The Harem Master (16 page)

He padded across the soft, colorful rugs that covered the white and green tiled floor of his front room and stood in the entrance to his bedroom. Like the front room, the floor was made of smooth, seamlessly connected white and green tiles in a geometric flower pattern. The far left wall was made mostly of green glass doors that let in light and led to the harem gardens. The opposite end of the room was blocked off by a white and green tiled wall that hid the bathing area. One of the many perks of being Harem Master was that he had his own bath, a luxury not afforded many.

The bed took up the center of the room. It was set against the back wall and surrounded by gauzy green curtains that at the moment were tied back with gold cords. On either side of it were large trunks holding his clothes and jewels. A dressing table against the washroom wall held his make-up and more jewelry, and there was a row of hooks beside it for his dressing robes and a spare set of clothes should he need to change quickly.

His clothes for the council meeting had already been laid out on one of the trunks, the jewelry he'd requested for it ready on the dressing table. Since it was a simple matter, he had told the servants that assistance would not be required. He hardly needed elaborate make-up to listen to people destroy his world.

Demir sat down on the edge of his bed, rested his head in the palm of one hand, and let the dizziness ease off. All the arguments he had been preparing for the meeting tumbled through his mind. He still found it hard to believe that the council was considering abolishing the harems. The harems needed help, not to be thrown out.

At least Prince Ihsan would be presiding in his father's place; he did not think Kagan would tolerate the abolishment of the harems, but he knew Ihsan would not tolerate it.

His chest gave another twisting ache at thoughts of Ihsan, but he shoved them away. It was not Ihsan he wanted—well, he did, but it was the idea of belonging to a good man, a good king, that appealed the most. Merciful Divine, he hoped Ihsan could fix everything Kagan had destroyed.

Two hours until the meeting, two hours he should be using to further strengthen his arguments, steel himself for what would no doubt be a long, brutal meeting. All he wanted to do was go back to sleep. Maybe he could sleep for just an hour, tell Ruth to wake him...

It was too tempting an idea to resist. Leaving his room again, he found Ruth and made the request, then returned to his bedroom and stripped off his clothes before crawling onto the bed. The cool air felt good on his slightly too-warm skin as he settled on his stomach, head burrowing into his soft pillow.

He'd only been lying there a few minutes when he heard a strange sound, like stone scraping stone. A sound he knew very well from creeping around the secret passages… But that sound should not have been coming from his bedroom. Demir rolled over and sat up, watching in alarmed fascination as a part of his wall he hadn't realized was more than wall swung open. He was equal parts surprised and amused when it was Kitt who slipped out.

Kitt saw him and froze, eyes widening comically, mouth dropping. "Oh, my dragon. I didn't think this would lead to your
bedroom
. What in the name of the Holy Dragon is wrong with this country?" He dropped to his knees, bowing so low his forehead touched the floor. "My deepest and most abject apologies, Lord Demir."

Demir flushed hot. "What are you—I'm not a king, you don't bow that way to me! Stand up." He stood and strode over to Kitt, breaching etiquette to grab his arm and haul him to his feet. "What in the name of the Divine are you doing?"

"Apologizing," Kitt said, meeting his eyes, expression somber. "You never enter someone's bedroom without permission. That's such a gross breach of etiquette. I deserve a lashing."

Demir shook him gently, then let go. "It is not so great a violation you bow to me like I am a king—that is much worse."

Kitt's eyes narrowed. "It's worse to bow to you than invade your bedroom."

"I—" Demir closed his mouth, shook his head. "That is not what I meant. Never mind me, Lord Kitt, what in the Divine are you doing here? Give me back that key."

Kitt's frown turned into a sly grin. "No. I am trying to memorize these stupid passages and found a few that had been poorly boarded up. I can see why this one was blocked off now. I wonder if it was originally installed when the king or queen did not feel like keeping their harem master at arm's length." His brows waggled.

"You are incorrigible," Demir replied, a faint smile winning out.

"I try. I thought this would take me to your office, or at worst the general areas of the hall."

"It was probably boarded up when this became the harem hall; it used to be something else."

Kitt opened his mouth, then closed it, shook his head. "You know, I think I remember that now. Ihsan told me it was once the library, I think. I apologize again."

