Kikbax gave the big Kindred a blank look.
“Whyever would they be? They are nobles,” he emphasized. “They’re not meant to deal in physical matters.”
“Those ‘physical matters’ could mean life or death to your new Potentate,” Ty said angrily. “There has already been one attempt on her life and someone has tried to drug her twice. That means that the males surrounding her need to know how to handle themselves—and protect their Potentate if the need arises.”
“My dear Kindred, of course the Goddess in the Flesh shall be protected-you’ll be at her side, won’t you?” Kikbax said, a bit too jovially, Ellina thought. “But…” He frowned. “What did you say about someone trying to drug her?”
“I said exactly what I meant—twice a foreign substance has been found in her wine,” Ty growled.
“Oh?” The High Priest looked surprised. “And how was this found out?”
“That’s not important,” Ty snapped. “The point is that twice someone has tried to drug Her Majesty and if the substance in her wine hadn’t been neutralized, she might have become seriously ill or incapacitated.” He glared at Kikbax. “And may I add, High Priest, that both times the drug was found in her cup, you were present.”
Kikbax drew himself up, a look of deepest offense coming over his ponderous features.
“What? Are you accusing me, the High Priest of Thufar, of trying to poison my Potentate? The Goddess in the Flesh to whom we all owe our most humble and fervent allegiance?” he demanded, his florid face going purple with rage.
“I didn’t say that,” Ty said coolly. “I’m merely pointing out that the Potentate is in constant danger and I don’t like the idea of a bunch of useless noble fops surrounding her when she’s vulnerable in the middle of a big crowd and needs real protection.”
“You may, of course, station your own warriors in such a way as to make a larger ring around the candidates,” the High Priest said, with equal coldness. “But the people must be able to see their Potentate and believe that she is close to choosing a consort. It will set their minds at ease and help promote peace throughout the kingdom.”
“I’ll be all right, Ty.” Ellina put a hand on her Kindred’s arm and found that he was positively thrumming with tension and anger. “As long as you’re nearby, I’ll be all right,” she repeated, looking up at him.
The High Priest gave them both a sharp look and finally nodded his head.
“Very well. I will meet you both at the gates of the palace later tonight. We can work out the last formalities of the marching order for the Grand Promenade there, before we proceed out into the Primary Corridor. Until then, good day, Your Majesty.”
He bowed deeply but his grand gesture was somewhat spoiled when his chewchie hissed nastily at Lor.
Lor snarled back and the two of them might have come to blows if Kikbax hadn’t risen hurriedly and made his way from her apartments.
Well, Ellina thought with an inward sigh as she watched him go, I guess there’s nothing to do but just get through it. It’s not like I can cancel the event.
But she had no idea just how stressful—and dangerous—the Grand Promenade was going to be, or she might have thought differently.
Chapter Twenty-two
Yet again, Ty found himself in a position he didn’t like one damn bit. This time, it wasn’t the visibility that was the problem—it was the sheer crowds of people they were about to go among.
Right now he and Ellina and the consorts and the guards as well as various musicians, dancers and singers were lined up and waiting behind the tall, golden palace gate. But soon the whole long procession would march out in parade form onto the Primary Corridor—the huge thoroughfare that ran right through the middle of the underground kingdom.
And as far as Ty could tell, every citizen in the whole city as well as thousands of visitors who had come to see the new Potentate would be there, lining the road and cheering.
He had stationed his Kindred guards as well as the new legion of Chorkay guards he was training around the perimeter of the central position that Ellina was going to be marching in. But he didn’t like the fact that between her and the essential safety of the trained warriors was a bunch of useless noblemen, all of them dressed up as though for a court ball and most wearing more makeup than Ellina was.
Of course, the Potentate was wearing considerably more than she liked herself —Ty had heard her arguing with her royal stylist as she got ready.
“You’ve made me up like a carnival performer or a bawdy stage actress,” Ellina had protested. “This isn’t me at all!”
“The people must be able to make out your features and distinguish you from all the rest in the Grand Promenade, Your Highness,” the stylist had argued back. “Some of them will be standing so far back they can barely see you—you’ll need to stand out to make an impression.”
In the end the stylist had carried the day, though Ellina still wasn’t happy, Ty knew, about the amount of cosmetics applied to her face.
Though he liked her just as well without all the stuff the stylist had put on her, Ty had to privately admit that the Chorkay woman had done an excellent job. She had accentuated Ellina’s delicate features and highlighted her Sacred Blue skin with a golden dust that made her almost seem to glow. Her third eye had been accentuated with a thicker layer of the same golden dust, making her look both mysterious and intuitive and her lips were berry-red, framing her little white even teeth.
When she smiled, she would be certain to dazzle any male who saw her, Ty thought. Well, except for the idiotic
