some dungeon somewhere. Compared to that, smuggling themselves out of the city would be easy.
He turned quickly as the door opened again. Laasinia entered with a bundle of clothes in her arms, some bread and fruit perched atop the pile. She laid these on the bed with a nod to the nobleman and left again without a word. Though now ravenous, Noran took a cautious bite of an apple. It tasted sweet as juice ran down his throat and he fought the urge to finish off in a few bites, wary of taxing his shrunken gut. He had heard tales of the ailments that had befallen legionnaires over-indulging after long campaigns on march rations. He dragged on a heavy woollen kilt, apple held between his teeth, and tied the roped fastenings, marvelling at how skinny he was. The fit was adequate; for a cook, Saamirias did not sample much of his labours it seemed.
Finishing off the apple, Noran tossed the core onto a side table and ripped a hunk of bread from the loaf. He stuffed this in his mouth and chewed laboriously as he pulled the shirt over his head. The coarse fabric itched at his skin, nothing like the fine clothes he had been used to. Resisting the urge to scratch everywhere, he pulled on the sandals, a little too big for his feet, and tied the thongs as tightly as he could. There was a heavy, sleeveless jacket too, and he dragged this on to complete the outfit. Taking another apple and the loaf, he padded across the room and opened the door a fraction.
He could hear the sounds of servants elsewhere in the house, but the landing was empty. Knowing that Allenya would be the calmer of the two queens, he tiptoed out and to the left, heading for her bedchamber, keeping to the wall. He stopped at the second door and paused as he heard footfalls on the stair behind. Coiling to pounce if need be, he waited with breath held, letting it out in a rush as Laasinia stepped onto the landing. She saw him and nodded, lifting up a sack in her hand.
Taking the bag, Noran quietly opened the door to Allenya's room. Any feelings of intrusion were washed away by Noran's urgency; both from fear of discovery and ignorance of how long he would be able to continue walking and talking.
Ullsaard's wife was sprawled on the bed, covers in disarray, one arm flung out, her face hidden behind a mass of dark curls on the pillow. Noran could not stop himself admiring the graceful curve of her exposed thigh. He quickly dismissed the distraction; having sex with one of the queens had been a mistake, lusting after this one would be suicide.
'Allenya,' he whispered, crouching down in front of her. 'Allenya, wake up.'
She stirred, rolling to her back, eyes flickering open. There was a moment of vagueness before she sat bolt upright to stare at Noran.
'Yes, I'm back,' he said, knowing exactly what thoughts were going through Allenya's mind. 'There is no time to explain, and I do not know if I understand it myself.'
'What are you doing in my room?' Allenya said, pulling a blanket over her body.
'Anglhan has betrayed Ullsaard.' Noran spoke quickly but quietly, trying to keep calm. 'He is keeping you in the city as protection against Ullsaard's retaliation.'
Allenya ran her fingers through her hair, raking it back from her face, her expression half-asleep.
'What was that about Anglhan?' she said. She looked more closely at the man in her bedchamber. 'And why are you dressed so badly?'
Noran stood and emptied the clothes from the sack onto the bed.
'You do not realise it, but Anglhan is using you as hostages against your husband,' Noran said, stepping to the door. 'We have to leave here as soon as we can, and get out of the city. Please, get dressed in these clothes and then get Meliu to do the same. Your maid is organising a means by which we can get out of here unseen.'
'Wait.' Allenya's call stopped Noran as he was about to leave. He turned back, one foot on the landing. 'Anglhan has been very hospitable to us. Are you sure?'
'Ullsaard himself told me so,' said Noran.
He saw the look of confusion that would herald more questions and decided to avoid them, moving onto the landing to close the door behind him. Laasinia was still waiting close by.
'Any luck with a wagon?' the noble asked.
'I've sent a lad to fetch one,' she said. 'He'll bring it up to the gate. How will you get on it without being seen?'
Noran thought about this for a while, hearing the sounds of Allenya moving around through the door.
'We will not try to hide,' he said. 'Find something that would look normal to load and move, a piece of furniture or something. We will just carry it out and climb on board with it.'
'Why would two maids be moving furniture?' asked Laasinia.
'Think of something else, then,' snapped Noran. The surge of strength that had propelled him so far was leeching away, leaving his limbs trembling and his head aching. 'Use your head, woman.'
Laasinia bobbed demurely and disappeared down the stairs. Noran leaned back against the wall, his hunger returning, his muscles twitching with the effort. On the floor below, a small bell tinkled to signal the start of Dawnwatch. More distant bells and calls could be heard from across the waking city. Noran fretted, gnawing at an overly long nail, fearing that they were taking too much time. Anglhan was no fool. He had chosen not to jail his hostages, probably for fear of provoking attention, but he would have the movements of Allenya and Meliu watched closely so that they could be prevented from leaving the city, even if innocent and ignorant of their predicament. The more people on the streets, the harder it would be to avoid attention.
Noran was chewing down a third nail by the time Allenya's door opened. She walked out garbed in the clothes of a maid, her face showing her full displeasure.
'I demand a proper explanation Noran,' she said.
'Please, Allenya, keep your voice down,' Noran replied. 'It is very complicated. All you have to know is that Anglhan does not want you to leave Magilnada; he has made threats against you to Ullsaard. Your husband is less than a day from the city. I am going to take you to him.'
'Ullsaard is near?' the prospect brightened Allenya's mood substantially and her further questions went unasked. 'Really?'
'Yes, really,' said Noran, trying not to sigh in frustration. 'Please, take the other clothes, get Meliu dressed and we will leave the house. Make sure she causes no fuss.'
'Wait here,' said Allenya, heading to the other end of the landing. 'You cannot be seen.'
Noran bit back a retort about stating the obvious. He could hear Laarisia's voice from the bottom of the stairs, but could not make out everything that was said; something about the mistresses desiring not to be disturbed this morning until Low Watch. A wonderful woman, Noran thought, entirely deserving of some extra Askharins for her loyalty.
He lowered to the floor to sit with his back against the wall, resting his head in his hands in an effort the ease the throbbing at his temples. There was soreness in his chest and he lifted up his shirt and saw a jagged scar. No wonder every breath hurt.
'Shit,' he muttered. He could barely remember anything of how he had been wounded. He recalled some soldiers trying to kill Ullsaard in camp and shouting a warning. The rest was all blurred.
A door banged open and he looked up to see Meliu dashing along the landing. He pushed himself to his feet and was almost toppled again as Meliu threw her arms around him with a gasp, the two of them saved from a tumble only by the wall.
'Oh, Noran!' Meliu gushed, kissing his cheek and neck ferociously.
'Hello,' he said weakly, pushing her away.
Her brows furrowed, cheeks reddened and lips pouted. Recognising the signs of an impending outburst, Noran did the only thing he could think of to quieten her; her grabbed the back of her head and pulled her into a long kiss.
'Save that for later,' said Allenya, hurrying to the top of the stairs.
Meliu pulled back with another shuddering breath, eyes moist.
'Allenya tells me we are in trouble and you have come back to rescue us!' she said. 'You are so brave!'
Noran darted a look at Allenya, who shrugged in confession.
'Come on,' said Noran, grabbing Meliu's hand. She squeezed it tight, painfully so in Noran's weak condition.
The nobleman led them down the stairs and found Laasinia sitting with some needlework on a chair in the hall below. She put the sewing to one side as they arrived.
'I have sent the other servants to clean the main feast room,' she said, ushering Allenya towards the foyer.
