“At least us barbarians know how to be loyal,” Zarina called back. “That’s something you mainlanders apparently need lessons in.”
Rekem’s glare never left Galen. “I will not give you the satisfaction of executing me,” he said. He held his knife in front of him, lowering it so it was to one side of where his breastbone would be. Then he rapidly spun the blade to face him and plunged it straight into his chest.
He dropped as blood spread rapidly out, dyeing the white of his robes red. The collapse of his body had the remaining soldiers, many of them in purple, throwing down their weapons. Most knelt as well, heads bowed so low they brushed the floor, all of them facing Galen. He looked them over, his face expressionless.
“What are you going to do with them?” Evony asked quietly, putting her arrow away. With the Regems dealt with, she didn’t think the rebellion would have much force behind it. Part of her wished Rekem had been captured so he could face the breadth of his crimes before being executed, though she admitted his suicide simplified things.
“I have not yet decided on a punishment. They will all be arrested and placed under supervision by my people.”
Evony frowned. She didn’t like the coldness in his voice. “This would be a good time to show mercy, unless you want another rebellion in a few years. If you rule through fear and harsh punishments only, you’ll back even more people into a corner that they feel they can’t escape from except by attacking you.”
He looked over at her. “And what would you suggest?”
She shrugged. “Everyone here’s pretty much guilty. Though Venita was genuinely shocked that the Regems were rebelling, at least that’s how it looked to me. And if she was being used as a hostage for her parents, there may be more people who were forced into fighting. You’ll need to check that out and not punish those people too harshly. As for the others... Well if you execute all of them you’ll have a lot of empty provinces without anyone to look after them.”
“I can reward my own people with them.”
“Some, but they won’t be experienced in running them and there’ll likely be problems. Exile those who participated to their lands, where they aren’t allowed to ever leave. It’ll be hard for them to be part of a rebellion if they can’t meet anyone. And you could also put someone else in charge of their lands, maybe a younger child who wasn’t involved or something like that. Maybe leave some of your soldiers to keep an eye on things for the first little while too?”
He frowned. “I do not have sufficient forces for that. Imprisoning them on their own lands has promise, but only for some. Others... There will no longer be a noble family by the name of Regem at the very least.”
Evony snorted. “If you need help hunting them down, my clan will be glad to help. Except for children or any other innocents. We don’t attack non-combatants.”
“I can agree with that. Amazzi honour is what I wish my other provinces strove for. You alone have shown me that.”
She couldn’t help a faint blush and a smile at that. “We still have a lot of cleaning up ahead.”
Galen nodded, reaching out to take her hand. “This will be only the beginning. The palace will take time to recover, for my people to calm down and for things to become peaceful. You are not allowed to leave my side until such a time, and then only for a short while. I find I dislike not knowing where you are.”
“And I feel the same. I told you before, you are my choice, where you are is my home. That won’t change.” She leaned over and kissed him briefly on the lips. With everything that lay ahead of them, she didn’t want to risk more for the moment. Besides, she had the rest of their lives together to do as she wished.
With that thought in mind, Evony grinned.
Chapter 28: One Week Later
Evony followed her brother down the dim hallway that lay between the seating area of the colosseum and the outside. The thick stone of the colosseum kept that area cool, even in the heat of midsummer. Evony was glad for the temperature as she ran beside her brother, who had found her on her way back from speaking to their mother. “What’s the problem?” she asked Marnin. She hoped someone from the clan hadn’t challenged someone for insulting them or something.
“Admina needs help,” he said. “I was waiting with her because Obelia wanted to find a fan vendor since it’s so hot and there were a bunch of soldiers and a man I don’t know and I didn’t know what to do so I came to get you and—”
Evony cut him off. When Marnin got worked up he was useless. “Calm down. How many men,” she asked, speeding up.
“Six soldiers. If there had only been one or two I would have taken care of it, but there were so many and I—”
“You did the right thing, coming to get me,” she told him, echoing voices reaching them as they followed the round side of the colosseum.
The scene that greeted her had Evony stalking across the remaining distance. Admina struggled against the hold a man wearing a red toga had on her wrist, six men in red uniforms behind him. As she got closer, she could hear what he was saying.
“...do what I say! I am the Rector of Miletum. I do not want you consorting with these Amazzi barbarians any longer. You failed in the competition for the emperor, so it’s far past time for you to return home. I have finished arranging a match for you with the son of Rector Gormain, despite the interruption of that foolish competition.”
“I refuse!” Admina replied, still trying to escape the man’s grip. “He is nearly twice my age.”
