Sterling (32 page)

Erich stiffened. “That is Lady Sterling Ricknagel, Your Majesty.”

“Lady Sterling Ricknagel!” Costas rose, lightning-fast, and approached me in the middle of the room.

I desperately tried to compose a statement. Nothing came, leaving me gasping like a fish out of water.

“Your face—” Costas broke off.

“Your Majesty, I have vital news from Vorisipor.”

Sheepishness did not become our King. He flushed darkly. “What, pray tell, were you doing in Vorisipor, Lady Ricknagel? I see shades of your father in this act.”

A footman entered with a tray of food and set it on the coffee table in front of the divan. Erich ushered me to a seat. He poured water for us as he sat beside me.

Costas took my place in the middle of the room, frowning as he watched us eat. “Do you truly expect me to believe your being in Vorisipor was an accident, Lady Ricknagel?”

“
F
irst I must warn you
, Your Majesty. In Vorisipor I was told by Lord Jaxith, the Governor’s second-in-command, that if the Imperials lost Shankar, they had devised a plan to have their commanding general—whom you now hold—assassinate you during the negotiations of surrender,” I said breathlessly.

Costas paused. “Assassinate me? During the surrender? How? The general and his men are our prisoners, in chains.”

“They intend to poison you. The Vhimsantese have a great many potions, and not all require that you eat a tainted food. Some can be absorbed by touch or even through the air you breathe. A man could hold a tablet in his mouth that, when he bites down, releases a toxic cloud that kills everyone nearby. You must not meet with them directly, Your Majesty.”

“If such a tablet were used, not only I would die— anyone in the room, the Imperials and the Lethemians alike, would be killed as well.” Costas looked incredulous.

I feared he did not take my warning to heart. “Life is cheap in the Empire, Your Majesty. Unless a man is of the God-born blood, his life is forfeit to the Emperor at any time. An Imperial soldier is expected to die for their cause.”

“Well, damn it all.” Costas ran a hand through his hair. “How did you even get this information? Why do you know so much about Vhimsantese poisons and beliefs?”

“I discovered the plan while I was held captive at the Governor’s enclave in Vorisipor. They never imagined I would escape to warn you. And I learned of the poisons and beliefs by reading, Your Majesty. My father insisted I study the Empire’s culture.”

“I thank you for this intelligence. It will certainly change this day’s plans. But you still owe me explanations. What were you doing in Vorisipor?” Costas clenched his fists at his sides.

I set down my glass as panic threatened. Why had I not told Costas of the letter from the Governor of Vorisipor? Why had I not sought his permission to parley? What a hasty fool I had been! There was no way to explain my actions except the embarrassing, naïve truth.

I interlaced my fingers to stop their trembling. “You do know my father went to Vorisipor to parley with the Governor many times, over the course of years?”

“I had heard rumors. Everyone had.” Costas’s face looked as grim as a funeral mask. He returned to Papa’s wing chair and sat down heavily.

“He had a treaty with them.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I did not know the particulars of the treaty, but I believed that it was meant to prevent an invasion of Lethemia—particularly Province Ricknagel.”

“Your father should not have been meeting with the Empire,” Costas said. “
My
father never gave him such authority. Whatever treaties he made were not sanctioned by our government and have no standing.”

I nodded. “I see that now. But when I received the letter from the Governor asking for a parley in Vorisipor, he told me he wanted to renew the treaty, that he could not hold to it unless I signed as my father’s heir.” Tears filled my eyes.

“A letter from the Governor of Vorisipor?” Costas held out a hand. “Show it to me.”

“I no longer have it. They took it from me in Vorisipor.”

“I saw it,” Erich offered. “It was as she said, inviting her to Vorisipor to renew a treaty, promising peace if she would sign.”

Costas glanced between us. “So you both ended up in Vorisipor by design. You went there on purpose.”

“I thought I could prevent the war and so much bloodshed.” Speaking the words only showed what an easy mark I had been.

“You foolish girl!” Costas said. “You should have brought me that letter immediately!”

A tear overflowed. “You were already in Orvia. There was no way to get a message to you quickly. It felt so urgent.”

To my surprise, Costas’s lips quirked into a wry smile. “We are all still reeling from the Fall of Magic. I cannot believe how long it takes a message to travel on horseback. But gods above, I could have told you the Governor’s letter was a ruse! We were, officially, already at war. Nothing you could have done, no treaty you could have signed with the Governor would have made any difference.”

