CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Cassela gets me that seat on the war council, of course. Not that I ever doubted her. I have a feeling failure is not a concept with which the old queen is familiar.
I gather with the war council when they meet. Suspicious looks are pointed my way at first, but I exercise all the restraint I have, keep my mouth shut, and behave so well for the first few weeks that even Lord Selwyn starts to act like he’s forgotten I’m there.
The war council does not provide me with the answer to cut Elvar down once and for all, but it is a view into the very heart of the war that will come if it can’t be averted. There are debates about routes and strategy, discussions about soldiers on both sides who have great skills, ideas tossed around about potential allies and friends in other realms and favors that can be called in. There’s a lot of dismay over the fact that Tamini has sided openly with Alexi, but there are other realms to consider and the voices of the advisers blend around me.
“Shloka, Sting, and Elba may join us.”
“Elba’s new king will only do so for a hefty price. He’s difficult. He’d rather collect new wives than rule with good sense.”
“We must do what we can to ensure Winter doesn’t turn against us,” says someone else. “We can’t afford to lose that supply route.”
“Has there been any news of the Blue Knights? They’re bound to side with Alexi, given how fond their god is of him.”
On and on it goes. I take it all in, hungry to learn as much as I can. When I’m not at council meetings, I spend most of my free time in the library and on tech screens researching the people, places, and alliances I hear about.
Not that there’s much free time to speak of. It’s wonderful, actually, to be kept so busy, and as the weeks pass, it’s more and more difficult to keep the people here at a distance.
I expected to struggle with spending time with the people I’ve hated for years, but I find it’s the opposite. The more time I spend on Kali, the harder it is to hold on to my hatred. Whatever their motivations, whatever they’ve done in the past, they’ve welcomed me into their lives, and they treat me as one of their own. They give me the duties of a royal princess and trust me to carry them out. In time, it’s as though I’ve always been here and this is exactly where I’m supposed to be.
They didn’t want you, Guinne told me that first day. We do.
The words are so easy to believe. It’s so difficult to remember that I can’t trust them. I mustn’t ever trust them.
It’s fortunate then, I suppose, that it isn’t long before they remind me why I shouldn’t.
The war council has gathered in Lady Su Yen’s modest suite today. Lady Su Yen, one of the generals of Kali’s army, serves us all glasses of wine. I politely decline. I always do. It’s been weeks, and Max has made sure to test the wine every time it’s served, and no one has been poisoned, but I’m not taking any chances.
Su Yen finishes serving, then takes her seat. Her suite is close to the base ship’s power supply and we can all feel the low thrum of the engines. Everyone else ignores the sensation, but I pay attention to the rhythm of the revs.
“Are we ready?” asks Elvar.
“We are,” Max replies, albeit reluctantly. “I still don’t see why this couldn’t wait until Rickard got back.”
I frown. I assumed Rickard hadn’t arrived yet, not that he wouldn’t be here at all. This isn’t good.
“There’s no way to know when Rickard will be finished on Winter,” says Lord Selwyn. “He may not be back for days. I, for one, don’t feel we can afford to waste that much time.”
“You would say that,” says the old queen, her words punctuated by a loud and pointed snort.
Elvar looks uncomfortable, possibly because Rickard’s absence doesn’t sit well with him either. “If you’d rather not be here, Max, you’re free to go.”
Max’s eyes narrow, but he doesn’t budge.
“What are we due to discuss today?” asks Lady Su Yen. “Arcadia?”
Elvar winces. “Must we?”
“One could hardly blame you for your aversion to the topic, my king,” says Lord Selwyn. “Discussing it is, however, a necessary evil. We cannot turn a blind eye to what that boy has done.”
I look around the table, confused. “What’s Arcadia?”
“We had word earlier today that King Ralf gave Alexi a piece of territory on Winter,” Max explains to me. “He must have done it over a year ago, but they kept it quiet. They built a city there and named it Arcadia. Alex now rules it. It’s thriving.”
I have to work very hard to hide my glee. “Is that a problem?”
Lord Selwyn scowls. “Of course it’s a problem. We exiled him. Our hope was that he’d crawl away into obscurity, not find somewhere else to rule.”
It must be so galling for them. Alexi had the kingdom in his hands, but they took it from him and sent him away for good measure. He wasn’t supposed to rise up again. He wasn’t supposed to lose Titania and still come away the prince of a city they have no claim to.
