by Rachel White
His voice was growing hoarse. He took a breath. "My—my cousin, he attended a meeting, yes, he voiced hatred against Jev, yes, but his brother was killed in front of him." Lieutenant Harn's mouth tightened. "His mother was murdered in cold blood in a place of sanctity. His House is struggling to recover. You stole his country, his future, his sense of safety, his understanding of his place in the world, his community, his autonomy and his family. And now you want to execute him—a boy—because he spoke angrily of your legion? Because he's resentful of what your people did to him? You call that justice?"
Any further words were lost in a furor of shouting as the assembled Jevites turned on each other. Though most of them were clearly in favor of execution, some seemed to support Rallis's argument, and not just Lieutenant Taarq. It wasn't an evenly divided crowd, but there were more on his side than he had expected. Including, it seemed, Empress Laiaraina.
"Enough." Her voice sheared through the cacophony. "Your points are not baseless. Even so, the actions taken by the rebellion are serious enough that I do feel a response is necessary. For now, I will think on my decision."
"Empress."
The voice belonged to one of the men near her throne, an older civilian with the band of the Suul around his arm. Stocky for a Jevite, with graying hair and a hard, lined face, he strode forward and bowed.
"Forgive me for interrupting, your Excellency," he said in Jevite, though he didn't seem at all apologetic. "I was compelled to speak. While your kindness towards those lesser in status is admirable, I'm concerned that you're letting yourself be swayed by a viper. All his grand talk of destroying futures doesn't change the fact that he and his cousin were both arrested for treason and sedition. I strongly believe that if we don't make an example of these rebels, we're putting all of Jev at great risk."
"Suul Thrun," said the Empress calmly, "while I appreciate your opinion, I'm speaking with the rebels at the moment. The Suulsen will have the opportunity to present its opinion at the appropriate time."
Suul Thrun. Ah, Nur, Rallis knew him. He wants to destroy Adesa. Sickness rolled in his gut as he slid a wary glance toward Suul Thrun, praying he wouldn't draw too much attention to himself.
"The Suulsen's opinion will matter little if you allow Jev to be poisoned by insubordination and threat. How long do you intend to allow these rebels to stay here?"
"As long as needed to make a decision."
Suul Thrun's expression darkened. "Do you intend to make the decision yourself, your Excellency?" It was an appallingly entitled question for someone of his status. If Rallis had spoken to Miana or another House Head like that, he would have been shunned by the Adesi around him. But some of the other Jevites were nodding approvingly.
The Empress regarded him steadily. "I did intend to, yes. Do you find that disagreeable, Suul Thrun?"
"With respect, your Excellency, I don't believe this is within your area of authority."
"The throne is responsible for ambassadorship and outreach."
"Yes," said Suul Thrun, "but the Suulsen is responsible for the treatment of war criminals. These two aren't ambassadors. It's not within your power to make the decision about what happens to them." An extremely pointed pause. "Your Excellency."
Rallis's throat was so choked, it was hard to swallow. He looked toward Lieutenant Taarq for some kind of comfort, but Lieutenant Taarq looked helplessly back at him. All his best-laid plans were crashing down around his ears. It didn't matter how eloquent Rallis was or how thoroughly he charmed the empress if it was Suul Thrun who decided whether he lived or died.
"Very well." From her tone, Empress Laiaraina wasn't pleased at being out-argued. "The Suulsen will make a decision on the rebels—"
"Thank you, your Excellency, I'll call a special session—"
"At your next meeting," the Empress continued, as though Suul Thrun hadn't even spoken. At his sound of surprise, she gave him a bland smile. "There's no need to call a special session. The Suulsen should have the opportunity to think over its decision. This is an extremely delicate matter, not something to be rushed. Do you disagree, Suul Thrun?"
He clearly did but bowed anyway. "Not at all, your Excellency."
"Citizen Yy." Empress Laiaraina turned back to Rallis, who hastily straightened. "I hear your comments and acknowledge them. We would all like to find a solution to this problem that will benefit everyone, including those Adesi who resent Jev. Though the rebellion cannot be allowed to continue, I also don't want such anger to be left untreated." She tapped her finger to her lips. "The Suulsen will vote on what will happen to you when they meet in two weeks. For now, you and your cousin will remain in Jev. A guard will accompany you at all times, of course, but please consider yourself a guest."
