Chapter Six.
 

Xahar rode into his house's courtyard, looking around.  "We're back!" he shouted when no one came out.  His cook came out of the kitchen wiping his hands off.  "Please tell me you've got food on?" he pleaded.

"I figured you'd be here by tonight so I've got a big dinner planned, but there's plenty to snack on until then," he offered, helping his boss down.  "Have a good trip?"

"Profitable," he offered, "but not good.  We ran into Kozur again, it was safer than Reginus."  The old cook shuddered, his dark face wrinkling up more in horror.  "He tried to sell me into prostitution.  Kozur just wanted to keep me.  Sorta like some dragons."  He grabbed his bags, heading inside.  "Let me go sort out everything.  I'll be right back."

Liset rode in and slid off with a sigh, handing over her mare's reins as she unbuckled her saddle.  It was put carefully onto a nearby stool and her mare was swatted so it could go romp in the nearby field.  She got Cochet undone and sent him off with a swat too.  Ballor came last with the last two horses and the cook gave them an odd look.  "His new one's a stallion," she said dryly.  "We'll have a foal soon."

"We don't have room for a foal, Miss Liset."

"Yeah, well, too late now," she said dryly.  "His horse jumped mine within an hour of meeting her."  She got the spare horse turned out and then headed into the stables to arrange things.  Her mare liked this stable so she followed her into her usual stall.  Liset chuckled and gave her a good pat on the side.  "Okay, let me put down more hay.  I'll come clean you up later tonight, before dinner."  She put out some food and pumped some water into the water buckets, leaving her mare to do her own thing.  The two spare geldings were put into the smaller boxes, and Xahar's horse stood out in the small field, seeming to enjoy being the center of attention.  "He was a Chopee stallion," she told the cook.

"I can smell that," he said dryly.  "How long have you had that monster?"

"Since Xahar nearly got kept by a dragon," Ballor admitted, carrying the two saddles inside, both bridles being gotten by Liset with her saddle.  "We'll be right back."

"Of course," he agreed, going to send a message down to his wife.  She'd get some laundry and cleaning work out of their homecoming.  They came home with a lot more stuff this time.  Xahar came down with his hamper of clothes, putting it in the corner.  "Already called the wife."

"Great.  Tell her it's mostly just sweaty and dirty stuff."  He sniffed the pot over the fire, getting a swat for it.  "Hey!"

"Sit!  You've lost more weight!"  He went to make him a good snack, putting extra out on the table.  "What're we going to do about your new friend? There's only three stalls.  Plus a foal soon?"

Xahar sighed.  "It looks like it's time to either buy the house next door and move the artists out or move to a bigger house."

"Can we afford a bigger house, boss?" Liset asked as she joined him, putting her laundry basket on top of his.  She made sure it didn't tip before sitting down, reaching back to steady it when a breeze blew in.  "Did you tell her to bring a cart this time?"

He shook his head.  "I'm hoping she remembers the last time," Cook admitted.  His wife came through the front of the house, grabbing the baskets.  "You could pull the cart around here, woman."

"I could, but I only brought our sons," she snorted.  "You didn't send money to rent a cart."  She carried the basket out, handing it off.  Then came to get the hamper. "Ballor, I'm taking the laundry. Don't you have any!"

"I'm trying to find clean clothes," he called down the stairs.  He came down a few minutes later in some lounging pajamas the boss had given him a few years back as a solstice present.  "I'm all out of clothes.  One of my outfits wore out on the trip."  He handed over his small basket.  "Mostly just dirty, no real blood or other stuff this time," he offered with a bright grin.

"Good!  Much nicer than the last long trip."  She pinched his cheek and walked out with that one, following her boys back down to their house so she could start on this stuff.  Those three were horrible on clothes.  How had Ballor ruined another outfit?

Ballor sat down at the table, taking his own plate to nibble things.  "Thank you, Cook."

"You're welcome.  Those two matched set are cute."

