The Sultan's Spy

Chapter 4: Identities

Back in one of her loose robes that tied around her neck and had wide, open sleeves, Eliska strolled through another of the linked courtyards that lay at the centre of the harem. As she moved she considered which of her identities it would be best to adopt, who would be able to go where she needed without drawing attention. She thought one of her middle class covers, merchant or low level administrator might be the best option.

She wasn't going to take chances with this. Not when Zorana and Kasimer had both been in the meeting. That alone told her how serious things were. Kasimer ran the country and Zorana ran him, in addition to the harem and taking care of the family as a whole. They were both so busy it was rare to see one of them when getting an assignment. Mostly they just left it to Lizina, who was in charge of all the shadows.

Eliska dodged around two of the younger children who rushed past her, chasing each other and laughing. She smiled briefly, you almost had to love children to be able to live in the harem with so many of them running around, before turning her attention back to what was coming.

Slavers she could handle and had even helped with during the last bout of stupidity. Every couple of years one group of them would think that they could take their people, that they could get away with it. Then the family would have to get involved and make examples of them and let that keep the others in line until their memories began to fade and the cycle started up again.

Her eyes swept everything in front of her, her gaze tracking movement until she could identify and dismiss it as nothing of concern as she'd been trained to do. Here in the heart of the harem there were no threats, not with all the entrances heavily guarded, and those only accessible if you got through the palace first. But it wasn't a habit she was about to break. Not when it had saved her more than once.

In the bright light of the sun, Eliska let the heat sink slowly into her as she kept up her leisurely pace. She watched the various members of her family going about their daily lives. Not all of them were strictly family, what with servants in the mix, but living in the harem together bonded them all. And it wasn't as if there wasn't precedent of Sultans in the past choosing a servant girl as a new concubine.

Zorana had much to firm a hand to allow that, not unless the girl in question proved herself to be exceptional, but a strong Valide Sultan wasn't always the case. Not all mothers were capable of keeping their sons in line, especially when they weren't excepting their son to become Sultan.

Kasimer had known though. She'd heard that he had been their father's favourite. Not that she remembered anything of the man. He'd died when she was only a toddler, and her brother had taken the throne in his twenties. In many ways he was her real father, the one who had looked in on her, had spoiled her on her birthdays, done all the things their father had done for the others.

It probably helped his eldest daughter was the same age she was. Of course, Nalini had been married for a number of years now, though she visited several times a week. Her husband was in charge of army supply, so they were both in the palace more often than not.

That made Eliska frown. She supposed she should be bothered about being as old as she was and not having been married, but that seemed like a silly worry. She had important work to do. And it wasn't as if Lizina hadn't been nearly thirty when she married. It had practically been a scandal, but as the new head of the shadows, her husband had to be selected with the utmost care. And she seemed quite happy with the choice from what Eliska had seen.

Shifting over so she could let someone pass, only the arms and feet visible around the mound of linens the person carried, Eliska entered the shade offered by the overhanging roofs of the buildings that lined every side of the courtyard. But that brought up another thought. If she was to be believable, if her new identity was to go unquestioned, she'd have to take on one that was supposedly married.

She grimaced at the thought. Bad enough setting her own identity up, trying to work in a fictional husband as well... She supposed if she kept up the pretense that he worked odd hours, that he was gone a lot, she could maybe get away without having to bring one of the guards with her. Because, good as they were, none of them were really trained to pretend to be someone else the way she had been.

Ajani could probably have pulled it off, but his own work prevented him from coming. Eliska hummed slightly as she thought. Some kind of trader made sense. Someone like that might have to meet with ship's captains, customers, and arrange caravans and the like. That could take them all over the place and have them gone for extended periods of time.

With the restrictions that would cause and knowing she'd need someone who would verify any kind of story she came up with, Eliska settled on becoming Varina. She hadn't used the identity for more than renting a small, cheap set of rooms in town from one of the landlords who was part of the shadow network. He'd take whatever basic story she gave him and be ready to answer any questions people might ask, if they got that far.

It wasn't as if Almira would be the person asking. She was almost never allowed out of the palace, not that Eliska blamed Kasimer. Almira was far too useful, and outside the palace it was far too likely the spell ritual could be broken and then it would be another year before she could reset the spell.

She was also the only girl kept ignorant of the business of the shadows and the intelligence gathered by the harem. They couldn't risk it or her. Not when Almira had mastered the truth-sensing spell. Eliska couldn't have, not when the ritual involved an entire year of speaking only the truth and the inability to lie after completing it or ending up losing the spell.

Her finger unconsciously ran down one tattooed arm. Each one the mark of an extended ritual and another thing she had to keep in mind at all times unless she wanted to lose the spell. She might be disciplined enough to reset any of her spells, but she sure wouldn't enjoy it. And there were a few that if she broke the ritual...

Eliska sighed. That was enough dwelling on what was to come before she had herself better settled with a better idea of what she needed to do. She turned, strolling back around one of the stone pots holding flowers that dotted the courtyard.

If she was to get herself properly ready, she needed to read the report on what had been found out so far, what the situation was like. Lizina should have a copy in her room by now, and after reading that, she should really go speak to the Wardrobe Mistress and get the clothing she'd need for this.

Lizina would have the funds she'd been assigned as well as anything else she requested left in her room. Not that Eliska felt she needed much besides her weapons, not this early in the game. With two centuries worth of networking, the safety net of family and assets meant that Eliska and the other shadows had support all over the country and even more so in the capital. And with a blood mage sniffing around the city, Eliska thought she was going to need all the help she could get from family and operatives alike.