Page 76 of Flameborne: Chosen

She swallowed again and nodded quickly. “Yes. I—I do understand.”

“The same is true of your Wing Captain, your Wing Lieutenant, and every other man of rank over you—which is every single one until you have passed the first trial. Am I clear?”

“Y-yes.”

“I would like you to imagine what would happen in battle if every man believed that he understood better than those in authority over him—the anarchy and chaos that would ensue. And the slaughter that would soon follow. Can you understand, Bren? Can you see it in your mind?”

“Yes, Sir.” Her voice was thin and breathy and eyes closed as another tear fell.

“Then you will understand this: when an order is given, you follow it without hesitation. When a challenge is placed in front of you, you take every possible step to overcome it. And when youfeelangry, or hurt, or tired, you keep your mouth shut and you keep going anyway. That isdiscipline. And discipline is the spine at the back of our entire body of war—do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir.”

I took a beat, sighing. “This isn’t only for your restraint, Bren,” I said sincerely. “It’s for your safety. Would you want your destiny determined by a man whose decisions were made in anger, or on some selfish whim?”

She blinked, then her eyes slid to meet mine. “With all due respect, Sir,” she said in a helpless tone that indicated she truly meant the words. “You have just described the life of every farmwife, daughter, and female servant I’ve ever met.”

My head snapped back.

Bren thought I was angry and she flinched, tearing her gaze from mine and back to the window behind me.

But I was breathless withache,not anger when I stepped right up to her toes and spoke into her ear with every ounce of authority and solemn weight I possessed. “Hear me, Bren. If any Furyknighteverplaces his whim, or lack of self-control on you, you tell me. You’re expected to respect authority. But you are also protected by it. Ifanyman attempts touseyou, inanyway, you tell me personally. You letmefix it.”

She nodded, but her jaw flexed.

I frowned. “You doubt me?”

“Can I speak honestly, sir?”

“Always, when you ask respectfully like that,” I said with a nod, standing back and folding my arms.

“In my experience, a man of authority addressing another’s transgression against a woman often gives a very pretty sounding speech or a mild punishment that allows the one in authority to claim that he has addressed the issue, when everyone concerned knows he has not. Behind the victim’s back there are many winks and smiles. It is… a pretend punishment. A thin veneer of discipline, not honor.”

I swelled. “You accuse the ranks of Furyknights of—”

“No, Sir. I didn’t mean… only, that men advocate for each other against women. Or blame women for the transgressions of men. And then—”

“Attend,” I snapped and she closed her mouth, biting off the words, stiffening, obviously expecting punishment for her words.

Dear God, she’d been misused in some desperate way. That much was clear.

“Rather than debating the merits—or otherwise—of a man of authority watching over you, I’ll show you the way things work undermywatch. Tell me exactly what problem you’re facing that spurred your outburst when I walked in?”

Her breath sucked in and she blinked. “I’ve been trying for three days to harness, mount, and unharness Akhane. I haven’t managed a single step on my own. Yet they’ve harnessed Akhane and left her here for me. I knowit’s a challenge, but I havetried.I have truly tried. And I cannot do it. At least, not yet.”

“You can’t?”

Her chin trembled. “No, Sir.”

“You can’t,at all?Or you can’t the way that you’ve been trained?”

“I can’t in the way that I’m supposed to. Not without making her lay down. I can’t climb her yet, and even if I could, the straps are so thick and heavy, I can’t move the harness around without help. I get hopelessly tangled. And I can’t throw it—”

I raised a hand to stop her, and she cut off.

I looked at Akhane who watched her charge with compassion but was surely ready to be free of her harness as well. Perhaps Ronen had misjudged. Perhaps she really wasn’t ready for—

Then Kgosi’s voice in my head.‘What would you say if faced with a male of her stature who told you the same thing?’