Ra-khir disengaged from Saviar to face Subikahn. The Eastern prince reached out a hand in greeting, but Ra-khir ignored it, catching his stepson into an embrace as loving as his son's. "I'm so glad you're back."
"Hey," Subikahn said breathlessly. "I'm little; I can actually break." As Ra-khir eased his powerful grip, the prince added in his normal voice, "You knew it was us long before you could see our faces. How?"
"Movement, mannerisms." Ra-khir studied them both as he talked. "A man knows his sons."
Subikahn jabbed a finger at Saviar. "Sons, see? I wasn't lying."
Ra-khir finally turned his attention to Chymmerlee, executing a grand bow. "Forgive my rudeness, beautiful lady. I'm Sir Ra-khir Kedrin's son, Knight of Erythane in the service of their Majesties, King Humfreet of Erythane and High King Griff of Bearn."
Chymmerlee curtsied nervously. "So I'd gathered. I've heard a lot about you, Sir Ra-khir. All of it very good."
Saviar supplied the one amenity she had missed, "Her name's Chymmerlee, Papa. She's a friend."
Curious faces watched the reunion from the beachfront, and Saviar suddenly recognized them. "Sif and Modi, Papa! You're commanding-"
"Sir!" Subikahn shouted over his twin, with a rudeness Ra-khir would never have tolerated from Saviar.
Ra-khir would usually haughtily refuse to acknowledge such a discourteous plea, but the volume and abruptness of the call apparently had him turning to Subikahn before he could think to stop himself.
Subikahn's cheeks reddened in tight circles. "Sorry, sir. I was just thinking the war could start any moment, and I really need to get Chymmerlee somewhere safe."
"Actually," Chymmerlee said, her voice seeming small and sweet in the wake of Subikahn's cry. "I need to stay within visual distance of the war."
Subikahn swiftly lost his embarrassment. "Is there someplace like that, Ra-khir? Someplace she can watch from a safe distance?"
Only then Saviar realized the mistake he had nearly made, the one Subikahn had covered with his abrupt rudeness. Saviar had been about to say "Renshai"-a word that would have shaken Chymmerlee terribly.
Ra-khir licked his lips, clearly weighing his words. "To be brutally honest…" He paused to glance in Saviar's direction, looking to him for clues on how much information Chymmerlee could handle.
Saviar nodded decisively. Chymmerlee had a purpose, and shielding her from the truth would not make the threat as clear. She, and her people, needed to know and understand the worst case scenario.
Thus encouraged, Ra-khir finished. "… our enemies are ruthless killers of men and women. No place in the world is safe." He made a broad gesture that encompassed the massed ships. "But, if I had to pick the most secure location from which to watch this war, it's the peak of Bearn Castle. Matrinka's there, the whole royal family." His gaze flicked toward the mountain castle. "But the guards certainly won't let just anyone join them."
Saviar took Chymmerlee's hand, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by his father. "I'll convince them."
"No," Subikahn chimed in. "It'll have to be me."
Saviar's brows furrowed, and he gave his twin a curious look. "Do you think you're more convincing than I am?"
"No," Subikahn said, smiling. "Definitely not. But…" He tipped his head to Ra-khir, allowing him to explain what apparently seemed obvious to Subikahn.
Ra-khir accepted the burden. "He's a prince, Saviar. His words, no matter how well or poorly spoken, carry a lot more weight than yours do in royal situations."
Subikahn turned his twin an irritating "I told you so" expression.
"But there's a more important reason why Subikahn should go instead of you."
Those words surprised both of the young men, and a note of unhappiness in Ra-khir's tone struck Saviar. He looked at Subikahn, who had dropped his sneer for an expression of innocent uncertainty. He, too, had detected something in Ra-khir's delivery.
"Subikahn, your father's at the castle."
Subikahn blinked. When he replied, he sounded suspicious, defensive. "Yeah? So?"
Ra-khir's brows lifted, and creases appeared in his forehead. "He's badly injured, Subikahn. I've talked to some of the healers.
More than one thinks he's only lived this long because Matrinka's convinced him his lethal wounds… aren't."
Other than a slight trembling in his hands, Subikahn gave no reaction. Not a hint of emotion crossed his features. He took Chymmerlee's other arm, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Saviar. Dutifully, wistfully, he released her to the care of his brother.Without another word, Subikahn headed toward the palace.
Saviar watched them go, startled by the drop of a heavy, gloved hand on his shoulder.
"There's something going on between you, isn't there?"
Saviar turned to his father, "Well, we are brothers."
Ra-khir chuckled. "Not you and Subikahn, you goose."
It was the first time Saviar could remember his father engaging in name-calling. He would have smiled if not for the burdensome news the knight had dropped just moments earlier. "Is King Tae really going to… die?"
Ra-khir shrugged. "Matrinka's a gifted healer, and she seems utterly convinced she can fix him. But he's also one of her closest friends. I'm not sure she's able to see his situation objectively."
Saviar could only nod. He could not imagine the world without Tae Kahn. Some of his fondest memories involved romping on the floor with a king who could switch from childlike to manly in an instant. At times, Saviar had envied Subikahn his father. He could scarcely imagine Ra-khir or Kevral wrestling in the dirt with them or playing seek and hide games involving windowsills, precious heirlooms, and swinging from chandeliers.
"Of course," Ra-khir added thoughtfully, "it wouldn't be the first time Tae surprised everyone. He won't talk about it, but his body is riddled with old wounds, the kind of scars that run deep. He's been stabbed and shot dozens of times. He once fell off Bearn Castle in the winter and got trapped under a solid layer of ice for only the gods know how long. And he's still here, Saviar. He's still here."
Saviar had seen some of those scars, including the one directly over Tae's heart. "He's ornery, Papa. Neither Valhalla nor Hel wants him, so they keep throwing him back."
Ra-khir laughed. "I hope you're right." He started back toward Silver Warrior. "So, are you going to tell me about this lady of yours?"
"Gladly." Saviar walked alongside his father. "What man doesn't relish the opportunity to talk about his…" Saviar paused to pick the right word. "… budding girlfriend."
"Budding?"
"Well, I haven't known her all that long," Saviar admitted. And half of that time I was in a coma. "Thialnir is set on me courting only Renshai, and his argument is a good one."
Ra-khir sighed. "Please don't take this as criticism, but Chymmerlee doesn't seem…"
Saviar waited out the pause.
"… exactly the Renshai type."
The words confused more than offended. "What do you mean?"
"She seems… quiet. She's not carrying any obvious weapons. You just seem very… different. From one another, I mean."
Saviar could not help interjecting, "You mean, different? As opposed to you and Mama?"
Ra-khir stiffened only slightly. Apparently, he had gotten far enough past the grief to function normally, even when the conversation turned directly to Kevral. "Yes, we were different, all right. And it worked, but it wasn't easy. There were lots of problems to overcome, from inside and outside the marriage. Even to the very end." He managed a lopsided smile. "But I loved her like the stars love the sky. I would have dug to the world's core had she only asked." He gave Saviar a steady look. "Is that how you feel about Chymmerlee?"
"No," Saviar admitted. "Not yet, anyway. But I like her an awful lot, and I want to get to know her better."
"And your brother?"
"Well, of course I love him. Not sure I'd dig to the world's core for him, though."