The Will of the Empress

by Tamora Pierce

  “I did,” Briar admitted. “I was locked up for a while in Gyongxe. It was either go mad imagining what might happen to me, or…retreat, inside me. I made it, inside my power.” He lay back on the peak, balancing easily. “After that—I did things I’m not proud of when I got out. It was a bloody mess. Thousands died who should have lived. I don’t know why I’m here, and they aren’t. I didn’t want any of you knowing that. I didn’t want you knowing I thought I should be dead. That’s why I shut you out.”

  Silence stretched. It was all he could tell them for now.

  “Mine is just silly,” admitted Tris. “So many of the mages I met with Niko took it so personally that I learned to scry the winds that I forgot who you all were. Niko acted like it was something you had to expect—that when you learn a strange kind of magic, one that so many fail at, you have to expect jealousy. I don’t want people to be jealous, I don’t want them to be anything. I was afraid to find out you’d be like them.” She hung her head. “I’m just too gaudy. That’s why I want to go to Lightsbridge. So I can just do what I want and people won’t stare at me.”

  Daja and Sandry exchanged shrugs, as if to say, That’s Tris for you.

  “I made something that helped Ben Ladradun kill a lot of people,” Daja told them somberly. “So many. I thought catching him and seeing him get an arsonist’s sentence would fix it in my heart, make it right, but it never did. I still liked him. So I helped kill him fast, so he wouldn’t be in pain. I didn’t want you to know something of mine—something of ours, because it was living metal, and we were all part of that—caused so many deaths. I can’t forgive myself, some days. I didn’t think you could.” She closed her eyes, her full mouth quivering.

  Sandry looked down at her knees. She wore pink, as she had that same day in the advocate’s office. “I tore three people to pieces to save the life of my student,” she said flatly. She heard Tris draw a deep breath. “Did you think I would be safe at home? They were murderers, they were being eaten alive by unmagic, with little humanity left in them. There was no other way, and yet.” She put her face on her knees.

  “So now we know the things we hid from each other,” Tris said drily after a while. “Does it change anything?”

  “How could it?” Briar wanted to know. “Fighting off those pirates didn’t make us hate each other. We knew why we did it. Not being able to forgive ourselves isn’t the same as understanding each other. We’re a lot easier on each other than we are on ourselves. As for you, Coppercurls, you’ve always been fooling around with the weird magics.”

  “That’s just you, Tris,” said Daja.

  Sandry lifted her head. “I wouldn’t be you for a thousand gold majas, Tris. I see the way people twitch around you. But that doesn’t change how I feel about you.”

  Tris looked at her. “So we’re a circle again.”

  “Suits me,” Briar said. “I never knew how much I missed it till we came back.”

  “Till we remade us,” said Daja. “Till Berenene reforged us.”

  “You’ll forgive me if I don’t thank her,” Sandry told them as she lay back on the thatch. “She may be related to me by blood, but I much prefer the family I chose.”

  “Briar, can we come back here?” Daja asked. “Will this be here?”

  “I made it for us,” he replied, surprised she hadn’t realized it. Here, in this place, they could feel what he felt. “All right, I made it for me first, but it was us. It is us.”

  It’s always us, the four said.

  Cast List

  Ambros fer Landreg Saghad, steward of Sandry’s lands as well as of his own, dependable, family man, married to Ealaga

  Amiliane fa Landreg Sandry’s mother and Namornese heiress, deceased

  Bancanor goldsmith family in Kugisko, friends of Daja’s and Frostpine’s, their twin daughters are Daja’s first students

  Bennat Ladradun widower, fire expert, deceased (COLD FIRE)

  Berenene dor Ocmore Sandry’s cousin, empress of Namorn

  Briar Moss former thief and street rat from Sotat, Sandry’s foster brother, plant mage, maker of medicines, gardener, expert in shakkans (miniature trees), Evvy’s teacher

  Caidlene fa Sarajane pert, dark-eyed, flirtatious lady-in-waiting

  Chime living glass dragon made by Kethlun Warder (SHATTERGLASS), living with Tris

  Comas Lark’s new weaving student, temple novice, lives in attic at Discipline cottage

  Crane Dedicate Initiate, First Dedicate of the Air Temple at Winding Circle, sometimes teacher of the four

  Daja Kisubo former Trader, Sandry’s foster-sister and Frostpine’s student in metal shaping magic; carries a Trader staff and is marked by a piece of living brass that is molded between the fingers and over the palm and back of one hand

