A few mornings later, immediately after temple prayers, she marched to her father's study and ordered the guards to announce her.

They were greeted at the door by Tarbek, the King's personal attendant. He seemed surprised to see her, but immediately inclined his head. "You seek an audience with the King, Highness?"

"I do," Shasta replied firmly.

"Wait here, please." He disappeared inside the study for a moment, then returned and held the door open for her. "You may enter."

Shasta stepped quickly inside, plopping herself down in a chair before the King's desk without waiting for an invitation. Her guardian followed silently, and Tarbek closed the door behind them.

Soltran looked up from the papers scattered across his desk. Weary lines creased his forehead. "What is it, Shasta?"

Shasta decided not to waste any time beating around the bush. She slapped down the indentureship papers the merchant had handed over in the market and demanded, "I want to know why we allow such misery and injustice in this kingdom."

Her father picked up the papers, startled. "What are these?"

"When we went to the Ardrenn markets a few days ago, a man there beat his servant woman to death with a bullwhip in the middle of the street. Father, she was pregnant." Shasta felt a rush of anger return at the memory, and her hands balled into fists against the arms of the chair. "Why are such acts unpunished in Ithyria? It's an abomination!"

King Soltran appeared startled. "I must say, Shasta, I wasn't expecting you to take such an interest in matters of state so soon." He fastened his gaze on her guardian, who stood at attention behind her chair. "Corporal Talon, I hope you haven't been trying to influence her in this."

Before Talon could reply, Shasta said, "No, Father, this isn't about Talon. It's about Ithyria. Father, are you aware that thousands of people, right now, at this very moment, are considered nothing more than property in the hands of others? Chancellor Kumire says that men can sign over their wives, their children, even their mothers to pay off debts that they've incurred themselves. It's not right. Why can't we outlaw it? People should be responsible for their own obligations."

The King rubbed his temples wearily. "Well, I agree with you, Shasta, but it's not that simple."

"Why not?" she demanded hotly.

"Well, for one thing, Ithyrian law allows each province to govern matters of business within its own borders. That includes the manner in which debts may be incurred and repaid. Most of the provincial governments agree that indentured servitude is an important economic institution. I couldn't overrule them even if I wanted to."

Shasta frowned. "You're their King, Father. The senators have to listen to you. Tell them they're wrong. Tell them they need to protect their people. Ask them to reconsider their laws, limit indentureship to the borrowers only, prevent lenders from mistreating those in their service."

"It's not as easy as you might think," Soltran replied darkly. "Many of the senators, even the chancellors and viceroys, are extremely wealthy and powerful men. Business is good for them, and they like things the way they are."

Shasta stared. "You mean to tell me that these men are allowed to make decisions that bring suffering to thousands of people, simply because it suits their own greed? Father, that's just...why haven't you stripped them of their titles and tossed them in the nearest prisonhouse?"

Soltran gave an irritated sigh. "I can't do that."

"You most certainly can. Under Ithyrian law you have the authority to assign the viceroys to their positions and approve all the appointments they make to the senate." Shasta was confused. Her father had to know he had these powers. Why was he pretending he could do nothing?

The King simply shook his head. "Many of the provincial senators have held their positions long before I took the crown, Shasta. They were granted their appointments and titles by your grandfather, a true Ithyrian King."

Shasta gaped at him incredulously. "Father, you're every bit as much the King as Grandfather was."

"Not without your mother." Soltran smiled sadly. "I know you don't remember, Shasta, but when Talia was alive things were different. The nobles listened to me then, because she was at my side and they trusted her. And for a while, Daric had the same effect." They were both silent for a moment, and Shasta struggled to hold back tears at the mention of her brother. Soltran gave a heavy sigh. "I can't control them the way that the Rane legacy does."

"You can. You just don't want to try," Shasta replied sullenly.

Her father's brows drew together and Shasta became aware of Talon's reproving gaze burning into her back. She knew she had been disrespectful, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. "You know what, Father? If you don't believe you deserve to wear that crown, no one else will either. From now on I want to join the conferences with the provincial viceroys. If it's Rane blood you need to feel like you're in charge, then you need me there."

"You're far too young."

"Daric and I were the same age, and you let him sit in on the conferences," Shasta pointed out flatly. "Someone needs to get these greedy, pigheaded men under control, and if you're not going to do it, then I'll eventually have to." She reached across the desk to take one of his hands. "Please, Father. Let me do this. For Mother, and Daric, and the people of Ithyria who need us."

