Trusted (4 page)

“Simply tell him that I was unable to make it due to previous engagements. This will be the best answer and it will be the truth. I was to go to the southlands with mother tomorrow. There is dashu fever in some of the farms and the families need tending.”

It was a female duty for daughters of the wealthy to aid the unfortunate whenever possible. But Dakon did not like the idea of his sister or his mother being exposed to dashu fever. It was a terrible sickness that often left survivors blind or deaf from the heat of the fever. But farmers stricken with the disease, those who already had so little, it fell to those with charity in their hearts, like his sister and mother, to carry them through the difficult times.

“Beloved sister,” he began, but she held up a hand to cut him off.

“I know I am your beloved sister, but two shona ago you asked me to do something no brother should ask his beloved sister to do. You were ready to sell me to the king’s bed. Well, I found another way that kept me out of the king’s bed and kept the king out of my reputation. I have no desire to change that. I prefer to keep a safe distance from the king’s notice.”

“It is too late for that. He has noticed you. He asked for you specifically. Perhaps he merely wishes to thank you.”

“For what?” she asked on a laugh. “For forcing him to realize his beloved cousin was dead and was awaiting passage to the afterworld? He feels no thanks towards me, I promise you that. No, if the king wants to see me it is most likely for other reasons…some of which I can guess at. It may be all innocence as you say, he may just wish to resolve our small altercation, but it just as equally may not. It is best for all concerned that I remain at a distance. He will soon grow bored of the idea of me.”

“You are so certain he has ulterior motives? That he perhaps wants you in his bed?”

“I am only saying that it is a possibility that had best be avoided.”

“But to be mistress to the king! The prestige that comes with such a title! It would elevate this entire family.”

“I would hardly be mistress. I would no doubt be a single night of fancy and then easily forgotten the next day. My virtue would be in tatters and the ‘prestige’ would fade very quickly. There are many others with such prestige and I do not want to count myself among them.”

“You cannot say no to the king!” Dakon cried.

“I most certainly can. Unless, as we’ve already discussed, I am commanded to. Was it a command?”

“Well…no. I don’t think he gave it all that much thought.”

“There. You see? He will not even miss my presence. It is best for you to concentrate on making the best impression possible with the Trusted.”

“It will not be a very good impression should I show up without you.”

“We’ve been over this and I will not change my mind.”

“You are very stubborn,” her brother groused.

“It comes with my bloodlines,” she said with a laugh.

Chapter Four

Garrick waited impatiently at the head of the table the following night’s meal. People were milling about, awaiting the dinner gong to be sounded, chatting about in the usual small gossiping groups. He sat at the head of the table alone, an empty chair on his right. Usually the chair was occupied by whatever female caught his fancy or entertained his mind, but he had seen it purposely empty tonight. He had a very different sort of female in mind to fill it. A woman of intriguing intelligence that had proven herself a creature loyal to her family. She had also proven herself to be honest in the face of the king…even to her detriment. She had done so bravely and steadily, as if lying or coddling had never and would never occur to her.

It was refreshing to say the least. Most women were so busy vying for position beside him that they would cater to his every need and mood. Often to the point of annoyance. The truth was, he hadn’t actually had a woman in his bed for the better part of a misra. Women had been getting on his nerves lately. He did not have nearly half as many conquests as people thought he did. He would seat a woman to his right for the sake of having conversation and company and either people automatically assumed he would be taking that woman to bed, or the woman herself would claim that he had in order to raise her own standing in the eyes of her peers. This generally amused him, and it enriched his reputation of his prowess, so he never corrected the lies.

But lately…lately all he had wanted was someone to be honest. With him and with others. Someone who was not so interested in what position she could gain by use of him.

Sarea had jockeyed for position, but not for herself. She had merely wanted him to notice her brother. And, as it happened, he was a young man worth noticing. Garrick was glad she had drawn his attention to him. There were many candidates for Trusted, but he saw something in Dakon that deserved to be nurtured.

No sooner had he thought of him then the man himself appeared in the arched doorway leading into the night’s meal hall. Garrick waited. And waited. But Dakon’s sister did not appear after him. He stood up, radiating impatience as he walked directly to Dakon. Dakon immediately knelt before him, but Garrick pulled him back up to his feet.

“A bow will suffice, Dakon,” he said. Then without preamble, “Where is your sister?”

