An Affinity For Fire

23. Tarragon

Tarragon felt a warm spray of blood across his face as the pressure was relieved from his neck. He sat up with an aching gasp, clutching at his sore throat.

Looking up, he saw the Queen Regent was still holding Lord Roxeth's body. She was staring vacantly at the blade in his chest as if she wasn't quite sure how it had got there.

"Cal-," he croaked, still hoarse from the dead man's grip. "Calio".

Either she didn't here him or she wasn't listening. Her eyes remained fixed on the dagger.

Tarragon heard a stifled gasp and turned to see Tanari striding towards him, sword in hand, with a look of rage etched across her face. He didn't struggle when she grabbed him by the shoulder, pulling him to his knees, and held the tip of her sword to his throat.

"Your Highness, what would you have me do with this treacherous creature?" she spat, glaring at him.

When Calio didn't answer, the guard finally tore her eyes away from him and towards her, her face softening.

"Your Highness," she said gently. "Calio."

The Queen looked up at last. "What?"

"What should I do with this man?"

Her brow creased, eyes still hazed and distant. "Urm... Just... Let him go."

Tanari raised her sword a fraction of an inch, but didn't loosen her grip on him. "My- my Lady, I don't understand. You wish for me to release the man who killed Lord Roxeth?"

"What? No, I- I did this." The words came out slowly, like she was talking in a language she only half understood. "Let him go. In fact, can you both just leave?"

Tanari gave the Queen a stiff bow before hauling Tarragon to his feet and pulling him away from the balcony and into the corridor. As soon as they had turned the corner and were out of Calio's sight, she reraised her sword. Tarragon winced as the tip pressed against his still stinging throat.

"If you wish to leave in a better state than our late Lord Roxeth, you will tell me exactly what in all Hells just happened."

Tarragon wasn't sure how to answer that. The 'what', he knew. But as soon as he told her that, she would want to know the 'why', and that was an answer he was scared to admit to himself, let alone say out loud. He wanted to pretend there was some other explanation, but he'd caught the end of their conversation.

A man had just attempted to kill his own cousin, his own friend, out of fear of Mages.

"He tried to kill her," he said at last. "She got there first. I don't really know anything else."

The gaurd didn't move, eyes narrowed in scepticism. Eventually, her vicious grimace melted away and she reluctantly put her sword down.

"You should wash," she said, her voice still cold. "Do you need me to show you where the baths are?"

"It's fine, I know how to get to them," he answered. "Anyway, you should stay near her. You know, in case he ... wasn't planning this alone."

Tanari remained still for a moment, eying him, but finally nodded and gestured for him to leave.

Tarragon found the baths completely empty. He pulled his tight, borrowed shirt over his head with a sigh and undid his belt, letting his trousers drop to the floor. When he climbed in, he barely noticed the scorching heat that had made him so uncomfortable the first time. He splashed the steaming water over his face and absently rubbed off the still wet blood.

He'd been unarmed. That was the thing that made him feel so foolish. He had been completely unarmed when he charged headlong into a fight with a strong young man holding a dagger. He had come within inches of death, and for what?