“I don’t think—” Royo starts. All eyes turn to him. He closes his mouth and colors red.
He still cares about Aeri, no matter what he says. Beneath his hard exterior is a soft, gentle heart.
Royo shoves food in his mouth as if no one noticed. Everyone did. The same way I saw him patrolling while we were aboard the fleet ship. The only reason to be walking the passageways was to protect Aeri. Everyone knew that.
I dab a soft napkin against my lips. “Why would we see General Vikal?” I ask.
“To get information,” Mikail says. “Perhaps build a connection to bring us close to Quilimar.”
I exhale. It’s not poisoning or stealing something. He wants me to charm the general, which is also a unique skill set I have, I suppose. Women are typically harder to win over than men, but anyone can be seduced.
“All right,” Aeri says, “and what if we’re captured?”
“There’s no reason to capture you as long as you don’t reveal that you are Princess Naerium. And you kept that secret well.” Mikail pauses and stares at her, anger flashing in his eyes. “Sora is an indentured servant who is now free. You were and are free.”
Aeri seems to accept that, twirling and slurping her noodles.
Mikail turns to Royo. “I don’t imagine your blood work brought you across the border, correct?”
Royo continues chewing but shakes his head. His thick black hair is an improvement over the shaved look he had when we first met—it softens him a touch.
“Then you can go with them if you want to keep them safe.”
Royo’s amber-colored eyes dart to the side. I hope he does come with us. It would be nice to have his protection.
“What’ll you be doing, Mikail?” Royo asks.
“Meeting with the Yusanian Ambassador. There has to be a way to get close to the throne. Something I’m not considering. I’m hoping Zeolin will know.”
“And Euyn?” Aeri asks.
Mikail barely glances at him, despite Euyn giving him his full attention from the moment he stepped inside. “Euyn has a bounty on his head. He should stay as hidden as possible.”
Aeri’s eyebrows come together. “I thought Quilimar hates the king. Wouldn’t she want to help Euyn?”
“Her reign is new and tenuous,” Mikail says. “She is not of Khitanese royal blood or Khitanese at all, and ostensibly, she is only a regent. It is hard to say whether she’d give Euyn’s head to Joon to broker better terms with Yusan, especially after the attempt on her life.” He shifts his gaze to Euyn’s, and one corner of his mouth tips up. “And she’s not exactly a fan of Euyn.”
I wish Ty were here. The politics goes above my head, but he would be asking the right questions. He understands power and the nobility.
I close my eyes, reliving how he said he’d wait for anything in the throne room, how he bravely stood knowing he’d be hauled away to a sunless dungeon. Tears prick my eyes, but I push them back. I don’t have the luxury of giving in to emotion right now.
“We should check their Temple of Knowledge,” Euyn says. “If the Rule of Distance was put in place fifteen years ago, their Yoksa will have a record of it, and they will also have documented any exceptions. Even with Quilimar seeing no one now, the exceptions should hold.”
“The Yoksa?” Royo asks.
“Priests of knowledge,” Euyn answers. “Historical records of all kings are kept in the Temple of Knowledge by independent priests called the Yoksa. There is a temple in each kingdom, and they are always in hidden locations. That is how they stay true…for the most part.”
I roll the idea around in my mind. An exception to the Rule of Distance is exactly what we need. A little spark of hope lights inside me.
Mikail sighs.
“What?” Euyn asks, his gaze searching him. “You don’t agree?”
“No, I do. But the Temple of Knowledge in Khitan is under a frozen lake this time of year.”
I tilt my head so my good ear is toward Mikail. I’m not sure I heard him correctly.
Royo’s eyebrows shoot up. “Under?”
