'The women here are quite different to any in Alba,' Melcorka said, as the dancer circled Bradan, wiggling her hips and with both arms raised in the air. Dressed in her transparent, shimmering jacket and loose trousers, she was more sensual than anything Melcorka had ever seen before.
The music eased to a halt, and still the dancer paraded herself a handspan from Bradan, with her subtle perfume drifting over him and her gaze fixed on his face.
'She likes you.' Melcorka could not control her unease. She shifted slightly, wishing she had not relinquished Defender so easily.
'She is testing me.' Bradan said. 'And I rather think she is testing you.'
'I have no sword,' Melcorka said, 'but if that woman slithers any closer, she will find out that a woman of Alba does not need a sword to defend her man.'
The dancer altered the angle of her gaze from Bradan to Melcorka, staring directly into Melcorka's eyes as she continued to grind her hips, now a finger's width from Bradan's face.
'He's mine,' Melcorka said softly, in Gaelic and then in Tamil. Her smile would have frightened a stone carving into terrified flight.
The dancer moved to the next group of supplicants, the music began again, and the incident seemed closed. Melcorka fingered her shoulder where Defender should have been, glanced over to Bradan, and pursed her lips. 'There are some things about this Chola Empire that I do not like.'
Bradan smiled. 'You are safe with me, Mel.'
'That is one thing I do not doubt,' Melcorka said. 'I only wonder if you are safe with these voluptuous women.' She put an edge to her voice. 'And I wonder if these women are safe with me.'
'Hush now.' Bradan touched Melcorka's shoulder. 'Something is happening.'
The dancer slipped away. The musicians changed the tune to something much grander, and a man in scarlet clothes stepped gravely into the room and onto the platform in front. Two others followed, each carrying a large chair with a carved back, which they placed facing the supplicants. The music stopped. The man in scarlet ordered everybody to stand as a quiet-footed servant lit a dozen lamps to illuminate the darkening room.
'That must be Rajaraja coming now,' Melcorka murmured. 'All rise for the king of kings.'
Two people walked slowly to the chairs and sat down. One was undoubtedly Rajaraja Cholan. Taller than the majority of his people, he wore the loose clothing that was common in this part of the world, with most of his upper body bare and three strings of pearls around his neck. Rather than a crown, he wore an elaborate head-dress that glittered with jewels, while a long, slightly curved sword hung from a cobalt-blue belt.
'I do like his ear-rings.' Melcorka murmured. 'And his moustache.'
Bradan grunted. The ear-rings nearly descended to Rajaraja's shoulders. 'Look at the rani.'
The woman who sat at his side was graceful and elegant in her near-transparent jacket and trousers. She looked utterly composed, even though she had been dancing only a few moments before.
'That's the dancer,' Melcorka said. 'She must have listened to every word we said. What a clever system of gauging the temper of her people. I will still kill her if she tries to steal you from me, Rani or no Rani.'
Two musicians raised great, curved horns to their lips. The resultant blast of sound silenced everything else in the chamber, then the musicians lowered their horns and a herald stepped forward to proclaim the raja.
'All praise Arulmozhi Thevar, son of Parantaka Sundara Chola, Rajaraja Chola, Emperor of Chola, conqueror of the Pandyas and Cheras, victor over the fleet of Bhaskara Ravi Varman Thiruvadi, conqueror of Gangapadi and Nurambapadi, scourge of the Chalukyas.'
Rajaraja sat upright on his chair, one hand on the hilt of his sword and his gaze roving over the room. It settled on Melcorka and Bradan, hovered for a moment as he scrutinised these foreigners in his empire, and moved on.
The horns blasted again, and the herald continued: 'Also praise the Rani of Chola, Panchavan Madeviyar.'
The rani sat in dignified silence. Melcorka ran her gaze over the toned, supple body and decided that Rajaraja had chosen a very suitable wife. He wondered what she had heard and how much Melcorka had damaged their cause by challenging her.
'Rajaraja will now hear your supplications,' the herald announced and stepped back as one of his underlings chose who should speak first.
Melcorka listened as Rajaraja dealt with the questions, one after another. The raja decided upon complex cases about inheritance and land ownership, legal rights and village disputes, before the herald at last indicated Melcorka.
'These two are foreign travellers,' the herald announced. 'They are known as Bradan the Wanderer and Melcorka nic Bearnas from Alba.' He stumbled over the unfamiliar names. 'They have come to speak to your Majesty.'
Melcorka felt the power of Rajaraja's personality when the ruler's gaze fixed on her. 'What is it you seek, travellers from Alba? Is it a trade concession?'
Melcorka and Bradan stood up together, with Bradan salaaming and Melcorka giving a formal curtsey. 'We have come from a far-off land,' Bradan said. 'And we crave a private audience with the raja on an urgent matter of state security.' Thinking he should be more dramatic, Bradan added, 'There is a serious threat to your Majesty's empire.'
Rajaraja sat up straight in his chair as Panchavan frowned at Bradan. Melcorka felt the atmosphere chill and wished she still had Defender.
'It is unusual for anybody to make such a request,' Rajaraja said slowly, with his gaze roving from Bradan to Melcorka, 'especially somebody from outside our borders.'
'I do assure your Majesty that we come with only the best intentions,' Bradan said. 'I do not wish to
