An Aimless War (Greatest Thief 2)

Chapter Thirty-One

Zianna was built on a slope, with the castle at the top. It gave a vantage point over the city that I wasn't used to. I could see across the dividing wall which surrounded the upper city. Beyond it, the lower city was a jumbled mess of buildings, roads and courtyards. I could even see most of the busy harbour. From my perch in Tannix's window, I could see it all.

The windowsill was comfortable to sit on. Sometimes I pushed open the glass and sat with my legs hanging outside. Tannix had an irrational fear that I would fall, but that was silly because I never fell. I liked looking at the city. It was so familiar, and despite the fact that I was sitting in a castle window, I felt at home.

"You've been staring at the lower city for almost a month." Tannix leaned against the window next to me, resting his weight on his forearms and clasping his hands together.

"What else am I supposed to do while you're in meetings?" I asked, glancing at him quickly. The month had done us good. Tannix's cuts and bruises had entirely disappeared, and he looked like himself again in nice clothing. Roland had even brought his rings from West Draulin. My shoulder was healed, and if it wasn't for my new circular scar I could almost pretend I had never been shot.

"I don't know, visit the knights."

"I do that a lot," I said. I drew up one leg and draped my arms around my knee. "I never thought that being at war meant so many meetings and discussions. I thought we were going to go off and meet them with our army."

Tannix shrugged. "In legends, when men are fighting monsters, war is like that. Quick, violent, decisive. But Kalvahi and King Deorun are men, just as capable of talking things out as we are. As long as they move no further than East Draulin I'm happy with this uneasy peace. The less death the better."

"But there will be death."

"There always is, with war."

I turned around to sit with my legs hanging on the inside of the window. Tannix pushed himself up and moved to place a hand on either side of my body, so that we were face to face.

"As long as you don't die," I told him.

"I'll try to avoid it." He leaned forward to kiss me, and for once it wasn't a fleeting moment. He was always being called off to meetings, but now I had him completely to myself.

The absurdity of it all came back to me as I looped my arms around his neck. Me, a thief, kissing Lord West Draulin, in the castle. To make the whole thing even stranger, the king was someone I considered a friend. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined doing this.

But I tried not to think too much, and just enjoy the moment. It really was perfect, until there was a knock at the door. Tannix didn't seem to hear it.

"Tannix, there's—" My talking did nothing to deter him, he just moved to kiss my neck. It was nearly distracting enough to make me forget about the knock. Tannix, for all his passion, tended to be fairly tame. Part of his proper Telt upbringing, I always assumed.

There was a second, firmer knock. Tannix pulled away with a groan. "Who is it?" he called.

"Acen."

"Come in." He leaned in for another kiss, then turned to lean back against the windowsill beside me.

Acen stepped through the door. His brief pause as his eyes darted between the two of us was very telling. Then he cleared his throat. "The king requests your presence."

"Of course he does," Tannix sighed. "Finn, why don't you go out into the city?"

"Really?"

"Yes. If you take a knight."