by M. J. Scott
"Do not mention headless diplomats to your mother," Henri said. "In fact, could you wait to tell her until you know for sure? I fear she’s going to be upset, and it might be easier to present her with a deal that is already signed and sealed. Otherwise, she'll try to talk you out of it. She won't be able to help herself."
"Of course," Chloe said. She'd had no intention of telling her mother one second before it became necessary. It had been easy to see that Ana would indeed try to convince her to change her mind. Better to not upset her any sooner than she had to.
"And you will still come back to the Academe, take lessons with Madame Simsa when you can?"
"I expect that it will be a condition of me joining up," she said. She didn't intend to deceive the army and lie about her magic. That would be pointless. She’d been found out. The Imperial mages had their own schools, of course. Imogene had learned how to bond her sanctii from the army, but Chloe wasn't considering that option just now. She couldn't imagine how her mother might react if she arrived home with a sanctii in tow.
Perhaps a petty fam one day. Something for company once she had a place of her own. Petty fams were also acceptable to the army. Her mind flew back to Mai, in the Raven Tower. Sophie's Tok was a character, and she'd always liked the ravens.
A petty fam would be company in an unfamiliar world. But it wasn't the right time to add another new thing to her life. If she was destined to have a familiar, the right one would present themselves at the right time.
"Are you unhappy about that?" Henri asked. "Have I been pushing you too hard to return?"
She shook her head. "No, Papa. Don't be silly. I love the Academe, and I know I need to reacquaint myself with my magic. Madame Simsa has been helping me already. I was just thinking of something else. Nothing of any import."
Henri smiled somewhat ruefully. "I wish your love for the Academe had let me convince you to stay here and teach. I think you would be good at it." He held up a hand. "But I understand your reasoning. I can't say I'm entirely happy about it, but I know you need a life of your own. And that you have to find your way again after so long."
"I didn't know I would feel this way," she said softly. "When I returned, I thought I would be perfectly happy."
"It would be strange if you were," Henri said. "Change is never easy. But you know that better than most, I expect. And so I will be a good parent and help you do what you need to do."
Chapter 9
It seemed ridiculous to be more nervous to be meeting with the diplomatic corps than the emperor. But Chloe’s palms were clammy and her pulse jittery as she walked through the halls of the barracks, following a black-clad ensign who looked barely old enough to be out of school.
Maybe that meant she was too old to be there.
No. This was the last hurdle. No time for doubt.
She swiped her palms quickly over her skirt and straightened her shoulders. Curious faces looked up as the ensign led her into an outer office, two rows of two desks arrayed like small gates before another inner door. The ensign ignored them all and went straight for the door. Chloe followed.
"Come in," a voice called out.
"Madame de Montesse to see you, sir," the ensign said.
"Show her in."
The ensign flicked his hand at Chloe, herding her forward.
She pasted her most confident smile on her face as she walked into the office.
A tall, blonde woman dressed in Imperial black sat behind a huge desk, signing a document. She put the pen down and looked up. "Madame de Montesse. I am Colonel Brodier."
Technically, as a civilian, and a minor member of court, she didn't need to curtsy to an officer, but the colonel's voice was commanding, and Chloe had to fight the urge to bend her knee. "Colonel. Thank you for seeing me."
The door snicked shut behind her as the ensign left, leaving them alone.
"Please, have a seat," Colonel Brodier said. No additional colors ran through her hair. Not a mage. But the diplomatic corps used both regular soldiers and mages.
Two spartan-looking wooden chairs sat in front of the equally plain desk. Chloe chose the closest, giving the desk a quick once-over, trying to get a sense of the person who sat behind it. It was clearly well used, but the papers were all neatly arranged, stacked in piles or in wire baskets separated by pieces of heavy paper. No clutter.
Colonel Brodier, it seemed, was one for order and discipline.
She resisted the urge to wipe her palms again them. Why was she so nervous? People didn't defy the emperor's will very often, but the military had its ways and they could turn her down, or they could take her on to please the emperor and keep her chained to a desk, filing papers, if they didn't think she was ready for anything more.
"You can call me Honore for the moment," the colonel said. "While you're still a civilian, we may as well take advantage."
While she was a civilian? Did that mean that status may change? "Thank you. Please, call me Chloe."
"Very well." The colonel studied her a moment. Northerner blood somewhere in her ancestry with that hair and eyes an icy pale blue. Illvyans tended to be swarthier and darker haired—shorter too—though in truth, over time, the empire had led to enough travel and immigration that Illvyans and the people in most countries closest to Illvya itself had a wider range of skin and eye colors these days than may have once been the case.
"You know Major du Laq, I believe?" Colonel Brodier asked.
"Yes. Imogene and I have been friends since the Academe."
"You didn't follow her into the mages after you graduated?"
Did Honore not know her background? Or was this a test to see if Chloe would be forthright? "Imogene was a year ahead of me. My mother fell ill in my last years at school, which delayed my ambitions to join. Then I fell in love, and I suspect you know very well how that ended."
