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Eighteen

“ A gainst me?” I looked between them, more aware than ever of how they used their similarities to confuse. “What could you mean?”

“We have reason to believe that one of the traitors to the Imperium has been spending her time in the capital building alliances and even altering documents and evidence.” Topi leaned forward, extending her hand, but the distance between the couch and her chair was too much, and she couldn’t grab hold of my arm.

“Altering documents?” I let my eyebrows go up, exaggerating my shock. “Who is this villain?”

“Lady Dalimu,” Pito said.

I looked between them. They didn’t know I had talked to Piivu. There hadn’t been enough time for them to get that information. Not unless the servant I had sent looking for him sprinted to their quarters.

Even if they had known, the connection between Piivu and Lady Dalimu was clearly not well-known enough that it should have meant anything. Clearly, they did know that I had had tea with Lady Dalimu.

Now, the only question was if they were here for their father or General Kacha. Did their father not want me to know the full extent of Lady Dalimu’s capabilities, or was General Kacha using them to play a different game? Perhaps he was using them to undermine their father’s new war machine.

“What documents are you talking about?”

“We know that you have been put in charge of examining all military supply orders. We know that before you were given some of them, Lady Dalimu altered them to make it look as though she was a military vendor!” Topi nodded, looking at her sister, who took over the story.

“We believe she is trying to worm her way back into the capital by claiming that she has some intelligence or some technology the Imperium needs to win against the other nations.” Pito leaned forward but didn’t extend her hand, her eyes fierce.

“Is that so?” I knew I needed to act more surprised, but my mind was whirling. “Where did you get this information? Why do you have access to any military documents?”

“Oh, of course we don’t have access.” Topi raised a hand to cover her giggle, her expression suddenly going silly.

“Then you saw Lady Dalimu making these edits?”

“No, but we heard from—that is, we know a great many commanders and lower-ranked members of the military. Our father is a general, and we are great friends with General Kacha. So, we know many people in the military.” Pito opened her fan, hiding all but her eyes from view.

“And one of these friends saw her change the documents but didn’t stop her?” I frowned in puzzlement, leaning back. On my shoulder, Ratcatcher opened his beak and let out a sound that was almost like a chuckle. “You need to tell me who it was so that he can be brought up on charges as well.”

Topi went pale, glancing at her sister. Perhaps I had played the hand too hard; I was losing them and, with them, any chance to find out if their master was their father or General Kacha.

Pito giggled. “Oh, you cannot ask us to do that. They are a good friend, and we wouldn’t see them punished for accepting a bribe.”

“I must insist ,” I said, dropping my voice severely. “This is treason, and one of our officers allowed it to happen.”

The tension rose, and Topi let out an awkward laugh and flinched when I turned my gaze to her directly. “My lord…”

“Your Highness,” I corrected. “Who?”

“Commander Rede,” Pito said quickly. “He’s under General Saxu, but we all grew up together, all of us, you know.”

“Yes, and I’m sure the emperor remembers him fondly, and I’d hate—we’d hate to get him in trouble.” Topi raised her chin, the lie falling easily from her lips.

I frowned, scratching at the side of my chin with my thumb.

Rede hadn’t told them, but it was interesting that they didn’t sacrifice someone in their father’s command or even in Kacha’s.

Was their ultimate aim to unseat Saxu? That was a daring attempt for anyone.

“You have brought me very troubling news. Thank you for alerting me to such treachery.” Ratcatcher squawked again and flew out of the room.

I raised my chin, gesturing with one hand a sign for dismissal. Hesitantly, both women stood, and Nohe immediately ushered them out.

Calling over her shoulder, Topi said, “I do hope we are still very good friends , Consort Airón.”

“Of course. Very good friends,” I muttered, but the door was already closing behind them.

After the fluttering birdsong of the twins’ lies, the room was strangely empty in their absence.

I needed to talk to Tallu, but I glanced at where Asahi had been standing silent against the wall. The Bemishu twins hadn’t even looked at him. The Emperor’s Dogs were invisible in the palace, as if they were statues, deaf and mute.

“Does General Kacha know about the airship?” I asked.

Asahi turned to me, and even with his face masked, I could see a frown in the way his eyes tilted. He shook his head. “If he does, he hasn’t shared it with me.”

