‘Yes, the Emir’s mobilising his army. Alp Arslan is dead. Suleyman intends to take control of Rum while the Sultan’s rivals squabble over the succession.’
Caitlin patted the divan. ‘Sit beside me. Would you like something to drink? Are you hungry? You look tired.’
Bowls of fruit and vases of flowers stood on a table. Finely knotted silk carpets covered the floor.
Vallon sat and picked a grape from a bunch. He could smell Caitlin’s heady perfume.
‘I’ve heard so many rumours. One of my maids told me that the Emir had offered you a senior position in his army.’
Vallon popped the grape into his mouth. ‘It’s true. Captain of a hundred, with a grant of land and a house in Konya where trumpeters will serenade me each sunset.’
She eyed him uncertainly. ‘That’s wonderful. I’ve heard that Konya is a beautiful city, full of palaces.’
‘I turned it down.’
Her smoky green eyes widened. ‘Why?’
‘Suleyman’s a Turk; I’m a Christian. Sooner or later the two faiths will clash and I don’t want to find myself fighting men who wear the cross.’
Caitlin let go of his hand. ‘So you still mean to join the Emperor’s guard?’
Vallon was sick of being asked what he would do. He’d spent the last year
‘I didn’t come here to talk about my plans.’
‘
‘I’ll probably be posted overseas. I might not see you for years.’
‘I can wait.’
Vallon reached for her hand. ‘You told me a witch prophesied that a foreign prince would steal your heart. I’m not a prince. Suleyman is. The jewels you’re wearing come from him, not me.’
Caitlin pressed his hand to her lips. ‘I don’t want Suleyman. I want you.’
‘Come with me and you face years of lonely uncertainty. Stay here and become Suleyman’s wife-’
Caitlin slapped his face and jumped up. ‘Is he paying you to act as a pander?’
‘Caitlin-’
She rained blows on his head. He managed to grasp her hands. She toppled on to him and the next moment they were kissing.
Caitlin pulled her lips away. ‘I love you. How much more proof do you need?’
‘Hear me out. If you become Suleyman’s wife-’
‘One of twelve.’
‘And the most beautiful. Your son might be Emir one day, perhaps even Sultan.’
Caitlin shivered. ‘I’m not a brood mare. I want a husband who’ll cherish me as much as I cherish him. I know you’re that man.’
‘Suleyman offered me five pounds of gold if I left you here.’
Caitlin’s face turned white. ‘Five pounds of gold?’
‘Enough to buy a broad and fertile estate. I refused the offer. The choice must be yours.’
‘I’ve already made it.’
Vallon looked into her eyes. ‘Tomorrow, Hero and I are leaving alone. No, listen to me. We have one last piece of business to conclude. If we’re successful, it could make us richer than if I’d taken Suleyman’s gold.’
‘What business? Tell me.’
‘I can’t. If we find what we’re looking for, I’ll return for you the day after tomorrow. I promise.’
‘By then I’ll be in Konya.’
‘Then I’ll look for you in Konya.’
‘Once you’ve left, the Emir might hide me away. Let me come with you.’
‘No. It’s too risky.’ He rose.
‘What if you don’t find what you’re looking for?’
He was already walking towards the entrance. ‘While I’m gone, consider what’s best for your future.’
She rose in a rustle of silk. ‘Don’t go.’
‘I think it would be better if I did.’
An orange flew past his head. ‘Is that another of the Emir’s orders?’
Vallon stopped. ‘At our first audience, I told him we were lovers. I did it to protect you. He knows it’s a lie. Your maids spy on you.’
‘Then stay and make it true.’
He turned. A tear sparkled on Caitlin’s lashes. ‘Did you reject his gold because you set my value at nought? Do you hate me? Am I so repugnant? Are you so bound to chastity?’
‘No to all your questions.’
‘Then what do I have to do to persuade you?’
He took one step towards her.
Caitlin removed a layer of silk and let it fall. It floated down as light as a cobweb. ‘Is that enough or must I do more?’
Vallon’s throat pulsed.
Caitlin removed the second gossamer layer. ‘Still not enough?’
Vallon massaged his throat. ‘I’ll tell you when.’
She gave him a sharp look. ‘I’ve not done this for any other man.’
‘I imagine that in Iceland you tear off your homespun and dive under the fleeces before the frost can nip your tender parts.’
She laughed and discarded another veil. Beneath it she wore a gown so flimsy that he could see every curve and cranny against the lamplight. She slipped it from her shoulders and it slithered to the floor with a sigh and pooled around her feet. All she wore was a gold girdle with a jade pendant hanging below her navel. A gift from the Emir. Her hand felt for the clasp.
He took her in his arms. ‘Keep it on,’ he said, voice congested.
She lolled against him, ‘What was it you said about seeing me naked? “It was no hardship on the eyes.”’
Vallon buried his mouth in the hollow of her shoulder. ‘Forgive a rough and ready soldier. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.’
She led him into her bedchamber through curtains embroidered with birds amid fruiting vines. Lamps flickered around her bed. She slipped under the cover and spread her arms and gave a long expiring sigh.
Vallon undressed and slid in beside her. He put his arm around her and she rested her face against his. Her eyelashes fluttered against his cheek. He breathed in her fragrance and closed his eyes. It was like returning to a blissful place he thought he’d never visit again.
He murmured into the soft curve of her jaw. ‘I haven’t lain with a woman for three years.’
She sat up, her breasts jiggling. ‘Is there something wrong with you?’
Vallon closed his lips around her nipple. ‘The Moors don’t provide prisoners with women.’
‘Who was the last woman you made love to?’
‘My wife.’
She subsided on top of him. ‘Were you faithful to her?’
‘Why do women ask so many questions?’
‘Because we’re interested in the answers. So … were you faithful?’
‘I was.’
She wriggled up so she could see his face. ‘I don’t believe you. All those years campaigning and you never gave in to temptation?’
‘I must be a bloodless soul.’
She settled back and her hand crept down his belly, pausing on the scar, moving lower. ‘I wouldn’t say that.’
He rolled her onto her back, raised himself up and looked down into her eyes. She looped her arms around his neck. ‘You’ll always be my prince,’ she said, and then gasped and arched her neck back as he entered.
