Why is Kalasin so cold to Kaddar?

Kalasin is still hoping that Kaddar may 'break off the engagement', since she doesn't have the ability. And by being mean and snotty and cold is the best way to get him to dislike her, no? Unfortunately for her, Kaddar understands what he's doing as is willing to remain as lenient and kind to her as possible. (The solid bond that would form between Carthak and Tortall because of the marriage is not something that Kaddar as a King trying to do his country good can put off easily.) Sivario and Riyanna also understand what Kalasin is doing: Riyanna is more forgiving and kind towards her, but Sivario doesn't want Kalasin to treat his emperor and good friend with disrespect.

What does the word 'liege' mean?

Now that I consider it, I could have used the word in the opposite sense… *considers* Well, it has something to do with lords and the people who serve under the lords (example: knights). It's either a knight who refers to his lord as his 'liege' or a lord who refers to his knights and his 'liegemen'. I forget which is right.

Author's Note: I do apologize for my slowness in updating. But it's been taking me forever to finish writing a single, measly chapter. Ugh. We've got some action in this chapter, and some more from Kally's point of view. And then in the next chapter, we're going to see General Aleyn, and Axe, and Danel. They aren't forgotten, are they?

27. Capturing the Last Noble

Nobles' Bane: Chapter 25

She studied the map that had been drawn for them as they huddled in the dimly lit kitchen. Then she glanced up at Caleb and Jessup.

"Ready?"

"Does it really matter if we're not?" Caleb asked nervously.

"Hush. You know you didn't need to follow into here. You could have stayed back at camp with the others," Jessup whispered.

Caleb nodded. "Ready."

Lauryn nodded and started to move. "Let's move."

They followed her out into the corridor, took two steps, and then spotted a sentry not too far down.

"I'll handle this. Stay hidden."

She lowered her head and hid her hands in the folds of her simple servant's dress as she started down the hall. Slowly, steadily, she approached the single guard.

"What do you want?" he barked out, seeing her stop right in front of him.

She glanced up at him blankly.

"Well?"

She glanced around cautiously and then leaned her face into his, as if to whisper a secret.

He lowered his head.

"Have a nice nap."

He blinked. "What--"

Her right hand darted out; she hit him solidly in the temple with the hilt of one of her knives. After watching the man groan and slide to the floor, she looked over her shoulder.

"Come on! We need to take a left at that corner, go up the stair well, and then take another left."

They rushed on ahead as she lingered, glancing back at the unconscious soldier.

You should kill him. It'd be safer, and one less soldier to worry about. Who knows when he'll wake up?

But even with those thoughts skipping across her mind, she had already turned away.

She suddenly heard the unmistakable clash of steel from somewhere ahead, and she quickened her pace.

She stumbled into the corridor in front of the Lord Solran's room; Jessup grabbed her elbow to keep her from falling on her face. Regaining her feet, she saw Kenric and his two men fighting against four soldiers who must have been guarding the entrance to Lord Solran's rooms. While she, Caleb, and Jessup had entered from the kitchen, Kenric and his own had taken a side entrance and beat them here.

Seeing one of the villagers stumble, she jumped into the fray.

"Move!" Neatly shoving the man out of a sword's arc, she raised one of her knives to meet the sword, almost dropping her knife in the process: the soldier was strong.

"Look out!"

She quickly ducked, grimacing when she felt the swoosh of air just where her head had been moments ago. But the swordsman teetered, his swing had made him unbalanced. Lauryn jumped forward and struck, sliding her knife cleanly into the man's side where his armor couldn't protect him. But the injury wasn't fatal, the man swung his sword. It clanged as another sword unexpectedly came up to meet it.

She couldn't glance back; she had to use the moment. Reaching up, she quickly slashed the man's throat.

Arms pulled her out of the dying man's way. Jessup nodded at her. "I think Kenric's got the rest of the men covered."

She gazed around to see the truth in the villager's words. Kenric fought against the last of the guards, and he was in his element. He swung, he blocked, he parried, he struck. All without breaking stride. His opponent was already staggering from effort.

"Let's get Lord--"

There was a clomping noise to their left. She saw two more men rush towards them, swords raised. She recognized the one in the front.

Damn it! I was right, I should have killed him earlier. Why am I such a fool?

She turned to meet them, a bloody knife in each fist.

There was a sudden clatter and clash to her other side. It came from behind the closed door that led into Lord Solran's room.

"He's awake!" Caleb comprehended.

Taking aim, she threw the first of her knives. The man whom she had knocked out earlier stumbled to the ground. Caleb rushed to meet the last man, but she knew he wasn't going to last against a trained soldier.

Someone touched her hand. "You go get the lord, Lauryn. I'll take care of him." Kenric pushed her to the door.

She nodded before she even absorbed the meaning of his words. "Jessup, kick down the door!"

Jessup hit at the door once. Twice. Three times.

The fourth time, it fell open.

He peeked into the room. "He's not here."

She felt a rush of air against her cheeks. There was a suspicious scrambling noise outside, as if someone was stepping on dried leaves.

"He jumped through the window." She cursed, pushing back the flapping curtains to survey the ground. The room was on the second floor; right below the window were several mangled looking bushes.

She glanced at Jessup. "Gather everyone and get out through the kitchen. I'll meet you outside."

"What are you--"

"I'm going after him."

A split second before she pushed herself out of the window, she heard Kenric's curse, "Lauryn, no!"

She fell heavily onto the bushes; its branches scratched her arms and the leaves got tangled in her dress. But she saw some movement within the courtyard and pulled herself to her feet.

She took off after Lord Solran, cursing at how far away he already was. But as he hurried underneath the light of the moon, she saw him limping. He must have injured an ankle when he had jumped out of his window.

She thanked the Goddess for her luck and put on a sudden burst of speed.