  Dymytur fer Holm bidis, border bandit and would-be kidnapper

  Ealaga fa Landreg Ambros’s good-humored wife

  Erdogun fer Baigh Duke Vedris of Emelan’s seneschal

  Evvy a street girl who was Briar’s student, a stone mage

  Finlach fer Hurich Fin, a handsome noble who is one of Berenene’s choices as a suitor for Sandry’s hand

  Franzen fer Toren Vedris of Emelan’s third son and present heir

  Frostpine Dedicate Initiate at Winding Circle, great mage, specializing in metal and fire magic, Daja’s mentor.

  Glaki orphan, academic mage, formerly Tris’s student, now Lark’s at Discipline cottage

  Gospard Vedris’s middle son, admiral of Emelanese navy

  Gudruny Iarun wife of Halmar and mother of his children, living on the Landreg estates

  Gurkoy family who lost everything for crossing the empress

  Halmar Iarun Gudruny’s husband, the miller

  Holab grain broker on the Landreg estates

  Ishabal Ladyhammer Berenene’s archmage, specialist in curses, a great mage

  Jakuben fer Pennun saghad, one of Berenene’s favorite young noblemen, chosen by her to court Sandry

  Kethlun Warder Tris’s student, the one who made Chime (SHATTERGLASS)

  Lark Dedicate Initiate of Winding Circle, specializing in magic through spinning and weaving, a great mage, Sandry’s mentor, foster mother to the four

  Little Bear once a puppy the four rescued, the dog traveled with Tris and Niko, now lives with Glaki at Winding Circle

  Luvo strange friend of Evvy’s

  Maedryan dor Ocmore princess, Berenene’s daughter and heir, living with her foster family in secrecy

  Maghen village girl on Landreg estates

  Mattin fer Toren Sandry’s father and Vedris’s nephew, deceased

  Niklaren Goldeye Niko, a great mage whose power is with all kinds of magic that involve sight, he found Daja, Briar, and Sandry; he is Tris’s mentor

  Notalos fer Hurich Finlach’s uncle and head of Namorn Mages’ Society

  Olfeon Master of the Imperial Armory

  Pasco Acalon young dancemage who is Sandry’s first student (MAGIC STEPS)

  Pershan fer Roth Shan, handsome, young and ambitious nobleman who is one of the empress’s favorites

  Quenaill Shieldsman great mage specializing in protective magics, Ishabal’s assistant and one of the empress’s favorites

  Rizuka fa Dalach young and charming, Berenene’s Mistress of Wardrobe

  Rosethorn Dedicate Initiate at Winding Circle, specializing in plant and garden magic, a great mage, Briar’s mentor and foster mother to the four

  Sandrilene fa Toren Sandry, clehame and heiress to the Landreg holdings in Namorn, foster sister to Briar, Daja, and Tris, her magic is with thread, spinning and weaving; she is a favorite with her great-uncle Vedris

  Third Caravan Saralan Trader land caravan

  Trisana Chandler Tris, an irritable, shy weather mage and bookworm trying to master the new skill of seeing images carried on the wind, Sandry’s foster-sister and Niko’s student

  Vedris IV Sandry’s great-uncle, ruling Duke of Emelan, a powerful and subtle man who has taken the f
our under his wing while they lived in Emelan; it’s rumored he may change his will and make Sandry his heir instead of his third son Franzen

  Vetiver head weaver and First Dedicate of the Earth temple at Winding Circle (Lark and Rosethorn are Earth dedicates)

  Voskajo name of the head of the Smith’s Guild in Namorn, Daja’s and Frostpine’s friend

  Wenoura head cook at Landreg House in Dancruan

  Yeskoy fer Haugh saghad of an impoverished noble house on the border of the Landreg estates, half-bandit

  Zhegorz Fiavrus a crazy man who met Daja in COLD FIRE when she rescued him from a burning hospital

