by J. C. Owens
“So, what terrible name did Raine Yoldis fling at you to elicit such temper on your part? You are normally better controlled than that. This young man is really having a very negative effect upon you.” He sipped his wine and eyed his companion over the rim.
To his surprise, Naral flushed a little, barely visible beneath his suntanned golden skin, and glared down into his wine as though it had personally offended him.
Taldan let the silence do its own work. Naral had never been able to stand up to Taldan’s tactic.
“He called me a fool,” Naral finally burst out irately.
Taldan frowned in growing affront. One did not call out the imperial prince’s companion in such a manner, even if he was known to certainly own up to the slur on occasion.
“You were discussing the possibility of Lord Raine testifying?” he asked. “Then Raine called you a fool?”
Naral fiddled with the hem of his tunic for a moment before he tossed back the wine with a single gulp. He wiped his lips, drawing a deep breath. “I might have called him a coward.”
Taldan sucked in a breath. “Did I teach you nothing? You say that you have read my works, listened to my speeches, yet you would attempt to manipulate someone, shame them into doing as you wish? I am not pleased, Naral. His response makes complete sense now that you have told me that. He has the perfect right to call you a fool. I am tempted to name you that myself.”
Naral let his head thunk against the back of the chair. “I don’t know why I said it. I have dealt with assaults before, been completely supportive to those who underwent such a thing. Yet with this…Raine…I cannot be around him without judging him, seeing only what I first assumed. This is a problem, Taldan. Maybe you should find someone else to work with Zaran. I don’t seem to have the least amount of emotional distance in this.”
Taldan watched him silently, then shook his head. “I need you. I need Zaran. Along with Isnay. Now Hredeen is in the mix I hear. Is the whole harem planning on interviewing Raine?”
Naral snorted wearily. “Gods forbid. I would almost pay to watch that. I just seem to misstep with him, and I can’t quite figure out why, if my instincts are faulty, or right on target.”
“Have you ever heard of Hredeen’s instincts being wrong?” Taldan swirled the wine over his tongue before slowly swallowing. This was a pricey vintage, but so worth the cost.
Naral gave a rueful grin, shaking his head. “Never. I don’t think he’s quite human to tell you the truth! A sex god perhaps, come to grace us with his presence.”
Taldan gave a small smile. “If you can’t trust your own instincts, follow his. Maybe next time you speak to Raine, you need to have Hredeen at your side.”
“That would never work. Can you think clearly when he’s next to you?” Naral challenged.
“I don’t think with my cock, thank you.” Taldan could not prevent a laugh escaping. Naral was so good for him, always had been. Brought him out of his head and to a place of friendship and warmth that he would never have experienced without him at his side. Loyal to a fault, he had persevered even when Taldan had first attempted to chase him away with harsh words and a cold shoulder.
Fortunately, Naral could be as persistent as the hells when he wanted to be. He had stuck by Taldan through thick and thin. He was not put off by Taldan’s logical, emotionless approach to life either. Taldan only hoped that they could weather the pitfalls of him becoming emperor.
“So I can do nothing about Lord Parsul Yoldis then?” Naral sounded resigned and disgusted in equal measure.
“I will speak to Lord Parsul myself.” Taldan finished his wine and rose to his feet. “You need to send Isnay to speak to Raine. At least I trust your cousin to be diplomatic in his dealings.” He sent a chiding glance to his friend.
Naral rubbed the back of his neck before nodding reluctantly. “Might be best.”
Taldan could hear Parsul before he saw him. As he approached the guest quarters where the Lord of Odenar had been held, he could hear the man’s voice raised, his angry words echoing out into the hallway. The two massive guards who had been assigned to keep him contained nodded to Taldan respectfully as they opened the door for him.
He swept into the room, Nie and Weis at his heels, and coolly appraised the situation. He had sent one of his diplomats in earlier to prepare Parsul for Taldan’s arrival, but apparently, things were not going well.
The diplomat, Pastan, a close friend of Isnay’s, turned to bow to Taldan, a fist against his heart in the manner of all those who lived within the emperor’s palace as he acknowledged his imperial prince.
Parsul whirled on his heel, ready to spew yet more vitriol before realizing who he faced. Face paling, he dropped to one knee, as was proper for a relative stranger.
Taldan paused in front of him, using silence as his weapon, before he moved away and seated himself in a chair near the window, where Parsul would have to squint to see his expression clearly. Nie and Weis took their places slightly behind him, at each shoulder. They drew their swords, placing the point on the floor between their boots, their backs straight and tall, their veils and cowls hiding any expression they might have.
As always, their mere presence would send bolts of superstitious fear through those that viewed them. It was always useful, that reaction.
“Rise.” The chill in his tone made it clear that he was not at all pleased with the man before him.
Parsul rose to his feet, keeping his eyes firmly upon the floor. “Your Imperial Highness…”
“No. You will not speak. You will listen, as you seem so incapable of respecting my chosen diplomat. Your disrespect for the laws that exist here has gotten you into a concerning place, Lord Yoldis. You have been held here, on my personal orders, until this mess could be cleared up.”
