Keeping an easy pace, they reached the Big River after the last infantry cohorts had been ferried across. And traveling more briskly, reached Teklapori eight days later, with Melody fully recovered.
Travel stained, they were ushered into the palace. Inside it had changed conspicuously, the old hangings and furniture mostly replaced. Even Macurdy noticed. It was lighter and brighter, less ornate, less of a hodgepodge. Within minutes a servant came to tell them that King Pavo was waiting for them in the guest parlor. “Two men were with him on business of the crown,” the servant added, “but he has sent them away for now.” Then he bowed again and gestured them to follow.
They found Wollerda in uniform, one that Macurdy hadn’t seen before. The design was the same—the elegantly simple Sisterhood guardsman design—but the material had a velvety sheen, while over one shoulder was a sash that looked to Macurdy like silk, with alternating stripes of Teklan red and Kullvordi blue. He wore a crown, though not the bejewelled ceremonial crown, and beneath it all, he’d gained weight.
Wollerda was grinning from ear to ear as he stepped quickly to meet them halfway to the throne: Queen Liiset remained in the background as the two ex‑rebels gripped and shook hands. “It’s good to have you back,” Wollerda said, then looked at Melody. “And you, Colonel. Your husband reported your injuries, both in battle and later.”
When he’d seated them, he fixed Macurdy with his gaze. “What did you do to her attacker? You didn’t say.”
Macurdy told him, the story bringing a gradient raising of the royal eyebrows. When it was done, Wollerda looked at Melody. “What do you think of that?”
She shrugged. “He’s the commander. And when he explained it . . . The man acted in hatred, for a reason; I’d have done the same, except I wouldn’t have botched it. And the story will have spread—he may even have taken it home himself—spread like the story of how Macurdy handled the rapes at Ternass. It’ll give the Rude Lands, maybe even the empire, a different view of us here.”
Wollerda’s lips pursed, and he looked at Macurdy. “You reported some hangings earlier. What happened at Ternass?”
Macurdy told that one, too, leaving out only the ball of glowing plasma at the end of his saber, chuckling now at the memory of the Kormehri running bare-assed.
Wollerda’s eyebrows had returned to the rest position. “Macurdy,” he said, “I’ve seen wisdom from you before, but that was true genius.” He turned to Liiset. “Show the colonel the changes you’ve made here. The marshal and I are going to talk about his negotiations with Cyncaidh. I’ll send word when we’re done.”
“Of course, Your Majesty,” Liiset answered, and smiling at Melody, led her from the room. Melody would rather have stayed, but didn’t argue. When they were gone, Wollerda grinned again.
“Actually I want to talk about more personal matters: about your Varia and my Liiset. Since I married Liiset, I’ve looked differently at the Sisterhood. And I also understand why you were so determined to recover your Varia. Her twin is a wonderful wife, whether we’re at the table discussing matters of state, or in bed.” He grinned. “And she never demands.” His grin skewed a bit. “But then, she hardly needs to. Her wishes are seldom far from my own, seldom far enough to refuse. I suspect she sometimes judges how far I can be moved, and sets her comments and suggestions accordingly.” He chuckled drily. “I’ve learned a lot from her; there are things I look at quite differently now than I did.”
He eyed Macurdy shrewdly. “You wonder if that’s good, eh? All in all it is. Before, my opinions were too fixed, my ideals sometimes at odds with good sense; the Sisters have things to teach us. Not Sarkia’s ready ruthlessness, but . . .”
He changed the subject. “Your reports said nothing about getting your Varia back, only that you’d married Melody. What happened?”
Macurdy looked at his palms as if something were written on them. “She was there: Varia, with Cyncaidh. She’s his wife.”
“Ah.” Wollerda peered intently at Macurdy. “I’d like to know more about that. There may be insights there.”