the Leathermines

Back to Chapter 12 - Interested in the Kinky side of things?  I have some tips in my FAQ

 

The morning shift assigned to the visiting Princess were all standing in the office area, the door open to the deck.  She was doing katas with her two servants, the blonde being the aggressor in the mock battle, the man mirroring his Mistress as Laun moved against the girl.

They had been practicing for over an hour.  Neither of the assassins were going to say that Laun had just about tired them out.  The extra eyes on them did not help, though Laun did not seem to pay attention to the men waiting for her.

The blade in Gem’s hand slipped, Laun seeing it and stepping differently, going into the blade, blocking with her forearm, the rip of the fabric loud even over the surf below.  Several of the men watching stepped forward in concern and saw Laun take the blonde down to the sand and tile of the deck.

Hazalam was out of the form and at Laun’s side as soon as Gem was on her back.  “Mistress?”

Laun could not talk because of the panting.  Her hands said, “change is good.”  She pulled on Gem’s tunic, the smile of the blonde telling her that it was a good move.  Their lips pressed together briefly and then Laun sat back, trying to catch her breath.

“Fuck me...” the voice was intended to be low, but Alsen could never regulate that about himself.  He pushed through the men around him who suddenly had things to do.  Laun raised a hand but still could not talk.

“I’ve never seen you do forms before, Highness.  I mean, I helped that one morning, but this was fucking amazing to watch.”  Alsen offered an arm and Laun took it, being pulled into a warriors grip and then a hug, their grasped arms still between them.

Gem was up and in Hazalam’s arms, the assassin making sure his love was unharmed.  Laun saw the smiles between them and wondered when they were going to admit to the world what they knew about themselves.  She looked back at the General and smiled.

“Sir, I didn’t know you were up so early.”

He leaned forward so that only she could hear him, saying, “I was up earlier, but I had to deal with that myself, minx.”

Laun laughed.  She backed off slightly and her hand went to his cheek.  “I am sure you knew what to do.”  She saw a slight move towards her, but he stopped, knowing the men were still watching.

“I have a few hours before I have to get back on the road, Laun.  I know what you won’t do, but will you have first meal with me?”

Laun nodded.  She turned to her assassins and started to say something when Gem said, “Go.  I know how to get things sent over for us and the children.”  Laun smiled and let Alsen escort her into the crowded office.

“All of you have already eaten?”  She saw nods from the men.  “Good.  I will be back.  I want to go to the ‘Midnight Hour’ today since I seem to have left a few things onboard.  Make sure the Commander knows, since he seems twitchy with everything I do.”

There were nods and Laun saw that yet another shelving unit was being brought in, armloads of books and folios with the men.  She shook her head slightly and left them to do their duty.

First meal was in the officer’s mess again.  Laun had Alsen go through the door first so that he had to take the salutes and call out the at ease.  She did not slip in unseen behind him, but most of the men did not want to stand again right after being told to sit.  The Corporal for their table told them that the meat and fish were both good, but Laun went for the chicken offered as Alsen went for the longfish.

A small plate of cut oranges with a few dried figs and plums were put at Launs place along with her chicken.  There was a smile and a nod from the Corporal and Laun took the offered extra.  Everything tasted very good.  Even the tea was better in the officer’s mess.

The conversation at the table before they sat down started back up again, one of the naval men, a Steersman Major, if Laun’s reading had done her any good, stared at the army Captain across from him with the other officers talking around them.  A finger started to point at the Captain until the man could not stand it any longer.

“No!  You are wrong and you will not get me to say otherwise.  Drop it, Kirk.  I swear on His Balls that I will stuff this-”  The Captain looked down the table and seemed mortified as Laun and Alsen both tilted their heads and looked at them, a spoon in a threatening position at the naval officer.

“Sir, Ma’am, pardon me.”  He went back to staring at his plate of fish, trying to ignore the naval man who now had a smile on his face but was still pointing across the table.

