She stared until the person moved forward out of the shadows. “Khaldo. Is there some reason you’re skulking next to the gate?”

  The young woman’s mouth twisted in unadulterated hatred for the woman who’d taken away the Blade status she’d dreamed of since she first became aware of the Temple as a five-turn child. “No, Milady.” She made the honorific sound dirty and bared her teeth on the tail end of the word.

  “Did you come for the trash? The barrel obviously needs emptying.”

  Knowing if she went too far with her sarcasm Sábria would put her back into that disgusting detention cell, Khaldo forced a smile onto her face. If she could have seen the hatred in her eyes, she would have known to disguise that as well. “Yes, Milady.”

  The gate guard, Dina, stepped up next to Sábria. “Is everything okay, My Lady? We noticed you’d stopped here for some reason.”

  The second guard, Larkin, stood in the middle of the gate so she could keep an eye on the outer bailey and on what was happening just inside the courtyard.

  Sábria saw Khaldo’s eyes flick to something behind her, and she turned to see Larkin backing up her and Dina. “Everything’s fine. I believe Khaldo was standing off to the side, waiting for me to pass. She’s gathering the trash to take to the midden.”

  Dina nodded and tucked her thumbs near the buckle of her sword belt.

  Realizing everyone was waiting for her to leave, Sábria started for the Sanctum. She stopped when she remembered she’d wanted to leave a message with Dina. “I’m expecting Lady Knight Farryn later this morning. If you’d let her pass and tell her I’m in Commander Shirin’s rooms, I’d appreciate it.”

  “Yes, My Lady.” Dina watched her go, then turned angry eyes on Khaldo. “You blame her when the only one you should be blaming is yourself.”

  Khaldo pushed past her and hiked the trash barrel onto her shoulder. “I don’t blame her, Dina. But she’ll pay one day. You wait and see. She’ll pay.”

  Dina grabbed her by the throat and slammed her, along with the garbage barrel, up against the wall. “I hope that wasn’t the threat it sounded like, you little piece of shit. If you’d admitted, just once, you and your skezzi followers were wrong, take even a little responsibility for what you did to Ailith, we’d do our best to try to forget.” She squeezed Khaldo’s throat harder to make sure the woman got her message. “But as long as you hold the Arch Priestess responsible for where you are today, I’ll be watching you. One wrong move—”

  “Oi! What’s goin’ on here?” Prime Geller was just returning from delivering Shirin to her bed.

  Releasing her death grip on Khaldo’s throat, Dina set her down and patted the woman’s tunic free of wrinkles. “Nothing, Prime. We’re just clarifying a few things, that’s all.”

  Geller, who not only hated bullies but also held Khaldo partially responsible for the trouble she’d been in with the Arch Priestess, glared at the woman. “Give me one tiny reason to run my blade through yer sorry gullet, garbage girl, and it’ll be a done deal. As far as I’m concerned, ya don’t deserve to pick up th’ trash in th’ Temple, let alone walk about free without a guard.” She turned her attention to Dina. “And you, get back to yer post. Now.”

  Dina brought her fist to her chest, gave Khaldo one last scathing look, and marched to the outer gate with Larkin by her side.

  Shaking her head, Geller snarled at Khaldo. “Get back to work.”

  Khaldo returned her glare for two beats before hiking the trash barrel higher onto her shoulder and heading to the rear of the Temple grounds, where she’d separate the trash into piles to either burn, compost, or bury.

  Oblivious to what had happened after she’d entered the Sanctum’s gardens, Sábria let herself into Shirin’s rooms, where she met Healer Haria pulling the door shut to the bedroom. “What happened?”

  “Your Commander is receiving an object lesson in obedience to the Master Healer. She decided she knew more about healing injured knuckles than I did and spent the last candlemark walking around the Temple with her arm swinging down by her side. Now her hand is swollen to twice its size again, and she thinks I’m going to give her something for the pain. I think not.”

  “Swollen to twice its size again? I thought you said there was probably nothing broken.”

