The queen fell silent for a moment, then said, "There is much we must discuss

about this before you leave."

"I will be more than glad to discuss it with you, as I intend to continue to be responsible for Talia until it is known whether or not she can help you."

"Impossible."

Archer smiled coldly. "Nothing is impossible, Your Highness."

"You doubt I can keep her safe?"

"I didn't say that. Considering the pressure the court is under, the divisiveness

that even now threatens to split Parliament, and your failing health, I'd think you'd gladly take me up on the personal service I am offering. In addition to your personal guard, of course."

Talia slid her hand into Archer's. He tried to ease his hand away, signaling to her that this was not wise, despite the fact that they'd entered the chamber with hands held. They'd been in darkness then. But Talia figured she held some sway here, and she intended to use it now. "I wish him to stay."

"I see." And there was no doubt, even in those two little words, that she did, indeed, see. Talia saw a great deal, too. Or heard it. The fatigue in the queen's voice had increased in the last several exchanges. She sounded younger... and vulnerable. Talia wondered what her regal bearing had cost her these past minutes. She felt her own guard slipping and the tentative tentacles of her mind beginning to reach out. Only the queen's resumed speech snapped her focus back into place.

"I will want to talk with you, Archer, and with you, Miss Trahaern, at length.

But at the moment I need my rest. I will have Marietta show you to your quarters." There was a pause, then she added, "I am a.s.suming one suite of rooms will be sufficient for your needs?"

Archer smiled, but Talia felt her cheeks heat, despite the fact that she'd been the one to bring their relationship out into the open. But she didn't ask for two rooms, either.

"Yes, Your Highness," he said. "That will be quite suitable."

The queen's a.s.sistant materialized behind them then and touched Talia's

shoulder. "Follow me."

Although the experience had been nerve-racking, now that it was over, Talia felt as if she hadn't done enough, that she'd somehow let the queen down.

Maybe she should have reached out. Maybe that was what a royal healer did.

Followed her instincts. And she'd failed before she'd even begun. She'd protected herself, when she was born to protect the queen first.

Baleweg thought her mother would have eventually brought her back here, to serve the House of Dalwyn, that this was what she'd have wanted. Talia thought so, too. Otherwise why tell her all those stories? Was it too late now?

She took a calming breath and tried to still her racing thoughts so she could reach out, but Marietta was there, talking.

"The queen must rest now."

"Wait." The connection was right there. All she had to do was reach for it. She

turned and stepped toward the queen, only to encounter a shield. Not an invisible wall, so much as air too thick for her to walk through.

"I must insist," Marietta said firmly.

Talia turned to find the queen's a.s.sistant pocketing a small device. She very

firmly took Talia by the shoulder, a grip that was immediately, if gently broken by Archer.

"No one touches her but me."

In an efficient tone that brooked no argument, the a.s.sistant merely said, "We must leave now. The queen is asleep. I daresay this has been an overly taxing day for her." She was already ushering them toward the door.

Talia wanted to ask how in the h.e.l.l she could tell what the queen was doing, buried in the shadows as she was, but the personal guard had surrounded

them, separating them from Marietta, who was leading the throng out of the room and through a doorway she hadn't seen before. A large mural in the antechamber where she and Archer had waited literally shifted to painted air, then after they pa.s.sed through, turned solid again as Talia saw when she looked over her shoulder.

"State of the art," Archer whispered with a wink.

"Very funny." But Talia gulped nonetheless. Unbelievable. She tried to focus

on where they were going, on the scenes painted on the walls, wondering how many concealed additional pathways and how many were just paintings.

They stopped in front of a rather large, elaborate one and Talia felt her cheeks

flame yet again. "I see the queen has a sense of humor after all," she muttered

under her breath.The painting on the wall in front of them was a stunning rendering in oil, or what appeared to be oil anyway. The subject matter, however, was... explicit. A man and woman, both nude, both fully and quite graphically entwined, lay stretched out on a carpet of flowers. Delicate little fairies floated above, dropping red and white petals on the lovers. Talia couldn't tear her eyes away from the way the woman's slender back arched and the muscles in the man's shoulders bunched as he- "I like the queen's taste," Archer said, then made a small ooph sound when Talia dug her elbow into his ribs."You would," she said."Your palms are sweating."

She scowled and tried to slide her hand out of his, but he wouldn't let her.

He leaned down to her ear and whispered to her as the painting in front of them turned transparent. "I wanted to make love to you in exactly the same

kind of bower. Maybe the queen can read minds, hmm?"Talia's only response was a tight swallow... and continued sweaty palms, as the queen's a.s.sistant motioned them to follow her. "You will be safe here for the night. I will have a full supper sent to you shortly. Tomorrow the queen will send a summons. At that time you will have a full guard escort. Do not leave with anyone other than the queen's personal guard. Until then, please enjoy your accommodations."

Archer smiled at her. "And if we need anything?"

The small woman turned with a smile of her own. "You won't."

Archer stepped through the screen, pulling Talia with him. They both turned

in time to see the queen's guard take up stations along the pa.s.sageway.

Archer nodded in approval, then the screen turned solid and they were inside their chamber.

Prison, actually. Talia felt a sense of claustrophobia, of being sealed inside a

tomb or something. Until she turned around at Archer's urging.

"Look at this," he said. "Nice setup."

Talia's mouth dropped open. It was like something from a sultan's fantasy.

Silk draped the walls and the carpeting was so thick it almost swallowed her sandals. The ceiling was a recessed dome, painted with scenes that Talia only glanced at, but already knew were likely produced by the same artist who had done the handiwork in the pa.s.sageway. She looked back to the room, which was dominated by a huge fireplace, and fronted by a sumptuous, wide lounge upholstered in opulent jewel-toned fabric and edged with thick, gold-colored fringe.

"It's... different."Archer laughed. "Do you think the queen is trying to tell us something?"

Talia tried to laugh, but it came out as a sort of rasp. "Gee, I can't wait to see

the bedroom."

Archer grabbed her hand and tugged her to one of two doors, framed in gold, on the far wall.

"I was joking," she managed, but he was already halfway there. "Archer!"

He looked over his shoulder. "Aren't you curious?"

She stalled. She was curious, but she didn't think she wanted to tell him that.

She was still reeling from everything else she'd witnessed today.

"Come on. Dinner will probably be here shortly. If there is a bathroom behind that other door, you can wash up as soon as we're done exploring, okay?"

Now she did laugh. "We're not at Club Med, you know."

"Club what?"

"Never mind." She lifted her free hand. "Lead on, MacDuff."

"And people say Aussies make no sense."

She was smiling at his back when he opened the door and swept her through

in front of him. Her smile froze on her face. Oh. My. G.o.d was her first and only thought.

Archer crowded closer and nudged her farther into the room so he could see.

He whistled his appreciation. "You know, I never understood why people threw money away on decorators. I'm rethinking my position on that."