“Well, cousin, what do you say to that?” Jusson laid the paper beside him on the divan.
I took another breath and tried a smile. “Kareste tends to exaggerate.”
“Who is this Magus?”
“A mage, sire.”
“A mage.” The king stared at me. “And you were apprenticed to him?”
My smile disappeared. “Yes, I was.”
“But you’ve broken your indentures?”
“Yes, I did.”
“And now you’re coming into your ‘power’?”
“Yes, according to Laurel Faena, I am.”
“And therefore you’ve become dangerous?”
“No, I’m not.”
“Oh? You lost your temper and tried to kill someone. You don’t call that dangerous?”
I suppressed a shrug, looking away from Jusson. “I’d been provoked, sire.”
“We are aware of Lieutenant Slevoic, Rabbit.”
I blinked at the royal “we.”
“Look at me!”
My head snapped around.
“Such stubborn arrogance, even to your king.” A different kind of frown passed over his face. Then I realized he was smiling again. “You put me in mind of your grandfather, Rabbit. I remember him standing before my mother the queen with the same look, like the world would shape itself according to his will.” The king shook his head. “And it very often did.” I wondered why Jusson had reached back to my grandda as, from what I saw, my uncle and I looked as father and son.
“Your uncle Maceal has his papa’s physical looks and a measure of conceit. But he missed out on something.” Jusson looked hard at me. “And I know now where it all went.” There was muted laughter and my eyes shifted to the lordlings again. The laughter died.
“They bother you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Their wit does not agree with me, cousin.”
King Jusson settled back against the divan and sighed, folding his hands over his stomach. Part of me noted that the glitter had disappeared from his eyes, and let out a relieved breath. The other part shoved my relief far down.
Jusson gave a short laugh. “Determined not to give an ell, are you?” He sighed again. “The ‘squirrel’ was a joke, Rabbit. Just like the major in the officers’ mess.” I gave a start at the king’s mention of the practical joke of that morning.
“Perhaps a little careless, a little tasteless. But no real ill intent. Even the ‘witch’ was more fear than anything else. I would think that after three years of Slevoic, you’d know what malice looked like.” Now part of me was feeling rather small as I shifted in my chair. I did know what malice looked like and Jusson was right, it hadn’t happened here.
“As king, Rabbit, you very quickly learn which battles you fight and which aren’t worth the effort. It seems that somehow you didn’t. Though one would think that you would’ve had to with six older brothers and sisters, just in self-defense.”
“And five years under Lieutenant Groskin, sire,” Jusson’s Lord Commander said, unexpectedly. Startled, I looked up and met his gray blue gaze, and to my astonishment, he winked.
This time the king laughed. “Yes, indeed, Thadro.” His laughter faded as he stared at me. “Well?”
I dropped my eyes to the king’s briefly, then looked down again, hunching over my hand. “You’re right, sire—Jusson. It’s just that—”
“I am going to command that you remove those words from your speech, Rabbit.”
“Yes, cousin.”
Jusson sighed. “Well, tell me. It’s just what?”
“I don’t know what’s safe anymore.” I marveled that I’d admitted that as I ran a finger over the rune.
“I see,” Jusson said.
It was quiet as I sat tracing the rune in my palm. I remembered something from my apprentice days before I had bolted: once for memory, twice for witness, three times to establish. I finished my third tracing and felt the rune flare warm across my palm.
“Show me, cousin.”
I held out my hand and Jusson grasped it, pulling it to him. He bent over and traced the rune with his own finger and it grew warmer. He watched it shimmer for a moment, then, releasing me, sat back and picked up the letter. “If I were a cruel man, I would tell you that I needed to think on this and decide in a day or two. Or a week. But I am not cruel—at least, not unnecessarily so. I am also not inclined to force a kinsman back to someone he has fled, indentured or not, untrained mage or not, and so I will deny this request.” A look of revulsion crossed his face as he set the paper aside again. “Besides, the Magus had bespelled the bird he used to send the message so that it wouldn’t rest nor stop to eat until it reached me. It died in my hand.” His brows met as he stared at me, the gold bright around the black of his eyes. “You will remain with your troop, cousin, continuing in all the offices that you hold, honoring all the oaths you have made. So sworn?”
The rune flared once more as someone gasped and gasped again. Realizing it was me, I bit my lip hard and drew blood. “Yes.” It came out as a sob so I swallowed and tried again. “So sworn, Your Majesty.” Another sob leaked out. “Fiat.”
Chapter Thirty-two
I staggered to the carriage that one of the royal majordomo twins had waiting at a side entrance so I could avoid the reception crowds and, on the king’s command, go home and rest. The majordomo had also gathered Laurel and Captain Javes, and was off to find Captain Suiden. With one look at my face, the two of them remained quiet in the presence of the coachman. The majordomo returned quickly, guiding Suiden, who had his arm flung around his cousin Kenalt’s shoulder both in familial affection and for balance’ sake. Both of them were singing sea ditties sotto voce so that, as Suiden told us, they didn’t wake the djinn that slept in the rocks and crevices along the coastline. “If they’re awakened, they bring storms, Sroene.”
Sro Kenalt nodded several times. “Yes. Destroy ships.” He lifted a finger to his lips. “Shhh.”
The majordomo had taken off once more and now returned with Jeff and our other outrider. The three of them helped Suiden climb into the carriage, while Kenalt supervised. Despite that, we were soon all aboard and ahorse, the coachman snapped the reins and we took off. I’d expected Suiden to fall asleep but he stayed awake, demonstrating with his sword belt all the different sailors’ knots.
When we arrived at the embassy, I slipped off to my own room—where I discovered that the furnishers had been there too, moving in bunk beds for four. However, I also discovered that Groskin had moved out, taking not only his gear, but Jeff’s and the other trooper’s too. The trooper gave me a side glance before leaving; Jeff, however, stood in the middle of the room for a few moments. He then stripped down to his smalls and, choosing a top bunk, curled up on its bare mattress. I was too weary to feel much of anything, except to think that Groskin’d have an interesting time explaining to Suiden what he’d done, especially with the head the captain was going to have tomorrow.
For the first time in days I was able to get up the following morning without someone hanging over me, and I savored it. Jeff was already gone and so, after dressing, I went down by myself into the officers’ mess and stopped. It was also the first time I’d been in the officers’ mess since it had been furnished. I stared about, seeing the same quiet elegance that was in the captains’ office. There were round tables, dark brown against the white walls and polished to a mirror finish, with high-backed, intricately carved chairs. On each table was a vase with fresh-picked flowers from the courtyard, with place settings of silverware, linen napkins, crystal glasses, porcelain teacups with matching saucers. The courtyard doors were open and I could see tables and chairs out on the trellised patio, though these seemed to be made out of wrought iron painted white. I sat at a table and Basel immediately emerged from the kitchen.