Page 53

Twenty-Five

S itting next to Tallu, I let the wall of noise fade away, focusing on a voice here or there, the acoustics of the room bringing them to me clearly.

More than one conversation was about my position next to Tallu, the crown on my head.

One lord scolded his wife for not getting closer to me when she had the chance.

Now, they all saw my position in House Atobe as unimpeachable, my place secure.

Even General Kacha could not shake me loose from Tallu’s affections.

“If he has a weakness, it is that northern boy. And you didn’t invite him to morning tea?”

His wife’s waspish reply was drowned out by more voices, more murmurs. Shock, dismay, glee. None of the courtiers wore jackets with the mountain symbols that declared them Kacha’s allies. And no one floated between groups of courtiers like a sweet scent on the breeze.

Turning to Tallu, I hid my mouth with the back of my hand, whispering, “Where is Velethuil?”

With everything else happening the night before, I had wrongly assumed he was stagnant, a game piece fixed in place. We had no need of worrying over him because he would be there when we needed him.

My error was becoming clear to me.

Tallu raised his fingers, twitching them once, the dragon rings catching the light with their gold bodies and gemstone eyes. One of his Dogs moved from behind him, coming close enough that Tallu could murmur, “Find Velethuil. Do not let him leave the palace.”

The Dog bowed, his black mask carved to look like a growling bear. He disappeared silently, moving so quietly that I almost believed he was one of the dead blood mages.

We still had no word from Lerolian, and maybe it was exhaustion, or maybe I was finally seeing the board in full now that we had taken two important pieces off of it.

Velethuil was missing. Lerolian, gone. Lady Dalimu was imprisoned in her quarters with the rest of the disgraced council members, but even as we closed in on success, our options were growing limited.

We were in the endgame, and if any one of our pieces disappeared, we would lose.

Tallu raised his hand, palm out, and the room silenced immediately, as still as if he had thrown a bucket of water on the last smoldering ember of a fire. No one dared speak.

“Last night, General Kacha attempted an assault on my house. My fate—the fate of the Imperium—is to unify the continent. He thought such a task could be accomplished through him rather than through House Atobe, which has been granted that destiny.” Tallu paused, and an unsettling stillness spread through the court.

No one moved, not even to shift position.

“The Southern Imperium is House Atobe. The emperors are House Atobe. If anyone believes, as General Kacha does, that they know better than me, I will hear them now.”

From Tallu’s tone, it was very clear that he would hear them, and then they would be killed.

No one spoke, no one gasped, a few even looked as though they were holding their breath.

Tallu tapped a single gold ring against the arm of his throne. The sound of the metal on the dragon bones was hollow, echoing like death in the room.

“I am pleased to have the court’s support in this matter.” Tallu did not smile.

From the back of the room, someone shifted, bowing, their fingers in a triangle above their head. Then it flooded the whole room.

Even in the dark corners, where I had assumed Tallu’s enemies might be gathering, I could see the bows, triangles neat. No one wanted to stand out.

Kacha had stood out, and it had gotten him imprisoned. It would be the reason he was killed.

Tallu glanced at me, and I shook my head once. He was going to leave, but I needed to stay behind. If his Dog couldn’t find Velethuil, we needed to know where the mage had gone. Moreover, I wanted to check in with the Bemishu sisters.

Even though his court looked like an ocean of sharks, each hungry for my flesh, I was beginning to see that now, they saw me as the largest, most dangerous shark.

Tallu stood, walking through the bowing crowd, and I noted which houses bowed lower as he passed, elbows nearly touching their knees as they desperately tried to avoid his disfavor. Then he was gone, and the court exploded into chatter.

I stood, and those closest to me bowed, but I slipped to the side of the room, Asahi following me like a shadow. I moved, trying to find a good place to listen, but silence surrounded me no matter where I stood. No one was going to talk to the man they saw as responsible for Kacha’s downfall.

There was a door that led to a private sitting room, and I raised my hand, twitching my fingers just enough that the nearest servant jumped to my side.

“I would speak with the Bemishu sisters,” I said. “Now.”

The servant nodded, and Asahi opened the door, scanning the room before letting me inside.

