“You look like a different man, my lord.” I caught Tallu’s eyes in the mirror and his mouth stayed a flat line, but his cheek twitched slightly, as though he was holding in a smile.
“You as well, husband,” he said. His eyes narrowed on my hair, and I raised a hand to it, brushing my fingers over the complicated braids. Tallu turned, his eyes fixing on Iradîo at the window, who was watching some birds in a nearby tree. She didn’t look up at his attention.
His jaw clenched, but I came closer. “Perhaps instead of jealousy, you could ask for a lesson. Ididtell you that it was the spouse’s job to perform such duties. It is not my fault your hair is too short to take a braid.”
I raised a hand and brushed my fingers through his locks. At my touch, a few curls fell over his golden crown, the dark coils making the gold shine brighter. His hair was still slightly damp, and I felt each strand under my fingertip.
The tension at the corners of his eyes faded when he looked at me, and I tried to take comfort in that, even as I felt helpless anger at the curse that would take him from me if I didn’t prevent it.
The blood monks had cursed all the heirs of House Atobe to bear the weight of the Imperium’s sins, and in the end such a load would kill them: Tallu and Hallu alike.
“Have you told Empress Koque or King Vostop when we wish to see them?” I asked. It was a safer question to ask in public thanwhat do you plan to say to himandwhat are we going to do?
“No. I thought to invite them to the audience chamber when we are ready.” Tallu covered my hand with his, drawing my fingers down and pressing a soft kiss to the tips.
“Let us go be ready, then.” I started to pull away, but Tallu held fast and tugged me close.
“I ordered food first. Unless three days of dried meat and stale crackers is a northern delicacy and you have been satisfied with the fare provided?” The twitch in his cheek was the only sign of his amusement.
“Oh, no, did I forget to tell you that it’s a courtship ritual?” I asked. “In fact, if you truly wish to seduce me, you must eat only preserved meat for a month, and hardtack for two.”
“I feel as though that is a good way to lose my teeth before my dotage.” Tallu’s eyes crinkled, and I exhaled a breath.
The door opened quietly, and three kitchen servants brought in dishes of food. Under the watchful eyes of the Dogs, each took bites of the dishes they’d brought as they had all begun to do after our first night, when someone had tried to poison Tallu. When the food was declared safe, we began to eat and at the first explosion of berry juice on my tongue, I realized I wasravenous.
By the time I’d eaten two plates, my hunger finally started to abate, my stomach grumbling unhappily at the stretch of food. It also helped clear some of the fog I’d been experiencing since we’d returned. My mind sharpened on a few key details.
The Kennelmaster had once claimed to have spies everywhere, even inside the Lakeshore Palace. With spies throughout the empire, why had we had no forewarning about Bemishu and Kacha’s attack?
Even after the attack, why did we not have some news about what was going on in the capital? Why did none of his spies come with the information about Bemishu taking over lumber yards, or Kacha setting fire to the Mountainside Palace?
Orhadthey alerted the Kennelmaster, and he was holding that information close in the hopes that he could barter it for Tallu’s favor? Or was he already working against Tallu?
My mind spun and Tallu seemed to notice my distraction. I shook my head. “Iradîo tells me I spoil my pet birds.”
“I cannot say. I have not had any pets,” Tallu said. “They seem very devoted to you.”
“I do not think any pet could be as devoted as a wolf,” I said. “Birds will love whoever feeds them, while a wolf cares for its pack.”
“Is that so?” Tallu’s confusion was only partly feigned and I satback. This was a conversation I wasn’t sure we could have only in metaphor. We needed to wait until we were alone.
“Should we summon King Vostop?” I asked. “I am worried over our Krustavian neighbors.”
“Let us do so. I’m sure we have much to discuss with the new Shadow King.” Tallu stood and offered over his arm. When I took it, servants opened the doors, and we walked toward the audience chamber.
Three
In some other life, when the Lakeshore Palace had been owned by the Krustavian king and held his Shadow Throne, perhaps the audience chamber had been intended as a meeting place for all of the guilds of Krustau. Perhaps it had been set with long tables for feasts, or maybe it was intended for artisans to do their work, the large glass windows letting in streams of light that would make the delicate work of jewelry or clockmaking easier.
Instead the Imperium had placed a throne carved from the dark rock of the Krustavian Mountains in front of an enormous stained-glass window with a portrait of the One Dragon.
Just as in the Mountainside Palace, the throne had been the only seating available in the room, proof that the emperor was above all. Tallu had had two additional chairs brought in, although they were not as threatening as his throne. I took the seat at his right hand, the wooden chair as comfortable as could be expected.
We waited, and I wondered if King Vostop was going to take his time arriving, forcing the emperor of the Southern Imperium to wait on him. Would Empress Koque allow him to do that?
There was movement at the door, but it was only the arrival of the Kennelmaster and Gotuye, relieving Sagam and Asahi. Despite my joke about their smell, I was not eager to have them gone.
My mind returned again to wondering why the Kennelmaster hadn’t alerted us to the loss of the capital. It was almost worse if he didn’t know, if he wasn’t playing any game at all, his own network destroyed as the Imperium crumbled around us all.
