Page 36 of Lady of the Drowned Empire

I was only reassured when several boos and shouts of protest at his presence rose above the rest of the noise. There may have been those who disliked my father—there had been many—but most Bamarians hated the Imperator more and resented his presence in our country. Half of the complaints about my father’s rule was that it had seemed to coincide with the Imperator’s increase in power. Bamaria was the only country that allowed a foreign soturi to defend its borders, and this foreign soturi had left us under attack. It had allowed akadim inside its borders and the beasts to kill our own.

Not all support the illegitimate black seraphim. You’re not alone.

I touched my arm, my fingers gliding across the velvet of my sleeve to press down on the cuff of golden seraphim wings. Still there. Still safe.

The Imperator began a speech formally announcing my father’s death, reiterating his plans to deal with the akadim problem, and announcing Lady Arianna as the new Arkasva Batavia, High Lady of Bamaria. She had been offered the silver laurel last night, but now she was to formally receive it before the public outside the Temple of Dawn. There, Meera would announce her abdication. And there, our diadems would be removed and destroyed.

My head already hurt from the screams—I couldn’t imagine how Morgana was feeling. She’d definitely smoked this morning, but still…. I caught her eye, watching her dark eyebrows form a V as she winced. Meera was swaying slightly from side to side. Her diadem hung loose against her forehead, the center banging against her as she moved.

My hands and arms shook, though I was no longer sure if it was from the cold or my nerves and the shock of what was happening.

Several mages wearing the colors and sigil of Ka Kormac began to march down the street toward us in two rows. It took me a moment to realize they were all carrying litters on their shoulders. The litters were missing the usual walls that offered their riders privacy from the outside world. Instead, each one had four poles holding up its silver roof, revealing the single couch each contained. I’d never seen any litters like this before, and didn’t like the idea that I’d be exposed to the crowds of Bamarians as I was taken down the street.

“We shall now ride to the Temple of Dawn,” the Imperator announced, “where Lady Meera will formally abdicate to Lady Arianna Batavia, your new High Lady.”

The crowd yelled as the mages lowered the litters to the ground. The mention of power going to Arianna seemed to unify them. They had no idea we’d already fallen into chaos.

Meera was directed into the first litter with Arianna—the pure picture of a power transfer. I felt sick looking at them, knowing the truth. Last night, I’d been barely able to stomach seeing Arianna. Now, Meera had to sit beside her, talk to her, look happy.

The second litter was taken by Naria and her sentry, the next by Lord Trajan and Lady Romula.

Why was Ka Grey here, riding on a litter to attend a transfer of power? They were on the Council, but no other nobles had been given this role, this prestige.

Bellamy’s message….

“Lyr,” Tristan yelled, heading for me. One of his escorts followed close behind looking annoyed. Tristan’s arm was outstretched like he was trying to get to me as quickly as he could. He seemed desperate, almost wildly so, to reach my side.

“Lord Tristan,” the Imperator admonished. “We have a seat for you. Up here.” He pointed toward Naria’s litter, but Tristan ignored the command, continuing to move my way.

“Tristan,” Lady Romula hissed.

His mouth tightened, but still he progressed until one of the Imperator’s mages stood before him.

Tristan froze, his brown eyes widening. He recognized the mage the moment I did. It was the one he’d fought and punched at my Revelation Ceremony. He’d beat this man in order to bind me himself, and from the way the mage was leaning forward, his stave pointed toward Tristan’s neck and his knuckles white and shaking, he remembered just as well as we did.

“Let me pass,” Tristan seethed, his voice dripping with the kind of command only nobles ever achieved.

“Lord Tristan,” shouted the Imperator, his voice magically amplified. “Come.” He laughed as if this were all some big joke, some misunderstanding. “It’s not proper on this occasion for you to sit with your fiancée’s,” he paused, his black eyes watching me, “cousin.”

My stomach dropped.

Fiancée’s cousin. I was the cousin.

Which meant….

Myself to Moriel. That was why he’d sent Bellamy.

“Lyr,” Tristan said, sounding hopeless, his eyes red and watery.

“We have so much to celebrate today!” said the Imperator. “Our new Arkasva, our High Lady. The restoration of power in Bamaria to a woman, to Ka Batavia. And the announcement of our new Heir Apparent and her engagement. Such a happy occasion to bring joy after our recent tragedies. Please, everyone, let’s cheer for Lady Naria Batavia, Heir Apparent to the Arkasva, High Lady of Bamaria, and her new fiancé, Lord Tristan Grey.”

CHAPTER NINE

Everything numbed—my body, my mind. I felt like I was barely myself anymore, barely able to keep track of time or what was happening around me. Of Naria’s litter being lifted with Tristan beside her. Of the cheers and congratulations erupting from the crowd alongside shouts of, “Tovayah maischa,” as she stood from her seat and took Tristan’s arm. Of the way she removed the velvet gloves she wore to reveal a large silver ring on her finger.

Even at a distance, I knew that the sigil of Ka Grey adorned her now. I’d missed it before, when Tristan had covered his hand, that he also had a ring. A golden one. A ring of Ka Batavia.

I wondered if the seraphim feathers were black.