A/N: The second half. :) Please read and review!

Disclaimer: See previous.

26 Goodbye

When he tells her (two weeks in advance, and before even Aly had heard a whisper of his plans) that he needs to go to Tomang to order his estate, and expects to be gone a month, she has an irrational wish to tell him he must not go.

27 Hide

When he has gone she returns to the usual pavilion at the usual time, but with just a book to read, and finds it very lonely. Worse, she catches sight of a noble she knows is trying to court her and failing miserably hurrying towards the pavilion, and she has to slip away into the gardens and hide in Aly’s rooms for three hours, playing with the triplets. She is miserable. This sort of thing shouldn’t happen to a queen.

28 Fortune

He is bored at Tomang. His estate is, of course, making him a fortune, and he has made doubly sure that the new reforms to make things fairer between raka and luarin are going as well as can reasonably be expected, and he is most profitably occupied, and Mother has indeed invited to stay many lovely and charming ladies who want to marry him... but there is one hour in the evening he doesn’t know what to do with, because he ought to be playing chess with Dove.

29 Safe

She will never forget the look on his face when she has Aunt Nuritin rescue him from a lady who may or may not actually be a lady but certainly loves the eyepatch: it is one of overwhelming relief. Gods be thanked, I’m safe. And then his eye slides to her, and a wry smile curls one corner of his lips and warmth enters his expression. Well, that was ridiculous, wasn’t it? Thank you for rescuing me.

30 Ghost

On Elsren’s birthday she is always subdued. When she suddenly says “I tried to teach Elsren to play chess, you know”, just as he puts her king in check, he looks at her for a moment, not simpering with sympathy but really, genuinely sorry for it, and it occurs to her that there are perhaps five other people in the world she could have said that too.

31 Book

Some people give her laws for her nineteenth birthday, which get sent back with spelling corrections and ‘I would prefer not to erode the civil liberties of the people on this island, please reconsider this’ written in the margin. Some people give her jewellery, some of which she wears. Some people give her flowers, some of which go to brighten Balitang House. Some people give her dresses, which she sometimes keeps. But the people who know her well give her books.

Ferdy gives her a copy of The Game of Kings- a book about chess recently written by a Tortallan nobleman. He imagines it is the one book on the subject she might not have read, and it seems appropriate.

32 Eye

After their chess lessons have been going on for more than six months, and the Court has mostly got used to the fact that they insist on playing chess together, Dove asks if he would mind if she sees the scar under the eyepatch, and he asks why.

She says, I want to know what it is that you’re frightened of showing.

He answers, I’m not frightened of showing it. I just don’t like to alarm small children and elderly ladies.

She gives him a look.

He admits, All right, I’m as vain as a parrot too, and he takes off the eyepatch.

It is not gruesome; there is no real scar. It is just that the eye-socket is empty, covered over now by skin, which is scary enough in itself, but Dove does not flinch. Instead, she leans forward, across the chessboard, and reaches out with one elegant hand, fingers brushing the skin on his cheekbone and beside the eye-socket, staring intently. She wants to know what damage he has suffered in her service; she wishes she could make recompense. If he knew this, he would tell her that her friendship is more than recompense, but he does not: he merely watches her small, serious face, and wonders if this is what being in love is like.

33 Never

Some fool has the infernal cheek to rant about how Dove should never have had the throne because she’s half-raka, and when his friends try to hush him and point out Ferdy the fool –who was, to be fair, quite drunk- has the stupidity to say “Well, you think the sh- same too, don’t you, m’lord?” and while Ferdy is frozen with anger, his face gone quite white and his slender hands clenching, blithely continues “Usher- ushurping half-raka bi-“ and, oh, that sets Ferdy’s temper alight and the drunken sot finds himself up against a wall with a handful of his tunic in Ferdy’s fist, and suddenly very, very sober. Ferdy hears himself, in a voice that seems not his own, it is so full of fury, tell the drunk that he is just the kind of prejudiced bastard who almost ruined the country once, and that he, Ferdolin Tomang, will never betray the rightful Queen of the Copper Isles. And then Ferdy drops the fool, and turns scornfully away, recommending disdainfully to the fool’s friends that they had better take him away and give him something for the hangover.

