Reign of Madness (Revised Edition) (5 page)

Rezkin turned his icy gaze on Tieran as he donned a feral
grin. “Did you not find it to be a satisfactory demonstration of an ancient
dual sword form, Lord Tieran?”

The look in Rezkin’s eyes offered a much more intimate
demonstration of Rezkin’s sword skills. Tieran was aware that what Rezkin had
done was not as easy as it looked. He could also assume from the man’s attitude
that he could perform at a much more difficult standard, if necessary. Rezkin
had been holding back, and Tieran knew it. As he held Tieran’s gaze, Rezkin
reached over and placed an arm around Frisha. Tieran’s eyes darted to the young
woman and back to Rezkin again. No doubt the young lord was reliving the first
day they had met and was regretting every minute of it.

Tieran swallowed and nodded his pale, clammy face as he
replied, “Yes, Lord Rezkin. It was quite impressive.” Determined not to appear
completely intimidated in front of the others, Tieran sucked in a heavy breath,
lifted his chin and said, “But, as
attractive
as it was, I am not sure
it would hold up in a real fight. After all, battling an unpredictable opponent
is nothing like dancing through sword forms.”

“What are you talking about?” Palis blurted. “It was
beautiful. I have never seen such elegance and fluid motion. How did you find
anyone to teach you such a thing? I have never even heard of it, much less seen
it before.”

Rezkin shrugged, “I trained with two Masters of the
techniques.”

“Where are these Masters now? I would very much like to meet
them,” Palis said eagerly.

The young warrior furrowed his brow as his chest tightened,
and he replied, “They are dead.”

Palis’s face fell. “Oh.”

The first mate suddenly appeared at the top of the steps. He
glared at the crew members who were standing idly and barked, “What do you lazy
swine think yer doin’? Get back to work!” He frowned at the gathered passengers
and then stalked away.

As the sailors wandered back to their posts, a few of them
could be heard muttering words that sounded close to “pretentious” and “court
dandy.” Of course, to the rough men of the ship who were mostly brawlers, the
elegant sword forms would look impractical and ostentatious.

Tieran rolled his eyes at Palis’s adulation and said, “It is
not as if the forms were that difficult. He
said
they were introductory
forms. He could not expect to go up against a skilled swordsman with
introductory skills and hope to win.

Frisha interjected, “I thought that you said
any
dual
sword form was difficult.”

Captain Jimson could not stop his mouth from blurting, “I do
not remember Rezkin saying that these were the most difficult forms he had
mastered, Lord Tieran.”

Tieran clamped his mouth shut and darted a glance at the
mysterious noble. Rezkin really wished his friend had not pointed out that
little detail, but perhaps it would help to silence the duke’s son.

Rezkin wore a slight smile as he shrugged back into his rich
silk doublet and said, “Perhaps Lord Tieran is correct. A man can never say how
he will fare in battle until he has faced off with his opponent.”

“But, you
have
been in battle,” Frisha protested. It
was another statement Rezkin wished had not been made. His
friends
seemed intent on standing up for him, which he could appreciate, even if it was
not ideal at the time.

“Yes, but they were
only
bandits,” he dismissed with
a wave of his hand and a conceited sniff. The other nobles could be easily led
to dismiss the bandits, as well. Such was the nature of their arrogance. Rezkin
turned the conversation back to the tournament. “Besides, the dual sword form
is useless for the tournament. Like I said before, dueling has never been my
preference, but I am sure Tieran’s performance will be most impressive.”

“Well, I, for one, am relieved,” stated Malcius. “It is
reassuring to know that you are not so perfect at
everything
. I was
beginning to develop an inferiority complex.”

Captain Jimson shook his head at Rezkin’s masterful
manipulation. Had he not known any better, he would have thought Rezkin was the
skilled but pretentious court dandy the sailors thought him to be. Rezkin had a
way of making things go according to his whims, and he made it look effortless.
It was like Rezkin was two different men. The captain’s eyes caught on Frisha
and then flowed to Tam and Reaylin.
No
, he thought,
Rezkin is at
least
three
men
.

