Treason keep by Jennifer Fallon

Author:Jennifer Fallon [Fallon, Jennifer]
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction - Fantasy, Fiction, Fantasy, General, Juvenile Fiction, Historical, Epic, Fantasy fiction, Science Fiction; Fantasy; Magic, Science fiction, Fantasy fiction; Australian, Fantasy - Epic, Fantasy - Series
ISBN: 9780765309877
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2004-11-09T08:00:00+00:00

"Explain."

"Perhaps, if her status was one of honoured guest rather than prisoner, she might let something slip."

"She won't let anything slip. She's too smart for that." Damin glared at Tarja, not liking the direction this conversation was heading.

"Maybe," Jenga mused. "What are you suggesting exactly?"

"Release her. Give her the freedom of the camp. We should ask for something to prove her story, of course. Some piece of intelligence we can easily verify, as a gesture of good will. And we'd have to put a guard on her

- there's no telling what she'd get up to on her own, but we can claim it's for her protection. We can't let her get her hands on her jewels, either, but there is no reason why she shouldn't think we believe her."

"If we believed her, we'd send her back to Fardohnya," Damin pointed out.

"She won't fall for it."

"Oh, yes, she will. Because you, my Lord, are going to start acting as if she's an ally, not your sworn enemy."

"The hell I will!"

"I'm afraid you've lost me, Tarja?" Jenga said. "How would that help?" Tarja sighed patiently. "As Damin keeps reminding us, she's a very smart girl. But she never got the message from her brother and she knows nothing of the Hythrun Raiders stationed in Bordertown. If we release her,

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at least conditionally, and our Warlord here can keep a civil tongue in his head, she'll come to believe we need her help in holding back her father's troops. I'm not saying she'll believe us right away, but if we act as if we think she's on our side, even if she's lying, she has to play along with it."

"So you think she may end up betraying herself, simply to maintain the illusion of cooperation?"

"Relax your vigilance for more than a heartbeat, and she'll slip a knife between your ribs," Damin warned.

"Ah, but she's your princess, remember?" Tarja said with a grin. "I don't plan on getting that close."

Damin glared at Tarja. "Nice plan, my friend, but in case you hadn't noticed there's a war going on out there. I have too much to do to waste time playing games of intrigue with a Fardohnyan princess. The Kariens could attack again at any moment."

Jenga shook his head confidently. "Not likely. They've still not recovered from the last battle and it will snow any day."

"Besides, your troops seem to get along very nicely without you," Tarja added, taking far too much pleasure in Damin's misery. "Almodavar coped quite well while you were off consulting your god for nearly a month." Damin considered that an entirely unfair argument. "It's not the same thing. My men knew I was gone to consult with the gods. They're not likely to be nearly as understanding if they think I'm neglecting them for a woman."

"I disagree," Jenga remarked with a rare smile. "From what I've seen of your men, Damin, they'd give that just as much credence." Damin chose to ignore that one. "It won't work.

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