Heroes' Reward (26 page)

Whistles pierced
the air. Their whistles. The pressure from Green’s Pairs stopped. I saw some of
her casters and Pairs running away, but I couldn’t be certain that none were
left behind. There were no further attacks from them, though, which gave me
hope.

That had taken a
lot less time than I’d expected.

It had grown too
light to use the lanterns. From group to group, flags were raised. We returned
to the rest of our forces. It was only then that we learned that we’d lost
seven Pairs, four due to black clouds and three by Green’s Pairs using the
process with which I’d killed Segal.

We didn’t have
time to talk about it at length. We took our places among the soldiers and
marched back to the city wall.

When we reached
the ruined wall, we saw no one. That didn’t mean we were safe. There were
buildings just beyond the wall, with windows. Pairs and casters could be
lurking at them, just out of our sight, ready to assault us again.

The plan was to
march up Centre Street, the widest street, with buildings that were the
farthest apart. The Commissioner didn’t want our people splintering into
different directions and getting picked off without the rest of us knowing.

It was
difficult, though, trying to appear unafraid when we all felt exposed and
vulnerable, with no cover to dive behind should anyone choose to throw
something at us, a weapon or a cast.

But nothing
happened.

At first the
only people I could see were our own. And then I spotted him. A young man,
looking out of the window above a shop. There was no particular expression on
his face, no anger or fear. He didn’t say anything. He just watched us.

And as we walked
down the street towards the city’s main square, more and more people appeared
in their windows. No one said anything. The only noises we heard were the ones
we made ourselves – the squeaking of our leather uniforms, the soles of our
boots against the cobblestones. It was eerie.

Maybe Green’s
forces were waiting in the city square, planning an all consuming clash. But
that would only make things riskier for them, wouldn’t it? It would be easier
to dash out from a side street, kill someone before any of us could react, and
dash back out of reach.

But no one did,
and there was no one in the city square. We took formation, with no one to
fight. We just stood there with no idea what to do next.

This whole
thing, from beginning to end, had been a vile nightmare, but I couldn’t help
thinking that we probably looked ludicrous right then.

So now what?

The creak of a
door opening ripped through the strange silence. I jumped from a jolt of
surprise, and so did many around me. Everyone turned towards the source of the
noise, those with weapons holding them at the ready.

A young woman
stepped into the street, holding her hands out and open. No weapon in them. No
belt to tuck a blade into. She appeared harmless and terrified. She slowly
moved towards the soldiers, stopping just out of arm’s length.

After a few short
moments, a private was sent back to the Commissioner, and then the Commissioner
threaded through the ranks to the Erstwhile woman. They spoke. I couldn’t hear
what they said. After the Erstwhile woman backed into her residence, and the
Commissioner returned and made his way to the Premier Pair. “I’m told Green and
the last of her people have holed up in the palace.”

Ah, hell,
another damn wall.

“You sank Kent
Manor,” Sato said to Taro.

“Yes, sir.”

“If you can get
a view of it, do you think you can sink the palace?”

“I’ve never sunk
anything that large.”

“Does that make
a difference, the size?”

There was a
pause.

Then Taro
shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out.”

How reassuring.

“Can you clear
away enough of the palace wall to get Source Karish a good view of the
building?” the Commissioner asked me.

Browne would be
a better choice, but I wasn’t going to hand off responsibility to her. “Yes.”

He nodded and
picked out sixteen soldiers to accompany us along the final stretch to the
palace. Risa volunteered to go as well. So,
we
were allowed to splinter
off.

No one
interfered with us on the way. I didn’t even see anyone on the street. I felt
like it had to be a trap.

When we reached
our destination, I chose to destroy the gate instead of the wall, because it
was too ugly to be allowed to exist.

And that was
when five of Green’s people showed up, rushing through the breach left by the
gate. Could they not see they were outnumbered? Were they stupid or had they
simply lacked a choice?

Then all five of
them took a sharp turn to the right and ran away.

Huh.

“Should we chase
them?” one of our soldiers asked.

