Irresistible Forces Read online

  The groom’s party took up their positions. In the center of the garden, the walkways, swept clear of snow, met at a wide circle of paving brick, with the Vorkosigan crest of mountains and maple leaves picked out in contrasting brick. In this obvious spot, the small circle of colored groats was laid out on the ground for the oath-making couple, surrounded by a multipointed star for the principal witnesses. Another circle of groats crowned a temporary pathway of tanbark flung wide around the first two rings, providing dry footing for the rest of the guests.

  Roic, wearing a sword for the first time since he’d taken his liegeman’s oath, took his place in the formal lineup of armsmen making an aisle on either side of the main pathway. He looked around in worry, for Taura did not loom up among the groom’s guests sorting themselves out along the outer circle. M’lord, his hand clutching his cousin Ivan’s blue sleeve, gazed up at the entrance in almost painful anticipation. M’lord had, with difficulty, been talked out of hauling his horse in to town to fetch the bride from the house in the old Vor style, though Roic personally had no doubt that the placid, elderly steed would have proved much less nervous and difficult to handle than its master. So the Vorvayne party made their entrance on foot.

  Lady Alys, as Coach, led the way like some silken banner carrier. The bride followed on her blinking father’s arm, shimmering in a jacket and skirt of beige velvet embroidered with shining silver, her booted feet striding out fearlessly, her eyes seeking only one other face in the mob. The triple stand of pearls gracing her throat glimmered their secret message of bravado to only a few persons here. A few extraordinary persons. By his narrowed eyes and wryly pursed lips, it was clear that Emperor Gregor was one of them.

  Roic’s might have been the sole gaze not to linger on the bride, for following beside her stepmother, in the place of—no, as—the bride’s Second, walked Sergeant Taura. Roic’s eyes shifted, though he kept his rigid posture—yes, there was Martya Koudelka with Dr. Borgos on the outer circle, apparently demoted to the status of mere guest but not looking in the least put out. In fact, she seemed to be watching Taura with smug approval. Taura’s dress was everything that Lady Alys had promised. Champagne-colored velvet exactly matched her eyes, which seemed to spring to a brilliant prominence in her face. The jacket sleeves and long swinging skirt were decorated on their margins with black cord shaped into winding patterns. Champagne-colored orchids coiled in her bound-back hair. Roic thought he’d never seen anything so stunningly sophisticated in his life.

  Everyone took their places. M’lord and m’lady-to-be stepped into the inner circle, hands gripping hands like two lovers drowning. The bride looked not so much radiant as incandescent; the groom looked gobsmacked. Lord Ivan and Taura were handed the two little bags of groats with which to close the circle, then stood back to their star points between Count and Countess Vorkosigan and Vorvayne and his wife. Lady Alys read out the vows, and m’lord and m’lady-to—m’lady repeated their responses, her voice clear, his only cracking once. The kiss was managed with remarkable grace, m’lady somehow bending her knee in a curtsylike motion so m’lord didn’t have to stretch unduly. It suggested thought and practice. Lots of practice.

  With immense panache, Lord Ivan then swept the groat circle wide with one booted foot, triumphantly collecting his kiss from the bride as she exited. Lord and Lady Vorkosigan passed out of the dazzling ice garden between the lines of Vorkosigan armsmen; swords, drawn and lowered at their feet, rose in salute as they passed. When Pym led the Armsmen’s Shout, the sound of twenty enthusiastic male voices bounced and echoed off the garden walls and thundered to the sky. M’lord grinned over his shoulder and blushed with pleasure at this deafening endorsement.

  As Seconds, Taura followed next on Lord Ivan’s arm, bending her head to hear something he said, laughing. The row of armsmen remained to rigid attention while all the principals streamed past them, then formed up and marched smartly in their wake, followed by the guests, back around and into Vorkosigan House. It had all gone off perfectly. Pym looked as though he wanted to pass out there and then from sheer relief.