"They should be.  They were given to a mage in payment for a fertility spell.  A male heir was conceived and the Duke was quite happy."   Xahar snickered at that.  "So, what are we doing about the lack of stable space?"

"Three choices.  Buy the house next door and build.  Rent in town, or move."

"Moving is a horrible ritual that should be kept away from decent folk," Liset said firmly.

"At least you'd only have to do your own room," Xahar taunted.  "I'd have to do that and the library and all the other stuff."

"No, boss, you'd hire someone and we'd have to watch them while you were at the new place arranging things," Ballor reminded him.  "I doubt you could move any of the beds."

"Do we have enough saved to move?" Liset asked patiently.

Xahar shrugged.  "I added the new stuff to the safe. It clinked pleasingly.  Probably by the end of the summer but it might bankrupt us."

"There's a coronation coming," Cook told him.  "The old Queen passed on and the favorite mistress is about to be married.  You could probably sell this old house and move.  You've had offers from some money lenders who want the house for the safe."

Xahar considered it.  "Possibly.  Or we could keep it and rent it out."  He shrugged.  "I'll decide on that after dinner tomorrow, once I take a turn through the market. There might not be any open houses with good stable space."

"The one up beside the mage school with the big fountain is up for sale.  The last owners got driven away by the students again," Cook offered dryly.

"They keep doing that to their neighbors, that house is always up for sale," Liset protested.  "We'd never get any sleep for all the whacking and explosions over there."

Ballor grunted since his mouth was full, nodding.  "What about the one on the edge of the palace?  It'd be close enough for royal engagements."

"They don't want me that close," Xahar dryly reminded him. "They think I'll cause another scandal.  Like the prince running away from his wedding party to try to kidnap me again."

"You don't want that close to the palace anyway," Cook's wife offered as she came back.  "The new wife is that vapid, dark skinned one who hates you for being prettier than her.  She's already trying to get you sent away in disgrace."

"Hmm, well, considering her husband likes my dancing and likes to then go take his pages out for the night afterward, I can see why," he said, smirking at her.  "We had to get an extra horse.  Ballor's was killed by the dragon trying to steal me and Liset's is pregnant by mine."

"Are you sure he's not you, or part of you, turned into a creature?" she snorted.  She gave him a hug.  "Welcome back, Xahar.  Things have been dreadfully dull around here without you being in town.  My boys ran to warn the guard commander that you're back.  Just in case of course."

"Of course," he agreed with a smirk.  "So, which mistress ascended?"

"The stupid one who can't even pronounce your name," she said patiently.  She walked over to the stove and swatted her husband, working on making more for dinner.  "He needs better food than this.  You go do the laundry."

"Woman, I'm perfectly capable of fixing a dinner," he complained.

"Oh, quit," Ballor complained, holding his ears.  "You two are worse than my wife and I were."

Liset chuckled.  "That's why I'm never getting married.  In my old age, I'll do what Kozur did and just take in pretty young boys who want to be warriors."

"You're going to go rob which nest to buy that estate?" Xahar teased.

"Eh, by then you'll be dead and leave it all to me in your will," she taunted back, smirking at him.  "I'll expect it to be pretty too."

"Sure, Liset," he said smugly.  "I'll leave you whatever estate I have and leave Ballor in charge of picking your ...warriors for you."

"That's mean, boss.  I'd get her ugly ones so I was the prettiest finally," Ballor complained.  "I can't compete against you but anyone she picks had better be more ugly than I am."

"You three need the mages and alchemists to make you something to fix you," Cook's wife complained.

"So, if we get driven out, wanna come with us?" Xahar asked fondly.

"Of course we are!" she complained, swatting him on the arm.  "You'd never eat without my man or get clean laundry.  Poor Liset would only ever get to deal with that and then you'd have to hire a new guard."

"We found one with some promise," Liset told her.  "At the horse bazaar.  By the way, that's where Kozul's home base is now."

"I'll remember that and not send anyone up there," Cook said.  "She still a scary, big woman?"

