Garia has to deal with the consequences of the bout with Duke Jarwin. She also has to try and make peace with Lady Merizel, who is still under the impression that Garia was a rival for Jarwin's affections. Then there's the Palace Guard, who want to know what she did...

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

27 - Aftermath

Disclaimer: The original characters and plot of this story are the property of the author. No infringement of pre-existing copyright is intended. This story is copyright (c) 2011-2017 Penny Lane. All rights reserved.

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They hadn't walked very far from the Large Training Room when Garia's head began to swim and her legs buckled under her.

"Whoa there! Grab her!"

Firm but gentle hands held her as she sagged.

"I don't think she got hit, it must be delayed reaction," Margra said.

"I think you're right," Keren replied. "Garia? Can you stand?"

"I don't know," she answered fuzzily. She started breathing deeply, hoping the extra oxygen would clear her head.

"She's getting cold and clammy," Keren noted.

"We need to get her back to her suite as soon as possible," Margra said. "That was a significant effort for one so small."

"I agree. Here, I'll carry her. I know she's not that heavy."

He scooped Garia up the same way he had done that previous night and they set off towards the household area. She laid her bandaged left hand on her stomach to keep it out of the way. Her left shoulder hurt where his arm supported her, but that was a small price to pay.

In the household corridor Terys had been pacing up and down outside the doors, consumed with worry. As Keren, Margra and Jenet approached she turned towards them with a gasp of shock.

"Oh, Keren! What did that man do to dear Garia? She's injured!"

"Mother -"

"I'll never forgive myself for permitting this to happen, it was a stupid idea to allow a tiny girl to fight a big brute like Jarwin. What could she possibly have been thinking of? And now she has to pay the forfeit. That should never have been allowed either." Her eyes began to burn with fury at the injustice of the situation.

"Mother! Garia won."

"She can't possibly - What? What did you say, Keren?"

"Garia won the contest, Mother. The fight was so one-sided it was embarrassing. Garia destroyed his right knee, I don't think he'll ever walk again, then she broke some of his ribs and finally she knocked him out. I don't think he did much to her at all."

Terys was momentarily at a loss. "She did all that? Little Garia did that?" Her eyes flicked to the bandaged hand. "Then what happened to her hand?"

"That was when she knocked him out. She hasn't done enough training for her hand to be strong enough yet." Keren shifted his burden. "Mother, I know she doesn't weigh a lot but she's beginning to feel quite heavy. If you wouldn't mind?"

"Oh, yes, Keren, of course!"

Terys moved out of the way and Jenet opened Garia's sitting room door. Keren entered and walked straight through to the bedroom. Once there he crossed to the bed and laid Garia gently on it. She smiled a thanks up at him and he grinned back.

"That's the second time I've laid you on this bed, Garia. I'm not sure if I want that to become a habit or not."

"That's fine by me," she said.

"I realized something as we walked," he said. "This is your very first serious fight, isn't it?"

"It is," she replied. "How did you know?"

"I've heard some of the older men talk about it," he explained. "You can train all you like, but the first time in battle - or a fight like yours - is different. They say it brings it all home to you, and it can affect you greatly. It's different when you have to put theory into practice."

She gave him another weak smile. "I guess you're right. I never considered that at all."

"Ma'am, she has a little shock," Margra told Terys. "If she could have some pel?"

"Of course. Kenila, a pot of pel, please."

"And we need to examine her properly," Margra continued, "in case there are other injuries."

"Of course, Margra. Keren, you'll have to leave us now."

"Mother? Why?"

"Because, Highness," Margra told him patiently, "I want to look at that shoulder, and to do that will mean taking all her clothes off." She looked at him meaningfully.

Keren reddened when he realized what she was saying. "Ah, yes. I'll go and find something else to do," he said. "I'll come back just before lunch, if that's permissible?"

Margra nodded. "We should have finished by that time, Highness."

They sat Garia up on the bed and carefully removed her tunic. The silk bodice underneath had been torn along the left shoulder seam.

"I heard something give when he grabbed me," Garia remarked. "I just hoped it would all hold together long enough for me to finish him."

When they removed the bodice they could see the blade of her left shoulder was beginning to darken where she had fallen on it. Of more concern were four vivid marks across her chest, beginning on the right breast and, with a gap where the skin dipped over the breastbone, continuing on the left before fading.

"How did this happen, Mistress?" Margra asked. "I wasn't aware of anything he could have done to you to cause marks such as these."

"When he grabbed my tunic, Mistress Margra." She made a claw of her right hand to demonstrate. "I guess he doesn't bother to trim his nails much."

