Elantris - Brandon Sanderson [170]
The cart hit an especially large bump, and Sarene thumped against its wooden floor. A couple of empty boxes toppled off the pile, nearly falling on top of her.
“Next time we see Shuden,” she mumbled sullenly, rubbing her posterior, “remind me to kick him.”
“Yes, my lady,” Ashe said complacently.
She didn’t have to wait long. Unfortunately, she also didn’t have a chance to do much kicking. She could probably have impaled Shuden if she had wished, but that wouldn’t have made her very popular with the court women. This happened to be one of the days the women had chosen to practice their fencing, and Shuden attended the meeting, as usual—though he rarely participated. Thankfully, he also refrained from doing his ChayShan exercise. The women moped over him enough as it was.
“They’re actually improving,” Eondel said appreciatively, watching the women spar. Each had a steel practice sword, as well as a kind of uniform—a jumpsuit much like the one Sarene wore, but with a short ring of cloth hanging down from the waist, as if to imitate a skirt. The cloth loop was thin and useless, but it made the women comfortable, so Sarene didn’t say anything—no matter how silly she thought it looked.
“You sound surprised, Eondel,” Sarene said. “Were you that unimpressed with my ability to teach?”
The stately warrior stiffened. “No, Your Highness, never—”
“She’s teasing you, my lord,” Lukel said, rapping Sarene on the head with a rolled-up piece of paper as he approached. “You shouldn’t let her get away with things like that. It only encourages her.”
“What’s this?” Sarene said, snatching the paper from Lukel.
“Our dear king’s income figures,” Lukel explained as he removed a bright red sourmelon from his pocket and took a bite. He still hadn’t revealed how he’d managed to get a shipment of the fruit an entire month before the season began, a fact that was making the rest of the mercantile community rabid with jealousy.
Sarene looked over the figures. “Is he going to make it?”
“Barely,” Lukel said with a smile. “But his earnings in Teod, coupled with his tax income, should be respectable enough to keep him from embarrassment. Congratulations, Cousin, you’ve saved the monarchy.”
Sarene rerolled the paper. “Well, that’s one less thing we have to worry about.”
“Two,” Lukel corrected, a bit of pink juice rolling down his cheek. “Our dear friend Edan has fled the country.”
“What?” Sarene asked.
“It’s true, my lady,” Eondel said. “I heard the news just this morning. Baron Edan’s lands border the Chasm down in southern Arelon, and recent rains caused some mudslides involving his fields. Edan decided to cut his losses, and was last seen heading for Duladel.”
“Where he’ll soon discover that the new monarchy is rather unimpressed with Arelish titles,” Lukel added. “I think Edan will make a nice farmer, don’t you?”
“Wipe your mouth,” Sarene said with a reproving look. “It’s not kind to make light of another’s misfortune.”
“Misfortune comes as Domi wills,” Lukel said.
“You never liked Edan in the first place,” Sarene said.
“He was spineless, arrogant, and would have betrayed us if he’d ever found the nerve. What wasn’t there to like?” Lukel continued to munch on his fruit with a self-satisfied smirk.
“Well, someone is certainly proud of himself this afternoon,” Sarene noted.
“He is always like that after he makes a good business deal, Your Highness,” Eondel said. “He’ll be insufferable for another week at least.”
“Ah, just wait for the Arelene Market,” Lukel said. “I’ll make a killing. Anyway, Iadon is busy looking for someone rich enough to buy Edan’s barony, so you shouldn’t have to worry about him bothering you for a little while.”
“I wish I could say the same for you,” Sarene replied, turning her attention back to her still battling students. Eondel was right: They were improving. Even the older ones seemed to be bursting with energy. Sarene held up her hand, drawing their attention, and the sparring fell off.
“You’re doing very well,” Sarene said as the room fell silent. “I am impressed—some of you are already better than many