Even as his feet hesitated, his hand was already reaching into the ring, reappearing inside the room in Arienne’s mind. Arienne watched Cain as he ran his fingertips along a leg of his spectacles, hesitating only a moment before stepping into the ring.
15LORAN
“… As you well know, I did not authorize the atrocity you saw in the square. To execute citizens without a trial, in the middle of a public square no less. Such a thing would be untenable under Imperial law and all that is good under heaven.”
It was the morning after the battle in the square. Loran and Gwaharad were paying a visit to Prefect Hesperus’s office. Officially, they were there as representatives of the citizenry to petition for redress, but the prefect knew as well as they did that the real reason they were there was because a hundred Kamori soldiers were holding the surrendering legionaries prisoner. The prefect’s hair was grayer than Loran remembered, and his face more wrinkled. He was wearing a deep red doublet with gold buttons.
“Seeing what has transpired since then, I expect the Twenty-Fifth’s Legate Aurelia to also blame it on some rogue element in her legion. That legion is mostly comprised of Phaidians. Unruly barbarians accustomed to pillaging for their supper. The legate isstill on her way from Rammania with the main contingent of her command, which makes it difficult to accuse her of this heinous act.”
The prefect’s office had long drapes with a pair of falcons embroidered on them. Symbols of the Empire. Furniture made of luxurious dark wood, imported from who knows where. On the wall was an elaborate portrait of the prefect, painted in vibrant pigments that also had to be imported from afar.
“… The right to resist unjust force is the natural right of any citizen of our Empire. Even if the orchestrator of this violence be an Imperial officer, these deeply illegal, unsanctioned actions…”
The scales had fallen from Loran’s face and the light had gone out in her left eye. Her fury, however, would not subside. Hesperus was the prefect who had ordered the deaths of countless citizens, then had her husband and daughter killed for mourning them. This man, who had refused to grant her an audience no matter how desperately she had petitioned him, was now sitting in front of her and Gwaharad, spewing ridiculous excuses and acting like he cared about the citizens of Arland. He simply would not stop talking.
“… The presence of the legion is, of course, wholly necessary to the security of Arland and the entire Lontaria region, but such things do happen on rare occasions. To mediate in such cases is also my duty as the prefect…”
Loran wanted to grab this man by his lapel and put Wurmath’s tip on his throat, demanding an explanation for the murder of her family. It was as if her blood were boiling in her head. But she must not show it. Gwaharad had asked her not to cause trouble, had told her Hesperus must not be antagonized. That only the prefect could convince the Empire to blame the legion for the incident at thesquare. That they must use the friction between the Twenty-Fifth and the prefect as an opportunity. That it was crucial they did not put the legion and the prefect on the same side.
“… And although there is talk of calling your people a rebel force, I have seen no evidence of such. You may call yourselves king and princess, but that in itself is no crime. Then we would have hanged ‘the Salt King’ or ‘the Shipping King’ who work in the market as pretenders. I myself know several women in Kingsworth who are often referred to as princesses.” He laughed.
Loran did her best not to burn the prefect to a crisp.
“But what would you do in my situation? If, for example, you retreated at this point, I can make an official report to the Senate that will keep both you and me safe from blame.”
“That is the right thing to do,” Gwaharad said. “But my army suppressed the rogue legionaries’ riot, and brought peace back to your city. Surely there must be some compensation for this.”
Loran’s head quickly turned to Gwaharad. Whether he hadn’t seen her or was ignoring her, he continued to stare at Hesperus.
“Of course. How about ten thousand denarii?”
“Thirteen thousand. In gold, not silver.”
“Then eleven thousand.”
“Arland is lucky to have such a wise prefect.”
They were talking like merchants at the market. Despite Loran’s glare, Gwaharad didn’t even give her so much as a glance. The prefect’s eyes darted toward Loran a few times, but that was it. The two were acting as if they made such transactions every day.
Loran could not stand to be silent any longer.
“Your Majesty, what’s the meaning of this?”
At her calm yet firm voice, the prefect and king stopped talking and turned to Loran.
“Two innocent people were killed, and the legion has wrecked Kingsworth. Are you to do nothing but accept his money and retreat?”
Hesperus, disconcerted, gave a polite cough. Gwaharad softly clucked his tongue to himself and said, “You’ve heard it yourself, Mistress Loran. The affair was not the responsibility of the prefect. It was the legion that was responsible. There will come a day when they answer for what they’ve done.”
“This division between the legion and the prefect is the Empire’s, not ours,” Loran growled. “It does not concern us! How could there be a prefect without a legion, or a legion without a prefect?”
Losing her last scrap of patience, she drew Wurmath from its scabbard. Hesperus gasped and ran toward the window, but tripped over a rug and ended up grabbing the drapes, almost ripping them.
Loran’s voice grew deeper and louder. Smoke issued from her new eyepatch, her left eye regaining sight. “If I slay this man, will the legion not retaliate? Then how is it you consider them as separate?”
Gwaharad, panicking, raised his arms toward her. “Princess, please be calm!”
Now she was a princess again? Loran did not turn away from the prefect.