“You would dare speak back to me? This is what comes of hanging out with barbarians like—”
Evony cut him off. “Barbarians like me?” she asked, coming to a stop, arms folded over her chest. She’d left her bow at the palace, not expecting to need it at the colosseum for the midsummer festival, a choice she was beginning to regret. “Release Admina.”
Her friend turned at the sound of her voice and smiled with relief. “Evony, thank you! I didn’t know what I was going to do.”
The man studied Evony, offering her a half bow. “Princeps Evony,” he said, grudgingly. Since she had moved into Galen’s rooms already, the whole palace was aware of their relationship, which had people who had done their best to ignore her before now bowing to her. Even if they hated it. “What happens between my sister and I is a matter of Miletum.”
Running footsteps and the echoing sound of their clan’s war cry announced the arrival of Evony’s sister. Knives in each hand, Obelia glared at Admina’s brother. “Let her go before I force you to,” she hissed.
“Obelia,” Admina whispered, eyes wide. “Please don’t kill him.”
Evony sighed as the soldiers all stiffened, hands going to their swords. “Enough,” she said. “Rector Miletum, release Admina or Obelia really will attack you.”
He flinched and Admina jerked away, running over so she stood beside Obelia. Evony’s sister sheathed one knife so she could gently touch Admina’s face then grabbed her hand. “Are you unharmed?”
Admina nodded, smiling at her. “It’s nothing.”
While the two of them all but cooed at each other, Evony stepped up and cleared her throat. “As you can see Admina has been chosen to join the Amazzi. Gal—The emperor has given this his blessing, so any matches brought forth can be seen as flouting his will. I can promise you that your sister is in good hands with my clan.”
“You—” Admina’s brother began, stepping towards her.
Evony jerked her chin up, a hand on her hip, the other drawing a knife. “If you interfere, you’ll find yourself facing our whole clan. I suggest you accept this graciously and move along. Otherwise...well, you’ve never seen an angry Amazzi before, have you?”
He glared, hands clenched into fists. “Do whatever you like then,” he snapped at Admina. “You will ruin yourself for any chance of a proper place in court after this!”
/>
Admina met her brother’s gaze steadily. “I don’t care. I’m becoming an Amazzi.”
He growled and turned, storming away, his men following a moment later. Evony made a mental note to keep an eye on him and Miletum. He could become a problem if they weren’t careful. She turned and smiled at Admina and Obelia. “You should head back or you’ll miss the next match.”
Her sister grinned. “And you need to head back to your lifemate.”
Evony rolled her eyes. “Like you can say anything.”
“Thank you,” Admina said, still holding Obelia’s hand.
“You’re my friend and soon to be a member of my clan. No thanks necessary.”
“Are you going to be like kissing Galen and stuff?” Marnin asked, nose wrinkled in disgust. “Because I want to see the imperial box but I don’t want to see that.”
“None of your business.”
“Which means she is,” Obelia quipped, grinning.
“Get out of here,” Evony told her sister with a mock glare then grinned. “And what I do with my man is my business. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to head back to him.”
“Gross,” she heard Marnin say before she was out of earshot. She chuckled. Her brother hadn’t yet gotten to the stage where he found girls interesting yet. Then again, when he had to hide from them on a daily basis, she couldn’t exactly blame him.
Evony hurried her steps, climbing the stairs two at a time as she headed back up to the seating area. The imperial box was easy to spot with its awning attached to the four columns around it, the white marble gleaming even in the shade. She was glad the two soldiers acting as guards were still there. Galen had a bad habit of dismissing his men when he thought he could get away with it, and none of them would disobey a direct order. But she was working on that.
Reaching the box, Evony reclaimed her seat, shaking her head as she watched the two men far below exchange blows. Their blunted swords met with a clang, but the man with his back to them was too slow. She thought he’d lose.
“I can tell you that the one facing us is going to win,” she said to Galen, who watched her join him. “I imagine the rest of my clan is deciding whether he meets their criteria right now.”
With a cloth overhang, Galen’s face was kept from the harsh light of the sun. Evony had to admit that the marble was delightfully cool, even with the cushions that lay between them and the hard stone. “I imagine your clan members are enjoying themselves. I was surprised they did not want noble seats.”
Evony snorted. “They like being able to hide their faces from the men they’ll be approaching later. Though they are kind of hard to ignore.” She nodded at the section of women who had been off and on catcalling some of the men, yelling out advice to the warriors, and overall, being the loudest group in the colosseum. “And I can promise you, more than one of them is going to want to compete next year. Though I’m first in line for that.”
Galen’s lips quirked upwards. “For an empress, you are not terribly ladylike.”
She looked at him, eyebrows up. “I don’t remember agreeing to be empress.”
