The Born Queen Part 55

Z'Acatto was silent for a moment, and then he chuckled. "Easier than talking," he said.

"Exactly. For me, too."

"Fine," z'Acatto said. "I never wanted you involved in this sort of thing. Your father made me promise to teach you the sword, but he never asked me to make you a soldier. I don't think he wanted that for you, and I d.a.m.ned sure didn't. So I didn't fill your head with tales of our exploits."

"Maybe if you had, I wouldn't be involved in all of this now."

Z'Acatto laughed again. "Right, that's funny. No matter how bad I made it out to be, it would have sounded exciting to you. And because your father did it, and maybe because I did-"

"You were both famous. famous."

"Yes. All the more reason you would have wanted to follow in our footsteps."

Cazio nodded. "You're probably right. I was a little hardheaded when I was younger."

"When you were younger? Your head gets harder every day. And a good thing, because you get hit on it more often all the time."

He handed a bottle down. It was a not very good wine. Cazio took a swallow.

"What now?" he asked.

"You seem to have that worked out," z'Acatto said.

"You're the Emrature," Cazio replied.

Z'Acatto took the bottle and had another drink.

"I guess I am," he finally said. "Most of these fellows want to go back to Eslen and fight for Anne. I've never seen the place, and I guess I should."

"Well, it's something to see," Cazio said, yawning.

They finished the bottle and started another one before exhaustion overcame the ache in his arm.

"Back to bed for me," he said, clapping his mentor on the back.

"We move early," z'Acatto told him.

"Yes, sir, Ca.s.sro," Cazio replied.

He went back to the wagon and found Austra just as he'd left her. He lay against her, relaxing against the warmth of her body.

He woke the next morning in exactly the same position. Austra was still quiet, so he thought to rise and help break camp without waking her.

But as he sat up, he noticed that her eyes were open.

"Morning, love," he said, and kissed her on the cheek.

She didn't move, and her eyes were gla.s.sy. He shook her, and she didn't respond. He shook her harder.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

DEPOSITIONS.

ANNE STRETCHED her limbs and closed her eyes as a cool zephyr ruffled the gra.s.s. Faster snuffled nearby, and a lute sounded in the distance. her limbs and closed her eyes as a cool zephyr ruffled the gra.s.s. Faster snuffled nearby, and a lute sounded in the distance.

Something tickled against her lips, and with a smile she parted them and gently bit down, filling her mouth with the tart juice of a grape.

"You didn't peel it," she murmured.

"Oh, I see where I stand now," the earl of Cape Chavel said. "One day a suitor, the next a Hadamish serving girl."

"You can be both," Anne said, lazily opening her eyes.

Gulls fluttered overhead in the sea breeze.

"This is a nice place," the earl said.

"One of my favorites, Cape Chavel," she replied.

"Really?" he said. "Can't you see your way clear to call me Tam?"

"Can you see your way clear to peeling a grape?"

He tugged at the sleeve of her dress. "If that's a manner of speaking."

"You're too bold, sir," she said.

"I wonder if your legs are freckled," he replied.

"Huh. I wonder if they are."

"There you go." He pressed another grape to her lips. This time it was peeled.

"Very good, Cape Chavel," she said. "You're learning."

"But we still aren't on a first-name basis?"

"I think we should be after a few more years of courting. Are you in a rush?"

"No," he said. His voice became a bit more serious. "It hardly seems necessary now."

"What do you mean?"

"You've beaten back the army of Hansa. The Church has withdrawn and is suing for peace."

"Who told you that?" she asked, pushing up on her elbows.

"I guess-well, that's the word going around."

"I've no idea what Hespero wants," she said, "but I doubt very much that it is peace. He's foolish even to come here, given the crimes he's implicated in."

"I stand corrected, then."

"Continue to recline instead," Anne said.

"As you wish."

"Are you saying you no longer wish to court me?"

"I'm not saying that at all. But if our courting is pretense to encourage Virgenya to send troops, well, you don't seem to need them."

"I don't, do I?" Anne replied. "But I'm going to get them anyway. And not by any pretense."

