by Jon Skovron
“While I’m gone, you may wish to make certain all your people remain in your apartments. Just in case.”
“Oh?”
“And if you have any … fortifications you could employ, I would utilize them.”
“Fortifications?”
“Yes,” said Merivale. “And weapons. If you don’t have any weapons, speak with Hume on your way out. He’ll furnish you with some. Just in case.”
“Merivale, just what do you suspect is going to happen?”
Merivale pretended to think for a moment. “And provisions. Yes, I would definitely set in some provisions. A week’s worth perhaps?”
Nea gave her a hard look. “Just in case?”
Merivale smiled. “Exactly. One never knows when or where violence might erupt, and believe it or not, in my own way, I’ve grown rather fond of you, Ambassador.”
Nea’s eyes widened. “My lady, are you suggesting—”
“That you make it an early night? Absolutely,” said Merivale. Then she put down her knitting and let the chipper artifice slip away. “You must hold out for three days. By then I will have returned with assistance.”
“And to what do I owe this generosity?” asked Nea, still looking alarmed.
“Well, now that you mention it, I’d appreciate it if you would keep the prince with you. I’d hate for him to be captured by the opposing faction, and he’s ever so fond of you, so I know he’ll come quietly.”
“Opposing faction?” Nea looked to be on the verge of panic now.
“Yes, Ambassador. Biomancers, to be precise. Perhaps you’ve heard of them? And possibly a large portion of the imperial military.”
It was so rare that Merivale was able to rattle her, and she could not help but savor the look of astonishment on Nea’s face. Then she smiled.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to pack for my trip.”
Merivale was grateful for the brisk ride through the countryside of western Stonepeak. It gave her time to think, and while she had always disliked sailing, she was rather fond of riding. As she rode west across the open grasslands, and then north along the coast, the sound of the horse’s hooves thundered beneath her. Her hair was not done up as it usually was, but instead had been pulled back in a loose ponytail. She had also left behind her gowns in favor of the more practical riding jacket, pants, and boots. Thankfully, she happened to know she looked quite fetching in riding clothes.
Things had unraveled more quickly than she would have liked. She’d hoped to already have the Black Rose in place before the biomancers made their move. Instead, she had to set things in place as carefully as she could and hope that her people and the ambassador could handle the follow-through while she made haste out to Sunset Point to begin negotiating under the worst possible condition: weak bargaining leverage. If the Black Rose was as emotional and impulsive as Red, it would turn out fine. But if she was more calculating … well, things could get complicated.
As Merivale neared Sunset Point, she was relieved to see that the small dock remained empty. She’d been concerned that the Black Rose would arrive before her, and that the empress would begin the negotiations without her. Merivale had tremendous respect for the empress, of course. But royalty had little understanding of the true cost of things, and generally made terrible negotiators. Also, there was the small but pivotal matter of class separation between the two sides. Some sort of intermediary would be absolutely essential. And with Red on Vance Post, hopefully not being eaten by the kraken, Merivale would have to do the best she could on her own. Certainly, three intelligent women could sort out even a situation as dire as this.
Her horse clattered through the courtyard of the empress’s home and skidded to a halt.
“My lady.” Kurdem, head of the household servants, stood in his impeccable white uniform at the front door. “Please go immediately to Her Majesty’s chambers. I will see that your horse is taken care of.”
“I’m sorry to say I pushed him rather hard. Please take special care,” she told him.
“Yes, my lady.”
Merivale handed Kurdem the reins, then hurried inside.
The empress’s interior design had been the primary inspiration for Merivale’s own. Both women appreciated an uncluttered, minimalist aesthetic. But the empress’s decorations were primarily muted pastels in curved, flowing shapes, which gave visitors a sense of calmness and tranquility. Merivale had instead opted for hard geometric shapes and stark color contrasts, mostly because she preferred to give her guests a vague sense of unease.
Lady Hempist strode through the house, her riding boots clacking on the polished wood floors. She paused at the door to the empress’s chambers for a moment and gathered herself together. It had been a long ride, after all. She smoothed her hair and clothes, and dusted off her boots with a handkerchief. Then she quietly knocked.
“Lady Hempist?” came the empress’s calm voice.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Excellent. Do come in.”
The empress was already in a formal gown to receive guests. She stood at a window that overlooked the Dusk Sea, which was just visible in the last rays of the sun. She looked as inspiring as ever. A perfect picture of mature grace, intellect, and femininity.
“What do you suppose is beyond that horizon?” the empress asked quietly, her eyes still out to sea.
“Perhaps that mystery will be solved before the end of our lifetimes,” said Merivale.
“Yours, at least,” said the empress darkly.
“Now, now, Your Majesty,” Merivale said gently. “That’s hardly the proper attitude.”
Pysetcha sighed. “I suppose you’re right. It’s not like I can leave everything to Leston yet.”
“Perhaps not everything quite yet, Your Majesty,” agreed Merivale. “Although I’m happy to report that he seems to have matured somewhat during the last few months.”
“Thank goodness for small miracles.” The empress turned away from the darkening sea and looked at Merivale. “Now, to the matter at hand. Is everything ready?”