"Who tried to keep him again," Ballor sighed, shaking his head.  "Stopped his dancing to kiss him.  We ended up sneaking away."

"He also invited her to come visit," Liset said patiently.

"I can always hide in the safe," Xahar said impatiently.  "She can't break into it since only I know the path of the thing and how to open it."

"The entry's underneath your tub, in the tiled wall, and you walk back to the center of the house, where the opening door is," Ballor told him.

"Which is a fairly standard safe with a lock as well, plus a mage code to your hair, boss."

He pouted. "How long have you known that?  I had to kill the last one."

"Try, boss," Ballor said patiently.  "We can just hold you down and cut your hair."  He snorted and glared at him.  "We scouted it as soon as we heard about it.  It's one of those things that can get us attacked.  That's why you pay us, boss."

"You're still not supposed to know these things," he complained.  He was starting to pout.  "If you do, how many others know?"

"Most everyone's figured out you must have some sort of safe for fees, but everyone also thinks that you spend most of what you earn as soon as you earn it," Cook offered. "You still have that reputation as a frivolous young fop waiting for the right spouse to come along and pamper you."  He got them some wine and put it on the table, then went back to helping his wife with dinner.  "Not those, he won't eat those," he chastised.

"Where would you move if you had to?" Cook's wife asked.

"Hmm," Xahar said, considering it.  "We get a lot of work from the south these days, but it's hotter down there and I don't want to move somewhere I'll sweat all the time.  The summers here are bad enough.  Going north would put us in dispute with a few Kings and Queens who hate each other and art."  He sipped his wine.  "I'd rather not move if we don't have to.  We'd have to hire too many carts to carry everything."

"It would be a big production, nearly as bad as any royal outing to meet with a new ruler," Liset agreed.  She sipped her own wine.  "Are you going to look around tomorrow?"

"I'll ask around tomorrow," he corrected with a small grin.  "I'd never presume to look on my own.  It would upset those who would want me to have their lands."

"Good point," Ballor agreed.  "Then we'd have to live with his next special friend and put up with them until they finally left their own house."  He grabbed another piece of bred to nibble on.  "Cook, did you make this?"

"No, Ballor, I bought that at the market.  There's a new apprentice baker.  I was going to make stuffing out of it but you three needed to eat more."

Ballor nodded, smiling at him.  "I was wondering since it was so grainy.  Not up to your usual standards at all.  It'd probably make a good stuffing, suck up the liquid you use very well."  He finished that slice of bread and dusted his hands off over his plate.  "Now what?"

"Now, we rest, we relax, and we bathe," Xahar said fondly.

"I started your bath when I heard you were outside the city walls," Cook said, making shooing motions.  "Go, bathe.  Soak it all away, boss."

"Thank you, Cook."  He blew a kiss in his direction and headed up the stairs with a scroll from his library he had been meaning to read.  If he fell asleep and it got wet, no one would mind.  Ballor said it was nap-inducing anyway.

"Mine?" Liset asked hopefully.

"Yours is drawn but not heated, dear," Cook told her.  "I figured you'd be playing with your mare first."

"Right before dinner," she decided, going up to heat her water.  She was sore.  It had been a long few days.  She heard Ballor following her and grinned back at him.  "You too?"

"Yeah.  I need it.  I couldn't do the cold river last night," he admitted.  He headed into his room, which was on the left at the top of the stairs.  Hers was across from his, and Xahar's was at the end of that hall.  That way anyone sneaking in would have to get past both of their rooms before getting to his suite.

"Ow!  Grappling hooks are unkind!" Xahar complained, opening his door and kicking someone out.  Then he turned and grabbed someone else and kicked them on the rear to shove them out.  He slammed the door and locked it.  "And stay out!"

Ballor looked at them.  "Go do some lessons, boys.  That wasn't very wise."

The kidnapers stared at his pajamas, then up at him.  They started to laugh until Liset grabbed them and drug them down the stairs by their hair.  A guard was found up the street and she handed them over.  "Xahar found them in his room.  Said something about a grappling hook."

