“Kring? The Domi?’
‘What does “Domi” mean?’
“Chief – sort of. He’s the leader of his people. He’s still alive and well as far as I know. The last time I saw him , he was working on a plan to lure the Zemochs into a trap so that he could slaughter them.’
Her eyes suddenly glowed warmly.
“Why do you ask?’ he wanted to know.
“No reason. Just curious.’
‘Oh. I see.’
They went into the council chamber, and Sparhawk unfastened the neck of his dripping cloak. As chance had it, the Queen of Elenia had her back to the door when he entered. She and the Earl of Lenda, Platime and Stragen were bent over the large map spread out on the council table. “I’ve been through that quarter of the city,’ she was saying insistently, “and I don’t really think there’s any help for it. The streets are so bad that patching just won’t do.
It’s all going to have to be repaved.’ Her rich, vibrant voice touched Sparhawk’s heart, even when she was discussing so mundane a matter. He smiled and laid his wet cloak across a chair near the door.
“Of course we can’t start until spring, Your Majesty,’
Lenda pointed out, “and even then we’re going to be fearfully short of workers until the army returns from Lamorkand, and -‘ The old man broke off, staring at Sparhawk in astonishment.
The Prince Consort touched one finger to his lips as he approached the table to join them. ‘I hate to disagree with Your Majesty,’ he said in a clinical tone, “but I think you should give more consideration to the condition of the highways rather than the streets here in Cimmura.
Bad streets inconvenience the burghers, but if the farmers can’t get their crops to market, it’s more than just an inconvenience. ‘
“I know that, Sparhawk,’ she said, still staring at the map, ‘but -‘ She raised her flawless young face, her grey eyes stunned. ‘Sparhawk?’ Her voice was hardly more than a whisper.
“I really think Your Majesty should concentrate on the highways,’ he continued seriously. ‘The one between here and Demos is in really shocking -‘ That was about as far as he got with that particular subject.
‘Gently,’ Mirtai cautioned him as Ehlana hurled herself into his arms. “Remember what I told you outside.’
“When did you get back?’ Ehlana demanded.
.Just now. The others are a little behind. I rode on ahead for several reasons.’
She smiled and kissed him again.
‘Well, gentlemen,’ Lenda said to Platime and Stragen, “I think perhaps we can continue this discussion later. ‘
He smiled. ‘Somehow I don’t really think we’ll be able to command Her Majesty’s full attention this evening.’
‘Would you all mind too terribly much?’ Ehlana asked them in a little-girl sort of voice.
(Of course not, baby sister,’ Platime boomed. He grinned at Sparhawk. ‘It’s good to have you back, my friend. Maybe you can distract Ehlana enough so that she won’t be poking her nose into the details of certain public works projects I have an interest in.’
‘We won, I gather,’ Stragen said.
‘Sort of,’ Sparhawk replied, remembering Kurik. ‘Otha and Azash won’t be bothering us any more at least.’
“That’s the important thing,’ the blond thief said. ‘You can fill us in on the details later.’ He looked at Ehlana’s radiant face. “Much later, I’d imagine,’ he added.
“Stragen,’ Ehlana said firmly.
“Yes, Your Majesty?’
‘Out.’ She pointed imperiously at the door.
‘Yes, ma’am.’
Sparhawk and his bride adjourned to the royal apartments shortly after that, accompanied only by Mirtai.
Sparhawk was not really sure just how long the Tamul giantess intended to remain in attendance. He didn’t want to offend her, but Mirtai,
however, was very business-like. She gave a number of crisp commands to the queen’s personal servants – commands having to do with hot baths, suppers, privacy and the like, and then, after everything in the royal apartment was to her satisfaction, she went to the door, drawing a large key from under her swordbelt.
.Will that be all for tonight, Ehlana?’ she asked.