  “If you remember, I said if she stayed quiet, we might know whether that one knuckle was broken or not by today. Broken? I’m still not sure. Dislocated? Probably. She has two knuckles that most likely dislocated and reset yesterday on their own before I saw them. The fact that they reset themselves doesn’t minimize the severity of the damage. Walking around like a gorilla, swinging her hands down by her sides, encouraging blood flow to the damaged vessels, causing swelling and pain. I’d hoped to minimize the excess blood to the hand by keeping her in bed with the hand elevated. That didn’t happen.”

  Sábria blew out a breath. “I should have stayed with her.”

  “She’s a big girl, Sábria. She doesn’t need you to stay with her to hold her hand. Now, she can reap the consequences of her actions and suffer in silence. Obviously, alleviating the pain only serves to encourage her to move about. So, I will no longer alleviate the pain.”

  “Haria.”

  “No, Sábria. She could do permanent damage if she ignores my orders.” With that, the Master Healer let herself out.

  Shirin had always been a horrible patient, and it had never been an easy thing to keep her in bed. Sábria let herself into the bedroom where the Commander was sitting up with her arm hanging above her head from a sling-like contraption the healer had brought with her from the infirmary.

  Shirin glowered at Sábria. “The woman treats me like a child.”

  Sábria shrugged and smiled. “You acted like a spoiled child. She was very clear yesterday that you needed to stay in bed today with that hand elevated, and what do you do the moment I leave the room?”

  Pointing toward the living area, Shirin growled, “I’ve got a bottle of Korzo in the wine cabinet.”

  “You want straight Korzo? No fruit juice or anything?”

  “That woman won’t give me anything for the pain, so I’ll take care of it myself.”

  “You’re always so grumpy when you’re hurting. Where’s the ‘please, My Lady, could you bring me that bottle of Korzo?’ Instead, it’s pointing and grunting.”

  The glare Shirin turned on her would have made Sábria laugh out loud if her friend hadn’t been in so much pain. “Fine. I’ll be right back.” She returned with the bottle and a glass. Uncorking it, she intended to pour a good amount into the glass, but Shirin grabbed the bottle instead.

  Upending it, she took four long swallows and then gasped when the liquid burned its way down her throat. She breathed heavily for a moment before raising the bottle a second time.

  Sábria grabbed it and pulled it out of her hand. “Whoa. Give it time to work. That stuff will rot your gut if you drink too much too fast and you haven’t even eaten any lunch yet. I have no intention of cleaning up the bed or the floor if you spew a stomach full of Korzo across the room.” She got up and headed for the kitchen. “There’s some bread and butter in the kitchen. You’d better eat something, or you’ll spew up.”

  It took some convincing, but Shirin eventually ate most of the bread and settled down into the bed. The Korzo was having its intended effect, and before long, most of the pain had subsided, and her eyes were getting heavy. “I’ll be up and about tomorrow. I’m sorry I can’t help much today.”

  Sábria patted Shirin’s arm and waited until her friend was fast asleep. Picking up the book she’d begun reading that morning, she settled into the wingback chair to wait for the Farryn to arrive.

  CHAPTER 22

  A quiet knock on the outer door announced that the young Knight was not only punctual but courteous as well. The guard at the bottom of the stairs had almost certainly informed her that the Commander was recuperating, and the knock had been so quiet that Sábria almost missed it.

  Putting her book aside and checking to make sure Shirin was still asleep, she made her way to the door, put her finger to her lips, and stepped into the hallway. “Ryn, I’m glad you came.”

  Ryn bowed slightly and then displayed that charming smile Sábria had delighted in the first time she’d been awarded one by the effervescent young woman. “I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to go back to the pier with you, My Lady. And I have to admit to a bit of curiosity about the King Sl—”

  “The King Maker.”

  The Knight stared at her as she rolled the idea around in her head. “I like that. From everything I’ve read, she’s quite a woman who was forced to make some unimaginable choices. Although, I’m afraid the Emperor doesn’t see it that way. He’s convinced she’s here to kill him and has told all of the Knights, myself included, to arrest her and bring her up on charges.”

  Sábria, who’d started down the stairs with Ryn by her side, stopped halfway between one step and the next.