"What do you mean?"

"Charles slighted me, and he slighted the empire. What sort of empress would I be if I allowed my subject kings to treat me like that? No, I think we will change the head beneath that that crown." She c.o.c.ked an eye at him and reached to stroke his hair. "I think it would sit well right here," she told him. crown." She c.o.c.ked an eye at him and reached to stroke his hair. "I think it would sit well right here," she told him.

The earl blinked, and his mouth opened. Then he smiled as if he'd just understood a joke.

"Your Majesty is in a jesting mood."

"No," she said. "I'm quite serious."

A troubled look turned his features.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"I hope Your Majesty doesn't think-You can't imagine I had this aim when we began our friendship."

She shrugged. "I don't care if you did. Loyalty is good, but so is intelligence. When you cast your lot with me, I wasn't the dog favored to win this fight. You took a risk with me, and I won't forget that."

"I'm not sure what to say, Majesty."

"I don't require you to say anything," she said. "Just don't pa.s.s the news around. I expect your uncle may put up a bit of a fight when you go to claim his hat, and right now we still need our army here. It's not over yet. Even now Hansa is sending another army, larger than the first."

"You'll crush it as easily."

"It will be easier," she agreed, "now that I know how to do it."

"I think you overestimate my uncle's bravery," he said. "When he really comes to understand your power, he won't stand against you. I doubt that any army from anywhere would."

"Well," Anne said in a speculative tone, "I was very ill treated in Vitellio and Tero Galle. I've half a mind to add them to the empire. Certainly z'Irbina must be taught a lesson."

He was staring at her again.

"Don't be so serious," she said. "Let's just come back to this. Our courting is now pretense only for you to kiss me, and I would prefer you start on that now."

And so he did. His lips were familiar with her neck and shoulder, her hands, the hollow beneath her throat. His hands were acquainted with the broader territory of her body and made themselves languidly busy there. He was not sneaky or apologetic, as Roderick had been. He didn't pretend to have brushed her breast accidentally but went there with confident deliberation.

And if he explored where he was not allowed, he could tell, and he accepted it, and that was that. It didn't seem to bother him or hurt his feelings or make him seem weak.

But by the saints he kindled her, found the slow fire in her belly and stroked it out to every inch of her, until all she wanted was for more of her flesh to press his, to feel what two unclothed bodies were like together.

But not here, where anyone could see. They could go back to the castle, though...

"Enough," she said faintly. "Enough, Cape Chavel."

"Is something wrong?" he whispered.

"Yes," she replied. "I want you. That's what's wrong."

"Nothing wrong with that," he replied. "I want you, too. You've no idea."

"No," she said. "I think I have some idea. But we can't. I I can't. I'm queen. I have to be responsible. What if I got pregnant, for saints' sake?" can't. I'm queen. I have to be responsible. What if I got pregnant, for saints' sake?"

She was surprised to hear herself say it, but there it was.

"I understand," he said. "It doesn't make me want you any less."

She stroked his face. "You're dangerous," she said. "Another few moments and you might have convinced me."

He smiled halfheartedly. "I'm sorry," he said. "I would not make a mistress of you."

She nodded.

"I would make you wife, though, if you would say yes."

She started to make a joke of that, but then, with a bit of a shock, she understood the look in his eyes.

"Let's not get in a hurry, Cape Chavel," she said.

"I love you."

"There's no need to say that," she whispered. "Just hush."

He nodded but looked a little hurt.

Saints, he's serious, she realized. she realized.

Things felt turned around all of a sudden. She hadn't understood until this moment that she she was the one in control of the situation. was the one in control of the situation.

"I'm not closing the door," she said. "When I was younger, it was my dream to marry for love. My mother, my sister-everyone-tried to make me understand that a princess didn't have that option, but I refused to believe it. Now I am queen, and I begin to understand. Marriage isn't something I can choose because my heart or body wants it. You have become dear to me in a very short time, and I am tempted to rush. I can't. Please bear with me, court me, be my friend. I never took you for a man easily discouraged. I hope I wasn't wrong about that."