"Never boring with you three around," he noted, walking them off, still by their hair.  "I'll tell their father what they were doing.  He won't be pleased.  He's the top tapestry maker in town."

"Wonderful," she said dryly.  "We'll make room for a new one."  She went back to the house, slamming the front door.  "Stupid boys.  Sons of the tapestry maker," she called.

"If there's a new one, it can go in the library," Ballor called.  "I started your bath fire."

"Thank you, dear."  She hurried up to test the water, getting in even though it was still cool.  She needed a good soak.  Who knew what was going to happen next.

***
 
 

Xahar looked over as Cook came back from answering the door.  He was crashed in the library, stretched out on a couch with a good scroll he was rereading.  "What's wrong now?" he asked, giving him a long stare when he saw the amused look on the older man's face.  "Who did what?  Did Ballor go outside in his pajamas?"

"No, the Prince wants to see you.  He sent a messenger.  You're to attend him immediately."

"Immediately, or I have time to change?"

"I'd say change. You'll probably need it, boss," he offered, going back to the kitchen.

Xahar came out of the study, nodding at the messenger.  "Let me change."

"Sir, our Prince said immediately."

"Son, I'm not going anywhere until I get pretty.  I do have a reputation to maintain.  I can't do that when I'm dressed in older clothes that are worn thin.  You can wait or I'll ride up in a few minutes."

"That's fine, sir, I'll run back and tell him," he agreed, heading back to the palace at a run.  This way he could find a good watching spot to see what was going to happen this time.  Xahar was an odd but powerful man who was well respected around the palace. At least by the servants and the courtiers.

Xahar came back down the stairs tightening the leather thong holding his braid in place.  He considered it, then how sore he felt.  "I'm riding up," he decided, going out back to find his horse.  And found a guard staring at his horse.  "Did he get out and debauch another mare?" he asked patiently.  The guard smirked at him but shook his head.  "Pity.  He likes doing that.  Got Liset's within an hour.  Knocked her out of the saddle another time.  I'm riding up to the palace.  If you're escorting me, you can ride or walk."

"I'll walk, Xahar.  It's a nice night and I'm sure your stallion wants to be appreciated."  Xahar nodded, letting his stallion out of the field and hopping up with a quick helping hand on his rear from the guard.  He gave him a grin and the guard shrugged.  "Always wanted to do that.  Now that you might be leaving I figured I'd take my chance."

Xahar smirked.  "Who said *I'm* leaving?" he asked dryly, grabbing some mane and walking his horse off.  "Want to ride on the back?"

"No, thank you, sire.  My wife might get upset at the rumors which would start."  He walked beside the horse, noticing how many people stared at them.  "Good thing you changed."

"Hmm, yes, it was," he agreed, smiling down at the guard as they got to the gate.  "Coming inside?"

"No, I don't wish to see her ug...um, the new royal highness," he said, blushing a bit.

Xahar leaned down.  "I feel the same way," he hissed.  Then he walked his stallion up to the gate.  "I was summoned by the prince?" he offered.  They nodded and let him in.  "Thank you.  I'll leave him in the back courtyard since it's closer to his audience chamber."  He walked his stallion that way, noticing a few people staring in awe.  "Mine lost the battle with a dragon's goat," he offered at one shocked look.  "He's a Chopee.  His name's Cochet."

"He's impressive," the stablemaster offered, looking him over.  He steadied the beast's nose while Xahar slid down.  "Very well trained."

"His former owner was a warrior," he said with a small shrug.  "I need that sort of guarding."  He grinned. "Audience chamber or private room?"

"Audience chamber, private audience," he said grimly.  "We'll miss you."

"I doubt it," he said sweetly, smiling at bit as he walked inside.  He knew where the audience chamber was, he'd danced in there before.  He tapped before walking in, glancing around.  "Oooh, a really private audience, even no guards.  I'm flattered, sire."