"He paid well for these marks, though," Margra said with satisfaction. "Even I heard the ribs break when you kicked him."

"Yes, well," Garia licked her lips. "I could only do that because I was so small. If I had been larger my legs would have been too long to curl up like that." She cocked her head in thought. "On the other hand, if I'd been larger, there are many other ways I could have hurt him."

Margra continued her examination, even asking Garia to remove her tights and lower the panties she was wearing so that her hips and thighs could be checked. It was possible that some minor bruises would surface in the coming hours but nothing that would cause long term concern. The skin was unbroken over her shoulder and breasts so they would recover in time. Fortunately both body areas were normally kept covered by the styles of day and evening wear. Her hand was something else, however.

"I must look at it again, Mistress, now we are in a room with better light."

"Go ahead, Mistress Margra. That stuff you put on it is keeping the pain down quite well."

Margra removed the bandage and washed the hand clean of the poultice she had applied after the fight. It was already swollen and looked gross to Garia. Margra made her attempt to move her hand and fingers in various directions, after which she proclaimed that it appeared she had escaped major damage. It would probably have to remain bandaged for about a week to allow the swelling to go down.

"How on Anmar did you do that, dear?" Terys couldn't understand how Garia had injured her own hand.

"I locked my elbow straight, like this, and bent my hand back like so," Garia demonstrated with her right hand. "Then I used my body to twist my shoulders round and hammer my hand into the side of his head. In theory most of my hand bones are out of the way and the shock is taken at the base of the hand and at the shoulder joint. I only managed to stun him, though. If I had been my previous male self I would probably have broken his neck, but I'm not strong enough to do that now. I'll have to think about other methods of winning instead."

Terys shook her head. "Sometimes you frighten me, dear. Is Earth so violent, then, that even a young woman needs to learn such dreadful things?"

"No, Ma'am, not at all! Earth is violent, yes, but probably no more violent than Anmar. What we do is for sport, not for fighting. Normally we'd make these same moves but stop just short of the opponent's body. Your opponent will know you could have struck the blow and will concede. Of course, it means that you do have the moves available when you really do need to defend yourself, but thankfully that's rare these days."

"If you say so, dear." Terys seemed dubious.

Having a bandaged hand limited the clothes which Garia could wear, so she resigned herself to spending the rest of the day at least in a fluffy robe.

"You will take lunch in your sitting room today, dear? It would seem more convenient."

"Yes, Ma'am, I think so. Oh, I'm going to need a fork if I do, though. I can eat one-handed with a fork."

Garia spent the time before lunch was served deep in conversation with Margra, discussing wounds and other injuries, and how they were treated on Earth. They didn't have modern drugs like painkillers on Anmar but Garia considered the herbal extracts they did use to be quite effective as a substitute. Ideas like compression and ice-packs were mentioned, together with care of open wounds and sterilization techniques.

"Ice packs," Margra mused. "Of course, at this time of the year, we're quite low on ice. It won't be for many months that we can go and fetch more from the mountains."

"Maybe sooner than you think," Garia told her. "There is a machine, a fairly simple machine, which can be used to make ice anywhere. It was one of the things I mentioned the other evening, if you remember. It involves a small pump and a lot of copper piping."

Lunchtime arrived, and with it, Robanar, Keren, Bleskin and Dalbinar.

"We will not stay, Mistress," Robanar said, "Just passed by to see how you are."

"Sire, thank you. Apart from the hand, Mistress Margra has said there is only bruising of one kind or another. She doesn't think anything in my hand is broken, but we won't know until the swelling starts to go down."

"I'm pleased to hear that, Mistress," he replied. "The display you put on in front of my men has concentrated a number of minds. I was concerned, originally, when you asked to start this exercise, that it was merely a strange local custom of yours which you wished to continue. I see now that it will have implications as great as those which the other matters will have."

He glanced briefly in Dalbinar's direction, and Garia understood that Robanar intended keeping many of her disclosures confidential for now.

"As you say, Sire. Perhaps we can talk this evening? I don't know what -"

She stopped, aware that the one person who would know what she was supposed to be doing this evening was probably not speaking to her right now. She sighed.

"I'm sorry, Sire, I'll have to make my peace with Lady Merizel first."

Robanar nodded. "You have my sympathies, Mistress." He straightened. "Keren, are you dining here or with us? I would include you in the discussions I'm having with Bleskin and Dalbinar, but if you wish to stay..."

Keren looked at Garia, who flicked her free hand at him. "You can come and see me later, if you like."

