Sneak into the Sultan's tent and question the women yourself

"This is my burden to bear," you say. "I will risk no other. I must do this myself."

"I know," Valerie says, lowering her eyes. "I almost did not remind you of the Sultan's women, because I knew that in the end you would feel compelled to act."

"Why did you say it, then?"

Valerie looks up at you again and smiles. "Because you are not the only one who loves Lady Trina, Xavier. She and I have spent many hours together, and I do not think I go too far when I say that I know her better than anyone else in all the world. She has suffered much in her life, more than you know. That she remains so good and so strong after all she has endured is nothing short of a miracle. I would have gone to the Sultan's camp myself, but I also know you well enough to know that you would never wish me to do so."

Before setting out on your secret errand, you take a few hour's sleep, as your strength is nearly sapped and you desperately need the rest. Upon your command, Sir Benedicht awakens you just as the eastern horizon begins to glow blue with the coming dawn.

"Thank you, Sir Benedicht," you say, forcing yourself to rise from bed immediately despite your lingering fatigue. "You are relieved of duty."

"Yes, Sire," he says, one eyebrow slightly raised. "Who is to guard you, then?"

"I will have no guard at this time, Benedicht. There is something I must do alone."

He looks confused, then straightens up. "Sire, I have sworn an oath to protect you. If you are proceeding into harm's way, I must accompany you."

"Sir Benedicht, Valerie is standing behind you with a fireplace spade ready to strike at the back of your head. If you refuse to step down from your duties, she will be compelled to render you ****. I would rather not have it come to that."

Benedicht, to his credit, does not look behind him; but he deflates slightly as he understands the reality of the situation. "Sire, do you recall your self-defense lesson when Mshindi taught you the ****-hold which puts a man to sleep?"

"I remember it quite well."

"As I would prefer not to have my skull cracked, Sire... I invite you to demonstrate the technique, so that I can be sure you understand it properly."

A moment later, you gently lower Sir Benedicht's limp body to the floor and open your wardrobe to extract a black tunic, trousers, and cloak. After a moment's thought, you take your silver crown from where it sits upon its pedestal.

"Do you plan to hold court?" Valerie asks.

"These women might not know my face," you tell her. "And they will surely sound the alarm if they think I am just a man sneaking into their tent, especially as there has been **** in their camp. I will need proof that I am who I claim to be. No," you say, holding up a hand to refuse your sword as she passes it to you, "I must go unarmed; if I am caught, I do not want the Sultan's guards to think I had deadly intentions."

"The harem is guarded at all hours by one of the Sultan's eunuchs," Valerie says. "How will you get past him without your sword?"

"Bwana M'Kubwa has seen to that, though it was not his intent," you say, opening an ebony box which sits upon a shelf in your parlor. From it, you withdraw a small pipe made from the same dark wood. "This is one of his people's weapons; it blows a dart coated with a mild venom which works as effectively as Mshindi's ****-hold. I had never thought I would actually need to use it... but I cannot rely on the eunuch being as cooperative as Sir Benedicht."

At the sound of his name, it seems, Benedicht moans and stirs slightly.

"I must be away," you say, kissing Valerie quickly. "If all goes well, I will return at sunrise, or shortly after."

"I will watch for you from the balcony," Valerie says. "But Xavier, before you go... what if Sir Benedicht had turned and seen that I was not, in fact, standing behind him with a fireplace spade?"

"Well," you say, rubbing your neck and smirking ruefully, "that was what I thought he was going to do."