Abrastal’s voice was flat. ‘Your Ceda was able to track us based on the drawing of water from the ground … while he sits ensconced in the palace in Letheras? You expect me to give credit to that explanation, Prince? Not even a god could reach that far.’
‘Yes, well.’
They could hear horses now, coming in from the southeast, and the Bolkando camp was suddenly stirring, as exhausted, suffering soldiers left their bivouacs to line the main avenue between tent rows. Voices were lifting – and now Aranict could see the vanguard. She squinted at the pennants. ‘Sire,’ she said to Brys, ‘Letherii, yes, but I do not recognize the heraldry – what battalion is that?’
‘A new one, I would hazard,’ Brys replied.
The battalion commander halted his troop with a gesture and then rode forward until he was ten paces from Brys and the others. He dismounted in a clatter of armour, removed his helm and then walked to kneel before the prince.
‘Idist Tennedict, sire, commanding the Chancel Battalion.’
‘Please stand, Commander,’ said Brys. ‘Your arrival is most welcome. Idist Tennedict – I believe I know that family name though at the moment I cannot place it.’
‘Yes, sire. My father was one of your brother’s principal stakeholders, and numbered among the first to go under on the Day of Losses.’
‘I see. It seems, however, that the Tennedict family has recovered from its … misfortune.’
‘Yes, and the king has seen fit to reward us, sire –’
‘Excellent.’
‘– in the form of community service, under his new programme of Indebtedness to the Community, sire. As the middle son and facing few prospects, I elected to take the military route for my community service, while the rest of the Tennedict family set to reforming the impoverished conditions of the indigents out on the Isles.’
Abrastal made a sound somewhere between disbelief and disgust. ‘Forgive my interruption, Commander. Am I to understand that the king of Lether, having ruined your family’s wealth, has since seen fit to demand from you a period of public service?’
‘That is correct, Highness.’
‘How is that even remotely fair?’
Idist managed a faint smile as he regarded her. ‘On the matter of fairness, Queen, King Tehol had much to say to my father, and all those others who profit from the debts of others.’
Abrastal scowled. ‘Speaking from a position of great privilege, I find that offensive.’
‘Highness,’ said Idist, ‘I believe that was the point.’
Brys spoke. ‘Commander, you bring not only yourselves, but also resupply, is that correct?’
‘It is, sire. In addition, I carry a written missive from the king, addressed to you.’
‘Do you have it with you?’
‘I do, sire.’
‘Then, please, read it to us.’
The young commander’s brows lifted. ‘Sire? Perhaps, some privacy …’
‘Not at all, Commander. You seem to have the voice of a drill sergeant as it is. Lend it to my brother’s words, if you please.’
All at once the man was sweating, and Aranict felt a sudden sympathy. She leaned close to Brys. ‘You might want to reconsider, love. This is your brother, after all.’
‘Yes, and?’
‘His own words, Brys.’
The prince frowned. ‘Ah, right.’
But Idist had begun. ‘“Greetings to Prince Brys from King Tehol the Only of Lether. Dearest brother, have you slept with her yet?”’ Wisely, he paused then and looked up at the prince. On all sides, from the soldiers within earshot to Abrastal and Spax, there was deathly silence. Sighing, Aranict lit a stick of rustleaf.
Brys stood, one hand over his eyes, and then, with a helpless gesture, bade Idist continue.
‘“Never mind, we can talk about that later, but let it be known that as king I can command from you every detail down to the very last, er, detail, all the while promising that my wife will never hear a single word of any of it. Since, as I am sure you have now discovered, pillow talk can be deadly.
‘“Best I turn now to the dull, official content next, so that we can later return to the juicy details. I feel justified in such expectations since I have discovered that women actually engage in the most horrendously explicit discussions of their menfolk when in the company of their bosomed friends, inviting tit for tat, and what tit could be more inviting than tat?”’
Spax burst out a harsh laugh, and then ducked. ‘Sorry, that was just me, being appalled.’