Laun was intrigued, but ignored the men.  She turned to Alsen and blandly smiled, her voice low as she said, “I could tease you so much right now, talk about the things we did after playing Sticks, what happened the morning you almost got caught with me, being able to tell who you were-”

The General cleared his throat loudly and took a large swig of tea to cover his interruption of her.  He looked at her smile and swore under his breath.  “Why would you do that here?  You already said no, Highness.  Making me think of the things we have done is torture.”

Laun took one of the orange wedges and pushed it into her mouth, nodding as if she was being attentive, but still teasing him.  She bit the orange piece in half and he looked away.  “Sir, just because I am in no condition at the moment does not mean I wish for the tool of your trade to get completely rusty.”

She meant it.  He was one of the men in her life that she knew she was completely safe with, even if he was a horny old bastard.  He smiled with his eyes as he looked back at her and said, “I am hoping for a second course right now.  I don’t think I will be able to stand for a while.”

Laun leaned back and said, “Thank you, sir.  Since I am going off compound later, I would be honored if you would escort me to the ship.”

He nodded as if just continuing a conversation.  “Need to make sure you are safe, Highness.”

They both turned back to their plates and ate, his hand eventually reaching for and landing on her thigh.  It warmed the leather and Laun slightly.  The companionship and light teasing had touched something off in Laun, but it was still low.  It was more of a relaxing, a rise in her humor than anything having to do with lust.  She liked it.

There was light conversation around them, Laun joining in with some as she cleared her plates.  Laun found that she was playing with the knife rip in the tunic on her forearm and made a mental note to get it fixed and then promptly forgot about it.  She drank several mugs more of tea and took a nod from Alsen to say that he was ready to leave.  Laun smiled at the officers around them and excused herself from the table, a hand motion keeping them from rising as she did.

Laun excused herself from Alsen and went to the medics building, promising to be at her quarters by the next bell.  She went to the ward where Liam was and found that his wounds were being cleaned and examined.  It was not the most pleasant thing, but Laun had seen, and helped to deal with, worse.

Liam turned his head when he heard her ask how he was and smiled weakly at her.  Laun went to a clear spot next to the bed and put her hand on his forehead, feeling that his temperature was down, but not normal.

“You came back...”  His voice faded and it looked like he wanted to say more.

“I was here yesterday for a while.  I’m glad you remember.”  Laun’s hand went to his chest, where she had been rubbing it the day before.

He winced as something happened with his wound.  “Thought I was...dreaming.”

Laun smiled and nodded.  “You were.  A little.”  She could not hold the smile for long.  “They were after me, Liam.  You were almost killed because of me.”

His hand moved under the sheet and Laun’s hand went to it.  “Not the first time...”  He clenched his jaw and Laun looked at the medics working on Liam.  She saw clear water being poured onto the wound, but it was anything but clear going into the basin under his side.

“Highn...ness.  How are you do-”  He closed his eyes and Laun waited until he had them open again.

“Everything is healing well.  The worst of it is my old back injury.”

There was a small smile from him.  “And your peach?”

Laun blinked.  “My what?”

The hand went to his own chest under the linen.  “Your flower.”

Laun felt herself blush.  “I didn’t know that was what it was.  It is beautiful.  Itchy, but beautiful.”

He smiled widely.  “Good.”

Laun bent down and kissed his forehead.  “I hate to ask this, but do you happen to have coin for the docking fees?”

Pain went over his face.  “Always something to ruin a perfectly good conversation.”  He pushed down the sheet and put his hand on Laun’s arm.  “Third cubby in my desk.  Push to the left.”

“Thank you.  When you are better, you can take it out of my hide.”  Laun saw Liam’s face brighten and a big smile on his face.  A not so subtle medic made it clear that Liam should not be having visitors and Laun kissed Liam’s forehead again.

The activity had calmed some at Laun’s current quarters.  Most of the soldiers looked bored, the ones not reading or playing with the babies.  Laun checked with the man at the desk and found there were a few more messages, all from the people who had already been rejected.  Laun did not want to deal with it herself.

“To all of these, please answer that her Highness is resting and not accepting invitations at the moment?”  The scribe nodded and started in on the job.  Laun picked out the message from the merchant, and the half-done return message from the pile.  “I think I will be going past this place, so I will visit instead of messaging.”  There was a nod and the scribe was deep in writing out the messages for her.

