Kei's Gift (115 page)

“Protocol,” Arman said. “Go and be seated.”

“No.”

Lord Meki turned around. “Kei, take a seat please.”

“No. Arman isn’t sitting, I’m not sitting.”
He’s not a servant. None of us are.

Kei?
Kei turned to Gonji.
What’s wrong?

Arman isn’t being given a seat because they think he’s a servant.

Right.
Gonji got to his feet. A few moments later, the other clan representatives did, as did Jera.

Lord Meki looked at Kei, then at Arman, and then finally at Lord Peika. Then he got to his feet too, and was joined by his fellow Ruler.

Their actions caused a ripple of comment from the Prij, and the sovereign leaned towards her translator to speak to him. “Her Serenity wants to know why you are all standing?”

Lord Meki turned and bowed. “We didn’t realise servants can’t sit in front of Her Serenity. Since I and Lord Peika are servants of our people, we shouldn’t sit either.” The translator spoke quickly.

“And I serve my clan,” Kei said.

Kei! You’re making a fool of yourself and of me!
Arman gave him one of his fiercest glares. Kei grinned back.

“I likewise serve my clan.”

“And I.”

“And I.”

Her Serenity turned redder and redder as each Darshianese made a similar declaration. “Are you trying to turn this meal into a farce?”

“No, your highness. We would just like a chair for our good friend and colleague, Arman. If it pleases your highness.”

She glared, and then snapped her fingers, and a sharp command. A footman went scurrying off. “Could you not have just asked?”

“We thought you already knew Arman wasn’t a servant,” Lord Meki said politely.

She frowned. “He has a chair now. Sit down, please.”

Lord Meki bowed. Arman’s face was like thunder as he watched the table being hastily rearranged. “Was any of that strictly necessary?” he growled at Kei and Lord Meki, sitting down at last and glowering at them.

“No. It was just fun,” Kei said.

“You would jeopardise the peace to get me a damn chair?”

“No. I’d poke these pompous fools for that.”

Now Kei could sit next to Arman, which they both needed, and since he felt he had provoked his lover enough, he sat with perfect politeness as the first dishes were served. It was a quite acceptable vegetable soup, and he was about to tuck in, when Arman shook his head.
Wait until the senators taste it.

You’re serious.

Completely.

Kei looked at his plate, and felt queasy. Suddenly this wasn’t fun any more. Not that it really was at all, but he’d been trying to lighten the mood.

None of the senators dropped dead, perhaps unfortunately, and so the Darshianese could eat. Arman was still slightly cross, but mostly he was just tired and rather anxious. Kei recognised some of the senators, including the odious Mekus. The Lord Commander sitting next to Her Serenity, kept glaring at Arman. Kei wanted to poke his tongue out at him, but instead squeezed Arman’s leg under the table, which raised a little smile from him. “Behave,” Arman whispered. Kei gave him an innocent look.

They were barely halfway into the soup when the sovereign began to ask Lord Meki questions, and Arman had to translate. It seemed the Prij had actually agreed the substantive part of the Darshianese demands and were quibbling over minor details of tax, import duty and legal administration in south Darshian. Kei had expected more resistance. Jera and Neris really must have made an impression. But they had better watch what they ate over the next few hours.

It was all stiflingly dull, and for the Rulers and Arman, not even a respectable meal, as they were constantly talking to both sovereign and senators. The Lord Commander kept up his steady glare at Arman, but never spoke to him, and hardly at all to anyone else. The rest of the Darshianese were ignored, which suited Kei fine, and Arman could eat food he probably preferred when they got back to the ship. Kei was just glad he was now off his leg.

The courses were interminable, and far too rich and extravagant. Kei, who had always been taught not to waste food, struggled to finish everything on every plate put in front of him, but finally had to admit defeat.
I’ll be sick if I eat another thing,
he thought at Arman, using some of the water to wash the greasy taste away. The wine was too heavy too, although it wasn’t unpleasant—he just distrusted the fact it was so much stronger than beer. Being drunk here would be a very bad idea.

You’re only supposed to pick at each plate. No one eats everything.

Kei stared in disbelief.
What a dreadful waste of food!

Yes. Another reason I hate these things with a passion.
Arman smiled politely as his mostly full plate was taken away.

Kei was about to remonstrate with him when Lord Meki cleared his throat. “Your highness, there’s just one more matter before we finalise things.”

“Oh? We thought you were done.”

“There’s the question of compensation, your highness.”

“Compensation? For what, pray?”

Lord Meki drew some papers out of his inner pocket. “For the murdered hostages from Ai-Vinri, for three women raped while in your custody, seven men who were seriously assaulted, and for the theft of three hundred sacks of grain and other stores from the villages. We’ve made a list of our requirements in this regard.”