  Ryn continued down the step and found herself looking back up at the Priestess.

  Trying to decide whether she should include Ryn in her plans now that she had this new information, Sábria tapped her finger on the stair rail and considered her options. “Ryn, I’m not going to the docks to arrest Prya. I’m going to offer her sanctuary here in the Temple.”

  “I understand that, My Lady. And should the Emperor learn of this afternoon’s foray into the Codpiece, where we might happen to come across the King Maker, I have now informed you of my orders and will have to obey you should you countermand them when and if we find her. The Emperor will then have to take up his objections with you rather than with me.”

  Ryn blinked innocently at Sábria and cocked her head, an affectation the older woman added to the many reasons she enjoyed spending time with her. But then the Arch Priestess rose to the fore. “I’m inclined to trust you, Ryn. However, you are a Knight sworn to King Aloric. He may be my co-ruler, but I’ve never fully trusted him. Why should I trust you now and take you to someone you’ve been ordered to arrest? Without cause, I might add.”

  Ryn glanced around, making sure they were alone. She stepped up to Sábria’s level so they were eye-to-eye. “My Lady. May I speak in confidence?”

  “Here? No. But let’s go to my room where you can speak plainly without anyone accidentally overhearing what you have to say.” Sábria led her back upstairs and into her suite of rooms. She strode to the sofa, sat, and indicated Ryn should do so as well. “Now. I’ll hold what you tell me in confidence unless I have a compelling reason in the future to break that confidence.”

  At the Knight’s lowered brow and pursed lips, Sábria lifted a shoulder. “It’s the best I can offer you, Ryn. You can either trust me or not, but I won’t pretend to give my word and possibly have to break it at a later time. I don’t think you comprehend my responsibilities, my dear, and I learned early on not to make promises I might not be able to keep.”

  Ryn glanced down at her hands that were balled in her lap. She thought for a long while, and thankfully, Sábria remained quiet and allowed her to do so. Finally, she looked up, “My Lady. I know I’m not one of your Blades, but I’ve needed to speak with someone, and I can think of no better person than you.”

  “I hope I don’t disappoint you, then, as my first priority is to the Goddess and then to my Blades.”

  Ryn smiled, “I’m sure, since I’m a woman, I fall somewhere down on that list. I’m just not sure how far down.”

  How this woman had so thoroughly captured Sábria’s affection was anyone’s guess. “You’re not far down at all, Ryn. So, would you still like to speak with me, or shall we remain friends and today, at least, go our separate ways?”

  Sighing, Ryn loosened her fingers, which she’d pressed into a tangled knot in her lap. “When I returned with my Knight Master, Emperor Aloric was away from Sarlogne. I’d had a rather…” she glanced up at Sábria, “…difficult four turns as a squire.”

  “Who was your Knight master?”

  “Sir Mydral of Vinty.”

  Sábria lowered her chin and raised her brows. “What?” Mydral was of the old school, a man who believed women should be kept in the home raising children and cleaning up after their man. “Why in the world would he take on a female squire?” She held up her hand at the stupidity of the question. “You don’t need to answer that. To keep you down and discourage you from the folly of becoming a full Knight.”

  “I see you’re acquainted with him, then. Anyway, I needed time away from the fallacy of nobility.”

  “That’s hardly fair. I know of many good, kind nobles.”

  “I mean the fallacy of the word ‘noble.’ I don’t believe people should be given a title such as noble simply because they’re born into a certain station in life. I know many of the Blades come from the noble classes, My Lady, and I’m sure they’re worthy of the distinction. I mean no disrespect to them. The word noble has been co-opted by a class of people who, for the most part, are anything but.”

  “And yet you were born into that same class.”

  Ryn shrugged, “I was. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be a Lady Knight. And therein lies my problem.”

  Sábria cocked her head. “How so?”

  “When I successfully finished my four turns as a squire, Emperor Aloric wasn’t in Sarlogne, so, as I said, I needed time away, and I left court to go out into the world, have adventures, and generally be an itinerant Knight. When I returned, no one remembered that I’d never sworn my allegiance to the Emperor. I’m reluctant to remind people, and if Sir Mydral remembers, I’m certain he has no intention of legitimizing my position in court.”

