"But not amongst the Cotti. No, it is impossible."
"Your kings take many concubines, and brag of them. To your people I would be your concubine; to mine you would be my consort. Is either office less insulting than the other? If I can bear the shame of being your concubine in the eyes of your people, surely you can stoop to being my consort in the eyes of mine?"
He frowned. "You are too logical, and too clever by half. But I plan to take no concubines and only one wife. I am not my father."
"Then you plan that this war should truly be endless, and this does you little credit."
Kerrion swung away, tearing his gaze from her accusing face. Her proposition surprised him, put as it was in such cold terms. Over the past three days, his initial attraction to her had blossomed into something stronger, although he was not yet prepared to put a name to it. His longing to be free warred with an illogical wish to stay and become better acquainted with this fascinating woman.
Never had he met such a strong-willed female, so bent upon her own way that she ran roughshod over others, and yet they took it gladly, if her smile rewarded them. He found her exasperating and beguiling, a mixture of sharp wit and shy looks that entranced him. Her presence quickened his heart and filled him with an irrational wish to impress her.
That she held him in little regard was evident from her cold-hearted plans to conceive his daughter, then send him back to his people without regret, using their child to bring about peace. Her wishes were noble, however, and he had little objection to them. His father had tried to make him love war, and be proud of the struggle, but now he had seen its ugliness too.
The Prince stared at the gardens, where the wind ruffled the leaves, and longed to be in the desert, galloping across the sand on his swiftest steed. Yet, at the same time, he yearned to spend more time in the company of the Jashimari Queen, and he hated his disloyalty to his people. Escape was impossible, but he could not agree to her proposal. He would be branded a traitor for consenting to be her consort, and she would be reviled for taking a Cotti Prince to father the future Jashimari Queen. At worst, both kingdoms would plunge into bloody civil war, and their rulers would pay the ultimate price.
He faced her once more, barely able to meet her hopeful gaze. "I will not agree to this, Queen Minna-Satu."
Minna rose to her feet, her eyes filled with anger. "Your people will not make war on the daughter of their king, any more than mine will wish to fight the father of their queen. It is the only way."
"No. Return me to my people, and I shall stop the atrocities. Perhaps, in time, I can divert their interest, start new industries, and the war will grow less fierce."
"You are a coward, Prince Kerrion."
"Think what you will, I will not be a part of your insane plan."
Kerrion walked out, his audacity leaving Minna-Satu shocked. Her anger leaked away, and she sank down on the cushions, tears of sorrow and frustration burning her eyes. Shista, sensing her distress, came over to rub against her and purr. Minna stroked the sand cat's soft dappled fur, the cat's love a balm to her wounded pride. In all her many moons of planning and preparation, she had not entertained the possibility that the Prince might refuse. Shamsara's prediction had been certain. If she captured the Cotti Prince unharmed, a child would be born to her that would be neither Jashimari nor Cotti, and she would heal the breach. Kerrion's handsomeness and intelligence made her task easy, for she found him attractive and enjoyed his company. His stubbornness, however, was a challenge that she must find a way to overcome.
The following day, she entertained the Prince again, but from the outset he looked to be on his guard. Each time she mentioned her proposal, he frowned or turned away, which was far more frustrating than if he had argued. She put forward every argument she could think of to persuade him, but his expression remained disinterested and he rose to none of her bait.
Finally, her temper broke its bonds, and she thumped the table, making the crockery jump. "Damn you, Kerrion, you must see the sense in my proposal! It would pain me greatly to give you to Blade, and deal with your brother instead."
"You would get no joy from him. Lerton is a snake. He would agree to your plan, then stab you while you slept."
She grimaced. "I do not like snakes."
"Few people do, especially cats."
"Perhaps I should send Blade to threaten his life, then he would have the task of persuading his people to accept peace between us."
Kerrion smiled at her confidence in Blade. "Even the Invisible Assassin may fail to kill Lerton in his palace."
Minna leant forward. "You know how he does it, do you not?"
He nodded. "A clever trick."
"How? Tell me."
"He prefers to keep it a secret."
Her brows rose. "You keep his secrets for him now? I thought you disliked him?"
"I do, but I also respect him. He made it plain that he would be unhappy if I divulged what I know."
"So, you are afraid of him, too." She smiled. "Rest assured, it will go no further than me, and I shall not tell him that you told me."
"We would all do well to be afraid of him. He is a dangerous man."
"Tell me."
Kerrion sighed and sipped his wine. "Why do you not order him to tell you?"
She pulled a face. "Order Blade? I hesitate to try. It would be far simpler if you just told me."
The Prince toyed with his wine glass, studying it. "Simply put, he becomes a woman. A very beautiful one, I might add."
"Of course. I suspected it."
Kerrion stared into his wine. "It is uncanny. The first time I saw him, he was a Cotti woman with blond hair and dark skin, a woman's voice and graceful ways. No one would see through his disguise, I will wager. Not even someone who knew him as a man."
"He must hate it," she mused.
"I would say so."
"Death walks beside him, and he will not escape it until he embraces it."
Kerrion nodded. "He is aptly named, for he cuts both ways, just as a blade would. No one is truly safe from him. Do not imagine that you have a hold of him, Minna. A blade cannot be safely grasped, it cuts any who touch it. Hold it lightly and you may be safe, take a firmer grip, and you will lose your fingers."
She gazed at him, impressed. His deduction made a great deal of sense. "I shall bear that in mind."
After Kerrion left, Minna spent the afternoon wrestling with her problem. That he was not about to be persuaded was now obvious, and she had to find another way. Chiana's interruption with the day's business was unwelcome, and she dealt with it as quickly as possible.
By dusk, she had arrived at the only possible solution, and no matter how she pondered the problem, no other choices presented themselves. Her mind made up, she invited Blade to dine with her.
The assassin arrived at the allotted time, clad once more in his old clothes. He glanced around, finding himself alone with the Queen.
"Has Kerrion fallen from favour, My Queen?"
"In some ways."
They sat down to a simple meal, and Blade filled his wine cup under her worried gaze. He caught her glance and smiled. "Do not make yourself uneasy, I do not intend to get drunk."
"I am glad to hear it, for there is a matter I wish to discuss with you."
He spooned braised lamb cutlets in lemon sauce onto his plate. "Ah."
Minna studied him, trying to fathom his mood, but his countenance gave nothing away and his slight smile mocked her efforts. "I have been thinking about your reputation."
He glanced at her, his smile fading.
She hurried on, "You are called the Invisible Assassin because no one sees you, so I must deduce that you are a master of disguise."