Tiger's Promise (7 page)

It was the medallion. It hung about his neck, and I was absolutely sure it was the
one my father was seeking. Cold fear seeped into my body, chilling my feverish skin.
Wrapping my arms around my waist, I hugged myself.
What was I going to do
? If my father knew this young man wore the item he wanted, he’d kill him. Or he’d
make me do it. Either way, Kishan’s beautiful golden eyes would be forever closed.
His warmth traded in for the cold of the grave. I shivered.

“Are you cold?” he asked. “Will you allow me to escort you back to the palace?”

I gave him a brief nod. He led me toward the open section of the hedges and said,
“My name is Kishan, by the way.”

“I know,” I answered quietly.

Turning back to look at me, he gave me a puzzled glance but smiled. “I am at a disadvantage
then. Perhaps the lovely young lady would grace me with her name?”

I stopped walking, my mind racing with the futility of what I was attempting to do.
How could I save him, save his family, when my father planned such evils against them?
I lifted my eyes and saw the cord at his throat.
How would he die
? I wondered. Would I wake one day to hear of black marks on his chest? Would he simply
disappear? Or maybe his death would be at my hand. Perhaps I would be the one to draw
my little knife across his throat. Perhaps I would be the one to press the cup full
of poison to his lips.

Suddenly, I could look at him no longer. My name was the name of his killer. I was
a murderess in the making. He at least deserved to put a name with the face of the
one responsible. “Yesubai,” I whispered. “My name, it’s Yesubai.” Crushing my skirts
in my fists, I darted past him and ran all the way back to the palace without ever
glancing behind.

—

Though I tried to avoid Kishan, he seemed to always know where I was. He was one of
the only men allowed inside the women’s room. I found him reclining at his mother’s
feet, talking with her, on more than one occasion. Each time, he tried to engage me
in conversation, but I’d make my excuses and leave. When we dined, I’d catch him watching
me, and he often volunteered for guard duty when I walked about the grounds to appease
Hajari.

Kishan seemed to sense my relief at having him near, and when we walked, I almost
forgot that Hajari was even with us. Kishan had the ability to make me feel safe.
It was similar to how I’d felt in the garden. It wasn’t just that he was a big man,
it was something else. I didn’t realize until the third day that what I felt around
him was hope. No one could be around Kishan and not be affected by his steadiness,
by the way he was grounded.

Like the trees, his roots went deep, and I daydreamed that if he wrapped me in his
arms, he could safely tuck me away within his branches and hide me from the world.
He was shaken by nothing. He feared nothing. Watching him spar with his soldiers,
I could see that they respected and trusted him utterly. What was more, I was getting
dangerously close to feeling the same way about him.

All too quickly, Deschen announced that the caravan was ready to take me to meet Dhiren.
As I was loaded into the carriage, I lifted the curtains, seeking Kishan’s face, but
he didn’t come to see me off. I told myself it was for the best and settled in for
the long trip to the far side of the empire.

When I met Dhiren, I was struck by how handsome he was. He looked more like his mother
than his father. His eyes were startlingly blue, but as kind as he was, I missed the
warmth of Kishan’s golden gaze. We spoke at length. He was polite, well-mannered,
everything a woman should want in a man, but there was something missing. There was
a distance between us that felt too wide to breach. Though I watched him carefully
during the time we were together, I never saw a cord about his neck indicating he
wore a piece of the amulet my father sought.

It was obvious that the difficulties he’d encountered with my father’s army had distracted
him, but he never blamed me for the fact, and he didn’t even discuss the diplomatic
aspects of our union. He merely said he looked forward to our marriage and had a great
hope that we would be happy together.

Documents were signed, and he was courteous and attentive in making sure I had every
comfort he could afford for my journey back, but when he pressed his lips against
my hand in farewell, all I could feel was regret. He was a good man, a wonderful one
even. A man as different from my father as the night was from the day. That made my
complicity in my father’s plans all the more difficult to bear.

I hadn’t been back to the palace for even a day when my father made another appearance,
but this time it was an official one.

