Nexus of Change (Tasks of the Nakairi Book 2)

by K. E. Young

  "So you want me to spank your baby brother?"

  Dantalion looked happy with the idea. "I like it! Admit it Geran, your brother can be arrogant sometimes. How would he take it if he lost to a woman, even if it's one who beat his cousin Mero?"

  I leaned over, resting my elbows on my knees. "Geran, I don't remember anyone telling me how you're related to the Emperor. All I know is that he is adopting me into the family and you called me sister. I'm not even sure I know his name. So are you his son or his brother?"

  Geran laughed. "I'm his son. Urash is Emperor. Rendas is his heir. My mother is the sister of Mero's father. Does that help?"

  "Yes." I needed to ask Geran all my questions. He may be better at answering than Mero was. Mero inundated me with information, but he left gaps. "Do I have any other new relatives I need to know about?"

  Geran ticked them off on his fingers. "Your nishyutu comprises your mate, your mother the Empress, your father the Emperor, your sisters Ziri and Isla, your brothers Dantalion, Rendas, Daro, Kaio, and me. You also need to include our grandmother Belit, your uncles Kelan and Dragos, and an assortment of cousins. They named our youngest brother, Kaio, after a cousin. He's only eight so we can't be sure mother will bring him. You may also count Rendas' mate Daisa and my mate Sen. You do not yet have any nephews or nieces."

  I remembered one of those names from Sara's chronicle. "Is Kaio a common name?"

  Geran's smile told me he understood why I was asking. "More in this generation. Cousin Kaio is Lady Sara's mate and supported her when she destroyed the valbore. The names of all those who supported her are popular in this generation, Urash, Gelal, Ren, Dragos. You'll meet them all. Gelal is Lady Sam's mate and Dantalion's foster father so I suppose you could also count them as nishyutu. This is good, you need a proper nishyutu."

  More words I didn't understand. One of these days I needed to have someone give me the Drakkeni language. Then he wouldn't need to explain things like this. "Care to explain what a nishyutu is?"

  Mero answered this time. "Nishyutu is close kin. The closest equivalent in trade is kin-group. It includes your parents, grandparents, siblings, children, and grandchildren. It also includes your parent's siblings and their children. If they are not part of your nishyutu, your clan, or your family, then you don't consider them kin."

  Their concept of family was a lot more complicated than it needed to be in my opinion. I wondered how much of that was because of the dragons.

  Mero raised his hand slightly, his brows drawn into a frown. "I have a concern… Mother has always been spiteful, and she has been unhappy with me for a long time. My concern is that Nurian may seduce her and use her to target either Kendra or me. Given Mother's predilections, Nurian would find the task easy."

  Mero knew her better than anyone else here did and I could feel his worry through the bond. Would she really do something like that? "If she willingly works with him, then she's guilty of treason and could be executed, right? Is she going to risk that? Would your uncle tolerate it?"

  Mero sighed heavily. "The only authority she has ever accepted is her father's. Even worse, she seldom considers consequences unless they directly affect her. I'll make a point of mentioning the consequences of treason to her, maybe that will forestall anything damaging."

  I could feel dread coming from him and I had the idea that he didn't believe his plan would work. This lady was seriously bad news. I hoped that she didn't visit. The timing for it might be worse, but I didn't know how. "So, how did your uncle end up with her in the first place?"

  Mero cocked an eyebrow at me. "A somewhat misplaced sense of duty. She told him she was pregnant and he felt that a Cassettis should be born into the clan rather than adopted. She lied. I don't know how. Perhaps she believed it. Now he's stuck with her."

  The snippets of character I was putting together weren't painting a good picture of her. I'm not sure how a dragon soul could countenance the traits I was discerning. I felt sorry for Mero. Everyone has that one relative they wish wasn't. For Mero, it was his mother. For me, it was my brother. I think I got the better deal though. "From what I'm hearing, she seems to crave power but doesn't appear to have either the patience or the restraint required to use it. One more question… is she enough of a skank to sleep with Nurian?"