Parsul’s jaw twitched, his compulsion to speak obviously almost overcoming his sense.
Taldan watched, waiting, daring the man to disobey his order to remain silent. He found himself hoping that Parsul would do exactly that. Disrespect to the imperial prince was considered only a step down from insulting the emperor himself. Their laws were very clear on that matter.
That was all that would be needed to rid the world of this violent, coarse man. But Parsul managed to hold his tongue.
A shame.
“The matter has come before me,” Taldan continued, “and you can count yourself fortunate. It is not your title that has saved you, but your brother himself. He has refused to press charges against you.”
Parsul’s head jerked up, first rage, then calculation glinting in his eyes.
Taldan leaned back, hands open and relaxed upon the arms of the chair. “You may speak, but watch your words. You are riding the edge of my patience.”
Parsul bowed his head respectfully, then attempted to meet Taldan’s gaze. He only lasted a moment before his eyes slid away. “I apologize deeply for any problems that my brother has given you, Your Imperial Highness. Since he has undoubtedly worn out his welcome here and been rejected for the Choosing, I will take him back home with me and ensure that he understands the consequences of his actions.” The words practically oozed unctuousness.
“How very noble of you. Considering that you were the one who assaulted your brother, your assurances of consequences give me concern for Lord Raine’s wellbeing.” Taldan’s tone held all the warmth of ice itself. Did this fool truly believe that he could not see past the posturing?
“He has always been a wild child, Your Imperial Highness, difficult and sullen. Without the slightest gratitude for his station in life and how it grants him privileges. After our father’s death, it fell to me to raise him, and it, in no way, has been easy.”
“Yet you brought him here as a candidate to be my Chosen. Is that an insult?”
Parsul swallowed hard, then summoned a somewhat weak smile. “He was all I had to offer, and I knew that a man such as yourself, powerful, intelligent, would be able to handle him should he step out of line.”
Taldan’s eyes narrowed, and Parsul paled further, falling silent.
That such a man could be the leader of Odenar begged the question of how, exactly, that country was doing, financially, culturally. The reports that they received… Did they have the least bit of truth behind them?
“I am sending you back home, Lord Parsul.” He held up a hand when Parsul began to gush platitudes. “Lord Raine will not be accompanying you.”
Parsul’s jaw dropped, and he looked ready to argue, displaying once again how little he understood his precarious position. Taldan needed to set him straight.
“Contrary to your assumptions, your brother was indeed one of the twelve chosen. He will remain here. You, on the other hand, will be leaving. With you, I will be sending a cohort of my soldiers along with several diplomats. We will be investigating your province, Lord Parsul Yoldis. I am concerned that our laws are not being followed. You might be the furthest of our conquered territories, but you are not exempt from our rules.”
Parsul looked ready to faint, all traces of argument dying away into deep fear. A sign that Taldan was right to chart this course of action. Something was very wrong in the outer territory.
“You will cooperate fully, Lord Yoldis, or the empire will find another to take your place. One of our own, and I assure you, such a person would ensure that all laws are fully enacted.”
He rose to his feet and stared down at the man who practically cowered before him now, panic in every line of him.
“You brought this on yourself. Not that you will believe that or even understand it, but it is truth. I have no patience with foolishness, and you will find that when I take the throne, I am no less merciless than my father. I take action, as you are now aware. Watch your step. You have brought yourself to my attention, and that, as many will tell you, is not a good thing.”
He glanced at Pastan. “I want you and your group to be the ones to do this for me. You will leave in the morning.”
The diplomat bowed in silence, but there was a faint smile of anticipation on his lips as he glanced at Parsul.
It was clear that he would enjoy his role in cutting the pompous ass down to size.
Taldan left the room, already making mental notes.
He flagged down a servant passing by, the man bowing painfully low at this sudden attention from his prince. “Find Lord Naral, send him to my rooms immediately.”
“Yes, Your Imperial Highness.” The man trotted off at a brisk pace.
Once more, Taldan could not help wondering how much like his brothers Raine truly was. He shook his head and continued on, the silent Shadows in his wake, ever vigilant.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Raine
Raine slowly raised his head as the door opened.
He was worn out, resigned to his fate. No matter which way he turned in this place, he was in the wrong, misunderstood.
Rather like home, really. He just wished he could have made a better impression, could have been considered for schooling.
Isnay stepped into the room, and Raine rose abruptly to his feet. The man was smiling gently. Raine’s heart pounded with sudden hope, hope that had seemed miles away a moment ago.
“Things have improved greatly, my lord, since Lord Naral spoke to you. The imperial prince himself has had a hand in this. Your brother is being sent back…” He laid a hand on Raine’s shoulder as Raine swayed, face paling. “You will be remaining here, at least until the next Choosing. I will be doing my best to ensure that it is longer than that. That you will be able to take schooling here, but that is in the wind at the moment. That you are remaining behind is the most important factor.”
