Beneath the Veil Read online

  Unconcerned, Daelyn scooped a spoonful of humberry jam and clotted cream onto another scone and devoured it, then washed it down with a swig of hot tea. He wiped the crumbs from his face with a napkin made of cloth finer than my clothes.

  "Really, Vermonte? How interesting. Did the poetry house owner fly into a tizzy and beat all his follies?"

  "I heard he near to killed one," said Penryn. "She refused to throw a handful of manure on it when he ordered her to."

  This caught Daelyn's attention. "No."

  "I heard the same, my prince." Freet helped himself to a scone. "He ordered all the follies to throw manure on the poster, Daelyn. When one did not, he beat her with a length of stove wood until blood came from her ears and they had to call a medicus."

  Daelyn got up from the table. "A man who treated his dog so poorly would be punished."

  "It’s not your fault." Lir took Daelyn by the hand to lead him back to the table. "You can't control what people do."

  Daelyn cocked an eyebrow. "Really? I thought that was exactly what I did."

  He turned to me. "Tell me, Aeris. If your folly refused to do what you wished, would you beat her until she nearly died?"

  I paused in clearing away another set of dirty plates. I thought hard before I answered and made certain to keep my voice as neutral as I could. "A dead folly is of no use to the household, my prince."

  "And that's your reason for not half killing her?"

  I ventured to meet his gaze. "It’s as good a reason as any."

  "You're being unfair to the lad." Moravian stretched his legs, clad in loose silk trousers, and nodded toward me. "He's not old enough to afford a woman of his own yet."

  Daelyn waved his hand. "Afford, aye. There's a question. If women cost more than dogs, would their masters treat them better?"

  "Women do cost more than dogs." Vermonte laughed snidely. The emphasis he put on the word "women" gave it a much harsher connotation than Daelyn had. "Dogs don't eat as much, and they don't wear clothes. Dogs earn their keep."

  "A woman works harder than any dog," I mumbled.

  Vermonte turned to me, surprise twisting his features. "What's that, lad?"

  "He said a woman works harder than any dog."

  I wasn't grateful for Lir's input, and I glared at him. He just stared at me. Vermonte made a chuffing noise of disapproval.

  "Ballsy lad, isn't he? Where'd you find this one, Dae? Fernken Province?"

  The other men laughed. Fernken was the poorest of all the four. Men there were rumored to take their pleasure with women, rather than each other.

  "No, I found him at a joba stand in the market district." Daelyn motioned for me to refill his teacup.

  Vermonte sneered. "And now he's working for you. Well, he's doing a folly's job, 'tis no wonder he's sympathetic to their plight."

  My hands clenched on the teapot so hard the lid rattled. Vermonte must have seen the blaze of anger in my eyes, because he smiled indulgently. When he held out his own cup, I fought not to pour the steaming liquid straight to his crotch.

  "This is the lad who went up against Fearnly and Haverford." Daelyn's voice had gone smooth and velvety. Husky. "He bloodied them well, Vermonte. You'd do well not to provoke him."

  Vermonte's look said he didn't believe a word the prince was saying. "You can't tell me you think this lad could beat me?"

  Silence, while every man in the room turned to stare at me. I looked each in the eye. The only one who looked away was Lir.

  "Mayhaps we should find out?" Daelyn licked a few stray crumbs from his lips and gave him a sly glance. "Vermonte, what say you? Think you can trounce my fetchencarry?"

  "Without doubt. But it hardly seems fair."

  I swallowed hard. A man's pride was built upon his accomplishments in the arts, in business, in the hunt...and in the fight. Vermonte was a man who looked to be very proud, while I...I was in over my head and struggling to breathe.

  "It seems to me you should let the lad decide." Again, Lir spoke in my defense, and I hated him for it.

  "I'm not afraid!"

  "You're a bad liar, Aeris." Lir stood and appealed to Daelyn. "Dae, you brought the lad here to serve in the chamber, not to serve in the fight field."

  Dae smirked. "Part of his job is to amuse me, isn't it? It will amuse me to watch him fight Vermonte."

  "You don't have to do it, Aeris."

  I glared at Lir. "If my prince wishes me to compete, I will."

  "He doesn't want you to compete," Lir said in disgust. "He wants to watch you get beaten bloody for his amusement."

  He stalked from the room. Daelyn stared after him with narrowed eyes. "Lir seems to have gotten up facing the wrong wall today."

  "Every day." Vermonte laughed.

  Daelyn didn't like that. "You've never cared for Lir."

  Vermonte gave Daelyn an ingratiating smile. "He and I will never be brothers of the heart."

  "Well said. And no reason you should be, other than it vexes me to have my mates at each other's throats." Daelyn didn't seem to see the irony in his statement, as he'd just commanded me to fight Vermonte. I supposed I didn't count as one of his mates.

  Vermonte gave me a bored look. "Should we be off to the fight field, then?"

  "If it pleases my prince," I replied evenly with a glance at Daelyn for approval. Already my blood seemed to course faster in my veins.

  Daelyn and the lords, minus Lir, led the way to the enclosed fight field in the White Palace's center courtyard. Raised stands held seating for spectators on festival days, but today the only audience was a bored-looking tabby cat.

  Daelyn and his friends took shaded, comfortable seats and called for drinks. When the serving follies had disappeared, Daelyn raised his glass to us.

  "Have at it! Fair fight!"

  That was it. No advice, no rules, no suggested fight style. It was to be a free-for-all, and my grin spread wide across my face at the thought. Daelyn knew my strengths lay in street fighting, not the more formal styles. He was rooting for me, however subtly.

  Vermonte was bigger than I, but I'd never faced a foe who wasn't. I was confident I had speed and the element of surprise on my side. What I couldn't quite figure out was the prince's reasoning. Why make me fight his comrade? Mere amusement didn't seem reason enough. Perhaps I had displeased him, but then why favor me in the fight?

  "Are you going to stand there all day with your mouth hanging open, or are you going to come at me?" Vermonte made a show of buffing his nails on his tunic.

  I didn't bother with conversation. I just jumped at him. Hitting Vermonte was like hitting a stone wall. Seemingly without effort he lifted his arm as I charged, and his hand caught me squarely in the shoulder. I whirled and went down onto the soft dirt of the fight field.

  His mocking laughter made my ears burn. Worse was the tittering and guffawing of Daelyn and his men. I got to my feet with my shoulder and my pride severely bruised.

  "Ready to give?" Vermonte grinned.

  "My prince bade me fight you. And what my prince wishes, I'll try to provide."

  Vermonte gave me a falsely sympathetic grin. "I am also loyal to my prince, and he's bade me fight you, and win."

  "Then it’s clear only one of us can give him what he needs."

  Vermonte licked his lips and put up his hands in the First Strike position. "You do have balls, I'll grant you that."

  I'm certain he couldn't comprehend why his statement made me burst into laughter, but it did take him off guard. This time when I leaped at him I avoided his outstretched hands and managed to get in a blow to his stomach that doubled him over. When he was bent, I hit the back of his neck with the side of my hand. I pivoted on my heel and sent up a spray of dirt, then kicked out and caught Vermonte's thigh.

  He was fast, though, and trained. He grabbed my foot as it kicked, and twisted it. My body curved and I lost my balance. Again, I found myself in the dirt, this time breathless and on my back.

  His face twisted, he bent so lo