  Vorkosigan House’s main state dining room boasted seating for ninety-six when both tables were brought out in parallel; the overflow fit in the chamber immediately beyond, through a wide archway, so that the whole company could sit down at once essentially together. Serving was not Roic’s responsibility tonight, but in his role as arbiter of emergencies and general assistant for any guest needing anything, he kept to his feet and moving. Taura was seated at the head table with the principals and the most honored guests—the other most honored guests. Between tall, dark, handsome Lord Ivan and tall, dark, lean Emperor Gregor, she looked really happy. Roic could not wish her anywhere else, but he found himself mentally erasing Ivan and replacing him with himself…yet Ivan and the emperor were the very pattern of debonair wit. They made Taura laugh, fangs flashing without constraint. Roic would probably just sit there in inarticulate silence and gawp at her…

  Martya Koudelka passed him in the entryway, where he’d temporarily taken up guard stance, and smiled cheerily at him. “Hi, Roic.”

  He nodded. “Miss Martya.”

  She followed his glance to the head table. “Taura looks wonderful, doesn’t she?”

  “Sure does.” He hesitated. “How come you’re not up there?”

  Her voice lowered. “I heard the story about last night from Ekaterin. She asked me if I’d mind trading. I said, God, no. Gets me out of having to sit there and make small talk with Ivan, for one thing.” She wrinkled her nose.

  “It was well thought of, of m’lady.”

  She hitched up one shoulder. “It was the one honor here that was wholly hers to bestow. The Vorkosigans are amazing, but you have to admit, they do eat you up. They give you a wild ride in return, though.” She stood on tiptoe and planted an unexpected kiss on Roic’s cheek.

  He touched the spot in surprise. “What’s that for?”

  “For your half of last night. For saving us all from having to live with a really insane Miles Vorkosigan. As long as he lasted.” A brief quaver shook her flippant voice. She tossed her blond hair and bounced off.

  The toasts were made with the count’s very best wines, including a few historical bottles, reserved for the head table, that had been laid down before the end of the Time of Isolation. Afterward the party moved to the brilliant ballroom, seeming another garden, heady with the scent of a sudden spring. Lord and Lady Vorkosigan opened the dancing. Those who could still move after the dinner followed them onto the polished marquetry floor.

  Roic found himself, all too briefly, passing by Taura as she watched the dancers sway and twirl.

  “Do you dance, Roic?” she asked him.

  “Can’t. I’m on duty. You?”

  “I’m afraid I don’t know any of these dances. Although I’m sure Miles would have foisted an instructor on me if he’d thought of it.”

  “Actually,” he admitted in a lower voice, “I don’t know how either.”

  Her lips curled up. “Well, don’t let Miles know if you want it to stay that way. He’d have you out there thumping around before you knew what hit you.”

  He tried not to snicker. He hardly knew what to say to this, but his parting half-salute did not betoken disagreement.

  On the sixth number, m’lady danced past Roic with her eldest brother, Hugo.

  “Splendid necklace, Kat. From your spouse, is it?”

  “No, actually. From one of his…business associates.”

  “Expensive!”

  “Yes.” M’lady’s faint smile made the hairs stir on Roic’s arms. “I expect it to cost him everything he has.”

  They spun away.

  Taura nailed it. She’ll do for m’lord, all right. And God help their enemies.

  Promptly on schedule, the aircar was brought round for the bridal couple’s getaway. The night was still fairly young, but it was more than an hour’s flight to Vorkosigan Surleau and the lakeside estate that was to be the hon
eymoon refuge. The place would be quiet this time of year, blanketed with snow and peace. Roic could not imagine two people more in need of a little peace.

  The guests in residence were to be left behind under the care of the count and countess for a few days, although the galactic guests would travel down to the lake later. Among other things, Roic was given to understand, Madame Bothari-Jesek wished to visit her father’s grave there with her husband and new daughter and burn a death offering.

  Roic had thought Pym would be doing the flying, but to his surprise, Armsman Jankowski took the controls as the newlyweds ran the gauntlet of raucous family and friends and made it to the rear compartment.

