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“This was a waste of time!” Riyan spat, rising to his feet. “I should have known better than to believe this could ever work.”

“That’s funny,” Ira said. “Because it seems to me that you are the only reason this conversation has gotten us nowhere.”

Maiya barely suppressed a groan as she rubbed her temples. With a master manipulator on one side and a jaded, lone-wolf ex-general on the other, Maiya had guessed she’d have quite the task of arbitrating this meeting.

She now knew how wrong she’d been. It didn’t matter how masterful her performance was; this was doomed from the start.

And then Prince Sanobar went and added fuel to the bonfire.

“Why don’t we all just settle down,” he said.

It was like someone had detonated an A Grade orb in the room.

“Settle down?” Ira asked in an ice-cold tone. “Do I not appear calm to you?”

“My prince, we need not deal with this Kin’jal vermin. Come, let us hold our own council. I’ve a few ideas on how we can oust your father.”

“Wait.” That single word contained every bit of the frustration, exhaustion, anger, and disappointment Maiya felt at that moment, and the dignitaries must have noticed.

Riyan was halfway through convincing Prince Sanobar to leave with him when both stopped and stared. Ira’s eyes turned to Maiya, her expression inquisitive. As if wondering what move Maiya would make now.

“It is clear that this conversation is getting us nowhere,” Maiya began. “Our priorities and our wants are fundamentally at odds. Riyan wants to capitalize on his momentum and topple Sai as soon as possible, while Princess Ira wishes to shore up her defenses. Prince Sanobar likes the idea of a more prosperous Hiranya, but cannot stomach the blood that must be spilled to unseat his father. Until we resolve the issues underpinning these concerns, arguing will get us nowhere.”

“What would you suggest?” Ira asked, looking genuinely curious.

Maiya took a deep breath and turned to her old mentor. “Riyan,” she said. “You’re worried that waiting will reduce your chances of victory, yes?”

“We have the momentum now,” Riyan stated. “Wars have been won and lost on morale and momentum alone. One does not stop when they have the advantage. They press it, and wrangle every last drop of its worth. For once lost, it may never be recovered.”

“See, that’s where I disagree,” Maiya said.

“You… Disagree?” Riyan said, clearly caught off-guard. “Girl, you do not understand warfare as I do. You’ve never—”

“I’ve fought plenty, actually,” Maiya said. “I’ve commanded troops and I’ve fought at the Boundary for months on end. So, yes. I do know a thing or two about war, Riyan. Now, if I recall, you burned a bit of Kartara, yes?”

“We dealt a severe blow to the Saian regime.”

“Really? How many forts have you taken? How many garrisons and cities have you conquered?”

Riyan, who had been standing until now, sat heavily in his chair. “They will come, in time,” he said, more softly. “This is precisely why we must press our advantage. The enemy is pressured. If we stop here, we give them the time to regroup.”

“See, that’s where I think you’re wrong, Riyan,” Maiya said. “For all your experience as a general, for all your genius on the battlefield that earned you the moniker ‘The Butcher’... You’ve always acted alone.”

“What do you mean?”

“She means the smart thing would have been to win the Altani’s favor, of course,” Ira said. “With my father recently pressuring Sai to dissolve the trade agreement they have with the Altani, the Altani have just lost a valuable ally. A critical buffer between them and the Kin’jal. I imagine they’re none too happy about this situation. In fact, I’d be surprised if they weren’t making plans of their own.”

“Do you take me for a fool?” Riyan thundered. “Of course, I contacted them. Of course, I proposed an alliance. I was ignored. The Altani, in their arrogance, deemed it unfit to humor me. So be it. Let them revel behind the white walls of Alt Ashani. When I rule Sai and Hiranya is in Sanobar’s hands, it will be they who come begging.”

Maiya sighed, while Ira stared at Riyan, clearly struggling to believe the man would say something of that sort. But she didn’t know Riyan like Maiya did. He was dead serious. As deep as his combat experience went, Riyan had always been quick to label everyone an enemy.

“He means every word, Ira,” Maiya said. “Riyan doesn’t trust them. He thinks himself their better, and he always acts alone.”

Maiya ignored the scowl the ex-general sent her way.

“Ah,” Ira replied. “I see the problem. Riyan Savar, tell me. Did you know that I’ve been chatting with the Altani? Did you also know that they are quite amenable to my idea of overthrowing my father, and were even willing to pledge a not-insignificant amount of troops, gold, and intelligence to my cause?”

Riyan’s eyes narrowed. “And how much of your soul did you have to sell to broker that agreement?”

“Nothing. I simply asked.”

Riyan’s mouth opened and closed. “You aim to deceive me.”

“I do not,” Ira said firmly. “Would you like to know the difference between us?”

“I imagine you will tell me, regardless.”

