He turned and strode off, leaving Vaelin to briefly consider and then discount the notion of subduing him now that his back was so conveniently turned. A brief scan of the surrounding park revealed no sign of other guards or attendants, but he had an intuition that such emptiness was an illusion. Surely no king would leave himself so defenceless. He was also increasingly aware of his dangerous lack of caution since leaving the Reaches. As Tower Lord Al Sorna he would never have baited Sho Tsai so. Brother Vaelin, however, was always far too accepting of risks.
The chimes and the little girl’s giggles fell silent as they traversed the pier to the island. She abruptly abandoned her dance to hide behind the tall man’s robe, peeking out at Vaelin with a fearful scowl.
Sho Tsai came to a halt at the end of the pier and sank to one knee. “Most Favoured of Heaven,” he said in strident but respectful tones. “I bring the interloper as per your command. And”—he glanced over his shoulder at Vaelin—“will be greatly honoured to administer your swift and wise judgement.”
The tall man favoured the soldier with a kindly smile but said nothing, his gaze lingering expectantly on Vaelin. The brother might not have bowed, he thought. But the Tower Lord would.
He repeated the bow that had failed so conspicuously on the lake, embellishing it by lowering his head an inch or two further than etiquette required. The tall man evidently found this amusing for he gave a hearty laugh before turning to Sho Tsai.
“My thanks, Captain. Return to the shore if you would. I will speak to this man alone.” His voice was soft, possessed of a melodious quality very different from any accent Vaelin had yet heard in this land. Nevertheless he found it to possess a certain effortless authority that reminded him of Aspect Arlyn, another man who rarely felt the need to raise his voice above a murmur.
“Forgive me, Most Favoured.” Sho Tsai bowed lower, a hard reluctance in his voice. “But the barbarian should be considered a dangerous beast. He attacked one of my men . . .”
“Really?” the Merchant King interrupted, silver eyebrows raised in surprise. “Did he kill him?”
“No, Most Favoured.”
“Could he have, if he wished?”
Sho Tsai’s shoulders hunched a little. “Yes, Most Favoured.”
“Then he cannot be termed a beast, can he?”
Sho Tsai hesitated a moment longer, then dipped his head lower before rising. Turning smartly about, he favoured Vaelin with a glance full of dire warning before marching along the pier to the shore.
“We shall speak in your tongue,” Lian Sha told Vaelin in precise Realm Tongue coloured by his musical tones. “So there is no misunderstanding between us.”
“As you wish, Highness,” Vaelin replied. At the sound of his voice the little girl sheltering behind Lian Sha’s robes let out a tiny squeak and hid her face in the cascade of silk.
“A moment, please,” the Merchant King said before crouching and gently easing the girl away. “He is just a man, blossom of my heart,” he told her, using his sleeve to wipe away her tears. “Such foolish notions your mother teaches you. Play now.” He pointed to a collection of dolls and sundry toys close by. “Your grandfather has business to attend to. And what is business?”
“Business is the sun and rain,” the girl replied promptly. Lian Sha stroked a finger across her cheek and she scampered to her toys without further hesitation.
“My youngest grandchild,” the Merchant King told Vaelin. “Only four years old and already my favourite. Do you have a favoured child?”
“I have no children, Highness.”
“Yes, I was forgetting. Vaelin Al Sorna, Tower Lord of the Northern Reaches and most famed sword of the Unified Realm, has never married. What a curious people you are. A man born to any of the Merchant Kingdoms who remains unmarried beyond his twenty-first year would find himself shunned, even subject to fines in certain Prefectures. Is it lust for the flesh of men that prevents you choosing a wife?”
“No, Highness.”
Lian Sha’s dark eyes seemed to twinkle as they regarded him. Whereas the Merchant King’s voice reminded Vaelin of Aspect Arlyn, his eyes evoked sour memories of King Janus.
“No insult suffered, I see,” Lian Sha mused. “A man possessed of a broad mind, or at least broad experience. Of course, I know why you have no wife, as I know what brings you to my kingdom without invitation. You come in search of the healing