A guest that couldn't leave and couldn't be alone was no guest at all. It didn't matter. A two-week reprieve meant two weeks to figure out how to win their freedom or escape back to Adesa. Any time at all was better than nothing.
"Thank you, your Excellency."
"Lieutenant Taarq, you will take responsibility for overseeing Citizen Yy. You were the one who facilitated this, and your knowledge of Adesa and the rebellion will benefit you in this position. However," she continued, easily, "there seems to be a good deal of familiarity between you and Citizen Yy. I expect that you will do your necessary duty without being impeded by personal matters."
Lieutenant Taarq bowed deeply. He was too dark to color, and his face too well-trained to show strong emotion, so Rallis didn't know whether he was embarrassed, though from the antsy way he moved, he probably was. "Yes, your Excellency. I will."
Suul Thrun cleared his throat. "Of course, the boy must be accompanied as well. Regardless of his age, he's a dangerous revolutionary and a volatile creature. For the safety of everyone around him, he ought to be closely guarded."
"Indeed. That's only reasonable." Empress Laiaraina turned to Rallis. "Do you disagree?"
"No, your Excellency," said Rallis, a deep peal of alarm going off in his chest as he spoke. Despite being the loser of the confrontation, Suul Thrun seemed quite calm and even-tempered, even satisfied. "That's acceptable to me. Naravi will tolerate it."
"Very well. Lieutenant Taarq, have a guard assigned to him. He will be accompanied whenever he leaves his cell."
"If I may, Empress," said Suul Thrun, bowing. "Might I suggest Lieutenant Harn? He has familiarity with both the language and culture of Adesa. And he was the one who arrested the boy, after all. He knows what he can do."
So that was his game. As he finished speaking, Suul Thrun looked at Rallis and smiled and Rallis understood. He wanted to provoke Naravi into violence. He must have looked into their history—perhaps he had even heard about the Festival incident—and had figured out where Naravi was most vulnerable. If Naravi attacked Lieutenant Harn in a rage, the Suulsen, already wavering about whether to convict them, would inevitably vote for execution. Suul Thrun didn't need to convince the empress, after all—he only needed to convince his peers. Attempted murder would do perfectly.
The expression on Naravi's face wasn't promising. Though he couldn't understand the conversation, he had no doubt picked up on the way everyone immediately looked from him to Lieutenant Harn. He was holding himself as tight as a bowstring and his face was taut and sallow with fury. His eyes, when they alighted on Lieutenant Harn, burned with black fire. He would tear Lieutenant Harn's throat out with his teeth if he thought he could.
"Empress," said Lieutenant Taarq quickly, "perhaps another officer would be better. No disrespect, Suul Thrun, but I believe Lieutenant Harn has history with Citizen Yy that would make that pairing inadvisable. Perhaps—"
"If you feel Citizen Yy is so feral he couldn't tolerate being around Lieutenant Harn, clearly the boy is simply too dangerous to be left alive," said Suul Thrun coolly.
Lieutenant Taarq floundered. "That's…I wouldn't say feral…"
"Either he tolerates Lieutenant Harn or he's executed immediately to protect us all. This isn't a
suggestion, Lieutenant. The Suulsen is responsible for the safety of Jev, and as Suulsen-dama it's my duty to ensure that responsibility is upheld. The boy will be accompanied by Lieutenant Harn."
"I'll do it," said Lieutenant Harn quietly. "As long as the Empress sees fit to assign me the role."
Empress Laiaraina tilted her head thoughtfully. Her dress, a straight white shift with intricate embroidery at the throat and cuffs, reminded Rallis of the ascetic outfits worn by the priestesses of Nur, though no doubt the empress's intentions were very different. She was young-faced for her position. Superficially, one might think her girlish, but there was nothing naïve about the depth of her gaze or the level, thoughtful way she spoke.
"Very well." She looked out over the assembled crowd, her eyes lingering uncomfortably on Rallis. "In two weeks, the Suulsen will have its vote. In the meantime, Citizens Yy will stay here, accompanied by Lieutenant Taarq and Lieutenant Harn respectively. If they cause trouble, imprison them. Otherwise, they are welcome to live in the palace as they please. There are to be no issues on either side. Is this clear to everyone?"