Verat motioned to Laun and they went out to the deck and beyond, turning to look at the surf below from the cliffside.  “Mistress, the lost nail talked with us last night and I now know that Flint has been planning this for a while.  Perhaps not by himself.”

Laun smiled as she looked into the flowing, rolling ocean below.  “Considering how strongly the Rosemond Captain was about not being under Her command, I have a feeling that Flint might have been.”

Verat turned slightly and nodded.  “He knew more than he thought and easily brought out information that he had held for the past year.  It is sketchy, but since he is Midlands military, he had access to different parts of the grayworld.”  He turned more and Laun mirrored him, facing him as much as she could.  “You draw people to you who can help.  That is an uncanny talent, Mistress.”

Laun shrugged.  “I see things to pull on so I do.  He saw me and opened up, Verat.  At this point, it is not hard for those who have seen the flower on my chest to put a few things together.”

Verat raised an eyebrow but did not press the subject.  “If we can leave on a ship within a few days, we can get back to the Capitol City before the time of the council has been called.”

“Did Sand already get a message?”

He shook his head.  “I heard about the plans to kidnap you from Flint’s journeyman.  He was bragging, not understanding what he was saying to me.  He thought that Lucas had taken me under his wing and wanted to show the strength of Flint as opposed to Sand.”  He looked back over the ocean and said, “There may be something waiting at the Castle by now.”

Laun was about to say something else when Alsen’s voice came through the sound of the surf from the open door into the office.  “I will be heading to the ‘Midnight Hour’ and to this merchant’s place.”  Laun handed the message to Verat.

He scanned it, looking at it in several ways before handing it back.  “I do not know him.  Be careful, Mistress.”  He bowed slightly and left Laun at the cliff-top, Alsen taking his place easily, if just a little closer.

They stood there for a few minutes before Alsen said, “You picked a beautiful place to recover, Highness.”

“The Commander picked it for me, General.”  She turned to the man and put a hand on his arm.  “Thank you for being here.”

Throwing caution to the wind, General Alsen wrapped his arms around Laun and gave her a full kiss.  His arms were firm around her, but did not press in too much.  She felt more of his body react as he held her, a wetness along his eyes that he wiped away with the back of his hand.

“I am a selfish old man, Laun, but I am happy that you are here.  I just wish we could have played a little before I had to head back to my company.”

Laun raised her hand to his face, drawing a finger along his lips.  “I am also glad you are here, Alsen.  I am also selfish.”  She put her head on his shoulder and felt him tighten his embrace around her.  His face pressed into the top of her head and she felt the coolness of his breath through her hair.

She didn’t even have to hear him.  Laun tapped on Alsen’s chest and he looked over, seeing her aide d’camp standing, facing them and waiting.  Laun turned her head and saw the Lieutenant, too.  It was too good of a moment not to be interrupted.

Laun raised her face to Alsen’s and they had a small kiss between them, more than an Uncle should give a Niece in public.  Laun pulled back and he relaxed his arms, turning to the beach for a moment as Laun stepped to the waiting officer.

“Has it been cleared that I can go to the harbor?”

Lieutenant Beau came to attention and said, “The Commander wanted a full squad to go with you, Ma’am, but I gave him the point you gave me.  The fewer the people, the less attention will be drawn.”

Laun smiled.  “Thank you, Lieutenant.  There will be one more with us for some of the outing,” Laun raised her hand and motioned to the General behind her.

“Very good, Ma’am.”  His eye flicked to the General and back to Laun, but there was no other outward sign of having seen the two of them embracing.

Laun had a few moments with Gem and Hazalam, Gem wanting to go with Laun to leave Hazalam with the children.  Laun wanted to convince them both that she could go out on her own, but then she heard the commands from the Lieutenant from the hall and knew she was not going to ever be alone.  Ash and Sable both were picked up and kissed, Laun making their favorite animal sounds before they were sat back down.  Hazalam immediately had to chase after Ash who wanted to get out the open door to the deck.

