He seemed like the sort who was overly inquisitive in the hopes that he could use every scrap of dirty laundry for blackmail as well as his own pleasures.
So, in the interests of keeping any secrets at all, I closed the door behind me and followed him.
“The emperor has been uniquely interested in you,” Lord Sotonam said as we walked down the hall, then down a set of stairs.
“Is that so?” I looked around, counting my steps, trying to understand the layout of Turtle House. We walked through two doors and were outside in a manicured garden different from the one I could see from the balcony in my room, a tree dotted with pink flowers shading a patch of grass and a small stone bench.
“Have you had some introduction to Emperor Tallu before now? Were you acquainted? Perhaps before his father died andhe ascended?” Sotonam’s questions were so obvious I had to wonder how foolish he thought I was. It became immediately obvious why he thought I was an idiot. “Lord Fuyii said you were fond of writing. Perhaps you exchanged letters?”
“Lord Fuyii has a misunderstanding about my interest in correspondence,” I said. Had Fuyii actually spoken to Lord Sotonam before he left with Eonaî? Or was he grasping for any explanation for the emperor’s decision? “Although I find a good romantic poemthrilling, the idea of detailing my days in writing is as entertaining as watching snow melt on the tundra.”
“We were told that the snow doesn’t melt in the far north.” Sotonam frowned.
“Exactly,” I said. “How did you become Minister of Peace? That seems a high-ranked position. Especially for a man with your history.”
Sotonam’s face went sour, lips pursing and cheeks paling. “It is. I showed extreme loyalty during the last war, and Emperor Millu rewarded that loyalty.”
“Did he.” I couldn’t even raise my voice at the end of the question, wondering which war the Imperium considered “the last war.” The one where they failed to take Ristorium and so sailed south to wipe Forsaith off the map?
Either way, the way he reacted showed me I’d hit true. The position of Minister ofPeacewas an insult in the Imperium. And whatever downfall Fuyii had made mention of in their conversation was still haunting Sotonam today. Which made me wonder why the emperor had chosen him instead of just asking a servant to lead me to the bathhouse.
That answered my own question. I guessed taking me to wash off the grime of travel was about as insulting a task as could be given to a minister of the Imperium.
Which meant later, when I needed it, he might be someone who I could use. Dissatisfaction was more useful than greed as amotivator, and Sotonam was as dissatisfied as a fish about to be cooked for dinner.
We followed a white stone walkway through the garden and past another building. Further down the path, I saw a lake with a bridge crossing it and a pavilion in the center.
Lord Sotonam offered no other explanation and turned so that we entered a large blue house next to the water. Inside, I was hit by a wall of steam and the scent of flowers and herbs.
Two women dressed in yellow approached, their expressions critical as they looked over Lord Sotonam and me. “It’s been too long, Minister. Where have you been?”
“On business,” he said curtly. He grimaced something resembling a smile when he looked at me. “Prince Airón needs to be cleaned.”
“Is this him?” One of the women turned to me, eyes wide. Her skin gleamed pale white like Lord Fuyii’s, while the other woman’s looked a few shades darker than the emperor’s. “Emperor Tallu’s betrothed?”
“The emperor wants him in our style quickly.” Lord Sotonam looked around. “Is anyone else here? Privacy would be appreciated.”
“No, they’re all attending court.” The lighter woman stepped past us, shutting the door and locking it. “Prince Airón, it is an honor to serve you.”
“I’m Nuti, and this is Tilo.” Nuti smiled wide, gesturing toward one of the open rooms. “This way, this way, we’ll get you cleaned up.”
I followed her into a small changing room that gleamed in pale white stone. At the women’s directions, I began to undress. Sitting on a low bench to unlace my boots, I shivered when the cold stone touched my bare feet.
I stood to take off my coat. The outer furs came off first, a layer of pelts that had been treated with animal fat tomake them waterproof. Underneath that was another layer of sealskin leather, thin enough that it was more for comfort than protection.
The pants were the same. I shivered in the hot bathhouse, feeling naked. Carefully, I took a few things out from the pile of clothes. The dragon egg was wrapped in a rabbit fur pouch, and I set it next to me, along with a couple of tokens from home: a necklace from Eonaî, a decorative blade from Father, and a strip of beaded leather Mother had made for me when I was sixteen. These I could claim were private property. There was no explanation for the blades sewn into the seams, the thin line of cord that could wrap around a man’s throat, the two vials of poison hidden in a pocket sewn shut.
“The furs and leathers need to be cleaned in a specific way,” I said finally. “They are a precious reminder of home. Can I have them kept safe and leave with them today?”
I reached into the coin purse, drawing out a pair of silver coins. “I would take it as a great favor.”
Tilo looked over at Nuti and palmed her coin quickly; Nuti hesitated but made hers disappear into one of her inner pockets. “Of course, Your Highness. Anything for the future consort.”
Tilo walked me over to a small stall and turned a knob. Suddenly, warm water was flowing out of thewall. I yelped, dancing back. Sotonam came to the door and said impatiently, “Get him cleaned!” When he saw me staring at him, he said, “Sometimes with servants, you must be severe. I’m sure you understand, Your Highness.”
“Have you ever seen a shower?” Nuti asked.
I had never seen anything like it, but it made sense. Somewhere deep in the building, I heard the groan of machinery, and I smelled something in the air that I had only begun to recognize in the carriage rides once we reachedthe Imperium. An electro mage was nearby, likely powering whatever pumped water from the lake into the pipes.