  "Skank?" Geran was confused.

  Right. English… "Think whore, except they give it away for free." Even as I said it, I realized that I had overstepped. This was Mero's mother after all.

  I needn't have worried. All three men nodded. "That does describe her rather well," Geran added. "I think you can count on it. She won't have to worry about pregnancy since he's Ansoren, but she never could restrain herself and Nurian is handsome."

  "Indeed, an utter zithel, but handsome," Dantalion added.

  My eyes skated to Mero and he flushed. I wasn't so sure it was a compliment anymore. I growled under my breath and he grabbed my hand and moved it back to his thigh. Maybe he hoped the velvet would distract me. I squeezed hard until he winced then let go. I'd deal with him later.

  "He'll think he can manipulate her and he may well be right. So… we keep a close eye on her and keep him and his minions away from her." Geran sounded tired. I'll admit, the whole subject made me feel tired too and I hadn't even met her yet.

  "Now, we need to discuss Kendra's household. She needs a sigil and warriors to make up her guard. An assistant wouldn't be a bad idea either. Several of my men have requested that I consider them. They're good men and I hate to lose them, but Kendra is royalty and while she needs the best she can get quickly, at least some of them should be true Drakkeni. Eventually, we'll build out a full household for her but she must have at least the minimum as soon as possible."

  Dantalion nodded. "If I had a household I would contribute people myself."

  I frowned at him. He had mentioned that the day I met him but I had learned enough by now to question it. "You don't have a household? Why not?"

  His lips twisted in a wry smile. "I have no estates or businesses. I'm just a soldier, so most of my time is spent with the army. Geran has provided me with an apartment here in the palace, but my means and needs aren't great enough to warrant a household."

  It wasn't right. He was a man to be respected. "Well, you can share mine."

  Mero laughed. A sparkling ripple of intense approval swept through the bond. "An excellent idea. At least half of my household has asked for transfer. She's a great favorite of theirs. Members of the first female dragonlord's household in over two hundred years. That she's Imperial as well — the status they gain is considerable.

  "The crest won't be an issue." He motioned to my pendant and I took it off, untangling it from the fancier one I had worn for dinner. Maybe I should have remembered to take it off before dinner but I hadn't even thought about it. Once disengaged, I handed it to Geran. "Kendra made that herself in her own world teaching herself silver casting… one of her many hobbies. It's her own design and execution."

  Geran' expression was unreadable as he examined my pendant. "And you had never seen Mero before you made this?"

  "Nope. I made that over a year ago."

  "Well, if we substitute your dragon for Mero's it will be perfect. May I borrow this for a day or two? The artist will work with you first thing tomorrow to make the changes to the crest, among other things. That bit of lawn in front of the palace since the practice yard doesn't get enough sun.

  "We need to have a seal made, uniforms for your warriors, and patches for your other house members. We also need to move your quarters to the royal wing. Fortunately, there's plenty of room. I'll do all I can to help you get all this sorted out and settled as soon as possible.

  "I've already sent word to your seamstress about the change in your household and status. She's hired a dozen helpers to help with uniform changes and everything else. She says the color changes to the second court gown are easy enough it should be ready by the time you need it. I fear that two court gowns won't cover your needs
any longer. She will be here tomorrow morning for additional gown ideas."

  His expression at this last bit was sympathetic. Since Mero had mentioned he hated the formality of court, this was my first warning that I would need to look closer at that little book of etiquette Thermin had loaned me.

  Geran's attention had turned to the others in the room and he raised his voice to address them. "Gentlemen, if you can get me a list of those who'll be changing households by noon tomorrow so the seamstress can start making new tunics, I would appreciate it."

  I eyed him doubtfully. "How much is this going to cost me? As I understand it, armies cost money and that looks to be what I'm gaining here."

  Dantalion laughed. "Something to add to your infamous list."

  "She can put it right after uncovering a treasonous plot, putting Faldin in his place, and taking Nurian down a notch," Geran added.

