Shi’chen sighed angrily, trying hard not to rub at the bandaged spot that was itching like crazy now. As usual, his brother was right. “Is Father joining us for dinner after the Senate meeting?”
“I notice you trying to change the subject, i-sha,” A’bbni replied, rolling his flame-colored eyes.
Shi’chen sighed, giving his brother an overly-innocent smile. “You know me too well.”
“I should. I’ve known you since before you were born.”
“I’m still older than you, baby brother.”
“By eight minutes,” A’bbni said, giving him a poke in the ribs that resulted in Shi’chen giving him a playful nudge in return. “You’re not going to be promoted to Commander if you let others get under your skin.”
“Commander Ahea’a isn’t going to die for like three hundred years,” Shi’chen said, rolling his eyes dramatically. “She will return from her grave to lead the guards before letting any of us take over.”
A’bbni let out a soft snort. “Depends on if she follows Cousin’s orders once he takes over the throne. It’s very obvious she disagrees with almost everything he says.”
Shi’chen winced a bit, waving a hand lightly as if to brush A’bbni’s words out of the air. “Yes, but he is the Emperor. Or will be. She will not have a choice if she wants to retain her position.” A’bbni smiled sardonically and stood up, brushing a few strands of auburn-black hair out of his eyes. “And where have you been this afternoon?” Shi’chen asked, eyeing a smudge of ash now visible on his twin’s cheek and the way his hair was pulling free of its ties.
“With Reverence Sa’ben,” A’bbni said as he picked up his bag. “We did an autopsy and then took the body to the crematorium. It was fascinating!”
Shi’chen wrinkled his nose. “Will you please go wash the remains of whomever you were studying off your face?”
A’bbni laughed and exited back through the doors that led to his private rooms with his bag. Shi’chen sighed and glared at the bandage on his arm that prevented him from scratching at the cut. It was already feeling much better. Even at a young age, his brother had shown an aptitude for science. When both their Mother and then their Uncle, the reigning Emperor, died during the plague that had swept through the goblin continent of Hanenea’a a few years ago, it had solidified A’bbni’s desire to become a physician. “I have no reason to be afraid of death,” he had told Shi’chen and their Father. “It is only a byproduct of life. My fear is not being able to alleviate suffering.”
It was not unusual for a prince of the realms to devote their life to study. Knowledge was valued more than anything in the goblin empire, and those who dedicated their lives to gaining knowledge were revered. And it suited his bookish brother much more than military life would have. A’bbni was smart. Much smarter than him, Shi’chen freely admitted. A’bbni had a head for languages and facts. Shi’chen did not. Luckily, their Father had recognized this early on in their lives. He had originally pushed Shi’chen, as the older twin, into a life of study befitting an elder prince, and A’bbni into military service. But it became clear in very short order that the twins had no interest in their Father’s chosen paths for them, as they would often switch places with one another when it came time for specialized lessons.
Shi’chen headed back to his own rooms to change out of his dusty guard outfit and splash water over his face. The two young servants had disappeared, but he was used to taking care of himself in the barracks, so he changed into a light tunic and loose pants before heading back out to wait for his brother.
Chapter two
A'bbni
Thoughhiseveningclothinghad been laid out earlier, and water and oils had been left for him to wash up, there were no servants around in his private rooms. That was unusual, but A’bbni wasn’t about to complain.
He hung up his black physician’s robes to be cleaned, then washed himself and his hair, wringing it out before tying it back into a loose ponytail at the base of his neck with a silk cord. While both of the twins had auburn-black curls on the top of their heads, Shi’chen kept his hair short in the back, and A’bbni grew his out, a standard fashion for scholars. It fell down past his shoulder blades in soft waves, but he always tied it back. It was much more difficult to read or lean over someone with his hair in his face, and A’bbni was nothing if not practical when it came to such things.
He pulled on a sleeveless green tunic, embroidered with a delicate pattern of red and blue along the neck and hem, and a pair of loose tan pants tied with a gold silk cord. Nearly all of the fabrics in the imperial city of Er’hadin were light and flowy. The sun blazed every day in the center of Hanenea’a. Rain was scarce in the area of the palace, only falling a few times a year. It grew colder further north, closer to the sea and the elven continent of Kendarin, but the area near the palace and its surrounding cities were quite dry. Even at night, it could be sweltering, depending on the season. He slid on a comfortable pair of silky slippers before heading back out to the main room.
Shi’chen was already sitting by the low dark rosewood dining table, having changed into an almost identical outfit to his brother, except his tunic was a dusty red color and covered with an embroidery of gold leaves. He smiled when A’bbni entered, the soft smile that he rarely allowed anyone else to see, that was meant only for his twin. A’bbni knew Shi’chen had to be tough outside of the privacy of their rooms, but most of his bravado and swagger was just for show around the guards he commanded. Being named a Captain of a branch of the palace guards at seventeen was an amazing accomplishment, but his age, combined with the fact that the whole Er-Ha’sen family were not the tallest goblins to begin with, made others see him as inexperienced and young. A’bbni knew that bothered his brother.
A’bbni sat down on a cushion at the other end of the table. “Have you seen any of the servants? There were none in my room.”
Shi’chen blinked. “Not since right after I returned,” he said.
“Mm.” A’bbni flipped his hair over his shoulder. Shi’chen only stayed in their rooms once every few nights, but A’bbni stayed in this wing with their Father, the Regent, every day, and there were almost always servants bustling around, cleaning or preparing meals or drawing baths or laying out clothing. And normally, by now, the table would be filled with dishes, with servants laying place settings for himself, his twin, and their Father. But the table was bare except for a tray with a pitcher of water, a wine decanter, and two glasses.
“Come to think of it, there were no guards stationed by our doors,” Shi’chen said as he picked up the wine decanter and held it out in offering. “Did Father say anything to you when he returned from the Senate meeting?”
He had been so focused on checking on his brother when Lieutenant Hin-Re’nna had come to fetch him from the library, A’bbni realized he hadn’t noticed if there had been guards or not. He leaned over so Shi’chen could pour the wine in his glass. “No. I have not seen Father since he left for the meeting.”
“Shouldn’t he have returned by now?” Shi’chen asked.
The shadows in the room through the stained glass were lengthening. A’bbni would have sent a servant across the hall to check their Father’s private rooms, but there were no servants to be seen. He lifted his glass to his mouth, frowning thoughtfully, then paused as a familiar but unexpected scent met his nose. “Was this here when you came in?” he asked, motioning with his filled wine cup at the decanter in his brother’s hand. Shi’chen nodded, halfway through pouring his own drink, but A’bbni held up a hand. “Wait.”
“What is it, i-sha?”
A’bbni took another cautious sniff of his glass, then reached over to take the decanter from Shi’chen, tipping it to examine the contents under the light from the gas flame lamps and the sunlight through the stained-glass window behind them. Shi’chen watched him curiously as A’bbni took another sniff from the decanter, then set it down. “There is hargren root in this.”
Shi’chen frowned. “Are you sure?” A’bbni nodded.