  “I’ve shuffled some assignments,” Pym murmured to Roic as they both stood smiling in the porte cochere to watch and salute. M’lord and m’lady seemed to melt into each other’s arms in an equal mix of love and exhaustion as the silvered canopy finally closed over them. “I’m taking night watch in Vorkosigan House for the next week. You have the week off with double holiday pay. With m’lady’s own thanks.”

  “Oh,” said Roic. He blinked. Pym had been quite frustrated by the fact that no one, from the count down, had seen fit to censure him for the slipup with the necklace. He could only conclude that Pym had given up and decided to supply his own penance. Well, if the senior armsman looked to be carrying it too far, the countess could be relied upon to step in. “Thanks!”

  “You can consider yourself free from whenever Count and Countess Vorbarra leave.” Pym nodded and stepped back as the aircar eased out from under the overhang and began to rise into the cold night air as if buoyed up by the yells and cheers of the well-wishers.

  A splendid and prolonged burst of fireworks made the send-off a thing of beauty and a joy to Barrayaran hearts. Taura applauded and hooted, too, and, along with Arde Mayhew, joined Nikki’s cohort for some added, unscheduled crackers and sparklers in the back garden. Powder smoke perfumed the air in clouds as the children ran around Taura, urging her to throw the lights higher. Security and an assortment of mothers might have quashed the game, except for the fact that the large bag of most remarkable incendiary goodies had been slipped to Nikki by Count Vorkosigan.

  The party wound down. Sleepy, protesting children were carried past Roic to their cars or to their beds. The emperor and empress were seen out fondly by the count and countess; soon after their departure, a score of unobtrusive, efficient servants, on loan from ImpSec, vanished quietly and without fanfare. The remaining energetic young people hijacked the ballroom to dance to music more to their taste. Their tired elders sought quieter corners in the succession of public rooms in which to converse and sample more of the count’s very best wines.

  Roic found Taura sitting alone in one of the small side rooms on a sturdy-looking sofa of the style she favored, reflectively working her way through a platter of Ma Kosti’s dainties on a low table before her. She looked drowsy and contented, and yet a little apart from it all. As if she were a guest in her own life…

  Roic gave her a smile, a nod, a semisalute. He wished he’d thought to provide himself with roses or something. What could a fellow give to a woman like this? The finest chocolate, maybe, yeah, although that was redundant at the moment. Tomorrow for sure. “Um…have you had a good time?”

  “Oh, yes. Wonderful.”

  She sat back and smiled almost up at him—an unusual angle of view. She looked good from this direction, too. M’lord’s comment about horizontal height differentials drifted through his memory. She patted the sofa beside her; Roic glanced around, overcame his guard-stance habits, and sat down. His feet hurt, he realized.

  The silence that fell was companionable, not strained, but after a time he broke it. “You like Barrayar, then?”

  “It’s been a great visit. Better than my best dreams.”

  Ten more days. Ten days was an eyeblink. Ten days was just not enough for all he had to say, to give, to do. Ten years might be a start. “You, uh, have you ever thought of staying? Here? It could be done, y’know. Find a place you could fit. Or make one.” M’lord would figure out how, if anyone could. With great daring, he let his hand curl over hers on the seat between them.

  Her brows rose. “I already have a place I fit.”

  “Yeah, but…forever? Your mercs seem like a chancy sort of thing to me. No solid ground under them. And nothing lasts forever, not even organizations.”

  “Nobody lives long enough to have all their choices.” She was silent for a moment, then added, “The people who bioengineered me to be a super-soldier didn’t consider a long life span to be a necessity. Miles has a few biting remarks about that, but oh well. The fleet medics give me about a year yet.”

  “Oh.” It took him a minute to work through this; his stomach felt suddenly tight and cold. A dozen obscure remarks from the past few days fell into place. He wished they hadn’t. No, oh, no…!

  “Hey, don’t look so bludgeoned.” Her hand curled around to clasp his in return. “The bastards have been giving me a year yet for the past four years running. I’ve seen other soldiers have their whole careers and die in the time the medics have been screwing around with me. I’ve stopped worrying about it.”

  He had no idea what to say to this. Screaming was right out. He shifted a bit closer to her instead.

