Aida walked at the head of ten thousand faithful, the Wicker Way collapsing into a burning heap behind them less than five minutes after they left. Its fall brought down several blocks of buildings nearby and set as many more on fire. Aliasara held Aida's hand, squeezing it and offering reassuring smiles as they drew nearer to the Cupola with its ring of purple-liveried troops.

Banging, chipping, and hammering rang over the tumultuous throng about the Cupola. Aida's followers melded into it seamlessly. The combined horde enveloped the structure, barely a spear-length gap standing open between the hostile crowd and the uneasy circle of Jaxe's spearmen.

Fallon sighed. "Dynasts are not allowed to bring private soldiers into each other's verses. They must be thugs and desperadoes from the lowest parts of Jadeye, armed and swathed in Jaxe's colors to grant legitimacy."

Aida's mind remained blank, no plan forthcoming since the Wicker Way. With disconcerting suddenness she stood staring down those spears, watching as men beyond the spearmen likewise slung with sashes of Jaxe purple went to work with picks and mauls on the heavy stone columns supporting the Cupola.

"He is going to bring it down," Fallon muttered. "Trap us here. Whatever the plan, act quickly."

"You're the Seneschal, I thought you had the plan."

A reproving look and a sigh.

Fluttering with a thousand purple ribbons, a Royal Strider placed its feet carefully among the ranks of Jaxe's troops as it walked slowly around the Cupola. The beast stopped directly beside the columned dome, a dozen bow-armed Ferals packing its howdah with arrows knocked. Jaxe stood with foot on the howdah's raised edge, leaning casually on his knee. "Ah, you've arrived."

"Yes," Aida called back. "With half of Jadeye behind me. How about letting us through before things get ugly?"

Jaxe laughed. "What could possibly be uglier than the sight of ten-thousand menials?"

His laughter rang clear even over the chip and clang. Aida glanced at the veritable horde behind her, hoping for fury at the Dynast's derision, but finding only shrinking hesitation of beaten dogs writ on every face and form. It struck her as so ridiculous that one man could elicit such a reaction from so many that she burst into a rolling belly laugh, bright contrast to Jaxe's mean, mocking sound.

At first, those about her looked shocked and horrified, but her laughter soon became contagious. Even the serene, serious Semon joined in.

When Aida recovered enough to look back to Jaxe, his clenched jaw silenced him. "Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand," Aida murmured, smiling as she recalled Twain's quotation.

As the mass laughter died away, the Dynast pulled himself to full height and thrust a finger at her.

"You laugh now, but know that you are under arrest by order of the Black Court-"

Shouts and cries drowned him out. He smiled.

Fallon stepped forward close enough to touch the nearest spear point. "You have no authority in Heaven's Tread. Cease your empty threats and let us pass."

"Empty? I think not. Rasofi!" Jaxe leaned out and looked down at the carriage slung under the strider. The door opened and a man in Inviolate black scrambled up the rope ladder dangling down from the howdah. Recognition sparked in the back of Aida's mind as she watched him climb.

"That's the Black Court guy from Ocyl's throne room. Is this bad? Fallon?"

He refused to look at her, staring at Eth of all people. The Imminent gritted her teeth. Nodded.

"What the hell?" Aida looked between them. "What's going on?"

"You might think you inspire loyalty in menials wherever you go," Jaxe called. "Yet those closest to you betray you. Here dog!"

"Dog?" Aida looked about, turning back as the wall of spears closed. Peering between them, she saw Fallon, head bowed, trudging towards Jaxe's strider.

Semon bowed deeply. "This is my moment to slip away too. I'll do more as your voice amid the Verses than at your side wherever you go from here."

"My voice?" Aida said, distracted by Fallon. What the hell was he doing?

Without answering, Semon turned, following the tight cluster of his disciples as they pushed back through the crowd.

"What the hell's going on?" Aida looked back-and-forth between the departing Semon and Fallon making his way to the royal strider's dangling rope ladder.

"You chose correctly, Seneschal." Jaxe leaned over the edge to look down at him. "Join us and taste the fruit of your warning."

"Warning? What's he talking about? Fallon!" Aida stepped forward heedless of the spears. Broadaxe and Ghillie pulled her back.