Six

A courier brought word to the palace that Dhiren approved the match several days before
I arrived, and in anticipation of this announcement, my father had been notified.
On the morning after my return, I was summoned to the hall of the emperor. Kishan
nearly knocked me over on his way out.

He was angry—a not altogether uncommon emotion to experience when in my father’s presence—but
as he caught me, his eyes only lit on me briefly before glancing away. It was like
he could no longer stomach looking at me, and the idea cut me with the pain of a thousand
needles. I was so overcome by the feeling that I nearly forgot I was in the presence
of my father.

Lokesh approached me while Kishan quickly left the room and disappeared. “Yesubai.
How pleasing it is to see you in good health, my dear,” he said as if he were happy
to see me. But behind his public mask, his eyes glittered maniacally, and I could
see whispered promises of agonizing things to come.

“Father,” I said as I lowered my head. “I trust your travel has been without incident?”

“Indeed. Congratulations are in order. Your betrothal is cause for both our realms
to celebrate.”

“Yes,” Rajaram answered. “In fact, we will celebrate tonight.”

My father took my arm in a tight grip that was hidden by the folds of my dress. “Very
good,” he said. “Perhaps later tonight then we can discuss when you think your son
might be prepared to finalize the union?”

“I assure you that his engagement to Yesubai will be foremost on my son’s mind,” Deschen
said. “I’m sure that as soon as occasion permits, he will come speedily home to make
her his bride.”

Lokesh gave Deschen a saccharine smile that barely disguised a leer. “Until tonight
then, I’ll be reacquainting myself with my daughter.”

Deschen’s poised expression turned into a frown, and she rose from her throne. “If
you wouldn’t mind, I would like to spend some time with her this afternoon. I’ve grown
quite fond of our chats.”

“Of course.” Lokesh bowed slightly and then turned and left the room with me in tow.
He said nothing and even dismissed Hajari as we walked out of the palace and away
from the rows of soldiers who guarded it. When he was satisfied that we were far enough
away, he let me go and stood with his back toward me as he surveyed the land and the
nearby garden. Putting his hands on his hips, he slowly circled, his eyes taking in
everything around us until they landed on me. What I saw in his expression surprised
me. He was…happy.

“You’ve done well,” he said.

“I am glad to have pleased you, Father.”

“Somehow you’ve accomplished even more than I hoped. It would seem your beauty is
worth something after all.”

I’d never seen my father in such a mood. He was almost dancing with delight.

“Not only have you finagled a marriage contract with the eldest prince, but you have
his younger brother salivating after you as well. He practically begged me to consider
him instead of Dhiren. I, of course, insisted that Dhiren was the better match. I
wouldn’t want there to be any doubt regarding your future station.”

Kishan
wanted
me
? The little knot of hope in my heart unfurled. For just a moment, I considered the
way the emperor embraced his queen, and I wondered if there was even the tiniest possibility
that Kishan might someday hold me in such a way.

My father interrupted my train of thought. “Deschen also looks upon you fondly. I
could not have hoped for a better outcome. As such, I have changed my mind regarding
our plan. You will poison the younger prince and his father tonight and wed the elder.
If I can use him, I will allow him to live. He seems to be a competent enough military
leader.”

Kill Kishan
? He wanted me to
kill
him? “No!” I cried and clapped my hands over my mouth as his shrewd eyes locked on
to me.

“What did you say?” he asked in a low, threatening voice.

Scrambling to protect not only Kishan but myself, I said the only thing that I knew
would distract him. “The younger prince wears at least one of the amulets. I’ve seen
it. You must not kill him until we discover the location of the other.”

My father paused and, emboldened, I stepped toward him and put my hand on his arm.
“Kishan might be…manipulated. Perhaps I can learn of the other piece. Truthfully,
I’m not sure I would have the same sway over Dhiren; he’s kind, but he doesn’t look
at me with the same fire as Kishan.”

“You are more cunning than I gave you credit for, Yesubai, but, then again, you are
my daughter. Very well, use your wiles to discover the whereabouts of the second amulet
and bring it to my attention immediately.”

“What about the emperor?”

