She gestured, and a servant brought forward a new box, built from local wood, carved with the emblem of House Jolushi. The servant held the box open for her as Lady Jolushi reached inside, removing the head.
Holding it out, she said, “Lord Helli thought to drag this province into rebellion with him. I have taken care of him, and have verified that his heir has no intention of following in his traitorous father’s footsteps.”
Tallu considered the head. Lady Jolushi had managed to find some way of preserving it even further, so it hadn’t fullybegun to decompose in the days since it had left my tent. The whispers in the court turned into a crescendo of sound.
Lady Jolushi’s arm began to tremble, holding the head aloft, but she waited until Tallu made a small gesture of approval before she put it back in the box.
“House Jolushi has always been loyal to the crown. We look forward to your son learning the same respect under your tutelage.” Tallu’s words silenced the court.
Lady Jolushi bowed deeply, her fingers forming a triangle. Beside her, the nursemaid holding the infant Lord Jolushi bowed equally low.
“House Jolushi is honored by your kindness and acknowledgment, Your Imperial Majesty.” She rose from her deep bow, gesturing quickly to the nursemaid who took the boy, just now beginning to fuss, out of the room. “If there is anything we can do to prove our fidelity to you or our gratitude for your continued faith, you have but to say it.”
“We ask you to display the results of your loyalty from your walls, as a warning to all those who think to cross the dragon throne.” Tallu indicated the box. “It would be good for anyone in your territory or the neighboring ones to know the strength in your province.”
The crowd was absolutely silent, eager in anticipation. Lady Jolushi’s shoulders relaxed. This was familiar territory. She had been in court under Emperor Millu, and she knew how to respond to such an overture.
“We thank you, Emperor Tallu, for the opportunity to show our loyalty,” she said. “By your leave, I will have it done now.”
Tallu inclined his head in agreement, and she turned, hastening out of the room. There was little benefit for her to stay. For all she knew, Tallu’s whims were like those of Emperor Millu’s. The longer she remained in his presence, the more chance he would renege on his decision to allow her to act as regent for her son.
When she was gone, whispers cascaded over the crowd. I sawLerolian moving through it, tilting his head to listen in on conversations. When he looked up, he nodded at Tallu.
“Husband, I wonder who else knew of Lord Helli’s alliance with Kacha?” I pretended to frown, one finger touching my chin. “I know he was close to Lord Domusho.”
Domusho didn’t bother sputtering. Instead he turned and ran, finding himself impaled on Asahi’s sword before he even made it to the doors.
“Well,” Tallu said, watching as the body fell to the floor, Domusho’s loyalists desperately trying to look like they had no idea what was going on. “I had been hoping to torture Domusho into admitting he was working with the traitor Kacha, but he admitted it before I even asked. Now what shallwe do for entertainment before dinner?”
Nine
In the end, Lady Jolushi found enough merriment—musicians and jugglers and one man who had tamed some of the wildcats that lived in the forest—that no one else was killed.
Still, everyone in attendance seemed to take it as the threat that it was. Naî crept out of my bedroom, leaping onto the table in the middle of dinner and settling at the head of the table, between me and Tallu. No one dared say anything, and she glared at the wildcats until they slunk away, hiding behind their tamer.
“They’re whispering about how Lady Jolushi caught your favor,” Lerolian reported. “Many of them are wondering if they should continue on with you, or rush home and find their own neighbors to kill. It’s giving many the excuse that they want to settle old quarrels by way of their swords.”
“They’ve become prey,”Naî said as she looked out over the crowd. She licked her lips and now more than the wildcats looked nervous, whispers fluttering between the nearest courtiers.
I kept my eyes on Domusho’s allies, who pointedly expressed their gratitude to Tallu, raising their glasses and toasting him at every opportunity.
I could see the sweat forming on their brows, the anxiety as Tallu stared them down, and it was obvious what Naî meant. These people, so used to being in charge, controlling those beneath them, were nervous.
On Tallu’s other side, Empress Koque raised her glass to her lips, her eyes flicking between me and Tallu and the room at large before her gaze returned to me. I raised my cup. Tallu had not merely upset the natural order; he had taken the natural order, turned it on its head, and shaken as hard as he could, letting all of the fears of the court fall onto the ground.
These people who wanted to use his strength, wanted to usehim, were only now finding out that Tallu didn’t demand abject loyalty, as his father did. He asked for something greater.
After dinner, Tallu retreated to his room, and I tried not to worry about the copper blood I could smell on his breath. My heart said to follow him, but I had other plans, ones I needed to fulfill or I would never be able to travel any further without looking at every shadow for threats.
I returned to my quarters, waiting patiently until the palace fell asleep. Then, Homisu helped me into the dark gray worn by the Dogs and I walked out onto the balcony, drawing a scarf around my face. Iradîo was already there, a snowy white owl perched on the banister beside her. She raised her eyebrow and I nodded.
Silently, I leapt over the banister, dropping onto the soft garden beneath my rooms. I was up on my feet jogging into the shadow of a tree when I heard Iradîo land behind me. We slunk to the road leading to House Jolushi’s estate. Then we waited for our prey.
Above me, in the tree, Terror made his displeasure known.
“Isn’t this what you have ghosts for?” His voice was a loud screech in the darkness, but not any stranger than any other night animal’s. “I won’t follow you. Don’t think I’m going tofollowyou or try and help you. I’m not that foolish.”
“I’ll follow you,” Ratcatcher said from a nearby tree. “Do you want me to follow you?”