"Oh, you didn't know? He brought us word of your plans to raise menials in revolt against the Dynasty days ago. Our Inviolate friend didn't believe it, but now he sees the truth of your Seneschal's words." Jaxe glanced at the Inviolate as Jaxe's purple-clad Ferals helped the man over the howdah's edge.

"Days ago?" Aida muttered, her gut clenching. "How? When? He was practically dying and before that..."

Her eyes widened, hand covering her mouth. "The Optomime's! When I didn't let him in."

Aliasara clutched Aida's arm, fear written across her face. "If this Inviolate publicly declares you criminal with three Dynasts in Tribunal behind him, they can execute you if you resist. Even should you escape, every Dynast will be your enemy."

"Three? He's only got himself. Unless..."

She looked up, searching for Wake's forces. Half-way down Jadeye's arc she spotted those who survived the Wicker Way's fall, moving at a quick march. "They're only halfway so if we..."

Gray-and-gold Ferals on striders galloped in a wedge through the frantically parting multitude, the unmistakable long train of Wake's dress flowing from the largest beast.

"That's two... oh no, Ocyl too?" Aida groaned.

Ocyl's green-and-white draped Royal Strider plodded into view behind Jaxe's, a company of smaller striders at its knee height carrying Ocyl's Porcelain guard while at those smaller strider's knees marched several hundred white-clad Jadeye guardsmen who could have marched out of the Iliad.

Broadaxe nudged Aida. She turned to meet her huge Feral's eyes. Now. Attack, the woman signed, waving at the throng behind them then making a cutting and parting motion towards the soldiers blocking their way to the Thorn.

"We might outnumber them, but these people are practically unarmed against several hundred spearmen, Ocyl's hoplites, those Feral archers, striders..." A feeling of heavy finality sank into Aida. "I'm not going to get them massacred for me."

A fist touched under her chin and lifted. Ryk's pale blue eyes and gentle smile met her, sending a tremble down her spine. "It's not over yet, my love."

"I've seen you fight, but even you can't beat them all." She gripped his hand but shook her head. "They had this planned before the audience, ready to take me down if I didn't cooperate."

"Menials of Jadeye," Jaxe shouted, turning and widening his arms to encompass the crowd. "Know that what follows is the just fate for anyone who tries to overthrow The Book's Ascendant-blessed order. Our hierarchy exists for your protection. Mon throng the edge of every verse, kept at bay only by the blood of your Dynasts and Legions. Trade flows because of the Valeers and 'nails our Vale Walkers provide, their convoys bringing food and clothing, carrying civilization to the most distant fringes of our dominion. The Dynasty serves you, protects you, feeds you yet this barbarian would tear all that apart, would make you equals of Wretches. She would break the spine of the Book that keeps us safe, whole, and united."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Do something!" Aliasara hissed, but Aida shook her head hopelessly. Only Ryk's usual perfect ease and Eth's bored fingernail picking offered hope of a way out that Aida couldn't begin to imagine from where they stood.

"Inviolate Rasofi, three Dynasts stand present in support." Jaxe gestured theatrically at Wake's strider as it stepped carefully over the ranks of soldiers to stand before his Royal Strider. Wake raised a gleaming, gem-studded sword and leveled it at Aida.

Jaxe turned and pointed towards Ocyl's forces. Ocyl stood atop, distinctive even through the ash and sparks still drifting down from the burning Wicker Way.

Aida rubbed her forehead and cheeks. "Ocyl was good to me but I declared him an enemy of the people in his own villa. No wonder he turned against me."

"You could shout, blast us a path." Aliasara gestured towards their hunched, drooling Valeer. "Get her in there and we can flee!"

Aida clutched the ring at her throat, trying futilely to shift into whatever state she found last time she used it. Panic shortened her breath and narrowed her vision. "It seemed so obvious when I did it, but I can't remember!"

Jaxe stepped aside so the Inviolate Rasofi could take his place, the black vial hanging around his neck a sliver of pure darkness distinct even through the haze. Fallon heaved himself onto the howdah behind them.

Where Jaxe beamed with triumph, the Inviolate looked weary and resolute; a man dreading his duty yet unable to escape it.

"Dynast Aida of the... the One-Eighth, commonly known as the Mother of Exiles-" he began, voice flat.

Aida giggled in spite of, or perhaps because of, the tension. "They won't use the whole name or it'll screw up their formality."

