Paragon Lost by Dave Duncan

Author:Dave Duncan
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi

Something was very wrong tonight.

Sophie assembled with her ladies-in-waiting in the Robing Room. She usually had a long wait there for her notoriously unpunctual husband, but this evening his anteroom door stood open and his guards were nowhere in sight, meaning he was not 1in his bedchamber. Proper procedure would be for her to ask one of her ladies to ring a bell to summon a page to send to find out where the Czar was. Instead, being daring, she announced that they would go on down to the Assembly Room. She led the way, with her be-gowned entourage rustling and twittering along behind her.

Tonight’s reception was an important one, the first giving of gifts, starring the most senior princes and their wives. Sophie would have expected Igor to be there in person, noting who had been too stingy (and therefore deserved to be taxed more) and who too ostentatious (and therefore could afford to be taxed more), and also calculating how much of the treasure he could carve out for himself.

Tasha and her ladies were already there, all young, gorgeous, and frosted with jewels. Tasha had blossomed amazingly since her return to court, glowing with excitement at her forthcoming adventure. The Queen Elect of Chivial did not correct anyone who addressed her as “Your Majesty.” She could even ignore sour-faced Fedor, who had been forced by his father to flog his three streltsi accomplices to death in Great Market and also write Tasha a letter of apology, which had bothered him a lot more.

Lord Wassail and his Blades were not there. He had never been late before. Sophie dispatched a herald to his quarters, making Fedor frown at her presumption. The man returned with word that His Excellency was indisposed. She knew enough diplomatic gabble to know that this meant absolutely nothing and enough of Lord Wassail to guess that the matter was serious.

“Then we shall proceed without them. Son, your arm.”

“You can’t do this!” Fedor bellowed.

“Oh? You know where His Majesty is?”

“Whether I do or not, you can’t go ahead without him!”

So he did not know. Unusual! “Possibly he and Lord Wassail are in conference. We shall proceed.”

Sophie was much less frightened of Fedor now, and even of Igor himself. She had not told him her news yet, because she was not absolutely certain, but she felt odd in a way she never had before, and there were times when thoughts of banquets brought her out in a cold perspiration. Nor had she told Beau.

“If you want to stay away, that is your right, Son. Come, Tasha, we’ll go in together.”

Fedor strode forward furiously to escort his stepmother.

Free of the Czar’s brooding shadow, the reception was a stupendous success. Tasha and her ladies went into ecstasies over the gifts. Sophie enjoyed the chance to mingle with the guests. She chatted at length with Chief Boyar Skuratov, who survived in his post by virtue of outstanding senile incompetence. He could not select a pastry from a tray without specific instructions from the Czar.

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