through his hair-a characteristic motion,
leaving it randomly scattered-and said quietly,'I am engaged, to the
best of my skill, and using deficient materials, in decorating a
sanctuary to honour your father. Is that answer enough, Majesty?'
'Not at all, Rhodian. That is self-interest. You are extremely well
paid, and the materials are the best we can offer right now. We've
had a plague and a war, Caius Crispus.'
'Oh, really,' he said. Couldn't help himself.
She raised her eyebrows. 'Insolence?'
Her voice and expression made him abruptly aware that whatever the
proper court manners might be, he was not displaying them, and the
Antae had never been known for patience.
He shook his head. 'I lived through both,' he murmured. 'I need no
reminders.'
She regarded him in silence another long moment. Crispin felt an
unexplained prickling along his back up to the hairs of his neck. The
silence stretched. Then the queen drew a breath and said without
preamble:'I need an extremely private message carried to the Emperor
in Sarantium. No man-or woman-may know the contents of this, or that
it is even being carried. That is why you are here alone, and were
brought by night.'
Crispin's mouth went dry. He felt his heart begin to hammer again. 'I
am an artisan, Majesty. No more than that. I have no place in the
intrigues of courts.' He wished he hadn't put down the wine glass.
'And,' he added, too tardily,'I am not going to Sarantium.'
'Of course you are,' she said dismissively. 'What man would not
accept that invitation.' She knew about it. Of course she did. His
mother knew about it.
'It is not my invitation,' he said pointedly. 'And Martinian, my
partner, has indicated he will not go.'
'He is an old man. You aren't. And you have nothing to keep you in
Varena at all.'
He had nothing to keep him. At all.
'He isn't old,' he said.
She ignored that. 'I have made inquiries into your family, your
circumstances, your disposition. I am told you are choleric and of
dark humour, and not inclined to be properly respectful. Also that
you are skilled at your craft and have attained a measure of renown
and some wealth thereby. None of this concerns me. But no one has
reported you to be cowardly or without ambition. Of course you will
go to Sarantium. Will you carry my message for me?'
Crispin said, before he had really thought about the implications at
all, 'What message?'
Which meant-he realized much later, thinking about it, reliving this
dialogue again and again on the long road east-that the moment she
told him he had no real choice, unless he did decide to die and seek
Ilandra and the girls with Jad behind the sun.
The young queen of the Antae and of Batiara, surrounded by mortal
danger and fighting it with whatever tools came to hand, however
unexpectedly, said sofdy,'You will tell the Emperor Valerius II and
no one else that should he wish to regain this country and Rhodias
within it, and not merely have a meaningless claim to them, there is
an unmarried queen here who has heard of his prowess and his glory
and honours them.'
Crispin's jaw dropped. The queen did not flush, nor did her gaze
flicker at all. His reaction was being closely watched, he realized.
He said, stammering, 'The Emperor is married. Has been for years. He
changed the laws to wed the Empress Alixana.'
Calm and very still on her ivory seat, she said, 'Alas, husbands or
wives may be put aside. Or die, Caius Crispus.'
He knew this.
'Empires,' she murmured, 'live after us. So does a name. For good or
ill. Valerius II, who was once Petrus of Trakesia, has wanted to
regain Rhodias and this peninsula since he brought his uncle to the
Golden Throne twelve summers ago. He purchased his truce with the
King of Kings in Bassania for that reason alone. King Shirvan is
bribed so Valerius may assemble an army for the west when the time
ripens. There are no mysteries here. But if he tries to take this
land in war, he will not hold it. This peninsula is too far away from
him,
leaving it randomly scattered-and said quietly,'I am engaged, to the
best of my skill, and using deficient materials, in decorating a
sanctuary to honour your father. Is that answer enough, Majesty?'
'Not at all, Rhodian. That is self-interest. You are extremely well
paid, and the materials are the best we can offer right now. We've
had a plague and a war, Caius Crispus.'
'Oh, really,' he said. Couldn't help himself.
She raised her eyebrows. 'Insolence?'
Her voice and expression made him abruptly aware that whatever the
proper court manners might be, he was not displaying them, and the
Antae had never been known for patience.
He shook his head. 'I lived through both,' he murmured. 'I need no
reminders.'
She regarded him in silence another long moment. Crispin felt an
unexplained prickling along his back up to the hairs of his neck. The
silence stretched. Then the queen drew a breath and said without
preamble:'I need an extremely private message carried to the Emperor
in Sarantium. No man-or woman-may know the contents of this, or that
it is even being carried. That is why you are here alone, and were
brought by night.'
Crispin's mouth went dry. He felt his heart begin to hammer again. 'I
am an artisan, Majesty. No more than that. I have no place in the
intrigues of courts.' He wished he hadn't put down the wine glass.
'And,' he added, too tardily,'I am not going to Sarantium.'
'Of course you are,' she said dismissively. 'What man would not
accept that invitation.' She knew about it. Of course she did. His
mother knew about it.
'It is not my invitation,' he said pointedly. 'And Martinian, my
partner, has indicated he will not go.'
'He is an old man. You aren't. And you have nothing to keep you in
Varena at all.'
He had nothing to keep him. At all.
'He isn't old,' he said.
She ignored that. 'I have made inquiries into your family, your
circumstances, your disposition. I am told you are choleric and of
dark humour, and not inclined to be properly respectful. Also that
you are skilled at your craft and have attained a measure of renown
and some wealth thereby. None of this concerns me. But no one has
reported you to be cowardly or without ambition. Of course you will
go to Sarantium. Will you carry my message for me?'
Crispin said, before he had really thought about the implications at
all, 'What message?'
Which meant-he realized much later, thinking about it, reliving this
dialogue again and again on the long road east-that the moment she
told him he had no real choice, unless he did decide to die and seek
Ilandra and the girls with Jad behind the sun.
The young queen of the Antae and of Batiara, surrounded by mortal
danger and fighting it with whatever tools came to hand, however
unexpectedly, said sofdy,'You will tell the Emperor Valerius II and
no one else that should he wish to regain this country and Rhodias
within it, and not merely have a meaningless claim to them, there is
an unmarried queen here who has heard of his prowess and his glory
and honours them.'
Crispin's jaw dropped. The queen did not flush, nor did her gaze
flicker at all. His reaction was being closely watched, he realized.
He said, stammering, 'The Emperor is married. Has been for years. He
changed the laws to wed the Empress Alixana.'
Calm and very still on her ivory seat, she said, 'Alas, husbands or
wives may be put aside. Or die, Caius Crispus.'
He knew this.
'Empires,' she murmured, 'live after us. So does a name. For good or
ill. Valerius II, who was once Petrus of Trakesia, has wanted to
regain Rhodias and this peninsula since he brought his uncle to the
Golden Throne twelve summers ago. He purchased his truce with the
King of Kings in Bassania for that reason alone. King Shirvan is
bribed so Valerius may assemble an army for the west when the time
ripens. There are no mysteries here. But if he tries to take this
land in war, he will not hold it. This peninsula is too far away from
him,
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