"It's not like you're a threat," the new queen-to-be said snidely.

"Actually, the style I dance in is to teach one how to fight, m'lady.  I can and do quite often to this day."  He bowed to the prince.  "You summoned me, my prince?"

"You don't bow to my future wife?"

"No, sire, the only queen I bow to is your lady mother.  The rest I would normally kiss their hands, but I refuse in this case because I know where her first child resides."  The woman on the throne gasped so he looked at her. "Let's get this out of the way, dear.  I don't know why he chose you, but I'm not leaving my home because you're getting married.  After all, people will need a thing of beauty to look at."  He looked at the prince again.  "Unless you so desire?"

"No, I have no fonder desire than for you to stay.  You do the Court good by giving them something new to gossip about.  You and your father both," he said blandly.

"Is he in or out of favor again?" he retorted. "I can never keep up with his scandals."

"Out at the moment.  He made a pass at my mother last week while sober."

"I'm sure he swore off that state for a few more months, even though your lady mother is quite beautiful, even at her very young age."  The prince laughed.  "She is, I firmly believe your mother is younger than your future wife, sire."

"I'll have you know I'm decades younger than the queen," she sneered.  "I came to his bed a virgin as well."

"Yes, we share the same alchemist, I'm aware of how you did that," he said with a small smirk in her direction.  The prince gaped.  "I was going in to get more potions for my hair while he was mixing up that potion for her, sire.  If you look in certain very punishing convents outside the city's gates, you will find her daughter."

"You common bastard!" she shrieked.

"Lady, I have more lineage in my veins than you do," he said smoothly.  "My father is a highly decorated knight, even though they do revoke some of them now and then.  My mother was the second daughter of a countess.  Your mother was a farmer's sixth daughter and your father a squire. Not a knight, a squire until you were chosen as a mistress and concubine.  I don't play politics but it was clearly told by all.  That's why I'm not flattering you.  I don't play politics.  I don't know why he chose you since there's so many better choices in the palace, unless it was because his lady mother knew her spouse wouldn't sleep with you as well?"

"That's enough," the prince said calmly.

"I'm sorry, sire, but I know you have better taste than to marry her.  Your daughters won't accept her.  She'll never help you raise any sons that might come along.  You'll have sons just like me."  The woman shuddered and got up, stomping off.  Xahar walked up and sat in the other seat, lounging really.  "You used to have such better taste, Frederick."

"I know," he sighed. "You're right.  Mother did push for her because father wouldn't sleep with her, but that was unkind, Xahar."

"Unkind truths are better than pretty lies.   You can't keep your tongue silent when you say those sort of lies.  I'd have to go off on her sometime."  He looked around.  "Why did she pick colors she'd look bad in?  Those would look so much prettier on Xaniria."

"She's taking a long trip," he said subtly.

"Ah.  Boy or girl?"

"Girl we think," he sighed.  "Unfortunately."

Xahar leaned closer, patting him on the hand.  "Frederick, were I you, I'd have taken Melodian.  She's pretty but more than plain enough to suite your mother.  Her plainness hides her brilliant mind, which would help you later in life when you took the crown.  She would welcome any and all children you might have, even without her assistance, and you know she wants to bear you more heirs.  She's such a better choice."

"I know, but mother pressured me into Caras."

"Yes, well the carcass that walks like a woman probably also had something to do with your first wife's death.  If you had it investigated, you'd probably find her and a few others in the middle of the spider's web.  Melodian isn't like that and you wouldn't have to guard your sleep.  You will with Caras."

"I know.  If you could convince my mother to change her mind, I'd gladly change mine as well.  I'm keeping Melodian where Caras can't find her.  She's already tried to get someone to kill her."

