“Lord Baranack is a traitor,” Rosslyn finished.
She continued to speak in a low whisper. She hoped the sound of the river would drown her words out for anyone who might happen to pass by, though the street was nearly empty as she spoke.
Carolien’s eyes were teary. “I trusted him so completely,” she said.
“I know, but you have to believe me—”
“Of course I believe you!” Carolien said, almost indignant. “I know you would not deceive me about something like this.” They stood in silence for a few seconds as the river rushed by them. “What do we do now?”
Rosslyn swallowed. “We have to make our way home from here without him. As quickly as possible, before he realizes we know. Take whoever we can with us, because their lives will be forfeit once he realizes we have departed.”
“We could leave at our leisure, if we killed him first,” Carolien said. The words rang with a malice that Rosslyn had never heard in her stepmother’s voice before.
“Um, I agree with the sentiment,” Rosslyn said. “Treachery should always be punished appropriately.” She lowered her voice. “But we are in a city surrounded by enemies. If anyone should get an idea of who we are, or if we were to make a loud scene and fall afoul of the authorities—” She swallowed.
The possibility did not bear thinking about. It was terrifying to contemplate. They would be used as bargaining chips to weaken Claustria at best, tortured and killed at worst. Depending on whether the authorities here knew who they were, probably.
I do not want to dishonor my family by revealing my identity, just so that I might live on as a hostage. So it would be torture and death, then.
“I understand,” Carolien said. “I suppose I just feel personally betrayed. I have known Lord Baranack for so long. He was almost an older brother to me. In my household, we treated him as family.”
“How do we do this?” Rosslyn thought aloud. She realized she had completely ignored her stepmother’s feelings as soon as the words were out of her mouth. But to her relief, Carolien broke into a crooked smile.
“You are so practical, my dear,” Carolien said. “And of course we should focus on our escape. If we want to leave today—” Rosslyn nodded—“then we should go back right away and gather the rest of our company. If we make our way to the walls quickly, we can get there around sunset.”
“When they change shifts,” Rosslyn finished, relieved.
Thank goodness you remembered, Rosslyn thought. I paid attention to father’s briefing on the city, but apparently not enough. I completely forgot about the sentries’ schedule until you mentioned it.
“It should be our best window of opportunity,” Carolien said.
“I will follow your lead, then, stepmother.”
Carolien shook her head. “I am still deciding whether I can trust my own judgment after being so mistaken about something so fundamental in the character of someone we knew for so long.” She shuddered, then turned a kind eye toward Rosslyn. “Your father trusted you with the fate of the country. I will follow your lead this time.”
Rosslyn smiled despite everything. And the two women turned and began walking back toward the embassy.
—
“That sounds like quite a gift,” the Emperor said quietly, his face not twitching with any hint of emotion at Baranack’s pronouncement. Baranack thought the Emperor must be using all his famously superhuman force of self-control to keep his feelings contained, hidden beneath a veneer of quiet calm. “Explain to me exactly how I might enjoy it. How do you intend to give me the King’s heir?”
“Well, not in any metaphorical sense, Majesty,” Baranack said. He explained the circumstances of his gift—in a self-serving way, of course, leaving out the fact that the Princess and Queen’s presences had been forced upon him by the King.
“So they are a part of your diplomatic party,” the Emperor said.
Lord Baranack nodded slowly. I can foresee some potential problems with that, but nothing that should inhibit the most powerful being in the world from acting against his enemy when she steps into his city.
“That limits my options somewhat,” the Emperor murmured. He locked eyes with Baranack. “But it is still a useful gift. I cannot simply take them prisoner, because they are officially part of your diplomatic entourage. It would be a naked violation of international norms around the treatment of diplomats. And in these times, when we daily prepare for the next war, that would disrupt the delicate balance of relations with other key powers.”
