Page 23

He wore a helmet, but his hands were tattooed in complicated patterns. We knew little of the Ariphadi tribes in the north, but Yor?mu had taught me to recognize the difference between imperial tattoos and those of the Ariphadi.

My voice carried my words, and the courtiers around us flew into a tizzy, someone screaming and backing away as General Kacha began shouting, ordering Tallu’s soldiers to advance.

“He is under my control.” General Bemishu’s voice rose sharply, and he pointed up, his finger following the same angle as mine. “He wears a collar. I would never put our emperor at risk. You do the Imperium a disservice to think so.”

I glared, squinting up. There was a collar, wrapped just above the man’s imperial military jacket. Moreover, I noticed one around the elephant. I had taken it as a strap to keep the saddle firmly on, but now, I recognized the gleam of lightning-conductive metal.

“My husband cares deeply about me and the Imperium,” Tallu said. “I hold his opinion in great esteem, General Bemishu.”

At the words, everyone around us fell silent, and General Bemishu straightened, his eyes narrowing before he bowed again, hiding his expression in formality.

“Of course, Emperor Tallu. I would never question the loyalty of your chosen consort.”

Tallu let the silence stretch, going on so long that even the shift of the elephant as it moved from foot to foot was as loud as its trumpet.

“You said you brought us five of these creatures,” Tallu said. “You may have the Sunrise Estate outside the city to house them and your men. In the meantime, we have prepared a formal meal to greet you and hear of your conquest in the south. Take time to clean up and then join us.”

Tallu turned, his Dogs with him, and the soldiers behind him parted, allowing him through. I hesitated. Where would I get more information? Following Tallu or seeing how the generals greeted each other now that the emperor was gone?

I stayed behind, even though I was still desperate to talk to Tallu about how he’d nearly broken a man’s arm for the sin of flirting with me. Tallu was known throughout court for his political machinations, the intelligent way he maneuvered through his own court. Why had he been so careless?

The courtiers began approaching the elephant, Bemishu’s men keeping them from actually touching the creature. Moving with the crowd, I kept my eyes on the elephant, straining my ears to hear what the generals said in private. Where was a blood mage when you needed one?

Bemishu turned away from Tallu’s back, the disappointment on his face masked almost immediately.

“Well, Bemishu, your ploy didn’t go as planned, did it?” General Kacha laughed, the sound spreading to his entourage around him as though contagious.

“General Kacha, I see you have surrounded yourself with pretty jewels and no soldiers. In fact, I heard that your soldiers couldn’t even beat one lone northern prince.” General Bemishu smiled back, his eyes passing over the followers around General Kacha, barely even pausing on his own daughters.

“At least my men have actually done what they set out to accomplish,” General Kacha snapped. “Rather than languishing in the desert, dying from thirst and an endless war against the goblins.”

“Generals,” Saxu said, his voice sharp.

Slowly, both men turned away from each other, bowing to Saxu, low enough to show respect but without the triangle of fingers.

“The emperor has given you a command, Bemishu. Take this animal and the rest you brought to the Sunrise Estate. You may have free run of it, as we will cease using it for training for the time being. Clean up and join us for dinner.” When neither general moved, Saxu straightened, and suddenly, he was a military leader who had been killing since before my sister and I had grown in my mother’s belly. “Dismissed.”

Bemishu bowed again, gesturing for his men to remount. The elephant lumbered away, shaking the ground with each step.

“He is a fool if he thinks to manipulate the emperor through force,” General Kacha said to General Saxu, clearly not caring who else heard. “He will do more damage to our cause by trying.”

“Consort Airón,” General Saxu said. He bowed at me, fingers triangled, and Kacha did the same a moment behind Saxu.

“Generals.” I approached, taking the time to see who else lingered to listen. Kacha waved his hand, and most of his followers disappeared, clustering under nearby trees to speak together.

In the branches, Ratcatcher gave me a soft “caw” as though reminding me of my promise of food before he’d even completed his task.

Another dark shape flapped down into the trees, joining him.

The movement pulled my eyes toward the edge of the trees, where a yellow form hid behind a trunk, trying to stay out of sight.

Lerolian finally appeared, approaching with a group of servants, his head still tilted, listening to their conversations. Casually, I looked over toward the hiding servant again. Lerolian followed my gaze and circled over to the hiding servant, and I returned my attention to the generals.

“That was quite a show of force,” I said mildly. “I hope I misunderstood the purpose.”

“Bemishu has always felt the need to overplay his hand,” General Kacha said. “A side effect of his parentage, I believe.”

“I do not believe General Bemishu intended it as a threat.” General Saxu’s eyes stayed trained on me, as sharp as a hunting falcon who sighted a rabbit in the field. “I hope that the emperor understands that.”

And wasn’t that interesting. The rumors of Tallu’s attachment to me seemed to have even trickled into the generals’ ears.

“I will consult with him to gain more understanding of his thoughts.” I nodded, not lowering into a bow, and felt out my next move. “I hope to see the capabilities of the animals at some future date. Generals.”

