Page 22 of The King's Menagerie

Merciful Divine he was sotired.

"There we are," she said eventually, though how much time had passed, Berkant had no idea, there was no way to tell in that little room. She slid the necklace back across the table, and Berkant's eyes stung as he saw it looked as good as it had the day Parvaneh had given it to him. Inside, safely tucked away once more, were the locks of hair, and the little portrait of Parvaneh, forever frozen in time, never to be replaced as she grew older and more wonderful, seemed none the worse for wear for the treatment.

Pinching his eyes shut briefly to get control of himself, Berkant fastened the necklace in place and then bowed over the table. "Thank you, Mistress. This means the world to me. I am forever grateful."

"I'm sorry for your loss," she said gruffly. "Off you go, then, good sir."

"Thank you," Berkant echoed again, voice soft. He rose and departed, Captain Bahiyya reclaiming the lead as they stepped into the hallway. "This way, Master Berkant, I'll show you to your new room."

He'd expected a larger cell, maybe in a slightly different area of the detainment hall. Instead, he was shown to a hall that clearly was intended to accommodate boarders who were not quite as affluent as most of the palace inhabitants.

"This one is yours," Bahiyya said, coming to a stop in front of a room that was four doors down on the right side of the hallway and giving Berkant a key. "You share a bath with the room next to you, and the two rooms on the next hall over. Thereshould be a schedule inside for meals. You are not permitted to attend the various events, like dances and such, without express permission from me or His Majesty. You are to remain on this hall unless bid otherwise, save for mealtimes. If you are found breaking the rules, you'll be returned to the jail hall. Guards are posted at all times, and they have been given orders to keep an especially close eye on you. A clerk will come at some point today with a schedule for you, though mind that schedule is subject to change and very likelywillchange as there are always things happening that demand His Majesty's attention."

Berkant stared. "I'm… going to see His Majesty again?" Why did that make his heart flip in his chest?

"Why wouldn't you?"

"I figured he would assign the problem to someone else to attend."

"His Majesty is involving himself directly in this matter. Behave and be well, Master Berkant." With a ghost of a smile and a slight bow of her head, Bahiyya departed.

What a strange day.

Berkant unlocked the door, slipped inside, and closed and locked it again before setting the key aside on a little table. It was a handsome little room, with a bed, chest, writing chest, and a table intended for meals, work, and whatever else was needed. The bed even had the sheer curtains he'd missed so much since throwing away his old life. The room smelled of incense, and he could also catch the barest hint of fresh, clean water. Going to the far side of the room, he pushed open the sliding door there and took in the large bathing chamber. As Bahiyya had said, it was shared between four rooms. What a luxury. Like everyone else in his building, he shared a single dubious bathhouse on the ground floor, where it was a good day when the water was only murky.

Closing the door, he returned his attention to the room, and found the slip of paper that laid out the general palace schedule, including prayers, meals, and more. What would all this cost him if he were not here at His Majesty's indulgence?

Unwanted thoughts rose up then, of all the ways he would be more than happy to indulge King Shafiq.

Divine, he really was finally losing his mind.

Stripping off his clothes, Berkant set them neatly aside, crawled into the wonderfully soft, warm bed, and went gratefully back to sleep.

*~*~*

Of all the things Berkant had expected of living in the palace, it was not to bebored. Restricted as he was, though, he had very little to do. Meals, exercise, occasionally meeting with Captain Bahiyya to answer questions.

Three days had passed since he'd been given his new room, but he had yet to see Shafiq again, which was more disappointing than Berkant wanted to admit, even to himself. Probably for the best he hadn't seen Shafiq again; gods alone knew what kind of fool he'd make of himself. Shafiq was so far above him he'd have more luck catching a star.

Not that he had any such interest in Shafiq; he just wasn't blind.

Sighing, Berkant rolled to his feet and headed out into the hallway to do his next round of walking. He tried to do a hundred laps each day, along with some other exercises in his room, so he remained fit.

He didn't particularly miss being bodyguard to one slimy weasel or another, but he would like to havesomethingto do. On the other hand, he wasn't in jail waiting to be sentenced to hard labor, so he hardly had anything to complain about. A little boredom was bearable.

Maybe he could ask Captain Bahiyya for some books or something. Surely that would not be too bold a request?

Berkant reached the dead end of the hallway and turned to walk back toward the open end—and stopped short as he saw Captain Bahiyya, as though summoned by mere thought. She was with a woman Berkant didn't recognize, though really the number of people in the palace he did recognize was maybe ten, and all of them were royal guards, minus His Majesty.

"Good afternoon, Captain, my lady," Berkant greeted as they reached him.

"Master Berkant," Bahiyya replied. "We've come to ask a favor—a very grand favor."

What in the world could they possibly need of him? That was a stupid question, though, because the only thing anyone ever needed of him was his martial skills. Why, though? "At the very least, you have my curiosity."

Bahiyya and the other woman shared a look, and then she stepped forward. "My name is Litta, Master Berkant, and I am the royal event coordinator."

"You want me to perform?" Berkant asked. "Why?"

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