Kethry chose to receive him seated; Tarma stood, leaning against the wall with her arms folded, in the shadows at her right hand. Their visitor gave the Shin'a'in a fairly nervous glance before accosting Kethry.
'My lady,' he said, bowing over her hand. Kethry was having a hard time keeping from laughing herself sick. The right corner of Tarma's mouth kept twitching, sure sign that she was holding herself in only by the exertion of a formidable amount of willpower. This liveried fop was precisely the degree of lackey they had hoped to lure in; personal servant to the King, and probably a minor noble himself. He was languishing, and vapid, and quite thoroughly full of himself. His absurd court dress of pale yellow and green with the scarlet and gold badge of the King's Household on the right shoulder was exceedingly expensive as well as in appallingly bad taste. There was more than a little trace of a more careful toilette than Kethry ever bothered with in his appearance. His carefully pointed mouse-brown mustaches alone must have taken him an hour to tease into shape.
'My lord wishes to know the identity of two such -- fascinating -- strangers to our realm,' he said, when he'd completed his oozing over Kethry's hand. 'And what brings them here.'
'I shall answer the second question first, my lord,' Kethry replied, with just a hint of cool hauteur. 'What brings us, is trade, purely and simply. But not just any trade, I do assure you; no, what we have are the mounts of princes, princes of the Shin'a'in -- and we intend them to grace the stables of the princes of other realms. The horses we have brought are princes and princesses themselves -- as I am certain you are aware.'
'Word -- had reached my noble lord that your beasts were extraordinary -- '
'They are creatures whose like no one here has ever seen. It is only through my friendship with the noble Tarma shena Tale'sedrin, the Tale'sedrin of Tale'sedrin, that I was able to obtain them.'
His glance lit again upon Tarma, who was still standing in the shadows behind Kethry. She moved forward into the light, inclined her head graciously at the sound of her name, and said in Shin'a'in, 'I also happen to be the only Tale'sedrin other than you, but we won't go into that, will we?'
'My companion tells me she is pleased to make the acquaintance of so goodly a gentleman,' Kethry said smoothly, as Tarma allowed the shadows to obscure her again. 'As for myself, I am Kethryveris, scion of House Pheregul of Moumedealth, a House of ancient and honorable lineage.'
From the blankness of his gaze, Kethry knew he'd never even heard of Moumedealth, much less her House -- which, so far as she was concerned, was all to the good.
'A House of renown, indeed,' he said, covering his ignorance. 'Then, let me now tender my lord's words. I come from King Raschar himself.' He paused, to allow Kethry to voice the expected murmurs of amazement and gratification. 'He heard of your wondrous beasts, and wishes to have his Master of Horse view them himself -- more than view them, if what rumor says of them is even half the truth. And since you prove to be more than merely common merchants, he would like to tender you an invitation to extend your visit to Petras in his Court, that he may learn of you, and you of him.'
'And you may end up in the bastard's bed, if he likes your looks,' murmured Tarma from the darkness.
'Tell your lord that we are gratified -- and that we shall await his Master of Horse with eagerness, and will be more than pleased to take advantage of the hospitality of his Court.'
More smooth nonsense was exchanged, and finally the man bowed himself out.
They waited, holding their breaths, until they were certain he was out of earshot -- then collapsed into each other's arms, helpless with stifled laughter.
'Goddess! 'Tale'sedrin of Tale'sedrin' indeed;That great booby didn't even know it was a clan name and not a title!' Tarma choked. 'Isda w'tre-kotk! You know what my people say, don't you? 'Proud is the Clanchief. Prideful is the Clanchief of a two-member clan!''
'Laid it on good and thick, didn't I?' Kethry replied, wiping tears out of her eyes. 'Goddess bless, I didn't know I had that much manure in me!'
'Oh, you could have fertilized half a farm, 'my lady.' ' Tarma gasped, imitating his obsequious bow. 'Bright Star-Eyed! Here -- ' she handed Kethry one of the goblets and poured it full of wine, then took a second for herself. 'We'd better get ourselves under control if we're going to get from here to our room without giving the game away.'
'You're right,' Kethry said, taking a long sip, and exerting control to sober herself. 'There's more at stake than just this little game.'
'Hai' she'li. This is just the tail of the beastie. We're going to have to get into its lair to see if it's a grasscat or a treehare -- and if it's got Idra in its mouth.'
'And I just realized something,' Kethry told her, all thought of laughter gone. 'We know the new King's name, but we don't know which of the brothers he is. And that could make a deal of difference.'
'Indeed, ves'tacha,' Tarma replied, her eyes gone brooding in truth. 'In very deed.'
* * *
