- Disclaimer: No matter how often I change and in some ways, mutilate, Tamora Pierce's beautiful and wonderful world, it will never be mine.
I really am sorry that this took so long to get out. I'm also sorry that this is the last chapter. I've lost any kind of motivation for writing anymore on this. This is still an okay chapter though. If I ever write another Tortall fanfic, it will have Kiyra and the gang in it, it will just focus on another main character. So...hope you enjoy this...
Chapter 14
"Kiyra, are we almost there?"
Kiyra shushed Dann. "Almost."
Kiyra, Dann, Emma, and Demi were sneaking through the secret passages of the palace to the pages quarters. It was Midwinter, and Kiyra had instructed the Goats to wait up for them in Tyrell's room.
They left the passageway from behind a wall hanging and found themselves in the pages' hallway.
"Which one is it?" Dann whispered.
"This one." Kiyra wrapped three time on a door, then once again. The door opened immediately.
"Come in quick." Merci yanked Kiyra in. The other pages surrounded them once they got inside.
"Geoff told us you were pregnant." Toady looked suspiciously at Kiyra's belly. "He was lying, right?"
"Nope." Kiyra grinned wryly. "I'm pregnant."
"That's so sweet!" Merci smiled happily. "Another baby. Are you happy?"
"Overjoyed." Kiyra tried her best to put emotion into her answer.
"Kiyra, Kiyra." Tyrell shook his head as he greeted her. "I can't believe it."
"Believe what?" She asked curiously.
"You've turned into a housewife." He teased.
Kiyra drew her knife and crouched in one slick movement. "A housewife that could gut you."
Tyrell laughed heartily.
Wren hugged Kiyra. "I'm glad we could see you for Midwinter."
"How are Lars and Rye?" Hashim wondered.
"I got a letter from Lars. He's doing fine and he's in charge of the other ship's boys."
"Bet he's lovin' that." Finn snorted.
Kiyra nodded. "Yes, he is. Be thankful he's not ordering you around."
"We are." Toady and Luth replied in unison.
"Rye can't write letters from where he's training. I'm told he's doing fine and is happy." Kiyra brought Demi from behind her skirt, where he had been feeling a little overwhelmed.
"We brought Midwinter food!" Emma announced, setting her basket on a table that was already covered with papers and schoolwork.
"Yes!" Toady crowed.
"Did you bring those cookies that I love?" Tyrell poked through the basket.
"They're under those pastries." Emma informed him.
Tyrell grabbed a handful of cookies, quickly hugged Emma, and went to share the cookies with Merci.
Wren watched in disgust. "Course he shares them with her."
"He shares everythin' with her as of late." Finn muttered mischievously. Tyrell's face turned bright red and he socked his friend.
"You two are together?" Kiyra asked, eyebrows raised.
"Yep." Tyrell answered, trying to retain some of his dignity, and held Merci's hand.
"Hugging and kissing all over the place, when we're not in public." Luth informed Kiyra. He gave a courtly bow, kissing Kiyra's hand as if she were a lady and he a gentlemen. "The etiquette lessons rot."
Kiyra laughed and curtsied elegantly. "I had to learn them too."
"Are you going to be a page?" Wren asked Dann.
Dann shrugged. "Maybe. I might want to be a carpenter like Cart."
"You should be a page." Luth nudged the younger boy. "It's fun."
"Hey, Demi." Finn shook Demi's hand solemnly. "What have you been up to?"
"I learned to do this!" Demi held out his hand and a small ship made entirely of flames rocked back in forth in it.
"Look at this!" Finn called the other pages and they stared at the ship in amazement.
"Master Thom taught me to do it." Demi said proudly. "He says I'm the most bestest student he's ever had."
"Of course you are." Kiyra fondly ruffled Demi's hair.
"Look what the Shang master taught me." Toady ordered. He stood on the bed and jumped high into the air, doing a twisting flip. He landed softly on his feet, with a bow and a flourish.
"He didn't teach him the bow." Wren rolls her eyes.
"He only does that 'cause he's vain as a peacock." Finn agreed.
"Toady's teaching me." Luth stuffed a pastry into his mouth and spoke through the crumbs. "To do those flips and stuff."
"Not me." Hashim shuddered. "Not on your life."
As the bantering and teasing continued, Kiyra leaned back to observe with a satisfied smile.
A bright light shone in the room, then softened. Geoff, sitting at his desk, didn't turn around. "Hello, Trickster."
The Trickster God leaned against the wall. "Still trying to catch this assassin?"
"I've got my men on it." Geoff answered, rubbing his eyes. "Are Kiyra and the children in any danger?"
The Trickster shook his head. "Kiyra is definitely not in any danger. The children are in no more danger than usual. You, on the other hand, are in mortal peril."
Geoff sighed. "If I die, will you help my family?"
"I won't bother with that." The Trickster flapped his hand. "I'll get someone else to do it."
The Trickster cocked his head as if he was listening to something far away. Then, he growled. "I've got to go. Cole played yet another trick on Mithros. I swear, I regret the day I took that boy under my wing."
"But you don't." Geoff said, obviously enjoying the god's annoyance.
The Trickster disappeared with a hoarse cackle. Geoff rubbed his forehead slowly, sighing dejectedly.