"As you wish, Mistress."

The four men made their excuses and left.

Garia had a thought. "Mistress Margra, do you know why Duke Jarwin and I were fighting this morning?"

"Why no, Mistress, I do not," she replied. "I thought the contest was strange, but then I wasn't at the reception yesterday evening so I don't know what caused you to challenge the Duke. I was amazed when I was asked to attend this morning, and I feared for your safety." She smiled. "With little basis in fact, it would seem. Why do you ask?"

"It wasn't quite like that, Mistress. I deliberately insulted the Duke so that he would challenge me."

Margra frowned. "Now I feel more confused than ever, Mistress."

Garia, with Terys's help, explained what had happened after the dinner the previous evening, and how the challenge had been made earlier at breakfast.

"Ah, now I understand, Mistress." Margra nodded thoughtfully. "That explains much that seemed strange to me. Your thought is for Lady Merizel, of course, who believes you have wronged her. You wish me to bear witness when you next speak to her, I take it?"

"If you wouldn't mind, Mistress Margra. Her Majesty," Garia nodded to indicate Terys, "thinks we need to resolve this soon, probably later this afternoon. Would you be prepared to assist us? I don't want to divert you from anything more urgent you might have planned."

"I am at Her Majesty's service, as always," Margra said. "Of course I will help, especially when it is to correct a misunderstanding."

"Thank you, Margra," Terys said. "It will help to have an unbiased witness with us. I have a feeling that Lady Merizel will take some convincing."

Lunch was delivered and the other women watched with great interest as Garia tackled her meal one-handed using only her fork. Jenet had to cut some of the meat into bite-sized portions for her but otherwise she used the edge of the fork to divide up the rest.

"This is a more casual style of eating," she said. "It's referred to as a 'western' style because... uh, well, never mind, it's a long story. Just think if you were traveling, across the country, and you're all sat around a camp fire. Not the tables and benches which Master Tanon was using when he found me, but just sitting on the ground. You have your plate in your left hand and your fork in your right. It's a bit of a lazy way to eat but many people do it these days. Of course, you wouldn't eat like this in a more formal situation."

"Interesting!" Terys watched Garia manipulating the fork. "It certainly is a most useful tool, dear, as we have found. Of course, even when we go traveling, we are provided a proper table and seating, but I can understand when it might be useful for others to eat that way."

~o~O~o~

Something strange was going on, Merizel thought. She and her maid Bursila were following a footman through the corridors towards the Queen's quarters, escorted by two guardsmen. Despite the peculiar tale Captain Bleskin had told her late yesterday evening she was still not allowed the freedom of the palace but had remained shut away in her chamber, guardsmen posted outside her door. Nothing of the morning's events had reached her, although she was aware that something had happened from the excitement she noticed in her escort. This was emphasized by the odd demeanor of Bursila, who had obviously learned something when she had fetched Merizel's lunch. She had assumed that everyone was talking about the wild accusation that girl had made the previous evening.

The party reached the door of the Queen's sitting room and the footman knocked. One of the Queen's maids opened the door and bade Merizel and her maid enter. When she did so she discovered three people sitting waiting for her. The Queen, of course, but also Mistress Margra for some unknown reason. And the third person, looking extremely nervous, was that girl. Merizel turned her gaze away, but not before she had noticed with shock that her hand was bandaged.

Merizel curtseyed. "Your Majesty, you sent for me?"

"I did, dear. Please sit down, we need to have a talk to discuss what happened last night."

Merizel chose a chair and carefully sat down facing the Queen before she spoke, her eyes avoiding the girl sitting on the settee next to her.

"Ma'am, there is nothing to discuss. I wish to return home to my father. I am clearly not suited for life at your court, and I beg leave to depart."

Terys tutted. "My dear, before you request anything quite so drastic, I suggest that you listen to what all three of us have to say."

Merizel's eyes flickered at that. What could Margra have to do with this? Was she present because of that girl's injury? If so, how was the injury connected with last night? Had it all been a trick, as she had first supposed, and had that girl spent the night with the Duke, having disposed of her competitor? Whatever the reason it seemed that she would have no choice but to listen. The Queen had only made a suggestion, after all, but she was still the Queen.

"As you wish, Ma'am," she said unhappily.

"Merizel," Garia said softly, "I'm truly sorry for what I did to you last night. I couldn't think of a better plan to keep you away from the Duke. I didn't want to hurt you, but if you had gone with the Duke he would have hurt you more."

Merizel flared and she looked at Garia properly for the first time. Strangely, Garia showed sadness, not guilt, but she still accused, "You got me out of the way because you wanted him for yourself!"

