Untouchable.

She lay in the center of the large bed she had been directed to, and waited anxiously for Laris to join her. Now and then she fiddled with the amber stone of the lucky talisman, which she refused to remove even for sleeping. She did not have any proof that the love potion-which had been left behind with her things when poor b.u.t.tercup had run amok-was effective, but she did believe that this talisman had a.s.sisted her. She was not dead, and she'd found Laris. All in all, she considered herself very lucky.

Though the farmhouse was far from large, there were a number of small private rooms, as well as a loft above the main room. Privacy was a good thing. After so many days of seeing no one but Laris, she missed their private moments; she hated sharing him, even with his own loving family. Soon he would be here, and she would not have to share him any longer, at least not for tonight.

Verity was no fool. She knew what Laris had been asking when he'd informed her that she would have to share a bed. For weeks the possibility of what might happen had danced between them, but now that they had a proper bed and she knew his love wasn't the result of trickery, everything had changed. Tonight Laris would do more than hold her in his arms, he would do more than protect her. Tonight he would make her his in every way. She was scared and excited at the same time, but still-what was about to happen was right and good, she knew it.

Once she was no longer a virgin, marrying the emperor would be out of the question. She didn't care. Destinies could be changed. She did have some control over her own life and destiny! There had been a time when she'd wanted to be empress more than anything else, when she was certain she'd been born to be empress! Now all she wanted was one handsome, sweet sentinel to come to this bed and show her what a man and woman in love might be.

The door to the small bedroom opened, and a figure slipped inside. Maybe she should've left a candle burning, but there was a hint of moonlight s.h.i.+ning through the uncovered window, and that should be enough. Verity closed her eyes and gripped the stone she'd been caressing. She held her breath and waited for Laris to join her on the bed. The mattress dipped as weight fell upon it, and a very soft, very female voice, said, "Good night. I hope you don't snore."

Verity sat up abruptly and looked down at Carina's unmistakable head of hair, as Laris's sister turned her back and settled down with a sigh. Before she could think of a word to say, the door opened again and the youngest sister, Fharis-easily identifiable thanks to her slim frame- walked in. She dropped to the other side of the bed and hunkered down quite comfortably.

"Are you going to marry Laris, do you think?" the girl whispered without preamble.

Before Verity could answer, Carina said sharply, "Hush, Fharis. That is not a proper question to ask. Go to sleep."

"I only wondered," the youngest sister whispered. "I always thought Laris would come home and marry Ellanie one day. So did Mama, so don't say it's not true."

Ellanie?

"Go to sleep," Carina said again. "Tomorrow morning will be here before we know it."

Verity lay back and tried to relax. The bed was large enough for two to be comfortable, but three? And who was Ellanie? The door opened again, and this time Verity was not surprised when the third sister, Robyn, slipped into the room. She shoved Carina to the middle of the mattress, where Verity was already lying quite miserably, muttered a tired good night, and laid her head upon a small pillow.

Verity snuggled into the mattress, disappointed and more than a little hurt. Was this what Laris had meant when he'd said she'd have to share a bed? Of course it was. Once again she'd misunderstood his intentions.

He loved her, she knew that. Did he not want her as a man wants a woman? Did he not believe that she wanted him? He probably thought she still wanted to be empress. A virgin empress, at that. She could not blame him, as she had never told him otherwise.

Somehow, she had thought she would not have to tell Laris how she felt. He should know, shouldn't he? He should look into her eyes and see what she wanted from him. Didn't love bring with it unspoken communication?

Apparently not.

Not that her actual communication had been without its problems of late. She had never told Laris that she did not wish to be empress. On many occasions she had told him that she would marry into that position. How was he to know otherwise? And still, she was annoyed that he did not.

Carina elbowed her, and Fharis kicked her ankle. The a.s.sault continued for a while before Verity became accustomedto the other bodies in the bed, and the girls all settled down to sleep-quiet and still.

It was quite some time before Verity found the same stillness and much-needed sleep.

"I suppose we will reach Arthes tomorrow," Sanura said as she laid her head on Alix's bare chest.

"Long before dark," he said. For a man who had once been so anxious to get to the palace, he did not sound happy about the prospect.

She placed her hand low on his belly, pressing it there, raking her fingers against his warm flesh. They were naked and entangled beneath a canopy of leaves. It was the only bed she'd known of late, the only bed she wanted. For now, lost in the forest, Alix was entirely hers.

