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Chapter Thirty-Nine

Aurelia

B y the end of the next afternoon, my reserves of peace have dwindled to zilch.

The Darium governor of Goric peers at me through the mirror with a furrow digging deep between his bushy eyebrows. “You want me to bring this mirror to the Gorician royal family for their use?”

I keep my voice prim and steady. “Yes. Given the current atmosphere, I’d like to be able to communicate directly with Queen Dafina—and judge her responses directly—as needed.

We can’t be too careful when the empire’s security is being threatened.

If you have any urgent messages for me, they’ll be obliged to give you and your representatives access, of course. ”

“Of course,” he says, looking somewhat mollified.

Framing the exchange as something I’m doing because I don’t trust the local royals rather than because I do has made the request go down easier with all of the governors I’ve spoken to.

“And once the present… uncertainty has been resolved, it can easily be returned.”

“Indeed.” Not if everything goes as I’ve planned, but I won’t be mentioning that part to him. “I’m sure you can understand, the matter feels rather urgent…”

He jumps in before I need to finish that sentence. “Yes, Your Imperial Highness. I’ll have the mirror transported to the royal palace right away and confirm with you once it’s in place.”

When the glass surface wavers back to my reflection, I step back, a breath rushing out of me. That’s four of the conquered countries handled. I’ve already gotten confirmation of the move from Rione and Cotea, and the Accasian governor promised to carry out the task by the end of the day.

Now all that’s left is the part that requires the least from me… yet is also the hardest.

I flick my hand through the gesture of the divinities. “This is only the start, Jurnus. I’ll see these lines of communication permanently open between the kingdoms of the empire in your honor. Please watch over my allies who’ll help make it so.”

Particularly the one I’m about to send back into hostile territory.

When I reach my apartment, all four of the foster princes are waiting for me. They emerge from the hidden passage as soon as the door has shut with only Marc in the room with me.

I speak before they have to ask. “Goric and Accasy are done as well. All that’s left…”

Raul moves to my side before I can find the heart to keep speaking. He hugs me to his massive frame even tighter than he did in my bed last night .

“I know what I need to do, Shepherdess. I made it into Rodrige and back once already with all my limbs intact. It’ll be a piece of cake.”

I press my face against his solid chest, inhaling his musky amber scent. “When you went in before, there wasn’t half an army camped out near the Lavirian border. Before, you didn’t have to steal a blessed imperial tool.”

He manages to shrug. “Who better than a man who can work with the shadows? I won’t let the pricks catch me.”

Despite the breeziness of his tone, his stance tenses slightly. He kisses the top of my hair, his embrace firming again as if he’s considering never letting me go.

I wish I didn’t have to let him go another time. But there’s no way I can openly ask the governor overseeing Lavira to give up her mirror without Valerisse finding out about the request. I’ve gathered the tribune has at least a few loyal soldiers stationed at the governor’s estate.

Soldiers Raul will have to get past along with the governor’s own guards to retrieve that mirror.

But he’s right—no one has a gift better suited to carrying out this mission. There’s no one else his family would trust to bring them what’s really a gift from me.

I haven’t fulfilled my gesture honoring the godlen of communication until every conquered country has a direct line of access to the imperial palace. I can’t hope to sway the Lavirian royals into trusting me if I can’t speak to them face to face.

It has to be done. I just can’t make myself like it.

“Stay for as little time as possible,” I tell him. “I’ll need you back here. We don’t know how much longer Valerisse will hold off on attacking.”

Raul’s chin grazes my hair with his nod. “Nothing could keep me away for long.”

He cups my face and kisses me so hard my knees wobble. Then, with a squeeze of my hand, he’s slipping back into the hidden passage behind the wall.

Lorenzo moves to my side and tucks his arm around my back. His illusionary voice has never sounded more emphatic. “He’ll be fine. He’s the toughest of all of us.”

Neven grunts as if protesting the evaluation, but not enough to outright argue.

The corner of Bastien’s mouth quirks upward, though his eyes remain somber. “The rest of us are here for whatever new threats you might face. If I’d had any idea what Sabrelle would inflict on you?—”

I reach out to touch his face. “It’s all right. If you’d been in Vivencia during the worst of the pox, you’d probably have caught it too. I’m glad you were safely away.”

