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Chapter Forty-One

Aurelia

T he gardener sits sullen-faced in a corner of his dim cell. He looks at the stone floor, but it’s obvious he’s speaking to Axius rather than me. “I didn’t plan anything against her. I just saw the knife there and thought I should use it. For Dariu’s own good.”

Where I’m standing outside the bars next to the high commander, I resist the urge to hug myself, as much as the defensive stance would comfort me. “Why do you think throwing a knife at me would be for Dariu’s own good?”

The man’s lips stay sealed.

Axius clears his throat. “Answer your empress. You owe her that much.”

“I owe her nothing. She’s only empress because she married Marclinus. That doesn’t mean much.”

I completed all the same trials—and more , I want to shout at him. I’ve helped the people of the empire while he tormented them. Doesn’t that mean something?

But I know getting angry isn’t likely to encourage more answers.

I drag the dank air into my lungs and keep my voice carefully calm. “I’m not sure why it’d mean I deserve to die. I’m doing my best to look after Dariu while my daughter—Marclinus’s heir—grows up.”

Again, the gardener ignores me. His theoretical co-conspirators have behaved the same way.

Even the page who called for me to see the roses—who denies that she had any idea of the trap set in the path—and the man we believe let the hounds loose—who claims they were already out when he saw them—haven’t been able to meet my eyes.

The best answers they’ve given me have been shrugs and shakes of their heads.

Axius steps closer, right up to the bars. “If you were pushed into this course of action by another party, your punishment will be much more lenient. We don’t wish to see you take the fall for someone else’s evil intent.”

The gardener turns toward the wall. “It was all me. We just happened to do something at the same time. We saw a chance and took it.”

As if there’s any chance that the hollow under the cracked tile appeared of its own accord, that there happened to be a knife in a nearby flowerbed and a slab of roof breaking free and a tree branch on the verge of snapping all in the same small area at the same time.

It doesn’t matter if we believe his story, though. If we can’t convince him to elaborate on who else might be part of the conspiracy, we get nowhere.

Axius looks as if he’s squashed a sigh. He motions for me and the guards clustered behind us to head to the stairs out of the palace’s small prison area .

I don’t speak to him until we’re out of hearing range from the cells. “What do you make of it? Could it have been Sabrelle’s influence, more coordinated than before, even though none of them are dedicated to her?”

Axius frowns. “That seems unlikely. From what Prince Neven has reported of the dreams she sends and the reports and behavior we’ve had from other dissidents, her calls to action have never been anywhere near that detailed in their planning.

She’s stirred up a general sense of dissention, nudged people toward violence.

But to lay out so many specifics, especially when their minds shouldn’t be particularly open to her… ”

That’s how I saw the situation myself, but my stomach knots at his matching assessment. “Then there’s a person in the palace who did the coordinating. I suppose if we could determine who they’ve all talked to recently, that might lead us to the culprit.”

“I already have guards making inquiries. Unfortunately, I’m not sure how easy that thread will be to follow.

As staff, they regularly talk to other staff, supervisors, and even members of the court in the course of their duties.

And they often carry out their work in areas of the palace where no one is keeping close watch.

It’d be fairly easy to arrange a small conspiracy of servants unnoticed. ”

I swallow thickly. “Then we also need to speak with anyone on staff who’d have at least a little authority over those five who is dedicated to Sabrelle. Even without proof, their guilt might give them away.”

Although I don’t have a tremendous amount of hope for that possibility. Sabrelle has given no indication that she’s conflicted about her campaign against me, so why would her supporters be?

As if to confirm my thought, a flicker of red courses along the wall up the stairs next to us. I get a glimpse of a filmy glowing stag charging forward before it fades into the late-afternoon daylight streaming from a window above.

Axius tracks the movement of the omen too, his jaw setting. Sabrelle has penetrated the imperial palace in more ways than one, and she’s shown no inclination to draw back.

As we come out into the hall, the high commander glances over his shoulder at my contingent of guards.

I gathered he’s personally interrogated every man and woman assigned to my protection over again since this morning’s incident, although those who were with me in the garden all responded impressively to the attack.

“Stay even closer and be even more on the alert than usual,” he orders them before turning back to me. “You have your meeting with the princes?”

“Yes. Perhaps if we can rouse their family’s armies for certain, we can put an end to this threat once and for all. I’m expecting communication from Goric around the eighth bell.”

And Lavira too sometime today, if luck has been on Raul’s side. It’s been long enough that he could have made it back to his home country, but I can’t fault him if it took more than a day to pilfer the governor’s mirror out from under her.

Once I can speak to all the royals… will I be the one declaring war, on Valerisse? Sending all the troops loyal to me to the northern end of Dariu to tackle her there?

The idea makes my stomach churn harder, but even Counsel Etta and Cleric Pierus are starting to advise me in that direction.

The waiting amid Sabrelle’s growing influence is fraying my chances.

