“You can’t go!” Mercion said once Rieren had confided in her friends about the letter’s contents. “This is a ploy. Even if he intended to keep his word, which I doubt very much, the only one who stands to benefit is himself. So scummy. Just what you’d expect from the Aryoventos.”
Silomene nodded. “I would agree with Lord Mercion, though in not as many words.”
“He does offer me a place at his court,” Rieren said.
Mercion stared at her like she had said she could pull the sun from a monkey’s bunghole. “Are you seriously considering his offer?”
“Of course not. I am simply attempting to come to grips with what could lead someone to make an offer that would be so easily rejected.”
Rieren was indeed having a difficult time imagining the thought process of the Aryoventos Clanmaster to offer her something like that. He had politely requested they meet, where they could discuss Rieren throwing away her match in the next round in favour of a position at his side.
How in the world was he expecting to retain a monster like Rieren in his court when her participation in the imperial court would be so contested against in the eventuality that she won the Trials of Ascendance?
“This isn’t new,” Mercion said with no small amount of disgust. “This sort of thing crops up in every tournament. Stupid Clan leaders trying to corrupt proceedings with their bribes and other idiocy. You wouldn’t believe what some of them tend to offer. Already happening here too. Argh.”
Rieren wasn’t certain she wanted to. She had heard of this kind of thing happening elsewhere. But right under the noses of the imperial court and the Emperor? The Aryoventos Clanmaster was either brave, or foolish.
Or desperate.
“You make it sound as though I am not the first one,” Rieren said.
“I’ve heard…” Mercion hesitated for some reason. “Rumours.”
“But we never learned how true they were,” Silomene said. “Or if they indeed came into play.”
“What rumours?” Rieren asked.
Another little moment of hesitation. “I heard that our Empress’s opponent has gotten the same offer that you did.”
Ah. “How?”
“Clanmistress Avathene overheard some of the other Clan leaders discussing the matter. They said it was a great possibility that Galorian would throw the match. Apparently, Ledorne had already done so.”
Rieren frowned. Ledorne’s battle hadn’t looked anything like it had been thrown. “Someone giving away their victory wouldn’t have their eye gouged out with a parasitic plant.”
“That is my counter to the supposition too,” Silomene said. “We have no proof that Her Majesty would ever approve of such a thing.”
“Ledorne too.” Rieren recalled well how intense that woman was. “I cannot imagine a scenario where she would stoop to such a level.”
Mercion raised an eyebrow at them like they were being silly. “Not even when they have something extremely enticing or threatening to offer?”
Rieren supposed that wasn’t an impossibility. There could very well be a blackmail strong enough to make even the most resilient of them buckle under the pressure. “It seems there is only one way to find out.”
“What’s that?”
“We speak with Kalvia.”
“Hmph. I wish you good fortune with that.”
Rieren admitted that it was a difficult prospect. They hadn’t been able to get in touch with Kalvia since this whole mess had begun. She had walled herself off. Even letters from Clanmistress Avathene herself had received short, terse replies that had only assured them they were “in her thoughts”.
“I will do it,” Silomene said all of a sudden.
Both Rieren and Mercion stared at her.
“You’ll do what, Silomene?” Mercion asked.
“I will convince the Empress to grant us a proper audience,” she said with unflinching conviction. “She will not be able to stop me. I will assure it.”
They continued staring at her. She was completely serious, her eyes filled with fiery determination. Rieren shook her head, though more in slight bemusement than disapproval. Considering how Silomene had managed to cajole herself into Amalyse’s presence to allow Rieren entry, she might just succeed with Kalvia too.
“May fortune favour your steps,” Rieren said. “I await news of your exploits.”
Silomene pursed her lips. “You make it sound like I’m going on a great adventure.”
Mercion laughed. “Oh, it sounds like an adventure, all right.”
“Then I will make an effort to determine what this Archnoble wants from me,” Rieren said. “We can exchange notes about our endeavours.”
“You’ll truly meet this man? Aryoventos?”
Rieren nodded. “I still wish to hear what he says. Fear not, nothing he can say will sway me. Nevertheless, I want to listen.”