He leans into my touch. “And I’m glad you still had people on your side while we were gone.”

His gaze slides to Marc, who’s stayed by the door. My first husband offers a crooked smile, though his gaze is only warm as he watches us. So much of that old hostility and jealousy has melted away in the past few weeks.

Whatever else we’re facing, that one victory feels like a miracle.

He isn’t the only support Bastien was thinking of, though. The prince of Cotea cocks his head. “How long will your sister be staying?”

I square my shoulders. “I was actually going to talk to her next. I think she’d better head home now that the threat of the pox has diminished and she can take some of the cure with her. The Accasian troops are waiting for her orders.”

I find Soreena in the guest bedroom she’s been assigned, not far from the one where I slept when I first came to the palace as a princess adrift. Thank the gods I was able to offer her better hospitality than I received .

My sister takes one look at my expression and appears to gird herself. “It’s time?”

“I don’t think we can afford to wait any longer.” I clasp her hands in mine, grateful to be able to come this close to her now. “Is there anything I can give you to make the journey or the task at the end of it easier? I could send a few Darium soldiers with you for the road?—”

She’s already shaking her head. “That would only draw more attention to me when I want to go unnoticed. The best you can offer is a fast horse, a discreet note to ensure I can swap for another at the waystations, and a stock of travel rations so I have to stop as little as possible.”

“I can have that prepared before the next bell.” My grip on her hands tightens. It hurts nearly as much to let her leave as it did Raul. “Thank you again. For everything. Knowing you’ll have my back, that we’re fighting this uprising together—it won’t be easy, but it won’t be quite as hard.”

“That’s the best I could hope for. Stay well, little sister. Your Imperial Highness.” Her eyes twinkle with mischief before she pulls me into a hug.

“Father will be able to get word from me through the governor’s mirror,” I say as I hug her back. “But I know it could take a long time for a message to reach you and the Accasian troops from the capital. So watch for my sign, and then march as quickly as you can.”

Soreena dips her head briskly. “We may not arrive for the start of the battle, but we’ll help you end it.”

Before I can get any more caught up in farewells, one of my guards calls through the door. “Your Imperial Highness, you have a message to answer.”

Gods, can I not get a moment to breathe?

But I don’t want to delay my response. His phrasing means one of the royals of the outer territories is reaching out through the mirror. I expected as much soon but didn’t know exactly when it would happen.

With my pulse thudding at a faster rhythm, I give Soreena one more quick squeeze and hurry out into the hall.

Marc leans his head close to mine. “The king of Cotea.”

That’ll be a good start. I square my shoulders, girding myself for more negotiations. “I’ll need Prince Bastien with me for this conversation. Someone summon him to the office. And have one of the pages prepare everything my sister will require for her departure.”

I give the page my instructions on my way back to the mirror room. Bastien catches up with us when we’re just a few paces away.

Axius opens the door to the imperial office. “He’s ready to speak when you are.”

I lift my chin, thoughts of all the assurances I need to make to King Stanislas flitting through my head and rattling my pulse.

“I’d like it to be just the prince and me for this discussion, to give every appearance of discretion.

We should be perfectly secure with all of you stationed outside in the hall. ”

Axius only makes a slight grimace as he strides out of the room. I leave Marc and the rest of the guards behind as well, venturing through the long office and past the sliding panel concealed by a bookcase into the smaller, windowless mirror room.

The mirror is positioned so the viewer on the other side of the enchantment can’t see the doorway. I gather myself a little more, shut the inner door firmly, and position myself in front of the mirror with enough room for Bastien to stand beside me.

His father peers back at us from surroundings I can only see hazily around him, presumably a space somewhere in the Cotean palace. His crown gleams atop his brown-and-gray hair, and a frown turns his sallow face grim.

I don’t think we’re getting off on the right foot.

I strive to make my tone sound both measured and welcoming. “I’m so glad I can speak to you this way, Your Highness. Truly, communication between the imperial family and the royals of the outer territories should always have been this simple.”

He motions to the mirror. “These blessed tools are certainly an innovation worthy of royalty. Thank you for granting me one for as long as that generosity may last.”