Untouchable (2 page)

THE
court of King Bhaltair, ruler of Tryfyn and father of five princesses and one young son, was lavish and properly regal. The food was superb, the servants were ever-present, and Alix had been well entertained since his arrival four days earlier.

The castle which housed the royal court sprawled across a large plot of very green land lush with spring growth. A mere three stories high, the castle was very much unlike the narrower and much taller palace in Arthes. Some aspects were the same, of course. The castle was spotlessly clean, thanks to constant tending by an untold number of maids and manservants who were always underfoot. Stone walls gleamed and soft rugs lined oft-walked pathways. To welcome spring, the windows were unshuttered, allowing sunlight and fresh air to fill the confines of the castle on balmy days. The dining hall, ballroom, and private suite where Alix passed much of his time were lavishly furnished and adorned with potted plants and flowers in painted vases. Even the housemaids wore flowers in their hair. There were moments when Alix thought life in the castle too bright, too perfect, as if they were putting on a show for his benefit.

Each night, after a plentiful supper, there was music and dancing, or a well-acted play, or a sweet-voiced minstrel to sing tales of Tryfyn victory and beauty. There was even a lilting song to Princess Edlyn. The song praised her beauty, which was true enough, but did not mention her sour disposition or her spoiled demands.

The official color of the court of King Bhaltair was a dark and dreary green, much unlike the bright crimson which dominated in the palace of Arthes. Most days every member of the royal family dressed in that drab shade, but the women always adorned themselves with much gold to brighten the dreary green. They wore gold circlets in their hair, and jangling gold girdles to bring light and life to their costumes.

As a representative of Columbyana, Alix dressed each day in imperial crimson. Both trousers and vest were made of a fine fabric in that shade. Thank goodness the shirt he wore beneath the vest was plain white. His traveling clothes were plainer and more serviceable, though the trousers and vest were adorned with imperial embroideries, and he was anxious to get back to them. He did not care for standing out in a crowd; he did not like being the one bright spot of bloodred against a sea of dull green.

He was anxious to be on his way for many reasons, his wardrobe being the least of his concerns. With the entourage Edlyn’s father insisted on providing for the journey, they’d be lucky to make it back to Arthes in six weeks. Having spent some time in Princess Edlyn’s company, he suspected his sanity would be tested along the way.

As Alix had assumed from the beginning, Edlyn was not pleased to be offered for the emperor’s inspection. Still, she was the only one of the five princesses that remained unwed, and if she often behaved as she had since his arrival, he could understand why she had not yet married— and why her father was so anxious to see her off.

Queen Coira was very well pleased. Any mother might feel a pang of regret at seeing her youngest daughter ride away for potential marriage to a stranger—emperor or not—but the queen was Bhaltair’s second wife, an exquisite woman not much older than Edlyn herself. She was all but smug about sending her stepdaughter away.

On this, Alix’s final night in the Tryfyn royal castle, the dinner was sumptuous, the service was impeccable, and the queen could not contain her joyous smile. Princess Edlyn’s mouth remained tightly pursed most of the time, and she seemed to fight back tears of outrage and disappointment. Alix studied her from his place at the table, not far from where she sat. Edlyn was beautiful, he would allow that much. Her hair was a nice pale yellow, and her skin was fair. Her eyes were a pale blue and hinted at a bit of intelligence—but not too much. That was just as well, as women who were too smart could be burdensome. Her mouth was nicely shaped, but since he never saw it curve into a smile or heard it speak a kind word, he wasn’t impressed.

Traveling with her was going to be a nightmare.

Alix noticed that as the meal neared an end, the queen nudged the king more than once. Queen Coira nodded in Alix’s direction, and then poked her husband in the ribs as she whispered a command. Finally, the king sighed and lifted his hand to signal the servant who waited at his side. The thin attendant obviously knew what was required, as he simply bowed and then exited the room with a quick and purposeful step.

“I do hope your brother will be pleased with our Edlyn,” the king said with a forced smile. “She is a treasure.”

Alix simply nodded, unsure of a response that would be both proper and honest.

