Page 51

An indoor garden was the central feature of the estate, and I tried not to wonder how many people could have survived on the water from the garden alone. The building would be difficult to sneak around in if it became necessary. There was only one hall with rooms on either side. I would have to check how well-traveled it was at night, but during the day there were too many servants and not enough places to hide.

“Consort Airón.” Lord Pehine appeared in front of me.

Up close, I could see his sharp eyes at odds with his mild expression. He smiled, all teeth, and bowed, although without the triangled fingers denoting respect.

Slowly Pehine stood. “Is there something you would like to see?”

“I have never encountered any goblins. I saw some working on your estate, and wished to meet them.” I kept my story the same, watching as his face twisted just slightly, a twitch that gave away what he thought of my request.

“Goblins. The slaves? Consort Airón, you would have more entertainment speaking with the walls.” He laughed at his own feeble joke. “Come. I will take you to the rest of your party if His Imperial Majesty is done with you.”

The words were more revealing than I thought Pehine intended. He had ordered me—the emperor’s consort—around as though I were a servant. Worse, he had ignored my wishes altogether. Finally, that grating if His Imperial Majesty is done with you, as though I was a toy kept for Tallu’s pleasure alone, a thing owned not by myself, but by Tallu.

Still, at least now I knew who Pehine was and what we were going to do with him. This man was not going to survive our encounter with him. I would not be satisfied with his losing his estate as so many others had done. No. This man was going to pay in blood.

He turned, not even waiting for my consent, and strode down the hall, trusting that I would follow him. It took a certain kind of man to antagonize a northern warrior and then turn his back on him: an arrogant one who little suspected his own stupidity. I followed at a more sedate pace, watching as Pehine turned and looked at me over his shoulder, sucking on his teeth in annoyance when he saw me so far behind him.

Servants who practically threw themselves out of the way, bowing low as if Pehine were the emperor himself, gave me odd looks as we passed. I supposed, with Pehine king of his little kingdom, no one had ever tried to push against him before.

Finally we reached his destination, and he turned to the right, striding into the garden at the center of his estate. There was a small eating area set under a large tree with tables and chairs. Empress Koque and the woman I took to be Lady Pehine were sitting at the table along with a few other noble ladies. The Bemishu twins were entertaining Prince Hallu and Naî to the side, although they stood close enough that they could hear every word spoken at the table.

“Empress Koque,” Lord Pehine said and bowed low. It was likely as low as he had bowed to me, but he triangled his fingers, and spent a few seconds longer maintaining the bow. “I have brought a wayward member of your party. I’m sure he will add to the entertainment.”

There was a smirk in his voice, and I realized that if he had been listening to General Kacha for any length of time, he likely shared Kacha’s view of me, or perhaps held a worse one. Perhaps he had no idea who he was insulting, only that I was some northern barbarian who had turned the emperor’s head and caused more chaos than I could control given my limited intelligence.

Koque, better versed than me in imperial nuance, watched the way Pehine’s hands fluttered as he spoke, clearly adding more context that was beyond my rudimentary understanding of imperial motions. There was the slightest twitch on her face, there and gone, and she glanced at me, a question in her eyes.

Did I want her to destroy this man?

I seriously considered it for a moment. It would be vastly entertaining to watch her take him down, ruin him in his own kingdom, but having been around these imperial lords and ladies so much, I relished being underestimated.

I moved my hand just slightly in what I hoped was a negation. She raised her eyebrows but dipped her chin slightly in acceptance.

“Thank you for returning him to us,” Empress Koque said. “Your estate is so large I’m sure he could have easily been lost.”

“He wanted to speak with the goblins,” Lord Pehine said, clearly thinking Koque was in agreement with his opinion of me, and not caring that he was being astoundingly rude by speaking of me right in front of me.

That was right. Kacha had not seen Koque and Tallu interact since Emperor Millu’s death. We had only reached her and her son long after Kacha had declared war against Tallu.

“Did he.” Koque’s tone was mild, and she added not a single hand motion or gesture to add nuance to her words.

“He did! I told him of course that he would get more sense speaking to the wall. Hopefully you ladies are able to provide greater entertainment.” Lord Pehine ended there, his hand flicking in an imperial motion that I recognized as indicating the person listening should take the opposite meaning from the words.

So the imperial ladies were supposed to take their entertainment from me. Koque’s face went cold, although her mouth maintained its slight smile. Lady Pehine giggled, glancing at me in amusement, as though she thought I was both deaf and dumb, unable to understand the completely unsubtle words.

The other ladies followed suit, although I noticed two opening their fans to hide their true expressions as they murmured their welcome.

“It takes a great man to help his fellows so generously,” Koque said, “and an intelligent one to recognize the imperial consort with such honor.”

Lord Pehine cocked his head just slightly, and I could see his brows twitch before he controlled the expression. Koque’s words offered him compliments, but there were also barbs inside them.

He had not helped me. Nor had he recognized me with honor. But Pehine rallied, turning to me with a smile that bordered on contemptuous.

“Consort Airón, please let anyone in my household know if there is something we can do to assist you. I will take my leave to oversee dinner preparations.” He bowed, and again the difference in the amount of respect he showed Koque versus myself was obvious.

“Consort Airón, come and sit,” Lady Pehine said. She gestured at one of the empty chairs. I glanced at the Bemishu twins, whose expressions were neutral, although Pito raised her eyebrow just slightly at me.

Yes, I wouldn’t let an offense like Pehine’s stand.