The men who entered were fearful and hesitant as they sidled through the door. Krager appeared to have been frightened to the point that he was sober, and Elron was actually cringing. The third man was a stringy-looking Styric with a long beard, shaggy eyebrows, and sunken, burning eyes.

‘All right, gentlemen,’ Zalasta said, ‘this new development calls for a change of plans. My son and I have discussed the matter, and he’s evidently decided that he wants to go on living, because he’s agreed to follow my instructions. I’m going to take the Queen and her maid to a safe place. Natayos is no longer secure. Sparhawk could literally be anywhere. For all I know, he’s already here. I want you three to stay here with Scarpa. Keep sending those letters of instruction to this counterfeit Sparhawk. Don’t let our enemies know that we’re on to them. Give me a couple of days and then send instructions to Panem-Dea. Tell them to prepare suitable quarters for two very important ladies. Then wait two more days and send a closed carriage down there. Security’s an alien concept to those cretins at Panem-Dea, so word of your message will be all over southern Arjuna almost before your messenger arrives. Cyzada, I want you to keep a close watch over my deranged son here. If he doesn’t follow my instructions to the letter, I want you to summon one of the servants of Azash from the nether world to kill him. Be creative, old boy. Pick the crudest and most hideous demon you can find. If Scarpa disobeys me again, I want him to take a long, long time to die, and I want them to be able to hear him screaming all the way from here to Matherion.’

Cyzada’s dead eyes came alight with a sudden cruel anticipation. He fixed a ghastly smile on the now totally rational Scarpa. ‘I’ll see to it, Zalasta,’ he promised in a hollow voice. I know just the one to call on.’

Scarpa shrank back fearfully.

‘Where are you going to take the prisoners, Lord Zalasta?’ Elron quavered. ‘Where can you be safe from that vengeful monster they call Anakha?’

‘You don’t need to know that, Elron,’ Zalasta replied. The Pandions have a reputation for severity when they interrogate prisoners. You won’t be able to tell them what you don’t know – even when they start to torture you.’

Torture?’ Elron’s eyes widened, and his voice came out in a terrified squeak.

‘This is the real world, Elron, not some romanticized day-dream. The posturing and play-acting are over now, but I’m sure we’ll all be impressed by how heroically you endure the agonies they’ll surely inflict on you when they catch you.’

Elron fell back in a near faint.

Chapter 17

Her Royal Highness, Crown Princess Danae of Elenia, sat pensively on an out-of-the-way window-seat on one of the upper floors of her mother’s castle. The weather outside was unsettled, and a blustery wind skipped the dead leaves across the lawns below like scurrying brown mice. Danae absently stroked her purring cat as she considered options, alternatives, and possibilities.

Mirtai, grim, implacable, and wearing an Atan breastplate of polished steel and black leather, stood several yards down the corridor, her face set in an expression of sullen obedience and her hand on her sword-hilt.

‘You’re still angry with me, aren’t you?’ Danae asked the golden giantess, not even bothering to turn around.

‘It’s not my place to either approve or disapprove of my owner.’ Mirtai was being stubborn about it.

‘Oh, stop that. Come here.’

Mirtai marched up the hall to where her capricious little owner was sitting. ‘Yes?’

‘I’m going to try again. Please listen to me this time.’

‘As your Majesty commands.’

‘That’s getting very tiresome, you know. We love you, Mirtai.’

‘Is your Majesty speaking in the royal plural?’

‘You’re starting to make me cross. I’ve got a name, and you know what it is. We all love you, and it would have broken our hearts if you’d decided to kill yourself. I spoke to you the way I did to bring you to your senses, you ninny.’

‘I know why you did it, Danae, but did you have to humiliate me in front of the others?’

‘I apologize.’

‘You can’t do that. You’re a queen, and queens can’t apologize.’

‘I can if I want.’ Danae paused. ‘So there,’ she added.

Mirtai laughed and suddenly embraced the little girl. ‘You’re never going to learn how to be a queen, Danae.’

‘Oh, I don’t know. Being the queen just means that you get what you want. I do that all the time anyway. I don’t need a crown or an army for something as simple as that.’

‘You’re a very spoiled little girl, your Majesty.’

‘I know, and I love every minute of it.’

Then the Princess heard a faint, far-away murmur, a murmur that Mirtai could not, of course, even sense. ‘Why don’t you go find Melidere?’ she suggested. She sighed and rolled her eyes upward. ‘I’m sure she’s looking for me anyway. It’s probably time for another one of those girl lessons.’

‘She’s giving you instruction in courtly manners and traditional courtesies, Danae,’ Mirtai reproved her. ‘If you’re going to be a queen, you’ll need to know those things.’

‘I think it’s silly, myself. Go on ahead, Mirtai. I’ll be along in a minute.’

The giantess went off down the hall, and Princess Danae spoke very quietly. ‘What is it, Setras?’ she asked her cousin.

‘You already know the courtesies, Aphrael,’ her curly-haired cousin said, appearing suddenly beside her. ‘Why are you taking lessons?’

‘It gives Melidere something to occupy her mind and keeps her out of mischief. I spent a great deal of time and effort getting her and Stragen together. I don’t want her to spoil it by getting bored and starting to look for outside entertainment.’

‘That’s very important to you, isn’t it?’ Setras sounded a little puzzled. ‘Why should the things they do to perpetuate themselves interest you at all?’

‘You probably wouldn’t understand, Setras. You’re too young.’

‘I’m as old as you are.’

‘Yes, but you don’t pay any attention to what your worshippers are doing when they’re alone together.’

‘I know what they’re doing. It’s ridiculous.’

‘They seem to like it.’