“Not the ghost of my father I can summon?” Tallu asked, raising his fingers so that two of his fingertips brushed over his cheekbones.
There was no happiness in his smile, and it was impossible not to see his father in him, as he still wore so many of Emperor Millu’s clothes. We had been forced to take them from the Lakeshore Palace; the emperor’s wardrobe had not been packed by servants fleeing for their lives when the Mountainside Palace burned around them.
“What are your orders, Your Imperial Majesty?” Saxu asked.
“Going over land is too slow. And now Kacha will have a good idea of our route. We must change it so that whatever news those fleeing rats take back to the cat they want to serve is inaccurate.” Tallu smiled, and it wasn’t a pleasant thing. “They will find out very quickly how unhappy Kacha becomes at men who fail him.”
Saxu frowned before his eyebrows rose in understanding. “The trading routes along the river.”
“We’re far enough into the mountains now that we have access to all of the rivers that we didn’t on the eastern side of the Imperium,” Tallu agreed. He looked at me.
“I was going to have a quiet word with Lady Jolushi this morning. Perhaps their province might pay the emperor in boats rather than taxes.” I smirked, and Saxu nodded. “We can go to the coast. Neither Bemishu nor Kacha has any sort of navy to speak of, unless they’ve managed to build boats in the weeks it took you to get here. Once we get to the coast, we can travel south to Tavornai.”
“That’s dangerous,” Saxu said. “If the pirates don’t get us, General Namati’s navy will.”
“We were trying to get to him anyway. If we are captured, all the easier.” But I frowned. “Is there another route?”
Saxu shook his head. “Almost all of the other rivers go past the capital. And the only ones that don’t grow too narrow or too shallow for us to transport all of our soldiers.”
“And I suppose this time you won’t let Tallu and me go off on our own?” I tried to turn it into a joke, but Saxu shook his head.
“With only three Dogs, I could not, in good conscience, support such a plan.” He frowned, thinking. “If we were fast, we might manage it. None of the pirates have electro mages, and Namati has only a few.”
We waited as he pondered the solutions that would not come. Finally, he raised his eyes, almost smiling. “I hope you find success with Lady Jolushi, Prince Airón. I believe it is our best chance to reach Tavornai safely.”
The rest of breakfast was spent discussing plans for the route south, and both Saxu and Rede showed their intimate knowledge of the inner Imperium that the rivers would take us through. The inner Imperium was made up of the provinces with the oldest ties to the Imperium; the land Tallu had once called a small kingdom following the river. Only it turned out that it wasn’t one river so much as dozens that met and parted based on geography. By their judgment, unless we met with catastrophe, we could reach Tavornai in two weeks rather than the two months the journey would take by land.
After breakfast, General Saxu and Commander Rede took their leave, and Tallu and I both waited until Sagam indicated we were alone. Around us the greenhouse was quiet, without even a breeze to sway the branches.
I frowned at Tallu, and he shook his head. “He might be right. Mimicking my father does not make just me and Empress Koqueuncomfortable. It confuses the court. I am my own man. And yet acting as Emperor Tallu in this time of crisis is more difficult.”
I understood what he wasn’t saying. Confusing the court had been our objective, but to our allies it seemed counterproductive. The delicate balance was one we would have to be careful to maintain.
“I’m going to meet with Lady Jolushi. Hopefully, we can have the issue of transport resolved quickly. What will you do?”
“When you meet with her, ask her how many members of the court have already requested a meeting. She has been granted a great favor, and they will be looking to see how they can receive equal benefit.” Tallu moved his jeweled fingers thoughtfully. “She can let them know that she spied closely on her neighbor and only acted with evidence. That it was protecting the Imperium rather than murder that found approval.”
“Letting the whispers do the work, rather than looking like the mad emperor who demands his people murder each other.” I took a last drink of tea. It had gone cold and sat bitter in the back of my mouth.
When I walked out of the garden, I noticed a number of courtiers lingering nearby. I could tell they wanted to speak with me, but I remembered. Whispers. That was how Tallu had gained his power. That was how he had shown his father loyalty.
Turning to Iradîo, I said loudly in Imperial, “His Imperial Majesty was so impressed with Lady Jolushi’s initiative. To think, one of his own people made the move herself, not relying on His Imperial Majesty.”
Iradîo took it in stride, even though we usually spoke only in Northern. “Is that rare in the Imperium?”
“I have no idea. I only know that such strength gains His Imperial Majesty’s attention. When the traitor generals are defeated, His Imperial Majesty will need strong members of his court to form a new council.” I looked around, pretending I didn’t see all of the courtiers suddenly whispering to each other. “I mustsummon Lady Jolushi and speak with her about the emperor’s appreciation.”
We headed back to my quarters, and Nohe sent a servant to summon Lady Jolushi, as Homisu adjusted my outfit, the unhappy moue on his face expressing that he wasn’t sure how I had made such a mess of myself in the two hours since I had left his attentions.
If I hadn’t been aware of time passing, I might not have known how quickly Lady Jolushi must have rushed to my rooms upon receiving her summons. Nohe, tactful as always, ordered the rest of the servants out, moving to the side of the door in case we should need anything. Iradîo lingered near the window, looking out it and into the garden beneath.
“His Imperial Majesty was impressed with your indoor garden,” I said.
“It is some comfort in the winter months, when the snows and cold take hold of everything. It also offers some heat. The glass traps the warmth inside.” Lady Jolushi opened her fan, keeping it in front of her face as she considered me. “I am glad it pleased the emperor. I would be happy to provide the craftsmen, should His Imperial Majesty wish to recreate it in any of his palaces.”
“I am sure the emperor would be grateful for all of the support you offer, Lady Jolushi. Killing Lord Helli after you made sure he was aligned with and supporting General Kacha was a great show of your loyalty to His Imperial Majesty,” I said.
Her eyes cut to me, her fan guarding her expression. “I am happy to serve Dragon Chosen Emperor Tallu. His support will allow me to quell any whispers of discontent among lesser nobles living in the province. I am more than happy to share the estate with him for as long as His Imperial Majesty desires.”
