"But that's treason, your Majesty!" Sheba protested.

"Treason is a relative concept," he stared back at her with those dead black eyes. "We feel that Damon Eram has committed treason by neglecting his duties and persecuting his subjects. Wikuna suffers while he sits on his throne. Niece Sisska has described Keritanima-Chan to me. She is honorable, and will serve Wikuna more faithfully than her father. Damon Eram no longer has honor in the eyes of Vendaka."

Sheba rocked back on her heels. That was as good as a death sentence. "Just how do you intend to get him off the throne without dropping all of us into hell?"

Keritanima looked wildly at Sashka. Such directness hadn't been part of her plan, but she already had begun to realize that with the Vendari solidly behind her, there was no need to be coy or indirect about what she was doing. "It's very simply, Sheba," Keritanima told her. "There is a law, a very old law, that gives the nobility the power to forcibly abdicate a king. That law was repealed about three hundred years ago, but my father recently repealed the repeal, during his attempts to remove all the blocks keeping him from using his power against me. You don't know much about Wikuni law, but when that happens-"

"The original law is reinstated!" Sheba finished in surprise. "That's sneaky, Kerri!"

"You will address her as Her Majesty," Sashka said stiffly. "Do not dishonor the Queen of Wikuna!"

"My apologies," Sheba said instantly. "Your Majesty."

"Let's stay away from majesties until I'm officially wearing the crown, sashka," Keritanima asked. "That's why I sent you that message, Sheba. All it takes to abdicate a king is three quarters of the noble house heads stating before a priest of Kikkali that the king is no longer fit to rule. The other twenty-eight noble rulers also got messages. No doubt they're hastily dressing right now to run over here and ask me if I've gone insane." She looked around. "But with sashka openly supporting me, we don't have to be roundabout with this. I think it's time we moved into the Hall of the Sun. The others can talk to me there, when I'm absolutely surrounded by a host of Vendari supporters. Let's let them see who they'll have to face if they're not going to support me."

"Your Majesty has a firm grip on the subtleties of politics," sashka told her gravely.

"This is about as subtle as a cannon in a ballroom, your Majesty," Keritanima replied with a toothy grin.

"Sometimes brute force can be more subtle than the cleverest thief, your Majesty," he replied. "It is all in the application of that brute force."

"Your wisdom humbles me, sashka," she said sincerely.

"Let us withdraw to the Hall of the Sun, then. Sisska, return to the host. Have a hundred of my finest warriors assemble, and bring them to the Hall. You speak with my voice."

"As you see fit, uncle," Sisska replied respectfully, then she bowed to him and scurried out quickly.

"Sheba, straighten yourself up. You look like a harlot with ten customers."

"Well, excuse me," she huffed, putting a hand to the misbuttoned dress. "I'm afraid your message put me out of sorts." She looked at her feet. "Can I borrow a pair of shoes?"

"I think I can find something to match that dress. I may have to stretch them a bit to make them fit you. You have feet like a duck."

"Excuse me for not being a primadonna," Sheba snorted.

"Is this a friend of yours, Majesty?" sashka asked curiously.

"It's a rather bizarre friendship, sashka, but I'm about as close to a friend as Sheba has."

"Fine, then. I will not punish her for her disrespect, if she addresses you as a friend."

Sheba gave the massive Vendari a startled look, then lowered her eyes quickly. To stare a Vendari in the eye was to stare down death, and few Wikuni could face such things.

"Sheba has some rough edges, but there's some hope for her," Keritanima winked.

"I'll show you some rough edges, Kerri," Sheba replied before thinking, balling up her fist.

"Temper temper," Keritanima teased. "Let's get you some shoes and make you a bit more presentable, and we'll go to the Hall."

"Don't you want to get dressed, Kerri?"

"I am dressed, Sheba," she said, motioning at the plain, simple dress she wore, something a servant would wear.

"But you look like a servant."

"A Queen is but the servant of her people, even as they are subject to her command," sashka said in a powerful voice. "That Keritanima-Chan does not try to raise herself above those she commands speaks much for her honor."

"Uh, Kerri, about this message," Sheba said uncertainly. "I don't think I'm stupid enough to side against you."

"Then you are wiser than I first thought," sashka told her bluntly.

After making Sheba look more composed, Keritanima walked with sashka, Binter, Sheba, and the twenty Royal Guard from her apartment to the Hall of the Sun. The Hall was empty and dark, but the huge Vendari monarch wasted no time ordering that the candles be lit and the doors be opened. Keritanima didn't speak, not ready to tip her hand just quite yet. Her father was holed up not two floors away, and if he got wind of what was going on, he could bring a host of army regulars to the Hall to eject her before the Vendari arrived. After the Vendari arrived, she wouldn't care a whit about what he tried to do. One hundred Vendari could hold the Hall against five thousand Wikuni for a month. But it turned out to be a short wait, for not five minutes after they arrived, a hundred calm, stoic Vendari marched into the Hall. They were universally huge, with their kilts, leather harnesses, and various wickedly maintained oversized weapons of many types. Sisska organized them to stand at the walls and observe, to be living reminders of the power that the one who commanded them possessed. Riding along with the Vendari were a confused Azakar and a very elated Miranda. Miranda knew exactly what was going on, and it made her smile.

There was going to be a new ruler in Wikuna by sunset.

Miranda took Keritanima's hands and grinned cheekily at her, then hugged her happily. "It looks like this is it," she said.

"I hope so," Keritanima said calmly.

"What's going on, Kerri?" Azakar asked.

"Not much, Zak," Miranda grinned. "We're just taking the crown from Damon Eram, that's all."

Azakar gaped at her for a moment, then he laughed. "Well, I knew this was going to happen eventually," he chuckled.

"Who is this large human?" sashka asked.

"Your Majesty, may I present Miranda, my maid, who you know, and Azakar Kanash, a Knight of Karas and one of my sworn protectors. He is a man of great honor. Azakar, this is the sashka, ruler of Vendaka."

"Then we will accept him as a man of honor," sashka said magnaminously as Miranda and Azakar bowed to the huge Vendari.

"It's an honor to meet you, king sashka," Azakar said hesitantly.

"The word is a title, not my name, young human," sashka said gently. "I am not worthy of the honor of proclaiming myself as ruler of the Vendari, so I abandoned my name for the title of sashka when I accepted this duty."

"I beg your pardon, your Majesty," Azakar said, his cheeks flaming with embarassment.

"There is no need to seek forgiveness, young Knight. You did not know before. You do know now, and you are a wiser man for it."

Azakar bowed his head eloquently. "What do you want me to do, Kerri?"

"The same as you've always done, Zak," she smiled. "Stay near me and Miranda and protect us."

"You have fought for her Majesty?" sashka asked him curiously. "You are young, but carry the scars of a man of many seasons."

"He's been wounded in defense of my life, sashka," Keritanima said formally. "He has proven his honor."

"A great honor indeed. But perhaps you need more instruction."

"His scars come from a slaver's whip, sashka," Binter said stiffly. Binter and Sisska both had very grim views of slavery. It was a racial prejudice. "He is the equal of any Vendari in battle. His scars are a symbol of his courage, not marks of ineptitude."