“My lord,” the servant stuttered to a stop, staring at the dead lion. “My lord, I didn’t mean to.”
“I had my money on you,” the man said quietly. “I thoughtyou’dhold fast. Now. I’m missing out on my entertainmentandmy money.”
The electro mage heaved a sigh, reaching down to pick up one of the false apples that had rolled to touch his boot. He considered the red fruit, streaked with green. When he held it out, the servant trembled, taking it. The electro mage gestured to the top of his head.
The servant sat up on his knees and carefully raised the fruit, balancing it on top of his head. He shut his eyes, and the electro mage raised his hand, golden bracelets clinking together. The party went eerily quiet, and I had the feeling of a pack of carrion eaters about to descend on unsuspecting prey.
Electricity snapped, and I forced myself up to my feet. I had to save the boy, but I couldn’t outrun a lion, and I most definitely couldn’t outrunlightning.
The bolt snapped the distance instantly, and the apple exploded on top of the servant’s head. He visibly bit his lip, trembling, covered in sticky syrup from the boiled fruit. His breath came unevenly, and then he formed a triangle with his fingers and prostrated himself on the ground.
The electro mage stepped closer, until his boot nudged the boy’s cheek. “Come to my quarters later. I still desire entertainment.”
Then, he turned and smiled at me, and I got my first look at him head-on. He had an echo of Tallu’s coloring, but his skin was powdered gold so that even in the light reflected off the water, he looked like a precious gem. He wore typical imperial clothing: a well-fitted shirt, laced at the neck, darker pants, and a jacket that matched, although the hem of his trailed the ground almostas though he was mimicking emperor’s robes. The stitching on the jacket declared him a member of House Sotonam, although there was a separate pattern along the cuffs that I didn’t recognize.
His smirk stretched over his face. “Prince Airón of the Northern Kingdom, an absolutepleasureto meet you. Prince Rute. I suppose I have you to thank for handing me the empire.”
“What?” I asked, frowning. He must be a member of House Sotonam, but why would he be ranked aprincewhile his patriarch was a count? And how had I handedhimthe empire?
Lord Fuyii hadn’t unpacked any of that for us and I cursed his inadequacy again. If he’d been half as competent as he’d pretended to be, I wouldn’t be in this mess. Still, I wasn’t about to show my confusion to this man. It would be like showing my stomach to a wolf. I wouldn’t survive the encounter.
Velethuil stepped forward, his smile brittle as he looked between us. As his eyes darted, his smile widened to genuine interest. I was reminded of a raven watching two wolves fight over a carcass. It knew that while the wolves were distracted, it could steal its own portion.
Speaking of, there was a flash of dark feathers, and Terror floated down from the rafters, clinging tightly to my shoulder. He stared at the gaping crowd around us. Even Velethuil seemed startled, although he covered it quickly.
“Prince Rute,” Velethuil said, his voice as light as air. “I brought Prince Airón here to introduce him to General Kacha. He wanted to ask how I came to live here in the Imperium, so far from my own home.”
Rute snorted, and in that pinched look, I saw some of Lord Sotonam. He shook his head, sighing. “No need for dramatics, Velethuil! I’ve no plans to harm the man who is behind my own ascension. Come, Kacha is holding court.”
The crowd parted around him like leather giving way for a sharp blade. Rute barely seemed to notice. How washea child of House Sotonam? The groveling man from last night who’d been desperate for the merest hint of scandal from me never would have parted a crowd like that. He’d have skittered around the edges like a rat searching for scraps of gossip he could use.
“You are Tallu’s heir?” I asked.
“Permanently now. To go from untitled to a prince overnight was enough, but now that Tallu will remain childless with you as his spouse…” Rute turned to me, his smile all sharp edges. “I owe you a deep debt. Let me know if I caneverrepay it.”
With that, Rute offered me an exaggerated low bow, his fingers forming a triangle that felt sarcastic rather than genuine. He spun off into the crowd, and I saw too many people staring after him in awe.
“Prince Airón?” Velethuil gestured in the direction we’d been moving toward.
We approached a large table, set for a dozen people, yet only one man sat at the head. The rest of the crowd swirled around him, attentive and seeking his attention yet uninvited. When he looked up, his eyes swept over us, skimming Velethuil like he was furniture before settling on me.
He was heavyset, his girth speaking more to muscles than flab, and his dress uniform denoted his rank asgeneral. The general waved us closer. An aide stood just behind him, his hands clasped behind his back, his uniform marking him as a commander.
“Velethuil! Who’s this with you?”
“General Kacha.” Velethuil bowed low, again using the Ristorium preference for fists touching. “Prince Airón and I were taking a tour of the grounds when we saw you. He had just asked me how I ended up in the Imperium.”
“Now,thatis a story,” General Kacha said. He leaned forward on his hands, pushing himself up to standing. He waited until Velethuil gestured to me, his hand open.
“General, may I present Prince Airón, the intended consort of Emperor Tallu.” Velethuil half bowed, his hand sweeping between us, and I tried not to frown as I struggled with the meaning of the motion.
Who was he offering respect to? Me or General Kacha?
General Kacha bowed, as low as one would to be respectful but not quite low enough to be an indicator that I was senior to him in any way. I wished more than anything Eonaî was here. She would know whether that in itself was a sign of disrespect, or respect given that he was senior in ageanda general in the military and I was only a northern barbarian prince.
On my shoulder, Terror chortled. “Can you even bow with me on your shoulder? Oh, what will they say if you don’t bow?”
Belatedly, I lowered myself, giving him the same level of respect as he’d given me. Terror shrieked unhappily at the motion and flapped his wings, keeping himself upright with a vicious tightening of his claws. The poor jacket likely wouldn’t survive the affront.
