“The authority of a king indeed,” Lady Cassandra says with a smile, before backing out of the chamber with a bow.
The other senators start to disperse, too, some heading off to the receiving rooms beyond the Senate chamber, others presumably going to their quarters.Rowan catches up to me as I'm about to leave.
“What do you make of all that?”he asks me.
“It could be very dangerous,” I say.“If Selene Ravenscroft really is abducting beast whisperers, there must be a reason for it.”
“Something connected to you,” Rowan says.“I can't imagine why she'd do it if it weren't.Which means you need to be careful, Lyra.”
“She's not even in Aetheria,” I point out.
“Let's hope it stays that way,” Rowan replies.“When she went into exile without a fight, it made things far easier for us.If she’d fought against the rebellion, we might not have won.”
I've seen just how powerful Selene is.More than powerful enough to make a difference, when we only barely overthrew the emperor.
She could have killed many members of the rebellion, and yet she chose not to, because she decided that Emperor Tiberius was mad and needed to be deposed.That doesn't mean she's a fan of the Republic, though.It may be that she's out there plotting the best way to bring down the Republic from her new home in Arboria.
“Right now, I'm worried about the way this has exposed the splits in the senate,” Rowan says.“My guess is Lady Cassandra was so confrontational precisely so she could see where the fault lines were.You did well with her.”
“I think that must be the first time someone's praised me for my diplomatic skills,” I say.
“Well, right now, I need you to use those skills to try to keep the senate working together.I know you have a connection to Senator Marcus, Lyra.Use that connection if you can.Try to maintain stability between the different factions.The Republic needs that stability right now.”
I wonder if asking me to maintain stability is about trying to overcomemydoubts, trying to force me to be the peacemaker rather than the one questioning everything.And asking me to work so closely with Marcus… Rowan must be aware of our relationship, but is he also aware of our differences?
He's putting me in a difficult position where it seems I’ll have to push down my concerns for the good of the Republic.I’m sure that’s deliberate.Rowan has become a much better politician than I expected.
I’m just not sure if I’mas good.Can I do everything Aetheria needs, even when it feels increasingly as though it goes against what I believe?
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Why do I get the feeling your thoughts aren't entirely with me?”Marcus asks me as we tour the city the next day.We're both wearing normal clothes rather than the togas of senators.He's dressed in a grey tunic embroidered with silver, while I’m wearing an elegant dress that a noble might choose.
“Well, there's always a lot to think about.Especially with this delegation coming to Aetheria,” I say.
We walk on the broad streets of the richer parts of the city, touring the noble quarter, where it seems every house has made an effort to adjust the magic outside to show sylvan scenes in honor of the visitors.
“You're thinking about what Lady Cassandra said,” Marcus guesses.“This business of Selene Ravenscroft.”
I nod.“Among other things.”
“You realize that she can't come back?”Marcus says.“She isn't a threat, even if she’s doing everything they say.”
“Why would they lie?”I ask.
He shrugs.“To force us into some kind of reaction?To lay the blame at our door so they can either force better terms from us when they make a treaty with us or to find an excuse for conflict later on?I've negotiated with merchants and nobles from Arboria before.They have no love for Aetheria, and they like to use confrontation as a negotiating tactic.”
Marcus makes it sound so simple as if the world is just this transactional place where it's obvious that an ambassador would lie to gain some small undefined advantage later on.And where, because it isn't in Selene’s interests to return, she never will.
“What if she raises an army?”I say.
“With what money?”Marcus counters.“Even if people were joining her out of loyalty to the old empire, wouldn't we hear about a buildup of troops?An army wouldn't arrive on our doorstep without warning.”
“Unless we dismiss the warning that she's gathering those with magical talents,” I point out.
Marcus laughs.“You have me there, Lyra.But seriously, I don't think there's anything to worry about for now.Why borrow trouble when there are enough things for us to do in Aetheria as it is?”
“Maybe we could tour the slums,” I suggest.“I'm sure between us we could work out ways to help there.”