After another moment the King nodded reluctantly. "Very well, Shasta. But I expect you to show those men the respect they deserve. Remember that you are scarcely more than a child among seasoned government authorities." He smiled wistfully. "Perhaps the experience will allow you to succeed where your father has failed."

Shasta bit her lip, irked by his defeated attitude, but she had said enough. Rising to her feet, she gave him a formal curtsy. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

The King escorted Shasta and her guardian to the study door and dismissed her with a kiss on the forehead. Tarbek was waiting outside and retreated back into the study with his master. As the door closed behind them, Shasta blew out a puff of air and met Talon's watchful gaze.

"I don't understand him sometimes," she said. "He just...gives up, so easily."

When Talon remained silent, Shasta moved grumpily down the hall toward her own chambers. "No wonder the nobles have overrun this country with their selfishness. Well, they're not going to walk all over me." Talon made a funny noise, and she looked up at him, demanding, "What?"

His eyes twinkled. "I was just thinking that the poor viceroys have no idea what they're about to get into."

"Well, they've had it their way far too long." Shasta stopped in front of her chamber door and stepped back so he could open it for her. "If it's a Rane they want on the throne, they're going to get their wish. And when I rule this kingdom, Talon, things are going to change."

Chapter Eight.

One late winter morning in the Twelfthmoon, Talon awoke just as the first rays of dawn crept across the carpeted floor of the Princess's chambers. She yawned and stretched a little, then swung her legs over the edge of the cot and sat up. The movement caused a peculiar sensation that made her jump up and turn to look down at her bed in dismay. Blood had formed a spreading scarlet stain on the sheets where she had been lying. Talon blushed furiously, grateful that the Princess was still sound asleep.

Quickly and quietly, Talon stripped the sheet from the cot and went to her chest by the window where she removed a clean pair of undergarments and clean breeches. She ducked into the privy chamber and closed the door behind her gently so the noise would not wake Shasta, then grabbed one of the heavy upholstered dressing chairs and slid it in front of the door to prevent any accidental interruption. This was one of the most difficult parts of keeping her secret: the regular, inconvenient reminder that she was not the man she pretended to be.

She removed her soiled clothes and padded the inside of the clean undergarments with a roll of gauze from the basket beneath the washstand before redressing. She was lucky that her young charge was also female and suffered the same inconvenience with each new moon. The supplies she needed to care for her problem were within easy reach.

Talon rolled her garments into the sheet, tucked the bundle under one arm, and slid the chair away from the door. She peeked cautiously out of the privy chamber to be sure Shasta was still sleeping and carried the bundle to the door.

She had barely touched the latch when it swung open and Erinda greeted her cheerfully. The maid eyed the sheet-wrapped bundle in Talon's hands and gave a knowing grin. "Is that for me?" she asked, her voice a polite whisper so as not to awaken the Princess.

Erinda was the fourth-and final-person who'd been brought in on Talon's well-guarded secret. Nurse had quickly realized that Talon was going to need some special assistance to keep from being found out, and the buxom chambermaid was the logical choice. She was a full winter older than Talon and had already been assigned to care for the needs of Lyris, Bria, and the Princess. Erinda's family had been serving the royal family of Ithyria for four generations and she had proven herself to be a trustworthy girl, one they could count on to keep quiet.

The maid took the sheets and clothes and winked coquettishly. "I'll bring you fresh gauze and linen before the Princess wakes," she promised and darted off down the corridor.

Talon watched her retreating back with confusion. She could have sworn Erinda had caressed her hands as she took the bundle, deliberately prolonging the contact between them. Disconcerted, she lingered at the door to ensure the maid could enter silently when she returned. Shasta was still fast asleep and Talon was anxious to replace the gauze in the basket and make her bed up again so nothing would arouse suspicion. When Erinda returned, she handed the gauze to Talon and moved quickly around the cot tucking the sheet into place. The position emphasized her impressive cleavage and it seemed to Talon that she was leaning a little farther forward than necessary. When Erinda caught her watching, she gave a sultry smile. Startled, Talon looked away and fiddled with the gauze in the basket.

Erinda had always been flirtatious with her, even knowing full well that Talon was not what she seemed. At first Talon was convinced that the warm glances meant nothing and the way Erinda brushed just a little too closely against her when they passed was just playful teasing. But now Talon began to wonder if she'd been wrong.

She followed the maid into the corridor and closed the door behind them. "What's going on?" she asked. "You've been acting strangely for nearly a half-moon."