Nods.
"And I do not want it made public knowledge that Citizen Yy is the leader of any kind of rebellion. It would cause a panic. Is that understood?"
Hesitation, then nods. She smiled serenely.
"Good. Suul Thrun, I will inform the Suulsen of the situation separately. Lieutenant Taarq, Lieutenant Harn, I will speak to you personally later. Is this clear?"
More nods. Suul Thrun looked displeased, while Lieutenant Taarq and Lieutenant Harn both appeared unsettled by the prospect of a personal appointment with the empress, but they all agreed. Rallis nodded as well, not that it made a difference, and obediently let himself be led out of the room.
In the hallway, out of the empress's sight, he seized the opportunity to lean close to Naravi. "They've assigned you Lieutenant Harn as your guard," he said in Naravi's ear, in Adesi. "He's going to be around you. They want you to try and kill him again. Don't."
Naravi's fists clenched. "If they put me in the same room as him I won't promise what I'll do."
"I said don't. Don't do anything, you understand? Just ignore him."
"He killed Hesse. I want him dead."
Nur's heart, he was as stubborn as he was blind. "Naravi," Rallis hissed, conscious of the people around them, the gazes on them still. Lieutenant Taarq and Lieutenant Harn were right there, listening to their conversation, Lieutenant Harn's eyes level on Naravi's face. "If you do, we all die. Do you understand? All of us. You, me, the entire rebellion. We die."
Their eyes burned into each other. It was Naravi who broke first. "I'll do what I want."
He stormed down the hall before Rallis could say anything further, Lieutenant Harn hastily following. Gods, they were all going to die.
"My, my."
Rallis turned. Suul Thrun had emerged from the throne room and was gazing at Naravi's receding back. A few other Suul had followed him out and were flocked around him like goslings with their mother. Rallis noted their faces—they would vote against him when the vote came.
"He's quite temperamental, isn't he?" he continued, as though he and Rallis were speaking of the weather. "I hope he doesn't do anything rash."
"He won't," said Rallis. All his efforts to stay polite were in vain; he could hear the loathing in his own voice.
Suul Thrun heard it too, and the pleasure that sparked in his eyes only heightened Rallis's rage. He was enjoying this. Toying with Rallis and Naravi as a cat toyed with vermin. Playing with their Nur-cursed lives. "You're quite young for the leader of a rebellion." He paused, drawing out the moment. Rallis gritted his teeth and waited for the next strike. "Though I suppose that's why it didn't do very well."
As the men around him laughed, Lieutenant Taarq's hand brushed Rallis's forearm. "Rallis—"
"It did well enough to get us here," Rallis snapped. "It's not about killing anyone. It's about being heard."
"We heard you. We simply don't like what you have to say."
A thousand different responses filled Rallis's throat, but he choked them down. If there was ever a time for circumspection, it was now. Suul Thrun and his allies weren't the only ones paying attention to the conversion; they were surrounded by curious palace servants and court officials. Any wrong move or word or gesture could turn the sentiment against him. The best thing to do was extricate himself from the situation entirely—there would be no winning here.
"Good day, Suul Thrun." Rallis bowed. "I hope we can reach an agreement."
"Do tell your cousin to mind his manners," Suul Thrun told him. "Sooner or later, he's going to get himself hurt."
He gave Rallis a thin smile, but Rallis kept his head up, refusing to break first. After a moment, Suul Thrun made a sound, a soft snort or a laugh, and walked away in the opposite direction of Naravi, accompanied by his retinue. It was the walk of someone completely at ease in life, sure that everything was going according to plan.
He wants to destroy Adesa. And now he had nearly everything he needed to do it. Ah, Nur, how was Rallis supposed to stop him? He should never have left home.
Chapter Twelve
The first thing Lieutenant Taarq said when they reached Rallis's new chambers was, "I didn't know you spoke Jevite."