My twin brother is good at winning even when he’s lost. Golden as the sun, no matter what.
“More importantly,” Lord Selwyn continues, “the existence of Arcadia indicates that King Ralf has chosen a side. If Alexi asks it of him, he could cut off our supply route.”
“Ralf won’t do that,” says Max, “He’s not the kind of man who would allow innocent people to starve.”
Some of the other advisers nod in agreement, but Lord Selwyn frowns. “That’s not the only concern. Alexi has been building an army for years. He’s so close to being ready to strike.”
“He’s coming for us, Max,” Elvar says. “This is your fault. You were the one who wanted him exiled.”
“Father—”
“He wants to take the throne from me!”
“I told you I wouldn’t let that happen.”
“And how do you intend to stop him?” Elvar barks, banging his hand down on the table. Max doesn’t even flinch. But the crack in Elvar’s voice wasn’t anger; it was panic. “You can’t stop him, Max! He would defeat you in battle.”
“There are other ways to stop him.”
Elvar’s shoulders sag. “You are not to blame for the fact that you cannot equal Alexi in battle, Max. Esmae could, I daresay, but she is a Rey and we Reys have always been exceptionally talented at warfare—”
I want to look away, to not see the expression on Max’s face. Now I see who makes him feel like he’s not one of us. Not quite enough. It’s never been the people of Kali, nor the devoted Hundred and One, nor even the people across the galaxy who loathe him for what he did to Alexi. No: it’s his own father.
The old queen reaches out and pats Max on the shoulder. It’s a kind gesture I didn’t expect from her.
Max clears his throat. “Whatever Alex’s motives may or may not be, you need money to build and look after an army. Arcadia may indeed be a wonderful place, but it isn’t going to provide Alex with that kind of silver.” Max gestures to the map lying on the table, his finger circling Kali. “He’ll need an enormous force to confront us.”
Lord Selwyn shrugs. “Alexi’s lack of funds is a valid point, but he’s earned an enormous amount of goodwill across the star system. We have no idea how many realms have already promised to assist him with funds, arms, and troops if there’s a war.”
“Then we had better make a bigger push to win over our own allies,” says Grandmother.
“A worthy option,” says Lord Selwyn. “There are, however, alternatives.”
Max looks at him warily, but most of the others simply look puzzled. Lady Su Yen speaks up. “Such as?”
“Titania,” says Lord Selwyn. I stiffen. “It would be well worth our while to remind the star system of her power.”
My skin begins to prickle. Lady Su Yen is still confused. “I was under the impression that Princess Esmae has refused to participate in further broadcasted events.”
“Well, yes,” says Lord Selwyn between gritted teeth. He refuses to even look at me. “The princess has certainly made up her mind about that.”
I don’t reply. Elvar and Selwyn wanted me to show off my skills in tournaments and take part in interviews about my past and Titania. I can tolerate attending processions and royal events, but the idea of giving myself over to Lord Selwyn’s propaganda machine turns my stomach, and so I refused. Elvar recovered from his disappointment within days, but Lord Selwyn hasn’t yet forgiven me.
“But if you’re not referring to Princess Esmae, what—”
“Skylark is a relatively unimportant realm,” says Lord Selwyn, “And it’s vulnerable at the moment. Princess Shay is only sixteen, and quite inexperienced in matters of statecraft and warfare. It would be an easy victory, and one that would show the rest of the star system what Titania is capable of.”
I draw in a sharp breath. The room feels small and claustrophobic. The hum of the ship’s engines beneath us is suddenly loud, oppressive, and threatening.
Amba warned me. Watch, Esmae. That was what she said when she came to see me after the competition. Watch the forest burn.
One of the other elders is the first to recover. “You think we should take over Skylark? Invade a realm we have no quarrel with?”
“I believe it would be the most effective way to remind the other rulers in the star system that siding with Alexi would be rash,” Lord Selwyn replies. “I would have suggested we use Tamini as a target instead, but they have too much fertile land that could be destroyed if we were to invade. Better to frighten their queen into rescinding whatever aid she has offered Alexi. Without friends or funds, he will have no army with which to threaten us. With which to threaten you, my king.”
“That is true,” says Elvar slowly.
I grip the arms of my chair tightly. “You speak of Titania as if you have free rein to use her, Lord Selwyn, but she is not yours.”
