Authors: Vera Nazarian
Elasirr approached Hestiam reclining on the sofa, and said before Elasand could leave, “Not so fast, my lord.”
Elasand turned at the other blankly. “If you want to know what happened here, ask His Grace.”
“
Actually, I could care less what happened between the two of you, Elasand-re. Only one matter concerns me. And you know what it is.”
“
I have no time for that one, not now,” said Elasand, knowing where the conversation was heading. It was regarding that other thing, the very reason he’d originally made an appointment to see Hestiam in the first place. But seeing the Regent’s state, not to mention his own, Vaeste had changed his mind, and decided not to bring it up. But obviously Elasirr was not going to let the matter rest.
“
Your Grace,” said Elasirr, standing before the Regent. “Our Lord Vaeste has forgotten to mention a certain matter to you.”
“
What is it?” said Hestiam, his eyes acquiring a newly alarmed expression.
“
I was going to speak with you about it some other time,” said Elasand, returning to the Regent’s side. “But I see that’s not to be. Very well, Elasirr-re. I speak on behalf of the major Guilds in this City, Your Grace.”
“
What’s this?” Hestiam began to frown, straightening in his seat.
“
It’s regarding something this City has found to be imperative—although now, with the coming of Vorn, it might take second place. The matter of a City-wide Guild Council.”
“
Several months ago, Your Grace,” interrupted Elasirr, “You had denied this very thing to a group of Guildmasters, including myself, when we brought it up to your attention. Now, we believe, you must seriously consider the needs of this City as they must be served through such a Council. The ancient and venerable Council of Guilds had existed long before the Grelias had come to power by proxy of Monteyn. And even Your Grace has no authority to deny it as a body of political power.”
“
You are insolent, Elasirr—” began Hestiam.
“
I am merely passionate, Your Grace,” interrupted again the blond, his eyes like quicksilver. “And knowing Your Grace’s love of the truth, such a lapse is surely a matter of oversight, but an oversight that is to be remedied now. I realize my words are out of line, but Your Grace knows me, I am not afraid, had never been afraid of Your fair judgment and wisdom. In fact, I trust to such an extent that Your Grace will decide wisely, that I now pledge the full backing of my Guild for Your Grace’s current support, and if needed—future protection.”
“
Are you saying,” muttered the Regent, “that Bilhaar will stand behind the Regency now in all things, if I were to call the Council? That all manner of underhanded suspect activity will cease on your part? No more hired vendetta murders in the Families, no more executions outside the law? Will your network of operatives continue to pit Guilds against each other by providing costly protection to all sides in convoluted layers of power hierarchies? Does it mean that you would swear a straightforward fealty to Grelias?”
“
Sweet lords of Rainbow, no. . . .” Elasirr began to chuckle, then sat down unceremoniously before Hestiam on the sofa.
Both Elasand and Ranhé observed this scene with deep interest.
“
What I had in mind,” continued Elasirr, “is something quite more basic, and yet less dramatic. We’ll draw up a written contract, Your Grace and I. In that contract we’ll list all matters of concern, such as the Regency’s need for strong internal alliance, and the Guilds’ need for a greater autonomy. Chancellor Lirr shall serve as moderator. And this written agreement will serve as an excellent beginning of a mutually beneficial relationship.”
The Regent sat back, and took a big breath, tugging at his beard. “Indeed. What am I to think of your insolence now, Lord Guildmaster?” He shook his head, staring at Elasirr with a mixture of consternation and a sense of inevitability.
“
Well, Your Grace, my lord,” said Elasand, before the blond man would launch upon another glib response, “I see I may leave the two of you now, and begin preparations for my trip tomorrow.”
The blond’s hand shot out in a stopping gesture. “Hold it, Vaeste. We’re not done yet.” His words were commanding, more than insolent. For an instant Ranhé wondered why the Regent was allowing this man to talk in such a way, and why Elasand was also allowing him this manner. But then she remembered what was known about Bilhaar, and knew that this man before them held to a law all his own, and in some ways was the true ruler of the City.
“
One of the points of this contract of ours,” said Elasirr, “is that I am to accompany the Lord Vaeste on his mysterious mission tomorrow. It’s all a matter of good faith, of course.”
“
But—” started Hestiam.
“
Out of the question!” said Elasand loudly.
“
Come now,” said the Guildmaster of the Assassin Guild. “Are you afraid of my company, Elasand-re?”
“
There is absolutely no need for your company,” said Elasand. “You’ll hinder my plans, and frankly I don’t want you there.”
“
How wrong you are,” spoke the blond, his lips curving into a dangerous half-smile. “You need me there. Don’t you see, my lord, that I will be your best protection on this trip? Not only will I be responsible for your life, but furthermore I’d have no alibi to harm you in any way—for I know you still believe I am out to do you in, my friend. In that, I again insist, you are quite wrong.”
“
I have a perfect bodyguard, right here at my side,” said Vaeste, glancing at Ranhé. “She has saved my life twice already, and one of these times had been fighting your very own Bilhaar.”
Elasirr allowed his suave expression to be superseded by a true frown. “My Bilhaar? How many times must I insist you are mistaken?”
“
I fought a set of black-clad assassins wearing the infamous uniform,” said Ranhé very softly, all of a sudden. Everyone turned to look at her who was not to speak unless spoken to.
The man with the sun-hair turned to face her directly. “And you think those were my men?” His voice was soft, and as intense as a blade.
“
I know of no other black-clad professionals,” said Ranhé, staring back at him with an utterly blank gaze.
“
Even if someone were masquerading as Bilhaar,” said Elasand, “it would be senseless.”
“
It makes perfect sense to me,” said Elasirr. “Or is it that you have no other enemies to think of? Someone in whose interest it would be to throw suspicion upon me, and widen the rift between us further, Vaeste?”
