[Fordim Hedgethistle]

Khamul was pleased to see his daughter flee before Arshalous's righteousness, and her retreat confirmed his opinion of her: she was too far gone in treachery to be saved. His face fell into sadness and he passed a hand across his brow. He suddenly felt weak and his knees sagged, obliging him to catch himself against a wall. "Majesty?" Arshalous said, alarmed at the suddenness of his collapse, but though she was his affianced bride, she remained rigidly still, not moving to support him.

The King held himself against the wall, and said lowly, "I am all right. It is but a passing fatigue. The concerns of my rule are great, and sometimes they bear me over. I fear I have placed a terrible burden upon you."

"I am sure that I am not up to the task, Khamul."

"Nobody is. But we must all do what we are required."

He sought to right himself, forcing from his mind the memory of what had overcome him -- for as he had lamented the evil of his daughter, he had felt the presence of Bekah, as though she were standing at his back, and he had felt the force of her pity. He had almost thought, for a slice of time smaller than that which exists between heartbeats, that it was her gentle hand which had caught him as he fell, supporting him to the wall. But why she would come to him now, and why she would pity him, he could not imagine. . .

Straightening, he faced Arshalous, who said squared her shoulders with a new and grim resolution. "When are we to be wed, Khamul?"

"Soon. I see no need for a protracted engagement. And I have need of your counsel now, with little time to divert myself with other matters."

"It will be as you wish, Majesty."

"There is another matter we need to discuss, Arshalous. It concerns your dowry."

"My dowry?" she said, surprised, and a bit angered. Was not her wealth enough dowry?

"I do not refer to anything as crass as gold, Lady," Khamul replied, and she felt a chill upon her neck as it appeared once again as though he were reading her mind. "I am well provided in wealth already. Indeed, with the tribute now paid me by Alanzia I am the wealthiest King in the history of Pashtia." There was neither boasting nor pride in the statement. "I speak of something more valuable than all the goods of my treasury. We spoke once of the hold that the Lord Korak has over me, and of the letter that he would use to put himself upon the throne. I fear that with my remarriage he might fear I seek to produce a new heir that would supplant his hopes, and that this might drive him to an act of. . .desperation. I have tried to regain the letter but cannot. It occurs to me, however, that you might be more successful than I."

"Me, majesty? How am I to succeed where you have failed. I do not possess your royal power!"

"No, but you do have a power which I lack. You can come and go in this house without arousing suspicion and, most importantly, you can speak with the Lady Hababa more openly and clearly than I. Perhaps she knows something of the letter and could be. . .convinced to help us regain it. I know that Korak has no love for you, or you for him, but you are a family member and a companion of his childhood. I am sure that there are things about Korak and his family, and about this house, known only to yourself and a few others. All of which should make it easy for you to locate that letter and bring it to me, such is the dowry that I will demand of you." Arshalous merely bowed her head, her face insrcutable. "But tell me, Lady," Khamul continued in a lighter tone, "what wedding gift would you have of me? I am an old-fashioned man in many ways, and will follow our traditions scrupulously. I will grant you whatever gift you may ask of me, so long as it be both honourable and within my power to give it you."