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James was impressed. Gone was the dusty, efficient travel garb, and now she wore the traditional formal raiment of her people. From head to foot she was dressed in a deep indigo silk, and James had to acknowledge that the colour suited her. She wore far less jewellery than was customary for a woman of her rank; but the pieces she did wear – a brooch which held her veil pinned to her shoulder, which in her homeland would be worn across her lower face in the presence of strangers; and a single large bracelet of gold embedded with emeralds – were of the highest quality. The former thief suppressed a smile as he considered what they’d fetch if sold to some of the less reputable gem dealers in Krondor.
Master de Lacy intoned, ‘Highness, the court is assembled.’
With a slight inclination of his head, Arutha signalled for court to commence.
James glanced around to see if William was present. As a junior officer of the Prince’s guard he had no particular reason to be here, but given his history with Jazhara, James thought it possible he might put in an appearance.
De Lacy spoke: ‘Highness, we have the honour to present to you Jazhara, newly come to Krondor from Stardock, recommended to your favour by Duke Pug.’
Arutha nodded for her to come close and Jazhara approached with the calm, effortless poise of one born to the court. James had seen more than one previously confident petitioner stumble while under the Prince’s gaze, but Jazhara reached the appropriate spot and bowed, a low, sweeping gesture, which she executed gracefully.
‘Welcome to Krondor, Jazhara,’ said Arutha. ‘Duke Pug commends you to our service. Are you willing to undertake such?’
‘With my heart and mind, Highness,’ answered the young desert woman.
De Lacy came to stand halfway between Jazhara and the Prince and began the oath of service. It was short and to the point, to James’s relief; there were far more tedious rites that he’d been forced to endure in his years of service to the crown.
Jazhara finished with, ‘And to this I pledge my life and honour, Highness.’
Father Belson, a priest of the Order of Prandur, and Arutha’s current advisor on issues concerning the various temples in the Kingdom, approached and intoned, ‘Prandur, Cleanser by Fire, Lord of the Flame, sanctifies this oath. As it is given, in fealty and service, so shall it be bound, in protection and succour. Let all know that this woman, Jazhara of the House of Hazara-Khan, is now Prince Arutha’s good and loyal servant.’
Belson conducted Jazhara to her appointed place in the court, next to his own, where both would be available should Arutha need their opinion on some issue concerning magic or faith. James glanced at the remaining company and realized court would be blessedly short this morning. There were only two petitioners and most of the regular court staff appeared anxious to be elsewhere. Arutha was a ruler who, to everyone’s relief except perhaps de Lacy’s, preferred efficiency to pomp. He left grand ceremony, such as the monthly galas and other festive occasions, to be overseen by his wife.
Jazhara caught James’s eye and gave him a slight smile, which he returned. Not for the first time, James wondered if there might be something more in this than merely a collegial gesture, and then he mentally kicked himself. James’s view of women was quite outside the norm for men his age in the Kingdom: he liked them and wasn’t afraid of them, though he had been from time to time confused by them. Still, while he enjoyed intimacy with a woman as much as the next man, he avoided complicating liaisons. And a relationship with one of the Prince’s advisors was only slightly less complicating than one with a member of his family; so he shunted aside such thoughts. With a slightly regretful inward sigh he told himself, it’s just that she’s exotic.
When court was over and the company dismissed, Arutha rose from his throne and turned to Jazhara. ‘Are you settled in?’
‘Yes, Highness,’ she answered. ‘My baggage was delivered to the palace this morning and all is well.’
‘Are your quarters adequate?’
She smiled. ‘Very, Highness. Master Kulgan told me what to expect, and I believe he was having some fun with me, as they are far more commodious than I had expected.’
Arutha smiled slightly. ‘Kulgan always possessed a dry sense of humour.’ Motioning for James, he said, ‘Squire James will conduct your tour of Krondor today, and should you need anything, he will ensure you get it.’
‘Thank you, Highness.’ With a grin, James said, ‘As you know, we had a bit of a tour last night, Highness.’
Arutha said, ‘I saw the documents this morning.’ To Jazhara and James he said, ‘But first, you two, in my office, please.’