  She eyed him thoughtfully. “Some fellows, when I tell them this, get spooked and veer off. It’s not contagious.”

  Roic swallowed hard. “I’m not running away.”

  “I see that.” She rubbed her neck with her free hand; an orchid petal parted from her hair and caught upon her velvet-clad shoulder. “Part of me wishes the medics would get it settled. Part of me says, the hell with it. Every day is a gift. Me, I rip open the package and wolf it down on the spot.”

  He looked up at her in wonder. His grip tightened, as though she might be pulled from him as they sat, right now, if he didn’t hold hard enough. He leaned over, reached across and picked off the fragile petal, touched it to his lips. He took a deep, scared breath. “Can you teach me how to do that?”

  Her fantastic gold eyes widened. “Why, Roic! I think that’s the most delicately worded proposition I’ve ever received. S’ beautiful.” An uncertain pause. “Um, that was a proposition, wasn’t it? I’m not always sure I parlay Barrayaran.”

  Desperately terrified now, he blurted in what he imagined to be merc-speak, “Ma’am, yes, ma’am!”

  This won an immense fanged smile—not in a version he’d ever seen before. It made him, too, want to fall over backward, though preferably not into a snowbank. He glanced around. The softly lit room was littered with abandoned plates and wineglasses, detritus of pleasure and good company. Low voices chatted idly in the next chamber. Somewhere in another room, softened by the distance, a clock was chiming the hour. Roic declined to count the beats.

  They floated in a bubble of fleeting time, live heat in the heart of a bitter winter. He leaned forward, raised his face, slid his hand around her warm neck, drew her face down to his. It wasn’t hard. Their lips brushed, locked.

  Several minutes later, in a shaken, hushed voice, he breathed, “Wow.”

  Several minutes after that, they went upstairs, hand in hand.

  The Alchemical Marriage

  by Mary Jo Putney

  1

  The Tower of London, July 1588

  Though the chambers were spacious and furnished as befitted a prisoner of rank, the cold stone walls were saturated with pain and death. Sir Adam Macrae paced his prison, shackles rattling, wondering if he would be granted the formality of a trial before he was executed. Or would he be kept here forever, quietly rotting as his spirit and body withered away?

  The heavy door squealed open. He turned warily, knowing it was not time for food to be delivered. His expression hardened at the entrance of two men in dark cowled cloaks. So the Virgin Queen and her counselors had chosen to silence him by assassination rather than risk beheading a prominent Scot.

  Well, by God, he’d not
be taken down without a fight. He gripped the length of chain that connected his manacles. Though the damnable iron curbed his power, the heavy links would make a fair weapon.

  The taller of the men pushed back his hood, revealing a long white beard and piercing eyes. It was John Dee, the queen’s own sorcerer.

  Macrae caught his breath. Dee had true power as well as influence with the queen, but he would not be sent here to perform a simple assassination. “I thought you were living on the Continent, Master Dee. ’Tis said that you might end your days in Bohemia, where your work is so much valued.”

  Dee gave a dry little smile. “Officially, I am in Bohemia still, but my queen has need of me, for a great crisis looms.”

  “England is threatened? Splendid.” Macrae applauded, the manacles jangling. “I pray strength to her enemies.”

  “Don’t be so swift to invoke destruction. There are worse fates than Elizabeth, no matter how little you like her.”

  “She murdered the Queen of Scots,” Macrae said flatly. “She deserves everything I said, and more.”

  “No one regretted Mary Stuart’s death more than Elizabeth. She stayed her hand for years—decades—despite all the evidence that your queen was involved in treasonous plots. The necessity of executing her own cousin and fellow sovereign drove Elizabeth half mad with grief.”

  “Nonetheless, murder her cousin she did.”

  “Couldn’t you have waited until you returned to Scotland before cursing Elizabeth’s name and predicting that the wrath of God would strike her? She had no choice but to imprison you.” The old sorcerer shook his head dourly. “You supported Mary at the risk of your own life, even though she was Catholic and you a Protestant. Though your loyalty is commendable, one must wonder about your sense.”