“Why?” Risa
responded.

No one had a
good answer for that.

“Are you ready?”
Taro asked.

“Of course.”

The palace would
be the largest building we’d ever sunk, as well as the one with the most
complex architecture and the most underground rooms, requiring an enormous
amount of soil to be shifted. It took Taro several moments to get started.

I felt Green’s
Pairs working against us again. Far fewer than had been with her before, and
just as fractured in their efforts. Too frightened to work together? Too
frightened to try at all? They could avoid engaging without causing any
suspicion, if they wished. It wasn’t as though a regular could actually tell
whether a Pair was channelling or not.

Were some of
them convinced they’d be defeated and hoping they could get back in favour with
the Triple S by claiming they had realised their error and left Green hanging
at the last moment?

One of the
palace’s turrets began to buckle and windows cracked and popped out of their
casements. Stones chipped and chunks dropped, some landing on the heads of the
people who had started streaming out of the building. Groaning from the
structure sent shivers down my spine.

The Pairs
opposing us dropped their defences again. The pace of the displacement of the
palace increased.

Eight people
sprinted out from the front entrance. We watched them run up the drive. As they
got closer, they held up their hands, demonstrating their lack of weapons. Some
of our soldiers raised their swords anyway.

Green’s people
halted too far away to engage in any clash. “What do you think you’re
doing?”one of them shouted. “Do you know how old the palace is? How much it
will cost to repair?”

Yes, and no.

“At least stop
long enough to enable Lady Green speak with your Commissioner. She wants to see
him.”

“Let her come
out, then,” Risa responded.

The other woman
was appalled. “Of course she won’t come here.”

“We’re not
having our Commissioner walk about your troops.”

“Please!” the
woman begged. “Wait! Let us consult with her!”

“It would be a
shame to destroy the building if it isn’t absolutely necessary,” I suggested to
Taro. And it risked the lives of a bunch of people who didn’t need to die,
those who might not be able to escape the palace in time.

That latter was
probably the thought I should have expressed out loud.

He halted the
burial. “Fine. Take your message, but if I see a single sign of hostility or
duplicity, the palace will be levelled.”

The woman
nodded. “Describe to her Ladyship the circumstances,” she ordered the person
next to her.

I was surprised
Green hadn’t been the first to leave the palace. I would have expected her to
insist upon it.

“Someone should
fetch the Commissioner,” said Taro, and one of our escorts ran back to the
square.

We waited, but
not for long. The Commissioner arrived with the Premier Pair. The Green servant
returned and whispered to the woman. The woman looked a little anxious as she
stepped forward. “Her Ladyship invites you to attend to her in the palace.”

Arrogant to the
end.

“Lady Green
isn’t the mistress of the palace,” said the Commissioner. “She lacks the
authority to invite anyone into it.”

“She has assumed
His Majesty’s responsibilities.”

“And why would
she do that?” the Commissioner asked.

The woman
paused, appearing confused. “Because … he’s dead.”

“Why would you
say such a thing?”

She looked
baffled. “Everyone knows he’s dead. Her Ladyship made the proclamation.”

“And what was
the manner of his death?”

“Fighting
bravely in battle.”

I almost
snickered. Who could truly believe Gifford had actually participated in any of
the clashes?

But the lie
suited us. I’d been afraid of accusations that we’d murdered him, and we had no
body to present as evidence in our defence. Browne’s cast had delayed the
decomposition of Gifford’s body, but couldn’t ultimately prevent it. We’d been
forced to bury the body when it had begun to rot.

“Her Majesty
summons you to the palace,” the woman persisted.

“I won’t risk
the safety of the Premier Pair and myself by entering the palace,” the
Commissioner responded calmly. “Your Ladyship no doubt believes our presence in
the palace will prevent my Pairs from destroying it. I won’t put them in that
position.”

“And if she
mingles with you, she will be a hostage, which will stop our forces from
acting.”

An impasse.