Erinda lowered her eyes, her long, thick lashes casting shadows on her cheeks. "It's not obvious? I like you, Corporal."

Talon lifted an eyebrow. "I think you're forgetting something about me that's rather important."

"I haven't forgotten a thing." Erinda's pouty, heart-shaped mouth curved upward, almost shyly, and she used one finger to trace an invisible pattern on the shoulder of Talon's shirt. "I know what you are. It's part of the reason I like you so much."

"What are you talking about?"

The chambermaid's arms snaked around Talon's neck. "I'm not suggesting that we start anything serious. Goddess knows I'm not that kind of girl." Her face was only a fingerbreadth from Talon's, her warm breath fanning Talon's lips. "All I'm saying is, it can get terribly lonely around here. Sometimes a person really just needs someone to hold them, you know...to feel close to."

Talon felt her own breath quicken as she allowed Erinda to pull her head down slowly. She knew she should stop this, but there was a part of her that wanted to know what it would feel like. She remembered her kiss with the redheaded dancing girl the night she received her commission, and the warm, heady feeling that spread through her body at that gentle contact.

She was not disappointed, though Erinda's touch was softer and less purposeful than the dancer's had been. Talon still found herself aroused by the other woman's kiss, the way Erinda's sensual lips moved slightly against her own, the light salty taste of her mouth. But Talon could not allow herself to give in completely, and after a moment she pulled back.

"Erinda, we can't do this. I'm not..."

Erinda smiled, trailing a finger down Talon's jaw. "Shh. The idea takes time to get used to, I know."

"We're both women."

"That's the way I like it," the maid replied airily. "But you're not ready yet. I understand that. Just...know that the offer is open, and I'll be here." She planted a small kiss on Talon's cheek and sauntered away.

Stunned, Talon stood outside the door of the Princess's chambers for several minutes, her mind racing. Servant girls in the palace often developed crushes on her and followed her around with batting lashes and lovelorn sighs. She was used to it by now. But there was one enormous difference between those girls and Erinda-Erinda knew.

She'd heard of women like Erinda before, who preferred the intimate company of other women rather than that of men. Talon recalled one of her troupe's 'special' clients, a wealthy spinster heiress who used to pay the showmaster on a regular basis for a few hours at a time with one of the dancing girls. But she'd never imagined she might one day encounter such a person.

Talon was surprised to realize just how right it felt to be touched and kissed by a woman, when those same actions felt uncomfortable and bizarre with a man. Have I been impersonating a man so long, she wondered, that somehow I've become one, on the inside? But that didn't make sense either, because Erinda was certainly not masculine in the slightest, yet she still professed attraction to women.

"Talon?" The Princess's voice, muffled by the chamber door, reached her ears, and guiltily she realized that while she'd been standing in the corridor lost in thought, Shasta had awakened and was probably wondering where she'd gone.

"I'm here, Princess." Talon stepped into the room.

Shasta tilted her head curiously. "What were you doing out there?"

"Nothing." Talon shrugged and changed the subject. "You should hurry and get dressed. There's snow on the ground, so you'll want to wear something warm for prayers at the temple."

When Shasta emerged from her morning toilet, Lyris and Bria were already waiting in her sitting room. Talon had donned his everyday military uniform and sword belt and a heavy scarlet cape that glided by his heels as he walked. Lyris and Bria helped the Princess with her own winter cloak, made of soft sapphire blue wool and lined with white fur. She picked up the matching muff, which hung from a cord around her neck, to keep her hands warm.

Together they made their way across the snowy courtyard. Though Shasta and her two companions had warm leather boots designed for such weather, they still slipped from time to time and caught hold of Talon for balance. The castle grounds appeared strangely beautiful and ghostlike under the thick blanket of ice, and Shasta's breath formed clouds of mist in the cold air.

"I love winter," she declared happily, surveying the sparkling icicles dangling from bare tree branches. Ahead of her lay a smooth, glittering expanse of unbroken snow that softened every angle and piled up on the occasional fencepost or barrel. "It's so pretty and clean."

"But it's eerie, too," Lyris pointed out. "It's so quiet. Like everything is sleeping."

"I could wake it up." Shasta grinned and threw her arms out, giving a whoop that echoed against the stone of the nearby buildings. Not caring who might have heard, she spun around in a circle, but her foot hit a patch of ice and she stumbled.

"Careful," Talon warned with a chuckle, catching her against his chest before she could fall flat on her face. "Really, Highness, I don't think your father would approve."

Shasta stuck her tongue out at him, ignoring the people nearby who had paused to see what the commotion was about.

