Derand signaled some of his fighters, and they went to get the three people everyone else was waiting for. The witnesses from the city stood in a bunch as far

  from the platform as they could get, and Derand didn’t blame them for being upset. It was one thing to kill someone who was trying to kill you, but executions had always turned his stomach.

  When Waysten, Limond, and Tellita were led out, a small amount of relief touched Derand. Waysten had certainly enjoyed the terror and screams of the people he’d had executed, but the same would not be happening today. The three people had been given a drug in their afternoon tea - or wine, in Limond’s case - and now they moved as if in a dream. They had no idea about what was being done, and would die without knowing it was happening.

  “If Waysten had come back to himself I might not have let him have the drug,” Derand murmured to Skallin as the three prisoners were urged up onto the low platform. “A lot of people were harmed because of Waysten’s ambitions, but now that the man has turned into a frightened, shivering child I couldn’t justify holding back the drug.”

  Skallin nodded without saying anything, and they both watched the executions without expression.

  Limond, the father who had so failed his children, was taken first, and the headsman did his job briskly and without trouble. Then it was Waysten’s turn, but the man’s run of bad luck proved itself still there. It took two tries before Waysten’s head was free of his body, and a single whimper came from the former prince’s throat before he was forever put beyond making any sound at all.

  Tellita was last, and disturbed murmurs came from the witnesses as the executioner took her arm and led her closer to the block. But the murmurs quieted when Tellita began to slur out curses at the executioner, calling the big man a slave. He was her slave, she insisted as she was knelt in front of the block, hers to do with as she pleased just as every man in the city would be. And when her brother made himself king of everywhere, she announced, she would be able to do the same with everyone.

  The recital of what Tellita would do with all men went on as she was made to lean over the block, and then her list was ended permanently. Derand noticed that the witnesses were now more grim-faced than disturbed, just as Skallin was.

  “I’m glad I decided to be practical rather than political,” Skallin murmured as the witnesses gathered themselves to leave. “That woman was crazy, and if I’d been fool enough to marry her I would have regretted it sooner rather than later? Derand, are you sure that letting your wife attend the executions was wise? She was white-faced when she hurried back into the palace.”

  “Seea was out here?” Derand demanded as he turned to look all around. “I didn’t want her here, which is why I made no effort to remind her about the time. That woman needs a good talking to, so I’ll join you for dinner later, brother.”

  Skallin nodded again, leaving Derand free to go looking for Seea. The first place he went was to her apartment, but she wasn’t there. Rather than running all over the place Derand returned to his own apartment with the intention of sending the servants to find Seea, but as soon as he walked into his sitting room the need to send out search parties disappeared. Seea sat in a chair looking almost as pale as Skallin had described her, and she didn’t stand up when she saw Derand.

  “I know you’re busy so I won’t take much of your time,” Seea said, not quite looking at him. “I’d just like to ? make a request for the future.”

  “A request?” Derand echoed as he walked closer to her, diverted from the anger he’d felt. “What kind of request?”

  “If there’s ever another need to execute someone, I’d like to be excused from attending,” she answered, one hand pressed to her middle. “I know I had to be at this execution because I was ? involved in the decision about Tellita, but - “

  Seea’s words ended abruptly as she looked like she wanted to press that hand to her mouth instead of her middle, but she was obviously stronger than that. She simply sat staring down at the carpeting, clearly fighting to keep control of herself.

  “Is that why you were there?” Derand asked as he knelt in front of her chair and took her free hand.

  “Because you thought it was your duty? Why didn’t you talk to me about this before you put yourself through such a terrible time? There was no reason for you to be at the execution, and I would have told you so.”

  “I - looked for you but couldn’t find you,” she said after a moment, still staring at the carpeting. “When it became clear that I wasn’t going to find you, I gave up and went out to the courtyard. But there was a reason for me to be there. I recommended that Tellita be put down with her father and brother, and you should never recommend a thing like that without knowing exactly what’s involved. After seeing what I did, I’ll probably never be able to say the same again? “

  This time Seea’s hand did go to her mouth, showing that she wasn’t well at all. Derand helped her to her feet and back to her own apartment, then he summoned her maids. The girls took over at once and helped Seea toward her bedchamber, and Derand followed to make sure the woman he loved was being cared for properly. The girls quickly got Seea into a nightdress and then into bed, and when Seea’s eyes closed Derand quietly left. He’d check on her again later, but right now the woman needed sleep more than she needed a scolding.

  A servant found Derand in the hall and said that Lord Listan was looking for him, so Derand followed the servant back to where Listan waited. There were some final questions Listan needed answers to, and by the time he supplied the answers Derand discovered that it was time to join Skallin for dinner.

  “You’re alone, brother?” Skallin said when Derand was admitted to the apartment by a servant. “Was the discussion you had with your wife too strenuous for the lady to bear?”

  “My wife was close to throwing up, so I had her maids put her to bed,” Derand answered with a sigh.

  “She thought it was her duty to attend the executions, and now she wants me to excuse her from ever having to do the same again.”

