Some truths, over time, can learn to play nice

Some truths are sharper than knives

Some truths we only see in the corners of our eyes

Some truths we wish we could hide

-- Sleeping At Last, South

Silence fell after Lian finished his story. Well, he hadn't really finished it, but he apparently didn't feel like continuing. Abi couldn't blame him. She'd had enough shocks today to last her a lifetime. It had never occurred to her that there was a sinister story behind that scar on Gilreon's neck. He'd explained it with "I was clumsy during sword practice and my opponent's sword wasn't as blunt as we thought." Nor had she ever thought that she wasn't the only member of her family to have both become a necromancer and met Death.

All things considered, she'd come out of that meeting better than Lian.

Do you think there's something about Death that drives people insane? she asked Ilaran.

During Lian's story Ilaran had said nothing. Abi couldn't hear what he was thinking, but she could feel what he was feeling and for the last hour that had been complete and utter horror. Now it turned to anger and exasperation.

Really? That's what you're worried about?

Mirio had also said nothing. He was silently examining the stones of the bridge as if he'd never seen anything so interesting.

Lian leant against the bridge wall and stared down at the river. She couldn't see his face, but from the way he held himself Abi could tell he was as tense as someone who expected a punch at any moment. Maybe that was exactly what he did expect. In spite of -- or perhaps because of; one necromancer sympathising with another's mistakes -- what she'd just heard, Abi felt sorry for him.

Unfortunately she let that feeling bleed through to Ilaran, and was promptly treated to an indignant squawk of, What in the name of all the gods is wrong with you?

This silence couldn't last forever, and she supposed she might as well be the one to break it. "What happened then?"

Lian laughed bitterly. It was the sort of laugh that suggested he was trying not to cry. "The guards arrested me. Grandmother wanted to execute me but Mother convinced her to only banish me instead. I'm not really a vampire -- at least not entirely -- and no one could figure out what I am, so they decided I'd just used dark magic and gone mad. I suppose that was true." He took a deep breath. "When I was in the palace cells I finally realised how insane I'd been. After my exile I went into hiding and set out to discover what I'd done to myself. I found that dying and coming back does something to your mind. Or rather, something else gets its claws into your mind. I suppose you could say I was possessed, but I think it would be better to say I was influenced by something."

I told you so, Abi thought for Ilaran's benefit.

He scoffed. You said you thought there was something about Death herself. Not about dying in general.

Close enough!

"I got rid of its influence eventually," Lian continued. "To do it I had to find a way to talk to Death without dying. I do not recommend that. Not that I recommend anything I did, but especially not that. But in the end I was free of it, and banished with no way to go home. I wandered around for a while. Lived in Saoridhlém under an alias then went to foreign countries and different planets. Tried my hand at interfering in politics in Calormen, and in the process discovered that I could use some relatively benign forms of dark magic to heal people. So I decided to become a doctor. Came back to Vanerth, ended up in Gengxin. So," he shrugged, "here I am."

There was another long and uncomfortable silence. Abi looked at Mirio, but he was still staring at the ground. Lian refused to look at either of them. Ilaran said nothing, but Abi got the impression he was going back over his own possession. She carefully tried to keep her own thoughts separate from his. She'd invaded his privacy enough without spying on yet more of his memories.

"Did you hear about my necromancy?" she asked, again mainly just to say something.

"Not until I met you today," Lian said. For the first time since starting his story he looked at her. Well, he frowned disapprovingly at her, which was still better than refusing to look at anyone. "What were you thinking? Don't you know necromancy is a terrible idea?"

Abi almost pointed out how hypocritical that was considering he was a necromancer himself. Then she realised that was precisely why he objected to her necromancy.

"I know it now," she said. "I'm never going to meddle with it again."

Lian nodded slowly. He didn't look exactly happy, but at least he looked somewhat relieved. He turned to Mirio, though he carefully avoided looking at him. "Your Highness, I have to go and check on Zi Yao now. And then..." He stopped and seemed to have trouble finding the right words. "I'll hand in my resignation to the king."

Mirio finally stopped staring at the ground. He looked up sharply. Lian flinched at the force of his stare.

"Resignation? Why?"

Abi had never seen anyone look as baffled as Lian looked now. "...Because... now you know what I am? What I've done? Because I'm a danger to your cousin?"

"What you've done," Mirio repeated quietly, more to himself than anyone else. "Which includes cursing yourself to save Zi Yao's life."

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Lian opened his mouth. Then he closed it again.

Mirio continued. "I always knew there was something odd about you, and I think you wanted me to know that. Now I know what you did. But I also know you. Whatever else you've done, you'd never harm Zi Yao. And you've been here long enough that if you intended to harm anyone else you would have done it by now. So no, I don't want you to resign."

Lian still looked as if he'd just been told snow was black. He began to say something, caught Mirio's eye, and fell silent again.

"Have you forgotten that you're the only person who can lessen Zi Yao's symptoms? You're the best chance he has of ever having a normal life. You told me once that Zi Yao is like a son to you. Do you really intend to abandon him now?"

"I don't think you understand," Lian said, forgetting to be polite in the face of this unexpected opposition. "I'm undead! If I lost control I could kill you and drink your blood!"

"You'd die trying," Mirio said with uncharacteristic bluntness. "Or are you seriously telling me you think you're stronger than a sea serpent?"

"...Than a what?"

Abi had been feeling increasingly like a spectator during this conversation. Since neither of them seemed to want her opinion -- or even to remember her existence -- she tried to be as unobtrusive as possible. But that made her laugh in spite of herself. Apparently Lian hadn't heard that the Seroyawan royal family were sea serpent immortals.

