Straightening, I saw General Kacha eyeing Terror with narrowed eyes before he pulled his gaze back to me. “Is that a pet? No one spoke of you having it yesterday at court.”
His jovial tone sparked a giggle of laughter that danced through the crowd.
“No, I didn’t have it at court yesterday. I hear only the Ariphadi Court bring wild animals inside. And I am short an elephant or a tiger.” I smiled, friendly—Imustbe friendly so that I could know what was going on. I was friendly and harmless and possibly a fool. They had to believe all of that so they wouldn’t see me for what I was.
“You know, on the southern war front, that’s terribly true. I’ve no idea about their court—politics bore me—but the Ariphadi goblins ride monstrous wild animals. I spent nearly a decade in the south before going to the northern border,” General Kacha said.
“Really?” Keep him talking. It was impossible to make a plan without knowing the intricacies of the politics. I could do this. If I could figure out how to murder Tallu surrounded by his Dogs, I could learn to navigate these dangerous waters. “How was it in the south?”
General Kacha’s grin spread wide, and he sat back down on his chair, gesturing me to sit next to him. “Well, it’s hot.Alwayshot, and the further into the Ariphadeus desert you get, the sandier it gets. Ruins anything that runs on gears or metal. We have to travel by foot after the tanks stop rolling. No wonder only monsters like the goblins can live down there.”
Luckily for me, General Kacha was able to make his own conversation, requiring nothing from me other than a few inquiring sounds. The south sounded brutal and not suited to the mechanical weapons of war that the Imperium preferred.
As he spoke, I watched the rest of the party, hyperaware of how I was being observed. The painted faces and side conversations as they eyed me like one of the morsels of meat on the table. How would they consume me? Would I taste good when they did, or would I go down sour?
“Of course, now all that is General Bemishu’s territory. Glad to be rid of it. You know, half of one of my battalions died of starvation when we left our supply train because of a centipede attack. The creatures are nearly fifteen feet long and will poison you before killing you. No, the northern front has been much better to me, even if I was too young for our battles against your own formidable kingdom.” General Kacha laughed, althoughthe spark in his eyes gleamed as though he was eager for the challenge.
He presented the front of a careless imperial, too fat and too comfortable for war, but that look in his eye gave me pause. My father would have warned me from underestimating an imperial general.
“Formidable indeed!” Rute approached again, smiling fondly at General Kacha. “You easily would have won against King Rimáu, General.”
“Our methods of war have improved greatly in the twenty years since the war against the Northern Kingdom,” Kacha said. He waved a hand at Rute, and the prince sat down on his other side, his smile just as sharp as a knife.
Looking between them, I wondered which was the more powerful, which of them controlled the other. Kacha’s hand gesture seemed to indicate Rute was underneath his sway, but how did a general control the imperial heir?
“Twenty-three years,” I corrected. “You think the north hasn’t kept pace?”
Kacha threw back his head, laughing. “Rute, have you met Prince Airón? Our emperor’s future consort.”
“We just met.” Rute smiled charmingly, as though I could ever forget how easily he’d threatened a servant’s life. “Your complexion is so unique. It’s no wonder the emperor fell in love at first sight. It’s so delightful to see someone unpainted.”
“Yes,” I said. “In the north, we spend our time on other things.”
“Like what?” Rute leaned forward, and General Kacha waved at a tray of food just slightly beyond his reach. The man behind him leapt forward, bringing the plate to him, then holding it as Kacha selected a morsel.
“Hunting. Building. My—” At the last second, I choked off the wordmother’s.“—father’s court was quite small by your standards.” I gestured. “Fewer people than are gathered here.”
“Really!” Rute shook his head. “How shocking. I don’t know what I would do ifmycourt was so small?”
The titter that flowed through the crowd was audible, and Terror fluffed his wings. Then, he pushed off my shoulder, floating to the far side of the party.
“Your court?” Gather information, get the lay of the land. Rute was so confident. How did Emperor Tallu feel about his heir already planning his own ascension?
I watched the smile spread across Rute’s face. “I shouldn’t get ahead of myself, I suppose. That was Empress Koque’s problem.”
Another titter went through the crowd, and Rute licked his lips and grinned. He was mocking me in some way, but I didn’t have any of the context to understand why.
“You must let me in on the joke,” I said. “It will help me improve my Imperial.”
“It’s in poor taste.” There was that smile again that would make even the great northern bear reconsider her position on humans. I searched his eyes, but they were narrowed, showing none of his feelings beneath. “Such a pity that she had to die. If only Empress Koque hadn’t had the temerity to have asonwho might threaten Tallu’s position, I’m sure she might have survived Emperor Millu’sshockingillness and death. Why?—”
“Rute,” General Kacha said. He lifted his hand and twisted his thumb and forefinger abruptly.
“I simply thought that he should know what his betrothed will do—” Whatever Rute thought I should know was interrupted by the arrival of two women, both identical at first glance, down to the rose-gold color of their paint and the application of their powder to narrow their faces and widen their eyes.
“Is this him? Oh, what a delight. I’m Topi Bemishu, and this is Pito Bemishu.” They sat on either side of Rute, and although Topi draped her arm over his shoulders in a familiar way, the interruption had clearly been directed by General Kacha. It hadn’t even been subtle.
“This is Prince Airón,” General Kacha said.
