Page 7 of Shadow Throne King
The Kennelmaster reached us and crouched low, unhooking Boro’s mask and pulling it free from his face. Underneath, Boro was just a man. Older than I expected, fine lines framing his mouth and eyes. What once must have been laugh lines had turned into wrinkles that deepened his frowns.
His mouth was open, expression pained. The Kennelmaster reached over, closing his eyes. He took two white rocks from the ground, using them to weigh down Boro’s eyelids.
I took a long breath, trying to calm my breathing, trying to stop my muscles from jumping and trembling. The Kennelmaster stood, still holding the mask in his hands.
When he looked at me, I couldn’t read his expression. He rivaled Tallu in utter blankness.
“I believe you and I should have a conversation. An honest one.” He turned the mask in his hands, although it seemed contemplative, not nervous. His eyes fixed on my face. “Perhaps you tell me what you know, and I will tell you what I hear my Dogs yap about.”
I looked down at the dead man, then up at his master. “I appreciate the help, but one of your men just tried to kill me.”
“And I saved you,” the Kennelmaster pointed out.
“Yes. And why were you here, Kennelmaster?” I gestured around us. The maze was empty. There wasn’t even the sound ofshears to indicate a nearby gardener. I saw no hints of yellow. No servant had warned him what was happening.
“Boro was a good man. A good friend of Toji’s. Much like Sagam and Asahi are very close friends.” The Kennelmaster waited, and I slowly nodded, understanding dawning. “He had been waiting for a chance to speak with you about what happened to his very dear friend. I had some understanding of what he might say and what he might do if you didn’t give him the answers he looked for.”
“So you came to save me. But first you wanted to see what I was capable of.” Bending, I pulled one of my blades free from the body, cleaning it on Boro’s clothing before resheathing it.
“You’re mistaken. I know exactly what you are capable of, Prince Airón of the Northern Kingdom. Just as I know that what whispers in the emperor’s ear does not tell him everything that occurs in our empire, just in the court.” The Kennelmaster offered over Boro’s mask. I focused on not reacting. Did he know about Lerolian and the blood monks? “Just as I know that when General Kacha wounded you, he did more damage than you or the emperor expected. Damage that has limited what you can hear.”
Ice trickled down my spine, and I kept my face as blank as I could. “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”
“This is not a threat. It’s a statement of fact. And here is another:EmperorTallu needs me. More than his father ever needed me or the Dogs.” The Kennelmaster shook the mask, still extended between us, and I accepted it from him, the thin ceramic absorbing the warmth from my fingertips. “Do you know why the only Dogs in my kennel that are masked are the Emperor’s Dogs?”
“I assumed it was to instill fear in the emperor’s enemies. They are shadows. They are faceless men. You cannot buy them, because you do not know who they are.” I considered the maskin my hands, turning it over to feel the ridges of the carved bear on the face.
“Yes. It is also because they lose themselves when they take the position. A Dog is nothing more than a servant of his master. He can have no wants except for his master’s desires. He can have no needs; he can only accept scraps from his master’s table.” The Kennelmaster nudged Boro with his toe. “An Emperor’s Dog is not a person. He is a tool.”
“And why does Emperor Tallu need men who are not men and Dogs who attack his consort?” I asked.
“Ask yourself why the emperor would need men who will follow his bidding without asking questions. Ask yourself why a man whose desires match Tallu’s needs men loyal to him andnotthe Imperium.” The Kennelmaster smirked, and a soft breeze whistled through the maze, vibrating the leaves around us. “Emperor Millu was shortsighted. He could have been served by imperial guards—men who saw the Imperium as he did.”
“What are you suggesting, Kennelmaster?” My fingers gripped the mask tightly, suddenly very aware that I was still alone with a man whose electro magic was powerful enough to stop a lightning bolt before it hit. A man who had his own agenda and knew more than Tallu or I wanted him to.
“I’m not suggesting anything.” The Kennelmaster crossed his arms. “I’mtellingyou, because the emperor listens to you, that you need to remind him to think about who his allies are.”
“Emperor Tallu is leader of the Imperium. He does not need allies. Everyone in this nation should be loyal to him.” I floundered, put off-balance by how honestly the Kennelmaster was speaking in a court that only ever spoke out of one side of their mouths, holding the truth behind their tongues.
The Kennelmaster snorted, shaking his head. “If anyone in this nation was loyal to the Imperium alone, then they should rise up against Emperor Tallu and demand his head.”
I dropped one of my hands to the knife I had just resheathed, feeling my lip peel back and my entire body shake with anger. Two fights in less than a day, and I still vibrated with the heat of them.
“You urge treason, Kennelmaster. I hope I am misunderstanding your meaning,” I said quietly.
“There is not a treasonous bone in my body. I can promise Tallu that my Dogs are loyal to him. I can promise thatIam loyal to him. I have no love for the Imperium. He could use men who are loyal to something more than their nation.” Significantly, the Kennelmaster glanced down at where my hand gripped my dagger. “Ask the emperor to think of what will happen when the general he lets so close to his neck finds out what Emperor Tallu wants.”
“How can you claim loyalty to Tallu and not the Imperium? Emperor Talluisthe Imperium.” I didn’t release my grip on my blade, feeling as though I had revealed too much simply by asking the question. Something cracked, and I looked up. Ratcatcher sat on a nearby twig, and as it shifted, the bushes under it rattled.
Terror swooped down, landing heavy on my shoulder, and I dropped Boro’s mask onto the ground at the sudden weight.
“I am loyal to the oathIswore to theemperor. And I am loyal to my men. Emperor Millu allowed me that dual loyalty as well as the coin I was owed for agreeing to never serve another master.” The Kennelmaster bent, picking up the dropped mask. He dusted it off with his sleeve, considering it in his hands. “I believe that Emperor Tallu will as well. Tell him to consider who he lets in. Tell him to ask his whispers who they think will hurt him when the truth comes out. And itwillcome out.”
“The Emperor’s Dogs see everything the emperor wants kept private. Are you threatening to use that information against Emperor Tallu?” I asked.
The Kennelmaster snorted, shaking his head. He turned away from me, raising a hand as he did so. The motion was a dismissal, and a rude one at that.
He took one step toward the entrance of the maze, then turned his head, speaking to me over his shoulder. “We are both men of shadows and secrets. Speaking as oneprofessionalto another, if I wanted to sell information, I wouldn’t bother to tell you. Consider this an offer of alliance.” He waved a hand at the dead Dog at my feet. “Don’t worry about Boro. We’ll take care of the body.”