"A sea serpent," Mirio repeated without explanation. "I assure you that if you ever try to attack anyone, I am more than capable of stopping you."

The discussion was abruptly interrupted by a most unwelcome sound: Aunt Jiarlúr's voice. "Abihira! Where are you?"

Lian ducked out of sight behind the bridge's wall. What use he thought that would be if Aunt Jiarlúr approached, probably not even he could have said. Mirio and Abi both started.

"Here I am," Abi shouted.

Her aunt appeared at the garden gate. Luckily from there Lian was hidden from her sight. She scowled when she saw Abi. Then she spotted Mirio and schooled her face into a neutral expression.

"I wondered where you'd gone," she said much more calmly. "You mustn't run off like this, especially not in an place where we are guests."

"Sorry, aunt," Abi muttered. At the back of her mind she got the distinct impression Ilaran was rolling his eyes.

She's right, you know, he thought.

I know that. Doesn't mean I have to like her.

Aunt Jiarlúr bowed politely to Mirio. He returned the bow, and somehow managed to keep a straight face even though Lian was still kneeling on the ground, looking as shaken as if he'd just seen a ghost.

"Please excuse us, your highness," Aunt Jiarlúr said, blissfully unaware of the third person on the bridge. "I must discuss something important with my niece. Abihira, come with me."

Abi grimaced, but there was nothing she could do about it. At least not without starting an argument and risking Aunt Jiarlúr coming closer. The last thing they needed was for her to see her supposedly-dead nephew and start asking questions.

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It was strange but true that Lian had unnerved Mirio more before he'd learnt what he'd done. Now that the truth was out, Mirio didn't feel any suspicion or wariness at all. He puzzled over why that was as Abi left. In the end he decided it was probably because he could contrast Imrahil's actions with the Lian he knew, and there was no resemblance. What was done was done, but it was unlikely to be done again.

When Abi and her aunt were gone Lian stood up and dusted the dirt off his trousers. He said nothing and looked very uncomfortable to be alone with Mirio. Oddly, though, Mirio didn't feel nearly as uncomfortable.

"We'd better go back to Zi Yao," he said.

Lian nodded mutely and trailed after him like a lost and very confused duckling.

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"We must attend the memorial ceremony before the funeral and we must leave offerings in the deceased princes' memory. It would be a terrible insult if we don't." Aunt Jiarlúr stopped and glared at Abi. "What did I just say?"

"We must leave offerings during the memorial ceremony or we'll give offense," Abi repeated dutifully.

Her aunt looked almost annoyed that she couldn't criticise her for not listening. "Make sure you remember that. I declare, it'll be a relief when you're shipped off to Tananerl and become someone else's problem. Even if you make a spectacle of yourself there you won't be my responsibility."

Abi's head snapped up. Both aloud and telepathically she exclaimed, "Tananerl?"

Ilaran had gone back to his own mind after she left Mirio and Lian. Now all she could sense of his presence was the faintest whisper of someone else's thoughts, like hearing a conversation in the distance. But at the mention of his principality his presence strengthened and she knew he could hear everything she did.

Her aunt frowned at her. "Yes, didn't you know? Your parents are arranging for you to be given a post in Tananerl. Purely to get you out of Eldrin, of course, and you won't have any official duties to make a mess of."

Did you know about this? Abi demanded.

Of course not! And I'm not going to agree! Gods damn it, am I never to be free of you? You're worse than a kovečvarozs[1]!

Abi didn't know what that was, but she got the general idea from his thoughts.

"That would be a terrible idea," she told her aunt.

"Your parents disagree. And, I believe, so does my mother. Besides, aren't you friends with Tananerl's ruling prince?"

Abi and Ilaran exchanged the telepathic equivalent of incredulous glances.

"I don't know how that came about, I'm sure--"

Neither do I, Ilaran muttered.

"--and I don't know if he's the best influence on you--"

In the relative privacy of her mind Abi burst out laughing.

"--I must say I've heard some very shocking things about him--"

Your hypocrisy is staggering. Ilaran's words were accompanied by a flicker of memory about some scandal involving Aunt Jiarlúr. It was gone before Abi could get a clear idea of what it was all about.

"--but I suppose that a man who rules an uncivilised place like Tananerl will be less easily offended by your behaviour than a civilised person would."

At the word "uncivilised" Ilaran's anger was so sudden and sharp that Abi almost blurted out the words he wanted to say. Luckily she caught herself just in time, because the words he wanted to say were "Who are you calling uncivilised, you ignorant clown?"

"We aren't really friends," Abi told her aunt. "We're barely more than acquaintances." Who have seen each other's memories and are currently stuck in each other's minds, she wanted to add, but that would just make her aunt think she was insane. "And it would be a terrible idea to send me to Tananerl."

"That's the first sensible thing you've said," her aunt grumbled. "Unfortunately the decision is up to my mother. And Prince What's-his-name, but I doubt he'll get much say in it. Mother has some knowledge she can use against him, or he'd never have agreed to that reform bill."

Abi felt Ilaran's bitterness and resentment as clearly as if it was her own.

What is Grandmother using to blackmail you? she asked curiously, not really expecting an answer.

I killed my father. Patricide tends to make people unpopular if it becomes widely known.

...Oh. She'd almost forgotten about that. It was one of the most disturbing things she'd seen in Ilaran's memories, but it had never occurred to her to blackmail him with it.

That's because you aren't remotely suited for politics, Ilaran said.

Aunt Jiarlúr finished with, "But enough talk about Tananerl. Tell me exactly what is expected of you during the memorial ceremony from start to finish."

Abi took a deep breath and started her recital. Ilaran lost interest and went back to his own mind.