Guardian of Honor

“Marwey?”

The teenager pressed her lips together. “You’re including Chevalier Raston?”

Empathy for the girl’s attraction to the knight touched Thealia. “I must,” she said gently. “Alyeka must be able to choose from everyone eligible. Including Raston. Including you. The Song knows there isn’t a good choice of quality available bedmates, just those courtiers usually here at the Castle and the Chevaliers assigned to us.” She clicked her tongue. “I don’t think our widespread call for a mate for an Exotique was taken seriously.”

Marwey’s mouth set; she looked strained about the eyes.

“And,” Thealia said gently, “if Alyeka chooses a bedmate tonight she won’t have to go through the formal Choosing and Blood-Bond Pairing ritual tomorrow. You’ve been the closest to her of us all. Surely you’d like to spare her that wrenching experience.”

Marwey grimaced and dropped her gaze. “Yes.”

“You’ve been linked to her to experience her world and help us communicate. Do you think she will want you or Raston?”

The teenager narrowed her eyes, recollecting and exploring her brief bond with the Exotique. Marwey shivered again. A dimple peeped from her cheek. “She likes men only. And older ones than Raston.” Then Marwey sobered and glanced around the group of Marshalls. “Her world is completely different! They don’t even believe Power exists!” She blinked rapidly. “I can’t tolerate the glimpses of her world. I hope she can fit in here. ’Cause she can help us, a lot. She will make new fenceposts for us. I felt it.” She pressed both hands to her chest.

They looked skeptically at her. She drew herself up to her full height—almost as tall as the Exotique. “I have not come into my full range or aspects of my Power, but I know what I know,” she said with dignity, and walked to the bench beside the door and sat.

“Teenagers,” Mace sighed.

“They can be dramatic,” Faith agreed. “But Marwey is the only one who’s linked with our new Marshall, and the Exotique chose the Jade Baton of Honor.”

There was silence as they all thought of the ancient legends of blazing energy woven around the Jade Baton of Honor.

The gong sounded as the door opened and people trooped in.

3

Alexa jumped at the deep tone of the gong. She gathered her wits from the daze she’d fallen into.

More people. Now what? Was she going to have to weather more “tests”? Anger spurted through her and gave her energy enough to stand straight and glare at the newcomers. They brought a riff of music with them, individual notes, most of which weren’t interesting to Alexa. Weird.

At Thealia’s wave they stood in a line before Alexa.

Again they were all taller than she, a couple of the men far more than six feet tall. They were an attractive people.

Only a few had streaks in their hair, silver or gold. Several—men and women—were dressed in soldiers’ uniforms, some with heraldry on their chests. The women wore long gowns of cotton or linen with wool surcoats in layered, bright colors that wouldn’t have been matched together back home. None of the newcomers dressed like the Marshalls.

Definitely a class system here. Alexa wondered where an orphan who grew up in foster homes like herself would fit in. Lowest of the low, no doubt. A serving woman.

Ha! She’d climbed from poor beginnings in her own world, she could do it here too. After a little rest. God, she was tired! It was all she could do to keep her chin up. A warmth pulsed in her hand and she looked down to see her baton. Right, she thought fuzzily. She was already a Marshall, whatever that was.

A woman in the line squeaked as the jade staff glowed, then crumpled to the floor. Someone else snorted.

“Deshouse, Alyeka,” Thealia said.

Alexa stared blankly at her.

Thealia tapped her foot and her eyebrows drew together as if she was figuring out how to communicate.

“Alyeka,” said Marwey.

Alexa turned her head to the girl. Marwey ran to one of the young soldiers and threw herself into his arms. He flushed and stiffened until she pulled his head down and whispered into his ear. After a second, he kissed her with enthusiasm.

“Deshouse, Alyeka,” Thealia repeated.

Alexa got the idea. They wanted her to choose a lover. So, they’d “tested” her to check if she would let a baby drown. Was this another test, to see if she’d have sex with someone she just met? Or was it more complex than that? Would her choice of lover reflect on her?

She didn’t know what it meant that she had chosen the jade wand. Who had it belonged to, what traditions or history might it have?

What would it mean if she chose a person? Surely they didn’t expect her to have sex tonight! She didn’t even know if she could put one foot in front of the other to walk to the wall and collapse on a padded bench and sleep.

“Alyeka!” Thealia was stern.

After licking her lips and clearing her throat, Alexa called. “Marwey.”

The girl said something to her boyfriend and patted his cheek, then ran over to Alexa, who could only admire her energy.

“Marwey,” Alexa croaked. “Bar? Test?”

Marwey’s brow furrowed, then her face cleared. “Ttho, Alyeka. Ttho bar.”

“Huh,” Alexa said.

Both Thealia and Marwey said it together now. “Deshouse.”

With great precision, Alexa turned her back on the line of people. More than one sigh of relief came from behind her. She faced Thealia, met the gaze of every other Marshall. “Ttho. No.” She felt like a two-year-old who only knew one word—no. Not exactly true—she knew baton and Marwey and Thealia and Reynardus…. Her mind numbed into a daze of weariness again. She wondered if she dared sleep. Maybe when she awoke she’d be in her apartment and this would all be a vivid dream.

The jade in her fingers hummed and drew a faint chime from the jewel-toned rainbow crystals.

While Alexa’s mind floated, Thealia dismissed the others and only the Marshalls and Marwey were left to stare at her. Then Thealia was holding a purple cloak. It looked brand new. Embroidered on the left side was an impossible-looking fuchsia flower. Alexa touched a finger to the silken threads and stroked it, letting the texture of something beautiful soak into her—easing the rough edges of the night.

“Exotique,” Marwey said.

Alexa understood. The flower was exotique. She was called “exotique.” She didn’t have enough energy to shrug.

The huge man appeared before Alexa’s narrow range of vision. He held a belt with a tube-sheath that was green with silver traced around in an intricate, leafy pattern.

He bobbed his head, and with extremely deliberate motions, set the belt around Alexa’s waist, buckled it, then faded back beyond Alexa’s sight.

Thealia settled the cape on Alexa’s shoulders and fastened the clasp. The cloak dragged on the ground. Sighing, Alexa tucked the baton in its sheath and gathered the excess material in her hands.

Marwey put the strap of Alexa’s fanny pack over her arm, then grasped Alexa’s elbow. “Ven, Alyeka.” Marwey tugged.

They went slowly from the room. Someone opened the door and the chill of a humid night hit Alexa. Mist curled over her skin and brought with it an unpleasant odor of sulphur.

The walk seemed endless, up a curving ramp or two, down long corridors, then finally Alexa found herself dragging up an interminable set of narrow, twisting stairs.

She paid no attention to the rooms or furnishings around her, except to get the impression of great age and great wealth. At the top of the stairs was a half-circle room with a door straight ahead that had a little table next to it, and a door to the right. Evidently they were in a large tower.