"No harm was done," Demir said. "I've had far greater shocks than a concubine accidentally sneaking into my bedroom."

"Indeed," Kitt replied, making a face. "But my purpose isn't solely to memorize secret passages. Ihsan wants a word with you, but he wants it kept secret. Can you come see him now?"

Demir nodded. "Only for a short time. I told a guard to wake me in an hour, and the meeting with the council is in an hour and a half."

"Go tell the guard you couldn't sleep." He paused, then grinned slightly. "I guess that means you have to put clothes back on."

"Incorrigible," Demir repeated. He walked over to the bed and picked up his discarded pants and skirt, quickly pulling them back on. He then slipped away to speak with the guards, adding that he was not to be disturbed before he left for the meeting. When that was done, he returned to his room and followed Kitt into the familiar musty dark of the secret passages. The walls were made of gleaming white stone with hooks set by the doors to hold lanterns. Kitt's sat on the floor, and he scooped it up as the door swung shut behind them.

The maze-like construction of the palace, the three-layer rectangle-within-rectangle heart, meant that weaving secret passages was remarkably easy to do. No doubt a sharp eye would pick out inconsistencies and possibly form a rough map of where they lay, but to Demir's knowledge, such a thing had never been done.

Though he had an increasingly strong suspicion that the man in front of him was capable of it. "Would it be inappropriate, Lord Kitt, to ask what you were before you joined Prince Ihsan's Harem?"

Kitt stopped and looked over his shoulder, the smile on his face as sharp as a blade. "Nothing good, but I think you've surmised that."

"I've surmised you are clever and dangerous, but so are many people in the palace."

A soft, cold laugh echoed through the dark tunnel, the gentle, muted glow of the lantern lending no warmth. "I doubt any of them were given over as babes and raised from childhood to be professional killers. That's what I was, Harem Master. There is a place in Rittu, a small island that is hard to reach because of the sharp-edged rocks in the water and the black crumbling cliffs from which those stones come, called the Shadow of the Dragon, and a temple carved from black stone called the Temple of the Shadow of the Dragon. It is where many orphans are sent, and they are raised to do dark deeds for the monarchs of Rittu. I did that for many years, until a pretty prince tempted me away."

Demir shivered. Who would inflict such a cruel life on someone? Who would
make a practice
of inflicting such a life on many? "Merciful Divine."

"I have never known gods to be merciful," Kitt replied.

"I hope that proves to be untrue, for it sounds like you deserve Their Mercy more than most. You did not have to share such information with me."

Kitt shrugged. "I am willing to trust you, Harem Master. I am trying to prove you can trust us."

"I do," Demir replied.

Smiling briefly, Kitt turned and resumed walking, and a few minutes later they stepped out into a small storeroom in Ihsan's chamber. Kitt blew out the lantern and put it on a shelf, then led the way out to the main room.

Prince Ihsan and his other concubines were sitting in the large nook piled with cushions and pillows opposite the bed. It was meant to be a place for relaxing, but they looked as though they would not be relaxing any time soon. "Good, you were able to come," Ihsan said, smiling when he saw them. "How are you feeling, Lord Demir?"

"Better, Highness, thank you."

"Sit with us, have some tea."

Demir wanted to refuse, because it felt far too familiar to sit to tea with His Majesty in his own room, but the barest touch of fingers to his arm and a taunting look from Kitt persuaded him. Kitt slipped away to take his seat beside Sabah, who sat on Ihsan's right. Haluk sat on Ihsan's left; he startled and hastily dropped his gaze when he met Demir's eyes. Strange.

Sitting in front of them, Demir shook his head at the offer of tea.

"Drink it, Harem Master. It's strengthening, and we are all going to need our strength in that meeting," Ihsan said with a smile.

Bowing his head in concession, Demir accepted the cup that Sabah held out. "Thank you, Highness." He took a dutiful sip, then another, and a third, until Ihsan finally seemed to relax.

"I was hoping you might be able to help us with a question, Lord Demir," Ihsan finally said. "Kitt was able to find the man who poisoned the food and wine and learned who paid him. Are you familiar with Lord Arda?"