Mercion looked considering for a moment, like he wanted to say more, but he eventually only shrugged. “Hopefully, he won’t try to poison you or something.”
Bidding farewell to her friends, Rieren headed off to wait in her little glen until the meeting time had arrived. The Aryoventos Clanmaster had only wished to meet after nightfall. It appeared the cover of darkness was imperative. He couldn’t be seen conducting clandestine meetings with monsters, after all.
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The other monsters didn’t approve of the meeting either. Rieren hadn’t meant to explain the whole thing to them, but as the meeting time drew near and she was preparing to leave, one of them had requested some sparring. She had to decline. When asked, she had revealed the reason behind it.
“We need to come with you, Destroyer,” the monster said with strange protectiveness. “They will know not to try anything suspicious when they see the force behind you.”
“I appreciate the offer, but that will not be necessary. I will be able to handle anything that might happen.”
“Of course, but our presence will ensure that nothing will happen in the first place.”
Rieren had to admit that the monster had a point. “I will relent, but on one condition only. You will not interfere no matter what occurs and you will stay far out of sight.”
The monster didn’t argue. Her tone made it clear that her terms were non-negotiable. If it wished to accompany her, it would have to abide by her rules.
When Rieren finally got going, she received a secret monstrous cohort guarding and watching her from the shadows. She wasn’t one to put much stock in honour guards and the like. Those monsters had better stay out of the way while the meeting occurred.
Rieren reached the meeting spot before long. They had opted to meet on one of the unused islands in the swamp. This one was a little farther away from the main tournament grounds, so it was unlikely they would be observed. Rieren had been fearing she had misread the direction and arrived at the wrong place, but her fears were allayed soon.
The Aryoventos Clanmaster appeared not long after Rieren’s arrival. He was dressed in the same fur-lined robe as she had seen him in at the arena, though he had a sneaky cloak covering most of him.
He wasn’t alone, either. A younger man kept him company, a spear jutting over one shoulder. A bodyguard. Or perhaps a witness. Or maybe even an assassin to end Rieren. Who knew. One thing was certain, however. An Archnoble Clanmaster certainly didn’t need a bodyguard.
“You truly came,” the Aryoventos Clanmaster said. He spoke like he had swallowed a mace for breakfast. Gruff, rough, almost halting slightly at times. “I was afraid you wouldn’t.”
“Well, I gave my word,” Rieren said. “Did I not?”
“Mm. I will remember to give greater weight to your words, then.”
Rieren glanced at the other man. He wasn’t looking at her. She couldn’t even tell if he was paying attention to the goings on between her and the Aryoventos Clanmaster. He certainly didn’t look like he was.
“Let us get down to business,” the Clanmaster said. Ah. Hoping to end things quickly so he could return quickly too. Clearly, he was afraid of being seen. “Please excuse my outrageous request, but would you humbly consider giving up your position in the Trials of Ascendance. In return, I intend to grant you the position of chief adviser at my restructured court.”
“Have I not made my intentions clear in the letter I sent back?” Rieren asked.
“Certainly. But you have yet to hear the reason behind why I made such an outrageous request. I am not being greedy. There is a strong reason you must stop your participation.”
“What reason?”
“If you win, they will hand over all my lands to the monsters.”
Rieren’s thoughts came to a screeching halt. “What?”
“You heard correctly. The Emperor and the court have already decided that pacifying the monsters requires their request to be met. Essentially, the monsters’ demands of a new home would be satisfied by simply granting them the area they have conquered.”
His mouth twisted, like saying the monsters had conquered his region was insulting to what had actually occurred.
“I… had no idea this was the case,” Rieren said.
“Yes. So you see, it is imperative that the monsters not be given their home. It would only make things much more difficult.”
Difficult for the Aryoventos Clanmaster to rule and preserve his relevancy. Difficult for him to exercise his power over others, to feel as though he was at the pinnacle of civilization.
“I refuse,” Rieren said.
He stared at her. “How can you refuse? Do you know how many lives have been lost and uprooted? Do you know how much we’ve struggled away from our homes?”
“That is none of my concern.”
“Are you truly so heartless?” His lips twisted. “Are you truly the monster they said you’ve become?”