I stared at the carpet, feeling justly chastised. In retrospect, it had been stupid to tear off to Vorisipor. I had been so upset and desperate, ruled by my emotions and a desire to prove myself useful. “It was a mistake.”

“House Ricknagel has made too of those many recently,” Costas replied sharply.

He had no idea the true perfidy of the House under my father’s rule. I only nodded.

“If your foolish choices threatened only you, Lady Ricknagel, that is one thing. But what I cannot endure is that you dragged a Ten Houses heir into this with you. The Imperials held Lord Erich hostage! If you had not escaped, I might have had to make unthinkable concessions for the sake of House Talata.”

Erich spoke up. “I chose to go with Lady Ricknagel. You cannot blame her for my decision. And I never told them who I was. I think they did not kill me out of hand only because they believed I knew about the state of our magic. They wanted to continue questioning me until I broke.”

Costas glared moodily at Erich.

“I did not break, Your Majesty,” Erich added.

“I expect the lady was wearing cosmetic when she pleaded for your company on the journey?” Costas said.

I flinched at the petty words, noting that Costas didn’t care that
I
had been a prisoner, too. Likely he would have let me rot in Vorisipor instead of securing
my
freedom—a convenient solution to the vexing problem of my traitorous House.

Costas drummed his fingers on the desktop. “What am I to do about you and your House now, Lady Ricknagel? I’ve taken all I can: your army, your navy, your money, your pride. And yet it seems I still do not have what I want: your loyalty and obedience.”

My tears had evaporated after Costas’s taunt about the cosmetic, and now I was filled with only anger and dismay. “I only wanted to help. I wanted your men—and mine—to be free from bloodshed and death! That’s all. I do want to make amends. I want Lethemia to be whole again. I want to—” I took a deep breath “—I want to heal the wounds my father opened.”

Costas grew still, both palms flat on the desk. He studied me intently, and I was thankful for the endurance of the Esanis’ professional-grade cosmetic. The man peeled away every artifice and saw my very soul with that bright amber gaze. Whatever anyone said about him, Costas was born to rule. He was a king to the depths of his steely heart. And he had my measure.

“We must be honest with each other or we shall never overcome the hurt and deception between our families,” he said. “It must end here. I want us to make peace. I require your commitment to the cause of a unified Lethemia. The Ricknagels must be loyal lieges to the Galatiens as they were always meant to be. Our country faces trials we have never even considered with the Fall of Magic. We cannot afford dissent. We need your devotion to this country, Lady Ricknagel.”

“I
am
devoted to this country. I want Lethemia safe—especially Ricknagel Province. So much trouble arose from my father’s feeling that
your
father did not support our Province against the Imperial threat. That must change. We should work together against them.”

Costas’s face broke into a smile. “This is progress! I admit I have felt more hopeful since you became Head of House, Lady Ricknagel. You are different from your father and your sister. I believe we can come to an acceptable understanding. What else do you want?”

“Peace. Prosperity for my people. Honor for my House.”

Costas looked grave. “My father did not manage the eastern border well. I will do better. I will secure the entire country, against the Imperials and against the Fall of Magic. Do not doubt it.”

I believed him, despite his pompous tone. I nodded. “Then we share the same goals.”

He pulled a paper from a drawer in the desk. “Let us sign an agreement putting aside these ruinous animosities.”

I rose, though my legs quivered beneath me. I hadn’t explained everything I’d learned in Vorisipor. Would Costas agree to put our troubles aside if he knew the truth of my father’s dealings with the Empire?

I cast a glance at Erich, who remained on the divan. He knew; he’d read the land deeds.

“I think you will be happy with my terms.” Costas pushed the paper at me.

I read through it. Though he kept control of my mines and my armed forces, he had reduced my indemnity, and he offered a generous budget for rebuilding costs in Shankar after the Fall and the war. I wanted to sign the paper; it was a sound arrangement. But what of Papa’s treachery? And, “What about Stesichore?” I blurted.

My words shattered the improving mood in the room like a dropped glass.

Costas’s face darkened. “What
about
Stesichore?”

“There has never been any resolution about her death.”

Costas’s eyes were the color of an eastern tiger’s, vibrant amber, with shards of gold radiating from the pupil. “I did not kill her, Lady Ricknagel. I know your father believed I did, but I swear to you, on the honor of my House, I did not do it.”

