“The vampire who plotted with Vano to control our people must die,” Kezia said. “I am starting to think less of your future husband that he lets his brother live. It has been five years.”
“He’s old,” Tatyana said. “Over a thousand. Five years probably seems like a tea break.”
Kezia gave her a look again. “If you are unwilling, I know a very good assassin who has been out of the game for some time. I believe I could lure her back. It would be expensive but?—”
“Not necessary.” The last thing they needed was more people involved. “I don’t want to hire for this. We have our own people. Lethal Hazar who still hold grudges against Vano. We can trust them. I don’t trust anyone but our own people.”
The corner of Kezia’s mouth turned up. “Good.”
“Thank you for coming,” Tatyana said sincerely. “It’s good to have more Poshani in the city with me attending these events.”
“I heard a chaugan match was on the agenda. You think I would miss the chance to watch Truvor’s sons gleefully bash each other via socially acceptable channels?”
“Chaugan? What’s that?” This was the first Tatyana had heard of it, though she had a feeling that Rumi might have mentioned it when she was distracted.
“An old form of polo.” Kezia noticed Tatyana’s look of confusion. “You know, horses, sticks, balls.”
“I know what polo is. Are you telling me that Oleg and his brothers are polo enthusiasts?” She was having a hard time imagining all these massive men on horseback. Though she did know that Oleg enjoyed riding, some of the Kievan Rus vampires were even taller than her husband.
“It was something Truvor loved. It’s from Persia originally. Some of Radu’s people enjoy it too. But in the Kievan Rus version, they only play it in the snow on these special horses that Rudov breeds, and the competition can get quite bloody.”
“Do they use polo mallets or axes?”
Kezia chuckled. “The axes only come at the end. The winning captain has the right to take part of the losing captain’s hand.”
“What?” Tatyana’s voice was loud enough that others turned to look. She lowered her voice to continue. “Are you joking?”
“They don’t do it most of the time.” Kezia wiggled her fingers. “Limits how many chaugan matches you can play.”
“I should think so.”
“Back when they all wore braids, the losing captain had his braid chopped off. They started cutting their hair, so I suppose they had to substitute something or where’s the fun?”
“Fun?” she whispered. “This game sounds terrible.”
Kezia shrugged. “They love it.”
They turned their attention to the music again. The room filled with applause as one piece finished, and there was a rustle of papers as the musicians readied themselves for the next piece.
As soon as the music started with a loud crash of cymbals, Kezia leaned toward her.
“I can smell Oleg all over you. Are you indulging again?”
It would be impossible for Tatyana not to smell of Oleg with as much of his blood as she’d taken. She offered her sister a little shrug. “Chemistry was never the problem with us. He’svery good at sex and…” She cast her eyes over the hall with a bored expression. “There’s not much to do in this city while I am waiting to be wed. Except perhaps brush up on my riding now that I know about this game.”
Tatyana had grown up riding horses at her grandparents’ farm, but she’d become a far more proficient rider since joining the Poshani, who loved horses. Racing was one of their favorite activities during kamvasa.
Kezia laughed a little bit. “Well, that’s one type of riding that’s a little more fun, isn’t it?”
Tatyana stared at the stage.
“I don’t blame you,” Kezia continued. “You might as well enjoy the perks of your husband-to-be even if he is a barbarian. Sometimes a little bit of rough scratches in exactly the right way.”
“Hmm.” A little bit of rough was hardly how she’d characterize the firestorm that was sex with Oleg, but she hardly wanted to detail that for Kezia.
Her sister nodded at something in Rudov’s box. “Of course, you could expand your horizons too. He can’t object in a political marriage. That one is trying to get your attention, and he’s quite pretty.”
Tatyana looked over and saw Grimace trying to catch her eye. “Yes, I know him. I don’t think he’s?—”