Brion hurried to open the door and Arutha led Jazhara and James into his private office. As he was about to step through, Arutha said, ‘Squire Brion, see what Master de Lacy has for the squires this morning.’
‘Sire.’ Brion bowed and departed.
Arutha sat. ‘Jazhara, allow me to begin by saying that had I a moment’s concern regarding your loyalty to our court, you would not be standing here.’
Jazhara inclined her head and said, ‘Understood, Highness.’
‘James, as soon as possible, please familiarize our young magician with everything we know so far about the Crawler. That will require, I suspect, a fair amount of personal history, since his confrontation with the Mockers is significant in understanding his motives. Be frank. I have the impression this young lady doesn’t shock easily.’
Jazhara smiled.
Arutha fixed a solemn gaze on both of them. ‘This Crawler has had his hand in no small amount of mischief over the last year or so. He was indirectly involved in one of the more threatening attacks on our sovereignty and created a situation that put a great strain on our relationships with a neighbouring nation to the east. The more difficult he is to find, the more I worry about him.’ Addressing James he said, ‘Be thorough. You needn’t return to the palace, unless I send for you, until you feel Jazhara has seen all she needs to see.’
James bowed. ‘I will be thorough, Highness.’
Jazhara bowed as well and followed James out of the Prince’s office into a side corridor, where James asked, ‘Where to first, my lady?’
Jazhara said, ‘My quarters. I’m not traipsing around Krondor in this gown. And I feel only partially dressed if I don’t have my staff in my hand.’
James smiled. ‘Your quarters it is.’
As they walked through the palace, Jazhara said, ‘I haven’t seen William yet. Is he avoiding me?’
James looked at her. Frank, indeed, he thought. He said, ‘Probably not. While he’s a royal cousin, he’s also a junior officer and has many duties. If we don’t run into him during our travels, I know where we’ll be able to find him this evening.’
Jazhara said, ‘Good. We need to talk, and I’d rather that occurred sooner than later.’
James noticed she was no longer smiling.
• CHAPTER THREE • (#ulink_0e3efe70-dd77-5947-a7c4-0497b30cbdcd)
Vow (#ulink_0e3efe70-dd77-5947-a7c4-0497b30cbdcd)
THE WATCHMAN SALUTED.
James returned the acknowledgement, while Jazhara took in the sights of Krondor. She was wearing her travel garb once more. She carried her iron-shod staff, and her hair was tied back. She looked … businesslike. James found it interesting to contrast how she looked now, and how she had appeared at court earlier that morning. Two very different women …
They had begun early in the day, visiting the shops and markets of what people commonly referred to as the ‘Rich Quarter’ of the city, a place in which shops displayed items of great beauty and price to buyers of means. Jazhara had lingered at several shops, much to James’s chagrin, for he had never enjoyed the pastime of looking at goods he had no interest in buying. He had several times been assigned to the Princess’s shopping expeditions, mostly to keep Elena out from under her mother’s feet as much as to guard Arutha’s wife. It was perhaps the only time in his life when he hadn’t particularly enjoyed the Princess’s company.
James had then taken Jazhara through the so-called ‘Merchants’ Quarter,’ where the traders and captains of commerce had their places of business. The centre of this district was dominated by a coffeehouse. They had paused to enjoy a cup of the Keshian brew, which Jazhara pronounced as fine as any she had tasted at home. This had brought a smile from their server, a young man named Timothy Barret, the youngest son of the owner. Businessmen flocked to Barret’s to conduct business, mainly the underwriting of cargo ships and caravans.
After leaving the Merchants’ Quarter, they had visited one working-class district after another. It was now past sundown and the evening watch was making its rounds. ‘Perhaps we should return to the palace?’ James suggested.
‘There’s still a great deal of the city to be seen, yes?’
James nodded. ‘But I’m not certain you’d care to spend time there after dark.’
‘The Poor Quarter?’
‘Yes, and the docks and Fishtown. They can be pretty rough even during the day.’
‘I think I have shown I am capable of taking care of myself, James.’
‘Agreed, but I find it best to keep the opportunity for trouble to a minimum; it has a habit of finding me anyway.’
