Minna-Satu studied him for several moments before she nodded. "You have the right of it. I cannot allow my promises to you to be empty when I shall need you so much on my side. I will not confide the details; I need no advice in that regard. My course is set upon the prediction of the Idol of the Beasts, not my decisions, and cannot be at fault." She stared out of the window, her expression becoming sorrowful.
"I know that no treaty can be reached with Prince Kerrion. Even if he agreed to all of my terms, his people would never accept them, and he would probably be killed or deposed when he returned home. Kerrion has not the power to end the war, any more than I. But he is a tool I will use to achieve an end that will bring about peace. The Cotti and the Jashimari will be forced to accept peace, but there will be great turmoil before this happens. I have established that Kerrion suits my purpose. Had he not, he would have faced the gallows." The Queen turned to look at him. "As it is, he must live to return to his people, or my plan will fail."
Blade's eyes narrowed. "And what great sacrifice must you make to this end, My Queen?"
Her stiff smile was clearly forced. "You are too perceptive. Yes, I must make a sacrifice, but that is my choice. Will you help me?"
He frowned at the floor, aware that she held her breath while she waited for his answer. "All my life, I have had no purpose. I earned enough to feed and clothe myself, buy drink and gamble. Now that I no longer need to work, my life has even less purpose. My future is a bleak and empty one, unless I agree to help you in your endeavour. Therefore, I will do as you wish."
Minna inclined her head in gracious acceptance. "Thank you."
Blade nodded, shifting under her scrutiny, and was relieved when she sensed his wish to be elsewhere.
"If there is nothing further you wish to discuss, you may go."
He rose and bowed. "My Queen."
"My Lord."
When the doors closed behind him, Minna slumped, not realising until then how tense she had been, how nervous that he would not accept. His agreement lifted a tremendous burden from her shoulders, and the future seemed less uncertain.
The following day, she met with Kerrion once more, and sat down to a luncheon of roast fowl and vegetables bathed in sauces. The Prince ate heartily and sampled the excellent wines with obvious pleasure, remarking that they were finer than his. He seemed to have accepted his situation, and the fierce, angry look had faded from his eyes, replaced by a disgruntled one. From time to time, his eyes would drift to the window, and he would gaze out at the sky like an eagle longing for freedom. Minna could not shake the impression that she had trapped a man with a wild heart, whose element was the wide open spaces and drifting golden sand.
Kerrion longed for the sun's warmth on his skin and the wind in his hair, just as Blade preferred stalking the night's shadows. Never had she met two men so completely opposite. One of cold nights, the other of warm days, and yet she could not say which one she preferred. Kerrion drank only a little wine and ate heartily; Blade picked at his food and consumed far too much alcohol, a foil for the Prince's sunny nature with his bitterness. She was glad that there was no need to choose between them, for she doubted that she could.
Kerrion looked up and opened a new subject, as if reading her thoughts. "Your assassin, Blade. He is not a man to be trusted."
"What makes you say that?"
"He cares for nothing and no one. Such a man is not to be relied upon."
"He told you this?"
"He did. We had a few interesting conversations on the journey here, although it was like pulling teeth to make him talk."
Minna smiled. "But you acquired the knack, I daresay?"
"I did. He would dearly have liked to kill me for it, but I found myself able to goad him into divulging his true nature."
"And you maintain that he is not to be trusted?"
"No indeed. He is a cold, unfeeling man. He told me this himself, and boasted that no one is safe from him, should that person find a price on his or her head." He shot her a meaningful glance.
Minna laughed, helping herself to more vegetables. "You think he is a danger to me? His nature is no secret. He told me of it himself. And yes, he even said that he would kill me if he was paid. But I will have you know that he was lying to both of us."
"How can you be so certain? He has no reason to care for you."
"I am his queen, and he is Jashimari, born and bred. He hates the Cotti with a depth I have never encountered before, but he would not harm me. I trust him with my life, and he knows it. Perhaps my trust in him can earn his trustworthiness."
The Prince shook his head, lifting his cup to take a sip of wine. "I would not rely on that. Malice has drowned his finer emotions. I fear that no one can reach him now. Look into his eyes and tell me that you see anything other than two pits of ice, and I will call you a liar."
"I will not argue his nature. I am touched by your concern, but I fear that time will prove you wrong. Blade is not a murderer, only an assassin. There is a difference."
"Indeed, he told me that killing brings him no pleasure. Nothing does, but he also has no pity. A man like that is dangerous." Kerrion sighed and pushed aside his empty plate, looking despondent. "I must own that his mutilation was the heinous deed of Cotti soldiers, performed upon him when he was just a boy. I abhor it, and will put an end to the enslavement and torturing of captured Jashimari children, if I am allowed to return to my people."
Minna stared at him, aghast. "I had not been told of these crimes against children. Did Blade admit this to you?"
"Yes, he was enslaved, and lived with my soldiers for four years. It shames me deeply."
"I had guessed that the Cotti were responsible. It explains his hatred of them. But I had thought him an isolated case, now you tell me that there are many?"
"Aye," the Prince admitted, "too many."
"This is yet another reason to stop the war. Such atrocities cannot be allowed to continue."
"I agree, but we both know that to stop the war is impossible. The moment I sign a treaty, Lerton will denounce me as a traitor and my life will be worthless, my crown his."
She nodded, lowering her eyes. "I am aware of this. I have another proposition to make, however, one that will solve those problems."
"What is that?"
She took a deep breath and looked away, a faint flush warming her cheeks. "If we are ever to achieve peace between our lands, we must establish blood ties between our thrones. If you were to become my consort, our daughter would inherit the Jashimari throne upon my death. She would be half Cotti, half Jashimari, bridging the gulf between our peoples. Our families would be forever linked, so even her descendants and the future kings of the Cotti would be related by blood. Nothing is stronger than that, and we can stipulate that your heir must take a Jashimari bride from a powerful noble family, thereby strengthening the ties."
Kerrion stared at her, stunned, then rose and walked over to the windows to gaze out at the sun-drenched garden. Shista raised her head to watch him, sensing the tension, then flopped back with a sigh. He faced her again.
"So, this is your plan. It is impossible. Your people would never accept my daughter as their queen. They would revile her, call her a half breed and a mongrel."
"Allow me to know my people a little better than you, Prince. Yes, they would be angry at first, but my daughter will inherit, so it is laid down in the law. Also, I may choose my consort, and nowhere does it state that he must be Jashimari."
Prince Kerrion shook his head. "My people will not accept it, nor will I. Cotti kings marry, they have wives to bear their sons. I could never be a consort."
"Will you have your pride stand in the way of peace? You will have your wives and sons when you return to your land. To be the Queen's consort is the greatest honour amongst Jashimari."