"There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" he said lightly, running his hands over her waist and hips. "I know you've been wanting me to do that. All those smiles and pretty thank your for my gifts and
all the while a lover's kiss waiting at the corner of your lips to be collected."
"But I haven't ... I didn't mean ..." Tashi couldn't find the words, horrified that he could have taken her responses as encouragement. Part of her mind knew that she had every right to be
outraged at the liberty he had taken, but somehow he had made it into her fault and her main
feeling was now one of guilt. She had unintentionally led him on. Whatever he thought, she had
to get away from him.
"I'm sorry if I have behaved inappropriately," she began, annoyed to find she sounded like a schoolgirl apologizing to a teacher for misbehavior.
He was watching her with an amused smile, still far too close.
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"You must remember that I am a stranger to your ways," she whispered.
He took her hand and kissed the palm. "You are no stranger. I feel I know you very well, my
darling."
"Please don't call me that."
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"I'll call you whatever you wish." He was now kissing the tender skin on her forearm.
"Please don't, Merl. I can't accept these . . . these attentions. It's not right."
He let go of her, frowning. "Are you saying, Tashi, that you don't like me?"
He tapped her on the nose. "I think you have been teasing me, little cousin.
And you'll have to make it up to me sooner or later. Today I'll let you off. But I'll be back to
collect the penalty." He leant forward and gave her another, more restrained kiss. "Don't forget: you owe me."
Tashi ran back to her room, tore off her cloak, and threw her shoes into the corner. Ramil had
told her last night that she made him feel dirty; well, that was exactly the effect Merl had on her.
She could not stomach the idea of spending another moment alone with him. No wonder Ramil
couldn't bear to be with her! Collapsing on the bed, she heard something crunch beneath her.
Feeling the pillow, she pulled out a battered rose made from reeds. A little plaited "R" hung from the bottom. Curling up and hugging the flower to her chest, she burst into tears, feeling
very foreign and very confused.
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Tashi's solution to the problem of Eastern men was to withdraw as far as possible into being the
Fourth Crown Princess. She did not approach Ramil at all but walked with her eyes lowered as
she went about the
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camp. She could not avoid Merl, but she maintained a strict distance, keeping her face impassive
and her movements guarded. He seemed
amused by her reaction and tried to thaw her new reserve but she ignored him, presenting her
work on his desk with a wordless bow and spending most of her time in her room. She refused
his invitation to take more riding lessons.
"The Princess isn't happy again," Gordoc remarked to Ramil, seeing her pass the entrance to
their tent one day.
Ramil said nothing. He had noticed that this new behavior coincided with his attempt at a love
token. He could only assume it was not welcome.
The first time he saw her properly was the evening when news from Gerfal finally arrived. Nerul
summoned them to a council in his tent. Tashi kept them all waiting, making her entrance at the
last moment in a sweep of skirts and an elegant bow. She sat on Nerul's chair as if it were a
throne, her hands folded in her lap. Ramil raised an eyebrow at Gordoc. The big man was
looking even more puzzled because he had never been treated to the full Princess Taoshira act
before.
Nerul cleared his throat. "I have messages to deliver to you both, Your Highnesses. Your father,
Prince, sends his warmest congratulations on your escape. He fully endorses your suggestion
that Gerfal support the resistance and will be sending arms and supplies as soon as possible. He
says you are at liberty to choose your own
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course from here on as he places full trust in you to decide in the best interests of your people."
Ramil smiled. He knew his father was sending a coded apology for having doubted his judgment
in the autumn.
"And as for you, Princess Taoshira, you will not be surprised to learn that your people also
rejoice at your freedom. The correspondent, one entitled the Etiquette Mistress, regrets that
they are not empowered to offer full assistance to either us or Gerfal as this would be
tantamount to a declaration of war on Fergox Spearthrower. That decision rests with all four
Crown Princesses in concert. However, she takes into account your instructions to defend
aggressively their ships presently at anchor in Falburg harbor." Nerul looked up. "By that, I guess, you have told them to protect the sea approach to the Gerfalian capital?"
Tashi nodded. "It was the best I could do on my own authority. They have rules of engagement
to respond if attacked. Fergox cannot get past them without provoking my ships to open fire."
"That is very good. Unfortunately, it may not be enough. Foiled in his plan to force an alliance
upon Gerfal by causing a war between your two countries, the Spearthrower has determined on
a full assault on Gerfal as soon as the snows melt. King Lagan is aware of this and knows he faces
an impossible defense without powerful allies. And I believe, Your Highness, one of your last
acts before your abduction was to call the alliance off?"
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The Fourth Crown Princess inclined her head. "Yes, I did."
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Ramil looked down at his nails.
"Then Gerfal will fall and Fergox triumph once more." Nerul threw the letters on the desk in contempt.
In the silence that followed, Tashi felt everyone in the room was thinking that she was to blame
for this. She even thought so herself. If she hadn't been so hasty to run away from marriage with
Ramil, negotiations could have continued for their mutual self-defense. It was too late to call
back the messenger bird. The only answer was to return to the Blue Crescent Islands herself and
argue that the alliance should go ahead even without the marriage. She owed it to kindly King
Lagan, to the people of Gerfal, to Ramil.
"I now regret my actions and will do all I can to repair them. I will return to my sisters and beg them to send our navy to aid you," Tashi said steadily, knowing what she was proposing was
highly dangerous and probably
impossible, but she had to do something. "I will leave immediately."
Merl crossed the floor and put a hand on her arm. "Tashi, Tashi, you can't possibly know what
you are saying. You'll be caught--dragged off to Fergox again. We couldn't bear that--I couldn't
bear that."
The Fourth Crown Princess brushed his hand off and froze him with her glare. "I am well aware
of the risks, my lord. I am not a heedless girl to be told to sit quietly in a corner while others take action, but a ruler of my country with a responsibility to our friends and allies."
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She turned to Nerul, knowing that he would understand this. "I am grateful for the shelter you
have given me these past weeks, Your Grace, and would value your advice how best to proceed.
To return home by the south means I will have to travel in lands strange to me. Perhaps your
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