There was the Rezkin that Tam, Frisha, and Reaylin knew. He
was the genuine, stoic warrior-protector who kept his friends close and treated
the injured with a healer’s expertise and concern. Then, there was the Rezkin
that Jimson and the general knew, who was the indomitable Sword Bearer
embroiled in a kingdom conspiracy with an unexplained connection to the old
King Bordran. Finally, there was the Rezkin the nobles knew. He was an
overbearing, outspoken, chauvinistic fop who commanded respect with skill and
decorum. Jimson now understood what Rezkin meant when he said he could play any
role perfectly, and he could not help but wonder,
Who
is
Rezkin
really
?

Rezkin turned his attention to Frisha and said, “Frisha,
dear, how would you like to practice for a while? I am sure Reaylin and Tam are
eager to get in some exercise, as well.”

Frisha flushed at the attention and began, “Oh, well, I
don’t…”

Shiela interrupted, “Wait,
Frisha
is learning the
sword
?”

Frisha shook her head as Rezkin answered, “Well, she
was
learning the sword, but she refuses to carry one, so I switched her to throwing
knives.”

“
Why?
” Shiela blurted.

Rezkin looked at her askance. “There is no guarantee I will
always be around to protect her. Frisha is a strong woman with an adventurous
spirit. She needs to be able to protect herself and not completely depend on
others to do it for her.”

“But she is a
woman
,” Shiela argued.

Reaylin stepped forward. “And, that is a problem?”

Shiela sniffed. “You are a commoner. I would not expect you
to understand. It is simply unseemly.”

Rezkin grinned, “On the contrary, Lady Shiela. Historians of
the martial skills nearly all agree that the greatest warriors in history were
the
Soka
of the Jahartan Empire. They were priestesses of the death
goddess, Nihko, and were both feared and revered by all. The greatest of them
was called the
Meíshma
, who actually outranked even the Emperor, himself.
The priestesses were renowned, not only for their martial skills, but also for
their great beauty, extreme intelligence and education, and enticingly
seductive garb.”

Shiela huffed. “You would not know seduction if it slapped
you in the face,” she grumbled under her breath, but Rezkin heard. Everyone
heard.

A sly grin slipped over Rezkin’s lips as he replied, “I know
it well enough to know you are not very good at it.”

Frisha gasped, and Shiela’s face heated. Palis and Malcius
snickered while Reaylin burst into laughter. Shiela straightened her spine,
lifted her chin and sidled up to Rezkin who still had an arm around Frisha. The
young woman ignored her cousin’s presence and leaned in far enough that her
breasts pressed against Rezkin’s chest. Rezkin held back from shoving her away,
which was his natural instinct for more than one reason.

Shiela trailed a manicured nail along Rezkin’s strong jaw
and spoke in a voice husky with insinuation. “Oh, my Lord Rezkin, if you would
just cast my
cousin
aside, I will show you just how seductive I can
be
.”

Rezkin’s gaze darkened as he grasped her wandering hand. He
leaned down closer to her ear. His deep voice matched Shiela’s sultry tone as
he replied, “Lady Shiela, I am afraid that with your
delicate
constitution,
you could not handle what I have to offer.” He dropped Shiela’s hand like it
was a dirty rag.

Frisha stiffened under Rezkin’s arm. She had never heard him
speak in such a manner, and the too-public insinuation of just what Rezkin was
offering to Frisha was both flattering and insanely embarrassing.

Shiela was not ready to give up, though. “Do you not know,
Rezkin? It is all about
balance
,” she purred. “Sooner or later you will
realize that a strong man such as yourself needs a
real
woman, not some
common-blooded trollop who dresses like a man and plays with swords. Dear Uncle
Marcum has already rejected you,” she stated harshly, with hurtful intent. In a
more soothing tone she continued, “It is time for you to look for someone more
appropriate…and
available
.”

“Shiela!” Malcius barked. “Remember, you are a
lady
,”
he scolded.

The young woman turned to her brother with a sweet smile and
innocent eyes. “Dear brother, you know I only jest.” But, her eyes said
otherwise.

Before Rezkin could reply, Shiela turned and sashayed away
with an exaggerated sway of her hips. Rezkin narrowed his eyes at the woman’s
retreating form and unconsciously pulled Frisha closer. Frisha was not sure if
she wanted to scream her frustrations at Shiela or jump for joy at Rezkin’s
possessive grip and outright rejection of her cousin.