Dakon flushed. “I am sorry but…my sister has had to decline your kind offer of taking night’s meal with you. She and my mother are previously occupied. There is dashu fever in the southlands and as is her duty she is tending to the farmers there.”

“She is exposing herself to dashu fever?” Garrick asked, immediately worried for the girl and her mother. Dashu fever was quite contagious. “That is insane!”

“I-it is part of her duties as a woman of our house—“

“Hannibol!” Garrick shouted, sending a wave of stunned silence throughout the dining hall.

“Yes, my king?” Hannibol said, hurrying to be by his king’s side. If something was wrong because of one of his men of the Order, he would see it rectified immediately. “Is there something amiss with this soldier?”

“Only that he cannot seem to corral his sister for a single night’s meal with me,” Garrick said. “There is dashu fever in the southlands?”

“I had not heard—“

“Dakon says his mother and sister are tending to the sick,” Garrick said. “Are there no medics in the southlands? Why have I not heard of this? We should be sending medics to tend the sick, not expecting our healthy females to risk themselves.”

An unassailable fear had gripped Garrick. He knew firsthand what a dangerous fever could wreak on a female. He had lost his young queen to a wicked fever ten yana ago almost to the day. It had not been a love match, it had been a political one, but he had been friends with his queen. Good friends. And it had hurt him to see her suffer so. It had hurt him to lose her. The world was a lesser place because of it.

“I will find out what families are ill straight away, my king,” Hannibol said. “Dakon, you will guide me to your family lands in the southlands.”

“Yes, my lord. Right away,” Dakon said. He was simply relieved the king had not taken his sister’s rebuff the hard way. He had been dreading this moment, knowing instinctively that his sister was wrong. The king was not likely to forget her until he had had his fill of her. She was in the king’s sights and he was about to hunt her down. Dakon could practically hear the baying of the hunting hounds.

The gong for night’s meal rang, but the king was heading out the door.

“Hannibol, fetch my horse. I’ll ride with you.”

“Surely you do not mean to go where there is fever, my king?” Hannibol asked, concern dripping from his tone.

“I mean to do exactly that. Fetch medics to come with us.”

“Yes my king,” Hannibol said. He knew better than to question the king a second time. The king had made up his mind to go and that was the end of it.

They rode as a huge party in the dark towards the southlands. There was both farms and wilderness between here and there, so the ride was long and sometimes rough in the darkness. It had no doubt taken his sister and mother half the day to get to their lands in the south.

The riding party made it in several hours. Dakon led them all to the manor house that sat on their lands, stirring the household that had not been expecting them…never mind expecting the king. Luckily with his mother’s attendance earlier in the day, the house had been made ready to accept the coming of the lady of the house and they were not completely taken off their guard.

They strode into the manor house as a noisy group.

“Anabile!” Dakon called for the head housekeeper. She came into the main receiving room on a huff of breath.

“Lord Dakon! We were not expecting you or your guests!” she said, her discomfort at being caught off guard clear in her body language. Then she recognized the sigil on the king’s cloak and realized who she was standing in front of. She hastened to drop a deep curtsy, her slightly rotund body wobbling on weak knees.

“Where is the lady of the house?” the king asked directly.

“She is at the farms. She was supposed to have been back already, but—“

“Which farm?” the king interrupted her.

“Lalo’s farm,” she said to Dakon, knowing he would know who Lalo was.

“That’s not far,” Dakon told the king.

“Take us there.”

Dakon didn’t argue.

“But my lady should be back soon. Would you not prefer to wait for her in comfort?”

“Madame, do I look like a man who cares about comfort?” the king asked in hard tones.

“No, my king,” she hastened to say. “I-I only meant that you should be treated as a proper guest.”

“A proper guest would see to it that his hostess was well. I will be a proper guest once I have seen to that.”

The king and the medics and Dakon and Hannibol all went back to their horses and rode for Lalo’s farm.

It was a small farm overall. A few acres only. Barely enough to support Lalo and his six children. But the man was a hard worker and always paid his rent on time. Provided he was well. Dakon hoped that Lalo was not the one with the fever.

“If Lalo is down with fever, the entire family could become destitute in a matter of days,” Dakon said to the king as they rode up to the farmhouse. “He is the sole provider. If he should die or become lame in some way…”

“His family would starve,” the king said grimly.

“We would help them as much as we could of course. The children would be orphans as they are already without their mother. They would need to find new homes or live in the orphanage.”