I may be safer fighting Valerisse on territory more comfortable to her if that means we can get the battle over with sooner.

I just hate the thought of all the innocent Lavirians who’d no doubt be swept up in the conflict so close to their border .

Axius parts ways with us at a branch in the hallway. I pass a couple of barons and a few members of staff on my way, with brief nods of acknowledgment and a creeping of my skin. My hand rises to rub over the sore patch on my forearm where the bone was broken.

Any of these people could be scheming to bring about my downfall. I have enemies lurking within my home, spurred on by divine approval, and I have no idea how to tackle them.

A more welcome figure jogs over to join us. Kassun’s face still looks sallower than usual, but no sign of his actual wound remains on his head.

He comes to a stop in front of me and bobs in a quick bow. “I’d like to return to duty, Your Imperial Highness.”

When I blink, I can still see the scarlet staining his tawny curls. Every particle of my body balks.

The man who’s defended me valiantly on so many occasions nearly died in the gardens today. How can that be right?

How can I ask more of him? He never expected to find himself in the midst of the most twisted sort of civil war.

I clear my throat. “Actually, Kassun, I’m putting you on leave for at least a couple of weeks. You’ve more than fulfilled your duties as it is.”

The guard blinks at me with a stutter of his gaze. “Your Imperial Highness? If I let you down today?—”

I hold up my hand. “No, not at all. You went above and beyond. You should be rewarded with a little peace.”

His forehead furrows. Then he draws himself up straighter. “I wouldn’t consider peace a reward while you’re still in danger. I want to keep defending you from whatever threats are coming.”

“Kassun… You were badly hurt today.”

“And I’d take the same wound or worse again if it means you don’t.” He hesitates before clenching his jaw defiantly. “I’ll follow what orders you give me. But won’t you give me the reward of getting to decide what matters to me?”

The question pierces my heart. I swallow hard.

Can I not protect even one man from the troubles that are dogging me?

But he’s right. I’m fighting the war we’re already emmeshed in to give every citizen of the empire more freedom to decide their own fate. How can I deny Kassun the same freedom—just to make myself feel better?

Standing aside clearly wouldn’t make him happier.

More guilt winds around my gut, but I manage to summon a smile. “All right. If that’s how you see it. I hope you know how grateful I am for your dedication. But I do think you should take the rest of today off for a full recovery, so you can serve me as well as possible.”

I didn’t realize Kassun could draw himself to even stiffer attention. “Yes, Your Imperial Highness. It will be my honor to return in the morning.”

So much for imperial authority. At least I enforced a few more hours of leisure.

As we head toward the sitting room where I planned my informal meeting with the princes, my gaze slides toward Marc. The former emperor catches my gaze and offers me a crooked smile, as if nothing is all that different from usual.

I think we reached some kind of agreement over my ultimate intentions for the empire. By the end of our last conversation, his stance had relaxed and the tension smoothed from his voice. But I can’t blame him for being upset.

I wouldn’t blame him if he’s still upset, only mastering the emotion better now. This is why I hesitated to tell him my full plans in the first place .

If he decides he’s not satisfied with my explanation after all… what is he going to do about it?

The memory comes back to me of his awed expression when he confirmed Coraya was all right after he shielded her in the garden, of all the affection that’s shone in his eyes when he’s gazed at me so many times before.

He gave me his throne, gave up his entire identity, to stand by me. I’m not giving up all sense of caution, but I won’t let doubts cloud my mind either.

Neven is already waiting by the sitting room, talking with Captain Evando next to the doorway. The captain bobs his head to me, his brow furrowing as he looks me over. “Your Imperial Highness, are you faring all right since this morning’s incident?”

I hold up my arm. “Just a scrape and a minor fracture that were healed quickly enough by the medics. But I’ll have to hold off on sparring sessions for a short while.”

“Healing well is more important than a bit of training.”

His gaze slides to Neven, and the softer expression I’ve noticed before crosses his face. His tone lightens. “That doesn’t mean you should shirk your own training, Your Highness.”

Neven’s eyes light up in turn. He cocks his head. “If you’re so keen to lose your sword, I’ll spar with you as soon as this meeting is over.”

Evando looks nothing but delighted at the prospect. “We’ll see who loses their grip first.”

As they toss more banter between them, a pang forms around my heart. Will there ever be a time I can be so openly friendly, even flirtatious, with the princes I’ve fallen for?

It isn’t any of those princes who appears next, but Axius, hustling toward us all stormy grimness.

My pulse stutters. “What’s wrong?”

He jerks to a halt close enough that only my guards and I can hear his low, strained voice. “You need to come to the mirror now.”

“Have the Gorician royals called on us early?”

“No.” His face somehow turns even solemner. “It’s Tribune Valerisse.”

My heart outright lurches. “ What? ”

“Come. We have to see what she’s got to say, and she won’t speak to me.”