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Trusted.”
    “Oh well…everyone wants to become Trusted, my king. It is an honor above all others.”
    “Do not be coy. Have you ambitions or not?”
    “I do have ambitions. I would want to be Trusted more than I would want my next breath,” Dakon said earnestly.
    “For you to be considered for such a position you would have to go through rigorous testing. You would have to meet the approval of those who are already Trusted. Are you up for this kind of challenge?”
    “I am more ready than you can know,” Dakon breathed with excitement.
    “We will be the judge of that. This testing will not begin until mourning is done for our fallen Trusted in two shona.”
    “I have waited all my life for this. Two shona more will not make a difference to me.”
    “I am glad to hear it. Before you get too excited you should know there will be other candidates. Candidates much older and more experienced than you.”
    “And slower, no doubt,” Dakon said seriously.
    Garrick smiled. By the Joyous One, he was a hungry little bastard. He remembered what that was like. He was yet young, only thirty yana old. He still hungered for life. But he was at the pinnacle of achievement. There was no place higher than king. There was nothing left to strive for…save to be the best king he knew how to be.
    “Do not discount your elders so quickly. Give me sword against you and I promise you I would thrash you. And let’s not even discuss what would happen in truform.”
    Dakon didn’t doubt for a moment that the king could thrash him in truform. As a great cat the king was a massive horta lion, black of fur and large of paw he was built to tear through his opponents. He was fast, though not built for speed like Dakon was. But in sheer power he would outdo Dakon in every way.
    But Dakon would give anything to fight the king in truform. Not a true battle to death, he did not wish to challenge Garrick’s rule. But to play at fighting, to show his skill by avoiding those deadly paws and teeth, that was the kind of contest any brash young man would live for.
    One thing troubled him however.
    “You spoke of my sister…” he said.
    “Yes. What’s her name again?”
    “Sarea.”
    Of course Garrick remembered her name. He remembered everything about her. He hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind. She had been in his sphere for all of a few minutes, had managed to prick his temper, and yet she still dwelled on him. Of course, she was a woman. Many women dwelled on his thoughts…for a time anyway. And this woman would be no different, he told himself.
    “I wish for you and your sister to dine at my table tomorrow night. You will dine with the Trusted often these next few days. See to it that you use the time wisely.”
    “I will, my king!” Dakon said, his excitement brimming over. It was hard not to laugh, but Garrick kept a stern face. The poor lad had no idea what he was in for. Nor did his innocent sister. If indeed she was innocent. He didn’t have a read on her about that quite yet. He needed more time in her company. If she was an innocent…well, he would cross that bridge when he came to it.
    First he had to get her into his bed.
     
     
    “ Me ?” Sarea repeated, her voice pitched high. “What could he possibly want with me? The last time I was in his company I—“ She cut herself off but her brother narrowed dark green eyes on her.
    “What did you do?” he asked accusingly.
    “Only what you asked of me!” she said belligerently. “I drew his attention to you! Now he is considering you for Trusted. Is this not exactly what you wanted?”
    “It is but…just how far did this go? Did you promise yourself to him?”
    “No! I did no such thing! Nor would I. Not even for you. All I did was point you out to him during the games and…and I made him a little…mad.”
    “Mad? You angered the king?! And you are only telling me this now?”
    “Stop yelling at me!” she yelled back at him. “The king was ignoring the