The Sapphire Rose

‘What are you going to do about all the Zemochs in eastern Pelosia?’

‘That’s where I come in, Your Grace,’ Kring told him. ‘There’s a pass that leads into the interior. The Zemochs don’t seem to know about it for some reason. My horsemen and I have been using it for years – any time ears get scarce along the border.’ He stopped abruptly and looked with some consternation at King Soros. The King of Pelosia, however, was busy praying and appeared not to have heard the Domi’s inadvertent revelation.

‘That’s about all there is to it, Your Grace,’ Sparhawk concluded. ‘Nobody really knows for sure what’s going on in Zemoch, so we’ll have to improvise once we get there.’

‘How many of you are there?’ Bergsten asked.

‘The usual group. Five knights, Kurik, Berit and Sephrenia.’

‘What about me?’ Talen objected.

‘You are going back to Cimmura, young man,’ Sephrenia told him. ‘Ehlana can keep an eye on you. You’ll stay at the palace until we come back.’

‘That’s not fair!’

‘Life is filled with injustice, Talen. Sparhawk and your father have plans for you, and they don’t propose to let you get yourself killed before they have a chance to put them in motion.’

‘Can I appeal to the Church for sanctuary, Your Grace?’ Talen asked Bergsten quickly.

‘No, I don’t think so,’ the armoured Patriarch replied.

‘You have no idea how disappointed I am in our holy mother, Your Grace,’ Talen sulked. ‘Just for that, I don’t think I’ll join the Church after all.’

‘Praise God,’ Bergsten murmured.

‘Amen,’ Abriel sighed.

‘May I be excused?’ Talen asked in a huffy tone.

‘No.’ It was Berit, who sat by the door with his arms crossed and one leg thrust out to block the doorway.

Talen sat back down, looking injured.

The remainder of the discussion dealt with the deployment of troops at the various fortresses and castles in central Lamorkand. Sparhawk and his friends were not going to be involved in that, so the bridegroom’s attention wandered. He did not actually think of anything very coherently, but sat instead staring wide-eyed at the floor.

The meeting broke up about noon, and they began to file out. There were many preparations to make, and they all had things to do.

‘Friend Sparhawk,’ Kring said as they left Nashan’s study, ‘might I have a word with you?’

‘Of course, Domi.’

‘It’s sort of personal.’

Sparhawk nodded and led the scarred chief of the Peloi to a small chapel nearby. They both perfunctorily genuflected to the altar and then sat on a polished bench near the front of the chapel. ‘What is it, Kring?’ Sparhawk asked.

‘I’m a plain man, friend Sparhawk,’ Kring began, ‘so I’ll speak to the point. I’m mightily taken with that tall, beautiful woman who guards the Queen of Elenia.’

‘I thought I detected something like that.’

‘Do you think I might have any chance with her at all?’ Kring’s heart was in his eyes.

‘I’m not really sure, my friend,’ Sparhawk told him. ‘I scarcely know Mirtai.’

‘Is that her name? I never really had the chance to find out. Mirtai – it’s got a nice sound to it, doesn’t it? Everything about her is perfect. I have to ask this. Is she married?’

‘I don’t think so.’

‘Good. It’s always awkward to pay court to a woman if you have to kill her husband first. It seems to get things off to a bad start for some reason.’

‘I think you should know that Mirtai’s not an Elene, Kring. She’s a Tamul, and her culture – and religion – are not the same as ours. Are your intentions honourable?’

‘Of course. I think too much of her to insult her.’

‘That’s the first step anyway. If you approached her on any other footing, she’d probably kill you.’

‘Kill?’ Kring blinked in astonishment.

‘She’s a warrior, Kring. She’s not like any other woman you’ve ever encountered.’

‘Women can’t be warriors.’

‘Not Elene women, no. But as I said, Mirtai’s an Atan Tamul. They don’t look at the world the same way we do. As I understand it, she’s already killed ten men.’

‘Ten?’ Kring gasped incredulously, swallowing hard. ‘That’s going to be a problem, Sparhawk.’ Kring squared his shoulders. ‘No matter, though. Perhaps after I marry her, I can train her to behave more properly.’

‘I wouldn’t make any wagers on that, my friend. If there’s going to be any training, I think you’re the one who’ll be on the receiving end of it. I’d really advise you to drop the whole idea, Kring. I like you, and I’d hate to see you get yourself killed.’

‘I’m going to have to think about this, Sparhawk,’ Kring said in a disturbed tone of voice. ‘This is a very unnatural situation we have here.’

‘Yes.’

‘Nonetheless, could I ask you to serve as my oma?’

‘I don’t understand the word.’

‘It means friend. The one who goes to the woman – and to her father and brothers. You start by telling her how much I’m attracted to her and then tell her what a good man I am – the usual thing, you understand – what a great leader I am, how many horses I own, how many ears I’ve taken and what a great warrior I am.’

‘That last should impress her.’

‘It’s just the simple truth, Sparhawk. I am the best, after all. I’ll have all the time while we’re riding to Zemoch to think it over. You might mention it to her before we leave, though – just to give her something to think about. Oh, I almost forgot. You can tell her that I’m a poet too. That always impresses women.’

‘I’ll do my best, Domi,’ Sparhawk promised.

Mirtai’s reaction was none too promising when Sparhawk broached the subject to her later that afternoon. ‘That little bald one with the bandy legs?’ she said incredulously. ‘The one with all the scars on his face?’ Then she collapsed in a chair, laughing uncontrollably.

‘Well,’ Sparhawk murmured philosophically as he left her, ‘I tried.’

It was going to be an unconventional sort of wedding. There were no Elenian noblewomen in Chyrellos to attend Ehlana, for one thing. The only two ladies who were really close to her were Sephrenia and Mirtai. She insisted on their presence, and that raised some eyebrows. Even the worldly Dolmant choked on it. ‘You can’t bring two heathens into the nave of the Basilica during a religious ceremony, Ehlana.’