“In that case, let’s go find my husband and hear what your father has shared with you.” I stood, already feeling exhausted, though I hadn’t even eaten the noon meal yet.

Tallu was in a meeting with his ministers. The two guards dressed in sunset colors outside the door shifted uncomfortably when they saw me. They looked past me to Asahi, then decided that if an Emperor’s Dog had allowed it, it was probably fine.

One pushed the massive wooden doors open, revealing a long table with ministers seated on either side.

I’d come to understand that unlike the Emperor’s Council, which had acted like governors or kings of their own pieces of the Imperium, ministers were more advisers than rulers in their own rights.

They had the power to control small parts of the government but were more bureaucrats than anything else.

Some, like the Minister of Medicine, seemed to enjoy the increased power without any real responsibilities.

On the other hand, I could see how it chafed on Lord Sotonam, who understood his title and responsibilities were worthless as he gazed back at a past when councilors had been the true power brokers of the Imperium.

Tallu looked up when he saw me and tilted his head in question. Smiling at him, I walked past the table filled with men who would sooner spit on me than allow me to sit among them.

“Husband,” I said. “I thought we might enjoy a noonday meal.”

“Of course.” Tallu stood. “We will adjourn.”

“Your Imperial Majesty…” But Lord Sotonam trailed off when Tallu turned to stare at him.

Tallu didn’t even glare, his expression so serene he might as well have been a mountain lake. Or the boulder rolling down a hill to flatten a township.

Lord Sotonam quelled, trembling. He looked at me pleadingly.

“Lord Sotonam,” I said. “I wasn’t sure you still had a position after Rute’s execution. So glad to see you survived.”

Then I took Tallu’s arm and dragged him away. He stared at me, his expression bemused. “What will they say?”

“They’ll say I’ve bewitched you with my northern cock,” I said.

A passing servant did a double take but hurried down the hall before Tallu noticed. When I looked back, Tallu was staring at me with a grin, his expression open and warm, and he reached over to pat my hand where it was laced through his arm.

Rather than walk all the way across palace grounds, Tallu pulled me into a small closet space that held linens and buckets for cleaning.

A mop rested in the corner, and Tallu moved it to the side before pressing his hand to one of the stones and releasing a bolt of electricity.

A door rumbled open to the tunnels beneath the palace.

The stairs led to darkness, and before Tallu could raise his hand and press it against the wall, Asahi did it himself.

Lights flickered on, flowing down the wires.

Two Emperor’s Dogs walked in front, Tallu and I in the middle, and Asahi and Sagam brought up the rear. Traveling through the tunnels reminded me of a rat moving through the darkness.

In the north, we drowned them, pouring water into their nests. Was it possible for someone to do the same thing here?

I swallowed, shaking my head sharply.

Soon, we were at Tallu’s rooms. There was a moment of uncertainty as Tallu decided on the best place for privacy in his own quarters.

Hipati was still busy at work, and we passed her and General Saxu’s aides going through the paperwork in the library.

Lerolian watched all of the work with interest from a position sitting in the windowsill.

At a glance, the aides seemed cowed by Hipati’s relentless push for more organization. She definitely would notice if they were trying to hide any documents, which was a relief. I wasn’t sure I would have noticed if they had hidden entire boxes of documents.

Finally, Tallu decided on the dining room. After servants had presented our meal, he excused everyone. He ordered the other Emperor’s Dogs further down the hall, with the directive that no one be allowed in, closing the doors behind them.

That left us alone with Sagam and Asahi.

I raised my eyebrow at Tallu. Could he trust the Dogs he left outside? If they weren’t trustworthy, wouldn’t they come close to the door and press their ears against it, hoping to find out what secrets we were talking about?

Tallu grimaced. “The only place that is truly secret is the bedroom.”

I nodded, looking around the room. Asahi and Sagam said nothing when I took some of the napkins from the table and shoved them in the crack under the door. There was nothing I could move in front of it, but the door was thick, and with the cracks covered, perhaps our words would be muffled, too.

Then Tallu and I sat, him at the head of the table, me to his right. I gestured to the seat across from me at his left.

“Join us.”

I had been positive the gesture was an invitation, a variation on the way that Nohe carefully shepherded me around Turtle House. Sagam nearly took a step back, but Asahi hesitated only a second before pulling out the chair.