Oh, he knew how to stab and twist a knife, didn’t he? What an evil bastard. She supposed she was being rather heartless. The idea that the current Emperor truly intended to gift the southern lands to the monsters made sense. Why else would he allow them to participate in the first place?
But considering what she had heard of the rift between the Emperor and the imperial court, she had to consider another matter. Did the court approve of that plan?
From the pleading sounds the Aryoventos Clanmaster had made, it sounded as though it was a done deal, more or less. Well, only if Rieren won and represented the monsters at her new seat on the court.
“We all must make concessions one way or another.” She spread her arms out wide. “Look at me. I have conceded my very humanity for my efforts, have I not?”
The large man growled with a shake of his shaggy head. “It seems your mind will not be changed.” On seeing Rieren standing there without answering, he grunted with disgust before walking. “Have it your way, then. You will rue this choice when you fail utterly.”
The Aryoventos Clanmaster left. That was when Rieren sensed it. Another presence, somewhere off in the distance, an unmoving one. A spectator keeping a watch on proceedings? Perhaps to make sure she didn’t try anything with the man?
But the presence didn’t leave even as the Clanmaster faded from view and from her spiritual sense. Whoever it was continued watching Rieren.
She considered who in the world it could be. Someone from the Aryoventos Clanmaster’s contingent. Of that there was no doubt. He would have sensed the presence too, would have noted the signature of the aura. The only reason he hadn’t mentioned it was either because he was familiar with it, or because he expected Rieren to not meet him on her own.
Time to put the observer to the test. Rieren began leaving the meeting area.
The presence followed. Ah, so she was the target. It had to be someone from the Aryoventos camp. The only ones who knew about Rieren’s meeting besides her friends was anyone who the Clanmaster had told. Her pursuer was no doubt one of those.
“You can stop skulking in the shadows,” Rieren said. She couldn’t sense the Clanmaster’s aura. He was well and truly gone.
The surrounding trees rustled. Rieren’s hands crept to her sword hilt, but the hidden observer dropped down and approached her from the front. At least this wasn’t a surprise assassination attempt.
Though that appearance… Rieren’s eyes widened. “You are…”
“Oh, how nice of you to remember me,” Remis Sharan said. She pulled back the heavy, fur-lined hood over half her head. Rieren hadn’t needed to see the woman’s whole face. Just the look of her crooked mouth with that puckered scar on her chin had been enough. “Rieren Vallorne.”
Rieren took note of the other woman. The way she was dressed in garb similar to those from the south, the way she had appeared alongside—well, close enough—to the Aryoventos Clanmaster. The way she was confronting Rieren with no small amount of anger twisting her face.
“Allow me to guess,” Rieren said. “You wish for me to surrender as well?”
“That fact that you aren’t doing so even after learning what’s at stake just goes to show how far you’ve fallen, you scrawny hag.”
Rieren looked askance at her. “I am at least a head taller than you now.”
Sharan waved crooked fingers at her dismissively. “What you are is a monster. Just as Lord Aryoventos said. Did you know that I was the one who convinced him to come to you? To send you his heartfelt plea and make you see the truth of the matter? But woe is me for it seems I was gravely mistaken.”
“This is getting old, Sharan. Were you not supposed to be running from the Masked Avatars? Last I heard, they were rounding up the rebels from the last timeline.”
That just made Remis Sharan scowl some more. “You of all people ought to know things are not as they used to be.”
“I suppose you are not wrong about that.”
Rieren only had to remind herself that the last infamous rebel she had met—Gorint Malloh—was working with the Shatterlands Clanmistress, a professional relationship that shielded him from the wrath of the Avatars. Remis Sharan had to have a similar arrangement.
Still. Rieren wouldn’t have expected Sharan to claw herself to a position at the right-hand side of a Clanmaster too.
Remis Sharan took a step closer to Rieren. “This is your last warning, Vallorne. Surrender. Or face my wrath, here and now.”
Rieren sighed. It appeared that talking wasn’t going to work. “It is a good thing you are not competing in the tournament, Sharan.” She pulled her sword free. “I can kill you without getting into trouble.”