Words of Radiance

The man—an officer, by the uniform—strode directly toward her. He ignored the hostile stares of the other highprinces’ soldiers as he walked right up to Shallan. “Prince Adolin,” he said flatly, “is engaged to a Horneater?”

She’d almost forgotten the encounter two days outside of the warcamps. I’m going to strangle that— She cut off, feeling a stab of depression. She had ended up killing Tyn.

“Obviously not,” Shallan said, raising her chin and not using the Horneater accent. “I was traveling alone through the wilderness. Revealing my true identity did not seem prudent.”

The man grunted. “Where are my boots?”

“Is this how you address a lighteyed lady of rank?”

“It’s how I address a thief,” the man said. “I’d just gotten those boots.”

“I’ll have a dozen new pairs sent to you,” Shallan said. “After I have spoken with Highprince Dalinar.”

“You think I’m going to let you see him?”

“You think you get to choose?”

“I’m captain of his guard, woman.”

Blast, she thought. That was going to be inconvenient. At least she wasn’t trembling from the confrontation. She really was past that. Finally.

“Well tell me, Captain,” she said. “What is your name?”

“Kaladin.” Odd. That sounded like a lighteyes’s name.

“Excellent. Now I have a name to use when I tell the highprince about you. He’s not going to like his son’s betrothed being treated this way.”

Kaladin waved to several of his soldiers. The men in blue surrounded her and Vathah and…

Where had Gaz gotten off to?

She turned and found him backing down the corridor. Kaladin spotted him, and started visibly.

“Gaz?” Kaladin demanded. “What is this?”

“Uh…” The one-eyed man stammered. “Lordsh… Um, Kaladin. You’re, ah, an officer? So things have been going well for you…”

“You know this man?” Shallan asked Kaladin.

“He tried to get me killed,” Kaladin said, voice even. “On multiple occasions. He’s one of the most hateful little rats I’ve ever known.”

Great.

“You’re not Adolin’s betrothed,” Kaladin said, meeting her gaze as several of his men gleefully seized Gaz, who had backed into other guards coming up from below. “Adolin’s betrothed has drowned. You are an opportunist with a very bad sense of timing. I doubt that Dalinar Kholin will be pleased to find a swindler trying to capitalize on the death of his niece.”

She finally started to feel nervous. Vathah glanced at her, obviously worried that this Kaladin’s guesses were correct. Shallan steadied herself and reached into her safepouch, pulling out a piece of paper she’d found in Jasnah’s notes. “Is Highlady Navani in that room?”

Kaladin didn’t reply.

“Show her this, please,” Shallan said.

Kaladin hesitated, then took the sheet. He looked it over, but obviously couldn’t tell that he was holding it upside down. It was one of the written communications between Jasnah and her mother, arranging for the causal. Communicated via spanreed, there would be two copies—the one that had been written on Jasnah’s side, and the one on Brightness Navani’s side.

“We’ll see,” Kaladin said.

“We’ll…” Shallan found herself sputtering. If she couldn’t get in to see Dalinar, then… Then… Storm this man! She took his arm in her freehand as he turned to give orders to his men. “Is this really all because I lied to you?” she demanded more softly.

He looked back at her. “It’s about doing my job.”

“Your job is to be offensive and asinine?”

“No, I’m offensive and asinine on my own time too. My job is to keep people like you away from Dalinar Kholin.”

“I guarantee he will want to see me.”

“Well, forgive me for not trusting the word of a Horneater princess. Would you like some shells to chew on while my men tow you away to the dungeons?”

All right, that’s enough.

“The dungeons sound wonderful!” she said. “At least there, I’d be away from you, idiot man!”

“Only for a short time. I’d be by to interrogate you.”

“What? I couldn’t pick a more pleasant option? Like being executed?”

“You’re assuming I could find a hangman willing to put up with your blathering long enough to fit the rope.”

“Well, if you want to kill me, you could always let your breath do the job.”

He reddened, and several guards nearby started snickering. They tried to stifle their reaction as Captain Kaladin looked at them.

“I should envy you,” he said, turning back to her. “My breath needs to be up close to kill, while that face of yours can kill any man from a distance.”

“Any man?” she asked. “Why, it’s not working on you. I guess that’s proof that you’re not much of a man.”

“I misspoke. I didn’t mean any man, just males of your own species—but don’t worry, I’ll take care not to let our chulls get close.”

“Oh? Your parents are in the area, then?”

His eyes widened, and for the first time she seemed to have really gotten under his skin. “My parents have nothing to do with this.”

“Yes, that makes sense. I’d expect that they want nothing to do with you.”

“At least my ancestors had the sense not to breed with a sponge!” he snapped, probably a reference to her red hair.