The Pirate and the Amber Cat 35

Chapter 35

Suili plans a rescue.

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Suili let Juriz win that game, and the next.

Juriz wasn't the challenging opponent she remembered and she wondered if it was his strategy or hers that had changed. True to his word, the carnelian and onyx ring with the Shaenen signet was delivered the next day. She expressed the appropriate gratitude, although the sight of the mark made her think of Brons.

When the jeweler understood that Suili's jewelry designs were not to include carnelian, he refused to take her requests. This brought Juriz into the drawing room, who was consumed with worry over the Rak weapons on the Gorzai Queen. He listened to the jeweler's complaint, but his eyes were on his future wife.

"I thought you liked carnelian, dear," he said to her, waving the craftsman aside. He brushed her loose hair from her shoulders. "What did you have in mind?"

She glanced momentarily at the jeweler and then slowly at Juriz. "I do like carnelian," she insisted despite the repulsion she felt, "but I don't always wear colors to complement it." She had seen the way looked at her since her return and found a certain sway in the attention. She let the lilac jacquard skirt fall slowly through her fingers, then touched the silk embroidered décolleté neckline of her dress covered by a modesty scarf. "Carnelian would contrast sharply with this," she said simply. "And the other dresses, the greens and blues. They need something different."

His eyes rose from the scarf. "Such as?"

"Beryl. Or topaz. Peridot. Even garnet to match the sweet grape gauze for . . . well, for the lingerie cote that's being made." She felt a blush rise over her face, but it was connected to another dressing cote.

A slow grin leased his features. "You would wear jewelry to bed?"

"Perhaps something simple." She tried to keep the blush from fading too quickly. "You don't think it appropriate?"

He kept his eyes on her face, aware of the jeweler's presence. He bowed and kissed her hand lightly. "I think it very appropriate." His smile dimmed as he turned to the craftsman. "Take her requests and don't ever bother me with such absurdity."

Suili watched Juriz leave and faced the jeweler with an icy stare as the drawing room doors closed. "If you ever go squealing to my husband again, I'll see that you never cut another stone for this family."

Fittings for the wedding gown were the most laborious sessions, surpassing the earlier tedious occasions by far. During the tedius session, Suili turned, held her breath, raised her arms, and was pinned four times before calling the fitting to a close. The seamstress and her attendants hastily took their leave as Suili pulled on her day dress.

The weather was the coolest day since she had come back to the valley, but even so it didn't compare with the cold, breezy days on the Nysse near Mezpar.

She steered her thoughts from those memories, knowing they would only beget more misery and resentment. Also bothering her was that she may no longer have the option of following up on Cortleno's offer to come back to the port. Surely the Lita Nysse had sailed by now. Perhaps he planned to meet the men he dispatched from Cold Rock father south, if the trail did indeed lead to Ibereth.

She shook her head as she dressed, waving away the last maid attempting to help her dress.

Even if one group of slaves had been taken to the collapsed mine, Cortleno had no way of knowing that until the trackers had returned. He would have to stay in port.

It was in this fuming frame of mind that she passed Juriz's private parlor early that evening and overheard Maren's voice. She paused, sinking into the tapestry that hung beside the arched window.

"He's being held at the west gatehouse now," the advisor said without trying to conceal his words.

"I want him killed immediately," came Juriz's irate tone.

"Now, Juriz, if we kill him we have nothing with which to bargain should D'Arkaise attack again."