The Commissioner
spent a moment in contemplation. “We will erect a pavilion at the middle
distance between our camp and the city. We will meet there. Ten attendants
each. We will be in equal danger, with equal safety.”

The woman
nodded. “This suggestion will be presented to Her Ladyship.” She gestured at
the servant, who ran off again.

That there was
no one among them with the authority to make any decisions was annoying. It was
a longer wait before the servant returned with the news that Green had accepted
the terms. I believed she was forcing us to hang about longer than was
necessary, just to prove she could.

We left the
city, everyone watching us on the way out.

Personnel were
sent ahead, so by the time we reached the chosen area, a pavilion had been
erected. “Premier Source Zoffany, Premier Shield Sato,” said the Commissioner,
“I’d ask you to be part of the meeting. Source Karish and Shield Mallorough, as
well.”

“Of course,”
Sato agreed.

“Private, fetch
Healer Browne.”

A young man
sprinted away.

I was
conflicted. I didn’t want to be there, to have to stand with Green and look at
her without spitting at her, but I didn’t want to have to wait somewhere else
in ignorance, either.

Four of Green’s
people arrived, bearing a table and a large map. Why did she feel a map was
necessary?

There was no
sight of Green, though, and after a few more moments of waiting, Sato
suggested, “She thinks arriving after us demonstrates some sort of greater
power.”

The Commissioner
shrugged. “No one can be put off their footing unless they let themselves be.
We can be the mature participants.”

And we waited.

For almost an
hour. Obnoxious bitch.

Chapter Thirty-One

Lady Green
eventually showed up with Lord Firen, Solicitor Natson, Ogawa and Tenneson, and
eight soldiers. The four who had set up the table remained. A total of sixteen
people. Six extra just to demonstrate she wasn’t going to completely acquiesce
to the Commissioner’s suggestions.

It was childish.
I hated games.

“Her Majesty has
a proposition for you,” Lord Firen announced. Then he paused, waiting, no
doubt, to encourage the Commissioner to inquire what the proposition was. To
place the Commissioner, from the very beginning, in the role of supplicant,
asking what favour Green was prepared to bestow upon him.

Instead, the
Commissioner drawled, “You may proceed.”

Oh, Firen didn’t
like that, being given permission to speak. “Her Majesty is prepared to amend
the Tripartite Act.”

“Lady Green
lacks any authority to amend any legislation.”

“Her Majesty has
assumed the former Emperor’s responsibilities until a coronation can be
arranged.”

“It is the task
of the chosen Imperial Solicitor to fill the sovereign’s role until a new
titleholder is placed.”

“That Her
Majesty is not yet the sovereign is merely a technicality.”

“Technicalities
are laws people find inconvenient. They are still laws.”

Firen frowned.
“We aren’t here to discuss your unsolicited and unqualified opinion on Her
Majesty’s standing. We’re here to arrange an end to the hostilities you
created.”

We created. Ass.

“There’s no harm
in listening,” Sato said to the Commissioner.

I wanted to hear
what they expected, too. It would probably be fantastically offensive.

“You may
proceed,” the Commissioner repeated.

That irritated
Firen just as much the second time. Maybe more.

Heh.

Firen drew his
fingertip along lines on the map. The map was of the continent, and the lines
Firen was bringing to our attention were lines I’d never seen before. “It’s
quite simple,” he said. “This land will be under Her Majesty’s authority, and
this land will be under the Triple S. The Crown will no longer provide funding,
but the Triple S will be able to collect taxes directly from the inhabitants of
its lands, as well as any settlements where Pairs are needed within Her
Majesty’s territories.”

Another tax for
people to pay in addition to the goods they were required to provide to us for
free? In addition to the taxes they already paid to support the Triple S
academies? They’d revolt and I wouldn’t blame them.

I didn’t know
why I was so shocked. Green had tossed out and bent so many laws. It was just
that this … it felt particularly low.

“Of course, the
Triple S will pay taxes to the Crown. As does every other guild.”

We were not a
guild.