“As it can be, Your Majesty.”
“And you really think the biomancers’ response will be that swift and drastic?”
“I fear we’ve pushed them into a corner, and now they are desperate,” said Merivale.
“But it seems so …” The empress shook her head. “It’s hard to believe they would go so far.”
“I have learned through experience never to doubt the length to which the biomancers will go to further their cause.”
“But saving something by destroying it?” said Pysetcha. “It hardly makes sense.”
“I have also learned never to count on the actions of biomancers to be particularly sane,” said Merivale. “Although in their defense, it does have a kind of internal logic. If one begins with the premise that—”
There was a knock on the door.
“Sorry to interrupt, Your Majesty.” Kurdem’s voice sounded uncharacteristically shaky. “But there is a, uh, Black Rose and … companions here to see you.”
“Thank you, Kurdem. Please send them in.”
“Are you certain, Your Majesty? They are somewhat—”
“Kurdem?” A slight edge came to the empress’s voice.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Right away,” Kurdem replied hastily.
The door opened. Kurdem looked pale and worried, but he quickly stepped aside and bowed low. “The Black Rose of Paradise Circle to see Her Imperial Majesty and Jewel of the Empire, Empress Pysetcha.”
The woman who stood in the doorway was short, busty, and entirely inelegant, but she had a certain coarse beauty that made the name “Black Rose” oddly appropriate. She wore clothing similar to Merivale’s riding ensemble, although less well made, and probably not just for riding. She also had a thin metal chain coiled up at her hip, although Merivale couldn’t determine if it was an attempt at jewelry, or a weapon of some kind.
Behind her stood two of the most unsettling people Merivale had ev
er seen. One was what Merivale guessed to be a woman, although she couldn’t be certain, due to the ragged, shapeless clothes and the matted, filthy hair that covered most of her face. The other was a man in stark black-and-white formal wear, including a top hat, that might have been in fashion half a century ago, but certainly no more recently.
There was a moment of tense silence while the empress waited for the Black Rose to make some sort of curtsy or sign of respect, and the Black Rose waited for God knew what.
This was why Merivale had nearly killed her favorite horse to get here in time. The empress had been the most powerful woman in the empire for most of her life, and in previous discussions with Merivale, she’d had a difficult time comprehending that she couldn’t treat someone like the Black Rose as simply one of her subjects. But if Merivale had learned anything from Red about the underclasses and the folk culture of New Laven, it was that someone of the Black Rose’s stature should be treated more like a visiting dignitary. Merivale had attempted to explain this at length to the empress, but here it was, the moment of truth, and it seemed all her careful coaching had fled from the empress’s mind in the tension of this historic visit. So it would be up to Merivale. As usual.
“Welcome, Black Rose,” Merivale said, giving her a completely unnecessary curtsy. “We are very glad you came.”
“Yes, I am delighted to meet such a respected leader of the community,” the empress said, always quick to recover.
“I thought you’d be a rotted old wrink,” said the Black Rose in a hard, quiet voice. “But to speak true, you ain’t bad on the gander.”
Another pause.
Merivale turned to the empress. “The Black Rose has just praised your beauty.”
The empress smiled warmly at the Black Rose. “You are very kind. But while my beauty is carefully cultured, yours is true and untamed.”
Merivale inwardly winced at the word untamed, but if the Black Rose was offended, she gave no indication of it.
“And who are your companions?” continued the empress.
The Black Rose glanced back at the two odd people lurking silently behind her. “These two? They work for me.”
“Ah, your bodyguards?” asked the empress.
The Black Rose’s face hardened. “I don’t need nobody to protect me.”
“Naturally not,” Merivale said quickly.
“It’s for other people’s protection I keep these two close,” continued the Black Rose. “If I didn’t have a hand on them, they’d murder everyone they come across.”
“You hear the truth of that, Mister H?” asked the woman in a voice as ragged as she looked.
“It is a joy to be so well understood,” said Mister H in a voice as ghostly as he looked.
“We appreciate your restraint,” Merivale told the Black Rose. “There will be a time for murder, but this is not it.”
The Black Rose narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, I was a little surprised when you asked me to come up with a big group of solid wags and a pile of guns.”
“Our mutual friend has indicated that there is something you wish to ask of the empress. If she finds your request amenable, perhaps there is something you can do for her in return.”
The Black Rose nodded. “Now you’re speaking crystal. Something for something. I like it.”
“So what is it you want, my dear?” asked the empress, her voice defaulting into the stately, regal tone that the lords and ladies loved, but Merivale had expressly urged her not to use with the Black Rose, since it sounded terribly condescending. Lords and ladies expected to be condescended to by their empress, but Merivale was fairly certain that ganglords did not.
The Black Rose looked at the empress for an uncomfortably long time. It occurred to Merivale that she might be doing it less from awkwardness, and more as a way to deliberately unnerve them. Merivale knew she could not make the mistake of underestimating this woman. Despite the Black Rose’s lack of education, she was a tiny woman with a lot of power. Such things did not happen without a great deal of tenacity, ferocity, and cleverness.