It was a larger group than Laun wanted, but she knew it was what she had to travel with to get some freedom.  Alsen had his horse with them, walking with it’s lead in his hand as they passed through the guarded portal into the surrounding city.  The Lieutenant and one other soldier was behind them, Gem between her Mistress and the soldiers.

The day was clear and warm, but Laun made sure that both Gem and herself had things over their hair.  Laun’s was the sloppy brown cap she had worn out of the Capitol City, Gem’s was a dark green hair kerchief.  It did not hide who they were, but it let them blend into the crowd just a little bit more.  Laun looked back and saw Gem watching the crowd, much more than the escorting soldiers were.  Laun smiled, Gem smiling back, as Laun thought it looked like they were escorting the assassin.

The crowd was lively and most people did not see or care about the group.  Having an active military presence, the populace of Hamlis was used to the different military wandering through.  A few street whores with ragged red scarves around their hips tried to approach the men, a simple shake of the head enough to put them off.  Merchants seemed to call just a little louder when they saw the rank on Alsen’s uniform, but he was not in the mood to buy, so they tried others passing by.

It was fairly easy to find the ‘Midnight Hour’.  It was the only one along the docks that did not have people climbing up and down the masts, the only one with dour looking guards surrounding it.  The General gave a warriors grip to Laun as a farewell at the head of the dock and mounted, going back through the crowd without looking back.

Salutes and a piece of paper allowed Laun and the Lieutenant to board the ship.  Gem trailed behind slightly as she eyed the moving gangplank, but rushed up the board and stood holding the rail for a moment.

“I am going to Liam’s cabin, you check where we were.”  Gem nodded and the three of them headed below decks.

Lieutenant Beau followed Laun and almost gasped when he saw what the bandits had done to Liam’s cabin.  Laun had a sudden sour taste in her mouth as she saw the things that were broken because the men could not take it with them.  She moved the pieces of chair on the deck with her foot to get to the massive desk.  Laun pulled a few things out of several cubbies as if she was looking for a certain paper.  She felt the side of several cubbies that could have been labeled third until she felt something move under her hand.

She pushed at the left side of the little hole again and heard a click.  She looked at the Lieutenant and said, “This is a ship of secrets.  Please do not tell anyone of this.”

“Ma’am,” and a nod was all he had to say.

Where the click had come from, Laun found a small panel had moved.  She was able to open it and found several small pouches and a scroll case behind it.  She pulled out a pouch and looked in, seeing a mixture of Midlands and Rosemond and other countries’ coin.  Laun picked out several of the larger Midlands coins and put the rest back.  She was able to find a clean scrap of paper and a broken charcoal stick, writing a small note on how much she had taken to be placed in the cubby along with the rest of the coins.

“How much is the docking fee?”

The Lieutenant had to think for a moment.  “Five silver a day plus something for transfer of goods.  I don’t think that applies, though.”

Laun shook her head.  “The dock master is getting an easy five hundred silver a day, plus?  What do the people docking get?”

He shrugged.  “A place to leave the ships while in port.”

Laun nodded and made sure that the panel was securely back in place.  “It is not something I need to pursue, but it seems to me that with that much going to just rent a slip, the extra security the Commander has put around the ship really should not be needed.  I can buy three horses for five silver, and none would be nags.”

“Not up to me to say, Ma’am.”  His eye went from her to the messed bed and then he turned to look at some of the mess on the floor.

Laun started to straighten up in the cabin slightly.  She did not know where the papers went, but they came off the floor and were placed on the desk.  The bed was straightened and she handed the pieces of the chair to the officer.  It was better, and Laun hoped that Liam would see it again.

Laun had a curiosity that she needed to address.  She sent the Lieutenant to the deck with the broken chair as she went aft to the play room.  She opened the door and saw that the bandits had left it as they had found it, but without her kneeling on the floor.

A small thrill went through her as she saw the harness still attached to the frame.  She closed her eyes and could feel the sensations of being cut, of being flogged. She had a small jump in her belly as she remembered having men in her, not seeing them, not knowing who they were, except for Liam.  There was a tear that escaped and cooled on her cheek as it fell.

