this morning. I do believe I’ve done you an injustice all these years, Sala. We work well together.”
“We have much to gain and we both hate Ianthe. That makes us natural allies.”
“Well, she’s ruined herself this time. Even if Roelstra doesn’t hear of this, our noble Prince Rohan will never have her now. I would say your cause has been won, my dear.”
“Not quite.” Pandsala stirred her taze with a golden spoon tipped by an amethyst. “There’s something about that Sunrunner girl that bothers me. He never has a soft word for her, and she’s barely polite to him. But Tobin and Andrade are both pushing for her. Rohan seems just pliable enough to give in if the two of them try hard enough.”
“I don’t think Rohan’s that stupid,” Palila mused. “And they’re reckoning without your determination to have him, of course. Besides, the girl’s faradhi, without family to speak of—no matter what Tobin says about her connections to Syr and Kierst. She can’t offer anything approaching what you can.”
“I still wish she was out of the way.” She poured fresh cups of taze and gave one to Palila. “It wasn’t wise of you to come all the way from Castle Crag with your time so near, you know. We don’t want you delivering early in a place where we can’t control events.”
“Why do you think I insisted on bringing those other women along? It took me hours to convince your father that I needed their care and company as well as that of my own maids. A pity one of them didn’t get pregnant when I did.”
“You’re not due for another thirty days or so,” Pandsala said, looking her over with a critical eye. “Although I must say you’re big enough to be at least that long overdue.”
Palila hid her annoyance at this reminder of her bulk. “Goddess forbid I should have to carry a child past the usual term!”
“Even a son?” Pandsala asked archly. “I’ve found all the drugs we’ll need, by the way. It wasn’t difficult. There are merchants enough here so I could buy one thing here, another there. A swallow or two of drugged wine, and they’ll start labor pains almost at once. We’ve thought of everything.”
“Unless all four of us produce daughters.” Palila picked at her nails, frowning. “To be really safe, we should have brought the other two with us.”
“Impossible. Even Father would find that suspicious, even though he hardly knows a woman is alive when she’s pregnant.”
Neither did Palila appreciate this reference to Roelstra’s distaste for child-heavy women. “I told him I wanted their company—and deathly dull it is, too. If I didn’t need them, I’d have them all deprived of their tongues now instead of later. Listening to them is sheer torment. But I have to have them with me a few hours every day for appearances’ sake. I depend on you for rational conversation.”
“And news of what goes on at the Rialla. It’s a pity you can’t be up and about more.”
This, too, was a sore point, and Palila did not bother hiding her irritation this time. Roelstra insisted she attend the important functions—the banqueting, the Lastday ceremonies—but she had no energy and her feet had swollen right out of every pair of shoes she owned. At previous Riall’im she had been constantly at his side, admired, coveted, envied. But last night there had been many women who had dared to flirt with Roelstra—and in Palila’s presence, too. It was infuriating to be so huge and indolent and sickly. Her son would have much to answer for once he was born.
“Sioned worries me,” Pandsala said, returning to her former theme. “She isn’t anything special in looks or wits, but there’s something about her—”
“So you’ve said,” Palila responded impatiently. “I tell you, Sala, don’t bother about her. Now that Ianthe’s own foolishness has ruined her, you need have no concerns. On the Lastday feast I see you standing with Prince Rohan as his bride.”
The picture enchanted the princess, who laughed gleefully. “Did I tell you what he said yesterday about my eyes? My bridal necklet will be of diamonds!”
“Delightful,” Palila said, trying to sound enthusiastic. “But now that your new position is assured, we ought to make some plans. I’ll get your father to give you Feruche as a wedding present, and through the pass there we’ll be able to control much trade—to our mutual profit, as we planned, with no one the wiser. Our sons will be very rich men.”