“Washe?” Tallu’s voice was ponderous. “From my understanding, General Namati has spent these many decades defending our elven population from the pirates that plagued them. The pirates that steal their supplies and lay waste to their fishing grounds. I would be surprised if the elves would tell us anything of the admiral.”
“I forget how very young you are sometimes, Emperor Tallu. Namati’s men have been a plague on this nation. Find any elf and ask them where he is!” Koque’s voice finally rose, a sharp snap. She opened her fan, covering the lower half of her face with it. Lady Jolushi’s gift to her was being well used.
“And I forget that you have never been to war.” Tallu spoke carefully. “There are those in Tavornai who are loyal to Namati for saving what little they have from pirates. There are those who are loyal to the pirates, who sometimes share their wealth with civilians who shelter them. And you suggest we torture men and women? There is one thing I have learned from my father: a personwill say anything under torture, simply to make the pain stop. We will not know if they are loyal to Namati or the pirates, but either way they will tell us what they think we want to hear. There’s only one family in this entire territory that is loyal tome. They came to my wedding and one-month celebration to prove it.”
Koque exhaled, her breath ruffling the fan. “Then take us with you. Even I have heard the whispers from the sailors and soldiers. Is it any less dangerous to stay aboard this ship just because they speak our language? We would still die, pierced through by a metal blade rather than an elven arrow.” She spoke low and quiet. “Allow us to find Spider with you. I cannot bear sitting here, waiting to see the outcome of my son’s fate, the outcome ofmyfate, without any control.”
Tallu looked at me, and I dipped my chin. “She deserved to know why her son was ill.”
Looking away, Tallu’s face went pale. “He suffers the same curse as me. But finding Spider is no easy task. This is not as simple as escaping a mountain.”
“Nothing has been easy, and you think I will flinch away from this when I have not wilted at having to give up everything else?” Koque spoke clearly. “I am your ally in this, Tallu. You and I share a mission. Why do you act as though I must be kept at arm’s length? There is nothing I would not do to save my children. Crossing the elven nation, tearing the trees from their roots to look beneath them? I have done so much more already to save Hallu.”
“It may not be that easy,” Tallu said.
“Let me meet Spider, let me show her what mettle I am made from. I willnotlet my son die because of somethingMilludid.” She was nearly panting, the fan fluttering erratically in front of her face. “We have come too far.”
Tallu frowned, a single twitch of his eyebrows. I weighed our options. “Husband, it would be a relief to know where your brother was. We’ve already worked so hard to secure his safety. Empress Koque is right. The situation here is even more precariousthan it will be in the boats or on Tavornai soil. Let her protect her son.”
Tallu looked away from her, the smoothness of his face marred by the slightest frown on his forehead. “You know I can deny you nothing when you ask so nicely, Prince Airón.” He glanced at Koque. “Prepare yourself, Empress Koque.”
I rose, and Empress Koque followed my lead. We both bowed to Tallu, and I noticed that this time she formed her fingers into a triangle, the attempt to win his favor not lost on him either.
“The servants should come with us as well.” I tried to think of something else I was missing, but my mind was fuzzy with all the threads.
We wouldn’t be able to bring all of our servants, but at the same time, I wasn’t willing to leave some of them behind, given that we weren’t sure what situation we would come back to.
“Tell General Saxu that we can make room for seventy people, and that we are taking all of our servants with us. It will be a long trek without them.” Tallu was frowning as well, his fingers clasped in front of his lips as he considered.
I nodded again, opening the door for Empress Koque. She slipped out, and before I could follow, Tallu said, “Airón.”
Turning, I closed the door, leaning against it. “I told her. She deserved to know that there was a chance to save her son.”
“We cannot guarantee that,” Tallu said. “You may have just given her false hope and the motivation to turn against us should we fail.”
“Hope is never false. Hope means that you keep going.” I clutched the doorknob under my hand. “And it doesn’t matter. I had to tell her something. She suspects too much.”
“The paranoia of being Millu’s empress will not go away,” Tallu said, but he dropped his chin. “I suppose she deserved to know. It wasn’t as though knowing was going to change how she felt about Millu.”
“I’ll tell our spies to watch her,” I said. Opening the door, Iintended to turn toward my quarters but I caught sight of Sagam standing in the hallway. His back was to me, but tension straightened his spine, pulling his shoulders taut. He was ready to attack.
Asahi stood opposite him, and someone dressed in yellow was trapped between them, though I could not see her face as Sagam’s shoulder blocked my view. Asahi caught sight of me, and grabbed hold of the servant, pulling her behind him.
He turned, clearly ready to flee, moving her with him even as Sagam turned, his face losing its fury as he caught sight of me.
“Your Highness…” He trailed off, and if I waited a moment longer, Asahi was going to disappear with the servant, and I had a feeling we would never see her again.
“Bring her in here.” I didn’t raise my voice, instead keeping it neutral, the order clear.
Sagam froze, glancing to the side and trying to watch both me and Asahi at the same time. Asahi turned.
He was still wearing his mask, so I couldn’t read his expression, but he had been my bodyguard long enough that I recognized when he was positioning his body between two options. Maybe he would flee. Maybe he would attack.
“Bring her here,” I repeated.
Sagam’s face crumpled, but Asahi took hold of the servant’s wrist, drawing her with him as he strode down the hall.
When they passed by Sagam, I understood everything with a quick glance. Opening Tallu’s door, I gestured them inside, motioning sharply for Sagam to follow.