  “Women often have the best of it, don’t they?” Skallin said as he led Derand to a small, private dining room in the back of the apartment. “I’d enjoy being excused from attending any more executions, but if I did it I’d look weak and any enemies would be quick to take advantage of the supposed weakness.

  Women have no need to show strength at all times, and it’s a shame your Elissia didn’t join us in the courtyard. You could have relieved her of that ‘duty’ before she was forced to witness the horror.”

  Derand nodded his agreement as he joined Skallin in sitting at the table already set and ready, and then the servants began to serve the food. The meal was delicious, of course, but Derand found himself diverted from what he put in his mouth by a nagging itch in his mind. Something he’d seen or been told didn’t quite ring true, and now his mind chased after the something in order to scratch the itch.

  The cold fish salad and soup were swallowed before Derand finally figured out what was bothering him.

  As it happened there were two somethings, and both of them led back to the same situation. The servant Listan had sent had had no trouble finding him, and he and Skallin had been in the courtyard before Seea arrived. Those two facts together meant -

  Meant that Seea had been playing him! Derand sat straighter in his chair as the realization hit, all the anger he’d felt earlier returning intensified. She’d said she’d looked for him and couldn’t find him, and because he’d been in Waysten’s apartment he’d accepted the statement without question. But any number of servants had seen him going into the apartment, which was probably how Listan had found him there. If Seea had really wanted to find him, asking the servants if they’d seen him would have been an automatic part of the process.

  But Seea hadn’t wanted to find him, not when she had what she considered a duty to perform. She couldn’t have helped but know that he didn’t want her at the executions, otherwise he would have made sure she knew when it was time to go to the courtyard. And that was why she hadn’t come over to him when she reached the courtyard. She’d known he would probably refuse to let her stay, so she’d stayed back to keep him from learning of her presence!

  “Is something wrong?” Skallin asked, abruptly pulling Derand out of his thoughts. “You’re wearing the most peculiar expression? “

  “Something was wrong, but it’s all straightened out now,” Derand answered, letting a smile curve his lips.

  “As a matter of fact two somethings are straightened out, or at least they will be by tomorrow afternoon.

  What do you plan to do first after the coronation, brother?”

  Skallin began to discuss his plans, much of it based on Seea’s notes, and that suddenly brought Derand another revelation. Seea hadn’t known that Derand had sent for Skallin and meant to put his brother on the throne, and when she’d found out her expression had been more than odd. It was just possible that Seea had meant to demand that she be allowed the throne in Ramsond, and that’s why she’d put together so detailed a plan of rule. After all, she had taken the palace before his fighters arrived.

  Which in turn meant that Seea had planned to run away from him again, but this time in reverse. She would have been the one to stay, while he took his fighters and returned to Arvin. Or so she might have thought, doubting his love again as she’d said she would not. To think that she’d expected him to ride away from her for any reason at all?

  Well, Seea was due a good lesson about behaving foolishly, a sterner lesson than the one she’d already had. Derand knew exactly what to do, embellished by that dream, and it was just too bad that he couldn’t begin immediately. But Seea hadn’t been pretending about being ill, she’d simply used her illness in an effort to protect herself. Her punishment would have to wait until tomorrow, then, which would actually make it worse for her. And worse would be good, better for her and definitely for him. A few orders to various people in the morning, and everything would be set for their trip home?

  Derand was pleased to see the coronation go off without a hitch, and the newly crowned King Skallin accepted the pledges of loyalty from the few members of the nobility who were left. Those few nobles had probably gone along with Waysten’s plans to save their necks, which others of their ilk hadn’t managed to do. The four men looked downright delighted with their new king, and if they were only pretending then Skallin could take care of them. He’d already mentioned his intention to ennoble many of the men who had been helping Seea and then him straighten things out, so there would be people on Skallin’s side.

  Seea appeared for the ceremony dressed in a truly beautiful gown in silver and white which set off her red hair and green eyes. She looked completely recovered from the illness she’d felt yesterday, an observation that really pleased Derand. His plans had all been arranged earlier, and now only needed to be implemented.

  “Skallin has declared a feast for tonight, but we won’t be staying for it,” Derand said to Seea as they left the throne room after the ceremony. She held to his arm without stiffness, but there was still a shadow of deep unhappiness in her. “We’ll have an early lunch and then we’ll start for Arvin. Once we reach home we’ll have a feast of our own, a wedding feast. I’ve decided that we’ll renew our vows and that all my subject kings will be invited to the ceremony. Since you don’t remember our original ceremony, the time will be as much for you as for the people I want to know for certain that you’re my queen.”

  “Another ceremony?” Seea said, a hint of suspicion in the words. “If we really are married, why would we need to go through another ceremony? Aren’t there enough people around who know about the first ceremony that we don’t need a second? If you believe you’re doing it for my benefit, I can assure you that I don’t need - “

  “Ah, but you do need the ceremony,” Derand interrupted in a pleasant voice. “I know you’re still having trouble thinking of yourself as my wife, and a second ceremony will settle the question for good. You’ll come to my apartment for our early lunch as soon as you’ve changed into traveling clothes.”