Turning, I made my way back to the palace, Asahi trailing behind me at a polite distance. Two ravens descended from the sky, landing on my shoulders. I still hadn’t found an easy way to bear their sharp claws, so I held in my wince.

“Ratcatcher, Dawn,” I said.

“We have been working. We hear and see things,” Ratcatcher said quickly.

Since most of their news had been useless to me, I wasn’t prepared for anything interesting. Still, I reached up to stroke the underside of Dawn’s chest. Subtly, I glanced backward at Asahi.

I had convinced him and most of the staff at Turtle House that the ravens were merely pets, and my feeding them had encouraged them to join me whenever they wished. Still, I had to be careful not to speak to them directly other than in a way that any normal owner would to a spoiled animal.

I nodded, and Ratcatcher took it as permission. Hopefully, Kacha’s entourage had said something useful when he’d sent them away.

“All those people, the ones under the tree, they said that Kacha won’t be happy, that Bemishu will gain resources with his display.

They want to know why Kacha has nothing so magnificent.

” Dawn nuzzled me. “The two who look like each other whispered that of course their father would bring such a thing; after all, how many of his men had he sacrificed to win it. But then another said how many imperials could it replace? He might have scored a victory that could win the war against any other nation. And if Bemishu got more of the beasts, he would be more important.”

It was hard to tell from the retelling if the twins were helping their father or not. On the one hand, they’d spoken against him, but they’d also incited others in Kacha’s retinue to speak in favor of their father. Birds were good, but I needed to hear the context, the tone when they spoke.

“I have news, too! It is about the important one. The emperor. He sees the doctor.” Ratcatcher pressed his head forward so that my fingers scratched the side of his neck.

At the last second, I kept myself from asking, “ What ?” Biting my own lip to keep from speaking, I looked at Dawn.

She bobbed her head, mimicking my own nod. “Yes. This is the third time this week we have observed it. Only when you are busy elsewhere. The doctor visits him, then goes away. The important doctor. The one with all the markings on his jackets.”

Ratcatcher interrupted, disliking how Dawn had taken over his story. “This is good news? Isn’t it? We get fish for this? Whole fish?”

“You two are so delightful to me. I think I will request fish for you. Raw fish. Would you like that?” I turned and looked over my head at Asahi. “Remind me to ask Nohe for some.”

We returned to Turtle House, but I couldn’t settle myself.

Even as Ratcatcher and Dawn gorged themselves on fresh fish, I kept thinking about the news they brought.

Was Tallu sick? Was someone poisoning him the same way they had his father?

If so, was General Bemishu’s show of force not a signal to the emperor but a signal to the court as to who should gain the throne if Tallu died?

The questions plagued me all the way to dinner. When I stepped into the formal dining room, I remembered the last time I had eaten there, how Tallu had shown me his power. Who would be able to kill someone as strong as him?

My eyes found Tallu sitting on a golden throne at the head of the table. The generals were already present, lingering around the sides of the room, waiting for dinner to begin. I glanced at Tallu, and he nodded, so I approached.

“Are you well, husband?” I murmured.

He eyed me sharply, frowning. “I’m fine.”

“I thought I saw the Minister of Medicine leaving your quarters,” I said softly.

“You are mistaken.” He searched my face, and I felt something drop in my stomach. Tallu was lying to me.

A bell sounded, and the guests approached the table, all bowing formally to the emperor before taking their seats. Servants appeared with the first course, pouring wine as soon as the food touched the table. I barely tasted the crispy shrimp, breaded with heavily herbed crumbs.

Tallu ate his food, the lack of a poison taster now sitting heavily in my mind. But when he glanced at me, eyebrow raised, I raised a shoulder, half shrugging. He didn’t say anything, pointedly eating his own food.

The wine continued to flow, and the salad, made from fresh greens colored with root vegetables and fruits, made me wish the entire dinner was simply more of the same.

Bemishu stood, his chair sliding back as he raised his glass. “Emperor Tallu, I was not present to offer my congratulations upon your union with Consort Airón.”

“We received your missive,” Tallu said.

“Of course, of course. And I am glad to have the marriage formalized. So the imperial expansion may once again begin.” Bemishu raised his glass further as though encouraging a toast.

Everyone turned to stare at Tallu, who had not yet picked up his glass. The dinner had been limited to the five generals and their top commanders. Although there were no courtiers present, I was certain that everything said here would get back to court soon enough.

“Is that what you think?” Tallu asked.

“Those were the orders, were they not?” Bemishu looked around the table, eyebrows raised almost innocently.

“Now that you are married, the instability is settled. The Southern Imperium may once again begin to fulfill the promise your great-grandfather received from the soothsayer. Unless that is no longer your wish? You wish to go against the mandate given to you by your ancestors?”

The silence stretched, the tension so thick that the part of me that had a smart mouth was desperate to break it.

“Well, Emperor?” Bemishu asked. “When do we go to war?”