“The Triple S
would have to provide the Crown with regular reports. While the Triple S will
for the most part have the authority to place Pairs, at times the Crown will
have its own needs, and the Triple S will have to comply with Her Majesty’s
orders.”

This was an interesting
offer. Everything would be stripped away from us except the alienation of
everyone on the continent. We were supposed to think this arrangement was of
some benefit to us? It was so insulting it almost made me laugh.

Unless ….
Perhaps Green had deliberately created a proposal she knew we couldn’t accept,
and then she would claim to her followers that she’d tried to settle our
differences and we had been obstructive beyond reason.

“There are final
details to be determined, of course,” Firen added.

The Commissioner
laughed. A full out explosion of genuine amusement. I’d never heard anything
like it from him. Neither had anyone else, if their stunned reactions were any
indication. We just all waited for him to stop.

And once he did,
his voice as he spoke was dead calm again. It was a little disturbing. “All
these details are to be determined by Lady Green, I suppose.”

“The Triple S
will have input.”

The kind of
input that would be ignored.

“And the
merchants?” said the Commissioner.

“What about
them?”

Seriously?

“They are part
of the agreement. The third that completes the tripartite.”

Firen waved a
hand. “Not a necessary element. Are you truly prepared to submit to the
influence of merchants?”

The Commissioner
pressed on. “And the farmers? The guilds? All those others who are not of the
Triple S or the High Landed?”

Firen frowned
again, appearing confused. “No such people were part of the original
negotiations for the Tripartite Act, and they lack the ability to understand it
or provide useful contributions.”

How could he
dismiss such a large part of the population so glibly? Did he really think a
government could just step on people and step on people and step on people and
those people wouldn’t at some point snap?

I looked at
Green. She was just standing there with a blank expression on her face. She
didn’t appear interested in the negotiations.

“Your mistress
proposes the destruction of balance that has been maintained for centuries,”
said the Commissioner.

“That something
has always been done before doesn’t mean it should continue to be so done. The
balance no longer exists.”

“Only according
to the Crown.”

“The Crown is
all that truly matters. Only the Crown represents all people.”

That was an
interesting interpretation of the facts.

“Your terms are
….” the Commissioner paused to pick the perfect word.

Say
ridiculous
.
Please say
ridiculous
.

“…
unacceptable.”

How bland.

“You don’t have
a choice,” said Firen.

He was pretty
cocky for someone on the losing side.

The Commissioner
looked at Taro. “Destroy the building.”

Taro couldn’t
destroy the building from where we were standing, but no one raised that fact.
Sometimes, when people were in the middle of a tense discussion, they forgot
important details.

“Destroy the
building,” Firen said calmly. “We’ll build another. We’ll screw the money out
of the residents of every settlement on the continent, and it will be made
clear to them why our actions are necessary.”

Damn. That was a
good one.

And Green had
already managed to lure so many people to her way of thinking. It was possible
they could be made to believe the Triple S was the cause of future waves of
hardship.

“You don’t have
enough coin to pay enough people to chip out rock and bring it here,” said the
Commissioner. “The nearest quarry is half a continent away, and no one will be
willing to leave their families and homes, not after all they’ve suffered.”

“People will
obey the Empress,” Firen claimed.

“She isn’t the
Empress.”

“She will be.”

“The Emperor
never married her,” the Commissioner pointed out. “She hasn’t royal blood.”

It was at this
point that Green finally spoke. “I was chosen by His Majesty as his heir,” she
announced.

Ah, hell.

“We’ll need to
see the succession documents,” said the Commissioner.

Green raised an
eyebrow. “Are you calling me a liar?”

“Yes.”

Commissioner
said this in such an easy tone, with no hesitation, and it was fantastic.

Green didn’t
like that. Well, no one would, but she really seemed shocked to be distrusted.
Maybe she’d been surrounded by sycophants for too long. “Solicitor Natson.”

Natson looked
surprised to be addressed. “Yes, ma’am?”

“Present the
succession documents,” Green ordered impatiently.

Natson appeared
confused. “I don’t have them.”

Green glared at
her. “You drafted them.”