But to her sudden surprise, Lord Solran came to an abrupt halt and turned to face her.

And she saw that he had an armed crossbow in his hands.

The quarrel flew, and she threw herself to the side. But she was a moment too slow: she felt the sudden pain as it skimmed her lower shoulder.

She threw her second knife. She squinted, watching as Lord Solran dropped his weapon and cried out, hands reaching for his leg before he lurched to the ground. His thigh wasn't what she had been aiming for, but she was grateful that she had still hit him somewhere.

With a sigh, she reached out to her pin, feeling Kenric battering at the mental walls she had put up earlier that night to keep anyone from distracting her.

Gods curse you, Lauryn! she heard him say. What in all hells do you think you're doing?

He sounded angry, but, through the pin, she knew that he was more fearful and concerned for her safety.

I'm… fine, she told him, knowing that he could sense her lie. And, more importantly, I've got Lord Solran.

~*~*~

Kalasin

Yawning, she opened her door . But her foot stopped over the doorway when she heard a hushed, yet, angry voice not too far away.

Curious, she tiptoed down the hallway and peeked around a corner.

"Why do you insist on doing this when I've already said no?" Riyanna's stiff, subdued voice.

"I insist," a gentle voice said in reply, "in hopes that you will change your mind."

Kalasin watched the conversation between the Emperor's cousin and his commander with a raised eyebrow.

"No, Sivario. I can't… Just, no."

There was a silence as Riyanna tried to pull her hand out of the young man's steady grasp.

"Riyanna, you know that I'd do anything for you. But what you want… it can't be done. Just let it go."

Let what go? Kalasin thought to herself.

"No," was the stubborn reply. "There's still a chance… I can still--"

"Riyanna."

The woman lifted her chin stubbornly, but that only bought her closer to Sivario. "I don't want this. I don't want marriage; I don't want--"

Sivario's lips were slowly descending upon Riyanna's, and just before they met, Kalasin heard him murmur "Love?"

"What are you doing?" a pleasant, but quiet voice whispered right into Kalasin's ear.

Kalasin jumped, knocking her head right into Kaddar's forehead. A hand instinctively rose to rub the sore spot, but in the process she almost punched Kaddar in the nose.

Kaddar took a step back, hands raised. "All right, all right. I surrender."

She had the grace to flush. "I'm sorry. I didn't see you."

He raised an eyebrow. "No, of course not. You were too caught up in something else."

She lowered her face, wanting to hide her second blush from Kaddar's observant eyes. Then she sighed. "Yes, I was eavesdropping, I admit it. But…" she glanced over her shoulder and around the corner where the couple stood, kissing. Riyanna was in no way fighting Sivario off. "Why won't she just say yes?"

Kaddar sighed. "Come on. It's hard to talk here without disturbing them." The them was quite obviously referring to the couple just beyond the corner which she and Kaddar huddled behind. He gently took her hand and led her back down the hallway, stopping only when he reached the front of her room.

His hand was warm in hers; not warm in a bad way, but warm as in huddling-in-front-of-the-fire-during-a-snowy-night way. She found herself regretting it when he released her hand.

"So, unless I completely misconstrued what happened over, Sivario just asked Riyanna to marry him."

"The fourth time."

"The fourth time?"

Kaddar smiled at her. "That was his fourth proposal to her."

"And she said no every single time?" She felt a brief admiration for the young commander's persistence. "But… why? She obviously returns his affections. Why doesn't she just say yes?"

"Things aren't always quite so simple," Kaddar said in her defense.

She looked at him, demanding an explanation.

"Well," he began hesitantly, "ever since she was younger, ever since she heard of Tortall…"

Her heart started to sink as she watched Kaddar's face.

"…she's wanted to be a knight. And she's been able to maintain that dream, even now as old as she is. You could say that it is her life-long dream. My cousin, she's never asked much of me. Once I became emperor and she was instated as friend and family, she didn't try to take advantage of her connection. She didn't ask for wagon loads of money or servants. And she doesn't want them. If I offer her a gift, she'll refuse on the grounds that I'm insulting her ability to support herself." Kaddar smiled a rue smile.

"As much as I do want to grant her her one desire," he continued, "I can't. I've observed many of your Tortallan customs. Your knights start their training when they're still young. And even if Riyanna had been young enough, that would have been during Ozorne's time. He never would have let her anywhere near Tortall. And," he grimaced here, "also, I need Riyanna here. She's important amongst the women, the servants, and even held in the high regard of several of the male nobles. She holds them together. I need her support; I need her presence… and I need it here."

"You can't let her go." It wasn't as much as an accusation as it was her point of understanding.

He smiled a pained smile. "Another time when power and duty interferes directly with what I personally desire."

"Does she blame you?" she asked curiously.

He smiled, understanding her question. "No. Not in the least, which just makes me feel worse about it. She blames Ozorne, not me."

Peering up into his eyes, she saw the ripple of worry and anxiety hidden there, caused by his cousin's dilemma. He did genuinely care about Riyanna.

"She'll come around eventually," Kalasin offered. "She's a smart girl."

"But when? And, more importantly, will Sivario still be around for her to take back?"

An immediate 'of course he will' wanted to jump off her tongue. But she held it.

"He's persistent; I'll give him that. But how much longer will he linger and wait for her to change her mind? What if she doesn't change her mind for years, if at all? He's a powerful man here. He can't be seen as a fool, not even her fool. And, unless she is already his wife, in time of crisis, he'll pick duty over anything personal."

A funny feeling crept along her stomachache. She suddenly wasn't sure if Kaddar was still speaking of Riyanna and Sivario, or of her and himself.

"When will she come around?" Kaddar finished softly. "What if it's too late? Or, worse, what if her stubbornness to cling to the impossible drives him away?"