The look of complete revulsion on Garia's face confused Merizel even more. "Oh, God, no, anything but that! Merizel, did you not listen when we were told what Duke Jarwin was like? He uses women, especially innocent young women like... us. I could see straight away through his smooth talking patter but you were taken in immediately. I had to do something to keep you safe, you work for me, I felt some responsibility for what happened to you."

"What are you talking about?" Merizel asked. "He was the perfect man, attentive to all my needs. I assumed that the talk about him was mostly envy, of men who couldn't hope to match Duke Jarwin's manners or kindness, who resented his good looks and his breeding." She flared again. "Anyway, I don't see that was any business of yours, coming between me and Jarwin. You might be an odd person who comes from somewhere else entirely, you don't know our customs, but I am the daughter of a Baron and I know how things work in Palarand. He promised to look after me, I trusted his word."

Merizel's face was set stubborn and Garia realized that it was going to take some effort to shift her perspective. Fortunately Terys decided to take a hand.

"Merizel, dear, will you listen to me? I am Queen of Palarand, and if anybody knows how things work here it ought to be me. Duke Jarwin has long had a notorious reputation the length of the Valley and well beyond. Everybody, excepting yourself it seems, knows about his dreadful behavior towards young women whenever he can find them, and until now his exalted position as brother to the Grand Duke has meant that no-one, no-one, could do anything about it. The tragedy is that his looks and his smooth manner have still managed to ensnare many even though they already knew of his reputation."

Merizel still looked stubborn, but her face had reddened as though she was trying to deny what she was hearing.

"Ma'am, it cannot be! He told me that part of his life was over, that I would be the perfect woman to take charge of his household..." It began to dawn on Merizel that the patter she had been told was just that, patter. But she couldn't yet give up her illusion that the Duke had changed and that he would be the one who made her happy. "It can't be so, Ma'am!"

"Merizel," Terys said, " shall I tell you what the Duke said about you this morning?"

"He spoke of me, Ma'am?" Merizel said, her face alight with hope.

"I'll try and quote, dear, but forgive me if I do not remember his exact words. He said to Garia, 'It is a pity that your games separated me from, what was her name again? Never mind. She was merely the entertainment for the evening. A trivial encounter, soon forgotten.'"

Merizel was horrified. "No! He couldn't have! He told me..." Then she abruptly realized what she had just said and her mouth closed.

"I trust that you do not accuse your Queen of lying, my dear," Terys said gently.

"No, Ma'am," Merizel said in a small voice. Her eyes were wet as she was brought to face the unpleasant truth. "It's just... He promised me so much!"

"Just like he has promised every other one of his conquests so much," Terys told her. "And when he rode away, you would be left behind, you know that now. He would promise to come and fetch you later, but it would never happen. What if the worst were to happen, and you be left here with his bastard child? What would your father think? Would he even let you come home again?"

Merizel shook her head mutely, the tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks.

"That's what I was trying to protect you from," Garia added after a pause. "On Earth, we're used to lying scumbags like that. It was obvious to me what he was trying to do, it was just unfortunate that you were taken in by him. I couldn't see a way of keeping you safe that didn't hurt you, I'm afraid. I'm sorry I've put you through all this, but the alternative would have been much worse, believe me. Will you accept my apology, Merizel?"

"I... don't know, Garia. I thought you wanted him for yourself, so I was extremely angry that you got me out of the way. Perhaps it is I who should apologize to you, for doubting your motives."

"It's called trust, Merizel. We've not known each other that long, but you will always be able to trust me, and I hope that I will always be able to trust you. I would never do anything like that to you." Garia caught herself. "At least, not deliberately."

Garia stood up and walked towards Merizel. Uncertainly the other stood and they gave each other a tentative hug. Garia looked up into Merizel's eyes.

"We're both in places where we don't quite understand what's going on," she said. "We have to watch each other's backs, yes?"

Merizel gazed back for a moment, nodded and then said, "Yes." The hug she gave was stronger that time.

"Tell me," she said, "what happened to your hand, then?" She looked at Terys and Margra. "Something happened this morning, didn't it?"

Terys sighed. "Sit down, the pair of you."

When Garia and Merizel had sat down again she began, "Duke Jarwin was very angry this morning, when he came down to breakfast, dear. It seemed that he was just as angry with Garia as you were, and for much the same reason. He wanted revenge, and he tried to get it by implying that Garia and the Prince were doing unseemly things in that room where the two of them train."