"Here in the eyes of a Tribunal of Dynasts and with inescapable evidence of your intent to raise revolt against the Black Court..." He glanced dispassionately at the thousands surrounding the Cupola.

Many in the crowd booed and shouted, but most stood silent and defeated.

"Why did you do it?" Aida mumbled, staring up at Fallon as he shuffled towards the howdah's front. "I know I hurt you when I left you behind, but this?"

He looked up, meeting her eyes across the distance. One of his hands slid into his robes and, across the distance. He bowed slowly to her and mouthed "I'm sorry."

Rasofi leveled his gaze on Aida, raising his voice over the hue and cry. "I fear I must pronounce you, Dynast Aida, in the eyes of all who uphold Dynasty and swear fealty to the Black Court-"

"For the Mother of Exiles!" Fallon shouted, drawing the dagger Aida lost at the Spire and plunging it into the Inviolate's back. Jaxe shouted and lunged towards them, his nearby Ferals dropping bows and drawing long knives. Too late.

The momentum of Fallon's charge carried Seneschal and Inviolate both over the edge to plummet to the cobblestones below.

"Fallon! NO!" Aida screamed.

Her foot slid back instinctively to brace herself as whatever held back the ring's power broke loose, her cry hurtling the nearest several dozen spearmen windmilling through the air to fall upon their fellows or crash into the Cupola's stone.

Before the scream's echoes faded, a horn blared and Ocyl's forces charged.

The crowd panicked, then cheered and surged forwards as Ocyl's soldiers crashed into Jaxe's unsuspecting spearmen. Ocyl's striders leveled lances, hurtling themselves towards Jaxe's royal strider.

"What's he doing?" Aida gasped.

"As he's told," Eth muttered. "Move."

Aida's innermost circle rushed forward, half-dragging her through the gap in Jaxe's lines. No professional troops, many the nearby spearmen ripped off sashes and joined the mob rushing into the Cupola. Most formed ranks and fought viciously, their spears darting and jabbing into their brick-and-rock-armed assailants. Bodies piled about them, trampled by the unfortunates in the next rank propelled forward onto their spears by the relentless push of the enraged masses behind them.

After Broadaxe, Ghillie, and Ryk casually maimed a knot of spearman in their path, any others scattered. Aida reached to draw her sword with her left hand, but Ghillie's hand rested on it with a gesture. No.

Those spearmen who ran found themselves with nowhere to go as they poured into the center of the Cupola from all directions. Some realized they were trapped and formed small groups to fight their way out while others ripped away their livery and routed. Aida turned to see members of the mob pouring through the breach she'd blasted, but once through most hustled to stay close to Aida rather than attack the exposed rear of Jaxe's formation.

Eth shouted for Ryk, shoving forward while dragging the stumbling Valeer towards the Thorn. Clangs and thuds, metal on stone, echoed loudly in the space as Jaxe's workers resumed their assault on the support columns with renewed intensity.

"They're going to bring it down on top of us!" Aliasara shouted over the tumult.

Dust and stone chips rained down. Coughing, Aida glanced up as a hairline crack snaked its way across the dome in jagged increments. She couldn't begin to guess how much the dome weighed. Certainly enough to flatten them to paste. Inspired by visions of a few tons of falling rock, Aida joined Eth in shouting, pushing, and bullying their way through the confused, panicking mob.

When they finally reached the Thorn, the Valeer stirred weakly to life, grinning gruesomely and shambling over to caress it, the disheveled woman babbling like a happy baby.

"Mother of Shitholes!" a voice boomed.

Aida stood on tiptoes to see clearly over the crowd, spotting a bloodied, dirty Jaxe standing at the Cupola's edge, surrounded by a double ring of purple-liveried Ferals in heavy bronze armor. He leveled a two-meter-long steel sword towards her with one hand.

"You'll never get out in time," Jaxe shouted. "Surrender yourself to Court justice or be crushed with your fellow insects."

"I'll take my chances, thanks," Aida shouted back. She glanced at the Thorn as it throbbed and pulsed, slowly expanding. "I'd rather... what the-"

Eth shoved her hard then leapt away. A nearby Wretch woman moved to help Aida up and suffered the impact of the head-sized rock that would have struck Aida.

Aida knelt helplessly over the writhing Wretch until Eth pulled her to her feet.

"You could've warned everyone to move!" Aida shouted.