"I will take good care of you," he said gruffly. "No matter what happens in the days to come, I will care for you above all others."

A part of him, the part which had craved control for so long, still wanted the throne and the power that came with it, but another part of him, the man she loved, wanted more. He wanted love and peace; he wanted the connection they shared. Would it be the same when they were lying in a large, soft bed as it was now when their bed was the hard ground and their roof was the night sky? Would he still love her?

Would he choose power over her?

"And I will care for you, Alix," she said softly. "When you are well; when you are ill; when you are happy; when you are sad; whether you are emperor or not..."

"I will be emperor," he said.

Arguing with him when he was in this state would do more harm than good, she knew, so she did not. Instead, she brushed her thumb across a muscle. He had so many fine muscles, and she was learning them all.

This afternoon she had noticed that his eyes had begun to change. Not the instant and remarkable change from light to dark that she had seen before, but a subtle blending. Streaks of light green now existed among the dark, as both parts of the man she loved merged. At the moment there was still more darkness, but every time she called him Alix, every time he questioned his intentions toward his brother, every time he realized that he loved her-the darkness became less p.r.o.nounced.

Soon, if she was right, his eyes would be the light green she had first seen, light and beautiful green, perhaps marked with thin streaks that spoke of the darkness he could, and would, learn to control.

They slept awhile, and then they woke to make love without words. They simply came together as if being one were the most natural state for either of them. She called her lover Alix. She told him she loved him, many times. She found and gave pleasure in a way she had never known was possible, even though to give pleasure was her purpose.

No, to love was her purpose. She simply had not realized that until she'd come here and discovered Alix, this fractured man who needed her and her love more than she'd

When they were joined, she could see deeply into his soul. Where there had once been light and dark in a constant battle, there was now a merging, a union-a truce of sorts. If she had more time before they reached Arthes, if she could have Alix to herself for just a few more days, she could be a.s.sured that the dark side would not win-she could be certain he would not kill his own brother.

But he could not be stalled any longer. If the one who had called himself Trystan was in control, he would kill his brother and take the throne, and Sanura would find herself the emperor's favorite concubine. If it was her Alix who won, then the emperor would live and Sanura might very well find herself a prince's wife.

Whatever the outcome, she was his. For better or for worse, bride or wh.o.r.e, in war or in blessed peace, she would be his.

It was for Alix's own sake that she wished the best of him would win. No man should have to live with the blood of his own family on his hands, no man should allow ambition to be more important than love. And she knew that if he did kill his brother, the best of him, the Alix she had first loved, would never recover.

Sanura would spend her life comforting him, if need be, but she would much prefer their life to be a celebration. She wanted to give this man who had known little true happiness the best of this life.

As the sun rose, she shattered and cried out as release cracked through her body. She called his name: Alix. She clutched his body to hers and felt the love he would not speak for fear of giving too much of himself to her. He climaxed and gave of himself, filling her with the seed which would not make a child, not ever, not for her.

"You will never again sleep on the ground," Alix whispered. "You will have the finest clothes, the most dedicated servants, the most brilliant jewels in existence. All will be yours."

"I want only you, Alix," she said honestly. In the new light of day she added, "Though a bath and warm food and a mug of cider would be very nice."

"You will have whatever you wish," he said, and in his own way that was I love you.

"If you really mean that," she said cautiously, "then reconsider your most immediate plans."

His body stiffened. "No. I must follow through. I must take what is mine."

She took his face in her hands and forced him to look at her. His beard was rough with neglect, his mouth was a firm and determined slash, and his eyes were, perhaps, a bit brighter than they had been last night. It was hard to tell in this light. "I am yours," she said confidently. "Nothing else matters."

"How can you be so blithely accepting? I bound you, threatened you, mistreated you, and placed you in the path of galloping horses. I degraded you with my words and with my actions, all to get what I wanted and needed. I would do so again, if necessary."

His words were harsh, but he had obviously forgotten that she could see inside him, that she knew his true intentions, his true self. "No, you would not," she whispered.

He did not argue with her, but neither did he agree.

PAKI and Kontar presented themselves at the Arthes palace and demanded to see the emperor immediately. They were not pleased by the response they received. First they were told it was impossible to have an audience with the emperor himself. They were dismissed by a lackey who was anxious to usher them out of the palace and send them on their way.

