Never mind. What she was about to do did not depend on the Queen's innocence or guilt, it depended on telling the truth. Not what she thought or guessed, not what Ware had said, but just the simple facts. In fact, if Adria was innocent of what Ware had accused her of, it would be all the better. The Queen would surely be inclined to give her aid, then.
"The need for justice is what brings me, Queen Adria," Xylina replied, letting her outrage creep into her voice. "Justice that only you can dispense. I have been driven to the danger of exile-or of worse-through no fault of my own, and I ask your aid."
Briefly, she explained her "misfortunes," making no accusations, acting (as best she could) as if she truly believed that everything that had happened to her had been just a long series of mischances. She reported everything, from the first vandalism through the series of attacks by ruffians. She concluded with the fire. Throughout her recitation, the Queen’s expression had not changed.
Except-except that each time she detailed how an attack or "accident" had driven her further into debt, the Queen's eyes gleamed for a moment. Had she not seen it happen repeatedly, she might have dismissed it as a figment of her imagination.
"One might almost think you had some unseen enemy, Xylina," the Queen said casually. "Or perhaps that tale you told us of the curse is a true one."
Xylina hung her head for a moment to hide her shock, for she had not spoken of the curse, nor had she implied that she had thought of an enemy. Was the Queen baiting her?
"I can't imagine who would be my enemy, Queen Adria, unless it could be a device of the demon to put me into his debt," she said quietly. "And I was always told that no Mazonite could be touched by the curse of a mere male."
"Very proper," the Queen murmured.
Xylina looked up as soon as she thought she had her expression under control again. Her indignation grew, as she began to detect another subtle change in the Queen's expression-a growing smugness.
Adria thought Xylina a fool.
Then came the second realization. The Queen really had done all this. She really was her enemy.
The realization that Ware had been right, and that she must continue to play the fool, galled her. Yet there was no choice for her, when all was said and done. She must let Adria think that her head was as empty as a jug with a hole in the bottom, if she wanted to survive.
She recited the aftermath of the fire-the knowledge that she must now pay the whole of the sum she owed, and still have nowhere to live. Then she told of the shock when the tax-collector arrived. She did not accuse anyone, she only told of her bewilderment.
And the Queen's eyes lit with unmistakable enjoyment.
"We know it must seem unfair to you, but that law was instituted because there were Mazonites who could not pay their year-taxes, and chose to burn their own property so that they need not do so," the Queen said coolly. "You know that we cannot make an exception for anyone, lest those same women come flocking to us, looking for an exception for themselves."
"Of course, Queen Adria," Xylina said meekly. Xylina had never heard any such thing, and neither had Lycia or any of her friends. That was utter nonsense; no one with any intelligence would ever believe it.
Finally she detailed the loan, how the manservant had come to her with the offer. She told the Queen that she had believed that Hypolyta had been nothing more than a generous and kind-hearted businesswoman, only to learn she had become indebted to a demon. "And he did not reveal himself to me until after the debt came due," she said, and she did not have to feign anger. Her voice shook when she related Ware's suggested "bargain," and when she told the Queen of her answer, she knew that she was hot with rage and shame.
Through it all, the Guard behind her looked completely indifferent to what she said. Xylina wondered for a moment, looking up at her, if there was anything that could make the Guard change her statue-like calm.
"Did this demon tell you his name?" Adria asked.
"He said that it was 'Ware,' Queen Adria," she replied softly. "I can't say if it was his true name. I did not even know he was a demon until he told me-I have never seen a demon before."
The Queen smiled, just a little, and she picked up an ebony stick that sat beside her and tapped the bronze gong set into the floor beside her throne with it. The majordomo appeared immediately.
"Is Ware in attendance with the court?" she asked. The majordomo bowed and answered in the affirmative. "Then summon him here, before us," she ordered. She turned to Xylina. "You can tell us if this is the demon who contracted with you."
The servant disappeared, and returned in a heartbeat or two, Ware pacing elegantly at his side. The demon bowed low before the Queen, and raised a long, tapered eyebrow at Xylina. He had already changed his costume; now he wore shirt and breeches of scarlet silk, and a tunic of crimson velvet. With them he wore belt, gorget, and rings of rubies and gold.
"Did you contract a debt with this young woman?" Adria demanded. "A debt that you knew she could not repay?"
Ware smiled. "It is within my rights, my Queen," he said pointedly. "Yes, I did. I have only exercised a right that every creature of my kind has, as granted by long tradition and the law. You can not deny me that right."
"We are not disputing that," Adria replied. "We only wish to know if you offered a more-physical way of discharging the debt, when this Mazonite could not make her payment. There are certain outgrowths of that proposition that we are not certain the young woman was aware of."
"That is also within my rights, Majesty," Ware reminded her. "It is not incumbent upon a demon to keep your subjects from disporting themselves with my kind. And my kind favor congress with yours, as you well know. If she should choose to exercise that option, the price is more than fair, considering the magnitude of her debt."
He would have said more, but the Queen cut him off with an imperious gesture. "Enough," she said, and turned to Xylina. Now she wore an expression of interest and amusement. "This is intolerable, of course," she said warmly. "But there is nothing we can do about the contract or the offer. Ware is right; there are no laws against what he offered. These creatures twist and turn their just rights about until they no longer resemble anything like the original intentions of our fore-mothers. However, we do not care for his presumption, and we feel that he has tricked you. You have certainly not had justice; something must be done here. Allow us a moment to think; this must be something that will not violate the law, nor make exceptions to it."
She appeared to think for a moment, then turned again to Ware. "You have entrapped this young woman, and that is certainly not to be permitted. We will guarantee the debt," she told him severely.
Ware only bowed, and said nothing. Xylina thought she saw his eyes glinting with amusement, but she could not be certain.
The Queen turned to Xylina, and explained, as if to a very small child, "This does not mean, Xylina, that you no longer owe this demon his agreed-upon sum. You contracted a debt, and it has not been discharged. You will still owe it to him, with interest-but with the guarantee of the Crown, no annual payment will be required. This means that you do not owe him anything at this time, nor next year, and so on, until the full term of the debt is over."
Xylina nodded, and blinked, trying to look innocent and not irritated at having all this explained to her. But she felt free to show her amazement at the Queen's action, as this gave her three more years to make good.
The Queen continued. "If the term of your debt-or you-expire without the debt being paid, the Crown will pay it off. That is what the guarantee means." She glanced at Ware, obliquely, and there was no doubt in Xylina's mind that something about this arrangement pleased her immensely. "Now, this also means that this demon must make every possible effort to see that you repay him; he must, therefore, forfeit his other interests and accompany you wherever you may go until the debt is paid. You must offer him lodging in your home, if he wishes it, or you may move into his if he prefers that. If you go somewhere, he must go with you."