„I said it's your life. Do what you want. You're a sensible girl. You won't make you or me any problems we can't handle."

The tension left her completely. So completely she looked limp. Am I that intimidating? he wondered.

„I was so afraid you'd think I'm some kind of traitor."

He snorted. „Crap. The gods didn't make pretty girls to waste on dead men. If I wasn't old enough to be your father, and if you hadn't been married to Ragnar, I'd be out here chasing you myself." He stopped there. That wasn't quite the way he should say it. Too much subject to misinterpreta­ tion.

She knew his style well enough to accept it in the spirit in which it was meant. „Thanks. It's good to hear I'm not an old hag yet."

„You've got two or three good years left. Speaking of your friends, what ever happened to that tiny little one? The blonde. Sherilee. Something like that."

Kristen smiled saucily. „Interested?"

„No. I. ... Uh. ... I haven't seen her around. I just wondered."

„I've seen the way you look at her. The game you're thinking about doesn't have anything to do with running through the woods."

He grinned weakly, unable to articulate a protest. The woman in question had stricken him speechless the few times he had encountered her. He did not know why. That is, he understood his glandular response, but not why the particular female should have initiated it.

„I'm not shopping, Kristen. I just wondered. She's your age, after all."

„Be twenty-two in a couple months. Don't let Inger see you looking at her like that. She'll cut your throat. Yes. She's still around. I see her maybe once a week. You just haven't been around much. She's a little scared of you, you know. You're so quiet and broody, you make her nervous."

„I'm that way because she makes me nervous," he admit­ ted. „I'm supposed to be old enough that women don't affect me that way. I shouldn't even notice them when they're that young."

„I'm not going to say anything. Just keep talking yourself in deeper."

„Don't laugh, either. It's not funny to me. You said Aral comes to see Mist when she's in town. Tell me about it."

„You're changing the subject."

„You noticed. You're too damned smart for a female. Can't put anything past you."

„All right. I'll back off. All I can tell you is that he goes to Mist's house every day when she comes to the city. I saw him go by this morning. He was pretending he was inter­ ested in the park. I recognized him anyway."

„He doesn't seem to be sneaking, though, eh?"

„I don't know."

„He wouldn't just ride out Lieneke Lane if he was, would he?"

„I don't know him well enough to guess."

A servant signalled Kristen. She led Bragi to the kitchen, where he devoured most of a chicken. „Been eating so much chicken lately, I'm going to turn into one. Guess I'll have to see Mist for sure. Find out what the hell is going on. Going to be embarrassing if they're just playing a little push-me pull-you."

„She's ten times as old as he is!"

„She doesn't look it. And Aral's still that age where he does most of his thinking below his belt."

Kristen gave him an arch look. „Do men ever outgrow that?"

„Some. Some of us take longer than others. Old Derel probably outgrew it when he was twelve. Which reminds me. He should be back by Victory Day. We're going to have a wingding Victory Day night. I'll send a carriage for you. ... It don't seem possible that it was that long ago. You must have been a snotty-nosed kid in pigtails."

„I remember. Mother and I went out to meet you coming back from Baxendala. To meet Dad, really. You were all so dirty and ragged, and... glowing, I guess. I remember my father broke ranks to grab me and squeeze me. I thought he was going to break my ribs. It's still hard to believe. We beat the best they had."

„Not without luck. Should I send that carriage?"

„If I can find something to wear."

„Good. I'd better go if I want to catch Mist before she goes to bed."

But before he left he toured the bedrooms, to look at his sleeping children and grandson. He ventured into the Vorgreberg night feeling better about his role as King. It was for such as they he was struggling. Yesterday's little ones were today's Kristens and Sherilees. Today's children needed their chances too.

Mist met him in her library after keeping him waiting twenty minutes. She didn't apologize. „You're out late."

He scanned her quickly. She was as cool as ice. He wondered why her beauty didn't demolish him the way it did so many men. He was conscious of it, but never overwhelmed or intimidated. „I was at the house. I wanted to see you. Thought I'd save a trip and do it now."

„You look exhausted."

„I had a rough day. Excuse my manners. They may not be what they should."

„What's on your mind?"

„I'm curious about what you and Aral are up to."

„Up to?"

„I see some things coming together. Thought I'd get an explanation before I jump to conclusions."

„So?"

„There's an exiled princess minus the tempering effect of a husband who fell at Palmisano. A young merchant of wealth and influence. And on the staff of Lord Hsung's Western Army, Tervola who remain supporters of the exiled princess." He watched closely, saw no reaction. She was good.

„It's curious that these ingredients should come together just when it looks like there might be war on Shinsan's Matayangan border." Again, he awaited her reaction. This time she seemed a little twitchy.

She seemed to go off somewhere inside herself. He spent several minutes trying to decipher the titles on the spines of her books.

Finally, „You're right. I've been in touch with people inside Shinsan. A traditionalist faction displeased with Lord Kuo. They think I can restore stability and traditional values. It's just talk. Nothing will come of it."

„Why not?"

„These groups don't have enough power or influence."

Bragi steepled his fingers under his nose. „What's Aral's part?"

„The trading climate would improve if a friend ruled the east. He's been trying to gather financial backing."

Bragi stared at the books. Her explanation sounded plausible. As far as it went. Was she yielding two-thirds of the truth to mask the remainder?

„Sounds like a good idea to me. It would benefit Kavelin, surely, if the historical inertia of Shinsan could be shifted. Otherwise it doesn't matter who's in power."

Again she made him sit through an extended silence. He did not let it distract him.

„What are you saying?"

„That I wouldn't be averse to a scheme. But I want an understanding up front. You're Chatelaine of Maisak. I don't want to worry about my hold on the Savernake Gap."

„I see. You want guarantees. What did you have in mind?"

Bragi smiled. Her attitude betrayed her thinking. „Not now. Not here. We need time to think. And I want wit­ nesses. Varthlokkur and the Unborn."

„You don't trust anyone, do you?"

„Not now. Not anymore. Why should I? Your scheme is just one of my problems. I'm going to walk light and careful till it's all under control."

She laughed. He responded with a smile. She said, „It's too bad you were born a westerner. You would have made a great Tervola."

„Possibly. My mother was a witch."

She seemed startled. She started to say something, but was interrupted by a servant who announced, „My Lady, there's a gentleman here looking for His Majesty."

Bragi looked at Mist and shrugged. „Send him in," she said.

Dahl Haas bustled through the doorway. He still looked fresh. „Sire, I've been looking all over."

„What is it?" Bragi had a bad feeling. Haas looked grim.

„An emergency, Sire. Please?" He gave Mist a meaningful glance.

What is this? Bragi wondered. „We'll talk later," he told Mist, and followed a frantic Dahl out of the house. „Come on. Spill it, Dahl."