Mallenia laughed. “So you’re not just an actor, you’re a dragon specialist?” She smiled and took his chin in her hand. “A man of many parts, Rodario the Seventh. If you had muscles as well, you’d be a real man.”
He made a face and took his scrawny beard out of harm’s way. But he did enjoy it when she teased him. “I take it as a sign of hidden affection when you insult me. You’re sounding me out,” he replied.
“Oh, so that’s what you think?” She burst out laughing. “Sweet dreamer, dream on. My affection consists of wanting to protect you, like protecting a child. So vulnerable, so clumsy.”
Like lightning he drew one of her own short swords. “You should be proud of yourself, Mallenia. Now you’ve managed to provoke me,” he threatened. “En garde!”
She drew the other sword and went along with the joke. “Then attack me, Number Seven! Why don’t you show this weak woman where her place is!” The muscles in her arm and chest rippled with the exertion; they were certainly stronger than his own.
Rodario made an obvious move to hit her and she caught his wrist to stay his hand. Then she gave him a kiss on the brow. “How funny,” she mocked, pushing him back. “Try again, little man.”
Apparently furious now, he hopped toward her, tripping over his mantle. He stumbled past her, heading for the parapet. When Mallenia grabbed him to stop him plunging over the top-her fingers met thin air.
But her mouth met a kiss.
His lips were soft and pleasing on her own; there was a faint taste of the spiced tea he had drunk to warm him. Then he drew his head back and left her blushing.
“A hit!” he exulted, waving his weapon in the air. “That took you by surprise, didn’t it, brave warrior woman? I won! The kiss is mightier than the sword!”
Mallenia swallowed hard. She was confused, still feeling the audacious embrace and not knowing how to react. It was an incredible invasion of her person, impudence that must be punished.
Rodario saw that she was visibly shaken. “Oh, I… didn’t mean to embarrass you,” he stuttered. “It was a game, and then you’d kissed me on the forehead, so…”
“A game indeed.” She held her hand out, demanding her short sword, which he relinquished at once. “Let’s forget it. You won and you won’t get a second chance.”
He cleared his throat. “Forgive me. I got carried away. I offer my sincere apologies. I should never have done that.” He bowed. “Hit me if you want.”
“So that you can dodge out of the way and kiss me again? No thanks, Rodario the Seventh,” Mallenia said, stowing her weapons. “Let’s leave it at that.” She tried hard to treat the incident lightly but found it all very unsettling. It was a feeling she hated.
She marched off to the edge of the platform and stared out, admiring the beauty of the lake, but with her thoughts in turmoil. It was only a stolen kiss, she told herself. A child’s kiss. How can he make me feel like this?“ Rodario? Mallenia? Are you up there?” Coira’s voice echoed up the stairwell.
“Yes, Princess. We’re admiring the view and keeping watch for Weyurn’s enemies,” the actor answered. “What can we do for you?”
“Come down here,” came a cheerful instruction. “I’ve got important news for Mallenia.”
Rodario and the swordswoman hurried down the steps to join Coira, who was coming up to meet them. “My mother received a message from one of the neighboring villages,” she said. Her eyes fixed onto Mallenia’s injured arm. “Remind me to check that bandage. We can take it off tomorrow. The wound should be healing well by now and will benefit from exposure to air and sunlight.”
“Is it good news or bad?” Rodario urged.
“I don’t know. My mother just sent for me. Let’s go and find out.”
They hastened through the palace, through high, sunlit corridors and anterooms, until they reached the place where they had first seen the monarch.
The window had been repaired and the view-of waves glittering in the sun, birds circling and colorful fishing boats bobbing on the water-had lost none of its fascination.
Queen Wey sat behind her desk. Her turquoise robe suited her splendidly and she looked well. But worry was etched on her features. “Sit down,” she said to her guests. “There are things to report.”
“Has something happened in Idoslane, ma’am?” asked Mallenia, taking her seat.
“No. In Soulham, a village near here. A fisherman tells me he saw two alfar locally,” said the queen. “What troubles me is that he is the only one to have seen them. The other villagers are keeping silent. They are afraid. I’m sure the alfar are hiding there waiting for their chance.” She looked at Mallenia. “The chance to get to Lakepride and kill you.”
“Then let me follow it up, Mother,” Coira suggested at once. “They can’t hurt me.”
“You can’t stop an assassin’s arrow, my child,” replied Wey. “You took them by surprise at the shore but now they know who their opponent is. The alfar will avoid showing themselves in the daytime.” She looked at Mallenia. “I think we should give them an opportunity to find a way in. An opportunity that we control.”
“In other words, a trap,” said Rodario, delighted at the idea. “Your Majesty, that is an absolutely excellent plan.”
“Why, thank you for your support, sir!” she retorted, highly amused. “The fisherman who came to speak to me about the alfar is going to spread a couple of rumors in the village to attract the attention of the black-eyes. They’ll say that our guards are all stricken with the runs and can’t leave their beds…”
“Who else knows you are now free of your chains, Your Majesty?” Mallenia was too alarmed to sit still. She had not yet escaped the shadow of death. “The alfar won’t come if they think they’ll have to contend with two magae in order to kill me.”
“No one knows apart from my most loyal servants.”
“And what will the Dragon say?” objected Rodario. “Is he coming? I thought I noticed a lot of activity on the battlements out by the magic source.”
Wey looked at him steadily. “Do you know what, Rodario the Seventh? Sometimes you seem a bit strange,” she said. “We have an actor here who plays so many roles that he has forgotten where the real Rodario is.”
Rodario went red. “I don’t understand what you mean.”
“I’ve been watching you. Sometimes you are very bold, my daughter tells me, then you’re awkward, then swift and nimble; sometimes you have a way with words and at other times you stammer and stutter. You have good manners one moment and forget them the next. Like just now when you dared to interrupt a queen.” She rubbed her temple as if she had a headache. “I don’t think there is anything magic about you to explain this away. But your mind is-to put it mildly-confused. Am I right?”
Mallenia thought of the incident on the battlements and secretly felt she had to agree with the queen.
“I apologize, Your Majesty,” he said contritely, making a deep bow in front of the queen. “Of course you are right. I should have waited.”
“To return to your question, Rodario the Impatient,” Queen Wey continued in a gentler tone of voice, “I must tell you that the Dragon has not yet sent an answer. And I am certain that he would be convinced by the night-mare cadaver and the corpses of his people.” She turned to Mallenia. “But your concerns have priority. I don’t like having the alfar near at hand. The Soulham fisherman will be returning to his village to spread those rumors. Then we will have to wait and pretend we are all ill with diarrhea. My guards have been told what’s happening. Coira will explain our plans. I have work to do.” She glanced pointedly at the door.
The three needed no more explicit hint and left the room. The princess took them to her apartments, where they continued their discussion over tea and cake. “It’s simple,” said Coira. The alfar will find one of our guards and ask him about you, Mallenia. You wait in your chamber with me. When the alfar come I’ll show them that it would be better if they left.”
“You sound very confident.” Rodario held a cup and a piece of cake in his hands. “Like your mother said: Don’t you think they expect to find you?”