On the other hand, she hid nothing of their long journey from Dunsgard to Byzantium. Erlan was entranced and bewildered in equal parts, and delighted to hear that Einar was with her.

‘Who knew the fat man had it in him?’ he laughed.

‘Certainly he didn’t,’ she replied, glad to laugh with him.

‘So you came here seeking an alliance?’ he said when she was finished.

‘An alliance. And you.’

‘A Hel of a long way to come for either.’

‘I need you,’ she said simply. ‘As I need Leo.’

‘The kings of kings,’ Erlan murmured, shaking his head. ‘It’s strange, isn’t it? That fate would have us both seek him.’

‘I suppose it is. But now we’ve found him. And I need something from you.’

‘What?’

‘I have little enough to bargain with Leo as it is. Already I’ve made too much of what the empire stands to gain if he helps me.’

‘This time next year there may be no empire.’

‘There has to be. Because if the empire dies then so does any hope we have of success. That’s why we must help him. And when the empire is safe, we will reap the emperor’s gratitude. We will return home and Thrand will pay the price of all traitors.’

‘Wait a second. By help you mean. . . me?’ His mouth fell open.

‘You. And Einar. I want to present you to him as his personal bodyguards.’

‘Bodyguards? This palace is swarming with men to protect him. What are two more to him?’

‘You don’t know your worth, Erlan. You never have. But the emperor shall.’ She nodded, as if the thing were already done. ‘At root the man’s a soldier. So I shall give him a soldier’s gift.’

Erlan frowned. ‘Even if he accepts us, what do you hope for in return?’

She looked away. ‘I don’t know exactly. . . An edge.’

‘Odin’s beard, it’ll have to be a bloody sharp one.’

Her eyes gripped his again, shining in the darkness ‘Will you do it?’

‘Do I have a choice?’

Lilla smiled and shook her head. ‘No. Your queen demands it.’

‘Does she now?’ He chuckled and rolled over on top of her, propping himself above her. She felt his manhood growing hard against the inside of her thighs. ‘And what else does my queen demand?’

‘Everything,’ she whispered, slipping her fingers around him and guiding him into her.

They could have slept till noon the next day, but for the clanging of a thousand church bells at the first grey of dawn.

Lilla’s eyes opened. She sat up from her pillow. ‘What is that?’

‘Sounds like some kind of alarm,’ he replied, drowsily.