“You have no qualms or misgivings about her?”
“No,” he said firmly. “Amryn is perfect.”
“Hm,” she hummed low, her eyes sharp. “Perfectionism can be a curse. It only takes the smallest mistake to ruin the illusion.” She flashed a smile at him before shifting back slightly. “I won’t keep you any longer, Carver. Just remember, you can call upon me at any time. And please do extend that offer to your wife.” She swept away without another word.
Blazing Saints, clerics were strange. A slight frown was still on his face as he made his way toward Morelli, who was flirting with a woman nearby.
Clearly, he hadn’t made it to Morav.
To Morelli’s credit, he kissed the woman’s hand and stepped away the moment he noticed Carver’s approach. “How was the high cleric?” he asked as they resumed their path to Morav.
“Odd.”
Morelli snorted. “Lisbeth seems even odder than most clerics.”
Carver couldn’t argue with that.
“Chancellor Morav,” Morelli greeted, his deep voice booming.
The emperor’s senior advisor glanced up from her quiet conversation with a nobleman and his wife. When she spied Morelli, her already unsmiling face somehow grew even less amused. “General Morelli,” she greeted flatly.
Morelli’s smile didn’t dim, despite the decidedly less warm greeting from the chancellor. “Do you have a moment?” he asked.
Chancellor Morav was probably one of the shortest people in the room, but even so, she commanded respect. She had been one of the emperor’s closest friends and confidants for decades. Carver’s grandfather had once called the womansingularly focused. His father had always encouraged Carver and Argent to keep their antics far away from the woman who had alimited sense of humor.
For all the lines on Morav’s face, Carver didn’t think any of the creases had been made from smiling. She was a polished politician, but she wasn’t interested in pandering. She was secure in her position at the emperor’s side. The only cracking Carver had seen in that security was when she was facing one of the clerics and her frustration got the better of her. She had gray hair and a quiet enough demeanor, though there was no mistaking her for fragile. There was steel in her spine, even if she was beginning to stoop with age.
After politely dismissing the couple she’d been speaking with, Morav’s gaze brushed over Morelli before settling on Carver. Her assessing gaze was sharp. Hedidn’t think many measured up to her expectations. “General Vincetti. You’re looking more and more like your grandfather.”
Carver flashed a smile. “I thought I noticed some new lines on my face this morning.”
The lines around Morav’s eyes deepened as she frowned. “Very much like your grandfather,” she muttered.
Limited sense of humor, he reminded himself. He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry if we’re interrupting. Morelli and I were just talking about Trevill’s betrayal, and we thought you might be able to shed some light on the situation.”
“I’m not sure why you would think that,” Morav said.
“Perhaps you could tell us who his friends are,” Morelli suggested.
She folded her thin arms over her chest. “Any friends Trevill had among the other chancellors are long gone. No one has an interest in claiming anything but distaste where he’s concerned.”
That was in direct contrast to what Lisbeth had predicted would happen. So much for loyalty among politicians. But the distance in Morav’s words made Carver ask, “You never considered him a friend?”
“No. But I’ve been in politics long enough to know that friends are generally an unnecessary burden. I choose to make allies instead.” The corner of her mouth lifted, though her eyes remained cool. “And enemies, of course.”
Naturally. “Did Trevill have any enemies that you know of?” he asked.
Morav’s head tipped to the side. “Is this an interrogation, General?”
“Not at all. I’m merely curious how someone like Trevill, who was in a position of such power within the empire, could work so actively against the emperor’s interests.”
“Perhaps you should ask him,” Morav said pointedly. “I’m afraid I don’t know the mind of a traitor.”
“Of course. But perhaps, because of your position as the head of the emperor’s advisors, you might know other chancellors who sympathized with Trevill. Others who might have also argued against the emperor’s plans at Esperance.”
“Debates among the emperor’s advisors are a private matter,” Morav said, taking a long sip of her wine. “If you wish to satiate your curiosity with the details of our meetings, I recommend that you ask the emperor for an imperial order of full disclosure. That is the only way you’ll learn anything private from me.”
“Fair enough,” Carver said, allowing her this victory. He didn’t see the point in accusing her of being one that spoke out against Esperance—at least not until heactuallyinterrogated her.