He has not shown so much emotion since the revolution, because it is easier to be sardonic and well-turned out at court than it is to wear your heart on a sleeve. It’s like having your own personal armour.

34 Sing

Dove does not sing, but sometimes she catches Ferdy humming something under his breath or singing a snatch of a familiar song, and he looks embarrassed and stops. She wonders how to tell him that it sounds good without being too much of an awkward teenager.

35 Sudden

Duchess Winnamine corners him at one of Dove’s star-gazing parties. “Duchess Winnamine, I am enchanted,” he says, trying to ignore the determined look in her eyes. “For what reason does a lovely and sensible lady such as yourself seek out the company of an amoral rake such as myself?”

Duchess Winnamine gives him a look that is, against all the laws of inheritance, just like Dove’s. “Lord Tomang, I wish an explanation of your intentions towards my stepdaughter.”

He looks extremely startled. “Isn’t this a little su-“

“It is not, Lord Tomang.”

“Then...” He meets her eyes. “I am her Majesty’s loyal servant and chess opponent, and, I hope... friend.” A typical wry grin and shrug of the shoulders. “I hope.”

She eyes him briefly, and then smiles. “You have changed, Lord Tomang, since you courted Saraiyu.”

“I like to think so,” he agrees.

“It is a change for the better,” she informs him.

36 Stop

“It is perhaps time, your Majesty, to consider a marriage alliance.”

Stop, she wants to say. Stop. This, I will not hear.

But she is Dovasary Haiming Temaida Balitang, and she must listen.

37 Time

“Do they upset you when they talk of marriage?” Winna asks, her brown eyes kind. “You need not listen yet. You are only nineteen. There’s time and to spare to think about it.”

38 Wash

“Lord Tomang!” she exclaims as she sees him arrive, returning to his rooms in the Palace, and smiles broadly.

He turns, startled, and smiles in return, then bows. “Your Majesty. It is good to come back to Rajmuat.”

“I can’t imagine you were bored at Tomang, my lord,” she teases, and his repressed grimace tells the whole story. “Will you play chess with me at the usual time this evening, Lord Tomang, or are there other demands on your time?”

“Indeed no, your Majesty, I would be delighted to play. Forgive me-“ he wrinkles his nose comically- “I have been riding all day, and I am desperately in need of a bath.”

She laughs. “You are excused.”

39 Torn

Dove thinks she may be falling in love. She hopes she will not turn into the heroine of one of Sarai’s unspeakable novels, torn between duty and love, because that would be nothing short of horrendous.

40 History

Ferdy takes a special interest –fuelled by vanity- in the history of the revolution a Tortallan approached him about writing, the same Tortallan, in fact, who wrote The Game of Kings- which earns the man Dove’s interest and co-operation. Myles of Olau speaks surprisingly fluent Kyprish, probably drinks too much, and quickly becomes one of Ferdy’s friends. Ferdy has the wit to realise that Myles probably extracts more from him than Ferdy does from Myles, but he doesn’t mind, actually.

Myles wanted an eyewitness, someone with a decent-sized part in the proceedings but not so close to them that they would be wildly biased. Ferdy fits that description, more or less, and he has the only question he ever runs into trouble with is being asked to describe Queen Dovasary. Not physically- Myles has already seen her, and played games of chess with her –but as a... well, as a friend might.

“Um,” he says, uncharacteristically, and fingers his eyepatch (blue with little stars embroidered on it) in bewilderment. He doesn’t know what to say. “Well. Queen Dovasary is... she always tries to be fair and just about everything... watchful... she’s very, very clever... she loves stargazing and chess, and knowledge for knowledge’s sake... She’s devoted to family... to her people, her country... Oh, damn it, Myles, I give up! Ask some other courtier to describe the indescribable!”

He does not see Myles glance at his elegant wife, Eleni, with carefully-hidden dawning comprehension in his eyes. He does not see Eleni smile more openly at him. Darling, you’ve been here two months, and you hadn’t noticed?

41 Power

Dove has the power to do lots of things. She has the power to order death, to preserve life, to increase her country’s wealth and standing or destroy it. She has the power to banish and to welcome. She finds this uncomfortable, but on occasion useful.

When it comes to Ferdy, however, she would prefer that he make his own decisions. Even if that does include wearing peculiarly coloured eyepatches.