“Ma’am?”  Lieutenant Beau was in the doorway, trying not to look at the implements still displayed on the wall.

Laun sat on the bunk at the one end, putting her hand on the hanging collar where she had replaced it.  There was a sadness in the place for Laun, not because of what Liam did to her, but what happened after.  She felt the slight movement of the ship under them as she tried to think of the sensation, the heightened feelings that Liam had brought to her.  Her side ached in response and she had to sit up straight so that the undergarment would not pinch her raw skin.

“Were you kept in here, Ma’am?”

Laun smiled and then looked up at the officer.  “No.  This is where we played.”  A small heat went through her, but it was an easily cooled flash.  She looked at him, seeing him as first the officer put in charge of keeping her safe and then as a man, trim with work and a sharp mind beneath the uniform.  She stood and leaned against the wall as she said, “Usually, I would have had you under me by now, Lieutenant.  That is, if you would have me.”

He blinked and looked like he wanted to move, but did not know which way he wanted to go.  “My rank-”

Laun shook her head.  “A good man is a good man.  Rank means little to me if what I see is flesh, not uniform.”  Laun sighed.  “I am not what I was.”

He held out his hand and said, “Ma’am, this is not the place for such a conversation.”  He kissed the back of her hand when she placed her hand in his.  “I would be honored if you chose me for your personal attendance.”

Laun had a wistful smile.  “Thank you.  I don’t know if I would be able to take you up on that.”  There was a lightening of her smile that she truly felt as she said, “The damned beds are too small, for one thing.”

He smiled and nodded before backing out of the play cabin, Laun’s hand still in his.

Gem met them on deck, a few minor things in her hands that had been left behind.  Laun had the monies in a pocket on the inside of the leather vest and there was nothing else she really needed from the ship.  They saluted and left the guards at the ship, turning to the crowd again.

Laun paused before they stepped into the mass of people.  “I have heard of a little curio shop in the North harbor area.  If we have time, I would like to see if I can find it.”  Laun looked into the Lieutenant’s eyes and easily lied to him as she said, “I have been told I need to adorn myself to show my status and I hear he may have a few things to do so.”

Lieutenant Beau let his eye go up and down her, noting the utilitarian brown deer skin riding leathers with an old set of stains, the dark green tunic with the rip in the arm that sometimes showed the weapons harness beneath.  He looked her in the eye and saw the tiredness behind her mask, no cosmetics there to make her skin brighter and ageless.  “As you wish, Ma’am.”

The shop was in the North harbor area, the name that had been written on the bottom of the message not plain to see from the main thoroughfare, but could be spotted if you looked.  It led to a small door in an alley, a bell pull beside it.

Laun pulled on the leather and wood strap and waited, hearing a faint noise behind the door.  A small section opened a little higher than Laun’s eye level, a dark eye looking at her for a moment.  The door unlatched in several places and swung inward, a hand beckoning her in.

The four were inside a crowded room.  It was a large room, but it had so much stuff in it that it was hard to see from one side to the other.  The man who had been behind the door led them into the middle of the room and motioned to the miss-matched chairs, sitting in the most comfortable one himself.  Laun turned once, seeing mostly luxury items and jewelry displayed in their own chaotic ways all around her.  She sat in the chair across from the merchant, a hard seated chair with a scrollwork arm that was well worn by decades of hands.

“You are the person who sent me this message?” Laun handed the paper to him and he nodded, tearing it in half and putting it in a small bin beside him.  “Why?”

The accent was not familiar to Laun, but she could understand it.  “We ‘ave business a’fore, Highn’ss.  Through Markle an’ ‘is wife.”

Laun looked around again and saw what she thought he was talking about.  “You are the one who has been kind enough to deal with the goods from my land.”

He nodded, not looking at the small display of milky green stones, carved and faceted and set into various metals.  “S’ch a figger as y’rself is ghard t’ no’ ‘ere abou’ when comin’ int’ Hamlis.”  He waved his hand around and then rested his hand on his chin.  “Seein’ as ‘ow yr goods ‘re real prof’tble, I want’d to introd’ce meself to ‘use.”