Hestiam watched them somewhat nervously. “I could never understand this problem the two of you always seem to have, my friends,” he said eventually.
And then, before anyone else would interrupt, the Regent continued, “It is settled then. Elasirr will accompany you, Elasand-re, on this—thing of yours, tomorrow. And as of this moment, Bilhaar will come to a definite agreement with the Regency.”
“
And the Council of Guilds?”
“
I promise to convene it after—after the matter with Lord Vorn is concluded,” added the Regent hurriedly.
Elasirr smiled mockingly. “Excellent, Your Grace. You see how easy it is when we all agree so well? Should’ve done it months ago. If I’d known Vorn was to be such a prominent factor, I would’ve invited him here myself. Indeed—now I believe I’ll invite instead our friend the Chancellor, who is more than proficient at drawing up contracts.”
“
Yes, well. You mean, on paper? Is that really necessary—” began Hestiam.
“
On wonderful tangible paper, Your Grace,” concluded Elasirr, adding, “It is for Your Grace’s peace of mind, of course.”
“
Good. You do that,” said Vaeste tiredly. “It is finished, then. Your matter has been set in motion.”
Elasirr appraised him with a subtle look. “Yes, you can get out now, my good Elasand-re. Go on, get ready, I set you free. For I will see you at dawn.”
But Ranhé thought she saw something else contained in that look, something approaching in nature that what is called black, as she followed Vaeste out of the chamber.
A killing smile.
S
udden evening came down upon the Vaeste Villa, like a cloak of
erotene
velvet. They had dined in silence in an empty house. Most of the servants had been allowed to attend the second day of the Wedding festivities put on by the Regents. Elasand had been mercifully spared any further obligation to attend
Dirvan
, because of his voluntary yet Regent-approved mission the following morning.
After the meal, thoughtful, he had gone outside into the gardens of his villa, and paced in the darkness, watching the monochrome glow of light in the windows of the building. Above, the sky was boundless, an upside-down abyss. And all around, the evening wind.
Ranhé did not follow him at first. They had been silent, the two of them, ever since returning from the audience with Hestiam. Vaeste’s silence was remote, absentminded. Ranhé, however, couldn’t fathom her own mood, which was like fragile ice.
And thus she sat alone in a comfortable chamber that had been given her. And she glanced down from the window into the pit of darkness that was the evening outside, seeing shadows of the swaying gardens, the ebony foliage, and then suddenly, his silhouette.
At the sight of his shadow, her pulse began to race in her temples, and she
knew
, admitted to herself at last what she had been unable to face before.
Ranhé stood up, and walked to the door. She paused, feeling the cold filigree of the metal handle, while a sense of inevitability began to rise in her, something alien and cold and uncertain that originated in the solar plexus. And then she walked outside, into the corridor, down the spiraling staircase—while a carousel began to turn in her mind—and out into the gardens below.
It was not difficult to find him, despite the dark, despite the swaying silver shadows. At one end, where the path wound past lush growth, and the cultivated trees strained apart into a clearing, Elasand stood looking at the impossible dark that was the sky.
She approached silently, afraid for the first time in her life. And yet, sensitive like a night thing, he knew her coming, and turned. He was but a black demon silhouette, and so was she.
“
My lord,” she said, “I am sorry to disturb you.”
“
What is it, Ranhé?” His subdued voice carried in it no emotion, rather, a flatness of affect, but at the same time, gentleness.
What is it?
her mind wanted to scream.
What is it but that I need to be here, in the same place as you stand, having the same wind flow about me, or else I will die?
But she only said, “A soft evening, my lord. I had to come outside also to smell the wind.”
His eyes glinted, a pale monochrome reflection of the glowing windows. His face was not smiling, but she realized it was out of his own inner preoccupation, not out of disregard for her.
“
Join me,” he said simply. And then added, “Although, I doubt that your bodyguard duties need extend into our company tonight.”
He misunderstood her reason for being here. And for a moment, she was willing to let him assume.
The moon was rising, a three-quarters-full swollen crescent, a section of broken orb. For a moment he remained silent, letting her simply stand there, staring at him, boots planted in the gravel, while the wind tugged at his long raven hair, at her tendrils of braid.
“
Have you ever had strange dreams, Ranhé?” he spoke then, continuing to observe the gradually lightening sky, as the metallic moon sailed higher.
“
Yes,” she almost whispered, thinking of that one shared dream, thinking that he did not know.
He turned to look at her then. “Have you seen gods in your dreams, ever? Or, what might be gods?”
I have seen them in yours
, she wanted to say,
and a bond has been forged between us, since that night
.
“
You have seen something, lord,” she said simply. “Is that why we are going tomorrow? To follow that dream of yours?”
He was visibly startled. But she was no longer strong enough to play such games, to withhold anything from him.
“
I know everything, my lord,” she said softly. “I too have seen the
violet
. And I had seen the bright
lady
. That night, when we first met, in the White Roads Inn, I was—somehow, inexplicably—within your dream.”
“
You
what?
”
Elasand drew close to her suddenly, grabbed hold of her shoulders, and turned her so that the moon illuminated her face with gray pallor.
“
What did you just say, Mistress Ylir?”
Her eyes were opened to him. She breathed the wind, the coolness.
“
That night,” she said in a barely audible voice, “I awoke in the barn of the inn and opened my eyes upon a
violet
world. I saw it all, and I saw you, within the transparent inn—I could see through all things then. I followed you. You walked outside, and then, somehow, you were within the
other place
, a garden, and there was a
woman
in that place, like a queen. Her hair was so liquid, so bright, and she too, was
violet
, and she spoke to you. . . .”