Honore nodded. "I do. Which is why I was somewhat surprised to find myself receiving a direction from the emperor suggesting I should add you to my unit."
Colonel Brodier wasn't going to simply accede to the emperor's will, then. Chloe raised her chin. "I am not my late husband, Colonel. I had nothing to do with what he did." She didn't soften it to “what he was accused of.” Charl had confessed. Lucien's power had acknowledged that confession to be true. She might hate Lucien for what he'd done, but she didn't doubt his power. Or believe he would condemn Charl if it wasn't true. She'd never asked Charl directly, of course. She'd been allowed to see him once, briefly, after he'd been condemned, to say goodbye. He had spent most of that time crying and asking her to forgive him. There had been little chance for anything more than that.
"So I am informed. By both my emperor and Major Du Laq. You have friends in high places, Chloe."
"I have friends, yes. I don’t know about in high places. Imogene and I have known each other a long time. She is my friend. His Imperial Majesty is...my emperor. He has granted me the courtesy of believing I’m innocent. But I would not call him a friend. And he was very clear that if I mess up here, he will not intervene. His favor may have been the reason you’re seeing me today, but I intend to succeed in the mages on my own merits."
"And they are?"
"I am my father's daughter. I graduated close to the top of my class in the Academe. I'm a water mage and an earth witch. And I have navigated a life in enemy territory for nearly a decade. Survived and thrived there. I think I have some skills that would be useful in a diplomat."
Honore smiled briefly. "Well, you are confident, at least, and that's a useful trait. As long as one knows when it's warranted. Ten years is a long time away from home. I assume you didn't use your magic often in Anglion. Are you certain you have the control required of an Imperial mage?"
"I’ve been working with Madame Simsa," Chloe said. "A refresher, if you will. If you talk to her, I believe she would give you no cause for concern." She hoped that was true. Madame Simsa was pleased with the amount of power Chloe could wield, but she had no idea if her teacher would vouc
h for her control yet. "But I will be happy to undertake any course of study or examinations you consider necessary. I’m not expecting to join and be immediately deployed. I understand how the Imperial army operates. As you said, Imogene du Laq is my friend. As is her husband and a good number of the mages I went to school with." Lucien was one of them, technically, but she wasn't going to mention him. "The Academe teaches all the students military history and some basic strategy. Blood mages get more, of course, but they give us all a grounding. They know a certain number of their students will follow this path."
"I am aware," Honore said drily. "I was an Academe student myself. I didn't manifest in the end, but I studied there before I joined up. I remember Madame Simsa. So, yes, I will speak with her and consider her recommendations. But skills aside, why is this a path you want to follow? I would have thought you would want to stay close to home after so long away."
"I thought so, too, at first," Chloe said. "But I have come to realize that I need something more. You're not the first to ask me why. I expect you won't be the last. Everyone thinks I should just slip back into life in Lumia and continue on as though I never left. But that conveniently ignores the fact that I did leave. That I’m different now. I worked to survive in Anglion, and I’ve grown accustomed to it. Being of use is something I enjoy. I would rather pursue a career that means something to me than one I stumbled into out of necessity. And having spent so long away from the empire, I find myself minded to see more of it."
"You could travel. I'm sure your father could afford to support you."
"Assuming I was willing to let him. Which I’m not. I will stand on my own two feet. And I want to do some good in the world. Anglion is an example of what can happen when politics and power go wrong. It warped generations of Anglions and eventually upturned the entire country. I believe it is better to not let that happen elsewhere. That the emperor's power does good rather than only benefitting Illvya. That is what interests me in the corps. I would like to help the empire become better."
There was curiosity in the colonel’s eyes now. "That is not a small ambition."
"Are women supposed to have only small ambitions? You are a colonel in the Imperial mages. I can't imagine you got here by lacking the will to succeed. I wouldn't say Imogene has small ambitions either. She invented a ship that can fly through the air. Something that will change the empire, I think. But it needs to change it for the better. So it will take care and consideration to spread that idea safely. And that's just one invention. There are changes and developments every day that could aid everyone. And there are disagreements and squabbles and people who would seek to use power for their own ends. Those need to be kept under control, lest we end up with death and disruption like Anglion."
She fell silent, a little surprised at her speech.
Honore regarded her with something like approval. "That was a good answer. Too many people view politics as a path to power rather than a way to help. If you said as much to His Imperial Majesty, then I can see why he likes you."
"Thank you," Chloe said, unsure what else to say. Perhaps she should have said the same thing to Aristides, but they had spoken of chains and fate instead. Found an unexpected moment of understanding. Not that she wanted to share it. A conversation with the emperor was private.
"It's not all excitement and adventure," Colonel Brodier said. "The travel can be long, tedious, and uncomfortable, and, if I'm honest, so can some of the diplomacy."
"I am not looking for sword fights and skullduggery, Colonel," Chloe said. "And I am good at detail and seeing things through. I think I could serve the empire well, should you give me the chance."
"And if you don't like it?"
"Well, I imagine I would do what many soldiers have done before me. Give my service until the end of my term, then part company and find another path. You needn't worry that I would go running to the emperor, asking to be released from duty. I don't know him that well. And I believe in paying what I owe and keeping my word. I wouldn't shirk."