“What about him?”

“If I kill him, it would bring suspicion upon us. It will be much easier to handle
the princes if they are lulled into a feeling of security.”

My father stood rigidly, his body tense. He wasn’t used to my talking back to him
in such a manner, but he couldn’t disregard my comments, either, and he still needed
me to further his purposes. Blue sparks lit his fingertips. I saw them from the corner
of my eye but knew better than to acknowledge his power openly. He squelched it and
said, “For the time being, then, the Rajaram family will live. Work on the younger
prince until Dhiren arrives and await further instructions.”

Bowing my head, I said, “As you wish.”

“Now return to the palace and spend the day by the queen. Speak to her of my…achievements.”
He then turned his back to me, an indication that I was dismissed, and I quickly headed
back to the palace.

That night we dined together, one big happy family, though Kishan wouldn’t look at
me at all and my father watched me far too often. Hajari stood behind my father, his
eyes shooting darts with messages that threatened me the moment he got me alone. He
was one man I would feel no remorse whatsoever about killing.

My father was to leave the next day. When there was a knock on my door at sunrise,
I assumed it was him, but, to my surprise, it was Deschen and she was alone. “Where
is your guard?” I asked, fearing what my father would do should he come upon her.

Deschen shrugged. “Queen’s privilege,” she said with a smile.

She apologized for interrupting my sleep, though I hadn’t slept for most of the night,
and asked if I wouldn’t mind acting as her companion. I followed her out to the open
field where the soldiers trained. “What are we doing here?” I asked.

Shaking off her robe, Deschen revealed a fitted kimono-style gown buckled at the waist
with soft slippers and leggings underneath like those a soldier would wear. “I needed
some practice,” she said with a wink. “Ah, there’s Kadam now.”

The middle-aged commander of Rajaram’s army stepped onto the hard-packed circle of
dirt used for sparring and handed his queen a gorgeous set of matching swords. I’d
never seen weapons like them before, and I wondered if they had come from her homeland.

“My queen.” The man bowed before her. “Are you ready to take position?”

“I was ready an hour ago. Were you curled up like a cat in his bed too long this morning?
I fear you’re becoming an old man, Anik.”

The soldier smiled. “Not just yet, my lady.”

“Then raise your sword,” Deschen dared with a mischievous expression.

As they sparred, I curled up at the base of a tree to watch. The leader of the army
was a skilled fighter, but it soon became clear that Deschen was more than capable
of keeping up. I’d never seen a woman fight before, let alone move in such a lithe
and supple way. The twin swords split the air as if they were an extension of her
body, and she spun and twirled like a lethal dancer.

I could see why my father was fascinated by her. Soon the sparring pair was joined
by Kishan, who good-naturedly teased his man-at-arms for being bested by a woman.
When Deschen asked if her son could do any better, Kadam tossed him his sword. The
prince tugged off his tunic and circled his mother. He hadn’t seen me, and I drew
myself farther into the shadows. Though Deschen knew I was there, I felt like I’d
been caught spying.

The queen questioned her son as their swords met, and I soon wondered if she had brought
me along for an entirely different purpose. Kishan, unaware that I was nearby, answered
his mother’s questions candidly.

She asked, “How are you after yesterday?”

“As well as can be expected.”

“You know that we tried.”

“What I know is that once again Ren wins.”

“It’s not a competition, Kishan.”

“Of course it isn’t. How could it be when there was never any hope of success? I will
lose every time.”

“Not every time. Perhaps it is only the father who yearns for the title.”

“What woman would trade love for a throne?”

Deschen lowered her sword. “I would have,” she said soberly. “Give her a little credit.”

Kishan moved his sword to his other hand, twirled his wrist, and swung again. As their
swords met, he was nose to nose with his mother. “Even if she wanted me, her father
wouldn’t allow it.”

“We don’t entirely know that’s true.” He gave his mother a doubtful look and she winced.
“All right, so he’s a stubborn man. Perhaps with time we can sway his thinking.”

“Ren is due back within the week and he’ll be expecting a bride to greet him.”

