders didn't see the coup coming. Grab them while they're sleeping, one or two at a time, throw them in the cells beneath the palace, and the foot soldiers surrounding the palace wouldn't know what happened. Most of them probably wouldn't care. Dacus or Selis, what difference did it make to them who was living in the palace, running around shouting, I'm in charge.
I was glad that I had sent Talia out to talk to the troops, to find out what they thought about Trager's rebellion. I needed to find out how deep the roots of this rebellion went.
Until then, I would have to play Trager's game. Even if that meant walking around in an outfit that made me feel naked, which this getup certainly did. Not only were my back, arms, shoulders, and waist bare, but so were my legs. You could see every inch of them when you looked at me from the side, and when I walked, the piece of blue silk that covered my front slid between my legs, baring them from that angle.
So be it, I told myself. I knew I'd have to use my body, my femininity, when I came here. But knowing you had to do something, and actually doing it, were two different things.
I left the princess crown in my suite, but kept my hair in a ponytail, tying it with the choking device Talia gave me. Somehow, it didn't seem appropriate to wear a crown with an outfit that looked like it had been made for a slave.
Three long oak tables set in a U-shape dominated the dining hall. Three dozen high backed oak chairs surrounded the tables, with one dozen chairs at each table.
Trager Selis was sitting at the bottom of the U. His six guards were standing at attention, two of them directly behind him, the other four in each of the room's corners. While his guards wore their breastplates, helmets, and swords, Selis wore only boots, gray leather breeches, and a green colored silk shirt that tied down the front.
I expected the guards to be there. I expected their eyes to focus on me, and what I was wearing, which they did. What I didn't expect was the old crone sitting at Selis's left hand.
She was tall and skinny and as wrinkled as any human I had ever seen. She wore a black wool robe that looked way too warm for this climate. She kept her thin gray hair pulled back in a tight bun.
She cackled when she saw me enter the room. "Just as I foresaw. A beautiful princess dressed as a humble slave girl will sit at the right hand of the King of the Western Hills. Ready and willing to do anything and everything he asks."
It seemed that Trager Selis had a seer of his own. This was an unwelcome development. A very unwelcome development.