The king nodded as they reached the house and dismounted. The king strode up to the door and banged his fist against it. To Dakon’s relief, Lalo answered the door. At least the man was on his feet and appeared to be well. But then that meant…

“We are looking for the lady of the manor,” the king said.

“She is in here,” Lalo said, stepping back so they could enter the small three room house. The king had to duck his head to keep it from hitting on the low ceiling.

Lalo led the way to the bedroom where, upon their entering, Dakon’s mother and sister rose from where they had been tending the sick children in their beds. They recognized the king right away and Sarea’s eyes widened with surprise. Then they were tempered with anger.

“My king,” she said tightly.

“My king!” their mother said, dipping a low curtsy. “What brings you here to this small house?” Her shock was written in every line of her face. Garrick looked straight at Sarea.

“We heard that there was fever here. I have brought you a medic.” He indicated the small man standing to his immediate left. The medic immediately moved into the room and inspected the sick children. Apparently all six of them were ill. Three to a bed. Sarea had been tending one bed, their mother the other.

“I…I thank you my king,” their mother said, still astounded by his appearance and the idea that the king would personally see to the care of a lowly farmer.

“When I was told your daughter had refused my invitation to night’s meal due to there being fever in the southlands I felt it necessary to come straight away with medics and supplies.”

“I honestly don’t know what to say but…thank you!”

“Nonsense. Dashu fever is nothing to trifle with and gentlewomen such as yourselves should not be exposing yourselves to it.”

“But there are other farms who are also in need and your medic cannot cover all of them,” Sarea said in hard tones. “And it is our duty to see to the welfare of all who farm our lands.”

“Your attitude does you credit,” the king said. “You are a woman of proper breeding. But I must insist that you come away with me to your manor house and allow the medic to do his work.”

“Why? Are you afraid to be around these sick children?” Sarea challenged him.

“Sarea!” her mother gasped, horrified.

“More like I am afraid for you,” the king said quietly. “I lost the queen to fever, as you know. I would not have any woman go through what she went through.”

Sarea immediately felt contrite. She had forgotten that the king had lost his wife in that way. She hadn’t been thinking of him as a person with emotions and feelings, only as a man who selfishly came to get what he wanted. Her.

Oh she made no mistake about his true motivations. It was clear she was in trouble and that he wouldn’t release her so easily as she had thought. She had gotten his attention and now she and her family might end up paying for it. She regretted ever agreeing to helping her brother out on that score. And yet, she had never seen him so elated. So delighted to be alive and so full of hope for the future. She supposed she wouldn’t trade that away for anything. But if she continued to refuse the king, what then? What would happen to her brother then?

Not to mention her father. He was of the Order. If he was kicked out of the Order it would kill him. The Order was his life. He lived to serve the king as one of his captains and had done so ever since he had been a young man. Oh, her father’s intelligence would lend him to any other career if needed, but it would take something out of him if he lost his life as a soldier.

“Forgive me. I had not remembered,” she said contritely. “Come mother, let us accompany the king.”

She heard the king release an audible sigh of relief and it struck her. He really was worried for them.

“I have brought two medics with me. You but need to tell them which farms they are needed at and provide a guide and they will take over your duties,” the king said.

Sarea’s mother, Julea, instructed Dakon on which farms were affected, and Dakon agreed to stay behind and guide the medics. Then the women went to their horses and as a group they rode toward the manor house. The king immediately rode abreast of Sarea.

“I wanted to take this opportunity to assure you that I am no longer angry with you,” he said.

“I had gathered as much on my own,” she replied. “Had you been angry with me still you would have taken it out on my brother, rather than elevate him to candidate for Trusted.”

The king gave her a hard look of surprise. “Do you truly think me that petty?” he asked.

“I think men are used to getting what they want from women in our society. You want your women to be soft and willing and accommodating. And while I am a good daughter and a good woman, I am not the kind of accommodating you are looking for.”

“And what is it I am looking for?” he asked with bemusement.

“Someone who will always tell you what you want to hear, whether it is right or wrong. Someone who will say yes to you.”

“And you will not say yes to me?” he asked.

“I will be honest with you to a fault. I will tell you things you do not want to hear and I will say no to you when it suits me to say no.”

“You are very strong minded for a woman,” he remarked.

“I am. Completely unsuited to a man such as yourself. I think you prefer a more traditional woman. One who is soft and accommodating and all things good to you.”

“You have a great many opinions on what would be best for me. First you tell me it would be best for me to mourn my beloved cousin as if he were dead. And now this.”