“They distract attention from my general thick-headedness,” he explains with a winning smile, and Dove retorts that she supposes he has a point.

(Actually, she finds that quite sweet.)

42 Bother

“Bother, and blast- oh, and damn! Kyprioth! I have other things to do than sit in the Divine Realms! I do have a kingdom to run, as I am sure you are aware!”

“I am indeed, Dovasary, and I will not keep you long. I merely wish to discuss the question of heirs. I thought you could return to the ancient custom of raka queens-“

“You mean keeping a harem of up to a hundred male concubines? No!”

43 God

When Kyprioth appears in Ferdy’s rooms, Ferdy is stark naked, dripping wet, and most astonished. “I... er... what an unexpected surprise, sir!” he manages, seizing the nearest towel.

“Bad moment?” Kyprioth enquires.

Ferdy thinks about saying yes, since he had been enjoying his bath, but after all, this is a god he’s facing. “Not particularly, no. I can think of worse.”

Kyprioth grins. “I begin to like you, young luarin. And your taste in eyepatches.” He pokes the latest one (green, small bronze kudarung pattern.)

“Is there something you want from me, sir?” Ferdy asks, rattled.

“No, not really,” Kyprioth says, leaning against the wall and examining his fingernails. Ferdy will be extremely surprised if dirt ever gets under divine fingernails. “I merely wished to discover if you are the person Queen Dovasary thinks you are.”

“You could have done this without appearing to me in the bathtub, sir,” Ferdy points out, adding hastily, “Not that I’m not honoured...” Curiosity gets the better of him. “And- am I the person the queen thinks I am?”

The god looks up from his fingernails. “Oh, yes. And more.” And then he just vanishes.

“Well, that was a strange conversation,” Ferdy says to thin air. And somewhere, Kyprioth giggles. It’s just too easy to mess with mortals’ heads, but sometimes it’s fun.

44 Wall

“That defensive wall is not going to help you.”

“You can’t climb it.”

“No, but I can jump over it.”

“Not if I do this!”

A white knight is snatched off the board with indecorous glee, a black bishop replacing it. Dove curses. The problem with teaching people to play chess is that they learn.

45 Naked

It’s not just that he doesn’t care to frighten elderly ladies and small children, and is as vain as a parrot; he feels naked and vulnerable without his eyepatch.

46 Drive

Riddles he can’t solve drive him mad, so when Dove spots him looking perplexed by a choice one dished up by the Yamani ambassador, she quietly moves over and solves it.

It’s not as if she was listening to his conversation, though. Oh, no.

47 Harm

Dove is enjoying the picnic. She has been allowed a few moments’ peace; Petranne has organised a dance, out in the sunshine, and she can read quietly in the shade.

A flicker of movement catches her eye, and she lowers the book. Cold fear grips her heart; a tiny green snake is on her bare ankle. “Ah!” she gasps, unable to restrain a reflexive shudder, and the snake bites. She cries out, and drops her book; the pain of the bite and the venom is like acid in her blood.

Ferdy’s head whips round so fast it burns the muscles in his neck, and he is at her side in less than a moment; she is shaking with horror and fear, and blood runs from two small puncture-holes on her ankle. “Dove!” he whispers, horrified. “What happened?” He feels like he has failed for not protecting her.

48 Precious

This is what people say: It is a shock to everyone. The queen is still in the healers’ care. The fever has not broken. The queen has not regained consciousness.

Duchess Winnamine and Princess Petranne ask him if he will come and sit with them, to wait for the queen to recover, because he is her friend. This is what he says: Yes. I’m going to the temple, to put these on the altar (he shows them a pair of bracelets, with emeralds on) but I’ll be back soon, and then I would be delighted to join you.

Those are precious, the Duchess remarks neutrally. Princess Petranne watches him carefully, through slightly narrowed brown eyes.

There are some things that are more precious, your Grace, he says.

49 Hunger

“She’s awake!” Princess Petranne squeaks, jumping up and down for joy, face flushed. “She’s awake! And the fever’s gone, and she says she’s hungry!”

50 Believe

“You know,” Dove says, knees tucked under her chin, sitting beside Ferdy as they look out on the capital at sunrise, “I believe we can make something of this.”

He says nothing, just takes her hand and squeezes it gently, because he believes that too.