Kiyra surveyed the men seated around the table under heavy-lidded eyes.
"This is her, the woman I've been telling you about. She's taken care of a great number of men that endangered our operation." A burly man praised Kiyra. "Her name's Srinka."
"I want to impress upon you the necessity of keeping all proceedings of this room silent." A bald, thin-faced man leaned towards Kiyra. "Do you understand me, Srinka?"
"Yes." Kiyra said in a voice that wasn't hers. "Why would I gain from divulging information? If anything, it would get me a free ticket to the gallows."
The bald man laughed. "That's my girl. Now, seated around this table are the men and women involved in the plot to kill the King of the Rogue. Take a good look around. These are the only friends you will have, the only ones you will ever trust."
All those around the table exchanged mistrusting glances. Kiyra raised her eyebrows from under her mask.
The bald man continued his speech. "Anderson will be the new Majesty and will make quite a few changes that we all support. Do you care to..."
Anderson, a handsome, smooth-talking man, interrupted. "Yes, of course. We will put all those around the table in a council. I will consult you on every decision I make, which puts you in a powerful position. We will increase levels of crime so that the guards will be stretched thin. Slowly, but surely-" His speech was cut short as he fell over, dead.
In shocked silence, the members of the council observed each other. Kiyra stared at the corpse, mouth open.
"What in Mithros' name was that?" A man asked, reaching for his belt-knife.
A dark green gas slowly filled the room, oozing murkily from under the table. The inhabitants began coughing and choking, trying to exit through the locked door. Kiyra put her hand up to her mouth, concealing a magicked air purifier stone that the Baron George had procured for her. Praying to the gods, she hoped it actually worked.
Within minutes, all eleven ringleaders fell to the ground.
Kiyra stepped over their bodies and exited through the window, climbing up to the roof. She took off her "Srinka" clothes and dropped them onto the street below.
"Well done." The Trickster appeared. Kiyra was startled, but recovered quickly.
"Just following orders, m'lord." Kiyra bowed mockingly. "What did you tell Geoff?"
"That he was in mortal peril."
"Seriously?" Kiyra winced. "Why?"
"To see him squirm." The Trickster laughed. "Do you know what else would make him squirm?"
"Do I want to know?" Kiyra asked wearily, rubbing her sore neck.
The Trickster reached towards Kiyra's belly with a glowing finger. "His baby born with three heads."
Kiyra jerked away, her hand immediately over her belly protectively. "Get away, rotsbreath."
"Thought you didn't care." The Trickster grinned smugly.
"I don't." Kiyra said quickly. "But delivering a baby with three heads? I wouldn't do it, not even to become a goddess."
"Right. That's my cue." The Trickster nodded towards a faint sound of a ringing bell and disappeared.
"I don't care." Kiyra told her slightly swelling belly. "Honest, I don't."
Stretching her sore muscles, Kiyra started down the rickety stairs that wrapped around the building. At the bottom, the Baron George waited.
"Impressive." He praised. "Expected nothing less from you."
"How'd you know?" Kiyra asked curiously, falling in step beside him.
"Half a bag of poison powder bought last month from a small dealer in the slums. I knew about the building already, and when you got the stone from me..."
Kiyra flipped a coin to a shop-owner and grabbed a meat pie.
"An act like that has got to got months to set up." The Baron nodded appreciatively. "Does Geoff know?"
Kiyra raised her eyebrows. "Like I'd be within a mile of this place if he did. Geoff will, hopefully, stay ignorant of this forever."
"The lovers of the Rogue majesties have a history of causing trouble for their enemies." The Baron informed her. "Alanna will love this tale."
Inconspicuously, the Baron George melted into another part of the crowd, leaving Kiyra to her own thoughts.
"Did you hear?" Geoff pulled Kiyra onto his lap, wrapping his arm around her. "The plotters murdered?"
"I heard." Kiyra kissed him quickly. "Did you do it?"
"Wish I could say I had." Geoff returned the kiss.
Kiyra stole a sip of his drink before Geoff pulled it away from her. "Kiyra!"
"Geoff!" Kiyra mimicked.
"It's not good for the baby!" He said. "And it's definitely not good for you."
"Just a sip, Geoff." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I've had a long day."
"Doing what?" Geoff wondered. "I thought you were just at Lalasa's."
"I decided not to go. I went to the palace instead. I'm just tired lately."
"That would be your fault." Geoff addressed the unborn baby in a scolding tone. "Do you know what this means? No fun for Daddy tonight."
Kiyra bolted upright indignantly. "Geoff! Don't talk that way! You'll traumatize her before she's even born!"
Geoff smiled delightedly. "Her? You think it's going to be a girl?"
"Most men want sons first, don't they? It could be a boy."
"I have a son." Geoff let his eyes travel to where Demi sat behind the bar with the barkeeper's dog. "I love you and I will love our baby no matter what."
"Good." Kiyra grinned mischieviously. "You can thank your friend for it. Our baby has three heads."
I could write an epilogue, but that would defeat the purpose of ending the story. They won't live happily ever after, but they will live to a good old age. The baby will not be born with three heads, I promise. Thanks for reading my best and longest ever fanfic and getting me motivated to finishing it.
-Contorce-