  That was nowhere near what Sábria thought Ryn was going to say. The idea hadn’t even registered in the far reaches of her imagination. “You’re not a Knight, then?”

  For the first time since Sábria met her, a fierce, angry glare shone in Ryn’s eyes. “Oh, I earned the title, and I refuse to let the fact that I haven’t knelt to that—” she stopped herself just in time and repeated the last part of her sentence, “I refuse to let the fact that I haven’t knelt to Emperor Aloric keep me from the position I slaved for these last eight turns. I’m a Knight, My Lady, as sure as you’re the Arch Priestess of Elyon.”

  Her righteous indignation ran out, and she deflated as though someone had stuck a pin into her flesh. “And if they do remember, I’m not sure I’ll swear allegiance to him. And I know I’ll never swear allegiance to the evil bastard waiting in the wings should Aloric die. The bastard tried to rape me, My Lady.”

  Sábria’s head shot up at that.

  Ryn held up her hand, “I’ve learned a thing or two about hand-to-hand combat, and let me just say his privates will forever have a dent in them should anyone care to look.” She caught and held Sábria’s gaze, sending the clear message that although her words might be construed by some to be humorous, Ryn hadn’t meant them in a humorous vein.

  Sensing the hurt behind the words, Sábria returned Ryn’s gaze with an understanding one of her own. “And how many other lasses has he raped who don’t know how to defend themselves?” She glanced into Ryn’s eyes, “But that’s for me to investigate, not you. Do I make myself clear?”

  “You do, My Lady. So, as far as you worrying that I might be setting you up so that you take me to the King Sl—Maker so that I can earn points with the Emperor, I can honestly swear to you that is not going to happen.”

  Sitting quietly as she digested this new information, Sábria thought about the hardships this good-natured young woman had had to endure simply because she’d been born a female. But wasn’t that why Elyon had anointed the first Arch Priestess over six hundred turns earlier? “Thank the Goddess, all men aren’t evil, just as I know that not all nobles are cruel and unjust.” She stood and walked to the door. “Well, then, shall we see what surprises we can find down by the docks?”

  With the serious conversation over, the sparkle returned to Ryn’s green eyes. “Absolutely, My Lady.”

  When they reached the courtyard, Subcommander Calit was waiting with a squad of ten Blades. Since they hadn’t known precisely when Sábria meant to leave, the women were relaxing in the shade or sitting around the fountain, chatting with one another. As soon as Sábria stepped beneath the leaf-covered archway from the garden, they all hurried over and formed up into two lines of five each.

  Sábria checked each face, making sure Calit had done as she’d asked and recruited ten Blades she could count on to keep their heads in stressful situations. Not that she anticipated any problems, but neither had she anticipated Shirin getting injured the previous day. “Thank you for accompanying me on such short notice. If you’d all gather around, what I have to say is for your ears only, and I’d rather not have to raise my voice to be heard.”

  The warriors closed in around her, and Sábria spoke in a quiet tone that she knew would only be heard by those in her immediate vicinity. “You’re here because we’re going to the docks, and the Commander would have my hide if I went through the Codpiece alone.”

  Everyone chuckled at that because they knew how protective their Commander was of their Arch Priestess.

  Lowering her voice even more, Sábria leaned in to make sure she was heard. “We’re going to find Prya Játhea, otherwise known as the King Maker.”

  Some of the women looked troubled, but they held their peace.

  “I want you to know that I am absolutely convinced she means me no harm. I hope to offer her sanctuary here at the Temple, so if we do find her, you will protect her as you would protect me. Lady Knight Farryn mentioned today that Emperor Aloric wishes to have her arrested. I intend to make sure that doesn’t happen. Any questions?”

  Blade Harkin raised her hand. “What do we do if she’s walking with us and some of Aloric’s people try to arrest her?”

  “You have as much authority as the Emperor’s Guards. You will obey my orders as I give them. Each of you was chosen specifically because you’re good at keeping your head in fluid situations. Do that, and we’ll be fine.”