Page 56 of The Queens and the Kings
She burst out laughing. He avoided looking at Britt.
“Well done, soldat!” The Ladylord dabbed at the corner of her eyes with a bent knuckle. “Well done, indeed. You have done the improbable by building my curiosity and amusement. I confess, I have been curious about soldats for many years. You don’t pander.” Her eyes flashed with appreciation. “I like that.”
Britt sat with her hands in her lap, her fingers loose. She appeared at ease, but that same veneer had been in place since before they stepped on the mainland. He couldn’t trust it.
The Ladylord whipped to the side, effectively dismissing the topic yet again.
“Britt.”
“Yes, Ladylord?”
“You have come as Kapurnick’s agent on behalf of General Helsing, which is something that surprised me. I’m also quite proud of you. Well done.”
Britt beamed. “Thank you, Ladylord. General Helsing wanted me to bring her regards and appreciation for continued relationships while we were visiting the mainland. I had no idea it was you or I would have sailed sooner.”
The Ladylord hummed under her breath, fingers tapping near a delicate, pointed chin.
“General Helsing has always been a welcome ally, and that continues with my entrance into this position. You may reaffirm my stance on the relationship with Kapurnick and the mainland.”
“Thank you.”
The Ladylord swiveled to Henrik again. “This returns us to you, Henrik.”
The looping cadence of this conversation was inefficient and maddening, but he had a feeling it was supposed to be. Eventually, he assumed she’d gather impressions on him, then expertly narrow it toward a singular direction that suited her unique purpose. At least, that’s what he’d do.
“Is it true that His Glory doesn’t allow you to sail to the mainland?”
“Yes.”
“What about the Lesser Island Chains?”
“I’ve been to many Chain islands.”
“Is this your first time on the mainland?”
“Yes.”
“Your friend, Einar?”
He nodded.
“He is free from the soldats, also?”
“Yes, Ladylord.”
“What are your feelings about His Glory?”
“It depends.”
She gave a narrow smile. “I know the feeling. And Einar?”
“He will speak for himself.”
“Two soldats set adrift,” she murmured, eyes tapered to slashes. “There are others, I presume. How very interesting. The life of a soldat is a rather narrow existence. You agreed to such servitude?”
Of course he didn’t, and they both knew it. Her careful calculation nudged them toward an impossible motivation he couldn’t decipher.
“There wasn’t a choice, Ladylord.”
