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“You are warm,” Tallu said.

I wanted to bat away his hand, but I knew what he meant. I felt hot, too hot, as though my new flesh was made of lava.

“You should stay in bed. See if Nohe or the doctors have anything to help you with this illness.” Tallu pressed kisses to my forehead, a cool palm to my burning cheek.

“No.” I shook my head, careful not to dislodge his hand. I was in control of my own destiny. And I was not about to give it up.

Nohe helped me arrange the braids in my hair, fastening them in place with Koque’s hairpin. Asahi watched, tensing when the door opened.

Iradîo entered, Terror on her shoulder.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay in bed?” Iradîo asked. “I’m not one to promote your laziness, but you do not look well.”

“Worried I’m going to fall down and embarrass the Northern Kingdom?” I tried for a smile, but she didn’t respond. “I’m fine. Once this is done, we can all rest.”

I said it as though my proclamation were unquestionable truth, but when she frowned, it was clear that Iradîo knew, as I did, that if we managed to make peace with the Ariphadeus, it was only the first step on a very long journey.

“She’s worried because you look like a corpse I wouldn’t even try to scavenge,” Terror said. “Don’t die. If you die like this, it would be a waste. None of us would be able to eat you, so all the times I’ve saved you would be pointless.”

“Thank you for your concern,” I said dryly. Turning, I left my quarters, meeting Tallu in the entryway. He looked imperial, his crown shining. Lord Mutali and the other goblins stood to the side, Choethei next to them.

The doors opened, and the animalia entered first.

Thirty-Six

They were disguised as goblins, but I recognized them immediately, standing behind Zoigei and a few other leaders from the goblin council. No one else seemed to notice, everyone receiving the same polite bows and murmurs of greetings. Sagam looked anxious.

There were dozens of goblins to keep track of and, with our depleted numbers, neither side had the clear advantage.

“Welcome,” Tallu said. As the room quieted, he gestured to the side. “We have prepared a room for our talk.”

Turning, he walked out, Empress Koque and I following behind him. There was a murmur through the crowd at this haste. Lord Mutali had warned us that goblin culture was more complex; they did not discuss serious issues until both sides had exchanged pleasantries for several hours.

Tallu had taken his counsel, but in private we had decided there was too great a risk in following goblin customs when we knew them so little. It was more likely we would get something wrong, or an imperial soldier would lose his patience. Then it would be outright war, and given that the goblins had not come alone, that would be a disaster.

Each of the tribes had brought dozens of followers with them, and the goblin camps spread out into the distance. The goblins inside the estate didn’t outnumber the soldiers we had, but the ones outside most definitely did.

Neither Tallu nor I could turn around, so Lerolian did. “They’re following. They aren’t happy, but they’re following.”

The banquet room had been rearranged so that the long tables were positioned in a U shape. There were no place cards, but Choethei and Lord Mutali had reassured us that the goblins would sit based on their own personal rank within their tribe, and then by their tribe’s rank and relationship to the other tribes in the Ariphadeus desert.

The animalia and the Hidden Water tribes sat closest to the seat Tallu took. The others arranged themselves, their expressions guarded as they looked first to the hidden water tribes, then to Tallu.

Imperial servants brought out plates of food from Lord Pehine’s estate, positioning them between goblins in accordance with the imperial tradition of eating from a shared plate.

No one moved until Tallu reached forward, taking a serving of thinly sliced meat rolled around a soft goat cheese and eating it. He looked around the table. “I understand the history our people have. I would not trust food from an enemy. However our desert guides taught us that it is impolite to waste even a scrap of food in the desert. If any of you do not trust what is set in front of you, I will taste it before you put it on your own plates.”

Zoigei watched Tallu, still frowning, and even the other members of the hidden waters council waited for his decision. Exhaling, I stood and reached for the plate in front of Zoigei, shoving the roll of meat into my mouth. Then I stepped to another plate, reaching for another. The goblin shifted away from me, eyes narrowed, his horns curving into spirals above his hair. When he moved, bells he had hung from the tips chimed brightly.

By the time I got to the third plate, the goblin sitting at one of the seats reached forward, and took one of the rolled meats in his fingers, putting it in his mouth while watching me, eyes narrowed in suspicion. His face showed no reaction, although I noted how quickly he reached for another of the delicacies.

Tilting my head in a nod, I returned to my seat at Tallu’s side. On the side of the room, Iradîo shifted, drawing my attention. She raised an unimpressed eyebrow, running a finger along the side of her mouth. I touched the same spot on my face and came away with a trace of cheese. Terror clicked his beak, although he had the grace not to laugh.

Lord Fuyii had taught Eonaî and me how much the imperials valued dealing over food. It was a sign of trust, but also a show of wealth. The host needed to provide the most rich, delicious treat they could in order to reinforce their own position.

Still, in deference to the goblins’ own habits, Tallu didn’t require everyone to sit through a full meal before beginning negotiations.

“When the tribes of the hidden waters helped us defeat General Bemishu, we came to an agreement,” Tallu said.