Laun nodded.  “That is always a kindness that I enjoy.  Have you heard from my Cousin recently?”

He nodded.  “Th’r man w’s ‘hre week r so ago.  He’s t’ fair wi’ ‘is yeller ‘air to be in tis clime.”

Laun smiled.  “He must have spent too much in the sun to bleach his red hair to blonde.”

He nodded and leaned forward.  He held out his hand and said, “Mis’trss, fine t’ meetcha.”

Laun took his hand and it was more of a warriors grip than anything.  She felt a fine grit on his hand, his fingers strong around hers.  “You would not have sent the message to me if you hadn’t had something to say.”

There was a look from him, as if gauging Laun and her people.  He stood from his chair and went past the display of the peridot gems and to a small casket under a net bag of worked leather belts.  He worked at the latch a little before bringing it to Laun, the lid slightly open.

“I’sn ‘ad a feller ‘oo dint pay fer ‘is stuff a ‘ile back.  Bein’ ‘ow ‘use ‘use, I ‘erd ‘use were inna Hamlis, I figgered a look min’t be bad.”

Gem came off her chair and knelt in front of Laun, taking the slightly open casket from the man.  She looked at it and then opened it, a small surprise in her posture.  She carefully turned and lifted it to Laun.

It was a three pointed crown.  It was a three pointed crown of gold.  It was a three pointed crown of gold with pearls and rubies glinting from it.  It was a three pointed crown that Laun had seen the seven pointed mate of up close the Autumn before.

“Will you be able to tell me who you got this from, and for?”

Laun saw the shake of his head even though she was still looking at the casket.  “Highn’ss, all’s I c’n say is its old.  Mak’rs Mark fr’ tirty ‘ears ago.  Noth’ fr’ ‘im ‘ince...  a’for t’ Queen ded.”

Laun looked at the crown and pulled it out of the casket.  It was solid, not a lacy thing for a delicate head.  The face of Ifyhed went through her mind and she successfully repressed the smile that tried to soften her lips.  The points were spaced further apart than Laun was used to on the silver diadem from her Aunt.  She looked at the crown and saw that it was incomplete.  She handed the crown down to Gem still on the floor at her feet and looked at the casket.

She could see where the lock had been picked, several times.  It was heavier than it would seem to be without the crown in it, and it seemed to be taller than needed.  Without thinking, Laun flipped her wrist and had one of the knives in her hand.  She pressed with a finger and then pushed the tip of the blade into the back of the casket.  The flaw in the grain of the wood was not a flaw.  The panel popped open and two golden stick shapes fell out.

There was a blink of surprise from the merchant.  He sat in his chair and leaned on the arm, looking at Laun as she fit the five pointed crown together.  She looked it over and rubbed her thumb over several marks on the inside of the crown, being able to read one set of inscriptions and handing it to Gem to read the other.

“Highness...  Is that...?”  The Lieutenant was leaning forward and looked like he wanted to touch the crown in Gem’s hand.

“I would assume that it was stolen from the Rosemond treasury.  But the inscription was for someone to commemorate an upcoming wedding about twenty years ago.”  Gem handed the crown back up with a small, “real” sign.  Laun handed the crown over to the Lieutenant and sat back, her hand over her face as she said, “Even locked away on the Island Principality, I cannot get away from her.”

“Mistress, it is from Ifyhed’s Father, King Al-Ahfed, with a blessing for marrying Dreng.  I thought he said it had been done in secret.”

Laun patted Gem on the head.  “She has done nothing over the last forty years that has not been minutely planned.”  She turned to the merchant and looked at him.  She did not say anything, she did not blink.  He had been grinning as the value of the crown had grown before his eyes, but as the cold look from the Princess seated before him continued, the smile on his face faded.  He looked at the military men and then to the girl on the floor but they all were looking at her.

The merchant waited for her to say something.  He knew the rumors, what had been told to him by the messengers from Marie and Markle as well as others he had dealt with over the last year and a half.  The Princess before him was not what he had expected, and yet was everything he had been told.  And now she was coldly looking at him as if he were a fish about to be gutted for her dinner.