"Deputy Councilor of Agriculture. He is expected to be made Councilor soon as Lord Geye is too sick to perform his duties and Lord Arda has been filling in for the past seven months. He divorced his first wife early last year. Everyone anticipates he will be marrying Lady Sidika after he is promoted." There was plenty more he knew about Arda; his proclivities were not the easiest to accommodate. On the other hand, they were not the most difficult. "Lord Arda was responsible for the poisoning? He did not strike me as the murderous type."

"What about the desperate type?" Kitt asked. "Being blackmailed, say."

"Ah. Yes, that I could see." Demir frowned, thinking. "But blackmailed into doing what? And what would it have to do with Your Highness and the Ambassadors?"

Kitt gave a fluid shrug. "Blackmail is only a supposition, but I have watched him these past couple of days, as best I could without drawing attention myself, and he seems afraid. The councilors have all been fluttering like nervous birds, especially in light of Lord Jove's death and the new tensions with Havarin. But he is the only one who seems terrified, though he hides it fairly well. That and the information Sabah and Ihsan have gleaned make me think he was being blackmailed, and something spooked him, provoked him to rash action. He wanted someone, possibly more than one person, at that table to die. We do not know who, though. Knowing why he is being blackmailed might help, and Ihsan says nobody knows more palace secrets than the Harem Master."

"I do not think that is true," Demir replied. "I certainly know extremely private information about many people in the palace, but knowing someone's sexual proclivities does not come close to telling you everything about them. As to why he is being blackmailed… I may know what they were using for the blackmail, but what they were getting from him, I could not say. Agriculture is as full of bribery, smuggling, and general corruption as any department."

Sabah opened his mouth, closed it, and then finally said, "I cannot believe stodgy, gruff Lord Arda has a proclivity so shocking that he is bending to blackmail to keep it secret."

"The only sexual acts to be ashamed of are those done without consent," Kitt said. "It's saddening someone can be blackmailed over their preferences."

Demir nodded. "I agree, but there are certain things people always feel ashamed for wanting. I detest that someone is using Lord Arda's needs against him and that he was driven to such lengths."

"Do you know where they might have learned his secret?" Ihsan asks. "If we know where his weakness was discovered, we may be able to narrow down who found him out."

"There are two places I knew him to frequent, both of them exclusive, discreet, and expensive. Even a crown prince will not gain access without being recommended by somebody who is already a member."

Ihsan nodded. "Would you be willing to visit them—and take Kitt with you—to see what you might learn? I do not want to break the trust you have with any establishment or person, but I need to know why they were using Lord Arda, or if we're chasing the wrong theory."

"I can make inquiries, though being in the company of a foreigner might make people leery, no matter how well he speaks Tavamaran."

"I can go," Haluk interjected. "No one will look twice if Lord Demir is accompanied by someone with the demeanor of a bodyguard, and I can investigate the matter as well as Kitt."

Kitt nodded. "Better, maybe. You have a different patience more suited to this type of thing. Can you go tonight?"

"No, unfortunately," Demir replied. "I would have to send notice that I am coming and need to speak with the owners. They are the only ones who can divulge the information we need or point me to the right person. I also dare not slip away tonight, when the meeting will have people tense. I don't know how it will go or what may happen to the harem when it is over. Though if my prince requires it, I will do my best."

Ihsan shook his head. "No. We can keep an eye on Arda here in the meantime, and you can go out tomorrow or the day after, whenever you think best. I would rather know you and the concubines are safe. Thank you, Lord Demir. When you have arranged the meetings, send me word. I suppose at that point we'll have to figure out how to cover for your prolonged absence."

"Training?" Kitt asked with a small grin. "No one will think it strange if I or Haluk vanished for a few hours with Lord Demir because you requested we receive harem training. I'm foreign, after all, and Haluk was a guard. Only the pretty, pretty Sabah grew up knowing what to expect, and what would be expected, of this lifestyle."

Lifting his eyes to the ceiling, Ihsan replied, "As much as I hate to give in to you and whatever nonsense is in your head, I concede the point. That should also give us plenty of reason for exchanging messages without drawing suspicion. Lord Demir, anything relating to this matter, convey to me in words that imply you are personally training Haluk and Kitt to be proper concubines."