Merizel's eyes became round. "That idea never occurred to me, Ma'am, but I see how it might look."

"It didn't occur to Keren or Garia, either," Terys said dryly. "There was a tremendous argument and somehow Garia ended up calling the Duke a bully, a braggart and a seducer who hides behind his brother for safety."

"Oh, my!" Merizel had both hands to her mouth.

"Oh my, indeed. So Jarwin wanted Garia locked up and satisfaction from the King for the insults. Somehow it seems that Garia wanted to fight the Duke herself, and she managed to convince the King that she was capable of it."

"But she's a woman! Woman can't fight." Merizel paused, thinking of what she had seen in the training room. Her eyes widened. "She didn't! The Duke would never accept that, surely! He would never fight a woman, he'd never live it down!"

"Oh, she managed to persuade him, she offered him a forfeit he couldn't refuse. Herself, if he won, until sunset."

Merizel's mouth was a big O of surprise and shock.

"But, but, he, she..." She stopped. "Wait a moment. If you're sitting here, Garia, that must mean that you won. How is that possible? Is that martial art you speak of really so good that you could defeat a man twice your size?"

Garia nodded. "It is, although this time it was a near thing. I haven't managed nearly enough training and I've never faced someone twice my size before." She waggled the bandaged hand. "I'm just lucky that this was the only serious injury I suffered today."

Terys spoke. "Keren said earlier that this was the first serious fight you've ever faced." Merizel gasped. Terys went on, "Is that true, dear? That you've not fought anyone before?"

"Only in practice bouts, Ma'am. In those, the idea is to score points, not injure anybody. Uh, there was an occasion I had to use my experience to discourage a couple bigger boys who were being obnoxious, that one time. There was a party for boys and girls who went to my school, dances, drinks and so on, and they didn't like the fact me and my friends were talking to some girls they fancied. Nothing real serious, though. Nothing at all like what happened today."

"Oh. I keep forgetting that you looked quite different before you came here, dear."

"Yes, Ma'am, I kept forgetting that today, too." Garia's eyes narrowed in thought. "I guess I'm going to have to re-think what I'm going to be able to do, Ma'am. I've learned a great deal, the last couple days, a lot of it unwelcome." She grimaced. "Being on the wrong end of a man's attentions was definitely unwelcome."

"Garia," Merizel asked, "What exactly did you do to Duke Jarwin? I still can't quite believe you just fought him and won."

"I didn't do very much, actually. I didn't know if I had enough energy to fight him properly, so I wanted to put him down as quickly as possible. The only reason I got away with it is because he didn't have a clue what I could do to him. He just thought he was going to grab me, slap me around a bit until I realized I couldn't win, and then make me yield to him through fear. Or something like that, I guess. Do you remember how I threw Keren, that first day you watched us?"

"Yes, I do. And I still find it amazing someone your size can do that."

Garia shrugged. "The size of your opponent shouldn't make a lot of difference for something like that, although in practice it's not quite so straightforward. I did that to him, and then started on his knee. One of his men - it might have been Dalbinar, now I think of it - told Captain Bleskin that he was secretly left-handed so I stayed on his right side to begin with."

"Jarwin was left-handed and pretended to be right-handed?" A surprised Merizel showed disapproval. "That's not honorable, especially in a contest of honor."

"Merizel," Garia said patiently, "I doubt there was any honor at all in that man. Haven't we just been telling you that?"

She nodded reluctantly. "I must believe you, Garia, though I still find it difficult."

"Anyway," Garia continued, "I switched to the left side and threw him again, then did it once more expecting him to grab me. He did, and I curled up and kicked him in the chest under his arm, broke some ribs." She smiled. "That slowed him down a bit. So then I had another go at his right knee and loosened the joint. As he went down I twisted right round and used my left hand to hit him in the side of his head. It stunned him enough that Kendar called an end to the contest."

Merizel shook her head in wonder. "Unbelievable. And you say anyone is capable of doing these things?"

"Yes and no. I doubt that we could teach everything I know to Her Majesty, for instance. But then, Her Majesty has an entire Palace Guard to look after her. The moves I used won't work against someone who also knows them. They also won't be of much use to someone with a sword or spear or other weapon."

"Oh." Merizel looked unhappy. She sat silent for a few moments, engrossed in her own thoughts, and then spoke. "Like yourself, Garia, I have learned much these last few days, most of it unwelcome." She shook her head slowly. "I'm still not entirely convinced that I am the right person to help you at the palace. I feel most inadequate, perhaps I should leave, make way for someone more suitable. I'm sorry."

Terys and Garia looked at Merizel with surprise.

