Law of the Broken Earth(43)

Geroen hesitated for a bare moment, then nodded abruptly.

“To be sure,” agreed Niethe.

Mienthe said, “I’ll go sit with Tan—” but surprised herself with a jaw-cracking yawn before she could finish her sentence. She put her hand over her mouth and blinked suddenly blurry eyes.

“You will not,” the queen said firmly. “I’m sure our guardsmen can keep him safe. You will go to bed, Mienthe, and no matter it’s just past breakfast time. Sleep till noon, if you like—or till supper.” She stood up, came around the table, and touched Mienthe’s shoulder. “Rest well, and never fret. Now we’re all alert, I can hardly believe any Linularinan agents will try a second time. Just to be certain, I believe I’ll send a formal courier across the river, inquiring whether Linularinum has deliberately attempted to provoke Feierabiand. That should make them pause.”

Mienthe thought it certainly would. She hoped whoever had tried to kidnap Tan found himself in deep water. “Good,” she said, and got stiffly to her feet.





CHAPTER 5





Tan was desperately bored. The servants were fine about fluffing pillows, but not very accommodating when it came to providing books or writing materials or anything else that would give him reason to sit upright. Iriene had plainly given orders, which the servants had proved tiresomely determined to follow, that he was supposed to be lying flat, keeping his leg elevated on pillows, and sleeping. Since he had been sleeping all day, this left Tan bored, nervous, and thoroughly irritated.

He looked up at the sudden murmur outside the chamber. He could distinguish the voices of his guards, of course, but also that of a woman. A servant bringing a book or two after all, he hoped, and moved uncomfortably, wishing he could sit up properly.

But it wasn’t a servant who came in.

“Mienthe!” Tan exclaimed. Then he was immediately embarrassed that he’d been sufficiently startled as to forget his manners—in fact, he was embarrassed he’d been surprised at all. Surely it was not in the least remarkable that Mienthe would come find him and assure herself he was mending. He said more moderately, “Esteemed lady,” and pushed ineffectually at the bed linens, determined to sit up after all, whether or not Iriene would approve.

Refreshingly, Mienthe did not command him to lie down flat. Evidently she hadn’t been told he was supposed to stay down. She helped him sit instead, arranging the pillows so he could be more comfortable. Then she drew a chair near the bed and perched on its edge, like a bird ready to take flight. “Your knee?” she asked anxiously. “Did the esteemed Iriene mend it? It hadn’t been too badly damaged?”

“I’m told it will heal well, so long as I restrain myself from overusing it now,” Tan assured her. “I have no notion why everyone seems to feel compelled to emphasize that latter clause.”

Mienthe laughed, but her voice was strained, and Tan realized—he should have perceived it at once—that the young woman was not anxious over his well-being, or not only anxious over his well-being. Something had frightened her. Something else. He tried to imagine what might have frightened or disturbed Mienthe more than the thought of enemy spies and mages sneaking about her home and kidnapping people. His imagination failed him. “Esteemed lady?” he said cautiously.

“Oh, Mienthe, please!” she told him.

She wasn’t flirting. Tan had nearly reached the conclusion that, impossible as it seemed, Mienthe didn’t know how to flirt. She simply preferred informality and, in her straightforward way, said so. Tan smiled. “I suppose the events of last night ought to constitute an introduction. Not a proper introduction, perhaps, but thorough. So I suppose we might call one another by name, if you like, and then perhaps you might tell me what is troubling you?”

“Oh, well—” Mienthe eyed him cautiously. “Something else has happened. Shall I tell you, or do you need to rest?” She bit her lip. “You probably need to rest.”

Not eager to be left again to lonely boredom, Tan declared, “I have been required to dedicate myself to nothing but rest all the long day. Be so kind as to tell me all.” He lifted an expectant eyebrow at the young woman.

“Well…” Mienthe hesitated, though Tan thought she was merely trying to collect her thoughts rather than hesitating to tell him the news. He wondered what had possibly unnerved her. It was difficult to reconcile the collected young woman of the Linularinan raid with this diffidence. He tried to look encouraging.

“My cousin—” Mienthe began, but stopped. “I don’t know… Do you know things?”