In fact, they received no respect at all until Paki told the attendant that the emperor's brother had murdered Princess Edlyn and stolen a gift which was not meant to be his.

The lackey paled and then disappeared, ordering Paki and Kontar to remain where they stood until he could fetch someone who could handle the particular situation. Eventually a nicely dressed older man who introduced himself as Minister of Foreign Affairs Calvyno greeted them with an unfriendly and tight smile, asking about the impossible rumors they were trying to spread.

Paki had studied the language of this land more than Kontar, thanks to a pleasant and pretty kitchen maid from Tryfyn, so he did the talking. "We do not speak nonsense. Prince Alixandyr murdered Princess Edlyn and touched that which was not his to touch. We are here to take the life he forfeited."

"You're here to execute the prince for killing the princess from Tryfyn," Calvyno stated.

"No," Paki said plainly. "We are here to take his life for daring to touch a woman of the Agnese, a gift from the King of Tryfyn to your emperor and a treasure which was not and is not his."

Calvyno licked his thin lips and wrung his hands. "I cannot believe that Prince Alixandyr would commit any of the crimes of which he is accused. He is a fine, upstanding man, a n.o.ble and selfless..."

"We saw him with our own eyes," Paki said.

"You saw him kill the princess?" Thick eyebrows came together.

"No!" Kontar said, losing his patience. He drew his sword and threw it with a vengeance. It flew end over end past the minister's head and then pierced the wall solidly. "We saw him touch Sanura."

"Sanura, this gift of which you speak," the minister said as he glanced behind him to the quivering blade.

"Yes," Paki said, remaining calmer than Kontar. "I imagine there are those from Tryfyn who wish to make the prince pay for murder, but that is not our concern." He hoped that they were first to face the prince. Given the lack of good fortune the soldiers had in their search for the runaway pair, it was very possible the prince would arrive here without ever having faced a Tryfynian blade.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, a man who obviously had a difficult job, was silent for a few moments. Minister Calvyno studied his visitors, taking in their costumes, which were as strange to him as the long red robes were to Paki, and glancing more than once at the sword which was stuck in the palace wall.

When the prince was dead and Sanura had been either recovered or avenged, he and Kontar would find their way back to Claennis, Paki decided. He missed the sea, and the laughing women, and the air of home.

But he could not return home until this job was done.

Finally, Calvyno spoke. "You will be the emperor's guests until Prince Alixandyr arrives and this mess can be properly sorted out."

"All will be sorted out when he is dead," Paki said.

"Every man deserves the opportunity to defend himself, don't you think?" Calvyno said with a touch of false joviality.

"No," Kontar said gruffly as he walked past the minister to retrieve his weapon.

Calvyno gave them a smile which was not true, and then he directed them to yet another room where they were to wait until their living quarters had been prepared. Paki did not wish for comfort, not while his job remained unfinished. He did not wish for a lavish palace life when Sanura's fate remained uncertain.

But Minister Calvyno promised them hot food and the company of women, if they wished it, and Paki decided a bit of comfort at this point in time was not unearned or unacceptable.

IF he traveled any slower, the horse would be walking backward.

The palace which had been Prince Alixandyr's home for the past six years loomed ahead, unavoidable. It sat at the western edge of a large, sprawling city, taller by far than any other edifice, imposing and elegant. The palace was the end of a long journey, the place he wanted and needed to be in order to accomplish what had to be done. And yet, he could not make himself race toward his destiny.

Sanura sat before him, as comfortable as she could be in such a position. His arms encircled her as easily and naturally as he held the reins. Her body resting against his was natural and comforting-yes, comforting, for a man who had never desired solace.

The palace waited, and it looked colder and more ominous than ever before. Jahn waited within, perhaps in his personal quarters, or in the office where he often met with those at his command. In his mind Alix could see the elder twin smile, then laugh, then take on an expression of determination. Yes, Jahn had always been determined. In many ways he had been a good emperor.

Alix stiffened his spine. When had he begun to doubt his plan? When had he begun to have qualms about killing his brother?

When had he begun to think of himself as Alix again? Inside her, he imagined. As she whispered his name, perhaps, or as she found pleasure in his arms. As she forgave him for all he had done to her.

As she told him that she loved him and he saw the truth in her eyes.

The man he had been a few days ago might've killed her for making him doubt, but he was no longer that man. He had not been that man since he'd turned away and left her in the possession of bandits who would've hurt her. He had not been that man since he'd turned back to save her.

