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elp。 Sir Andrew was already gone。 When Tashigang too had fallen； then it would certainly be too late。
When the news of Vilkata's most recent triumph had e in； Yambu had first conferred briefly with her manders； then dismissed them； telling them to let the troops get some rest tonight。 But she herself had not been able to sleep since。 Nor； though her own necessary course of action was being plainer and plainer； had she been able to muster the will to be decisive； to give the orders to break camp and march。
Who； or what； could stand against the Mindsword？ Evidently only something that was just as terrible。
And Sir Andrew had been wearing Shieldbreaker； ready at his side。 With her own eyes； on her visit to the swamp； she had seen the small white hammer on the black hilt。 Vilkata with his Mindsword had evidently won； somehow； even against that weapon。 Did Vilkata now have possession of both those Blades？ But even if he did； each terrible augmentation of his power only made it all the more essential to march against him without delay。
The Silver Queen stood up and moved forward one short pace in midnight blackness； trusting that the tent floor was there as usual； and no assassin's knife。 She put out her hand and touched the wooden case； then opened it。
She stroked 。with one finger the black hilt of her own Sword。 This Sword alone among the Twelve bore no white symbol on its hilt。 No sense of power came to her when she touched it。 There was no sense of anything； beyond the dull material hilt itself。 Of all the Twelve； this one alone had nothing to say to the world about itself。
She glanced back at her solitary cot； barely visible in the dulled sky…glow that fell in through the tent's screened window。 She visualized Amintor's scarred shoulders as they sometimes appeared there； bulking above the plain rumpled blanket。 Amintor was wise； sometimes。 Or clever at least。 She doubted now that she herself knew what wisdom was； doubted she would recognize wisdom if it came flying at her in the night like some winged attacking reptile。
Quite possibly she had never been able to recognize it； and only of late was she aware of this。
The one adviser whose word she would really have valued now had been gone from her side for years； and he was not ing back。 She was never going to see him again； except； possibly； one day across some battlefield。 But perhaps when they met in battle he would be wearing a mask again （she had never understood why he did that so often） and he would go unrecognized。
And now； at this point in what had bee a familiar cycle of thought； it was time for her to think about Ariane。 Ariane her daughter； her only child； and of course his daughter too。
The Silver Queen's intelligence sources had confirmed for her the stories； now four years old； that Ariane was four years dead； had perished with some band of robbers in an attempt to plunder the main hoard of the Blue Temple。 Well； the girl was better off that way； most likely； than in Red Temple slavery。
Had that plot； to put Ariane on the throne of Yambu； been a real one？ Or had the real plot been to force her； the Silver Queen； to get rid of her daughter； her one potentially trustworthy ally？ Even when convinced of the danger； Queen Yambu had been unable to give the orders for her daughter's death。 And besides； the auguries had threatened the most horrible consequences for her royal self if she should do so。 In the end； as certain of the auguries appeared to advise； she had sold Ariane into Red Temple slavery。
Her own daughter； her only child。 She； Queen Yambu； had been lost in her own hate and fear。。。
Would Amintor； she wondered； if he had been with her then； have had the courage to advise her firmly against destroying her own daughter？ Not； she thought； once he knew that she was determined on it。
。。。 and now； of course； in this pointless cycle of thought； remembrance； and self…recrimination； it was time for her to recall those days of her love affair with the Emperor； before her triumphant ascension to the throne。 Only rarely since that triumph had she felt as fully alive as she did then； in that time of continuous； desperate effort and danger。 Then her life had been in peril constantly。 She had been in flight day after day； never sleeping twice in the same place； alert always to escape the usurpers' search parties that were frantically scouring the country for her。
That was when she had met him； when the love affair had started； and when it had run its course。 She had been an ignorant girl then； only guessing at the Emperor's real power； then； as now； he had had no army of his own to send into the field。 But he had saved her more than once； fighting like a demon at her side； inspiring her with predictions of victory； outguessing the enemy on which direction their search parties would take next。
There had been hints； she supposed； in those early days of love； as to what he expected as his ultimate reward。 More than hints； if she had been willing to see and hear them。 Still she had begun； naive girl as she then was； to think him selfless and unselfish。 And then … landless； armyless； brazen； bold…faced opportunist after all！ … he had proposed marriage to her。 On the very day of her stunning victory； when enough of the powerful folk of Yambu had rallied to her cause to turn the tide。 The very day she had been able to ascend the throne； and to order the chief plotters and their families put to a horrible death。
The man who called himself the Emperor must have read her instant refusal in her face。 For when she had turned back from giving some urgent order； to deliver her answer to him plainly； he was already gone。 Perhaps he had put on one of his damned masks again； anyway he had vanished in that day's great confusion of unfamiliar figures； new bodyguard and new courtiers and foreign dignitaries already on hand to congratulate the winner。
She had refused to order a search； or even to allow one。 Let him go。 She was well rid of him。 From that day forward she would be Queen； and her marriage； when she got around to thinking of marriage； would have to be something planned as carefully and coldly as an army's march。