"We're going to be late," Lyris said.

Bria elbowed her sister in the ribs. "Yes, and you wouldn't want the high priestess to see you come in after prayers had begun, would you?"

"It's disrespectful to the Goddess!"

Shasta giggled at the look of annoyance on Lyris's face. The elder Outlander sister took worship far too seriously.

Bria paid her no mind, rushing ahead and calling, "Come on, then, I'll race you."

"I'll race you both," Shasta interjected. She gathered her skirts up in one hand and took off running with Lyris and Talon close behind.

When they reached the temple, the three young women piled onto the steps in a tangle of cloaks and skirts and snow. Talon came jogging up to them and stood there shaking his head as other temple patrons stepped around the giggling girls on the steps to get inside.

After a moment, both Lyris and Bria had caught their breath, but Shasta was still wheezing. In fact, it was getting harder to breathe, and she coughed as her lungs began to burn for lack of oxygen. Her windpipe was closing. She put her hands to her throat. In a heartbeat Talon was at her side, shooing his sisters away and calling for a healer. She looked up at him, frightened.

"I can't..." She tried to get the words out but she didn't have enough air.

"Don't try to talk, Princess. Just relax. Relax and concentrate on breathing."

But she couldn't. Her lungs gasped and spasmed as if they were swollen shut, and the small amount of icy air that she could get into them stabbed like needles. Shasta grabbed the wool of her guardian's jacket and closed her eyes. Her entire body heaved with the effort it took to inhale. Talon moved behind her so that she was nestled between his legs, her back pressed up against him. He put his arms around her, one hand on her stomach and the other against her upper chest.

"Like this, Princess." He inhaled and exhaled, his chest rising and falling behind her. "Don't think, just breathe with me. In. Out. Breathe with me." He spoke quietly into her ear, his deep tones nearly hypnotic. Shasta coughed, trying to match his rhythm, deep and steady against her back.

People came streaming out of the temple to see what the matter was. Several of them also started shouting for the healer and took off running toward the palace. The high priestess moved through the crowd, sinking beside them to place a warm hand on Shasta's forehead. Steam from her breath rose through her white veils as she began to chant a soft prayer.

The even rhythm of Talon's breathing blended with that of the priestess's chant and became the only thing Shasta could sense clearly. She felt dizzy and her ears were ringing so loudly that she could scarcely hear; both Talon and the high priestess sounded like they were speaking from a great distance away. Her hands balled into fists, her strength sapped by each breath until she wasn't sure she could lift her chest anymore.

Suddenly a pungent smell tingled at her nose and mouth, forcing the swelling in her throat and lungs to recoil. A slow, gradual release began to expand through her body, and she gulped gratefully at the air, not caring how cold it was. She was incredibly tired, with barely enough energy to do more than pant weakly in Talon's arms, but she opened her eyes to reassure him that she was all right.

"Shasta!" The first face that came into focus belonged to her father as he scooped her up and held her tightly. He was breathing hard himself, and Shasta wondered vaguely if he had run the entire way across the temple grounds.

"I'm all right, Father," she insisted, patting his concerned face.

"The Princess should recover in a matter of minutes, Majesty," said the old healer standing at the King's elbow, "though it is my recommendation that she receive plenty of bed rest today. Fighting for breath has exhausted her."

"You have my thanks, Master Healer." The King addressed the high priestess. "My apologies, Your Grace, but my daughter and I will be unable to attend temple this morning."

The veiled woman bowed, her long gold earrings tinkling. "The Goddess understands, Majesty. The Daughters of Ithyris will keep Princess Shasta in our prayers today."

The King carried Shasta back to the palace himself, his heavy boots crunching briskly through the snow. He didn't put her down until they had reached her chambers, where he gently laid her on the bed. Nurse was waiting and applied a warm towel to Shasta's forehead before untying her cloak and removing her boots. Talon followed them as silently as a shadow, closing the chamber door. Three pairs of worried eyes focused on Shasta, and she shifted uncomfortably.

"Really, Nurse, there's no need for such a fuss," Shasta protested as the old woman helped her out of her snow-soaked outer clothing. "I'm fine now."

"The healer has said that you need bed rest, and bed rest you will have," her father grunted from her bedside. He backed up a step to stand next to Talon. "What happened?" His voice was quiet, but Shasta could still hear every word.

"She...the Princess was running, Your Majesty."

"Why was the Princess running?"

Talon rubbed the back of his neck. "She was racing Lyris and Bria to the temple."