Alliances Offered, Part Seven

"Here," said the priestess Aesa, and turned to step out through a stone archway and onto a balcony on the western wall of the citadel that was the Temple of Amun. Tavros, as promised, was standing beside the stone rail, watching the sun set. Orange-red light silhouetted his figure, and he didn't appear to have noticed their arrival. 

It was perfect. She'd asked Aesa to arrange for them to meet privately, but to make it look like an accident; the word that had gone around the temple suggested that she was a noble-born refugee from Wellfort, so if she was seen to offer counsel to the Fontaine Heir it would attract unwelcome attention. A chance meeting, though, would be easy enough to dismiss, and if anyone thought it was deliberate they were more likely to think she was courting him than anything else. A noble daughter seeking the attention of a prince was hardly noteworthy, after all.

"I'll wait," said Aesa, and stepped to the side, leaning back against the stone wall beside the doorway.

"Thank you," said Jacqueline Bouvier. 

She crossed the ledge slowly, coming up beside Tavros and pausing for a long moment to look out at the sunset. No wonder he likes this place. The view was amazing. 

He glanced over at her after a moment, then turned his attention back to the view. "Lady Andiras."

"Your Majesty." 

"Sister Tiva tells me you've been helping her with her accounts," he said. "She says you have a good eye for detail."

"I needed something to occupy my time," Jacqueline said, honestly, "and it pleases me to be able to assist the ones who took me in." She placed just a little emphasis on the word assist, and Tavros glanced at her. 

"Oh?"

"It seems that Giles Bouvier received your package," she said quietly. "He was much displeased, and one of his lieutenants has taken it upon himself to dispatch you. The pretender-king Bouvier was pleased by this offer; he promised my lady's hand in marriage if the man succeeded."

"I take it your lady objects to such a match?" asked Tavros, his voice wry.

"Strenuously." Jacqueline shifted her weight and met his eyes for moment. "His name is Thesean."

Tavros nodded. "How dangerous is he?"

"With the advantage of surprise, very dangerous." She tilted her head, still meeting His Majesty's eyes. "With me to identify him and express my lady's displeasure with him, not so much. He'll likely seek you at your mother's estate; Vigo has done a good job of shifting public attention there, and Thesean is cunning but not especially bright. I'd give even odds on whether he attempts an infiltration, or whether he simply brings help and stages a raid."

"I see," said Tavros, and took a moment to look at the sunset, which was rapidly disappearing. 

"Your Majesty," she said, "this is important to me."

"Eh? Oh, I wasn't going to cut you out. I was just thinking about how to arrange it so that you can get your piece of him without giving away the larger game."

Jacqueline Bouvier felt her shoulders relax. "The easiest way is to do what you already intend," she said. "Execute my father while Thesean makes his way here. Let me deal with him when he arrives."

"If he stages a raid, you'll need others with you," Tavros observed. "Otherwise, you might be overwhelmed, even with my mother on the premises."

Jacqueline nodded slowly. She'd never gone into battle before; he had. He was probably right. "Anica, Aesa, Tarric, and Werendril," she suggested. "Your friends."

Tavros nodded slowly. "Those are... good choices. And it wouldn't seem especially strange for them to visit my estate." He nodded again, this time more firmly. "Very well. I'll make the arrangements. And lady Andiras? I'm grateful. Even if you're doing this for your own reasons, I'm grateful."