“Do you refuse us the use of her to defend ourselves, princess?” he asks with exaggerated surprise.
“Invading a neutral realm is not defending ourselves,” I snap. “You can’t do that. The Forty Realms would never forgive it.”
“You have been on the war council for only a short while, princess. I’m afraid you may not yet understand the intricacies of politics. With Titania on our side, it is utterly irrelevant who does or does not forgive us.”
Titania is not on your side, I want to snarl, but I can’t. I have to tread carefully. They won’t be allowed to use Titania, but I can’t let them think I’m not on their side either.
“It could completely backfire,” I point out. “Instead of making the other realms afraid to ally with Alexi, it could scare them into banding against you.”
“And?”
“And,” I say, “Kali is not indestructible. Even if I were to let you use Titania, what if they wait until she isn’t here? What if you send her to some faraway realm to fight a battle, and the others swoop in while she’s gone? There are ways around her, and you’re so eager to flex your muscle that you’ve forgotten that.”
His face whitens. “How dare you—”
“Quiet,” says Elvar. “Both of you.”
Lord Selwyn grits his teeth, but obeys.
Don’t let him do this, I silently beg my uncle. Don’t let him make you afraid enough to do this.
“I don’t like it,” says Lady Su Yen. She gives Selwyn a defiant stare and I want to applaud her for it.
It doesn’t look like it will take much more to splinter Lord Selwyn’s temper. “Are you questioning the king, Su Yen?”
“I think we all know this was not the king’s idea.”
“We also all heard the king agree that—”
Max pushes his chair back from the table and stands. “The king can speak for himself. Father? What do you really think?”
“I think Selwyn makes a good point about how we can best cut Alexi off,” says Elvar, but his voice isn’t quite certain. “I also share Su Yen’s discomfort with the idea of attacking a realm we have no issue with. It doesn’t feel honorable. I—” And then, undoubtedly out of desperation, he swivels his body round toward the old queen. “Grandmother? What do you think? As the eldest in the room today, your opinion takes precedence.”
Cassela doesn’t even hesitate. “I think your son has something to say, Elvar.”
Elvar’s cheek twitches, but he nods. “Max?”
“Father, perhaps Uncle Selwyn has forgotten that Princess Shay’s mother is King Darshan’s cousin.”
Lord Selwyn blinks. I’m impressed. Summoning the specter of the one thing Titania can’t touch is genius.
“Darshan is unlikely to stand by and allow us to take Shay’s realm from her,” Max goes on, “and we all know the story. If Titania confronts Darshan, Titania will be destroyed. Do we want that? I don’t consider it a risk worth taking.”
“In any case,” the old queen adds, with a sound that could have been a cough, but sounded suspiciously like a cackle, “no one can send Titania anywhere without Esmae’s permission. Furthermore, even if Esmae were to agree, the war council would have to approve this hypothetical invasion. Shall we vote now?”
“There’s no need,” says Lord Selwyn, face white and lips thin with fury. “It was only an idea.”
I seethe. Maybe he expected more support from the war council and has now been deterred. Maybe he’ll go away and whisper in Elvar’s ear until they find a way to get around the council’s protests. I don’t know. Either way, I can’t sit idly by.
As soon as the meeting is finished, I race back to my suite. They will never persuade me to use Titania in an invasion like that, but I wouldn’t put it past Lord Selwyn to convince Elvar to send Kali’s armies to Skylark anyway, just to make a point. I have to make sure that never happens.
Unless—
I turn and shut the door behind me. What if this is a test? There’s no doubt in my mind that Lord Selwyn wants to intimidate the rest of the star system, but what if he only suggested it today to test me? If he’s looking for an excuse to get rid of me, showing Elvar evidence that I’m untrustworthy would help his case enormously. He may have spoken up today to see what I’ll do.
And if that’s true, Elvar will send me away. And where will I be then? I’ll lose the home I’ve longed for all my life. Alexi and Bear still think I chose Elvar, I don’t even dare wonder what my mother thinks, and I’ll have no information I can offer them to use against him. All my work will be for nothing.
But what if it wasn’t a test?
I close my eyes and make a choice. I say a name into the empty room.
You only have to speak a god’s name out loud for them to hear you. Whether or not they choose to listen, however, is another matter.
When I open my eyes, Amba’s there.