“You will still be able to do something with the Princess, Divine Majesty?” Baranack asked. He had felt slightly anxious ever since he finally entered the Empire’s capital. If Rosslyn somehow learned of his entanglement with the Empire, he had no doubt that bloodthirsty girl would create an opportunity to kill him.
“We tragically have a significant crime problem in Stalenton,” the Emperor said. “I cannot be held responsible for what a gang of bandits might do to some unwary people touring the city. We will of course express our regrets at the tragedy. But if only the King had informed us that we were hosting high royalty, we would have taken precautions. Provided security. Yes. It will serve. Those who wish to believe it is a tragedy, or those who want to pretend they believe that, will have an appropriate fig leaf with which to maintain deniability.”
“You will—” Baranack swallowed nervously—“you will guarantee the safety of the Queen, will you not?”
“Ah, yes. Our agreement.” The Emperor chuckled. “Yes, we will spare the Queen. As promised, once we successfully acquire Claustria, you will be governor there, and she will be your slave.”
Baranack suppressed his desire to grin and instead simply bowed his head in thanks.
“Divine Majesty!” Agarov spoke up so suddenly from beside Baranack that he almost jumped. He looked at the assassin, who was bowing to the Emperor as if in apology for speaking out of turn.
“You may speak,” the Emperor said.
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“Please give me the honor of killing the Princess and her escort,” Agarov said. “The Long Blade are the Empire’s best—”
“No,” the Emperor said bluntly. “There will be none with any demon blood involved in this attack. Deniability, Agarov. We lose it by inches and then all at once.”
Agarov visibly deflated. “You will want them, then.”
“The Iron Blood, yes,” the Emperor replied. “I know how you feel about them, but they have as much claim to be the best as the Long Blade.”
Baranack vaguely remembered rumors around the Iron Blood. He had certainly heard of the elite Long Blade killing squad, but the Iron Blood was a quasi-mythical group. Supposedly the Empire had a forced breeding program for captive human nobles who were known to have particularly powerful genetics. The products of that program were raised to be assassins from a young age, brainwashed, and castrated to ensure their complete loyalty to the Emperor.
I thought it was just a rumor. A ridiculous myth. But—Baranack’s head snapped to the side involuntarily. He sensed thick tension in the air.
As he looked to his side, Baranack realized the tension was emanating from Agarov. The assassin was apparently so frustrated that the anger rolled off of him like steam. Baranack had to resist the urge to step away from him. The emotion did not seem to be directed at the Emperor, but Baranack could not help wondering if the ruler would take offense at his top assassin appearing so angry in his presence.
When Baranack turned back to look at the Emperor, however, the Emperor was not even looking in his and Agarov’s direction. He was sipping a drink from the serving girl’s tray and ogling her advantageously displayed assets.
Baranack looked at Agarov again, and it was as if the anger had never been there. It was a bit frightening, how completely he had bottled the emotion up.
“Of course, Divine Majesty,” Agarov said finally. “I will pass word to the leader of the Iron Blood. After that, I will not lift a finger or involve myself in any way.”
There were two ways to interpret what Agarov was saying, Baranack noted. The exact wording was to the effect, Of course I will do exactly as ordered, sire, but the implication was, On your own head be it, because I will do exactly as ordered.
Baranack found it impressive that the other man had reined in such obviously intense emotions so quickly—and composed such a passive-aggressive response, at the same time. There was nothing in it for a reasonable person to be offended by, even though the words were coming from a place of anger.
Right. This is the Empire. That is the way of this place. A pit of vipers, as it is sometimes said. And I will have to become accustomed to it. After the Princess is dead, this will be my home forever, whether we defeat Claustria or not. Even if the international community may believe the Emperor’s version of events, King Alistair will certainly reject it. He is not an especially quick-witted man, but he will certainly piece together my involvement eventually.
The idea gave him a queasy feeling. If Rosslyn was a tigress that might rip him to pieces for his treachery, the King was a dragon that could kill him with its breath. Alistair had been a great warrior in his time, and he was still one of the most physically dangerous humans on the continent.