Eth's gave her a resigned look. "You're going to ignore me and it will cost you. I don't know why I'm even trying to tell you not to do it, but don't do it. There will be time."

Aida ducked instinctively as more stones fell with crunching impacts on the densely packed press of Aida's followers. At the Valeer's urging the Thorn grew, snaking out slowly to encircle everyone within the Cupola. Too slowly, and the space too big. They'd never get out before it collapsed. Falling rubble struck Stiller, hurling the boy to the ground.

"Stop them, I'm coming!" Aida shouted to Jaxe, waving towards the men pounding the columns. She slapped away reaching hands as she pushed towards Jaxe. "Make them stop!"

"Halt!" Jaxe shouted, his voice echoing and reverberating in the dusty air. "Halt by order of Dynast Jaxe of the Stacks!"

Hammer and clang died away, though the stone above still cracked, popped, and rained fragments. Broadaxe stood in Aida's way, the woman going so far as to place a hand on Aida's chest as Aida cleared the crowd.

"Move. That's an order." Aida stared Broadaxe down, but the woman refused to budge until Ghillie stepped between them. The two Ferals locked eyes, tensed. Aida slipped past.

"Let my people out and I'll come peacefully!" Aida shouted, walking towards Jaxe. "You want to parade me about as an example before my execution, right? Get my people out and you'll have it."

"Agreed." Jaxe motioned to his Ferals. They rushed towards her.

"Get out," Aida shouted, turning back and meeting Aliasara's eyes. "Get your family, everyone, get them out before it comes down!"

They milled about in confusion, eyes darting in all directions only to see heavily-armed purple-swathed Ferals stepping to block each arched exit.

"I have you, why should I care what happens to few hundred rebellious menials?" Jaxe purred. "Get her damn strings first."

"What?" Aida wrestled for her sword as strong hands grabbed her. "No!"

Jaxe himself stepped forward and gripped her shoulder as a Feral's long nails scraped her neck hunting the choker. Something whistled past the curve of Aida's neck, Jaxe's arm went limp, and he fell back cursing. A second later, the Feral pawing at her slumped against her. Aida staggered under his weight, then fell as they all released her to face Broadaxe's furious charge.

"Bring it down!" Jaxe roared pointing at the Cupola with his huge sword before dropping it to pluck a red-tassled needle from his shoulder. The hammering resumed before the echo of his shout faded.

Ghillie hurled another needle then helped Aida to her feet, dragging her back as Ryk lunged past and drove his spear into a Feral's gut.

"I'm sorry about your Feral," Ryk said cryptically, his long spear darting to cover their retreat. "Duck."

She did, narrowly avoiding clothes-lining herself as she slipped under the now rope-thin, spiraling arm of the Thorn that now encircled nearly all of Aida's people. Behind them, Broadaxe swung wildly to keep Jaxe's Ferals at bay, her shield and shield arm battered to shreds, bleeding from a dozen wounds though several Feral bodies lay dead in exchange for the bloodletting.

"Broadaxe, hurry!" Aida shouted, drowned out by screams as a bathtub-size stone chunk fell near the Thorn's base, crushing several villa servants. Her gaze shot back to see Broadaxe fall to her knees, a stunning blow from Jaxe's immense, maul-wielding Feral slamming her down. Jaxe waved the Feral back, raised his huge sword, then met Aida's eyes as he snarled and hewed deep into Broadaxe's chest with a mighty, one-handed swing.

"No!" Aida shouted, seeing red. She drew her sword and ran towards Jaxe.

Ghillie ducked under the Thorn's vastly distended arm, knocking Aida's sword from her hand and wrestling Aida back. "Let me go, I'll kill him!"

Ryk downed a Feral with a spear thrust, then dove over the pulsing Thorn now enwrapping the entire hundreds-strong huddle of Aida's followers. "Your Ferals live to die for you thus. An honorable death."

"Fuck honor," Aida snapped, tears streaming.

Jaxe kicked Broadaxe's corpse off his blade, aiming its dripping length at Aida as his Feral's dragged him out from under the Cupola's cascading failure. Debris fell freely.

"You're next, whore. The Dynasty always prevails," Jaxe shouted. "Get ready, I'm coming for you!"

"Bring it, motherfucker," Aida shouted back.

With a final popping boom, the Cupola finally gave out, the entire mass plummeting down to a chorus of screams.