rather less conviction than I intended. Bao raised one eyebrow at me. “In fact, I did,” I said indignantly. “Ask Batu, or any of his people.”
Bao tugged on his boots. “Well, I’m sorry. But it’s complicated.”
I sighed. “Oh, gods bedamned! Fine. I’m the last person to deny you the right to take pleasure and comfort where you find it. But, Bao… a wife?” A pang squeezed my heart. “Do you love her? Is that it?”
“It’s complicated,” he repeated, shrugging into his woolen vest. “You see, she’s the Great Khan’s youngest daughter.”
At a loss for words, I continued to stare at him. Now, belatedly, I remembered how folk in the campsite had deferred to Bao, how everyone in the
ger
had departed swiftly at his command. Insofar as I’d noticed, I’d assumed it was because General Arslan had acknowledged him, or even just because of his prowess as a fighter. Never in a thousand years had I thought it was because he was the Great Khan’s son-in-law.
“I’d better go to her.” Bao stooped before me, crouching on his heels. “Terbish is the name of the fellow I asked to see to your horse. He’ll escort you to your tribe’s camp.”
“I don’t need an escort!” I shouted at him.
“I don’t love her,” he said abruptly. The words lay between us in an uncomfortable silence. “But Erdene
is
the Great Khan’s daughter, and I suspect you are not one of her favorite people right now. Accept the escort.”
I closed my eyes. “Fine. I’ll accept the escort.”
“Thank you.” Bao straightened, waiting until I relented and looked at him. “I am sorry, Moirin. I didn’t do this to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you.”
“It’s complicated,” I said dully.
He nodded. “I’ll come find you later. We have a lot to talk about.” He tried a faint smile on me. “Somehow, I thought there would be time for talking first. I should have known better, huh?”
I didn’t answer.
As soon as Bao left the
ger
, I dressed in a hurry. My body was still singing with the aftermath of long-denied pleasure and my
diadh-anam
was quiet within me, but there was a maelstrom of confusion and betrayal in my heart.
It wasn’t entirely fair, of course. But… a wife?
True to Bao’s word, the man Terbish was waiting for me, holding Ember’s reins. I nodded my thanks to him. He walked beside me as I rode slowly back to Batu’s camp. Now folk were definitely staring, and I heard a murmuring susurrus of gossip that was all too familiar. I gritted my teeth, refusing to feel embarrassed. It wasn’t
my
fault that I’d just engaged in a very public display of affection, and what was doubtless an obvious bout of intensive lovemaking, with the Great Khan’s son-in-law.
Back at the tribe’s camp, a pair of Vralians with ornate chains around their necks were talking with Batu through an interpreter. Seeing me return, Batu dismissed them and hurried over to me, his kind eyes soft with concern. I could tell that the news had travelled fast.
“Are you well?” he asked me.
“No,” I admitted. Although it was customary in Tatar culture to deny any troubles on first inquiry, I didn’t have the heart for it. “Batu, I didn’t know, I swear!”
“I know this to be true,” he said firmly. “I have given you the hospitality of my roof. You are a truthful person.”
It made me feel better. I gazed after the departing Vralians. “What did those fellows want?”
He shrugged. “Them? They always want to talk about their gods. But they were asking about you, too.” A glint came into his eyes. “I told them you were a mighty sorceress who brought the Great Khan’s son-in-law back from death, and that there is a powerful bond between you. Do not worry, I did not speak of Ch’in. It will not cause trouble. It will teach them to respect and fear you.”
I smiled sadly. “I don’t feel very fearsome.”
Batu patted my arm. “You did nothing wrong. Blame the young man.
He
has been untruthful.”
Bao tugged on his boots. “Well, I’m sorry. But it’s complicated.”
I sighed. “Oh, gods bedamned! Fine. I’m the last person to deny you the right to take pleasure and comfort where you find it. But, Bao… a wife?” A pang squeezed my heart. “Do you love her? Is that it?”
“It’s complicated,” he repeated, shrugging into his woolen vest. “You see, she’s the Great Khan’s youngest daughter.”
At a loss for words, I continued to stare at him. Now, belatedly, I remembered how folk in the campsite had deferred to Bao, how everyone in the
ger
had departed swiftly at his command. Insofar as I’d noticed, I’d assumed it was because General Arslan had acknowledged him, or even just because of his prowess as a fighter. Never in a thousand years had I thought it was because he was the Great Khan’s son-in-law.
“I’d better go to her.” Bao stooped before me, crouching on his heels. “Terbish is the name of the fellow I asked to see to your horse. He’ll escort you to your tribe’s camp.”
“I don’t need an escort!” I shouted at him.
“I don’t love her,” he said abruptly. The words lay between us in an uncomfortable silence. “But Erdene
is
the Great Khan’s daughter, and I suspect you are not one of her favorite people right now. Accept the escort.”
I closed my eyes. “Fine. I’ll accept the escort.”
“Thank you.” Bao straightened, waiting until I relented and looked at him. “I am sorry, Moirin. I didn’t do this to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you.”
“It’s complicated,” I said dully.
He nodded. “I’ll come find you later. We have a lot to talk about.” He tried a faint smile on me. “Somehow, I thought there would be time for talking first. I should have known better, huh?”
I didn’t answer.
As soon as Bao left the
ger
, I dressed in a hurry. My body was still singing with the aftermath of long-denied pleasure and my
diadh-anam
was quiet within me, but there was a maelstrom of confusion and betrayal in my heart.
It wasn’t entirely fair, of course. But… a wife?
True to Bao’s word, the man Terbish was waiting for me, holding Ember’s reins. I nodded my thanks to him. He walked beside me as I rode slowly back to Batu’s camp. Now folk were definitely staring, and I heard a murmuring susurrus of gossip that was all too familiar. I gritted my teeth, refusing to feel embarrassed. It wasn’t
my
fault that I’d just engaged in a very public display of affection, and what was doubtless an obvious bout of intensive lovemaking, with the Great Khan’s son-in-law.
Back at the tribe’s camp, a pair of Vralians with ornate chains around their necks were talking with Batu through an interpreter. Seeing me return, Batu dismissed them and hurried over to me, his kind eyes soft with concern. I could tell that the news had travelled fast.
“Are you well?” he asked me.
“No,” I admitted. Although it was customary in Tatar culture to deny any troubles on first inquiry, I didn’t have the heart for it. “Batu, I didn’t know, I swear!”
“I know this to be true,” he said firmly. “I have given you the hospitality of my roof. You are a truthful person.”
It made me feel better. I gazed after the departing Vralians. “What did those fellows want?”
He shrugged. “Them? They always want to talk about their gods. But they were asking about you, too.” A glint came into his eyes. “I told them you were a mighty sorceress who brought the Great Khan’s son-in-law back from death, and that there is a powerful bond between you. Do not worry, I did not speak of Ch’in. It will not cause trouble. It will teach them to respect and fear you.”
I smiled sadly. “I don’t feel very fearsome.”
Batu patted my arm. “You did nothing wrong. Blame the young man.
He
has been untruthful.”
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