Neither of them will live through the next year, he reminded himself. Killing them is the Empire’s problem. Demons are usually stronger than humans anyway. I have every reason to think the Emperor or his emissary will defeat the King. Soon, that territory will be mine to rule.
“You can both excuse yourselves from my sight, now,” the Emperor said, cutting into Baranack’s thoughts. “Agarov, you know your task. Lord Baranack, I would prefer for the assassins to do their work outside, so that the explanation that a roving gang killed the King’s heir might appear more credible. In order to aid their effort, I order you to return to your embassy and find some pretense to send the Princess outdoors. Then you will only have to wait. The assassins will begin their work quickly. In the event that she temporarily escapes them, simply refrain from letting her back in. They will do their work even if they have to chase her to your doorstep.”
Baranack bowed, allowing himself a small smile. “Of course, Your Divine Majesty. It is my pleasure to be of service.”
I have almost accomplished everything.
“You performed well in executing your previous mission,” the Emperor added. “If the Princess had some male defender, it would make our task of subverting Claustria that little bit harder. Even if we assassinated her, a fiancé could have opposed us in her place. Instead, once she is dead, there will only be the King.”
“It was hardly any trouble, truly, Majesty,” Baranack said. “The girl has a reputation as a difficult person, and who would willingly volunteer to stand beside her, knowing it would mean opposing you? The suitor would have to be desperate to improve his station—or mad!”
“You might be surprised,” the Emperor mused. “People make stranger decisions every day.”
Baranack dipped his head in another quick bow. Then he and Agarov exited the Chamber of the Bear.
“Are you able to find your way back to the embassy?” Agarov asked.
“Do you mean by going out through the front door and returning via the city streets, or back into that maze of tunnels you led me through to bring me here?” Baranack replied. “I confess, I did not memorize the route.”
Since it was utterly impossible to remember the way on a first visit, and I could hardly see where we were going in some places, he thought.
Agarov sighed and shook his head.
“Obviously, after the efforts we have made to be discreet, I cannot allow you to be seen leaving the castle on the same day the Princess is to be murdered,” he said in a low voice, scowling. “Very well. I will guide you back through the underground. Wait here for a few minutes while I alert my counterpart—” He almost spat the words out—“that he has a new mission.”
“Ah, yes, of course,” Baranack said uneasily.
Agarov walked away, and Baranack stood, trying to look inconspicuous in the hallway.
It was strange, Baranack realized as he waited, how nothing seemed to move in the building. He knew there had to be guards around here somewhere. He had seen them.
But now it seemed that the Emperor’s defenders did not want to make themselves known, and so they were hidden somewhere. He wondered if it was a form of magic.
He looked up and down the corridor and saw nothing. And then his curiosity began to work on his discipline.
Where do these guards conceal themselves? Invisibility magic is not a discipline the Empire has, right? Baranack had heard that there was a small island nation somewhere where invisibility magic was practiced, but it was only a legend as far as he was concerned.
He wondered if he could figure it out by looking carefully.
Baranack’s curiosity had brought him to where he was now. His tendency to think about how the world could be different—and his hidden passion for a woman who was forever out of his reach except by means of deception and warfare. But the underlying force was curiosity.
He decided to see if he could penetrate the guards’ concealment.
Agarov was not here now, and he had said he would take a few minutes…
Baranack stepped forward from where he’d been told to wait and twisted his head around to peer into a shadowy alcove.
“What are you looking for?”
Baranack jumped at the sound. It was just Agarov, but he had approached silently and spoken from what seemed to be right behind Baranack’s head.
“Nothing,” he said finally.
“We must go, then,” Agarov replied through gritted teeth. “I want us back in the embassy before the Iron Blood have set their trap.”
The assassin dragged the traitor back off toward the secret entrance they had arrived through.