“Correct,” Ira said with a nod. “It’s because of trust, Riyan.”

Riyan barked a derisive laugh. “The treasonous princess speaks of trust? Tell me, what nation have I betrayed? What army have I ever failed?”

“Yes, your military record is quite remarkable,” Ira said. “No one in the realm questions it. You’ve served your country with honor and distinction… And, as you said, you have never launched a coup. You have never acted on your own, and you’ve not an ounce of experience in the world of politics. That is why the Altani do not trust you. Because they do not believe you can succeed, and even if you do, they do not wish to deal with someone as… Shall we say, brusque, as yourself.”

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Riyan fell silent for a moment, and Maiya knew he was truly internalizing Ira’s words.

“You can get the Altani to commit troops to my cause?”

Ira smiled. “I believe so. But only if you agree to lay low for now. Shore up your supplies. Train your troops. Prepare for the day when you’ll strike.”

“I require arms and armor.”

“They will be provided.”

“Mejai and orbs from the Altani. Equipment from Kin’jal… This could work.”

“Y-yes. It will,” Ira said, visible taken aback by Riyan’s abrupt shift.

Though a certain head handmaiden would have disapproved, Maiya’s lips crept upwards ever-so-slightly.

Despite his enormous ego and his jaded outlook forged from a lifetime of tragedy, this was what set Riyan apart. He could set aside that ego, if it meant accomplishing a larger goal. It just took some doing to pierce that thick skull of his. Working alone, Maiya would undoubtedly have failed, but together with Ira, they made quite the potent force indeed.

“Very well,” Riyan said, crossing his arms. “I will wait. But what of Hiranya? This plan of yours cannot succeed without both countries rebelling at the same time, yes?”

The grizzled general cast his gaze to the Hiranyan prince, who had kept his silence until now.

Maiya almost felt bad for Sanobar. It was obvious at a glance that he was the honest, straightforward type. He reminded her of Vir in that regard. It was patently obvious to everyone in the room that he detested even being here. That talk of coups and rebellions distressed him greatly.

Hiranya could use a kind-hearted ruler for once, Maiya thought. Between the crippled Mina and her despotic father, there was precious little mercy in the current rulership.

But mercy without the backbone to make the hard decisions was a recipe for a weak, incompetent ruler who would, at best, continue Hiranya’s slow decline, and at worst, allow the nation to collapse entirely, killing millions.

The question was, which was he? Sanobar Hiranya’s iron nobility was renowned. But what of his grit? Was he a ruler at heart? Or just a boy? She hoped to find out.

“Tell me,” Sanobar said. “What good is a brighter future if it is to be built on a mountain of corpses?”

“What good is a diseased country that allows tens of thousands to starve every year?” Ira countered smoothly. “How many years must pass—how many Hiranyans must die—before this calculus makes sense in your head? I would truly like to know.”

“I understand, Princess Ira,” Sanobar said. “I have understood this hypocrisy from the day I was first taken outside our gilded palace walls as a young boy. Our nation is sick. Should nothing be done, more will die. Yet it is also the truth that so many will perish in an uprising. And if it were to fail?”

“Then you will be put to death,” Ira said. “Are you afraid to die?”

“Please,” Sanobar retorted. “How can I hope to rule if I cannot even risk my own life? No, if it is only my own life at risk, then I will gladly pay it. But what if your plan fails? What if Andros does indeed send his forces to Hiranya? We will be crushed. My people slaughtered, my cities razed to the ground. I know your father’s reputation. He will leave no one alive, all to set an example.”

Maiya pursed her lips. She’d never met Imperator Andros, but between his reputation and what Ira had said earlier about her punishment… Well, Maiya hoped she never did. Many rulers exaggerated their exploits to inflate their reputations. Andros, it seemed, had no reason to. His brutality spoke for itself.

“True,” Ira said. “I’ll not deny that. Our failure risks your national sovereignty. Our success, however, establishes a new world order. One built on peace and prosperity. Is that not worth fighting for?”

Sanobar bit his lip. “You cannot ask me to risk my country’s future on this reckless plan. Toppling three countries at once? Not once in history has it been done. Not once in history has anyone even thought of such a thing.”

“All great things are deemed impossible until they are done,” Ira said softly. “Then they become commonplace. One need only gaze up at the Vimana that floats above this very city for confirmation of that fact.”

The room fell silent. Unlike Riyan’s reservations, this was not an issue that could be won with words alone, as both Maiya and Ira knew. Sanobar’s point was valid. Riyan cared little for the citizens of Sai. Should his plan fail, he’d hide, bide his time, and try again. Should Ira fail, she would die, but Kin’jal would remain unchanged. They would hardly notice.

Sanobar, on the other hand, had not only the current populace of his country to worry about, but the fate of all future generations as well. His decision here might well doom his country.