Raine felt a rush of emotion so powerful it almost sent him to his knees. He had to bite back a sob, had to clench his jaw and blink his eyes rapidly to fight back tears.
He reached out and took Isnay’s hand in his, gently, carefully.
“I cannot ever thank you enough. This is every dream I have ever possessed, rolled into one wondrous moment. I will do whatever is needed. Anything, anything at all.” His voice quavered alarmingly.
Isnay’s expression softened further, a quiet sort of support that let him have his emotion and yet retain pride. It was more than anyone else had ever gifted him.
“I am the head diplomat, Raine. I apologize for never having told you that.”
Raine flinched. “I am deeply sorry if I ever treated you badly…”
Isnay smiled softly. “You have never been anything but polite.”
“There is more.” Isnay’s face flowed into a more serious demeanor. “The High Prince is sending imperial soldiers back to Odenar, along with a group of diplomats. A personal friend of mine will be leading them, and I know for a fact that he will quite enjoy putting your brother in his place.”
Raine froze, shocked. For imperial forces to be sent into a conquered territory, it showed a lack of faith in the leadership. His brother had brought far more down on his head than an assault charge. It would signal to all countries that the empire was not pleased with Odenar. He wanted to tell Isnay what Parsul had planned, about the possible invasion to seize the illenium mines in Bhantan, but the words would not come. That final abandonment of foolish loyalty to what his brother represented would not allow him to speak. With any luck, these newcomers would find out regardless, and he would not need to sever that last link with home. There was no way his brothers would risk the invasion with imperial diplomats and soldiers in Odenar, so perhaps this turn of events had saved many lives.
Besides, survival demanded silence.
Still, there could be warnings.
“Please, warn your friend,” Raine said. “There are those who would harm him, given half a chance, protection of the empire or not.”
“He was a soldier before he joined me in the diplomatic corp. He is quite able to protect himself, but the soldiers will be at his back, and they are expecting trouble. This particular cohort is only sent in if there are rumors of rebellion or other major issues. They will be ready.”
Raine nodded, then glanced down at his hands, vaguely realizing they were shaking ever so slightly. This was so surreal.
“I insulted Lord Naral,” he finally said. “Surely I must face some sort of punishment for that fact.”
“That is a separate issue, and yes, something will come of it, but that will not change that you are staying here. I will be speaking with him and will inform you of what will happen.”
Raine nodded jerkily. This was all too much in a day.
“Come. Let’s get you to your room. I think a good, long sleep might be in order after everything that has happened.”
* * *
Naral
Prince Taldan wrote out his orders in a flowing, beautiful script that most scribes, experienced though they might be, would never be able to emulate. Naral watched in silence, unwilling to disturb his friend’s thought processes.
Worry pleated his brow. He had not foreseen this development, and it was always a thing of tension when troops were sent into an area. There had been no negative reports from Odenar in the twenty-two years since its defeat, and perhaps that should have been a red flag.
He and Taldan had met with the emperor earlier in the day, and the matter was discussed thoroughly, though Emperor Demarin had made it clear that Taldan had made the proper decision in the matter and that he was content with the current actions being sufficient. The emperor was slowly handing over the reins to his heir, and it was strange to listen and realize that in everything but name, Taldan was, in fact, the emperor. Certainly he was living the role far sooner than anticipated.
Naral wondered if perhaps he was worrying for nothing. This all seemed very small, very unlikely to become anything major or threatening. Just a case of a country not adopting the full range of cultural and legal changes that were expected by the empire after an invasion.
On paper, that transition all looked so smooth. That was why Odenar had finally, two years ago, been given more autonomy in rewa
rd. Twenty years had seemed enough time to loosen the chains.
Had they been wrong?
Naral chewed a nail. This, of all times, when Taldan was about to step into being emperor. A time of change and growth and learning for them all. A poor time for conflict of any sort.
There had been relative peace for fifteen years now, after the last country had joined Anrodnes willingly, eager to be part of the protection and economic richness of the largest known country.
It would not last. Such things never did. For the moment though, Taldan could focus on his research and learning, something that soothed the restless fire that characterized his soul.
Naral gave a rueful smile. His friend had spent a lifetime perfecting his cold, expressionless persona that his father demanded.
It was only his studies and immersion in fascinating subjects that kept him able to display the behavior that was demanded.
The very magic that had been granted so long ago to those who ruled Anrodnes demanded a soul of fire and force.
Naral found it ironic that somewhere along the trail of ancestors, someone had chosen to become a being of ice.
Soon, soon his friend would receive that “gift” of magic from his father, in an intensely guarded ceremony. A time when the magic that resided deep within Taldan would finally rise to the surface, brought to life by Demarin’s transfer of the full Illumitae.
Naral hoped, selfishly, that it did not change Taldan into something as terrifying as his father.
The emperor was not anyone that a person could ever get used to, regardless of whether they lived within the palace walls or not. The sense of power that floated around him like a miasma left him a solitary and frightening figure. The metal mask he wore was terrifyingly cold and emotionless.