  "So… I made Mero enjoy dinner with the court, bumped Geran a rank at dinner…" Everyone laughed at that. "Nearly gave Faldin a heart attack, uncovered treason, took Nurian down a peg, learned I'm an earth mage, turned into a dragon, became a Drakkeni royal and plotted the maiming and possible death of my Chosen's mother. That's just today. Not all in that order. Well. I don't seem to waste any time at all, do I?"

  Geran was still laughing. "You have a way of making your presence felt. I think Sebas was right, Marin has more to fear from you than from any of us. You are a nexus of change. Things happen around you. I'm hoping that Nurian is stupid enough to go up against you. It's probably the quickest and easiest solution to the problem. As for the costs of all this, we'll worry about it when we have a better idea of what it will be."

  "Being beaten by a girl would cut him down to size." I quipped.

  "And having him die at your hands would reduce the likelihood they would try again. It would reduce his standing in their eyes immensely. Imagine the embarrassment." Dantalion seemed delighted with the idea.

  It was something I hadn't considered. "Oh dear, I've reduced Mero's standing in their eyes haven't I?" Their expression told me all I needed to know. "Crap. Killing Nurian may be an adequate short-term solution, but it wouldn't address the long term. The nobles indoctrinate their children into their own beliefs. That's how this sense of entitlement gets passed on.

  "Back in my previous world, the victor forestalled this situation by taking the children of the defeated lords and raising them in his own household. Fosterage. They act as hostages to the lord's good behavior and give the victor a chance to raise them loyal to him, with his beliefs or at least with broader horizons. It's hard to consider someone an enemy when you've eaten meals with them, learned from them, and joked with them for months or years. It's something to consider."

  "Hm. Now that is an interesting thought. It would let us do something about that nasty assumption that women are inferior at the nobility level too. I like it. Mero, make up a list of the children of the lords, their ages and names, please. I need to figure out how to do this. If I can head off Nurian, I'll have leverage against his allies."

  I thought for a bit. "Maybe we can send Nurian somewhere on a diplomatic mission? Does he speak Karthim?"

  There was more laughter although Geran's expression was thoughtful. He tapped his lips and smiled. "That isn't a bad idea either. Ambassador to Porthis. The current ambassador has been requesting reassignment. He's elderly and the weather exacerbates his arthritis. If I send Nurian, it gets him out of the way and keeps him busy while still allowing Thuran to come home. Unlike any of my other options, Nurian is qualified for it. His lands are near that border so he already understands them and how they work."

  "I have extra people already headed there to figure out why they're grumbling. I could have them keep an eye on him while they're at it." Mero poured more wine for everyone. "So, what role is Kendra to have in your court now she's a dragonlord?"

  "She will have a dual role just as you do. Publicly, she'll be, oh… Minister of Education, but just between us dragonlords, she'll be something a little different." He was staring at me and I knew he was thinking of our meeting. "Knowledge overall I think. The library is hers of course. She'll interface with Magiri's couriers and the archivists, your spy network, Harad's guards, Dantalion's scouts, Wik's traders, and Alal's guildsmen. Mero is better at putting pieces together, but she notices things. We'll call it Minister of Information for now."

  Mero sighed with a smile and took a sip of his wine. "I already mourn the loss of her aid."

  Oh, crap. His desk would become a disaster again, wasn't it? "I'll see what I can do about training a replacement. There are things I learned in college that will help." I would get his office into order first. There was still much to do there.

  "At some point, we need to put you with a scribe and the archivists to record whatever from your old world you think would be useful."

  "Maybe I should carry around a notebook so I can take notes as things come to mind."

  Dantalion lifted his glass in a rough toast. "Well, you've made a good start on your role as Minister of Information. From what I've heard and seen, you already had before you turned into a dragon." His lips twitched with humor. "Tell me, sister, is there anything you can't do?"

  I snorted. Too many things, I thought. "I can't sing and while I enjoy music immensely, I have absolutely no talent for it. I am a dreadful poet and while I can cook well enough to keep body and soul together, no one would ever say it was good. So what are you bad at?" I took a sip of my wine.

