I shut the door behind us and released his arm. “I’m not looking to screw you today, Darius, not after the Federation reamed me out last night, and you wouldn’t want me to since they’re planning to screw you rough soon enough.”
Darius frowned. “The Federation is supposed to want to screw me over. We are enemies, you know.”
“As are we, but the Federation is making moves to endthis conflict in such a way as we’ll both be crushed in the next war.” I quickly explained the post-war quadrant Lady d’Lyre had laid out for me this morning. The archduke listened politely, his face calm, but slowly grew more and more rigid. When I finished with my predictions for the next war, he sighed, exasperated.
“Well, that sounds about right,” he said.
I grabbed the archduke by the shoulders and shook him. “Damn it, man, muster a fuck to give! This is the end of both our nations I’m talking about.”
Darius shoved me away. “You think I don’t know that? I do, but what do you expect me to do about it? I’m a minor Imperial ally. The Emperor only supports me as long as I fight alongside her forces. If the Federation gives her a better deal, I’m certain the Empire will sell Yezhidia down the river.”
“I expect you to get a grip and help me stop the Federation,” I snarled.
“And how are we going to do that?” Darius asked.
I held up two fingers. “Two ways. First, we confirm the Federation’s intel is correct. If they’re lying or even just wrong, the whole deal is off, and we can negotiate a better one. Two, even if the Federation is right that the Despotate detonated the Fall device to deny the Emperor another planetary conquest, we still have a chance if we convince enough Imperial nobles that a strong Commonwealth and Yezhidia are necessary for the balance of power in the quadrant. Even if the demon lords don’t give a shit about which nations survive, they don’t want to lose everything they just won because they let one of their enemies get too much at the peace treaty.”
“That’s not a miserable idea,” Darius decided after a moment’s thought.
“I’m buoyed by your vote of confidence,” I said flatly.
“Easy on, you know it’s a long shot as much as I do. Sadly,it’s the only shot we’ve got,” Darius said. “Do you want to tell Princess Marie?”
“I will if I find her before the race,” I said. “At least, I assume she’s racing.”
“She is. I’ll find her and fill her in somewhere on the mountainside,” Darius promised.
I didn’t have time to thank the archduke, as the door behind me slammed open with an almighty clatter. I whirled about to see Ankhelina filling the doorway, fury distorting her face. I put down my coffee. “If you’ll excuse me, Archduke, I feel I’m about to be called away.”
Darius did not have a chance to reply. Ankhelina lashed out, grabbing my upper arm in one of her sizable hands with remarkable speed, then pulled me along like a wayward child.
“Steady on, Champion. There’s no need to be so rough,” I chided.
Ankhelina did not let up. “What are you thinking, keeping the Emperor waiting?” With no regard for my public image, she half dragged me to the Emperor’s side.
Astrid was dressed in her skintight black flying leathers, her fingers capped in chromium points. When she saw me, her face lit up like a battlecruiser’s engines during maneuvers.
“Levar,” she exclaimed. Then she noticed my outfit, and her face fell. “What is this? You’re not dressed.”
“That’s because I won’t be racing,” I replied, standing stoically before her.
“What?” Astrid looked as though I had slapped her. She searched my face, confused, for an explanation, but I remained impassive. “Levar, I chose a terrain race because I thought you’d enjoy it.”
“After last night, I find I have more important things to do than engage in juvenile games.” I clicked my heels togetherand bowed in my best courtly manner. “I hope you enjoy the race. May the flight be pleasant and your skycar swift.”
For a moment, I thought Astrid would strike me. Her entire body tensed and her fingers curled into fists. Then I thought she would order me to attend, the way she straightened and half turned as though to command Ankhelina to force me into flying leathers. In the end, she decided not to force the issue, which was good, because I had intended to disobey her if she demanded I race.
“You will sit by my side this evening,” she said in a tone which brooked no argument.
I bowed my head again. “There’s no place I’d rather be, my Emperor.”
The Emperor gave me one last sharp look, visibly trying to decide if I was being impertinent or not, but she left for her skycar without another word.
I sidled up to the bar and ordered an Eire-style coffee, with whipped crème and sprinkles because, damn it, the Emperor’s Consort would drink whatever the Fall he wanted. I fortified myself with caffeine and whiskey as the racers filtered out, leaving a significantly denuded palace, which was perfect for me. I wanted as few prying eyes and suspicious ears on me as I was about my business. Ordering a second Eire coffee, I sat back and asked, “Ingvar?”
“Yes, sir?” the hordling said, appearing around the edge of the bar.
“Do you know where Count Zukov is?”
