against the assassins, the theme became bolder and filled with admiration. As the frenzied music began to build, Albray was fuelled anew and all present were stunned when I started adding a few punches and kicks to my repertoire.
‘And I thought my wives were a handful,’ the Shah said, laughing at my husband’s bemused face.
Lord Devere saw the humour in the situation and allowed a smile to melt his stern expression. ‘Life is never boring,’ he conceded, and the Shah laughed even harder.
Fortunately, Cingar soon realised he was setting the pace of the duel and mellowed his passion a tad. I was a fairly fit woman for thirty-nine years of age, but I had not done anything so physically strenuous in a long time; I was really going to hurt come the morrow.
The Shah gave the nod and his crier yelled, ‘Enough!’ The assassins immediately ceased their attack and Cingar wound up his composition with one long, inspired stroke of his bow.
The Shah applauded the display and, to the shock of all present, gave me a standing ovation. The court scrambled hurriedly to follow suit. ‘You must stay in the palace as my guests tonight,’ he told my associates. ‘And we shall discuss your permit.’
I’d best be going then, Albray said, complying with my husband’s demand to make himself absent from my person as soon as the match was over. Suddenly I felt the full weight of the swords I was holding aloft; the blades dropped to the ground so hard my arms were near wrenched from their sockets. Every muscle in my body began screaming at once and, unable to cope with the onslaught of pain, turned to jelly. I fell to the floor in a faint.
The first sensation I felt on regaining consciousness was that of being buried to the neck. My immediate thought was that I had donesomething to offend the Shah and he had dreamt up some horrid death for me. A moan escaped my lips as soon as I attempted to move myself, then my eyes parted to behold my husband’s smiling face. ‘I am not dying?’ I assumed, seeing he was at liberty and in good spirits.
‘No,’ he confirmed, ‘but you have seen better days.’
When I laughed all my muscles seized and then I was moaning again. ‘I should have listened to you,’ I cried. ‘It feels as if my entire body is bruised!’
Sorry about that. Albray waved at me from behind my lord. But we did achieve our goal—the Shah has asked you to dinner.
‘I was under the impression that the Shah never ate with anyone?’ I directed the question to Lord Devere, who appeared a little irked by Albray’s presence. I had hoped to dismiss my knight after the demonstration and avoid any more unpleasantness, but as I had not been given the opportunity, I sensed that my protector and my husband had had a clash while I was unconscious.
‘His Majesty will not eat with us, but,’ my husband’s smile grew broad once more, ‘we have been granted a private audience with the Shah as he wishes to discuss the terms of renewing our permit.’
‘Honestly?’ The news was such a painkiller that I sat bolt upright and hugged my husband. ‘Then what is a little pain?’
As the shock of my victory wore off, my aching limbs squeezed another moan out of me and Lord Devere aided me to resume a horizontal position.
‘I am going to tell the Shah that you will not be attending the meeting,’ he said. ‘Taylor can negotiate the terms of the excavation.’
‘No, please,’ I said. ‘I just need a hot bath.’
‘Can that be arranged?’ Lord Devere looked to the palace official attending us.
‘Without question,’ he advised, and departed to see to the request.
‘Oh, my lord,’ I whispered, upon finally noting how lavish my recovery room was.
‘Yes, it seems nothing is too good for a living legend.’ I could tell by the look on my husband’s face that he was very proud of me.
‘Albray is the legend,’ I said, looking to my knight and thanking him dearly for his aid. ‘I shall try to keep the Lady du Lac
‘And I thought my wives were a handful,’ the Shah said, laughing at my husband’s bemused face.
Lord Devere saw the humour in the situation and allowed a smile to melt his stern expression. ‘Life is never boring,’ he conceded, and the Shah laughed even harder.
Fortunately, Cingar soon realised he was setting the pace of the duel and mellowed his passion a tad. I was a fairly fit woman for thirty-nine years of age, but I had not done anything so physically strenuous in a long time; I was really going to hurt come the morrow.
The Shah gave the nod and his crier yelled, ‘Enough!’ The assassins immediately ceased their attack and Cingar wound up his composition with one long, inspired stroke of his bow.
The Shah applauded the display and, to the shock of all present, gave me a standing ovation. The court scrambled hurriedly to follow suit. ‘You must stay in the palace as my guests tonight,’ he told my associates. ‘And we shall discuss your permit.’
I’d best be going then, Albray said, complying with my husband’s demand to make himself absent from my person as soon as the match was over. Suddenly I felt the full weight of the swords I was holding aloft; the blades dropped to the ground so hard my arms were near wrenched from their sockets. Every muscle in my body began screaming at once and, unable to cope with the onslaught of pain, turned to jelly. I fell to the floor in a faint.
The first sensation I felt on regaining consciousness was that of being buried to the neck. My immediate thought was that I had donesomething to offend the Shah and he had dreamt up some horrid death for me. A moan escaped my lips as soon as I attempted to move myself, then my eyes parted to behold my husband’s smiling face. ‘I am not dying?’ I assumed, seeing he was at liberty and in good spirits.
‘No,’ he confirmed, ‘but you have seen better days.’
When I laughed all my muscles seized and then I was moaning again. ‘I should have listened to you,’ I cried. ‘It feels as if my entire body is bruised!’
Sorry about that. Albray waved at me from behind my lord. But we did achieve our goal—the Shah has asked you to dinner.
‘I was under the impression that the Shah never ate with anyone?’ I directed the question to Lord Devere, who appeared a little irked by Albray’s presence. I had hoped to dismiss my knight after the demonstration and avoid any more unpleasantness, but as I had not been given the opportunity, I sensed that my protector and my husband had had a clash while I was unconscious.
‘His Majesty will not eat with us, but,’ my husband’s smile grew broad once more, ‘we have been granted a private audience with the Shah as he wishes to discuss the terms of renewing our permit.’
‘Honestly?’ The news was such a painkiller that I sat bolt upright and hugged my husband. ‘Then what is a little pain?’
As the shock of my victory wore off, my aching limbs squeezed another moan out of me and Lord Devere aided me to resume a horizontal position.
‘I am going to tell the Shah that you will not be attending the meeting,’ he said. ‘Taylor can negotiate the terms of the excavation.’
‘No, please,’ I said. ‘I just need a hot bath.’
‘Can that be arranged?’ Lord Devere looked to the palace official attending us.
‘Without question,’ he advised, and departed to see to the request.
‘Oh, my lord,’ I whispered, upon finally noting how lavish my recovery room was.
‘Yes, it seems nothing is too good for a living legend.’ I could tell by the look on my husband’s face that he was very proud of me.
‘Albray is the legend,’ I said, looking to my knight and thanking him dearly for his aid. ‘I shall try to keep the Lady du Lac
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