She laughed. ‘Perhaps more tomorrow, then. But what about William? You said he would likely be off-duty this evening.’
James pointed to a side street. ‘Let’s cut down there. William is almost certainly at the Rainbow Parrot.’
‘A soldiers’ tavern?’
James shrugged. ‘Not particularly, though many of Lucas’s patrons are old friends who served with him in the Riftwar. No, it’s just the place William prefers to frequent.’
Jazhara glanced sidelong at James. ‘A girl?’
James felt himself flush and decided a simple, direct answer was appropriate. ‘Yes. William has been seeing Talia, Lucas’s daughter, for several weeks now.’
‘Good,’ said Jazhara. ‘I feared he was still …’
As she paused, James supplied, ‘In love with you?’
Without looking at James she said, ‘Infatuated, I think, is a better word. I made a mistake and …’
‘Look, it’s none of my business,’ James said. ‘So if you don’t want to talk about it, fine.’
‘No, I want you to know something.’ She stopped and he turned to look at her. ‘Because you’re his friend, I think.’
‘I am,’ said James. James had been something of a mentor to William since he had arrived at Krondor.
‘And I would like for us to be friends, as well.’
James nodded. ‘I would like that too.’
‘So, you know, then, that William was a boy who followed me around for years once he was old enough to become interested in women. I was a few years older and to me he seemed an eager puppy, nothing more.’ She paused and stared down at the street, as if recalling something difficult to recount. James, too, stood still. ‘I became involved with an older man, one of my teachers. It was not a wise thing to do. He was Keshian, as I was, and he shared many of the beliefs I do on magic and its uses. We drifted into a relationship without too much effort.
‘Our affair became … awkward, for my family would not have approved of any such liaison, and rather than dictate to me, my great-uncle got word to my lover that he was to cease his involvement with me.’ She began to walk slowly again, as if it helped her form her thoughts. James accompanied her. ‘He rejected me, and left Stardock, returning to the Empire.’
‘And to a small reward, I’m sure.’
‘At the least. Perhaps it was nothing more than wanting to spare me a confrontation with my own father or perhaps he was afraid – my great-uncle’s reach can be very long, even into a place such as Stardock.’
‘And?’ James prompted.
‘William was there. I was hurt and frightened and alone and William was there.’ She looked at James. ‘He’s a lovely young man, honourable and kind, strong and passionate, and I felt abandoned. He helped me.’ Her voice trailed off.
James shrugged. ‘But what?’
‘But after a while I realized it was as wrong for me to be his lover as it had been for my teacher to be mine. William was the son of the duke, and had another destiny before him and I was … using him.’
James suppressed the quip that almost sprang to his lips about it not being a bad way to be used, and said instead, ‘Well, he wanted … I mean …’
‘Yes, but I was older and should have seen the problems to come. So I broke off our affair. I fear I may have tipped the balance in his decision to leave Stardock and come to Krondor.’
They turned into a street and headed towards an inn displaying a large parrot with rainbow-coloured feathers on a sign over the door. ‘Well, I’ve known Will for a bit now, and I think you can put aside that concern,’ James said at last. ‘He was set on becoming a soldier, one way or another, all his life, from what he’s told me.’
Jazhara was about to reply, but before she knew it, James was drawing his sword and saying, ‘Guard yourself!’
She brought her staff to the ready and hurried after him. She saw that the door to the inn was partially open and that there was a dead soldier lying before it; and now she could hear the sound of fighting coming from within.
James kicked the door wide and leapt through, Jazhara behind him, staff at the ready. A scene of carnage greeted them. Two armed men lay dead on the ground, mercenaries judging by their dress. Several bar patrons also lay dead amidst the broken furniture. A young woman lay near the fireplace, blood pooling about her head.
In the corner William conDoin, cousin by adoption to the Royal House of Krondor and Lieutenant in the Prince’s Household Guard, stood ready with his large sword held two-handed before him. Three men advanced on him.
William, seeing the newcomers, ‘James! Jazhara! Help me! Talia’s been hurt!’
One of the men turned to engage the squire. The other two attacked William, who barely had room to deflect both strikes with his larger sword. A devastating weapon in the field, the hand-and-a-half or ‘bastard’ sword was a liability at close quarters.
