The Diplomat Read Free Page B

smile brightened Talitha’s face. “My third daughter. When she reached the age of eight, my husband wanted to marry her to some distant prince in order to secure safer sea trade. Sea trade! Can you believe it? Fortunately, little Elise hid for two months in the palace towers and thus escaped her fate. And it was always the same ever after. My husband kept trying to marry her off, and she’d vanish until the suitor would write back, fed up, to call off the wedding.”
    Rema laughed. “How did the King handle it?”
    “Poorly,” said Talitha, grinning. “When she was seventeen, a magician visited us at court, in search of our patronage. My husband was unimpressed. Elise, however, was fascinated. She convinced the wizard to sell her a few old books and some odds and ends from his pack. For the next year we hardly saw her, locked away as she was reading those books.”
    “A magician?”
    “Hush! I’m telling the tale. Now listen. The next year, Cedrin suffered terribly from gout. Elise brought him some foul-smelling remedy she’d mixed. In the morning, he’d never felt better, and, after eighteen years of wanting nothing more than to be rid of her, my husband decided she was worth keeping.”
    “She taught herself how to heal gout?”
    “Oh, and more. She found her escape, bless her heart, and since then she has served as an official at my court.” Talitha’s eyes grew smoky with affection. “As you may have discerned, I love Elise fiercely. The idea of Ormun snatching her away does not sit well with me in the least.”
    Rema remained silent. There’d been no doubt the woman would be difficult to extract, but she’d never expected her to be an enchantress, of all things.
    “Oh, I see you thinking,” said Talitha. “You’re determined to pry her away from us. It’s your duty, and you’re such a surprise that I can’t bring myself to detest you for it. But mark my words, this war will be over before you convince me to surrender her to that marauding rapist you call an Emperor. How many wives does he have now?”
    “Nineteen.”
    Sarcasm darkened Talitha’s voice. “I’m sure he treats them all with care and respect.”
    “I share your reservations, but don’t forget that your kingdom needs our help. There are many more lives at stake here.” Sensing that the conversation was over, Rema rose to her feet and straightened her coat. “I appreciate having had the privilege of your attention.”
    “Yes, yes. Yorin will arrange all the comforts you require, or rather all that we can offer. Don’t expect to drink from cups of pearl. My husband will see you this evening, and you can tell him about how terrible the war is and how badly we need your soldiers, and so on.” Talitha gave an exasperated sigh. “If you truly want to help us, why not take your coaxing little voice to Lyorn and tell them to leave us be?”
    Rema bowed her head. “They’re on the cusp of victory. Keeping them from their kill would take a better diplomat than I.”
    “Well, if you find one, send him my way.” Talitha opened her book again. “Or her! Of all the unexpected things…”
    Rema left the chamber and closed the door quietly behind her. Yorin was fidgeting in the corridor outside. “I’m surprised,” he said. “I’d expected her to evict you much sooner.”
    Rema returned his questioning stare. “You must understand this trade is necessary. The war will destroy you without our help.”
    “Any fool can see that. And while Elise is well-loved at court, not least by me, she is also a source of conflict.” One of Yorin’s mobile eyebrows crept upward. “A lifetime of unruliness has shaped her character in a wild direction.”
    “Ormun has a talent for subduing unruly wives.” A familiar ache crept into Rema’s chest, and she took a moment to steady her breath. “This isn’t my finest moment as a diplomat, Yorin.”
    Sympathy softened Yorin’s tired eyes. “Ah, well. That’s monarchs for you. Despite our