Finally, the Black Rose broke eye contact with the empress and looked down at the thin metal chain coiled at her hip. She patted it fondly.
“One of the truest wags in the world made this for me some years back. He was real sunny, keen? Without even realizing, I used to bask in that brightness. But when he was murdered, I was left alone in the dark. And my vengeance was so cruel that even wearing this thing he made seemed an affront to his memory. So I put it aside, determined to make peace living without the light.”
She looked suddenly at the empress, her eyes hard. “Because that’s how it is in the Circle. It’s something most of us have to do sooner or later.”
The empress opened her mouth to speak, but it was clear she was struggling on how best to respond. Truthfully, Merivale wasn’t sure there was a proper response to such a statement.
After a few moments, the Black Rose nodded and released the empress’s gaze, as if satisfied with her speechlessness. Then she turned to look out the window. The sun had set, and only a glimmer of water could be seen in the moonlight.
The empress looked questioningly at Merivale, but Merivale continued to watch the Black Rose. Patience and caution were the best choices at present.
Then, to Merivale’s surprise, a smile slowly grew on the Black Rose’s dark, full lips.
“It’s funny.” The ganglord’s voice softened slightly. “I guess Hope and them rubbed off on me more than I thought. Because to speak true, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t make peace with the darkness. I wanted to hold this chain in my hands again with pride, the way he would have wanted.” Her hand closed around the chain tightly so that her raw, scuffed knuckles whitened. “But to do that, I knew I had to earn it back.” She looked back at the empress. “And that’s where you come in.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” admitted the empress.
“I aim to make Paradise Circle better than it’s ever been before. Not just with dance halls and whorehouses and all that. I want to make it a healthy sort of place, where even the weak can prosper and feel safe. And to do that, the people of Paradise Circle need a real, proper say-so on what happens to their neighborhood. Not just me, but everyone. It needs to be something that can’t be taken away after I’m dead.”
The empress kept her calm demeanor, but clearly she had no idea what the Black Rose was proposing. That was probably for the best.
In truth, the idea was even more bold than Merivale anticipated. She had suspected that the Black Rose sought legitimacy. It was the most likely reason someone like her, who already had wealth and power, would want to meet with someone like the empress. But even then, Merivale had thought the Black Rose would be looking for a lordship and some property. Merivale had even begun considering whether to give her Pastinas Manor. She was certain Red would approve. But this … This was more than just a lordship. It was, in a sense, a revolution. Common people having a direct voice in their own governance. It made Merivale think back on that night at the orchestra when she’d begun to seriously consider the advantages of a representative government. Ever since then, she’d studied various methods of such government with increasing fascination. So this proposal, at this time, was quite thrilling to her.
But she kept her expression neutral as she turned to the empress. “The Black Rose seeks representation for the people of Paradise Circle at the palace.”
“Yeah,” said the Black Rose. “No special treatment. Just a seat at the table.”
The empress’s eyes slowly grew as she considered the full ramifications of the idea. At last she said, “That is simply—”
“An astonishing and profound request.” Merivale smoothly interrupted what she suspected would have been an outright rejection. She turned to the Black Rose and gave her most winning smile. “Would you be so kind as to let Kurdem see to your food and lodgings while the empress and I discuss the matter at length?”
Another smile flickered on the
Black Rose’s lips. “I keen. Sure, we can be distracted with a bit of food and drink. I know it’s no small thing I’m asking, so I’ll give you tonight to think on it.”
“Very generous of you,” said Merivale. “Kurdem?”
The serving man appeared immediately in the doorway, not even attempting to hide the fact that he’d been lurking nearby in case the Black Rose became unfriendly.
“Right away, my lady,” he told Merivale. Then he turned to the Black Rose. “If you will follow me.”
The Black Rose gave Merivale another knowing look. Perhaps she suspected the general tone of the conversation that was about to take place. Perhaps it didn’t matter to her, as long as the answer was one she liked. Then she let Kurdem lead her and her companions out of the room.
Merivale closed the door, then braced herself as she turned to face the empress.
“Really, Merivale,” the empress said coldly. Her eyes were beautiful balls of righteous indignation. “I’m trying to determine which of your many impertinences I find the worst.”
“I suspect that interrupting you in front of guests tops the list,” Merivale said calmly.
“You do understand the full significance of what she is asking for, don’t you?” demanded the empress.
“Of course.”
“And you honestly believe that the threat to the empire is so dire that we should restructure the very seat of its power simply to enlist the aid of this … criminal?”
“Do you recall our previous conversation concerning the biomancers and how they believe that they must tear down this empire to save it?”
“That’s precisely what you are proposing!” The empress rarely lost her poise. In fact, Merivale couldn’t recall ever seeing her so furious.
“Yes, I am,” said Merivale, matching the empress’s anger with cool detachment. “I realize you cannot see these things for yourself. So it apparently falls to me to be the one to tell you that the empire as it currently exists is already fracturing. The nobility hide in their sheltered little lives, but the majority of your citizens are impoverished and desperate. The only thing that keeps them from open rebellion is their dread of the biomancers. If we remove the biomancer threat completely, things will spiral out of control.”