“We are honored that the emperor will consider Edlyn to be his bride. To thank him for his generosity of spirit, we have a gift for him. A very special gift.”

Alix could only hope the gift was small and easy to transport. One never knew what others would consider a proper gift for an emperor who had everything any man might ever desire. In the palace in Arthes, there were entire rooms devoted to the storage of jewels and pottery and woodcarvings which had been deemed by someone, somewhere, to be a proper gift for the emperor.

Every head in the room turned toward the dining hall entrance, and Alix did the same. He did not know what this night’s entertainment might be, but he hoped it would be short in duration. As talented as the performers had been to this point, he really wanted nothing more than a good night’s sleep before the long journey to Arthes began. This would be his last night in a proper bed for quite some time.

The two men who led the way, stepping into the dining hall with purpose, were dressed differently than the Tryfynians Alix had come to know in his days in the castle. The squat, muscled men wore bright, multicolored vests over smooth, naked chests. Their trousers were equally bright and ended just below their knees, above massive muscled calves and wide bare feet. Their skin was bronze, as if they spent all their days in the sun, and they were both bald and clean-shaven. Each wore a broad, curved sword at his waist.

His eyes did not remain on the men long, as his gaze was drawn to the woman who walked directly behind them.

Alix blinked as the woman stepped into the light cast by the many candles and lamps which filled the hall. She was blue. As she moved closer, he could tell that the blue was a powder of some sort, a flawlessly applied cosmetic. Every speck of exposed skin was covered—her face, neck, arms. Even her full lips were blue, but they were an even darker shade—almost black, it seemed. The rise of her bosom and the leg that peeked out of her skimpy skirt as she walked were a smooth sapphire blue, as was the curve of hip revealed beneath the low-slung band of the loosely fitted skirt. The woman was as tall as her escorts—perhaps taller than one—but instead of wearing colorful dress as they did, her outfit was entirely gold. The fabric shimmeredand glittered as she walked into the room with a powerful and sensual grace that made Alix’s mouth go dry.

Long, black hair flowed down her back, and amid the silky strands he caught the sparkle of ornate earrings that hung to her shapely shoulders. She wore many bracelets of gold and gems that caught the light, anklets that flashed gold with each step that sent the panels of her skirt dancing, and a low-slung girdle that looked to be made of many, many small golden coins. She jangled softly with each step, and the rattle of her adornments held a musical note that was unlike the clatter of the other women.

No one breathed, it seemed, as this blue woman took command of the room merely by entering. She moved with such grace, and her attire was so sensual, that Alix assumed this evening’s entertainment would be an exotic dance of some sort. Moments earlier he had wanted only sleep, but to see this woman dance . . . surely it would be a most memorable diversion.

Sleep suddenly seemed unnecessary.

The blue woman had almost reached the main table, where Alix sat with the royal family, when he noticed that her wrists not only were adorned with many bracelets but were also bound with sturdy golden chains.

The guards before her parted and allowed the woman to come close to the table—close to the king, to be precise. Her eyes briefly met Alix’s, and he saw no fear there, no hint of submission. Bound or not, she was proud and unbending.

The queen’s mouth was thinned and hard, and once again she poked at her husband.

“Have you heard of the newly discovered Island of Claennis?” the king asked.

“I have heard very little,” Alix admitted, “but yes, I did hear of its discovery.” In the past few years brave travelers who ventured beyond the known world had returned with colorful tales, spices and fruits, and strange people. The world grew larger every day.

“I recently enjoyed a visit with the ambassador from the island country of Claennis, and he presented me with this gift. Sanura is one of a treasured tribe of that island, a tribe called the Agnese. Their women are possessed of great powers.”

Good God in heaven, the gift the king had spoken of was a woman, and judging by the chains, she was a
slave
. Jahn would not be pleased. Women pleased him mightily, especially those who were beautiful and barely dressed, but he was staunchly opposed to owning another human being. “I can’t possibly ...,” Alix began.

“Take her,” the queen said sharply. “If you do not, Sanura will be dead by morning, even if I have to see to it myself.”