"You will not kill him right away, will you?" Sanura asked, and he heard the uncertainty in her voice. She might say she would remain with him no matter what, but she did not like his plan for fratricide. "There's really no reason to rush."

"Nor is there a reason to stall," he said reasonably.

"We could have a bath together," she offered, "and I will shave your beard and wash your hair. You look quite the unkempt madman with your beard growing in so. If you insist upon being an a.s.sa.s.sin, you should at the very least look imperial when you carry out the act. No one would take you for an emperor at this moment, love."

It was likely the truth, given their difficult days of travel.

"Besides," she said, a sadness creeping into her voice, "what if you do not succeed? What if you're killed trying to take your brother's life? I should like to know one night in a proper bed with you, in case the worst occurs. One meal shared without the insects and the dirt." She looked up and back at him. "I should like for you to begin your new life, no matter what it might be, with the picture of me at my very best in your mind's eye. I want to give you strength, Alix my love, in the only way I know how."

"I will not fail," he a.s.sured her. "I will not be killed."

"You have not looked at yourself in a mirror lately," she said softly. "No diligent sentinel, no wary guard will allow you near the emperor with murder in your eyes and ragged, dirty clothing on your body. You are not the man I met in Tryfyn, love. The sentinels who guard the emperor will know you have changed. Your brother will surely know."

He had not thought that others might see the changes he felt, but it was likely true. Perhaps he was not ready to proceed; perhaps he did need preparation before he carried out his plan. "We can sneak into the palace and to my suite of rooms on Level Five. I know of secret pa.s.sageways which will get us there without being seen, and there are many loyal servants who will remain silent about my presence if I ask it of them."

Sanura's body relaxed against his. In fact, it seemed she melted into him, warm and giving and his.

No one and nothing had ever been so completely his before.

VERITY ignored Laris all day, which was exactly what he deserved for tricking her as he had. She would snub him. She would not even look his way and smile. Of course, he made this all very easy, as he'd left the house before she got out of bed, and she had not seem him all day. How annoying! The best way she knew to punish him was to ignore him, and he didn't even know about it.

His mother was very sweet, and made the day go by faster than Verity had imagined it would. The older woman allowed her unexpected guest to help with the cooking and cleaning. It was all new to Verity, and she was more trouble than she was help, but she found it all very interesting. Well, the cooking was interesting. The cleaning was less than deadly dull only when she took out her anger in wild swipes of a cleaning rag or vigorous swipes of the broom.

All the girls had ch.o.r.es, as well. They mended, baked, cleaned, and worked in the vegetable garden just outside the rear door. They also laughed and teased and made plans while they worked. The boys were all engaged in farm ch.o.r.es, and as absent as Laris.

It was late in the day when the men returned from their work on the farm. Verity glanced at Laris only once, then she yanked her eyes away from him. Ignoring him was much more difficult when he was actually present! She listened to him talk-farm talk, which was as exciting as cleaning the fireplace-but she acted as if she didn't hear. All the while her blood ran hotter and faster, as the anger she could not contain grew.

Finally she dropped her cleaning rag, stalked toward the farmer-sentinel, and grabbed his arm. "I need to speak with you. Outside," she added sharply.

He came along obediently. His brothers and sisters all laughed, and one of the girls-probably Fharis-said, "Ooohhh, Laris is in trouble."

Verity didn't say a word until they were well away from the house and prying ears, though she did imagine more than one pair of eyes watched.

"Explain yourself," she said succinctly.

"How so?" He looked truly confused.

Verity leaned toward him. "You asked me if I minded sharing a bed and I said no, I did not mind at all. I thought that meant..." Her face flushed hot. "And then I end up in a bed with your three sisters, elbow to elbow." She looked into his eyes, those warm brown eyes she loved so much. "Do you not want me? Are you promised to another?" Ellanie, a woman she detested even though they'd never met. "Are your parents very strict about that sort of thing, because if they are, we can leave and go..."

Laris laid two silencing fingers over her lips. Those fingers were a little dirty, but she didn't mind. They were also warm and strong, and she liked the smell and feel of his skin. "You said you would be a virgin on your wedding night," he said in a lowered voice.

"Well, some things change..."

"Let me finish, Verity," he said, his voice taking on a stronger, more determined tenor than she had ever heard from him.

She pursed her lips and nodded her head.