That made him frown. “I had thought we had established our relationship.”
“We did, but as your Amator for now. Just because you’re emperor doesn’t mean I need to be empress. I would need to change quite a bit to do a proper job of it. Maybe in a few years, when I know more about the palace and all the nobles, I’ll consider it. For now I’m happy being with you.”
Galen shook his head. “Any other lady of court would jump at the chance.”
“You can go get another lady of court if you like then, but be aware I don’t share. And I will hurt you if it comes to it.”
That got a real smile out of him. “I must confess I feel similarly. Though I have little competition on that front, thankfully. Many men are intimidated by you. I cannot fathom why,” he said with a sidelong look at her.
Evony shrugged as her lips twitched. “I can’t either. People on the mainland are just strange.”
Galen leaned over. “But you find us endlessly fascinating. Or at least, you find me so.”
She shook her head, still not used to Galen actually exhibiting a sense of humour. She blamed her brother, who had showed Galen the most inappropriate use for an inflated sheep’s bladder. She still had to regularly check chairs when Marnin was around, though getting to see Galen laugh that hard had almost been worth the embarrassment when she’d sat on it. She’d still get revenge on Marnin later. “Fascinating isn’t the word I’d use. Trying, maybe. Or stubborn. Or even foolish.”
“You are most disrespectful,” he said, smiling.
“Would you have me any other way?”
“No, I wouldn’t.” Galen caught her chin with a hand and pulled her into a long kiss.
Evony returned the kiss, feeling a flush of pleasure. This was what made everything they’d gone through and would go through worth it. The simple times they were able to just enjoy each other’s company.
Which had been almost nonexistent for the last week. Between her clan and the soldiers hunting down the last of the Regems’ people within the palace and capital, and arresting the other ringleaders of the rebellion, they’d both been busy. She wasn’t looking forward to the trials.
Though the core of the Regem family were all dead, so there would be three fewer executions. Evony and Galen had debated about how to handle the rest with Balint and Rakin each supporting one of them. Evony had been more than a little surprised to find Rakin in her camp, but between the four of them, they’d come up with some reasonable compromises.
The papers she’d found, and the documents they’d discovered when the Regems’ rooms, their estate, and house in the capital had been searched, had given them a better idea of who had been willing and unwilling participants. It had also revealed how deep a game the Regems had been playing.
On the positive side, they’d been able to resolve more than one feud among noble families by showing them evidence of Regem meddling. Between that and the heads of a few families being replaced with their more moderate offspring and restricted to their lands, Evony hoped the palace would be calmer. Or at least have a few less vipers hiding.
And that was something she was going to have to learn to look for. She could spot some, but was by no means well versed in the politics of the palace. Being Galen’s Amator for now was good, and meant nothing more than being his officially recognized lover. She was noble and he could marry her, had made it clear he intended to, but until she felt capable of being the kind of empress he needed, she’d stay as Amator.
Though, as far as court was concerned, she wasn’t that yet. Galen said he’d make the announcement after the festival. Evony looked down at the two men finishing up their bout. Balint and Rakin had wanted to cancel the whole midsummer festival, but with all the darkness they had just gone through, the four of them had decided to let it run. Though Evony had said that Galen wasn’t to be alone even for a moment. Even with the conspirators caught, she couldn’t stop the worry of another assassination attempt. She’d stayed beside him for nearly the whole week for that reason.
Evony sighed, drawing Galen’s attention. He raised his eyebrows in an unspoken question. She smiled to reassure him. She was already looking forward to the end of the day when they could go back to their rooms and...sleep. As much as this life of hers wasn’t at all what she’d thought she wanted, as much as it wasn’t anything like what she’d planned, Evony didn’t think she’d change any of it. After all, how could she be happier than this?
* * ***
Look for Lauren D.M. Smith’s next stand-alone fantasy romance, ENVELOPING SHADOWS, coming Winter 2016 from Carina Press.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank all of my family, friends and Wattpad supporters who helped me get this far. I’d also like t
o thank Angela James for being the best kind of editor and dealing with my over-love of some words. You guys are all awesome!
Coming Soon from Lauren D.M. Smith
and Carina Press
Enveloping Shadows
About the Author
Coming from a family of bookworms, Lauren D.M. Smith’s obsession with the written word started young. Her love of books quickly went from reading to writing and in high school she started writing full novels. After living and working around the world, she’s finally settled down in the village of Lyn with her fiancé and their ever-growing collection of nerdy hobbies.
You can find out more about Lauren by checking out her website, laurendmsmith.com, following her on Twitter, Twitter.com/laurendmsmith, or visiting her on Facebook, Facebook.com/laurendmsmith.
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