Drakenfeld (33 page)

‘I’ve been thinking,’ I announced, after chewing on some bread. ‘I have a plan which solves three small problems, and I’d like your thoughts on the
matter.’

Leana’s glance was non-committal, but Bellona’s face seemed full of concern.

‘This house stands empty for much of the day and there are many rooms that simply aren’t being put to good use. Meanwhile, many people in this city can’t even afford to feed
themselves. It simply doesn’t feel right to me. That’s one problem.’

‘You want to move house?’ Leana asked.

‘No,’ I replied. ‘Now, another issue I’m concerned with is our safety. Bellona, our work brings us into contact with very dubious characters indeed. You’ll know
what it was like for my father of course.’

She nodded, and though I waited for an answer none came.

‘The third issue is money,’ I said. ‘I know you don’t like to talk about my father’s money situation, Bellona, but the matter is resolved – have no fear of
that. However, that has left me without much in the way of savings, and I don’t wish to get into the same situation.’

Leana took a sip of water. ‘And your plan?’

‘I’d like to use some of these rooms as offices. I think this could become a station of the Civil Cohorts. Daytime offices for the most part – it is a private home, ultimately
– but I’m sure we could have a nightwatchman too. Senator Veron gave me the idea, as he’s looking to improve things for the neighbourhood. He could transfer some of the money to
me to cover the rent and so forth. In the meantime, it would mean all these rooms aren’t wasted, we’re protected, and we have a little extra income. The most important thing, though, is
that the surrounding streets will be improved even further by the presence of a team that I can mentor, to some extent. What do you think?’

Leana considered my words before declaring, ‘This is a good plan. Not that you need it, but it has my support.’

‘Good, and Bellona, you’ll be happy with more people about?’

‘Is it simply more stomachs to feed?’

I laughed. ‘More or less, I guess. I’m not sure exactly. The place could get a bit messy with so many people about. I’ll be able to pay you more, of course. Say, another few
pecullas a week? That’s on top of expenses for food. You’ll probably need to manage a bigger household budget, and if you need more help I’ll entrust you with finding whoever
you’d like – a quick-running lad to go on errands perhaps. Also, I noticed you have good writing skills – should you need any additional tutoring in numeracy or other languages
I’m sure that would be easy enough to arrange. You’ll be able to manage your own small empire before long.’

She nodded eagerly, with wide eyes and a smile to match. ‘Thank you, sir. Your father paid for me to learn to a certain level, though I am not as fine with words as I would
like.’

‘That’s settled then. I’ll speak to Senator Veron first thing in the morning.’

After the meal and a wash in cold water, I reclined on a cushioned seat in the garden on my own, enjoying once again the scent of the flowers that opened themselves at night,
whilst watching the ripples of the moon in the fountain. I wondered whether or not I used to do this ten years ago, and what I might have been thinking about at the time. My mind inevitably drifted
to my work.

It was reassuring to have a satisfying theory for the key in the lock, and that at last there was a new direction to explore. However, seeing Maxant’s men perform so ruthlessly in the
courtyard made me realize that I could not simply blunder in and accuse him of being a part of something, without first having any hard evidence. All I had at the moment was the most likely
occurrence. There were still many more facets of this mystery to work out.

Tomorrow was the Blood Races. Senator Veron had sent a message for me saying that he would meet me in the morning and walk me to the Stadium of Lentus; I realized this would give me the perfect
chance to speak to the other senators who were intimate with Lacanta. I would have to think of subtle ways to press them. Certainly, they would fear being quizzed by the Sun Chamber, but I wanted
them to think they were not under suspicion so they opened up.

There was a knock at the main door to the house. I rose from the garden and headed inside to the hallway, noting the moonlight through the roof. If the elections were to be held after a full
moon, there were only ten or eleven days to go.

Bellona had already opened the door, and she looked at me not quite knowing how to act next.

Titiana stood in the doorway, in a soft gown, waiting with that same unreadable half-smile on her face.

‘It’s OK, Bellona. I know who this is.’

I beckoned Titiana inside and took her hands in mine. Bellona muttered that she would prepare drinks, but I said it would be OK. ‘If our guest needs something, I’ll prepare it
– I’m not completely useless in the kitchen. Anyway, please – have some rest.’

Bellona shuffled away out of the hallway.

‘You came back,’ I whispered to Titiana.

‘Did you think I wouldn’t?’ she replied.

‘You’ve every right not to see me again.’

She inclined her head ever so gently. ‘My head appears to have been overruled tonight.’

I guided her into the garden, breathless with anticipation, and began hastily to light some of the lanterns.

‘Oh, what a lovely place.’ Titiana wandered around between the small, lush bushes and looked up at the sky. ‘I just about remember coming here all those years ago when your
father was out of the city. We sat on that fountain together.’

‘You pushed me in it, if I remember correctly,’ I replied.

Titiana beamed, as if all the years had fallen away. This was how I remembered her. Dark hair fell across her broad, tanned face, as she crouched down to regard the edge of the fountain pool.
She ran her hand through the cold water with a child-like sense of wonder.

‘Part of my hatred for you,’ she began, ‘was merely envy. It doesn’t hurt to admit it now, but it didn’t seem right that you could retain all this wealth, this
property, these luxurious pleasures – and all on your own, while I had fallen so far. I built up a resentment for that.’

‘I can understand,’ I replied. ‘Though it doesn’t help you at all, I do feel bad about all of this wealth, and I intend to put the property to good use.’ I quickly
explained my plans for the cohort. ‘But for now, it is just myself, Bellona – who is a splendid cook – and Leana, my . . . I never know how to describe her. My assistant. My
bodyguard, I suppose.’