“Perhaps there is something that can be done about that.” Kishan raised his eyebrows
at his mother’s secretive smile and thrust her sword away from his throat. Deschen
continued, “Whatever she decides, I want it to be her choice. I don’t want to push
her in any way.” More quietly, she added, “The poor girl has been pushed far too often
in her life.”

With a skilled countermove, Deschen twisted her wrist, and Kishan’s weapon was torn
from his grip. She raised her sword to his chest and laughed. “Never underestimate
women, my son.”

Laughing, Kishan said, “I would never underestimate you, Mother,” kissed her cheek,
and went to retrieve his sword. “Best two out of three?” he offered, and mother and
son began again.

Kishan’s skin gleamed in the early morning light, and the care he took with his mother
was heartening. Here was a man who would treat his wife with the respect and kindness
he showed his mother. Here was a man not threatened at all by a woman of power. Here
was a man I could come to care for.

Deschen was right that I cared not a whit to have the title of queen. I wondered what
her plans were, and I marveled at how skillfully she’d played my father. She’d purposely
led me there that morning. She wanted me to hear their conversation. I was considering
why and what exactly she expected me to do about it when I heard a voice behind me.

“Beautiful.” The sentiment of appreciation sounded filthy coming from my father’s
lips. I rose from my comfortable seat under the tree immediately, my cheeks flushed
at the idea that my vigilance was faltering. That I’d been caught watching mother
and son with same sort of thirsty desire that my father had, disgusted me.

“She is truly unique,” he said.

“Yes. She is.”

Kishan noticed us then and dropped his sword, earning a stinging cut on his arm when
his blade didn’t counter his mother’s. “Yesubai?” He took a step forward and then
stopped.

The queen turned, swiping her neck with a cloth. “Ah. Seeing off your father then?”
she asked me with a wink. She addressed my father, “Thank you for allowing her to
stay with us these next few months. It’s a pity Ren won’t be ready earlier.”

I tilted my head, wondering what excuses she would use to keep Dhiren from coming
home. It was obvious she loved Kishan, but I’d never gotten the impression that she
favored one son over the other.

“Yes.” Lokesh gave her a small smile. “A pity. Until such time as we shall meet again,
my lady.” He took her hand and kissed it for an uncomfortable length of time then
turned to me. “Goodbye, Daughter. You’ll be hearing from me.”

Deschen asked Kishan to escort my father to his entourage of soldiers and then wrapped
her arm around mine. “You held up remarkably well, considering,” she said.

I wasn’t sure if she was referring to the revelations I’d overheard or my father’s
presence. So I decided to say, “It was kind of you to ask for me to stay.”

“Or have you return with him? I should think not. You’re under our protection now,
Yesubai.” Together we watched as my father’s horses pounded away from the palace and
out the gate. Kishan turned toward us, gave me a long look, and then sighed and started
back in our direction. As we waited for him, I overheard the queen’s request to her
man-at-arms, Kadam. “Increase security at the women’s bathhouse. I was spied upon
this morning. The villain has yet to be caught.”

He bowed. “I will see to it personally, my lady.”

Seeing my shocked expression, she quickly reassured me, “Do not fear, Yesubai. All
of us will see to your safety.”

Though I had every faith in the dedication of the queen’s soldiers, I knew exactly
who had been observing the queen. My face reddened at the knowledge of what my father
had done, and I felt the guilt of it almost as thoroughly as if I had perpetrated
the deed myself.

True to the queen’s word, it was soon announced that Dhiren would be taking an extended
tour of the empire. It had been suggested that he take some time to get all the empire’s
affairs in order before returning home and focusing attention on his bride. Dhiren
reluctantly agreed and met with his father’s advisors in towns and forts, taking the
long way home from the war front.

Hajari had been left behind to supervise me, and because of this, Kishan took it upon
himself to be my personal escort. As the days passed, I found I looked forward to
seeing him. He taught me how to play Pachisi, and I became quite good at it, even
beating him on more than one occasion. Sometimes his mother joined us, but more often
it was just the two of us with Hajari sitting nearby, sullen and bored.