“You seem so close to the emperor...”
Evony sighed. “That’s because I’m Amazzi and Galen knows there’s nothing I want from him and I have no other agenda. Our loyalty is to the Adnuhom of the Fuscienne family, not the empire.”
“Oh! I had not known that. You are so different even from the rest of us from the original families. I wish we had been able to get to know each other earlier. You seem so friendly and are not in the least shy or withdrawing.”
“No, I’m not. And you, do you want to become empress?”
Paran blushed and looked down, her foot drawing circles again. “I have long looked forward to becoming a bride,” she said, her foot stilling as she said far more quietly, “Being empress is something I have dreamed of since I was a child.”
Evony nodded, though she really didn’t understand. That didn’t seem like much of a dream to her, but she was in no position to judge what others wanted from their lives. She still wasn’t entirely certain what she wanted from her own. “That’s nice,” she said finally. She really didn’t know what else she should say. Did you congratulate people for long held dreams on the mainland?
“Then-then do you think there is a chance I could become empress?” Paran asked, stepping closer and looking up at her with wide eyes and pink lips parted ever so slightly.
She shrugged, a little worried that Paran was about to collapse or something. She looked like she was about to start panting. Maybe the competition was a bit too much excitement for her. She seemed like more of the delicate sort. She made a mental note to keep a closer eye on the girl to ensure she didn’t collapse or worse. “You have the same chance as any of the others here. And who knows what Galen will decide?”
Paran smiled, the expression lasting for several punctums on her face before she said, “You are most fair.”
“I wouldn’t say—”
“You!”
They both turned to look in the direction the voice had come and Evony winced. Her eyes bright with a brow that was a mass of furrows, Venita looked anything but happy. She strode towards them, fists clenched at her sides, gaze locked onto Evony. “By what right do you think you may play up to his imperial majesty?”
Evony raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms over her chest. “I hardly think that’s any of your concern.”
“You think some puffed-up barbarian like yourself is suitable as empress? Do you really think a-a she-wolf, a lupa, like you would be of any use to someone as high as his imperial majesty except as a temporary diversion?”
“It’s still none of your concern. As I’ve said before, what happens between me and Galen is between me and Galen.”
“You dare to continue using his imperial majesty’s given name?” Venita snapped, gaze bright under her contracted brows.
“You just called me a lupa and are asking me that?” Evony snorted and shook her head. “As always, my limit for nonsense has been reached and I’m going back to my room now.”
Evony only managed a few steps away when she felt a hand closing around one of her arms. Reflexes took over and she broke the grip by turning away with her arm held tight to her body. She continued the movement until she was facing her assailant, body automatically positioning itself into a defense stance.
She only relaxed when she realized it was Venita rubbing her hand. The other girl glared up at her, two spots of colour slowly reddening into existence in her cheeks. “You harlot,” she hissed, eyes gone diamond hard. “This, this is what is wrong with the empire!”
Evony took a step back, but it wasn’t far enough to escape the tirade that poured from the other girl’s lips. “Barbarians pretending to be nobles, playing at being men and making a mockery of traditional values! Everything you do brings further shame to yourself and everyone who is forced to endure your presence!
“A bride candidate? You are nothing more than a creature dragged out of the wilderness and forced into clothing and civilized company. You know nothing, nothing about being noble, about acting with decorum, about being a proper lady!
“When I become empress I can assure you, your kind will not be allowed to leave the island-cage you call home! I will ensure that the values of propriety, modesty and respect are brought back to the fore. No more of this intermingling with those below you or allowing mumblecrusts, low-born tramps, and other people who are not better than they ought to be roam as they like! Everyone should know their place and stay in it!”
Venita’s chest heaved, panting as the last sentences were shouted. Evony gave her a moment, letting the quiet stretch as she propped her hands up on her hips. “You have your values and I have mine,” she said quietly, though no less forcefully. “I won’t force my people’s ways on you and I would ask you to do the same. Not that I expect you will do so.”
Before the girl in silver could respond, Evony turned and left. She’d really had enough of Venita and her attitude. She really didn’t understand why the other girl couldn’t just accept the fact that they were different and agree to disagree. She seemed to take it all so...personally. Sighing, Evony shoved those thoughts from her mind. They really weren’t worth worrying about, not when she couldn’t change anything.
* * *
Signing reports with one hand, Galen sorted through a stack of papers with his other, pulling out those that needed his immediate attention. As always after he slipped off for a break, Galen found that the piles of things he needed to attend to had visibly grown. He sighed even as he continued to work.
A soft knock at the door to his rooms told him who it was without him having to think about it. His guards struck the wood much harder when they knocked, generally to announce someone who didn’t have his express permission to interrupt him came. Of the two choices left, Balint never bothered knocking. He just walked in. Which told him exactly who was at his door.
“Enter,” he called, not taking his eyes off the papers.
