Imperial Spy by Mark Robson Page B

in an upper-storey room, but it certainly fitted the surroundings. The entire Palace had been decorated on a grand scale.
    Force of habit made her check the rooms for signs of concealed entrances, spy-holes and escape routes. To her surprise, Femke found no sign of surveillance points. Either the King did not see
fit to monitor his guests, or the spy points were so well disguised that Femke could not locate them. After her second sweep of the suite, Femke dismissed the second option and concluded that the
King’s spy network, if indeed he had one, was not operating on the same scale as the one in Shandrim. Intrigue and plotting were a way of life to the Shandese.
    Femke was delighted with the results of her search. It would make her job here easier. With no organised spy network to contend with, the Thrandorians had effectively handed her the keys to the
Palace and said, ‘Go ahead, take whatever you need.’
    Reynik was disappointed not to meet the King of Thrandor. To ride all this way and then be excluded from the main event was galling. He was still not sure that coming to the
attention of Emperor Surabar during the fight after the coronation ceremony had been a good thing. He had worked so hard to get into the General’s Elite Legion. Now, before he had even begun
to settle in, he had been yanked from the ranks to play travel guard for a Lady Ambassador.
    Ambassador Femke was pleasant enough. Reynik knew it was not her fault he was here, but he was frustrated that his time in the General’s Legion had started with such a duty. Some of his
fellow soldiers had been jealous of his opportunity to see Mantor. This would inevitably create friction upon his return, which was never a good thing as the new boy. All he could hope was that he
would gain experience from this trip that would prove useful to his career.
    Sidis had been a miserable travelling companion. The sour-faced old File Leader had stifled any prospect of fun. Reynik suspected that had Sidis been more genial, the Ambassador would have made
pleasant company. As it was, the entire two weeks had felt like slow torture. And what was more, Sidis had not wanted to engage in weapons practice, so Reynik felt sadly stiff and unfulfilled.
    Servants led Reynik through the Palace to his quarters. The place was a maze. He would get lost here for sure, he thought grimly. However, when they opened the door to his room, Reynik could not
help but smile. It was more luxurious than anything he’d known in Shandar. Perhaps the trip would not be so bad after all, he mused.

C HAPTER F OUR
    ‘Gone? Gone where?’
    Lord Danar was infuriated by the placid face of Versande Matthiason. The innkeeper appeared imperturbable in the face of Danar’s anger. Like a rock on a stormy seashore, he let the waves
of emotion wash over him, and if there was any wear from the pounding action of that crashing surf, then it merely served to make his surface smoother.
    ‘I’m not sure where Lady Alyssa went, my Lord. It’s not my place to question guests on their movements, but I did notice her saddlebags were full. If I were to hazard a guess,
then I would say she has left the city and is riding home,’ Versande answered in a calm voice.
    ‘Left the city!’ Danar exclaimed. His eyebrows rose so high they were nearly lost in his hairline and every crease of his expressive face showed disbelief. ‘When did she
leave?’
    ‘This morning. Early. I’m sorry Lord Danar.’
    Alyssa had eluded him again. First she had evaded his efforts to see her after the coronation. Now she had made him look a fool in front of Versande. As an added insult, the humiliation would
cost him ten gold sen when his friends discovered she had left. ‘Have you any idea when she’ll be back?’ he asked, with little hope in his voice.
    Versande shook his head. ‘I’m afraid not, my Lord. When Lady Alyssa left, she gave no indication of when she might return.’
    ‘That seems to be one of Alyssa’s more