The woman seemed to consider this, her lips twisted ruefully. “I am not sure how optimistic the duchess will be. In fact, she might not be in favor of you starting a conflict at her border at all.”
Iryana’s chest constricted. She had hoped it wouldn’t come to this.
“Are you familiar with our oaths, Lady Dyavara?”
The woman blinked. “I—not specifically, but—”
Iryana glanced at her grandmother, at the First, who nodded her agreement. She took a deep breath.
“We are guardians of Istri. Of thepeopleof Istri.” Her voice was heavy. “Our duty is to the people we protect first, above all others. Then, our duty to our clan comes next. And only after that comes duty to the rulers of Istri.”
Lady Dyavara opened her mouth, but Iryana didn’t let her speak.
“The duchess may rule this settlement, but it would go against the oaths we have taken as guardians to abandon the people now. It’s not just those here in this settlement that we have a duty to.”
Even when her clan had guarded Klees, those outside the city were their responsibility too. All were welcome in their fortress when the invaders came. The Kleesolds would protect them all. The 18th and the other settlements nearby may not have come to the clan for help or even asked for it, but Iryana still felt a duty to them.
“The duchess will not like—”
The First cut in, voice sharp. “If the duchess wanted obedient guards at her border, she should have picked soldiers instead of guardians.”
It was a risky move, going against the duchess like this; there could be consequences for it. But Iryana knew it was what they had to do.
“We have until winter,” Iryana stated. “Like we agreed upon before. And the Guardians of Klees will secure the Dovaki post, will protect the people of this region.”
There was still hesitation in Lady Dyavara’s eyes, which flicked to the First. “And after that? What is the future of your clan with no heir?”
“It is hard,” her grandmother drew out. “For the duchess to trust in the future of a clan that would crumple with my death. I am not a young woman.”
The heir. The Third. That’s what it would take then.
Iryana took a slow breath, her mind not as decided as she’d hoped. Being heir would mean being forever tied to the family, being at its heart. She would have to move into the main house when this was all over, train under her grandmother again. She wouldn’t be able to leave when she couldn’t handle it or if the family stopped supporting her.
Becoming heir could not be taken back. And if something happened to Iryana, they wouldn’t be able to name a new Third, at least not after the official ceremony. Just like they couldn’t name a new second with Gornhal gone.
Was she ready for that?
The woman looked at her finished plate, a slight shake to her head.
Iryana realized it didn’t matter if she was ready or not. She couldn’t make her choice based on fear. This was it—the last opportunity. If Lady Dyavara left their post like this, the Dovaki post would be done.
“My grandmother has asked me to be the Third.” Iryana’s eyes slid over to her grandmother. “I’ve agreed. So the Kleesold Guardiansdohave a metal-forged heir.”
Her grandmother smiled, and amid the chorus of sounds that broke out across the room, Iryana could hear Misha shouting. The woman nodded, seeming to relax at Iryana’s confident tone. Iryana just hoped she could trust in her plan as much as she was acting like she did.
“I will inform the duchess then.”
They discussed the practicalities for a while, with a few members of her family stopping by to throw their support behind the plan. Uncle Dinhal, the last metal-forged before her, squeezed her shoulders supportively.
Finally, the woman stood, and the First rose to say her goodbyes. Iryana sat staring at the wall across from her in a daze. She’d done it; she’d bought them time. But what would come next would be much harder than convincing the duchess’s representative.
“I’m glad you’re back, my granddaughter.” Her grandmother’s voice snagged her attention.
“We need to get a few things decided before I go; we’ll need to all work together,” she said softly, never imagining she would talk to her grandmother in such a way. “But I need to head back to the brigade soon so I am not missed. I need to get everyone on board on that side too.”
And the thought of that twisted her gut even worse. She had amends to make. And she had to hope Karvek did not know she had left the mission, that Vaneshta had not turned back early. It had been yesterday that Hadima had tried to take on Karvek, that Iryana had left Vaneshta and Lidishta in the woods.
They’d be returning to the fort soon.