There had been； naturally enough； other lovers； from that day almost twenty years ago till this。 Amintor was； she supposed； the most durable of the bunch。 Lovers was not really the right word for them though； useful bodies； sometimes entertaining or even useful minds。
But the Emperor； yes； he had been her lover。 That fact in some ways seemed to loom larger as it became more distant down the lengthening avenue of years。
But； she thought now （as she usually did when the thought…cycle had reached this point）； how could any woman； let alone a Queen； have been expected to live with； to seriously plan a life and a career； with a man like that。。？
The Silver Queen's thoughts and feelings； as usual； became jumbled at this point。 It was all done with now。 It had all been over and done with； a long time ago。 The Emperor might have made her immortal； or at least virtually ageless； like himself。 Well； as a strong Queen she could hire or persuade other powerful magicians to do the same for her； as they did for themselves； when it began to seem important。
Only after she had refused the Emperor's offer of marriage； and after she had banned that impossible pretender； that joker and seducer； from her thoughts （the banning had been quite successful for a time） … it was only then； of course； that she had realized that she was pregnant。
Her first thought had been to rid herself of the child before it was born。 But her second thought … already she was beginning to pick up more hints of the Emperor's latent power … was that the child might possibly represent an asset later。 As usual in her new life as Queen； far…sighted caution had prevailed。 She had endured the pregnancy and birth。
There was no doubt of who the father was； despite the baby's fair skin and reddish hair； unlike those of either parent。 The Emperor had been her only lover at the time。 Besides； the Queen could find redheads recorded on both sides of her own ancestry。 As for the Emperor's family。。。 who knew？ Not any of the wizards she had been able to consult。
One thing certain about him； he had been； still was； a consummate magician。 The Silver Queen appreciated that more fully now。 At the time； as a girl； she had only begun to recognize the fact。
And even now … actually more often now than in those early years of her reign … the idea kept ing tantalizingly back： what if she actually had married him？
That would have been impossible； of course。 Quite socially； politically impossible for a Queen to marry one that the world knew as a demented clown。 No matter that the wise and well…educated at least suspected there was more to the Emperor than that。 But what if she had done it； used her new royal power to make it work？ There would of course have had to have been a strong concurrent effort to revive her husband's title in its ancient sense； one of well…nigh supreme power； of puissance beyond that of mere Kings and Queens。
Would she have been acclaimed as a genius of statecraft for marrying him and trying to do that？ Only； of course； if it had worked。 More likely she would have bee a laughingstock。
In any case it was nonsense to think about it now。 She had been only a girl then； unwise in the ways of ruling； and how could she ever have made such an attempt succeed？
But he might have been able to make it work。 What if she had let him rule beside her； had let him try。。。
Maybe； she thought； it was the memory of the Emperor's fierce masculinity that was really bothering her tonight。 On top of everything else。 There had been something stronger about him in that way than any other man she had ever invited to her cot； though physically he was not particularly big。
Enough。 There in the dark privacy of her tent； not giving herself time to think about it； she clasped her right hand firmly on Soulcutter's hilt and drew it halfway from its sheath。 Still there was no glow； and still no power flowed from it。 Rather the reverse。 It was as she had feared and expected it would be； but worse； worse than she had thought or feared。 Still she could bear it if she must。
Queen Yambu slammed this most terrible of all Swords back into its sheath； and sighed with relief as the midnight around her appeared to brighten instantly。 Then she closed the ornate case around Soulcutter； and got up and went to the tent door to cry orders to break camp and march。
Chapter 12
Of course the Dark King knew better； when he stopped to think about it。 But through the visualization provided him by the demon he had been able to see Shieldbreaker in Sir Andrew's distant hands only as a kind of war…hammer rather than a Sword； a picture matching the sound that reached Vilkata's ears from that distant bat。 Soulcutter Vilkata had not yet seen at all； but he knew that it was there now； somewhere behind him； in the hands of the Silver Queen。 He knew it by his magically assisted perception of an emptiness； a presence there to which he was truly blind。 Any Sword that he did not own could frighten him； and he owned only one out of the Twelve。 And now he found himself between two enemies armed with two Swords that seemed to him particularly powerful。
Between the Mindsword in the Dark King's hands behind them and the Dark King's cavalry in front of them； Sir Andrew's little army had certainly been destroyed。 That much had been acplished。 Under ordinary conditions a victory of such magnitude would have been enough to make the King feel truly optimistic。 But conditions were not ordinary； if they ever were。 There were the two Swords Shieldbreaker and Soulcutter； and himself between them。
When the report came in that the Silver Queen was advancing on his rear； Vilkata sent a flying messenger to recall most of his advanced cavalry； and set about turning his entire army to confront her。 It was a decision made with some reluctance； because he longed to go instead to search personally on the battlefield for Shieldbreaker。 A flying scout had reported seeing from a distance that Sir Andrew hurled the Sword away from him； when the fight at last was over。 And what subordinate did the Dark King dare to trust with succeedin