“Highn’ss.  If’n ‘use no in’rested, i’s sure c’n ‘ind o’thr t’ buy.”

Laun leaned forward and held out her hand, the Lieutenant handing the heavy crown back to Laun.  She took the points that made it into a Consort’s crown and put them back into the bottom of the casket.  She looked at the gold and jewels on the three pointed crown before she put it back into the casket.  She lowered the lid and then made sure that the lid closed and the latch clicked before she looked back at the merchant.

“This was paid for in blood years before I was born.  I do not have the coin that might take it off your hands.”  She held out the casket and waited for the man to take it from her.

He was slightly panicked.  His hands slid around the wood of the small box and he held it on his lap.  “I din’ tell ‘use ‘ow much.”

Laun stood and the others stood with her.  “There cannot be any price on something that has the blood of my Grandmother on it.  I would prefer to keep our business with the stones from Salam-Dir.  As you can see, I am not one for such finery.  Melt it down if you need the money so much.”

The merchant stood, holding the casket to his chest.  “Bu’ a gol’ crown f’ a Pri’ss’ss.  ‘Ou must wan’ i’!”

Laun was playing with the rip in her sleeve, fingering the knife and harness beneath.  “I am sorry that I have disappointed you.  I see I should not have come.  The deal you have with my cousins will not change, but anything you wish to say to me will only be through them.  You have some fine wares here.  Too bad they are so deeply tainted.”

Laun started towards the door, the Merchant scooting in front of them to open the secured door for her.  “Pl’ze, High’ss.  Co’ back an’ ‘ee me wares as ‘use ‘ish.”

Laun did not say anything until they were several blocks away, low level hand signs between her and Gem before then, most of which the military men understood.  Laun had spotted three places in the room that seemed oddly shaped, even for the hoarding mounds in the room.  At least three places to hide people, meaning three people watching, hearing what had happened.  Gem had seen things from high level Rosemond craftsmen all through the expensive items on display, the chaos designed to overwhelm and draw to the most expensive things in the room.  There had been an odor that both of them smelled, blood and fish with some sort of burning smell that was not from cooking.  It was not an odor that was in the alley they had come from.

Gem spotted the follower before Laun did.  The Lieutenant understood that set of signs and motioned to the other soldier.  Lieutenant Beau pointed to a fruit monger and seemed to be asking for the other man to go and buy some of the wares.  The three slowed down slightly but did not stop, letting the other soldier come up behind the follower.

They were at the compounds gate when the follower realized that he had been spotted and drawn in.  He was arrested by the standing guard and taken to a holding cell, to be questioned and dealt with later.  

Laun just wanted to take a nap and try to forget what had just happened.

It had been going into a blind meeting, not knowing at all what was behind the merchant’s missive.  The shop was impressive, the way it was laid out and the wares that were there.  Seeing something that was drenched in the bloody history made by Lady Engrid...  It had turned Laun’s stomach sour, had made her head start to throb.  She had been thinking of asking how much the silver chased gauntlets were before he had brought out the casket, but now she just wanted to forget the merchant ever existed.

Before Laun was able to get to her quarters, a soldier stepped up to her and delivered a short message from the Commander.  He wished to see her as soon as she was in the Compound.  Laun waved Gem off to deal with the few things they had gathered from the ship and went with the Lieutenant and the other soldier to the Command building.

There was one sailor in the hallway by the Commander’s door, trying to get his slightly damp uniform to lay right.  His eyes were panicked as he looked at the three coming up.  There were the Commander’s loud growls coming from the office, a silence between the raises in volume.  The door was thick enough that the words could not be heard, but you could tell that the Commander was reaming out someone.

One last shout from the room and there was a smaller voice behind the door.  The door opened and a slightly damp soldier stepped out, a hateful glance to the sailor before he walked away.  The Lieutenant stepped into the line of fire and knocked on the open doorframe.  The Commanders growl did not have words, but the officer turned and motioned for Laun to step into the room.

“Close it!”  The Commander continued to growl even as he looked out the small window behind his desk.  The door to the corridor closed and Laun stood a pace away from the curved desk.  She did not have long to wait as he turned and looked at her, the calm he was trying to achieve not blocking out his rage at the man who had just left.

