Free Sword Masters by Selina Rosen Page B

in spite of herself. "You really are the most awful person I have ever known."
    "That is rather my point, dear lady."
    * * *
    "I have never in my life seen a swordsman such as Tarius," the king said to Darian.
    "Nor have I. Not even his father was as good as he is," Darian said.
    "He's extraordinary!"
    "He's not human," a soft voice spoke behind them. It was Old Hellibolt, the palace mage. Persius' father had put great store in the old man's council. Persius more or less ignored him.
    "Not human!" Persius laughed. "He is Jabon the Breaker's son."
    "Who knows for a surety that Jabon was human? And only the blind would believe that thing is male!" Hellibolt was gone almost as quickly as he had appeared.
    "What did he mean?" Darian asked.
    Persius shrugged. "Who knows? He grows more senile by the day. These days it seems that he is constantly feeding me some riddle or making some prophesy of doom." He turned his attentions to young Tarius. "Good Tarius, do you find the food to your liking?"
    "Aye, Sire," Tarius said. "I am sorry to be such a glutton."
    "Nonsense, my boy, you have earned it," Persius said. "You are by far the finest swordsman I have ever seen, Tarius."
    "Thank you, Sire," he said.
    Persius looked hard at the boy. Damn! He was a pretty one. Old Hellibolt was right; he did look like a woman. Persius found him oddly attractive and quit looking at him for that very reason. He had four wives—all beautiful women, and he was well pleased with them. He was not now and never had been attracted to men. For this reason Tarius made him uncomfortable. Damned old fool! He never would have thought it if Hellibolt hadn't said something.
    Suddenly Tarius was on his feet, and the chair he had been sitting in was unceremoniously thrown to the floor. Steel crashed above Persius head, and he looked up just in time to see Tarius's blade pressed hard against a blade which would have crushed Persius' skull.
    Tarius pushed the attacker off his blade and then pushed his blade forward hard to catch the attacker in his side. This seemed to do nothing but anger the attacker who slung his blade into Tarius. Tarius countered, but not before the blade had hit.
    The attack had caught Tarius off guard. She hadn't expected an attack, much less that they could sneak one past the king's two guards standing just a few feet behind him. She wouldn't make another mistake, and she wouldn't play games. She brought her blade up and blocked the blow coming for her head, spinning his blade. She used the momentum to carry her blade to the man's chest. She jabbed upwards just under the solar plexus, plunged up into the man's heart, then twisted leaving nothing to chance. Tarius threw the man off her blade, and he fell to the floor, convulsing for a few minutes before he died.
    "What treachery is this?" Persius demanded getting to his feet. He stared at Jero. "Explain yourself."
    "He was the brother of my champion. He must have been upset. I assure you he acted on his own," Jero said quickly.
    "This man is a liar," Tarius whispered to the king. "He is filled with deceit. There is no honor in him. If he was angry over his brother, why go after you? Why not kill me?"
    Persius nodded that he understood what Tarius was saying. "Better a guarded truce than none at all," he whispered to Tarius.
    To Jero he said simply, "Let's pray no one else should decide to defend his blood, or I'm afraid there will be none of you left by dawn."
    He drew his own sword from its scabbard on his side and held it out towards Tarius. "I know it is not your custom to bow down before any man. Therefore stand erect and let me bestow upon you the honor of being one of my knights." He tapped his sword on both of Tarius's shoulders. "Now go to the infirmary, and my own surgeon will attend to your wound, Sir Tarius."
    "Thank you, Sire," Tarius said nodding her head.
    Jena took her by one arm and Tragon by the other, and they started to lead her towards the infirmary. A servant was leading the