“A plan. I see. And were you spared of all their …violence?” His lips curled around the question.
Meera’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, Your Highness.” She looked down at her body as if that were proof. “I sustained cuts and bruises. I was underfed, and left in horrid conditions and squalor for days. But no lasting physical harm. Thank the Gods.”
“Truly? They did nothing else to you?” His eyes sparkled. “Nothing more intimately violent?”
“Your Highness?” Meera asked, her voice suddenly high.
“Did they rape you?” he asked bluntly.
Meera’s mouth fell open. I felt like I’d been punched. The fact that he would ask so crudely with so much obvious excitement eking off his aura. Even Dario looked offended.
“Well?” Imperator Hart asked, now impatient.
“They did not,” Meera said, her voice shaking with anger.
He tilted his head to the side, not even bothering to feign his disappointment at her response. “A relief. And your sister? Lady Morgana? I see she is not here with you. Am I to assume that she remains in captivity? Or … worse?”
I took a deep breath, at least I tried to. Meera, however, seemed to be keeping her composure under Imperator Hart’s glare.
Meera nodded. “When I last saw my sister, she had suffered no more than myself. We were kept apart, though in similar conditions.” Her voice hardened. “Soturion Rhyan and Lady Lyriana did all they could in their rescue, and they deserve all of the honor afforded them for saving me. But despite their efforts we could not rescue her. Not yet. Morgana was held under greater security. I pray her situation remains stable, and I pray even more deeply for her rescue as soon as possible.”
“I pray to the Gods as well.” He smirked. “Fortunate that you found their favor. Who can say why a God, or Goddess may save one life, but not the other.” His eyes bore into me. “Surely, Imperator Kormac’s soturi, and the legions under the Ready’s command will soon find success. At least, I pray so. But for now, you are quite a long way from home. Correct me if I am wrong, my lady, but your abduction was from Cresthaven, was it not? How is it that you came to be in Glemaria?” He sat back, his fingers steepled below his chin. “You see, a crime was committed in these lands by my son, and your sister. And I must know, were you also present for it? For their theft on my property? Or was your entire kidnapping some sort of elaborate ruse? An excuse for them to come and steal from me?”
Meera’s lips tightened. “I was not present, nor am I aware, of any crimes having been committed. As for your accusation of my kidnapping being a ruse?” She scoffed, expressing her offense, and somehow conveying the ridiculousness of his question. “I can assure you it was not. I was brutally taken from Cresthaven, our escorts fell defending us. I know they’ll bear witness. I was brought to Glemaria by my captors.”
Imperator Hart nodded. “And yet, you survived long travel with the akadim. With no lasting harm, nor more intimate forms of violence. Forgive me, but this is most unusual behavior for the demons. Your story is … well … almost unbelievable.”
“It’s the truth,” Meera said.
“Of course. But I must ask these questions so I can present your case to my Council. Now your rescue, what day was that?”
“I …” Meera balked. She knew Godsdamned well that her rescue had occurred only hours after the “crime” he was referring to. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. What day was I rescued? It’s been only a few days,” she said, and I knew shewasn’t sure how to play this. “Forgive me. I’ve been disoriented from my ordeal.”
“Perhaps I can help you remember,” he said gently. “You were rescued a week ago. Exactly a week and a day ago.”
I stiffened. He’d known. He’d known this whole fucking time. The nahashim had been spying all along. Gods. Was it a miracle we’d spent so many days evading capture, or had he been baiting us this entire time? He’d had hundreds of soturi searching for us. Why, if he knew where we were? Unless they weren’t supposed to find us.
“Did that help, Lady Meera?” His nose crinkled, his expression full of derision. “Do you remember now?”
“Y-yes. It’s been a week and a day.”
Imperator Hart stroked his beard. “So, after your kidnapping, and your ordeal of terror and hunger, and the knowledge of some murky akadim plan that had not yet come to pass—one that involves your dear sister who is still in captivity—you …?” He shrugged, frowning. “Help me understand, my lady. Because if I were in your shoes, I’d have come straight here, come straight to an Imperator with legions at his beck and call. I would have asked for soturi to aid in my sister’s rescue and return. I would have alerted my country and Ka to the fact that I was alive and safe. After being hurt and starved, I would have sought shelter, medical attention, and nutrition. All things I can provide here. All things that you as a noblewoman would have been entitled to. And yet …” He eyed her up and down. “You did none of those things.”
“I was weak,” Meera said. I could see her flailing as she tried to remain composed. “As I said, I was starved. I needed time to recover. And to—”
“To hide with your criminal sister and my forsworn son?”
“To rest. They saved me,” Meera said defiantly. “It is thanks to them that I am alive. They’ve been nursing me back to health.”
“In caves? With stolen food? Stolen clothing?” His eyes moved up and down Meera’s soturion cloak with disgust. “Sounds more like they were keeping you hostage.”
“No,” Meera cried.
Imperator Hart scoffed. “Then you were aiding them. Helping two criminals evade my soturi. Which is it, Lady Meera? Are you in league with them, or are you still in some form of captivity that requires my intervention?”
“Neither.” Meera lifted her chin. “I am a noble of Ka Batavia. Niece to the Arkasva and High Lady. Thousands of soturi are looking for me right now, all under Imperator Kormac’s orders in the South.”
“But you are in the North, my lady. Not the South.” Imperator Hart narrowed his eyes, peering down his nose. “I am surprised you have allowed for such precious resources to go to waste as you hid. Resources that could have been used to rescue Lady Morgana. Unless you don’t want her to be rescued for some reason?”
