Land of Night by Kirby Crow

betrothal had not been Liall's idea. Nadiushka had thought the match with the female heir to the barony of Jadizek wise, and Liall had been too young to see beyond Shikhoza's most obvious attributes and his own youthful lust for them. Later, he came to regret his lack of discernment, but by then it was far too late.
    "We have arranged a prince's greeting for you, brother,” Eleferi announced with a smile on his sly, fox-like face. “A snow bear hunt."
    At first, Liall was not sure he had heard aright. It seemed the height of bad taste: a snow bear hunt, at this crucial time, knowing his family's long and unlucky history with that creature? Then Liall saw that Vladei and Eleferi and probably Shikhoza had meant to throw him with this news. He suddenly felt befouled, as if he fallen into a pit of filth. Nothing had changed here. They were still the same poisonous, vapid little meddlers they had always been, like a pack of cruel children let run loose, except children did not kill their playmates when they tired of them or when they were crossed. Truly, Liall was not enjoying his return to Rshan.
    Liall made his mouth into something resembling a smile. “A bear hunt. How considerate of you. I will be sure to attend."
    Liall saw their preening and slyness and allowed himself to hate them. Yes, it was a trap. How not? But knowing that it was a snare did not mean he could refuse to go. There were other means of trammeling up an inconvenient prince, but at least this way, Scarlet would not be involved. A bear hunt was for skilled and seasoned trackers, and Liall knew that Scarlet had never killed any beast that large.
    Shikhoza sketched Liall a little curtsy, and Liall pretended to admire her dress. “It is a most fetching gown,” Liall said. “And how fearless of you to wear such a bright shade. I've heard it washes the color from a mature woman's face."
    The implication of encroaching age hit her like a slap. Liall gave her a sunny smile and regretted having to excuse himself when he saw the baron of Tebet waiting for him further down the hall. Shikhoza looked like she had been served a plate of rotten meat.
    Liall greeted the baron and led him into the queen's tier for the scheduled meeting, but he could still see Shikhoza's outraged and affronted expression, and he savored the sense of satisfaction he had derived from sticking her back a good one. After a time, though, his gloating turned to depression, and he was sad he had said it and angry with himself for losing his temper. He needed the woman's favor, damn it! Why had he risked it just for the pleasure of insulting her? Rshan seemed to bring out the worst in him.
    I do not like myself here, he admitted. I could do nothing else but obey the summons to come, but I do not like it here. I want to leave. I should tell Scarlet that we are not staying, as soon as I see him again.
    Hours later, when he returned to the apartments he had occupied as a young man, Scarlet was fast asleep, and he looked so peaceful that Liall had not the heart to wake him. The next morning, Liall thought better of giving his promise not to stay, for he did not know what the future would bring, and so he said nothing at all.
    The next several days passed in a blur of activity. Liall saw little of Scarlet except for late evenings when Liall crawled into bed beside him, and often Scarlet roused enough to bid him a sleepy goodnight or, rarely, to invite him to loveplay. One morning about a week later, Scarlet woke with a headache that persisted for days. So engrossed was Liall in negotiating with the Barons and winning them over to Cestimir that he missed all early signs of what was happening.
    * * * *
    A hunting virca wrapped in dove-gray silk arrived with breakfast, a gift from Cestimir. No doubt he had gotten word of the hunt and wished to see his half-brother fitted out well. Or perhaps it was a safety measure. The art of poisoning fabrics was well known in Rshan. Liall thanked Nenos for the package