Jazhara lifted her hand and a nimbus of crimson light erupted around it. She cast it at the closest of William’s opponents and watched as the light harmlessly struck the ground near his feet. ‘Damn,’ she muttered. She hefted her staff and stepped forward, levelling a jab with the iron base at the side of the man’s head.
The intruder sensed or saw with his peripheral vision the attack and ducked aside. Whirling to face his new foe, he made a wicked slashing attack at Jazhara, causing her to fall back.
But she had freed William to concentrate on one foe only, and he quickly killed his man. James also dispatched his opponent, then used his sword hilt to strike Jazhara’s attacker at the base of the skull. Rather than stun the man, it served only to distract him, and he turned as Jazhara lashed out again with her staff. The sound of breaking bones was unmistakable as the iron heel of the staff crushed the back of the man’s head.
James looked around the room and said, ‘What black murder is this?’
William had thrown down his sword and was kneeling beside Talia, cradling her head in his lap. The girl’s face was pale and her life flowed out by the second. ‘Oh, William …’ she whispered, ‘Help me.’
William looked down despairingly. He glanced at James, who shook his head slightly, regret clearly showing in his expression. William then looked at Jazhara and entreated, ‘You were one of my father’s finest students. Can you perform a healing?’
Jazhara knelt beside the young soldier and whispered, ‘I’m sorry, William. Her wounds are too severe. Even if we were to send for a priest … it would be too late.’
James knelt on the other side of the girl. ‘Talia, who did this?’
Talia looked up at James. ‘They were after Father. I don’t know who they were. The leader was a huge bear of a man.’ She coughed and blood trickled from her mouth, staining her lips. ‘He hurt me, William. He really hurt me.’
Tears streamed down William’s cheeks. ‘Oh, Talia, I’m sorry …’
Suddenly the girl’s distress seemed to ease. James had seen this before in those on the verge of death. For a moment their eyes brightened, as if the pain had vanished, as if the dying stood upon the threshold of entering Lims-Kragma’s Hall. At this moment, they saw clearly in both worlds. Talia whispered, ‘Don’t worry, William. I swear by Kahooli, I will have my vengeance!’
Then her head lolled to one side.
‘No … Talia!’ William sobbed. For a moment he held her, and then slowly he placed her on the floor, and gently closed her eyes. At last, he rose and declared, ‘They must pay for this, James. I’m going after them.’
James looked towards the doorway of the inn. If the intruders had been seeking Talia’s father Lucas, that was the way the old man would have bolted. He said, ‘Wait, William. The Prince will have my head if I let you go off alone. You’ll have your revenge and we’ll be there beside you. Now, tell us what happened.’
William hesitated a moment then said, ‘Right. Martin and I had just ended our shift. We headed over here for a drink, just like always, and that’s when we saw them run out of the building. Half a dozen of them, with that big bastard leading them. Martin tried to halt them, and they attacked us without so much as a word. If you hadn’t come along, I’d no doubt be lying alongside Martin.’ He gestured towards the dead soldier.
James inspected the carnage. In addition to Talia, they had slaughtered everyone else in the inn. The other barmaid, Susan de Bennet, lay sprawled on the floor in the corner, her head severed completely from her body with what looked to have been a single blow. Her red tresses fanned out around her head, which lay a foot away from her body, her blue eyes still wide in shocked amazement. The other patrons were likewise hacked to pieces.
‘Why?’ asked James. ‘Why charge in and kill everyone in sight?’ He looked at William. ‘Did the big man go after Lucas?’
‘No. Some other men went out through the back. Once those five murderers backed me inside the inn, the big bastard and some others fled down the street.’
‘Do you have any idea where they were heading?’ asked James.
Before William could answer, the building seemed to rock as the night was torn by the sound of a thunderous explosion. James was first out the door, with William and Jazhara close behind him. To the west, a fountain of green flames rose into the night as rocks shot up into the air. As the sound of the explosion diminished, the rocks began to rain down. James and his companions ducked beneath the overhanging roof eaves, and waited.
When it was clear that the last of the rocks had fallen, William said, ‘Listen!’
