Maro stood in the doorway to his office, but both the formal address and the expression on his face made Ryu instantly aware that this was not just a drop-in for a chat. “What’s happening?”
Maro took a deep breath and shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. “A delegation has arrived at the palace, Your Majesty. They’re requesting an audience with the king.”
“The suspense is killing me,” Ryu told him, a slight edge to his voice. “Who are they?” He was rapidly losing patience with the endless guessing games he was forced to play, with everyone, even the most long-running members of staff, anxious about inadvertently offending the new king. But Maro was not usually one to play that sort of game, and perhaps Ryu should have paid more attention to his unusual reticence.
“They’re a group of Nalmagians. Seven of them.”
Ryu was on his feet in an instant, hand immediately reaching for the top drawer of his desk where he kept a small revolver in case of emergencies.
“Where’s Kentario?” was the first question out of his mouth.
“On his way up from the gym,” Maro told him. “He was the first person I alerted.”
“What the hell do they want?” After slaughtering his family and more than a dozen of the palace staff, Ryu was not inclined to play the polite host.
“I’m led to believe they come in peace,” Maro said carefully. “I’ve asked them to wait in the main courtyard, with an escort of six armed guards. Perhaps they might take offence to such harsh measures, but…”
“What do they want?” Ryu repeated, just as Kentario burst through the door. He look instantly relieved to see that Ryu was safe.
“They want to discuss the situation in Nalmaga, with regard to the civil war in Biermarg. They’ve gone to great pains to explain that they are in no way connected to the group that attacked the palace. But they’ve also made the point that it will be impossible to discuss the war without discussing your father.”
Time ground to a halt. Ryu could see his father’s face, lying still and peaceful in the casket at the funeral. What would King Sou have wanted here? He’d never given any ground to the Nalmagians. Would he expect Ryu to do the same? Would he be ashamed of him if he gave in too easily?
“Can we trust them?” Kentario asked. “It’s very easy to say you’re not involved in the massacre, and then turn around and stab the new king at the first opportunity.”
Given how protective both Kentario and Maro had been since his coronation, Ryu didn’t think these newcomers would be given much of an opportunity.
Forcing himself to slow down, to think things through, he sat down in his chair again, leaning back and gazing at the ceiling. A frown creased his face, even as his thoughts became clearer.
“Call Oris,” he told Maro, after the pieces all settled in his mind. “And Lord Nae and Lady Iuma. They’ve both had plenty of dealings with international treaties. They’ll be able to put some perspective on things. And I want no less than a dozen guards in the room at all times, in addition to you and Kentario. Let’s hear them out.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Maro asked. He would, in the end, obey Ryu’s orders, but at the same time, it was his job to question those orders when he felt something was amiss.
“The Nalmagian Disputed Territory is home to no less than forty thousand people. We had about twenty individuals attacking this palace. So leaving aside family ties and tribal links, that leaves about thirty-nine thousand people who are still suffering from the war and in all likelihood had absolutely nothing to do with my parents’ deaths.” He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling a stab of pain in the middle of his chest. “As tempting as it would be, I cannot treat the entire Territory like criminals because of the actions of the reckless few. So get our people together, get the Nalmagians to meet us in the main hall, and let’s hear what they have to say.”
With a bow and no further objections, Maro hurried off to carry out his orders.
“You okay?” Kentario asked, the instant Maro was out the door.
“Not looking forward to this. But their arrival isn’t exactly a surprise. Arresting a bunch of rebels was never going to end the civil war.”
“I’m going to be right by your side the entire time,” Kentario promised.
“I’m counting on it,” Ryu said. “Truth is, I’m absolutely terrified of walking into a room full of those people. And then there’s going to be Lord Nae judging everything I say, and Maro judging me, and my father…”
“Your father,” Kentario said firmly, stepping in front of him, “is no longer king.” Coming from anyone else, the words would have sounded utterly heartless. But Kentario knew him too well. “You have the wisdom and the compassion and the courage to forge any new future that you choose. Learn from the past. But don’t let it control you.”
◊◊◊
When Ryu arrived at the door to the main hall, he expected the Nalmagians to already be inside. Instead, they were clustered around the door, apparently in a dispute with the guard.
“What’s going on?” Ryu asked, stopping a few metres away. Even with the amount of security Maro had pulled together, he wasn’t taking any risks. Kentario subtly positioned himself slightly ahead of Ryu, so as to get between him and the Nalmagians at a moment’s notice, should it be required
“This is the same issue we had with your father,” one of the men said, turning to Ryu with a bow. “With all due respect, Your Majesty, we must be allowed to bring our ceremonial knives into the meeting. It is a great offence to our ancestors if we cannot.”
Ryu stared balefully back at him. “My father was murdered by a group of your tribesmen in this very palace. And I findthatgreatly offensive. So you can either come in without your knives, or you can go back to Nalmaga without any answers.”
The men glanced at each other. After a moment, they seemed to reach an unspoken agreement between them. Without another word, each of them reverently set down his knife, complete with ornate sheath, and filed into the hall.