"My dear," Terys said, "You haven't been with us for very long. I would be disappointed if you were to leave so soon. Will you not reconsider?"

"Perhaps you should look at it this way," Garia added. "You can return home to your father's keep, is that right?" Merizel nodded slowly. "Well, don't forget that I can't. Nobody knows how I came to Anmar or where my home is. I am here in Palarand and I have no choice in the matter. In the short time I've known you, we've worked well together and, apart from last night, we seem to get on with each other reasonably well. I'd like you to stay and help me, please. I need someone about my own age to help me fit in here. Will you do that for me, Merizel?"

Merizel looked at Garia again. She realized that she would just be running away from someone who needed her help, and all the talk about honor reminded her that she was not being fair to Garia. She had choices that Garia didn't, after all. Reluctantly, she nodded.

"I will stay, Garia. I'm sorry, I was being selfish. You have a lot to do and you need all the help I can give you." She gave an apologetic smile. "I'm just a country girl and all this is unsettling to me, I'm afraid. But I should know better."

"That's better, dear," Terys said. "I'm sure there will be changes coming which all of us will find unsettling, but you're young and you should be able to take them in your stride. If you were to go home the changes will just follow you there in time anyway, so it will be better for you to stay and help Garia here. That way, you can help ensure that any change is handled the right way, can't you?"

Merizel brightened. "Yes, Ma'am. There is much in what you say."

"Good." The impending storm over, Terys sat back in her chair. "Then, I think it might be time for some pel. Kenila, dear?"

~o~O~o~

Garia was feeling decidedly grumpy, but she did her best to hide her feelings from Jenet and the two guardsmen who were accompanying them to the dining room. The source of her discomfort was the gown she was wearing. She absolutely detested it.

She had very gradually become aware that, over the days since arriving in Palarand, her attitude to the clothing she had to wear had changed significantly. At the beginning it was simply a case of wearing what was available and what fitted, she had no notion of any of the little clues and markers every woman uses to decide what she likes and what she doesn't. In time, as she had worn a number of the gowns provided for her, she had come to be familiar with the styles, designs and colors and she had become comfortable with items of clothing that actually fitted her new body properly and made her look good as well.

Except for a very small number of the gowns supplied by the Mistress of the Wardrobe of a suitable size for her small body. The current gown was the only one suitable for formal evening wear that had an armhole large enough to pass her bandaged hand, and she hated it. It was of a strange, soft, slithery weave unlike many of her silk day gowns. It was, like most of her gowns, made of two layers and having the inner layer touch her skin had literally made it crawl. The color was just as bad, a curious shade she couldn't decide was a lime green or an acid yellow. Whatever, it was not a shade she would ever have wanted to see a garment made out of. The style was just as bad, a demented mixture of layered flounces that looked more suitable for a four-year-old going to a party. Or a musty old granny parked in the corner of a dingy room.

They entered the dining room, the guards peeling off as usual to take station outside the doors. A hum of conversation immediately started up as everyone saw who had entered, and she mentally grimaced. Your profile just got higher. Way to get yourself noticed, dude. Terys approached.

"Garia, dear," the Queen smiled. "We're pleased that you could join us for dinner." Her eyes narrowed and her voice dropped. "What's wrong, dear?"

So much for keeping a bland expression on my face. Mind you, the Queen sees everything, and I mean everything. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty," she replied through gritted teeth. "This is the only evening gown with a sleeve I can get my hand through and I just plain don't like it."

Terys cocked her head to one side and pursed her lips. "That's unfortunate, dear. This gown is an old style, true, but it fits you beautifully. What do you think is the problem?"

"The material feels strange, Ma'am, and it makes my flesh creep. I just don't like it. I don't like all this flouncy layer business either, but that's probably because it's not what I'm used to seeing at home. And the color, well, no, I don't think it suits me at all."

"Hmm. You may be right, dear. There's nothing to say you have to like certain styles, materials or colors, is there?" Terys looked perceptively at Garia. "I think you've managed really well, considering. Since you've arrived here we've dressed you in a whole line of different gowns and you've worn them all without a murmur, haven't you? I can't imagine that you would have worn any clothing at all like this on Earth."

"No, Ma'am, you're right there. In fact, not even the girls of Earth would wear things like this, unless they were doing historical re-enactments. But since I've been here and had to wear these gowns I've come to realize that I quite like them really. Ah, all except this one, I guess. They're nice and cool given the warm weather and it's refreshing to have clothes that actually fit my body. Most men's clothes don't fit that well, they tend to be loose so that men can move easily."