It was a bold statement, considering that the large dining hall was filled with many distant relations, close friends, and political allies.

The king blushed, and Alix understood. This Sanura had been given to the king as a gift, and his wife would not allow him to keep her. What wife, no matter how pretty and favored, would rest easy with a woman like Sanura living under the same roof?

Alix opened his mouth to refuse the gift, and then he remembered the queen’s sharp words. Judging by the fire in her eyes, the promise of death for Sanura was not an idle threat.

And yet, the blue woman did not seem to be afraid.

“These men”—Alix indicated the two sword-bearing bald guards with a wave of his hand—“who are they?” They were not dressed like soldiers of Tryfyn.

“These are Sanura’s keepers,” the king explained. “I must admit, I am not entirely certain of all the rules concerning the Agnese, but I do know this. If any man other than he who owns Sanura touches her in any way, if any man is caught with blue marking his skin, these keepers will carry out an immediate execution.”

So, he was to travel not only with a demanding princess and her soldiers and maids, but with this “gift” and her entourage as well. They would be lucky to make it to Arthes by the first night of the Summer Festival.

Alix considered refusing this gift, in spite of the price she’d have to pay. What did it matter to him if the woman was executed? She was not his concern, and in the end she would be much more trouble than she’d be worth. Once they reached Arthes, Jahn would surely give Sanura her freedom, anyway. The queen’s threat was likely an idle one. Murder was an extreme reaction to her obvious jealousy. Surely there were others who would be happy to accept such a gift. A recipient from Tryfyn would be best.

As he was about to refuse the gift, Sanura’s eyes met his. In spite of her cool and almost haughty demeanor, he saw the subtle touch of fear lurking there. He saw the almost hidden pleading in her eyes. Such deep and expressive eyes they were, a blue of such a remarkable hue that they were not dulled against her blue skin. Yes, she was brave and she was proud, but she was not fearless.

He could always free her along the way, since he was certain that’s what Jahn would do when—if—he received this gift. “I’m sure my brother will be very pleased,” Alix said in his most diplomatic voice.

Princess Edlyn pushed her chair back and jumped to her feet. “This is entirely unacceptable. It’s bad enough that I’m forced to travel to another country to be scrutinized to see if I’m good enough for the blasted Emperor of Columbyana or not. Now I have to endure the journey with
her
? I refuse,” she said tersely. “I absolutely, positively,
refuse
.”

The king and queen did not react strongly to the outburst, but Edlyn’s father did respond with quiet authority. “If you refuse to travel to Arthes with Prince Alixandyr, then I must insist that you accept the only other suitor who has persisted all these years. Tyren Mils is still willing to . . .”

“Tyren Mils is a pig!” Edlyn shouted. “And he’s older than
you
!”

“The choice is yours,” the king responded calmly. “Arthes and Emperor Jahn, or Tyren Mils.”

Edlyn sat down hard, displaying not even an attempt at grace. “Arthes it is, but that perverted blue creature had best keep her distance from me.”

Sanura, who had not spoken a word to this point, stepped toward Edlyn. The room was so silent it seemed that no one breathed. Every eye was on the blue woman, every ear strained to hear her words. Alix awaited an attack, but Sanura spoke to the princess in a calm, lightly accented voice. “I see who you are, sad little girl,” she said with a hint of tenderness. “You are afraid, afraid to the pit of your soul, and that fear makes you strike out at those who only care for you. We are not enemies, you and I. We are much the same, given to men without the favor of a voice. We are given to others without considerations of love or personal inclination. You are crying inside, but you should not do so. This is who we are, little girl, and it is useless to fight against what is.”

Edlyn stared at her dinner plate, and even from his position at the table Alix could see that her cheeks turned bright red. “Do not look at me, you . . . you witch. We are not the same, not at all! Turn away! I do not want you seeing that which is not yours to see.”

“All is mine to see,” Sanura said in a lowered, soothing voice, and then she did as the princess demanded and turned away. Her head twisted slightly and again she caught Alix’s eyes with her own. “All,” she whispered.