"Done," he agreed, standing up.  He walked out of the room and to the nearest servant, handing over a gold coin.  "I need a private audience with the king," he said softly, glancing around.  "Caras has just threatened me and my happy existence, which means that I won't get to dance at solstice, which means none of the ladies will be dancing at solstice."  The man nodded, leading him that way.  That was the one time the ladies of the court really didn't care who they slept with and many servants got with them that night.  Xahar lounged outside the private bedchamber while the servant went inside to ask the king if he would see him.  He smiled at a pretty maid walking up the hall with sheets.  "Good day."

"Good day," she said sweetly.  "Before you ask, I work in the nursery."

"Which is a place you're unlikely to see my magnificence," he teased.  "Will you be watching the solstice dances?"  She blushed and nodded.  "Then you'll see me," he said, kissing the back of her hand.  "I'm Xahar."  She blushed brighter and giggled before walking on, trying to cover the red stains on her cheeks with the hand he kissed.  Xahar looked over as the door opened and the servant let him inside.  He tipped him another gold coin with a wink as he walked past him.  "Sire.  I just returned to problems," he complained.  He stopped when he saw the Queen lying in the bed as well.  "I'm sorry, my Lady Queen.  I did not mean to interrupt."

"You're not, Xahar.  We've already heard about your meeting.  Melodian?"

"She's fairly plain, my lady, but she is smart and wise.  Your lord son's daughters already adore her as a second mother.  She would welcome any children he might have with another woman openly as her own as long as no scandal approached, and she is smart enough to not start a scandal.  It's who most of the artisans in town hoped for because she is a patron and so beautiful inside, so kind to us and lovely to the people.  Even my cook's wife, who does our laundry, favors her."

"Come sit, Xahar," the king said, patting the spot between them.

"I would not want to insult your lady wife," he said, blushing a bit.

"I'm not insulted," she assured him, smiling and patting the same spot.  "Come sit."  He nodded, climbing up from the bottom of the bed, but kicking off his shoes.  At least until he heard a horse scream, then he climbed over the king and went to the window, glaring down at the future queen.  "Leave my horse alone unless you want to bed the stallion yourself."  She sneered and tried to hit him again with the dagger so he pulled out a hair pin and threw it at her, hitting her on the shoulder.  She screamed harder than the small wound warranted and ran back inside crying.  "Do guard him better," he called down.  "She's mean to poor, defenseless animals.  Which are not hers to destroy.  He is private property."

"Yes, sir," the stablemaster said, smirking up at him.  He knew which windows those were.  He walked the stallion off, taking him to get something to drink.

Xahar closed the window. "I can't stand women like her," he noted, climbing back in.  "Trying to stab my horse."

"I saw your horse.  He's very impressive," the king noted.  "I was watching as you rode up because one of the squires was most complimentary about him."

"He's a Chopee stallion, sire.  Quite smooth as long as Ballor's not on with me.  We had an unfortunate run-in with a dragon.  Oh, that's the other thing I wanted to mention.  By the number of crowns she was hoarding, there may be a shortage of princesses soon.  She had a whole roomful of crowns lying in her new, hidden nest."

"I'd heard stories of a few juvenile dragons delivering some stolen crowns," the queen admitted. "You believe me that young with a son my age?"

He smiled at her.  "I firmly believe you are not only younger than your son, my lady, but also unaging and eternally beautiful due to your gracious nature and picky spirit."  She laughed and kissed him on the cheek, making him blush again.  Which wasn't an act, she had never come onto him before.  He glanced at the king before leaning closer to her ear.  "Besides, Melodian is the sort of woman you want to follow your great footsteps.  She's wise, kind, and won't make him suffer for liking women too much, my queen.  She's the sort that we would bow down to, like you are.  Your forceful nature is mirrored in her if you knew her very well."

She patted him on the cheek.  "I do know of her, but I haven't sat down to talk with her.  She was somewhat pretty."

"Yes, but if the prince marries someone truly ugly, then the people will doubt his ability to make proper decisions."

"Good point," the king agreed with a small grin at his wife.  "I told you so."

"Fine, I will look in on this woman.  How would we get rid of Caras?"