"I know, dear," Terys said. "I think most of us women would like to see their men in more closely fitting clothes, but I know that isn't generally possible. It's to do with the differences in our body shapes, of course."

"As you say, Ma'am."

Keren joined them. "How's the hand, Mistress?"

"So far so good, Your Highness," she replied. "The potions Mistress Margra has been feeding me have helped a great deal. The hand is still swollen, though."

"And the rest of you?"

"My left shoulder hurts, as you might expect, but the rest doesn't seem too bad, actually. We couldn't find many more bruises when I bathed before dressing for dinner."

"Will you be able to manage the meal by yourself, or will you need help tonight?"

"I managed at lunch all right, with just a fork, and if I need help Jenet will be there, of course. Thank you for asking."

"And Merizel?"

Garia looked at the Queen before answering. "We had a... discussion with her earlier. She wasn't very happy but we managed to make her understand what was really going on. We've made up, at least enough to be talking to one another again." The concern on Keren's face smoothed away. "She wanted to go home, but we managed to talk her into staying and helping me. As you can imagine, she's not very happy about the whole business."

Keren nodded. "I can understand that. With your permission, I'll have a gentle talk to her and see if I can help things along."

"That's good of you, Keren," Terys said. "Now, perhaps we'd better take our seats."

* * *

After the meal, Robanar, Keren, Captains Bleskin and Merek, Garia and Merizel convened in Robanar's parlor for what amounted to a council of war.

"Milady," Robanar addressed Merizel, "Normally we would not permit women to join these meetings but since the arrival of Mistress Garia in our kingdom the rules must necessarily change." He smiled at her. "I trust you will not become too bored by the proceedings."

"It is unlikely, Sire," she replied. "No meeting with Mistress Garia present could ever be considered boring, at least not in my experience so far."

There were chuckles from those present. "I cannot disagree, Milady," Robanar said.

Bleskin started the meeting. "Mistress, I must begin by saying how shocked we all were by your display this morning. I doubt any among the guard had considered such violence possible from such a small," he smiled, "and good-looking girl. Merek and I have been talking, and we realize that our preparations against people who can do what you did today to be sadly inadequate. I must ask, nay, I must beg, that you give the guard some instruction in your methods, that we may better protect the palace and those within."

"Captain," she replied, "I had always planned, from the very beginning, that I would pass on whatever knowledge I could to you and your men. I just hadn't expected to be demonstrating myself to you quite so soon. Unfortunately, until my hand heals, I'm going to be limited in what I can show you. I have been teaching the Prince some of the basic moves, perhaps he can teach in my stead but the situation is not an ideal one. I've also been considering what needs to be done longer term."

"Go on, Mistress."

"Because you have five different quadrants on rotating shifts, it's not going to be enough for me to come and teach every morning, since there'll be new faces every week and getting continuity will be difficult, at least to start with. I think you'll need to do two things. First, some instructors who can work to my own timetable, who I will teach every day. Then, a small number from each quadrant who can keep things going for each group of men as the shifts change."

"You grasp the problem well, Mistress. It's not quite what Merek and I had thought, but near enough. We can find instructors for you easily enough, I think. How many would you wish us to provide?"

"Hmm. I hadn't got that far, actually. Five quadrants, say two from each quadrant, is that going to cause a problem? I don't want too many, because that might be too many for me and it will take men from each shift, as well."

"It is possible, Mistress. You plan to keep to your existing arrangement, I suppose? That is, come to the training halls in the mornings?"

"Yes, Captain. I'm sorry, I guess I'm going to be too busy in the afternoons and evenings to spend very much more time with the guard."

"Of course, Mistress, and I know that all those other activities are as important to Palarand as your time with us. What I was considering was that the instructors would be available for other duties in the afternoons and evenings."

"Ah! Yes, Captain, I see what you are getting at. Yes, the mornings only. With His Majesty's consent, that is?"

Robanar waved a hand. "If Bleskin and Merek are happy with the arrangement, then I am, Mistress. After watching you this morning I also agree that we need to improve the abilities of the guard. Tell me, then, Mistress, is this what you meant when you said previously to us that swords and bows are not used by your people? Will this... martial art... replace all our present methods and gear?"

"Oh, no, Sire! Not at all! You should consider it as just another way to fight. Unarmed combat won't help you if your opponent has a sword or a cross-bow, for example, unless you are very clever." Garia considered for a moment. "It will be of use to your guard within the palace, Sire. Within close quarters, in the corridors and small rooms, for example, it will be of more use than it would be on a battlefield. In the city, also, it would be more useful to the guard there when they are performing a police function than as soldiers."