  Rather than argue any more, Seea simply nodded. She didn’t seem to have changed her mind, Derand noticed, but she did stop trying to get him to change his mind. Once they reached his castle in Arvin, Derand knew he’d have to have a serious talk with Seea to find out what exactly was bothering her. By then she ought to have learned better than to lie to him or try manipulation.

  Derand saw his wife to the door of her apartment, then went on to that of the new king of Ramsond.

  Skallin was surrounded by a number of his new subjects, and Derand was pleased to see that a strong section of Skallin’s fighters was also there. His brother came forward to greet him, knowing that Derand had come to say his good-byes now. Later, at departure time, there would be too much confusion going on. He and Skallin hugged, then Derand left to return to his own apartment.

  Everything Derand had with him was ready to go by the time Seea arrived. She walked in wearing a traveling gown of light brown trimmed with yellow, and her expression showed a distinct lack of happiness.

  “Why were all of my trousers and tunics taken away?” she demanded as soon as she was in the door and saw him. “How am I supposed to ride a horse wearing this?”

  “The obvious answer is that you’re not,” Derand replied pleasantly. “We’re not sneaking around any longer, so there’s no reason for you to ride a horse. You’ll travel in the coach I arranged for you, the way a lady and a queen should travel.”

  “The way other people think a lady and a queen ought to travel,” Seea countered at once. “Riding in a coach is boring, and I’ll bet you mean to ride your horse.”

  “Yes, I’ll be on my horse, but I promise that your trip in the coach won’t be boring,” Derand came back, still being nothing but pleasant. “Let’s have lunch now, and then I’ll show you why you won’t be bored.”

  Seea looked ready to demand an answer right now, then clearly remembered that forcing an answer out of him before he was ready to give it just wasn’t possible. She blew out a small breath of vexation, then let herself be seated at the table. The meal wasn’t very involved and before long they’d finished the last of it. Derand emptied the last of his tea down his throat, and then he stood up.

  “There’s something I need to talk to you about before we leave,” he said without the lightness his voice had held earlier, holding out his hand to Seea. “I don’t want the conversation interrupted, so let’s hold it somewhere other than this sitting room.”

  After a brief hesitation Seea rose to her feet, then let Derand guide her to and into his bedchamber.

  Derand could see that she wasn’t at all happy to go with him, but she knew well enough that refusal would do no good at all. Once they were inside the bedchamber with the door closed behind them, Derand guided her to the middle of the room before releasing her arm.

  “To say I’m furious with you would be severely understating the matter,” Derand said without any more delay, staring down at this woman who was his wife. “I would have sworn you knew better than to lie to me and play games, but obviously you don’t.”

  “What lies and games are you talking about?” Seea responded after another hesitation, her cheeks having gone pink. “You seem to think there are so many, so you’ll have to be more specific.”

  “You lied when you said you tried to find me before the executions,” Derand answered flatly, in no mood to beat around the bush. “You knew I didn’t want you there, so you avoided me even after you came out into the courtyard. If you hadn’t wanted to be there you would have spoken to me as soon as you came out, but instead you deliberately disobeyed me and attended.”

  “You never told me not to attend, so how can you call it disobeying?” she countered, not quite looking at him. “I may have stretched the truth a bit about not being able to find you, but since you hadn’t told me I had to find you the exaggeration can’t be called disobeying.”

  “Getting picky and technical isn’t going to save you,” Derand stated, hearing the near growl in his voice. “I also happen to know that you deliberately resisted when I made love to you, giving me what you considered a just punishment. As I said that night, I’m not the one who gets punished, I’m the one who does the punishing.”

  “But you can’t punish me now, not when we’re almost ready to leave,” she protested when he took her arm and began to lead her to a chair. “If you do then the trip will be terrible for me!”

  “But it won’t be boring,” Derand said, sitting down and pulling her over his knees. “You may remember I promised that, and I like to keep my promises.”

  Seea began to struggle, of course, but Derand had no trouble holding her down. He also had no trouble pulling up her skirts and throwing them over the upper part of her body, which made holding her still even easier. Beneath the skirts she wore a silk undergarment that could almost be called breeches, stretching as it did from her waist to just above her knees. The undergarment was tied at her waist on the right, so Derand undid the ties and pushed the silken thing down to her knees.

  Under the covering was Seea’s lovely round bottom, the bottom Derand had been attracted to from the moment he’d first seen it. He caressed that lovely seat with his hand the way he so enjoyed doing, and Seea moved in silent protest at the touch. She knew well enough what was coming, and obviously also knew that any words she spoke would make the time even harder for her. But Seea only knew part of what was coming, although in another minute she would certainly know the rest.

  Derand had prepared for this time, so he reached to his belt and took out one of the toys he’d appropriated from Waysten’s apartment. The item was nothing more than a round black bead with a thin string attached, but it would serve the same purpose Derand’s lost device had and would be easier to use and carry. Its shiny surface was also on the slick side, so he had no trouble quickly separating Seea’s cheeks and thrusting the bead inside her.