Commander Listas stood and leaned on the desk.  His voice was harsh, though he tried to soften it as he went.  “Damned idiots started fighting and fell into a cistern.  Now we have to dump and clean it.  But that isn’t why I wanted to see you.”

He came around the desk and leaned, his arms crossed across his chest.  “The medics say that, other than some bandages and some salve, you are ready for du-”  He looked down and smiled.  “Sorry, Highness.  That you are healing well.  Your man in the medical building is going to be about a month before he can be considered mobile.”

Laun sighed.  “What they haven’t said is that they don’t expect him to last the week, let alone the month.”

The Commander shook his head and made a negative grunt.  “Surgeon Captain Maddoc took over his case and says that this Liam is recovering faster right now than he had expected.”

Laun remembered back to the ship, both Gem and Hazalam using their knowledge of killing to help keep Liam alive.  Laun knew some medicine from what had happened to her since the coup and had been able to help some, but the two assassins had been what had kept Liam from going into the darkness while the sailors of the ‘Midnight Hour’ made the ship go fast to Hamlis.

“He is strong, sir.  But, that complicates a few things.”  She reached into the leather vest and pulled out one of the coins.  It was a gold Midlands coin and she placed it on the desk beside the Commander, leaning on the desk, too.

He looked at the coin.  “That should be enough to keep the Dock Master off your back about the ship.  For a while.  What is so complicated?”

Laun’s head fell forward and she sighed again.  “Listas, you know that the men who had me were sent to kidnap me, right?”

“I had that impression, Laun.”

Laun turned her head slightly and looked at the military man beside her.  “I have to get back to the Capitol City.  Soon.  I need to confront the man who ordered the kidnapping.”

He growled slightly before he said, “You will not be going on the ship you came down on.  I will see if I can get another small ship for going upriver.  It may take a few days, Laun.”

“Sir, thank you.”

“My duty, Laun.”  He turned more towards her and said, “We will not be able to keep him here for much longer.  The hospice in Hamlis is a hole, a place for merchant sailors to go and sleep it off or die.”

Laun thought for a moment.  “I have no idea.  Something this delicate...”  Laun rubbed her face with the back of her hand to scrub the tear away.

A hand was on her shoulder.  “Laun, I will keep him here for as long as I can.”  His hand did not move from her and Laun looked back up to his face.  She turned to him and felt his arm go around her, his hand pressed into the small of her back as he drew them together.

He was clean shaven, his mouth strong against hers.  Her arm went around him and she welcomed his kiss, his embrace.  He pulled back and she could see his jaw tensing.  There was a fierceness in his eyes as he looked into hers.

“I have a sailor to punish, Laun.”  He kissed her again, drawing her even closer before he had to take a breath.  “This is breaking so many rules.”

“Remember the general order about me.  If my head wasn’t pounding, I might be in a mood to distract you from your duties, Listas.  With this...  I need to lay down for a while.”

There was a half-smile on his lips.  “I am assuming to sleep.”

She nodded.  “Though, something after evening meal?”  She tilted her head and smiled sweetly at him.

His jaw worked hard and he squinted at the door before looking back down at Laun.  “I can’t plan that far in advance.  I never know what the shitheads will do to each other next.”

Laun giggled.  “Please send word if you wish to see me about something more pleasant.  I may have distracted myself with some of the men...”  She smiled and saw the humor reflected in the Commander.

He dropped his arms around her and she stepped back, going to attention.  He stood and crossed his arms again, saying, “Rest, Highness.  Don’t wear them out doing it.”

She nodded and backed up a step before turning to the door.  She paused and turned back.  “Listas, I don’t want to be a tease, but after my nap, I still may not want to do much.”

He nodded and grimaced.  “I understand, Laun.  Go and rest.  I’ll see how you are later, if I haven’t had to string up any more of the men.”

Laun opened the door and stepped out, a pitying look at the sailor before there was a growl from the Commander for the scared man.  The door closed and the yelling started.

 

In Chapter 14, A storm is coming