I sat back, and Hallu shivered, the ice cracking off him and falling to the floor, melting almost immediately in the heat of the room. Koque stared.
“I had heard, in the north, the magic practiced was animal speak,” Koque said delicately, which was the politest way of demanding to know what I had done to her son.
It hadn’t even occurred to me that she might be a magical purist. She had become lovers with a Krustavian miner. They were known for singing the metal out from rocks, gems and jewels falling into their hands because of a single note of song.
“The dragon that chose Emperor Tallu offered to teach me some of the magic left behind by the One Dragon.” It was true, after a sense, and Koque hesitated for only a second before nodding.
“I am sure anything taught by the dragon that grantedEmperor Tallu its favor is a blessing,” Koque said. “And I saw you do something similar in the caves beneath Mountain Thrown City. I was grateful then, as I am now.”
“Prince Hallu, it is very important that you tell me the truth,” I said, thinking of the horrors that Tallu had feared before we set off for the Lakeshore Palace. “Do you ever see anything else? Anything that wasn’t because of Centipede?”
If he were going to see ghosts of those murdered by the Imperium, this would be the place to see it, in a palace that had once been seat to the Shadow Throne.
Prince Hallu shook his head, and I could see from the gleam on his skin that already he was looking healthier. His skin had begun to take on the quality natural to most Imperials, a soft shine that made him look as valuable as any of the precious metals Vostop could pull from Krustavian mines.
I stood, feeling slightly unsteady on my feet, and Empress Koque joined me. She eyed me with some concern before stepping closer.
“I care for both my sons a great deal. Please assure me that you are only showing this gift left from the One Dragon to Emperor Tallu and myself. I fear that anyone else might be confused as to the origin of your magnificent powers.” Her gaze was firm, and she had survived enough time in the palace that I knew it was better to listen to her.
I had been so desperate to save Hallu that now I realized I had just given someone who might be my enemy a secret that could force Tallu to reveal too much about his intentions.
“As it comes from one who has been in my position, I will take your advice.” I blinked, only partially because of lightheadedness. “In the north, we are more liberal about such things, and I would hate for anyone to wrongly believe that I am practicing forbidden magic. Especially because of how it will reflect on your son.”
Koque’s face relaxed. We had come to an understanding. We both had something that might endanger the other. Hallu wouldalso pay if it was revealed that I had used ice magic to abate some of his symptoms.
Koque stepped toward the door, and I asked, “What do you want the emperor to do about Vostop?”
“I love him, but I will not be separated from my son again,” Koque said.
I let her open the door and usher me out, the servants rushing in. In the hallway, Iradîo shot me an annoyed look. I had promised her I would stay in the garden, and when I walked around the palace without any guard, it made it all the more obvious that my protection was not her primary job.
“I need to find Quuri,” I said.
Iradîo shook her head, but led the way down the hall, speaking quietly in Northern, “You would make my job a lot easier if you were less careless.”
“I didn’t have a choice,” I muttered. “I had to understand what was going on with the prince.”
With an eye roll, Iradîo followed me to a small office just past the kitchen. One of the blood monks was in the kitchen as we passed through it, and he watched with some interest as Iradîo opened Quuri’s door. The steward jumped to her feet when the door opened, her eyes wide.
“Your Highness.”
“When this palace was taken from Krustau, the Imperium would have taken trophies. Where are they?” I asked, thinking of all the weapons the Imperium had stolen, all the proof of their conquest they displayed at the Mountainside Palace.
“From the conquering?” Quuri asked. “Perhaps if I understood what Your Highness was looking for, I might be better able to serve?”
“The Mountainside Palace kept weapons from all of their enemies, but they also used the bones of the One Dragon in their throne; I have no reason to believe they didn’t keep precious pelts or statues or other rewards.” I tried to keep my voice light, notmake a judgment about the lords of House Atobe that chose to sit on a throne of charred black dragon bones.
Quuri glanced back at Iradîo, then toward me, her brows creased. Finally, she said, “There are some Krustavian things in storage.”
“Take me there,” I commanded.
Still frowning, Quuri reached into her desk and drew out a large ring of keys. The blood monk disappeared through the wall, likely to tell Tallu as Quuri led me through the palace down a set of stairs into a musty-smelling room nearly as large as Tallu’s quarters. It was packed full of chests and shelves.
“Your Highness, there are many things that are from the era of Emperor Rellu, who first conquered the plains.” She looked over the storage space, packed so tightly that it would be hard to search for anything. “Is there something specific you were hoping to find?”
“I need something that would represent value to the Krustavian king. Something as valuable as the empress.” I wasn’t sure there was anything in this mess that would suffice, but Quuri nodded immediately.
With unerring sureness, she led me to the back of the room, where bones had been piled against the wall. I didn’t have to lift them to know they were Krustavian.
