Kira hated to say it, but she'd warned them. Maybe after this, Castor and the other Overlords would actually start to listen.
Torvald's voice issued from somewhere out of sight on the holo vid screen. "House Asanth has gone into lockdown while their Overlord heals."
Graydon leaned his fists on the table in front of him. "A member of his House may use this opportunity to usurp his seat."
Kira glanced at him. "Would his House allow that?"
"Maybe," Graydon said with a hint of frustration.
"It's not unheard of. Especially in Houses like Asanth's where they put a large emphasis on strength," Harlow explained. "If they’ve lost faith in their Overlord, there are some who might seek to take advantage. Castor is highly respected, though, so I find that unlikely in this case."
Graydon pushed off the table. "Let's hope so. Asanth's current Overlord is a known entity. I don't like the thought of having to deal with someone new. It could make the situation unpredictable."
"We will deal with that if it comes to it," Torvald said.
It would be nice to think that this lesson had taught Asanth something. That they would take seriously Kira's claim that there were people among their House working with the Tsavitee.
She doubted it, though.
If there was one thing she’d learned, it was that the Tuann could be incredibly stubborn when it came to what was right in front of their faces.
It was more likely they’d blame the rest of the sub-Houses, adding more fuel to the rebellion.
"What happens to the sub-House responsible for the attack?" Kira asked.
"It's already happened," Harlow answered. "The House was razed to the ground. The few survivors were branded traitors and cast out to become wanderers."
Kira looked from him to Graydon in disbelief. "All of them?"
Graydon's face was hard. "Members of a House share in its fate."
Kira swallowed. "The children too?"
Graydon's gaze held hers. "Yes."
Kira looked away, blinking away the tightness in her eyes. "That doesn't seem right."
The older members of a House could choose whether to stay or go. It was rare, but they had the opportunity to enter other Houses. The children wouldn’t have had that chance. Their only sin was being born to the wrong parents.
"It's a harsh aspect of our society," Graydon said quietly.
Kira made an angry gesture, cutting off his explanation. She didn't want to hear it.
A hologram of Torvald clicked into view, causing silence to fall.
Torvald Elden's gaze was piercing as it landed on Kira. "Don't blame my Face for this. As brutal as it seems, this is an accepted aspect of the society you chose to enter. More than one House has been brought low for showing mercy to the offspring of their enemy. A child today becomes an adult tomorrow. What is to say they won't seek vengeance later for the fall of their House? As your friend, Joule, demonstrates, youth is no impediment to loyalty. It is understandable that House Asanth is unwilling to shoulder the responsibility and risk of those children's future actions."
Kira was unable to look away from the emperor, the vast distance between them doing little to dampen the effect of his presence.
Like Harlow and Graydon, he was able to effortlessly command attention when he wanted to.
He reminded Kira of a dragon. Regal—and just as likely to eat you.
His size was one of the first things you noticed about him. That and his eyes, a striking gold against his light brown skin.
It was those eyes that first clued her into his relation to Jin. They were so similar. Though Jin's had been a few shades lighter.
Time may have dimmed Kira's memory of that boy from her past, but she could see the shadow of what Jin may have one day grown up to be in Torvald's features.