Galen didn’t look up until Rakin’s soft footfalls came to a stop behind his left shoulder. He knew without even a glance that Rakin would be standing perfectly straight, hands clasped behind his back, eyes on Galen as he waited for him to finish reading through the report in his hand. Rakin was always exceptionally proper.
Aware that Rakin wouldn’t have come unless it was something he felt was important, Galen finished skimming the sheet and put it down, stilling the hand that had been signing as well. When he turned to face him, he found Rakin just as he’d pictured him, with the addition of a frown. His whole stance seemed to radiate disapproval with only the downturn of his lips different from his usual expression.
Galen swallowed another sigh. Rakin’s disapproval often ended with a headache for him. “What is it?”
“I feel I must speak with you about your continued...interest in Princeps Evony. To keep her in this competition because you’re certain of her loyalty is one thing, to deliberately seek her out during the contest is quite another.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, Galen knew he should have expected this. Rakin had already made his feelings about Evony evident. Galen really shouldn’t have had Rakin find out what task Evony had pulled. And what he was about to say would only serve to stoke his aide’s dislike of her, Galen was certain. “We have come to an agreement, myself and Evony.”
Rakin’s expression devolved into one that looked like he had just had lemon juice squirted into his mouth. “Might I ask what type of agreement?”
“Should neither of us be successful in finding a proper partner, we will pair together long enough for us both to have an heir. Preferably a boy for myself and a girl for her.”
A vein in Rakin’s forehead twitched as his jaw tensed. He said nothing for several punctums. “Are you certain this is the wisest course, Your Majesty?”
Galen hid the beginnings of a grimace. Rakin rarely used his title these days, and when he di
d... “If I cannot find a suitable woman to be empress, then yes. Securing the empire with a proper heir is important. Evony is a princeps and as one of the first families, no one will be able to deny any child of hers and mine.”
“And when she seeks to use the child of your union to become empress?”
“That is not a concern. I already asked if she wished the position and she made it very clear that she was not interested.”
Rakin’s lips thinned. “People change their minds as time goes on.”
Thinking back on the way her nose had wrinkled up after she’d snorted, Galen couldn’t help the ghost of a smile that crossed his lips. Really, Evony always reacted in ways he didn’t expect and that were completely without artifice. She was anything but boring. Remembering himself, Galen held Rakin’s gaze steadily. “I do not believe she will. She has made her desire to return to Silvinsula known. Even you have noticed.”
That got a grudging nod out of his chief aide. It reinforced one of the reasons Galen found him so invaluable. Rakin might disagree with him, might attempt to dissuade him, but he would never lie to him. Galen could trust him to be scrupulously fair, even when he wasn’t happy with the results. And honesty was a rare currency at court.
“There should be no issue then.”
“If you say so. I would ask that you keep in mind that Princeps Evony is without any knowledge of court, proper decorum, or really, any kind of subtlety, despite her loyalty.”
Galen nodded. He knew all of that. It was part of what made her interesting. Still, things would be easier without ruffling Rakin’s feathers further. “I will keep that in mind.”
Rakin smiled and gave him a half bow. “I can ask for nothing more.”
Chapter 12: Callisa
Evony yanked the last of her arrows out of the archery target and headed towards the fence with a wave to the men who still practiced. She got salutes, waves, and a few shouted goodbyes before the soldiers turned their attention back to their practice. She was pleased to see that several of them were already shooting from further back, though no one even came close to the distance she shot from. Then again, most of them hadn’t been shooting a bow from the time they could draw one.
Applause greeted her approach to the fence. Evony eyed the man, noting Balint’s usual smile as he watched her walk towards him. She didn’t change direction since it was obvious he was waiting for her. “Does Galen need me for something?” she asked.
He chuckled as she came to a stop in front of him, on the other side of the fence. “No, he’s buried under a mountain of reports at the moment. Since they didn’t have to do with martial matters, I thought I’d come see how my men were doing. And, as I hoped, get a chance to see another of your demonstrations. You are head and shoulders above most of my men in marksmanship. If I had a hundred of you... Well, there are a number of battles that would have gone a lot better.”
That brought a frown to her lips. “There are easily several hundred trained warriors of comparable skill to me on Silvinsula. We could have been called on at any time. We are always ready to serve the Adnuhom.”
“Ah,” Balint said, drawing the sound out as he scratched the back of his head. “That’s a bit complicated. Amazzi serve the head of the Fuscienne family and have always been completely loyal. Because of that, emperors only try to call upon them in the greatest need, or when troops of unquestionable loyalty are needed. Galen didn’t see the need to disturb your people when he had plenty of his own troops and wasn’t concerned about his own safety. Though he really should have been—”
Evony’s frown deepened at the way the legate cut himself off. Rather than pry into something he didn’t want to speak of at the moment, though she thought she might try to get it out of him or Galen later, she decided to solve one of the other mysteries that had been eating at her curiosity since the day prior.
Rather than speak to him over the wooden barrier, Evony vaulted over the fence so she could stand beside him. She looked up at Balint, who smiled down at her with an expression she was coming to realize was just a different mask than the one Galen wore. “Who was Galen’s sister and how did she die?”
