Red Rope of Fate (25 page)

Benjimir walked with dignity, his gaze straight and his stride sure. Tari pitied him, she knew King Petyrr well enough to know he would not
take the matter lightly.

“Arion,” Tari said, turning to face the captain.

Her words were too late. As soon as the prince was down the corridor a storm of secretaries, translators, and officials swarmed Arion.

Tari watched as the King’s men jockeyed for Arion’s attention. The
exasperated, stone-faced captain took wads of notes and countless missives from the government employees, stirring a fond smile out of Tari.

“Next time you are grasping for an idle excuse
to leave do not drag me into your affairs.”

Tari jumped when she realized Seer Ringali was next to her, id
ly opening and closing his razor edged fan.

“Sir,” Tari said, bowing. “I apologize.”

“Hn. I am not the one you ought to be apologizing to,” Seer Ringali said, hiding the lower half of his face behind the fan before shifting his eyes in Arion’s direction.

“I don’t understand, how did you find out about this?” Tari asked.

“Your wolf man approached me and asked me—in exceedingly garbled elvish—if I had convinced you to leave Haven, or if you were leaving under your own volition. Naturally I was astounded to learn you and I had long talked of leaving because of your duties as an Evening Star,” Seer Ringali paused and flicked his fan shut before bopping Tari on the forehead with it. “It was cruel of you to inflict this on him, Tarinthali. I expected you to treat your bond partner better than this.”

Tari hung her head rather than face the disappointment in
Seer Ringali’s eyes.

Seer Ringali shifted. “I am off. I have an afternoon appointment with King Celrin. Count yourself beloved, Tarinthali. Your Captain worked har
d to pluck you out of this trap. We practice tomorrow morning,” the older Evening Star reminded Tari over his shoulder as he slipped into the shadows and disappeared.

Tari watched him leave before glancing to Arion. He was still busy with a swar
m of men. Tari started for the palace, she would talk to Arion when half of Haven was not clamoring for his attention. She was yanked to a halt when Arion caught her by her shoulder.

“No. You are staying with me,” he warned her before returning his attention to a
n Honor Guard.

Arion’s hand slid down Tari’s shoulder and arm until he found her hand and held it.

Well
. Tari reflected as Arion’s hand warmed hers.
This isn’t so bad
.

Tari lifted her head off the back of the cushioned chair she was
dozing in and looked around like a curious cat. She stretched and yawned, finding Arion’s office empty—for the first time that day—except for Arion and herself.

“Did you sleep well?”

Tari shuffled in her chair until she faced Arion, who was sitting at his desk. It was dark; Tari could see the night sky in the open windows behind Arion. The only light in the office was an oil lamp perched on Arion’s desk.

“I did. What time is it?”

“Two hours after dusk. You slept for several hours.”

Tari rolled her shoulders before she settled back into her chair. Her nose twitched, she could smell food.

“Evlawyn brought you hard boiled eggs not an hour ago,” Arion said, nudging a plate to the edge of his desk.

“You read me too well
,” Tari comfortably said as she reached for an egg. The egg was salted and silenced Tari’s rumbling stomach.

“Hardly. If I did I would have seen this coming sooner. Tari, please explain your actions.”

Tari exhaled, her shoulders drooping. “A few days ago I had tea with your sister, Princess Claire. After exchanging pleasantries, the princess explained to me that if I left Haven Crown Prince Benjimir would help her in the courts and end the isolation Queen Luciee has imposed on Princess Claire.” Tari hesitated, uncertain how to continue.

“Please tell me that was not your sole motivation for leaving,” Arion said, his voice flat.

Tari shook her head. “No, I was not much moved until Princess Claire explained how Crown Prince Benjimir would help you. She said being in Haven, with me, was stifling your career. If I left you would be free to resume your normal duties and continue on the path to promotion, maybe even a title above your father’s.”

“
That
was what swayed you?”

“She mentioned something about our relationship ruining your reputation, but I didn’t really understand that part.”

Arion leaned back in his wooden chair, making it creak. “Do you
want
to go home?”

“No!” Tari said, leaning forward in her chair. “I wanted to stay here, with you. But I couldn’t stand the thought that you were suffering because of me.”

“Suffering?” Arion laughed. He shook his head and massaged his forehead, shielding his eyes.

Tari shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “How were you able to guess about Crown Prince Benjimir? That he loves My Crown Princess Yvrea I mean.”

“I noticed he exhibited behavior that was similar to mine.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“To begin with he was unfailingly obvious in his jealousy of Seer Ringali.”

“I don’t understand, why would he be jealous of Seer Ringali?”

“Crown Princess Yvrea pays an extraordinary amount of attention to him. She seems to be an admirer of his.”

“Of course she would be. Seer Ringali is one of the top Evening Stars.
He is also is her father’s cousin,” Tari said, reaching for another boiled egg.

“So I suspected. I also noticed if anyone w
as to be romantically involved with Seer Ringali it was likely to be you.”

Tari almost dropped her egg. “What?” she squeaked.

“You bear the same surname as him, and he came to Haven specifically to see you. He also spends the most time with you.”