  The chuckles had spread further than just the four of us and I realized that the others were attending to our conversation, even if they didn't sit right with us. Geran had a sheepish expression. "I'm a terrible dancer. Swords and other weaponry, I can handle adequately, but put movement to music and I have all the grace of a drunk keth. I can play the flute a little though and Mero is wonderful with a lute. He can't sing though. Now Dantalion, he can sing!"

  Dantalion looked embarrassed at that but nodded. "While I can sing, I can't play a single note without messing it up and I'm incredibly bad at sewing. It makes repairing my armor awkward."

  I turned to Mero who was notably quiet. Looking at him, I couldn't help it, he looked so uncomfortable, and I laughed. "Oh, come on Mero, it can't possibly be that bad."

  Dantalion and Geran both laughed before the latter responded. "Yes, it can! Poor Mero is an organizational disaster. For a man of his capability and responsibilities, it's nearly crippling. Add to that a complete inability to handle anyone who isn't as capable as he is…"

  "I'm not incapable of handling them, I just refuse to deal with anyone who deliberately fails to use the intelligence and abilities they were born with unless I have to. It's like the noblewomen, they have to have some intelligence, but they refuse to use it."

  "Yet you aren't arguing your lack of organizational abilities."

  "Of course not. Kendra's seen my desk and she knows better than anyone else how the mess has affected my work. I just don't want to talk about it. It's embarrassing."

  "And I thought you were just too busy." I leaned into him. "It's okay. My grandmother was the same way. She had one of those minds where she would come to the damnedest conclusions, coming from a direction you never expected. She was always right though, every single time. I always thought that she couldn't be organized to do that. The paths her mind traveled just didn't map that way. She would jump around, putting pieces together and making a new pattern that wasn't there before. I can only see the pattern that's already there. I was lucky. Unlike my parents, I could see her logic after she laid it out for me and I learned a lot from her, but I never could make the blind leaps she did."

  Geran huffed. "You're right, Mero does that too. It's part of why I agreed to make him my spymaster. Well, that and his manipulative nature. He needs a decent assistant to keep him from getting lost again though. He should be doing his own job, not his assistant's. I would appreciate anything you can do to help."

  I petted Mero's velvet-clad thigh
. "Sometimes your greatest strengths are also your greatest weaknesses." My perfectionist organizational nature kicked me hard. "Hm. Best thing might be for me to get things organized before finding him a new assistant. I might have to delay the knife lessons though. There are too many things with a higher priority."

  Geran turned serious like the flip of a switch. "I fear that won't change soon. The Goddess gives a Nakairu just enough time to prepare for their Task. Father mentioned that once Sara was ready for her Task, events moved rapidly. I believe we all can attest to the rapidity of events surrounding you. I doubt we have long before your Task presents itself."

  It was a daunting thought. Yesterday I learned I had magic, today I learned I was a dragon. What would tomorrow bring? No matter what happened, I would never again be the librarian who liked to fight too much. That person no longer existed and I still didn't know what I had become. Maybe it didn't matter.

  Geran and Mero shifted to discussing childhood memories of tormenting Daro and his wicked responses. I wanted to meet him, if only to see if their memories of him were at all accurate. He sounded like a hoot. I kept quiet and mused on everything that had happened so far.

  I was drifting a bit when Mero noticed my muffled yawns. "Kendra, my love, let's get you to bed. You've had a wearing few days. I'll make sure that Anis lets you sleep in." He waved to the warrior waiting near the doorway.

  "Not too late," Geran interjected. "The artist will be here first thing tomorrow to work on the crest and portrait, and she must start interviewing prospective house members almost immediately so she can get some approved before the seamstress arrives with the color samples. A jeweler will also arrive tomorrow to look at your necklace as a basis for a seal and to evaluate that portion of your fortune you had set aside for sale." Geran's smile was warm. "Sleep well, Sister."

  As Mero and I walked away, I heard Dantalion say to Geran, "Since I adopted her first, does that make me your brother?"