"Police, Mistress? A new word."

Garia was derailed. "Ah, let me think, Sire. Right. We divide up our forces of law and order into different specialties. They range from personal bodyguards through private bodies of men who guard families, buildings or business premises to police who control towns, villages and cities. Then we have what I would call dedicated soldiers, Sire. Those start at militia, who are drawn from their villages, towns and cities for the purpose of defending them against foreign enemies, to proper armies. An army might have a core of professional soldiers together with levies or conscripts or it could be be wholly professional. Soldiers wouldn't normally be involved in maintaining law and order, although I recognize that your palace is a special case."

"It seems strange to me, Mistress," said Merek, "that your world needs to make all these distinctions. Would not the same men be able to perform all those functions?"

Garia nodded. "There is some overlap, certainly, but there's a lot more to it. You have to remember, also, that we have a much greater population than yours, and that our cities are much larger."

There followed an intense discussion about the function of a police force, Garia also contrasting the difference between state and city level. The talk wandered off into detection of crime, and the differences between what a detective might do compared to that of a military specialist.

"That's one reason why I found things so difficult when I first came to the palace," she told them, "because I thought that Morlan was an intelligence expert, rather than what I would call a scientist, that is he was someone who is just interested in understanding things. I expected a specialist in foreign affairs. On Earth we have many specialists. In addition it was surprising to me that to solve Morlan's murder, you asked a healer to take charge. We would have someone called a pathologist, that is someone who knows all about bodies but concentrates on the causes of injuries or death rather than someone who's specialty is to heal."

"So what you're saying, Mistress," Merek said, "is that we ought to be making specialists in all these different things you've told us about."

Garia shrugged. "Probably not at the moment, Captain. I don't think you have the need for that right now, you just have to be aware that you'll need specialists in the future as things develop. After all, you have guardsmen who are better at longbows, or crossbows, or swords, haven't you? They can be considered specialists."

"As you say, Mistress," Merek nodded. "But, to return to my original question, if your world does not use swords or bows, what does it use?"

Garia's mood darkened instantly. "Weapons so terrible that I hesitate to even describe their effects to you, Captain." She turned to Robanar. "I'm not sure I want to tell anyone on Anmar anything about them, Sire. They are so deadly and will cause the deaths of so many, I would not wish to be the person who introduced such things to your world."

Robanar considered her for a long moment. "I have no doubt you consider this knowledge to be very dangerous, Mistress. But, that was the reason the Council of the Two Worlds was set up, was it not? So that we can make the decision for ourselves, on the basis of all you can tell us, both about the weapons themselves and what you know are the results of using those weapons. Will you not reconsider, Mistress? Whatever you tell us will be sealed, if we consider it to be too dangerous to use."

Garia licked her lips. "I would rather not, Sire, if it is at all possible. I do not want this world to end up like my own did."

"Perhaps you should consider this, Garia," Keren said. "Your world invented these weapons, yes? And there was no person who appeared suddenly on Earth to pass the knowledge to them there, they worked it out on their own. Eventually, someone here will find a way, with or without your help. After all, if there is one thing certain in life, it is that men will try and make a better weapon than their enemies have. If, however, we know what to look for, we may be able to control the development of whatever it is you have on Earth."

She bowed her head. "You are right, Highness. With your permission, Sire, I would like to take some time to consider this whole subject. At the moment, it is not important in terms of the development of Palarand, but I guess I can't ignore it completely."

"As you wish, Mistress."

~o~O~o~

"Ugh! I'm glad to have gotten that off, Jenet!"

"It is an old style, I grant you, Mistress. Did it really upset you that much?"

"Yes, it did. I never want to have to wear it ever again, Jenet. Let's take it back tomorrow, and see what else is in those huts I might be able to wear instead. We need to go over there anyway to ask Rosilda to make me some more tunics and skirts, don't we?"

"As you say, Mistress."

Jenet had to bathe Garia and help her on with her nightdress, and for once Garia was grateful for the assistance. Once into bed she had to be careful how she lay so as not to put her weight on the bruised shoulder or accidentally come into contact with her hand. It promised to be an uncomfortable night.

"Mistress?"

"Yes, Jenet?"

"I'm glad you beat Duke Jarwin, Mistress. He has been a trial to us for too many years, and I hope that will now come to an end."

"So do I, Jenet."

"It will also give others of the same stripe cause to think, Mistress. I think you have done womankind a great service today."

"Thank you, Jenet. Good night."

"Good night, Mistress."