"Quit teasing her," Wren ordered.
Just like that, Jin settled down, turning serious in an instant. "Fine, but next time, if you're going to threaten someone at least make it something they fear."
To Yukina's credit, she was able to ignore Jin's distraction, instead focusing on Kira. "What is between you and that royal?"
"I'm curious to know as well," the oshota next to her said.
Graydon stretched one arm across the back of the couch. “You were somehow involved in her Ascension, weren’t you?”
Yukina collapsed onto the opposite end of the couch from Graydon, some of her arrogance dimming.
“I don’t know if I’d go that far,” Kira started.
“If we were, we had no idea,” Jin added.
At the dubious looks that asked how that was possible, Kira said defensively, “When we knew her, Tierni wasn’t royal.”
Yukina reclaimed some of her poise. “We’re listening.”
“I don’t know if you realize, but Tierni is blind,” Kira started. “She was born with a rare genetic mutation. Essentially the optic fibers that pass through the back of the retina didn’t develop in a way to translate sight.”
“I’ve heard of this. Only one in several million are born with this condition,” Yukina said. “Tierni caused quite the stir during her Ascension. Most born with the mutation are given to the Vertier order to raise.”
“Yeah, I’ve met some of that order.” Kira’s lip curled as she snorted, scorn and derision written on her face. “They’re little more than exploitative assholes.”
The order was considered sacred among the Haldeel. Those who joined were kept cloistered, spending their time in meditation and service—at least that was what was written on the brochure.
Those of the Vertier that Kira had encountered were little more than abusers and bullies, content to prey on those who’d been entrusted to them for their own greedy purposes.
“Not all. I’ve known many who embodied the ideals of the order,” Yukina murmured. “But what you said is true enough. There are some who abuse their position at the expense of those who rely on them.”
“When we first met Tierni, she was on the run after her creche gave her over to them,” Kira said.
On a human world, the act held some similarities to adoption. Only instead of being able to age out of their care, she’d be a permanent dependent. The order would assume responsibility and authority over her for the rest of her life whether she wished it or not.
“Lieven got her out, and the two were on the run until we—"
"Excuse me," Jin interrupted.
"I," Kira corrected, “interfered.”
"She means to say she picked a fight with the order," Jin said in a chipper voice.
Kira grimaced. That was an accurate assessment.
A million ways she could have handled it and she’d chosen the most explosive.
It was about half a year after she'd woken up from a several years long coma. The war was over. Her remaining friends scattered, most of whom no longer held favorable views of Kira.
She still hadn’t known about Elena, Jin judging her mental state as too fragile.
To say she was looking for a place to die wouldn't be out of line. The only thing that kept her from doing anything she couldn’t take back was the knowledge of how her fallen friends would be disappointed in her if she took the quick way out.
"I was occupying myself in the gauntlet of the stratagem." It was a series of round-robin challenges. It wasn’t usually considered deadly unless you were on a perimeter planet not exactly known for having peacekeepers of any sort.
Kira's smile was self-deprecating. "I ran across Tierni and Lieven there."
"And you interfered," Graydon guessed.