Rallis looked around, taking in his surroundings. The chambers were small and clean, about the size of Lieutenant Taarq's apartment, but airier. A main room with a couch on one side and a low table for dining on the other connected to a smaller sleeping chamber with a low, Jevite-style bed. The opposing door led to a small washroom, while on the far wall, an arched doorway opened onto a small balcony overlooking an enclosed garden. The early morning light turned everything pale and hazy, transforming the leaves of the trees and the vines growing up the wall into glittering jewels. When Rallis stepped out onto the balcony, he could see other apartments, similar in size and arrangement. Perhaps one of them was Naravi's. Rallis hadn't seen him or Lieutenant Harn since he had stormed away after the meeting with the empress.
"I never told you?" he asked.
"Never." Lieutenant Taarq joined him on the balcony, leaning against the railing and looking out over the garden. "I spoke in Jevite around you thinking you wouldn't understand."
"I didn't mean to eavesdrop."
Lieutenant Taarq smiled faintly. "That wasn't really my worry. I don't think I said anything you weren't supposed to hear. Your accent is beautiful."
Rallis flushed. "Thank you."
He got another crooked smile, flashing briefly across Lieutenant Taarq's face. Then he sobered. "I'm sorry for all of this. I did the only thing I could think of. If I hadn't, you would still be in the Red Square. Or executed. But I put you in a bad position, and I apologize for that."
"You don't need to apologize." Rallis shook his head. "I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I should have kept a better leash on Naravi. Nur's heart—" it felt so strange to say that when they were speaking Jevite "—I don't know what he's going to do about Lieutenant Harn."
"Do you think he'll attack Nasir again?"
"I have no idea." Naravi wasn't an idiot—hotheaded and impulsive, yes, but not stupid. He understood the severity of their situation. And for all his bad traits, he was fiercely loyal to those he cared for. He wouldn't want to do anything to endanger his companions in the rebellion, even if he had fallen out with Faida Tlirr. Normally…normally he would contain himself.
But Hesse's death was a poison Rallis had never before seen. The night of the Festival of the Thousand Suns, Naravi hadn't been operating on logic and sense; he had been operating on hatred, potent as vekk, overwhelming as the tide. It had taken control of his mind and his body and he had been helpless before it. It wasn't a matter of whether or not he wanted to contain himself. Father, it was a question of could he. If he reached that state again, he would attack Lieutenant Harn in front of the Empress, all the members of the Suulsen, and every citizen of Jev.
"He wants to," Rallis settl
ed on saying. "Very badly. He desperately wants Lieutenant Harn dead. As for whether he'll actually try anything…I couldn't even guess."
Lieutenant Taarq frowned. "Nasir is very reliable. And he wants to avoid trouble. He…" He shook his head.
"What?"
"It's nothing."
"You don't think he supports Suul Thrun?"
"Absolutely not. I know this seems unfortunate, but honestly, I think it's better that it was Nasir assigned to guard your cousin. He wants very strongly for you both to survive this. He'll do whatever he can to help ensure you aren't executed."
Strange sentiment from a man who hadn't previously seemed very invested in Rallis's health or safety, but grudging allies were better than no allies at all. "I hope you're right. Naravi detests him."
"Nasir is…used to managing people who dislike him. He's quite good at it."
Rallis glanced at him, but he was gazing out over the garden. "Does Lieutenant Harn have many enemies?"
"No." Lieutenant Taarq smiled faintly. "He doesn't. But the ones he has are unavoidable presences in his life, so he still gets plenty of practice."
"If you say so. Naravi is…very provocative. To the point of endangering himself. And he's extremely good at identifying weaknesses. He'll pick and pick at Lieutenant Harn until he finds where he's vulnerable, and then he'll go for it mercilessly. It can be difficult to endure."
"Even so, I'll vouch for Nasir. Not that it probably means all that much to you, but if it makes you feel any better, you have my word he'll take care of your cousin."
Though the intentions behind his words were good, Rallis still wasn't convinced that Lieutenant Harn was the virtuous spirit Lieutenant Taarq appeared to believe he was. Too long with Naravi when he was in a foul mood could turn anyone into a monster, including his own loving family. He didn't want to imagine what it would do to someone already inclined toward violence.
It didn't matter. For the moment there was nothing he could do about it, so there was no reason to continue thinking about it.