“I am the royal spymaster of Yusan,” Mikail announces in Khitanese, lifting his chin.
He really is fluent in all languages. He speaks without an accent or hesitation. I’ve picked up the language from listening to him, Gambria, and others. I miss a word every now and then, but I understand much of it.
The redheaded guard and a male guard exchange glances.
“I’m here to see Queen Quilimar,” Mikail adds.
“No one sees the queen now,” the female guard says.
Mikail waves his hand. “Tell her we brought an exception to the Rule of Distance. And also, her youngest brother would like a word. See if that changes her mind.”
Unsurprisingly, his words cause a commotion. The nobility and military wandering around the portico start whispering to each other. Everyone looks our way, subtly or otherwise. Mikail has created a stir—just as he planned.
It isn’t long before General Vikal comes out of the palace. This time, she wears a type of military dress. She has on beige crepe slacks that flatter her long frame and chest armor. Hers is obsidian black, compared to the silver of the other guards. It covers a long-sleeved white silk blouse. It’s the best outfit I’ve ever seen, both feminine and warlike. I want one. Her curly hair is pulled back in a dignified twist.
“What a surprise,” she says in Khitanese, eyeing Mikail.
“You meant to say, ‘What a pleasant surprise.’” He grins and intentionally looks down at her, because even though she is tall, he is taller.
Vikal stares. “No, I spoke correctly the first time.”
He smirks. She looks from him to Euyn. “And what a surprise to see you alive, Your Highness.” She inclines her head, but just.
Once again, she leaves out the wordpleasant.
Euyn nods stiffly. “General.”
Then she looks at Gambria and draws an irritated breath. Her composure cracks slightly. “I see the surprises continue today.”
Gambria holds her head high. “I am simply their driver.”
They really don’t like each other. Gambria is probably a foot shorter than the general, but you’d never know it from the way she carries herself. Her posture is perfect, her face unaffected.
I stop slouching, and I’m just in time because the general looks at Royo and me. But she pauses on Sora. She must remember her from the banquet where Seok made the scene. Even if he hadn’t, it’s impossible to forget Sora.
She could never be a thief.
“I am told that you have an exception to the Rule of Distance,” General Vikal says in Yusanian. “Who brings it? The assassin, the dead prince, or the spy?”
She points at Sora, Euyn, and Mikail in turn.
“Actually, we were able to steal it as a team,” Mikail says. “A group project, if you will.”
The general shakes her head. “You can all live in the villa together, if that’s what suits you, but only one of you may pass.”
Mikail gestures to me—the signal, in case we were refused entry.
I take the egg out of the saddlebag, holding it up so everyone can see. “From an amarth nest,” I say loudly in Khitanese.
Even the general is taken aback, shifting on her heels with her eyes wide. It’s not every day people see an egg as big as an ostrich’s that’s a deep, black color. The crowd stops what they’re doing to remark on the egg, the legends of the amarth, and the Rule of Distance. Their whispers and gasps fill the space, echoing around us.
General Vikal blinks for a second too long, annoyed at being outplayed. We have public attention, and now, if she refuses us, it will make the queen look weak. They can’t afford that after a nearly successful assassination attempt. Not when she’s only a regent.
“We took this as a team, so we will see the queen as a team,” Mikail says, switching back to Yusanian.
“Absolutely not.”
“Then I suppose she doesn’t need this,” I say.
