The Will of the Empress - By Tamora Pierce Page 0,112

up there," he remarked, his voice soft music over her shoulder. "Has she always liked high places?"

Hearing his male rumble, Sandry felt better, less giddy. "Well, she is a weather mage," she pointed out. "It's the best place to reach for weather. If we weren't sure where to find her, back at Discipline, the wall was the first place we started. We—"

Fingers touched her chin and turned her head. Shan bent down to kiss Sandry gently.

She jumped away as if stung. The sensation was too close to Daja, what Daja had felt. Sandry couldn't tell the difference between her reaction to Shan and Daja's to Rizu. "Please don't be offended," she said, even more rattled now. "I... I'm just, all the light and the dancing — I really must get back to it!"

She fled back into the Moonlight Hall, this time almost flinging herself into Jak's arms. "I promised you a dance, didn't I? Isn't this a lovely time for a dance? I think so!"

Jak frowned at her, his open face worried. "Are you all right, Sandry?" he asked. "Has someone insulted you?" He looked up and glared at Shan, who had followed Sandry inside. "If fer Roth upset you in any way —"

Sandry covered Jak's mouth with her hand. "I'm fine" she told him, catching her breath. "Let's dance, please."

As Jak guided her out onto the floor, Sandry gave her self a good talking-to. You've been kissed before, she scolded silently. Now you act like a girl who put on her first veil just a day ago. Get hold of yourself and stop acting like a ninnyhammer! Try some of the complicated dances you keep refusing to do. Concentrating on your feet could keep your silly imagination from, well, imagining.

She danced often and, despite her fears about the complex dances, very well. She danced until her garments were soaked with perspiration and she couldn't catch her breath. Only when her feet began to hurt did she excuse herself and retire to her rooms.

She took a quick bath first, while Gudruny took care of her damp clothes. Once she had slithered into her nightgown and robe, she let Gudruny brush her hair. As soon as her maid was gone, Sandry threw herself onto her bed with disgust.

Now Shan will think I don't like him, and I do! I don't suppose there's a way a lady can apologize and say, I wish you'd kiss me again, now that I'm not so distracted. I have to let him know somehow that it wasn't anything to do with him.

Well, nothing much, she amended honestly. I just got kissing and love all confused.

That thought made her sit up. Daja's in love, she thought, feeling woebegone. After all this time. It's wonderful, but... she'll want to stay, won't she? She'll want to stay with Rizu. She won't want to go home.

A single large teardrop rolled down her cheek. Sandry dashed it away impatiently. Of all times to turn into a big bubble of jumpiness, this is the worst, she told herself, getting out of bed. I need to calm down.

There was only one thing she could do. She took out her night light, placed it on a small table, then got her workbasket. Embroidery, she said firmly. Just what the healer advised.

*

Finlach fer Hurich slammed into the miserable two rooms that were his lot in the imperial palace and kicked a footstool into the wall. A laughingstock, he thought, grinding his teeth until they ached. She made me a laughingstock before the entire court, getting rid of me on a pretext — oh, Fin, I'm so hot, I simply must sit down and have some ice! And the minute my back is turned, she's dancing with that brainless chunk of muscle Jak!

He paced in the little space he had, considering his options. They're saying Shan courts her behind the empress's back, he thought, running a restless palm over the dagger on his belt. I know the man's ambitious, but surely he's no fool. Even the Landreg moneybags can't protect him from imperial disfavour — can they?

He waved the idea away. Only a fool would try to deceive Berenene, Fin decided. But Jak. Sandry's favoured Jak since we got to Landreg. Tonight she openly snubbed me for him. So I've lost that race. Well, I'm not going to wait for her and Jak to start billing and cooing, for me to become the laughingstock of the empire. Her Imperial Majesty admires bold men who take what