I took a seat at the nearest table, feeling my exhaustion on my skin, pressing me into the chair.

I rested my palms on my face. The blood had been cleaned off me, but I still felt it like an itch I couldn’t scratch.

“I’m sorry about your father,” I said, my hands still covering my face.

“I am not,” Asahi said.

I straightened when I heard the door opening, glancing over to see the twins entering.

Their clothes were plain for them, dark black with pale white stitching naming them as ladies of House Bemishu, but with neither the mountains that General Kacha’s followers wore nor the bones that marked their father’s supporters.

I gestured to the seats in front of me in invitation. Both of the twins lowered themselves into bows before taking their seats.

“I was pleased to see you at court today,” I said. “There were many missing.”

“Court was held very early today. Some may not have been awake for the invitation,” Pito said tactfully.

“Yes. The old emperor kept more reasonable hours. I’m sure courtiers are still adapting to Emperor Tallu’s schedule. I’m sure no offense was meant.” Topi seemed at a loss as to what to do with her hands. Eventually, she clasped them in her lap.

“Several of General Kacha’s loyalists seem to agree with you that Emperor Tallu’s hours are unreasonable ,” I said, watching her flinch at how her words were thrown back at her. “Would you be able to help me with any of their names? Any who might wish court to start later in the morning?”

“Perhaps,” Pito agreed. She glanced at her sister before turning back to me. “Then you would be able to warn them in advance should the emperor decide to have any more early-morning court sessions?”

“I believe the emperor needs those who anticipate his desires rather than attempting to mold his desires to those of the court.” I leaned back in the chair, feeling the stiff wood against my spine.

“I thought you two would understand that. After all, we came to such a good understanding the other day.”

“We did,” Topi said cautiously. She frowned at her sister, a single twitch of the eyebrows that disappeared almost instantly. “The other day, I think we were all in agreement; however, now we wonder if that is still true.”

“Do you worry about my loyalty to the Imperium, as General Maki does?” I brushed a hand significantly down my jacket, where it marked me as a member of House Atobe.

“I believe it has been made very clear by the emperor and myself where my loyalties lie. Unless you are implying that your loyalty is not to Emperor Tallu?”

“We, as members of House Bemishu, are extremely loyal to the emperor and the Southern Imperium. As is our father.”

“Good. I am glad we are in agreement,” I said.

“Our father is proud of his position in the military. And eager to show the emperor what cooperation and collaboration with civilian businesses might bring,” Topi said.

“I am sure the emperor is curious about what collaboration General Bemishu might be interested in.” I considered the two women.

I’d expected allies, but now they were even more nervous than they had been two days before.

I had taken down an enemy they had been setting up for a fall for years.

And I had done it in mere hours; they were right to be nervous.

I dragged my thumb across the wooden arm of my chair, shifting and feeling the wood against my back as firm as I needed to be.

“At your one-month celebration, our father will be showing a design he has been working on in collaboration with Detipo Bechi.” Pito looked nervous, then straightened her shoulders, her smile falling into place.

In front of my eyes, she was going from the smart, calculating woman I could see underneath her mask to the gossipy, silly girl that General Kacha had always known.

“He is ever so excited about it. I’m sure that, as our friend, you will make sure that the emperor looks kindly upon the exhibition in eight days? ”

“As your friend .” I let the words linger, considering their meaning.

“For you are our very dear friend,” Topi said. She leaned forward, putting her hand on my wrist and squeezing. “We have always considered you as such.”

“The emperor has taken Detipo Bechi into disfavor because he sent his husband to seduce me.” I watched the two women, seeing how Topi’s smile strained only for a second before she covered it with a girlish giggle.

“A misunderstanding! I’m sure you can make the emperor see reason.” Topi’s smile wrinkled the corners of her eyes, everything about it genuine except for the way her arms tensed as though squeezing her hands together under the table.

“I can attempt to do so,” I agreed. “Our one-month celebration is very soon. Mere days away.”

The women murmured some pleasantries about how excited they were for it, and then, at my hand gesture of dismissal, they rose, disappearing through the door.

I rubbed my face again, sighing heavily.