‘You have a female bodyguard?’ Titiana glanced up at me, a look of surprise on her face.

‘You’re thinking that it seems rather effeminate of me, I know, or that there might be shared attractions between us.’

Titiana turned her attention once again to the water.

‘That’s not the case. I like to think of us as siblings.’ I explained Leana’s background and how she’d helped me over the years, but it seemed impossible to
sufficiently explain our bond, let alone telling her just how skilled Leana was in combat. ‘In all of my travels across Vispasia, a man has never yet bettered her in a fight. I would rather
have someone with those odds on my side, than against me.’

Titiana and I enjoyed another pleasant silence for a moment. Our sharing this space, simply being together, seemed enough to delight each of us.

‘Was it really ten years ago?’ Titiana asked. ‘How far our lives have grown in different directions.’

‘I know it sounds a ridiculous thing to say, but it doesn’t feel as though we’ve really been apart.’ I took a step closer and sat on the edge of the fountain. ‘We
get on, more or less, precisely as we used to. And I still feel, more or less, precisely as I used to.’

Titiana placed her hand on my leg as she slowly eased herself nearer to me. Both the unexpected and the desired happened: she placed her hand on my chest and moved in towards me, and all I could
do was focus on her broad, sensual lips. Then I closed my eyes . . .

And she pushed me backwards into the fountain.

The cold shock of the water brought me back to my senses. Titiana laughed at me as I struggled to haul myself out, levering with my legs until I was back onto firm ground. I was soaked, my
clothes sticking to my skin.

‘You deserved that,’ Titiana laughed, holding her hand to her mouth as if she had surprised herself. ‘After all you’ve done, allow me that.’

Standing there, dripping with water, I drew her in close to me and she did not flinch at my wet clothing, or even tense up. She was still smiling as my hands grew accustomed to her figure, still
smiling as our foreheads came together, remaining there for a moment longer.

Titiana’s lips touched mine. With a lantern in one hand, and Titiana’s fingers in another, I led her back through the house and into my bedroom. I kicked the door closed, placed the
lantern on a table.

There, Titiana pulled up my wet shirt; she traced the lines of muscle on my body and noticed a few wounds of my own that would probably never fully heal.

She turned and raised one knee up onto the bed, in silence.

With her back to me, she unbuttoned her clothing and allowed it to slip slowly from her shoulder, down her back. Even in this light, the scar that had been wrought by the whip was painfully
clear. She was waiting to see what I made of it; I closed my eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply, allowing the guilt to catch up with me. Kneeling beside her on the bed and, with my hands slipping
around her front to her stomach, I began to kiss down the back of her neck, around her scar, confident that it wouldn’t hurt now. Not physically, at least.

Admiring the fine musculature of her dark and sensual back, I moved around to her front and became lost once again in her body. When our flesh touched, there was no difference between us. It had
been such a long time since I had felt the warmth of her skin – indeed the skin of any woman – that time lost its perspective. The taste of her body, the smell of her perfume, the soft
touches from her hands: everything was worth the wait. What happened next was led by a desire to express ourselves only in our actions.

Words can only achieve so much.

Afterwards we lay in naked splendour beside each other, with the side of my head on her breast and my leg across hers, listening to the night sounds of Tryum together. We
talked like we had not done for a long time: not of the arts or philosophy, or of the great affairs and figures of the city, but of trivial, unimportant things, and I felt all the better for
it.

‘Where does this leave us?’ I asked eventually.

‘As we always were: me the property of someone else, and you my escape from it all.’

‘I’m happy to be your escape, but you shouldn’t speak of yourself as property.’

‘It is what I am in this city. What else can I be?’

‘Didn’t you have a dowry? You could always try to claim that back, if your husband does not respect you. I’ll even help it through the courts.’

‘Oh, I’m sure that’s all lovely talk in your court of law,’ Titiana said. ‘But such freedoms seldom come to us who are not as fortunate as others. In this city,
freedom is not easily affordable. Guardianship laws—’

‘Went away because of the demands of the Daltan queen,’ I interrupted. ‘I don’t want to speak badly of a marriage, but if I was your husband, you would not be considered
my property. Can’t you divorce if you’re unhappy? I can handle the legal proceedings myself if you wish.’

‘Who said I was unhappy?’ Titiana sighed. ‘Besides, I must think of the security of my children.’

‘You must,’ I conceded.

‘Anyway, if you had been my husband, would you have let your father hand me over for prosecution like a common criminal?’

‘I was young, and I was stupid, Titiana. I’m older now, not exactly a wise man, but with a little more experience of what’s important in life.’

Somehow that left me with the vague feeling that I had lost an argument. We lay awake indefinitely, and now and then I’d kiss whatever part of her was closest to me, and at some point I
fell asleep.

When I woke in the morning, Titiana had gone. She’d left no note, no gesture. There was only the vacant bed. Wondering if everything was all right, I walked into the
hallway, where Leana was moving through some morning exercises. The doors were open into the garden, where the sun was glistening off the heavy dew of the plants.

‘She left here in the night, if you want to know.’ Leana flipped up into a handstand, her bare feet touching the wall to balance herself.

‘You met Titiana?’ I asked, crouching down to read her expression.

‘She seemed pleasant.’ Leana showed no signs of strain in her muscles.

‘Pleasant?’

‘Very beautiful. I did not think that you would find a truly beautiful woman, knowing how you speak when you are with them.’

‘Very kind,’ I said. ‘Did you actually see her when she left?’

‘Yes, I saw her just as she went out the door. Not wanting to wake you, like married women might do . . .’ Even at this angle I could tell Leana’s glance was judging.

‘She is married as it happens,’ I replied. ‘I know it’s not exactly a perfect arrangement.’