City of Loptra, Khitan
“Royo and Aeri will betray us!” Euyn yells. He slaps his hand on his side, frustration oozing from him.
As we rode toward Loptra, Euyn worked himself into a full meltdown about Royo and Aeri taking the ring to King Joon. I’m listening but also not. This has gone on for a while as he’s spiraled into an elaborate conspiracy theory.
I’d be concerned, but as far as I can tell, it’s based on nothing.
I’m still shocked that Euyn apologized and tried to save my life by the ice caves. It’s no small thing for a man like him to say he was sorry, to put a common girl’s life before his own. Is it enough, though? He can’t take back what he did in the past—no one ever can—so is it enough that he feels sorry? I don’t know. I’ve pondered it for bells now.
Everyone else has slept on and off in the two-day trip to Loptra, but the thing that’s kept me up nearly the whole time is how making the antidote, showing mercy to the guard, was a mistake. Mikail was right—it almost got us killed. By trying to spare one soul, I nearly took five.
When I was in poison school, Madame Iseul used to say mercy was a luxury that girls like us couldn’t afford. I used to argue that she was wrong—that kindness was the only way we could afford to keep our humanity.
Now, I’m not so sure. I would think this was just unfortunate, that mercy only failed me this one time, but maybe it would always end like this for someone like me. Maybe mercy is a privilege of the powerful.
We deposit the sleigh in a stable in Loptra. I stretch and yawn. It’s nearly midnight.
“We should leave,” Euyn says.
Mikail and I both look over at him. Gambria and Lyria stand a few yards away, waiting by the stable entrance.
“I am taking a bath, and you could use one, too, to prevent an infection,” Mikail says. He stitched Euyn’s leg together when we stopped for water. It was a nasty-looking wound.
Euyn wavers. “All right, then immediately after that. We need to beat them to Quu.”
Mikail utters a long-suffering sigh. I don’t think Gambria or Lyria speak Yusanian, but they’re staring over here.
I wonder what the relationship is between Mikail and Gambria and why Lyria, a woman who is ethnically Marnan, helped us. But I don’t speak any Marnan, and I don’t entirely trust Gambria for some reason, so I can’t ask.
“I think Euyn is right,” I say. “I think we should head to Vashney tonight.”
Mikail stares at me, puzzled, and Euyn looks taken aback as well. I agreed not because I think Aeri and Royo will betray us. I don’t think that at all. Aeri has accepted that her father is a bad man, and Royo has too much integrity. None of us want to hand another relic to King Joon. I hope they’ve succeeded and are on their way to meet us.
No, I want to leave as soon as possible because each sunset is another night my sister is forced to work in the pleasure houses. Yes, I could use rest in a proper bed, but what is my comfort compared to what she is enduring? If we get to Quilimar just one day sooner, that is one more night of freedom for Daysum. And a greater chance Ty will be alive in Idle.
“Euyn?” Gambria asks as she approaches us. She’s much shorter than I thought when I first saw her. Smaller than even Daysum. But her presence looms larger. She stares at Mikail with startling intensity.
I feel like I said something wrong, but I can’t imagine what. Then it occurs to me that Mikail hasn’t said Euyn’s name since we got into the sleigh. He was keeping his identity a secret.
Mikail gestures. “This is Euyn Hali Baejkin, Crown Prince of Yusan.”
He says it in Khitanese, but I can follow.
Gambria and Lyria stiffen. Gambria’s cheeks gain a cherry hue, and Lyria looks like she’d rather be somewhere else.
“Tell me why I saved this son of a demon,” Gambria says.
I think that’s what it translates to. I might have the creature wrong, but the sentiment is the same.
“He is part of the plan,” Mikail says.
Her eyes narrow. “To?”
“To kill King Joon,” he says.
Euyn blanches even more, which is surprising given his blood loss. He limps closer to Mikail and whispers. “Mikail…are you sure we can trust them?”
“They literally just saved us, so yes, even you should think so,” Mikail says.