Honore's brows were only a few shades darker than her hair, but they arched nicely. "No, I don't think you would. All right, Madame de Montesse. Let me speak to the Academe, see how they assess your skills. If I am happy with what they have to say, and if you are happy to do whatever remedial training is considered necessary, then I believe we can come to an agreement. You'll be a lieutenant. A junior one. That's the best I can offer you. There will be some grumbling that you're taking a spot in the corps without time served elsewhere as it is, so giving you a higher rank would only add to the problem."
Chloe pressed her lips together to stop the smile that wanted to spread across her face. The colonel didn't need to be grinned at. Save the excitement and celebration for when she was safely away from the barracks. "That is perfectly fine with me. I had no expectations of a high rank. I’ll work hard for you, Colonel. I want to earn my place."
Colonel Brodier nodded. "Good. I will see that you do."
Chloe looked at the message one of the clerks had just handed her, and her stomach tightened uneasily. It was only her third day in the mages. Only a little more than three weeks since her meeting with the emperor.
The time had passed so quickly the days had blurred together. She'd spent most of her days at the Academe, practicing with Madame Simsa and several of the other venables, and her nights at home, studying more about the history of the corps, except for a few dinners spent with Imogene and Jean-Paul, where she had thrown politeness to the winds and grilled them both relentlessly about life in the army.
And then, in the blink of an eye, it had been her first day. She'd spent most of it, and most of the two days since, completing paperwork of her own and then filing paperwork for one of the captains, in between listening to one of the older lieutenants give her several well-rehearsed speeches on the basics she needed to know as a new recruit.
There hadn't been time for her to mess up yet.
So why was she being summoned to Colonel Brodier's office?
Hoping she didn’t look as worried as she felt, she smiled her thanks at the clerk, poked her head in to tell the captain she had to go see Honore, and then, when he waved her away, headed for the colonel's office. She'd only gotten about halfway when she met Honore coming in the other direction.
"Ah, Lieutenant de Montesse, there you are. Walk with me."
"Good afternoon, Colonel. Where are we going?" She quickened her pace as Honore set off again. The colonel was moving fast. She looked as though she'd had a busy day, some blonde hair escaping her neat crown of braids to curl around her face, her fingers smudged with ink.
"We have a meeting with Major du Laq."
Imogene? "We do?" The question popped out before she could stop it.
The colonel glanced at her, smiled briefly. "Don't look so nervous, Lieutenant. You're not in any trouble. How have your first days been?
"Busy, sir," Chloe said. "But interesting."
"Good. You'll be happy to know they are about to become more so. You are being assigned to a mission."
Chloe gaped at her. Then recovered and snapped her jaw shut again. "Sir?"
Honore's mouth quirked. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you that this is unusual."
"No, sir."
"Good. Then I will get straight to the point, as we have no time. We're sending a mission to Andalyssia."
Andalyssia? Chloe managed not to gape with an effort, clenching her jaw shut. But some of her shock must have shown on her face.
"The king is getting married," Honore said as they reached Imogene's office. "Illvya needs a presence at the celebrations." She opened the door without knocking.
Chloe followed her into the room, mind racing. Andalyssia didn't have a permanent ambassador. Elenia, the country which lay at the base of the Eissgora—the vast northern mountain range that constituted most of Andalyssia—did. But Andalyssia, one of the last countries to join the empire, had negotiated not to have one.
Imogene stood to greet t
hem, moving out from behind her desk, not all surprised to see them. How long had she known about this? "Colonel. Lieutenant. Good morning." Her mouth quirked briefly in Chloe's direction.
"Major, thank you for seeing us. I appreciate your assistance."
Assistance? Was Imogene coming, too?
"I'm happy to help, Colonel. Why don't we sit and talk about what needs to happen?"
The three of them arrayed themselves around the small table tucked in one corner of the office.
"So, Andalyssia?" Imogene said. "It's true?"
"The king is getting married," Honore replied. "That's no secret. The emperor needs to be represented."
"The Elenian ambassador can't attend?" Chloe asked.
"The Elenian ambassador will attend the wedding itself. But he is needed in Elenia, and the celebrations go on for over a month. Besides which, this is a wedding of a king. Illvya wishes to indicate its respect."
Meaning, Chloe thought, that there wasn't a chance that Aristides would travel to a country that had tried to assassinate his wife, so instead he would send a herd of diplomats to make the king feel important.
"Is it more than just the wedding?" she asked.
Colonel Brodier raised an eyebrow.
Imogene laughed. "You're getting the hang of this. Illvyan and Andalyssia have mining treaties to renegotiate. Always a touchy business."
If anyone knew about the touchiness of Andalyssia, it was Imogene.
"The wedding means there will be a number of rites and ceremonies and parties where someone with your experience at court will be valuable, Lieutenant," Colonel Brodier said. "We don't have any other junior lieutenants available right now who hold a title."
"Mine is barely a title. A courtesy honorific. If you want a title, Imogene should go."