“Your family has always been foolishly loyal to the end.”
Harlow shot the other man a sidelong look. “Is that a complaint?”
Other Overlords would have seen Caius’s words as evidence of insubordination. His mouth would have gotten him cast out ages ago had anyone else been his master.
It was a pity the man was so damn talented, or Harlow would have been tempted to follow suit.
Caius’s grin was unrepentant. “Now, now, don’t get riled. I was simply pointing out the obvious.”
Harlow let out a quiet snort as he returned to his vigilance.
A steady hum came from the audience chamber behind them as Overlords for some of the most powerful Houses and their advisors filed inside.
Kira and Jin’s situation had made the rounds. Many had voyaged quite the distance to be a part of the spectacle as their fate was decided.
Caius leaned over, lowering his voice. “I’ve placed our forces on standby. They’re ready to act in your defense the moment I give the word.”
“If anyone hears you, they would consider that treason,” Harlow murmured, his gaze lingering on the prisoner waiting across the hallway from him.
Elise was surrounded by oshota, her hands and feet unfettered by chains. The glint of cuffs around her wrists were from an inhibitor, designed to cut her off from her ki.
But to the casual observer she would appear to be free.
It was clear she was waiting for something. Harlow had a feeling he knew what that something was—or rather who.
Wren and Auralyn stood a short distance away, trying to hide the torment he knew each felt. Wren’s gaze met Harlow’s briefly before the oshota dipped his chin in a sign of respect.
“How’s he coping with this?” Caius asked.
“He’s pulled every favor he could to get her a lighter sentence.”
“Will it be enough?”
Unlikely. The Houses were out for blood.
Harlow didn’t know how lenient the emperor would feel. Particularly with the news of his eldest son’s fate and subsequent trial.
A storm had landed that might sweep the entirety of the Tuann into its grip.
Harlow wasn’t certain their empire would weather it unscathed. Crashing waves were threatening to sunder their Houses. Already, he could see the cracks as alliances shifted and fell.
Torvald was in a difficult position. With his firstborn being at the eye of the storm, the Houses would argue he was unable to be impartial at the slightest sign he wasn’t following the law. If he wasn’t careful, they would use it to unseat him from his throne.
Civil war would break out and the Houses would turn on each other the same way they had the last time no one sat on the throne.
It would be chaos.
And Harlow’s niece was standing at the center of it all.
Elise straightened as she caught sight of something down the hall, her expression intent as if mentally begging the other person to look at her.
Harlow wasn’t surprised as Kira stepped into sight. His niece met his gaze for a moment before stalking forward.
“That’s a surprise,” Caius said.
One side of Harlow’s mouth tilted up. “I never doubted her.”
Caius reached for his communicator. “I suppose I can call off our forces now that we won’t need them.”