Unless…

“What if it didn’t have to?” Maiya found herself saying. Her words came almost as much of a surprise to her as it did to the room.

“You have a plan?” Ira said, her tone half statement, half question.

“What if we depose King Rayid… Quietly,” Maiya said.

“And Prince Sanobar takes his place?” Riyan said. “This defeats the purpose of the princess’ coup, does it not? Andros will have no cause to muster his troops if there is a smooth cessation of power.”

“Riyan is right, Maiya,” Ira said. “It is precisely the turmoil Sanobar’s coup would cause that would entice my father.”

“Right,” Maiya said. “I understand that. Which is why the prince wouldn’t take the throne right away. He’d be missing…”

“Missing?” Sanobar asked.

“Yes,” Maiya replied, pointing to Riyan. “Because we’ll have Riyan capture you. So when your father does succumb, there will be nobody to take the throne. Not right away, anyway.”

Riyan stroked his beard. “Hiranya would devolve into chaos.”

“I fail to see how this is any better than a coup,” Sanobar muttered. “Many will die.”

“Not necessarily,” Princess Ira said. “Not if you prepare your retainers for such an eventuality. Call it princely paranoia after what happened to your sister. Prince Sanobar suddenly fears for his life and that of his family, and worries for the state of the nation. As such, he has flown into a frenzy readying the staff in case something should happen.”

“I would look a fool…” Sanobar said. “But only until I’m proven right, I suppose.”

“Exactly,” Maiya said. “When your father is killed and you’re captured, you’ll suddenly appear wise. You are already well-loved by Hiranya, and this action would only solidify your position. The country will yearn for your return.”

“Andros will see the vacant throne as a carrot and move in, salivating,” Ira mused. “He couldn’t ask for a better target.”

“And then, at the perfect moment, the Prince returns in force and rallies his troops in a gallant show of heroism,” Riyan completed.

“By then, my own coup would be in motion,” Ira continued. “Andros will be forced to return to Sonam.”

“We will pull Andros’ strings like puppet masters,” Riyan laughed. “Glorious.”

“Indeed,” Ira muttered. “It’s… genius, actually. How did you come up with this, Maiya?”

Maiya gave a small laugh. “I, er… I’d been worried the prince would react this way, so I came up with a countermeasure,” she lied. She had, in fact, thought of it on the spot, but there was no need for these rulers-to-be to know that minor fact.

“I’m impressed,” Ira said. “The only risk I see is if an opportunist sees the vacant throne and decides to launch a coup of their own. Princess Mina, perhaps?”

“Impossible,” Riyan said, with no small amount of glee, pointing to his mask. “I see you staring, Princess. You may have the tact not to ask outright, but it is true. Mina was once a formidable foe. A sick child who gained far too much power. Yet the disfigured face behind this mask pales in comparison to what I have done to her. She is no longer a threat.”

Ira’s reaction was muted, while Prince Sanobar winced at the mention of Riyan’s face. The relationship between the two clearly ran deep, something both Ira and Maiya took careful note of.

“I’m inclined to agree with Riyan,” the Hiranyan prince said. “My sister is… Not well. She’s proven unable to endure her crippling and subsequent loss of power. Her mind has broken, and I’m afraid she scarcely even recognizes her own bedchambers these days. She spends her time muttering nonsense and requires assistance feeding and eating. I fear she may not survive much longer.”

“Good riddance,” Maiya muttered, earning her a look of surprise from the prince.

“Do you know my sister?” he asked.

“You could say that. You might not know this, but I was Hiranyan, once.” Maiya ignored Riyan’s scoff. “She ordered the murder of my mother and father, and of a dear friend’s only parent. It was because of her we fled to flee. It was because of her we met Riyan, and trained to become killers and spies.”

“I see…” Sanobar said after a moment had passed, and lowered his head. “On behalf of my sister, I apologize. We failed you. Instead of protecting you, we committed a terrible tragedy. I have tried, over the years, to guide my sister, but I’m afraid I proved insufficient. She is… Was… brilliant. Far more than I or my father. If only her mind hadn’t become corrupted…”

“Except it did,” Maiya said. “And there was nothing you or anyone else could have done, so there’s no sense blaming yourself. My feelings toward Mina have been satiated. She got what she deserved. Your father, however, needs to answer for the crimes he has allowed under his rule.”

“He is not a bad man,” Sanobar said. “He’s just…”

“Negligent,” Ira said. “For a ruler, there is no difference. I agree. King Rayid needs to be removed.”

“And I will be the one to end him,” Maiya said. Her mind was firm. The day she’d learned of her parents’ death was as vivid now as it had been all those years ago. The anguish she’d felt had never left, and the fury had never dimmed. It had simmered at the back of her mind, all this time.

And now, her chance had arrived.

King Rayid Hiranya would die by Maiya’s hand.