“Yes, Mirtai,’ the queen replied, “and thank you so very much. ‘
Mirtai shrugged. ‘It’s what I’m supposed to do. Don’t forget what I told you, Sparhawk.’ She tapped the key firmly against the door. “I’ll let you out in the morning,’ she said. Then she went out and closed the door behind her.
The sound of the key turning in the lock was very loud.
‘She’s such a bully,’ Ehlana laughed a bit helplessly..“She absolutely ignores me when I give her any orders.’
‘She’s good for you, love,’ Sparhawk smiled. ‘She helps you to keep your perspective.’
‘Go and bathe, Sparhawk,’ Ehlana commanded. ‘You smell all rusty. Then you can tell me about everything that happened. Oh, by the way, I’ll have my ring back now, if you don’t mind.’
He held out his hands. “Which one is it?’ he asked her.
“I can’t for the life of me tell them apart., ‘It’s this one, of course.’ She pointed at the ring on his left hand.
‘How do you know?’ he asked, removing the ring and ‘
slipping it on her finger.
‘Anyone can see that, Sparhawk.’
“If you say so,’ he shrugged.
Sparhawk was really not accustomed to bathing in the presence of young ladies, but Ehlana seemed unwilling to let him out of her sight. Thus he began the story even as he bathed and continued it while they ate. There were things which Ehlana did not grasp and others she misunderstood, she was able to accept most of what had taken place.
She Cried when he told her that Kurik had died, and her expression grew fierce when he described the fates of Annias and her aunt and cousin. There-were a number of things he glossed over and others he did not mention at all. He found the evasive remark, $You almost had to have been there’ very useful a number of times. He made a rather special point of avoiding any mention of the nearly universal depression which seemed to have fallen over the world since the destruction of Azash. It did not seem to be a proper subject to be mentioned to a young woman in the initial months of her first pregnancy.
And then as they lay together in the close and friendly darkness, Ehlana told him of the events which had taken place here in the west during his absence.
Perhaps it was because they were in bed where such things normally happen, but for some reason the subject of dreams came up. ‘It was so very strange, Sparhawk,’
Ehlana said as she nestled down in the bed beside him.
‘The entire sky was covered with a rainbow, and we were on an island, the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. There were trees – very old – and a kind of marble temple with graceful white columns, and I was waiting there for you and our friends. And then you came, each of you led by a beautiful white animal. Sephrenia was waiting with me, and she looked very young, hardly more than a girl, and there was a child who played some shepherd’s pipes and danced. She was almost like a little empress, and everybody obeyed her orders.’ She giggled. “She even called you a grouchy old bear. Then she started to talk about Bhelliom. It was all very deep, and I only could understand a little of it.’
None of them had grasped it all, Sparhawk remembered, and the dream had been more widespread than he had imagined. But why had Aphrael included Ehlana?
‘That was sort of the end of that dream,’ she continued, ‘and you know all about the next one.’
‘Oh?’
‘You just described it to me,’ she told him, ‘right down to the last detail. For some reason, I dreamed every single thing that happened in the Temple of Azash in Zemoch.
My blood kept running cold while you were telling me about it.’
“I wouldn’t worry all that much about it,’ he told her, trying to keep his voice casual. “We’re very close together, you know, and it’s not really too strange that you’d know what I was thinking about.’
‘Are you serious?’
‘Of course. It happens all the time. Ask any married woman, and she’ll tell you that she always knows what’s on her husband’s mind.’
“Well,’ she said dubiously, “maybe.’ She snuggled closer to him. “You’re not being very attentive tonight, love,’ she accused. “Is it because I’m getting fat and ugly?’
“Of course not. You’re in what’s called a “delicate condition”. Mirtai kept warning me to be careful. She’ll carve out my liver if she thinks I’ve hurt you.’
‘Mirtai isn’t here, Sparhawk.’
‘But she’s still the only one with a key to that door.’
‘Oh, no, she isn’t, Sparhawk,’ his queen said smugly, reaching under her pillow. ‘The door locks from either side, and it won’t open unless it’s been unlocked from both sides.’ She handed him a large key.