and called his name, pretending to try to rouse him while she allowed her tears to flow unchecked. Her distress was unfeigned as she turned to glare at the guard.
"You have killed him. He will not wake."
Verdan hurried over, looking horrified, and Chiana shot him a meaningful look. He grasped the situation, and, with an imperceptible nod, came to Blade's side and picked up his limp hand, taking his pulse with a worried frown. Kerra turned to watch as he shook his head, placing Blade's hand on his chest once more.
"I am sorry, Regent, he is getting worse, and slipping into a deeper coma. I doubt that he will wake again."
The nearest guard sniggered. "He'll die tomorrow anyway."
"Bastards!" Kerra cried, stepping forward to slap the guard. He recoiled in surprise and raised his hand to return the blow, but stopped when Chiana rose from the bed.
"Touch the Queen, and your prince will not be able to save you, lout!"
The man glared at them and swung away, muttering some foul comment to his comrade. Chiana jerked her head at the door, and Kerra led the way back into the corridor, two guards following.
As soon as the extra guards left, Verdan bent to examine the bolt that protruded from Blade's shoulder, clicking his tongue. The heavy, barbed iron quarrel had punched right through, but that made it easier to remove, since it would have to be pulled out by the head. A glance at the guards assured him that they had lost interest, and he bent lower to whisper in Blade's ear.
"This will hurt."
Verdan dug in his bag and drew on a thick leather glove, then gripped the bolt's head and yanked it out. Blade stiffened, his face growing paler and muscles standing out in ridges on his jaw. Verdan pulled the assassin's jacket off his left arm to expose the wounds, then washed and dressed them.
In the corridor, Kerra fell into step with the Regent, still frowning. "Is he very ill?"
Remembering Blade's instructions, she nodded, brushing the tears from her cheeks. "Yes."
"Then there is no hope for me?"
"There is always hope. Perhaps a letter will arrive tonight, telling us that Kerrion has found his wife and ordering Endor to leave here."
"And if not?"
Chiana hated to deceive the girl, and was not a good liar, so she kept her response brief and vague. "You must do what is necessary to save your stepmother and avert a complete catastrophe. That is all you can do."
"But what if father is right?"
"Hush now. Do not fret."
Kerra's mouth twisted. "But Endor... is horrible! I think he will hurt me."
Chiana casting a meaningful glance back at the guards. "We must hope for the best. Perhaps he will fall in love with you."
"He frightens me."
They arrived at Chiana's private apartments, and she ushered the Queen inside. The Cotti soldiers who followed them like heavy-footed shadows were once again forced to wait outside by Chiana's guards. An odd stand-off existed between her men and Endor's, neither empowered to take action against the other without provocation or orders. Lacking either, they stood on opposite sides of the corridor; one pair making sure the Queen did not try to slip away, the other guarding her privacy, and that of the Regent.
Kerra flopped down on a cushion in Chiana's sitting room, looking despondent, and the Regent poured her a cup of wine. Enough of it on an empty stomach would calm her down and numb her to the horror of her situation, as Chiana had been tempted to do recently. The girl was unused to strong spirits, and often bewailed the fact that she was not allowed to drink un-watered wine. Now was her opportunity to find out what it was like to become roaring drunk, Chiana decided.
Chapter Seven
Chiana spent most of the day comforting the Queen, plying her with wine, sweetmeats, cakes and pastries. Kerra's questions and demands grew less heated and intelligent as the liquor took effect, and her eyes drooped. The Regent summoned a bard to strum a lute and hum soft tunes, lulling the Queen
"You have killed him. He will not wake."
Verdan hurried over, looking horrified, and Chiana shot him a meaningful look. He grasped the situation, and, with an imperceptible nod, came to Blade's side and picked up his limp hand, taking his pulse with a worried frown. Kerra turned to watch as he shook his head, placing Blade's hand on his chest once more.
"I am sorry, Regent, he is getting worse, and slipping into a deeper coma. I doubt that he will wake again."
The nearest guard sniggered. "He'll die tomorrow anyway."
"Bastards!" Kerra cried, stepping forward to slap the guard. He recoiled in surprise and raised his hand to return the blow, but stopped when Chiana rose from the bed.
"Touch the Queen, and your prince will not be able to save you, lout!"
The man glared at them and swung away, muttering some foul comment to his comrade. Chiana jerked her head at the door, and Kerra led the way back into the corridor, two guards following.
As soon as the extra guards left, Verdan bent to examine the bolt that protruded from Blade's shoulder, clicking his tongue. The heavy, barbed iron quarrel had punched right through, but that made it easier to remove, since it would have to be pulled out by the head. A glance at the guards assured him that they had lost interest, and he bent lower to whisper in Blade's ear.
"This will hurt."
Verdan dug in his bag and drew on a thick leather glove, then gripped the bolt's head and yanked it out. Blade stiffened, his face growing paler and muscles standing out in ridges on his jaw. Verdan pulled the assassin's jacket off his left arm to expose the wounds, then washed and dressed them.
In the corridor, Kerra fell into step with the Regent, still frowning. "Is he very ill?"
Remembering Blade's instructions, she nodded, brushing the tears from her cheeks. "Yes."
"Then there is no hope for me?"
"There is always hope. Perhaps a letter will arrive tonight, telling us that Kerrion has found his wife and ordering Endor to leave here."
"And if not?"
Chiana hated to deceive the girl, and was not a good liar, so she kept her response brief and vague. "You must do what is necessary to save your stepmother and avert a complete catastrophe. That is all you can do."
"But what if father is right?"
"Hush now. Do not fret."
Kerra's mouth twisted. "But Endor... is horrible! I think he will hurt me."
Chiana casting a meaningful glance back at the guards. "We must hope for the best. Perhaps he will fall in love with you."
"He frightens me."
They arrived at Chiana's private apartments, and she ushered the Queen inside. The Cotti soldiers who followed them like heavy-footed shadows were once again forced to wait outside by Chiana's guards. An odd stand-off existed between her men and Endor's, neither empowered to take action against the other without provocation or orders. Lacking either, they stood on opposite sides of the corridor; one pair making sure the Queen did not try to slip away, the other guarding her privacy, and that of the Regent.
Kerra flopped down on a cushion in Chiana's sitting room, looking despondent, and the Regent poured her a cup of wine. Enough of it on an empty stomach would calm her down and numb her to the horror of her situation, as Chiana had been tempted to do recently. The girl was unused to strong spirits, and often bewailed the fact that she was not allowed to drink un-watered wine. Now was her opportunity to find out what it was like to become roaring drunk, Chiana decided.
Chapter Seven
Chiana spent most of the day comforting the Queen, plying her with wine, sweetmeats, cakes and pastries. Kerra's questions and demands grew less heated and intelligent as the liquor took effect, and her eyes drooped. The Regent summoned a bard to strum a lute and hum soft tunes, lulling the Queen
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