“I know,” I whispered. “They told me in Vorisipor that
they
ordered her assassination. The deed was done by a Lethemian, however. Stesi’s handmaiden—a magitrix named Sienna. She was working for the Empire. I saw her there.”

Costas leaned across the desk to grip my side of it. “That woman! I never liked her, but Stesichore insisted on having her. By the gods! The Imperials did foment the civil war—I always suspected they might have. The cursed woman—that Sienna—vanished after Stesichore’s death. I’m pleased to know where she is, if nothing else. Is this worry over your sister going to prevent you from signing our agreement?” He tapped the paper.

I sucked in my stomach and straightened my spine. “If this document is to heal the rift between our houses, the air must be truly clear before I sign. I was told by the Governor’s man that Sienna was not only responsible for Stesi’s death, but also for my mother’s and—” I stared up at Costas, wishing he were easier to read “—your parents’.”

“My parents?” Costas blanched and subsided into his seat. “What?”

“Sienna the magitrix orchestrated your parents’ deaths. And—”

“They both died from illness caused by an old enchantment degrading.” His bright eyes widened. “Oh, holy hells of Amatos! The magitrix! That old enchantment that caused their final illness had been made long ago by a magitrix named Ennis Angusina. Sienna and Ennis must be one and the same. All the mages did wonder why the enchantment degraded so quickly. It was because the maker was unraveling it. How was I so blind?” He banged a fist on the desk.

“What a mess,” I murmured.

Costas pointed at our agreement. “Sign the document, Lady Ricknagel. Let us mop this filthy floor. Trust me, I shall be most vigilant about the Empire and their spies from this point forward. If Ennis Angusina ever dares to step foot onto Lethemian soil again, using
any
name, her head will be ours. I will have no mercy.”

I took up the stylus, rolling it through my fingers. “Will you search for her?”

He stared broodingly out the picture window. “If she is in Vorisipor, there is little I can do. Though I defeated the invasion and our border will be secured, I have no power in the Empire, and I have no spies in their midst.” He shook his head. “I will see what can be done about
that
. First we must find a way to restore magic to set the country right again.”

I leaned over the paper and made my signature. Costas took the stylus and made his as well.

“You make me wonder,” he warmed wax for us to make our sigil seals, “if
we
had married, would we have been able to avoid this mess?”

Erich finally stirred from the divan, rising to stand silently behind me. Costas ignored him.

“You and me?” I asked, astonished.

“I considered you. Everyone pushed Stesichore at me, saying an alliance between House Galatien and House Ricknagel was important. But I wondered, at my Brokering, if you wouldn’t have been the better Ricknagel daughter for me.”

“You didn’t even look at me at the Brokering. No one did.”

Costas dripped gold-flaked wax and pressed his ring into it to make his seal. “Not true. I looked at you. How could I not? You were Stesichore’s sister and a daughter of House Ricknagel.”

“You never spoke to me.”

“Perhaps I should have given my token to you,” Costas mused as he warmed blue wax for me.

Erich’s hands came around my upper arms.

“I would have been a laughingstock—the ugliest queen Lethemia ever saw. I think our current Queen suits the part much better.” I took the bar of wax from Costas to drip it on our agreement. Erich released me but did not move.

Costas laughed. “It is true. Leila stole my heart the moment I saw her. I wanted no one but her. Your sister couldn’t bear the idea that her husband didn’t want her. She caused scene after scene and cried to your father about her unhappiness.
You
would never have perpetrated such drama.”

“Rejection always hurts, Your Majesty.” I pushed the Ricknagel seal into the droplet of blue wax. “But you are correct. I would have endured whatever scorn you heaped upon me. I never expected more out of a marriage. But I am glad I did not marry you. I would have been miserable, and Leila is the woman you love. One must always prefer love over expedience if given a choice. Perhaps that is the legacy we must remember about our magic—that love is stronger than any other power.”

Costas frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Mages received their power from the act of love, did they not? Love and life—the two forces of our magic were always inextricably linked. Perhaps there is some lesson there.”

Costas lifted our sealed agreement. “You may not be beautiful without your cosmetics, Lady Ricknagel, but you have wits and honor. Good day.” He brandished our groundbreaking agreement in a self-satisfied flourish and headed for the door.

“Your Majesty!” I called.

Costas turned, eyebrows lifted.

“Please be careful about the negotiations. Send them your terms on a paper. Do not meet them face-to-face. Lethemia cannot lose you now.”