Harshini by Jennifer Fallon Page A

given much thought to what he wore. A white silk shirt, trousers and polished boots hardly seemed to warrant such admiration. But compliments, even backhanded ones, were a rare thing from Adrina, so he chose not to make an issue of it.
    “Do you have everything you need?”
    “Yes, thank you. Your sister sent along the dress. I don’t know who it belonged to before me, but it’s an adequate fit.”
    “Well, if you need anything, just ask Orleon, my Chief Steward. He’ll see that you get it.”
    “Thank you.”
    “I’ll have a seamstress sent to you tomorrow. You’re going to need a suitable wardrobe.”
    An uncomfortable silence settled on them as Damin wondered how to broach the subject he’d come here to speak about. Adrina was a volatile and unpredictable woman. He had no way of knowing how she would react to what he had to say.
    “I’m sorry about my mother. She shouldn’t have spoken the way she did.”
    “We both knew this wasn’t going to be easy, Damin. Her reaction was nothing less than I expected.” She smiled suddenly, her eyes glinting. “I will console myself with the thought of my father’sreaction when he hears about it. I imagine your mother will seem quite reasonable by comparison.”
    “That’s true,” he agreed, relieved things were going so well. “But, I do have a favour to ask.”
    “A favour?”
    “We caught Marla off-guard today. You may not have heard the worst of it. It would be…easier…”
    “If I bite my tongue and let her insult me?” Adrina finished for him.
    “Something like that.”
    He expected her to explode at that point, but to his astonishment, she nodded her agreement. “Don’t worry, I’ll behave.”
    “You will ?”
    “Don’t sound so surprised. I plan to survive this farcical arrangement, Damin, and to do that, I’ll need your mother on my side. You’d be surprised how charming I can be when the mood takes me.”
    Actually, Damin wouldn’t have been surprised at all. She could be very disarming when she wanted something. “Well, if you can win Marla over, you’ll have the whole of Hythria at your feet.”
    “That’s the plan,” she agreed. “And in the meantime?”
    “In the meantime, you should be safe enough here in the palace. I’ll have Almodavar hand-pick your bodyguards. You have to promise you won’t try leaving the palace without them.”
    Adrina scowled, but nodded. “I suppose.”
    “I’ve already arranged for a message to go to the Assassins’ Guild,” he added. “I plan to hire them before someone else thinks of it. They are very loyal employees.”
    “You mean they stay bought.”
    “It’s the same thing in the end.”
    She sighed, as if the realisation that life would be difficult for some time to come had just dawned on her. Damin could not fathom her mood.
    “Well, if you’ve everything you need, I’ll see you at dinner. I’ll have Orleon send someone to show you the way.”
    “Damin,” she called as he turned to leave. “Why are your mother and the High Arrion here in Krakandar? I know R’shiel arranged for Zegarnald to turn Narvell back, but that doesn’t explain the other two.”
    “I don’t know,” he admitted, a little surprised that she’d asked. He reminded himself, yet again, not to underestimate his wife.
    “Well, I suggest you find out. I may not be an expert on Hythrun politics, but I do know the High Arrion doesn’t do anything without a good reason, and I suspect your mother hasn’t made an impulsive move in her entire life.”
    It was a remarkably accurate assessment, considering her short acquaintance with his family. Damin wished for a moment that he could trust her. She would make a daunting High Princess—if she didn’t try to murder him first.
    “We’ll find out what’s behind their presence soon enough. Once Marla has gotten over the news about you.”
    “Well, if she doesn’t like the idea, tell her to take it up with the demon child,” she told him, picking up a