"Find Melodian pregnant and have your son step up to do the right thing?  Have Caras get sick and have him find love with her maid?  Her colors would look better on Melodian anyway.  Find that Caras had something to do with the prior princess' death or about her first daughter, who is with the Tarmar order outside of the walls the last I knew.  We share an alchemist."

"What do you go to an alchemist for?" the king asked.

"My hair," he said plainly.  "It takes sixty gold a month to deal with my hair and keep it soft and manageable.  Otherwise it would discredit my style and my dancing."

"That's insane," the king snorted, shaking his head.

"It's my only big purchase each month.  Unfortunately I can't get the recipe from him so I can find someone cheaper.  He takes a commercial product and adds to it.  I don't complain much about my hair except for the price."

The queen played with the end of his braid.  "It's very soft, husband.  Feel it?"

"I have in the past," he admitted patiently, but he did play with the braid a bit.

"When have you played with this one's hair?" she asked archly.  "In here?"

"No, my queen," Xahar said immediately.  "Never in your marriage bed.  When we must have a private meeting, we use a room up the north tower for safety and security reasons."

"Ah, I wondered who used that room," she said, looking at her husband.  "Often?"

"When I have a hard decision to make," he admitted, letting the braid go.  "He's very good at helping me think."

"I'd show you how," Xahar teased, grinning at the king, "but that could get me into trouble."

"Oh, I believe I know how," she said dryly, "and it would please me greatly to watch you spank him for me."  The king looked shocked.  "There is a decision to make," she noted with a small smirk.  "Plus, it would be something new I hadn't seen before."

The king swallowed.  "It's not that hard of a decision.  Our son would be happier with Melodian."  She leaned across Xahar's lap to kiss him and he melted.  "If you wish, my love."

Xahar gently pulled the king into his lap, doing his most gentle spankings to date.  The king moaned, the queen moaned, and he smiled and nodded at a small drawer beside the bed.  She pulled out something the king had used on her in the past and smirked back, letting him leave once the king was suitably ready for her. "Thank you, my queen."

"Go, be at peace and have fun, Xahar.  You're not moving."

"Only around the city, my queen.  Is my father being honored upon his death?"

"Yes," the king agreed, going to pleasure his wife.  "Then he won't be able to cause more scandals."

"Then I await word of your pleasure, my lady queen and my king.  Good sleeps."  He walked out, making sure the door was closed behind him.  He saw the maid and shook his head.  "Not yet, dear.  Not unless they call for you."   He strolled out, winking at the stablemaster.  "All is well," he said with a grin, hopping back up with a helpful hand up from a groom.  "Were you a good boy, Cochet?"  He shook his head and the stablemaster and groom both shook theirs.  "Another mare?"

"A gelding.  He's not very picky," the groom said smugly.

"Like owner, like horse," Xahar said fondly, turning him and trotting out.  It had been a good night.  He'd have to send a letter to his father soon.  He was always so concerned about his honor.  He trotted into his personal courtyard and slid off the horse's back, letting him into the small paddock again.  "There you go, Cochet.  I'm sorry she nearly hurt you.  Good boy for not biting her."  He stroked his nose before walking inside.  Ballor gave him a look from in front of the stove, where he was stirring something.  "Mulled wine?"

"Chicken broth.  I'm still hungry."

"We'll be moving around the city soon," he said fondly, heading back to his spot in the library, or somewhere nearly as nice since Liset was sleeping there.

"Do I want to know?" Ballor called.

"No," Xahar called back.  "Probably not."  He found his scroll and laid down on the other couch, getting comfortable to read.  It was a good scroll and he had always enjoyed rereading it.

Ballor shook his head.  "He's probably right.  I probably don't want to know.  I might get upset and blush if I knew what he had done so we don't have to do more than move across the city."  He poured his warmed broth into a bowl and sat down to sip it and read his own scroll.  They needed a few calm days.  They'd be in the busy season soon.  Hopefully Xahar would hire someone to move them.
 

To Index

To Chapter Seven