“No, ma’am.”

“Solicitor Beeks
told me he delegated the task to you.”

Firen raised an
eyebrow at Green. “Was that why you had him executed this morning?” he asked.
“He acted against your wishes?”

I couldn’t help
staring at him. Had I heard him right? Had he just questioned one of Green’s
orders in front of us? Had he implied a
criticism
of it?

And Green was
clearly furious. “Not
my
wishes,” she ground out through her teeth. “His
Majesty’s orders.”

“Beeks didn’t
speak to me about this matter,” Natson said quickly. “Perhaps my lady
misheard?”

Green slapped
her.

Natson’s face
jerked back in reaction to the blow, but she didn’t appear to be surprised by
Green’s action. Some of the others among Green’s supporters were, though,
exchanging glances, raising eyebrows.

“If there are no
succession documents – ,” said the Commissioner.

“They are in the
possession of one of the other Imperial Solicitors,” Green interrupted.

The Commissioner
spoke over her. “- you have no claim to the throne. Aryne Malkar is a true
descendant of Her Imperial Majesty Constia.”

“There are no
more such descendants.”

“Source Karish
was told this by Her Majesty herself. ”

“Source Karish
lies.”

“Sources don’t
lie.”

That myth came
in so handy.

“She has the
royal mark,” the Commissioner continued. “And she knows the code.”

“
I
know
the code,” Green responded. “Given to me by His Imperial Majesty.”

If that were
true, maybe he really had signed succession documents naming Green his heir. I
just had a feeling he hadn’t, because it seemed that Green hadn’t seen the
documents herself, as she surely would have insisted upon if the Emperor had
truly had them drafted while he was still alive. It seemed more likely to me
that
she
had ordered the documents be written when we’d shown up at the
city. It wasn’t as though she hadn’t created false documents before.

But something
had gone wrong. Had it gone wrong on purpose?

I looked at
Natson, trying to read her expression, attempting to determine whether she had
been manipulating events, but she was looking at the ground and I couldn’t
discern any hint of her thoughts.

“Then the only
solution is to have both potential heirs perform the code,” said Firen,
shocking me yet again. “Whoever performs it with the greatest proficiency shall
ascend to the throne.”

Talk about
reaching back for ancient customs.

Green was
furious. “There shall be no such fiasco!” she hissed.

“Your Majesty,”
he said to her gently, “when you demonstrate your skill with the code, no one
will doubt that you were chosen as the Emperor’s heir. Your victory will
demonstrate there are none who can perform the necessary duties with better
talent. Malkar’s blood will be meaningless, and she will be shown to be guilty
of treason.”

Which would mean
she could be executed. And she would be. It would be stupid of Green to let her
live.

We had to get
Aryne out of there. Maybe back to Flatwell.

“And it would
silence any last trace of opposition. You will have defeated the Triple S in
all ways.”

Green was still
fuming. Firen was in trouble. I wondered if I would ever see him again. He was
arranging circumstances to make Green put on a performance. I wouldn’t blame
her for thinking it was demeaning. But after a few moments, she gave him a
stiff nod.

“We will need
three days to prepare,” Firen told the Commissioner. “We expect to see Malkar
at the palace by the dawn of the fourth. If she fails to appear, she will
forfeit any alleged right to the throne, and you will all be found to be
traitors.”

Really? They
were going to execute all of us? They were running out of people. Who would
they tax if almost everyone was dead?

“Understood,”
said the Commissioner. “We will be bringing all of our forces within the city
walls, and twenty within the palace.”

“That is
unacceptable.”

“Lady Aryne will
not be left vulnerable. Either accept these terms or hostilities will resume.”

Firen looked to
Green.

“Agreed,” Green
said through her teeth. Then she turned and walked away. She didn’t stomp, but
her posture was stiff.

No further
mention of Gifford. Apparently he was already insignificant.

There was an
awkward moment or two. Neither side wanted to turn their back to the other in
order to leave. Green had been a little reckless doing it herself.

No matter what
happened, how were we all going to live together again?