Balint winced. “That...I am tremendously glad you chose to ask that of me rather than Galen.”
Evony met his eyes steadily. “I could tell by his reaction to the mausolea in the trees how that would have gone. But it seemed important so I thought I should ask you.”
The legate sighed and deep lines appeared around his mouth. They were smoothed out before Evony had a chance to do more than blink. Balint studied her for several moments, running a hand through his hair. “I’ll tell you, but not here. It’s not...it’s not a story for everyone.”
She nodded and followed as he led her towards the edge of the trees, not stopping until they were well away from the training fields, barracks, and anyone who could possibly hear them. Balint leaned against the trunk of a tree and Evony did the same across from him, glad he’d chosen to stop them in some shade given the sweat only now drying on her back and neck.
“To understand what happened with Callisa, you first need to know the landscape of the palace at the time of Galen’s birth and how he was raised,” he said. When Evony nodded, Balint continued. “Callisa, Nobilitatus Callisa of Fuscienne if you want her title, was Galen’s half sister. She was the daughter of his father’s, Manaen’s, first concubine. When Charisse first came to the palace, Manaen was completely smitten. If she’d been a noble, he’d have married her on the spot. As it was, he made her his Amator, and if he’d had his way, would have taken no other. But she died bringing Callisa into the world.
“Heartbroken over her death, Manaen still ensured that Callisa was educated as he had been, even if she couldn’t hold any title other than Nobilitatus. When he finally gave in to the demands of his advisors and took a wife, he made certain that she was someone who wouldn’t make difficulty for Callisa. But when Metea died in childbirth as well, Manaen swore off lovers. He blamed himself for both their deaths.”
Evony frowned slightly as she listened. This was all new to her, but she had to wonder how Balint knew all this. He couldn’t have been a legate for all that time, not unless he was far older than he looked. How was he privy to the previous emperor’s guilt? Still, she continued to listen.
“With Metea dead, Galen had no mother and Manaen was caught up with running the empire. It was Callisa who took him on, though she was only a child of ten at the time, watching over him and doing her best to raise him. As someone who was part of palace life but had no official position, Callisa knew everything about everyone. She’d also seen court life from inside while not being a part of it, which gave her great insight into how it all worked. She made sure that Galen learned that as he grew, teaching him everything she knew about people, how to read them, and how to work with them towards the goal he wanted of them.
“Manaen of course, taught Galen about being emperor. He often brought him along to meetings and rulings so that even as a child, he could see what was needed to rule the empire and keep it peaceful. It gave Galen the foundation he needed to keep the empire running.
“It was me who took on training him into a warrior, making certain that Galen could stand before his soldiers and make them proud, make them feel like what he asked them to do was something he could do beside them. Soldiers hate to follow a man who can’t even protect himself and I ensured that Galen could do more than that.”
“Who are you?” Evony asked, unable to keep the thought from her lips any longer. The more he spoke, the more she realized Balint wasn’t just a legate.
He blinked, then smiled crookedly. “I guess you wouldn’t know, being from so far away. My old title was Nobilitatus Balint of Fuscienne. I’m Galen’s uncle from the wrong side of the blankets. My older brother was Manaen, his father. It’s why I always kept an eye on Callisa. She was in the same position I’d bee
n in, until I threw myself into learning to fight. A soldier earns his own rank and I wanted something wholly mine, not given to me by my father or brother.”
Evony’s shoulders relaxed. “That explains much. I’d been wondering, since you’re the only person I’ve noticed who calls him Galen, beside me. Most people call him his imperial majesty, which must get wearing. I couldn’t imagine not having people call me by name.”
Balint chuckled. “He’s used to it. Well, now he is. He wasn’t at first,” he said, face sobering. “When Manaen died of a sudden attack of his brain, Galen was only sixteen and was forced to take over the whole empire. But from everything he’d been taught, he did well. In fact, he did better than anyone had thought he would so early, which caused a lot of upset. Many people had plans for him, as he was young and they’d thought he wouldn’t be able to stand on his own for at least a few years. There were some who were even hoping to use him as a figurehead, a puppet that they could control.
“That’s what we think brought it about. Galen wouldn’t allow himself to be manipulated, wouldn’t budge, and held firm in the things he believed in. He was always far more intelligent and mature than his years and he used that to keep the empire firmly under his control, leaving no openings for those with ambitions beyond what they should have. So, to be free of him, they sent assassins.
“If I had been there, things may have gone differently. But I was pulled into a meeting with Primus Rekem of Regem, Rector Eleazar of Porifirio and Primus Marcellin of Argentia about the planned army expansions. As it was, Galen and Callisa were on a walk through the gardens after lunch, as they did every day, when the assassins struck. Callisa saw them first somehow, and managed to get between Galen and the arrow. Had it been an ordinary arrow, she’d have lived since it only struck her in the shoulder. But these assassins used poison and once she was hit, it was already too late. Galen hadn’t even been on the throne a year.”
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