Shi’chen looked like he was trying to protest but was coming up with nothing to say. “I would be honored to be your Commander.”
A’bbni let go of his hand to hold up his fist. “Swear it to me.”
Shi’chen did not hesitate, his right wrist touching A’bbni’s. “I swear, Sovereignty, I will be your Commander.”
A’bbni felt warmth flood through him as their fingers uncurled and palms pressed to their chests. Shi’chen smiled at him, and A’bbni couldn’t stop himself from throwing his arms around his neck in a warm hug. “I never want to be without you by my side, i-sha.”
“You never will,” Shi’chen replied. “Except when I go to The Keep.”
“I still do not like this plan,” A’bbni said softly.
“I know,” Shi’chen said, pulling back to look into his brother’s eyes. “But getting our hands on En’shea is the only way we will be able to accomplish anything.” He did not say it out loud, but A’bbni could see in his eyes the unspoken, ‘It’s the only way I can keep you safe.’
Chapter twenty-one
Shi'chen
Thatafternoon,LaiandA’bbni went to specifically offer their assistance to Ba’shea to keep an eye on him while Shi’chen found Mii’ra, Zea’dda, and Kella in quiet discussion in one of the sitting rooms. All three looked up at him and smiled as he entered. “Captain,” Kella greeted.
“My apologies for interrupting you,” Shi’chen said, coming inside and closing the door behind him.
“Not at all, Your Highness,” Zea’dda said. “What may we do for you?”
Shi’chen moved over to kneel on one of the cushions by them, wishing Mii’ra would leave, but he could not ask her to do so without arousing suspicion. “Before we move any further with a plan, I must know. Is Captain Ra’shii with us? Or will they protect the Emperor?”
Zea’dda shook her head. “They hate the Emperor. They will do everything they can to get him out of power, as much as they can influence Commander Hin-Ve’ssa, at least.”
Kella stared down at his cup of tea, but Shi’chen could see him listening closely to Zea’dda’s words and watching Mii’ra’s reaction out of the corner of his eye. Mii’ra’s smile did not change. Shi’chen felt bad for potentially putting Captain Ra’shii in danger, but Ra’shii could handle themself, and hopefully in only a day or two, it would not be a concern.
“If we are able to capture the Emperor, would Captain Ra’shii stand down?” he asked.
“Yes,” Zea’dda said confidently.
Shi’chen nodded slowly. That was something. “I have an idea, but it will rely on the people of the city to rise up, and it may put them in danger.”
“I believe that if there is a plan in place and someone to lead it, they will,” Zea’dda replied firmly.
Shi’chen nodded, then took a deep breath. “My plan should work. But I need you to trust me.” He glanced over at Kella, who met his gaze coolly over his teacup and nodded in agreement.
“Of course, Your Highness,” Mii’ra said, seemingly just a little too cheerfully. “We will trust your expertise in this matter.”
“Thank you, Var An-Sha’kri,” Shi’chen said, giving her a polite bow of his head. At least they would not have long to wait.
There were several dozen individuals squeezed into Zea’dda’s large dining room later that evening, the table and cushions having been pushed against the wall to make more room. Shi’chen was impressed with the number of people Zea’dda, Kella, and the Council had been able to assemble in only a day. He recognized a number of faces in the crowd, from some of the merchant nobles to a few of the local leaders, as well as many faces he did not know, seemingly from all levels of the economy. He wondered if this had happened before as they plotted against the Emperor, or if this was entirely unique to their situation.
Zea’dda clapped her hands, and the room eventually quieted. “Thank you for joining us, ma’iir,” she said, addressing the group in a mix of Hanen-shii and Hanen-sha, which Shi’chen realized was probably because most of the common people he saw in the room would not know Hanen-vir. “I will get directly to the point. The Regent’s sons have returned safely to us after Commander An-Sher’vaat’s most noble sacrifice, may she rest in the tranquility of the gods.” Several goblins made blessing gestures at that while a few mumbled words in response, and Shi’chen tried very hard not to let any emotion cross his face. Next to him, A’bbni squeezed his hand gently. “Captain?” Zea’dda said, turning to him. “You said you have a plan?”
Shi’chen nodded, glancing over at A’bbni, who looked a little drawn in the firelight, but his brother just gave him the barest nod, and Shi’chen stood up and crossed over to stand by Zea’dda. “The palace itself is not easy to protect. The walls can be breached with relative ease if a large enough army attacks. The easiest place to protect the Emperor and anyone of importance is The Keep. If the walls and courtyard are threatened, the palace guards will escort the Emperor to The Keep and make their stand there. Due to the cliff against its north edge, it is nearly impossible to get in from that side, and a frontal assault would be repelled. But,” Shi’chen paused to glance around the crowd, forcing himself to not let his eyes linger on Ba’shea and Mii’ra. “We know the way in.”
The crowd rustled. “What do we do once we’re in?” someone called.
Shi’chen held up a hand. “We are not sending in an army of people,” he replied. “In order to depose the Emperor, we only need the Emperor, correct?” There was another murmur through the crowd as people thought about this for a moment, then seemed to agree with his assessment. “It is much easier to sneak in one than it is a whole group. We need all of you, the city, to rise up and keep the focus on you. Then a few of us slip in, capture the Emperor, and slip back out. Once the guards realize we have the Emperor, most of them should lay down their weapons.”
“And the ones who do not?”
“I suspect, not enough to be a danger to us,” Shi’chen replied, with another quick glance over at Zea’dda. “We can overpower and arrest those who do not surrender.”
“When would we do this?” Zea’dda asked.