  Glossary

  argib basic coinage of the empire, silver argib is the basic regular coin of Namorn, copper argib basic change coin

  amdain “fool” or “fools” in Namornese

  Asaia Air goddess of the Living Circle, goddess of birds and messengers

  Bag Briar’s slang, contraction for Moneybag, or rich person

  belbun term Briar learned in Chammur for rat

  bidis, bidisa literally “dagger”—first rank noble, baron, baroness

  bleater Briar’s slang for someone stupid

  bleatin’, bleating Briar’s slang for crying, complaining

  Capchen Tris’s native country, west of Emelan

  Chammur city in east Sotat, where Briar met Evvy

  cleham, clehame literally “sword”—third rank noble, count, countess

  clehamat a count’s estate

  daftie Briar’s slang for crazy person

  Dedicate one who has dedicated her/himself to the service of a Living Circle god

  droughtwort herb that ensures that a man who eats it cannot father children

  giath, giatha literally “shield”—fourth rank noble, duke, duchess

  Green Man Earth god of the Living Circle, male ruler of growth and fertility, and ruler of unchecked, chaotic growth

  Gyongxe mountainous country south of Yanjing

  Haidheltac country between western shore of the Syth and the eastern shore of the Endless Ocean, original base of what became the Namorn Empire

  Hakkoi Fire god of the Living Circle, god of smiths and forges

  Hajra Briar’s original home in Sotat

  Hatar island country where Niko found Sandry

  jagging Briar’s slang, person with too many small, irritating sharp edges

  kaq someone useless, really insulting

  kid slang for child

  Koma Trader god, the great Steersman of the sky, who sees all ships and caravans safely home

  Kurchal Empire once united all of the countries around the Pebbled Sea, giving them a common language and calendar

  Lakik the god of thieves and tricksters in Sotat (Briar’s original home)

  lawkeepers law enforcement personnel of the empire

  mate Briar’s slang for friend closer than family

  maukie Briar’s slang, full of maggots or little worries

  Mila Living Circle goddess of the earth and growing

  mimander Trader mage, educated solely in one field of magic useful to Traders, such as avalanches, sea storms, rain, winds, snow

  naliz piece of dung

  neb Briar’s slang for nose

  Ninver capital city of Capchen, Tris’s original home

  nisamohi lesbian

  Oti Trader goddess, the Bookkeeper who keeps the accounts of everyone’s life, debts and credits

  pavao rotten piece of filth

  prathmun the untouchables of Tharios, those who handle the dead

  Qunoc a goddess of western Namorn, goddess of the earth and its seed

  Ravvi Mrs., even if the woman is no longer married

  Ravvikki Miss

  Ravvot Mr.

  Ravvotki young Mr.

  saati a friend who is closer than blood family, a friend of the heart

  saghad, saghada literally “arrow”—second rank noble, lord, lady

  saghadat estate held by a saghad

  shakkan miniature tree

  Shurri Fire goddess of the Living Circle, defender of the helpess and protector of the poor

  snood a heavy silk net for hair

  Sotat Briar’s native country on the east of the Pebbled Sea

  Speakers headmen or mayors of Namornese villages

  street rat Briar’s slang for homeless person living by her/his wits

  Sythuthan trickster god of the Syth, unpredictable, seldom helpful for a good reason

  Tsaw’ha the Tradertalk word for themselves, literally translates as “Our People”

  Viymese female mage or wizard

  Viynain male mage or wizard

  Vrohain west Namorn’s god of judgment, justice, righteousness, who cut off his left hand so he would not dilute the justice he dispensed with his right hand

  Yanjing powerful empire to the far east

  Yanjingyi possessive and adjective form of Yanjing

  Yatter Briar’s slang, chatter, talk

  Yorgiry goddess of healing, death, mostly in east Namorn

  Yorgiry’s House hospital

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2005 by Tamora Pierce

  Cover art by Jonathan Barkat

  Cover design by Steve Scott

  All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., Publishers since 1920. SCHOLASTIC, SCHOLASTIC PRESS, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., Attention: Permissions Department, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Pierce, Tamora.

  The will of the empress / by Tamora Pierce.—1st ed.

  p. cm.

  Summary: On visit to Namorn to visit her vast land holdings and her devious cousin, Empress Berenene, eighteen-year-old Sandry must rely on her childhood friends and fellow mages, Daja, Tris, and Briar, despite the distance that has grown between them.

  [1. Magic—Fiction. 2. Courts and courtiers—Fiction. 3. Kings, queens, rulers, etc.—Fiction. 4. Friendship—Fiction. 5. Fantasy.] I. Title.

  PZ7. P61464Wil 2005

  [Fic]—dc22

  2005002874

  First edition, November 2005

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

  E-ISBN: 978-0-545-23210-4