“Seer Ringali is
married
. He has
two
children. The eldest is only a few years younger than I. Furthermore Ringali is a title, not a surname,” Tari said, her eyes wide in horror as she gaped at Arion.

“A title? I thought
elves did not have titles.”

“We don’t
among nobility. There are, however, in the ranks of Evening Stars. Ringali is one of a handful of titles. When Seer Ringali took me on as his protégé it meant he will pass his title on to me, and I will become the next Ringali Evening Star. He is my trainer, my mentor. You thought we were in
love
?” Tari said, her voice shrill and accusing.

Arion sighed, as if a great burden had lifted off him. “I am very gladdened to hear that.”

“Romantically involved, the
horror
! Arion how could you think such a thing? Why on earth would I be attracted to a fashionable weapon wielding, sadistic narcissist that is almost double my age?! Next time you have an insipidly stupid thought,
ask
me to verify it!” Tari said, still shuddering.

“Be quiet and eat your egg.”

Tari grumbled but did as she was told. “Any news of Crown Prince Benjimir’s punishment?”

Arion shook his head. “Not yet.”

“I see. Continue then, what other signs did you see in the Crown Prince that made you realize he was in love?”

“He was the Crown Princess’s
shadow and constant companion. If she was at a tea, banquet, or state event, so was he. If Crown Princess Yvrea was moved by an occasion, so was he. He paid meticulous attention to whomever she associated with, and bristled whenever a male of either race approached her.”

Tari ran her tongue across her teeth to rid them of egg. “I suppose that is true. I though
t it suspicious that he popped in on Princess Claire’s evening tea that first night I stormed it.”

“He also is one of the few people I have ever seen that dares to touch his Nodusigm partner. There is no formal rule about physical contact between our people, but mostly bond partners are conservative in the amount of physical affection they display.
When I began to have my suspicions about Benjimir I followed the trail of our irritations. My position in the Honor Guard is ultimately under his power.”

“Impressive, I can certainly see how you made captain,” Tari said, staring at Arion’s goblet of water.

Arion shrugged as he passed the goblet over to Tari’s delight. “As I said I was not particularly observant in my notations. I merely noticed similar behaviors in his conduct to my own.”

“I don’t comprehend that piece. Part,” Tari said, correcting herself before she took a sip of water. She settled back into her chair, mollified. “
In no way do you and Crown Prince Benjimir act at all alike.”

“In your eyes, perhaps,” Arion shrugged.

“Fine then, explain to me the similarities,” Tari said into the cup before taking another drink.

“We both care greatly for our Nodusigm partners.”

“Hah! That does not count. I care greatly for my partner as well. Does that mean I am similar to the Crown Prince?” Tari scoffed.

“Your definition
of care greatly varies from mine,” Arion said, resting an elbow on his desk.

Tari frowned. “Are you implying I care less for you than you
care for me?”

“No. You care for me because I am your partner. I care for you, specifically,” Arion said.

Tari sputtered. “What? Oh come now, I care for you!”

“Perhaps, but all of Haven knows you were over the moon when you found out you were to
be bonded. It wouldn’t have mattered to you if you ended up with Eric, or Claire, or me. You were determined to befriend your Nodusigm partner,” Arion said, sorting documents. “It’s probably why they placed you with me in the first place. They knew you would try your hardest no matter who you were stuck with.”

“I can
not deny I was excited that I was chosen, and yes in the beginning I forced myself to trudge through what I perceived as rude behavior from you because you were my partner. However, since then I thought I had made it abundantly clear that I treasure our bond because of you, not that I treasure you because of our bond,” Tari said, setting the goblet of water back on Arion’s desk with a clack.

“I
did not say you do not treasure me. There is no reason to be upset,” Arion said with an arched eyebrow.

“Yes, there is a reason to be upset,” Tari said, sitting up straight in her chair. How
dare
Arion sit there and tell her he cared for her more than she for him when she was
in love
with him! Was the man dense? Had he fallen from his horse too many times? “I do not like being told my affections appear to be shallow.”

“I never used the word shallow.”

“You implied your degree of affection is much higher. That is nearly the same!”

“It is not the same, and you still have no reason to be upset. It is the truth.”

Tari rocketed out of her chair. “I don’t believe you!”

Arion spread his hands wide. “You don’t believe me? Tari
,
half the palace knows it
! That drabble my self-centered sister was spouting can be summarized to this: Everyone sees the esteem I place in you, and then they see the affection you hold for me and it is considerably less. They mock me for my misplaced devotion.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Tari said, holding her head high.

“How could you not? Since we’ve been bonded everything you’ve done has been motivated for the good of our people. From meeting with the Translators’ Circle to learning Calnoric, your reason for working has always been for the relationship between Calnor and Lessa. Everything
I
do is for you alone,” Arion said, also rising. He did not shout, but his voice was quiet with an edge of anger to it.

“Is that really what you think?” Tari asked, taking a step back as she shook her head.

“I have shielded you from my family, I am prepared to remain in Haven for the sake of our friendship, if there is anything in my power to do for you, I will do it. In our supposedly sacred bond my degree of attention has been expressed as reading
your
emotions. Only you. You, on the other hand, are able to communicate with an entire race.”