Malcius strode up to Rezkin and gently bowed. “Once again,
Lord Rezkin, I must apologize for my sister’s behavior. She has always been…
flirtatious
…but
never so brash. If this keeps up, she will surely bring shame on our entire
family.” Malcius glanced at Tieran, the duke’s son, with pleading eyes and then
back at Rezkin, the man of high, but unknown, standing. “I can only ask that
you take her at her word and consider her behavior for what she claims it to be
– a
jest
.” Malcius lowered his eyes in embarrassment as he waited
for a reply.

Rezkin smiled affably and beseeched, “Please, Malcius. Let
us not stand with formalities between us. With any luck,” he squeezed Frisha
closer, “we shall one day be kin.”

Malcius’s shoulders slumped in relief; but, still, his eyes
sought Tieran. Tieran rolled his eyes and looked away as he waved a hand in the
air, effectively washing away the concern.

“Your rejection only makes her bolder, you know,” Malcius
confided. “She sees you as a prize that she will not give up easily. It was not
long ago that she was after Brandt.”

“And, how did you divest yourself of her attentions,
Brandt?” Rezkin inquired.

Brandt grinned shamelessly and replied, “I gave in.” His
smile dropped, and he looked away. “After that, I suppose I simply no longer
held any interest for her.”

Frisha huffed as she gripped her warrior’s arm tightly,
“Rezkin will
not
be giving in.”

Malcius looked at her apologetically and then said to
Rezkin, “Still, you might consider, if Uncle Marcum does not change his mind…”

“Malcius!” Frisha shouted as she stomped on her cousin’s
foot. Frisha had not meant to become violent, at least not toward Malcius, but
something inside her decided it had reached its limit and she just reacted.

“Ow! I cannot believe you did that, Frisha!” Malcius
reprimanded. “I am sorry, Cousin,” he said emphatically, “but you have to know,
there is a good chance that Uncle Marcum will not change his mind. As the future
Head of House Jebai, I have to keep the best interests of the family in mind. A
union between Shiela and Rezkin could be advantageous. I am just saying that
Rezkin should keep an open mind.”

Frisha actually growled and stomped away like an angry wild
cat. She was most irritated because Malcius was absolutely right. If she had
been a lowborn commoner, she might not have understood. Being from a wealthy
merchant family, she knew that the financial, political and social
ramifications were important. Among the nobility, the consequences were only
magnified.

Malcius turned his attention back to Rezkin who was frowning
at Frisha’s frustration. “I am sorry, Rezkin, I do not mean to upset her. I am
sure you understand the responsibilities I have toward my House.”

“Of course, Malcius,” Rezkin replied seriously. “I do
understand your plight, but until I am convinced of my complete failure
regarding Frisha, I would prefer that no one upset her. It is not a matter of a
financial or political union between Frisha and me.”

Malcius nodded sadly, “It is a love match.”

Rezkin could not really say that it was love on his part,
because he did not really understand the concept. He accepted, now, that it was
possible that Frisha had actually developed feelings for him. Still, it was
what he implied for his
Girl Friend’s
sake.

Tam jumped into the conversation as he interjected, “Rezkin
offered to forgo her dowry if the general would change his mind. In fact, I
believe he even proposed to
buy
the general’s approval.” Tam had been particularly
impressed with Rezkin’s faithful commitment to his closest friend.

Tieran could not help but be drawn into the conversation in
which he was previously uninterested. “You would actually turn down the
general’s fortune and put out money for
her
?”

“Frisha is worth a thousand of the general’s fortunes,”
Rezkin replied with sincerity. It was true. He could not imagine having to
replace his
Girl Friend
and future wife with a woman like Shiela. He
would never be able to eat or sleep again for fear of being poisoned or stabbed
in his own bed. Shiela was the kind of woman who would cheat and plot behind
his back simply for the sake of tearing him down and gaining the upper hand. He
had read of the downfall of many great men at the hands of women like her. For
a woman like Shiela, a soft hand would render her bold and controlling and a
firm one would make her bitter and resentful. The only way to deal with a wife
like that would be to simply rid himself of her before she caused him greater
trouble. Rezkin had no intention of
ever
signing a marriage contract
with Shiela.