“You can’t possibly be serious.” This from the Lord Commander.

“I regret that I am, sir.”

“Why was none of this mentioned before?” Senator Mekus snapped.

“My omission, I’m afraid. But I’m afraid we do have to insist on it.”

The sovereign signalled to Mekus to sit down. “We were at war with your people. Acts of war require no compensation.”

Arman didn’t wait for Lord Meki to answer, getting to his feet and speaking in Darshianese, forcing the sovereign’s own translators to work hard. “No, your highness, the hostages at Ai-Vinri were murdered, the victims of a Prijian crime and an injustice. No Prijian subject, as the hostages were at that point, should be attacked while under your protection. Besides, they were in receipt of your hospitality, as were all the hostages—you proclaimed this yourself. No Prij should allow a guest to be raped. As they have been, you should make reparation.”

“A gue—” She stopped as Kizus whispered something in her ear. The Lord Commander also said something to her. “You’re twisting our words.”

“No, your highness, those are
exactly
your words. You said they would receive Prijian hospitality. And yet they were beaten, raped and killed while receiving it.”

“You were the one who brought them to us!”

Arman bowed. “Yes. A crime for which I am making atonement. But I never expected them to be raped, your highness. At the very least, you have a duty towards the children, for they will be half Prijian.”

The woman was furious, but Arman radiated cold anger, and not a little shame and guilt. Kei put a surreptitious hand at the small of Arman’s back. “We shall not,” the sovereign declared coldly.

Lord Meki got up. “Then I regret the negotiations are finished. Your island will be blockaded and you will not be able to trade with any other nation, nor with your territories.” He signalled everyone to stand, and he began to walk out. The guards blocked the doors—Jera picked them up and sent them up to the ceiling. “Goodnight, your highness,” Lord Meki said.
Neka, put everyone on alert. We’re returning and not on friendly terms.

They all moved to the doorway, Lord Meki looking grim and Arman still angry.
Jiv, get your people ready,
Kei heard Arman tell the soldiers.
There could be a real fight in a minute or two.

“Wait!”

The shout had come from Senator Kizus, who then said something rapidly in Prijian to the sovereign. There followed a quick fire exchange between the Prij which Arman didn’t translate, at least out loud, but from the intent expression on the Rulers’ faces, Kei guessed there was a mental dialogue being carried out. The rest of them stood, waiting for a sign as to what to do.

Finally one of the other senators approached them. “Please, be seated, we will discuss this.”

“No,” Lord Meki said coldly. “We will not discuss anything. We have injured and murdered people and we will not allow this to pass.”
Huh
, Kei thought to himself. He hadn’t even wanted to bring it up earlier that afternoon.

“But we wish to discuss the terms.”

“We will dictate the terms. Your soldiers marched into our villages and did the same. How does it feel, senator, to be on the receiving end?”

The man turned to the sovereign to explain and she barked back a command. “She bids you sit.”

“Tell her to jump off a cliff,” Jera murmured.

“We don’t take orders from the Prij any more,” Kei said loudly, and there was a quiet chorus of assent from the others. At the same time, he did wonder if Meki and Arman were pushing something far less important than the peace itself. He wondered why Arman had suddenly stopped being conciliatory.

More exchanges among the Prij. Kei was beginning to be a little afraid, despite Arman’s determined look and the Rulers’ hard expressions. The Rulers had never dealt with the Prij before and Arman wasn’t a diplomat. What if they were making a mistake?

The sovereign dismissed the senators with a wave of her hand. “Please...gentlemen...would you be kind enough to sit?”

It sounded like she was stabbing a knife into her hand with every word, but it was—technically—polite. “For what purpose, your highness?” Lord Peika said, his voice as cold as Lord Meki’s had been.

“To...accept...your request...and finish our meal, of course.”

Lord Meki bowed. “With pleasure, your highness.”

The red-faced guards were brought down from the ceiling to be placed back in position like dolls and the Darshianese all trooped back to the tables as if they’d merely stood to relieve themselves. “All Prij are bastards,” Kei muttered, and Arman turned to look at him. There was the faintest smile on his lips. “And you’re the biggest one,” he added.

Arman squeezed his fingers under the table.
It was an important point. It’s also important to reinforce her subordination to us. It’s like training a jesig.

If she was a jesig, I’d have her knocked on the head.

Yes, well, I won’t argue with that.
Then Arman had to return to translating.

The Prij were in a hurry to finish the meal after that, and a formal signing of treaties was arranged for the following day. The clearing of Kurlik Pass would begin as soon as Jera and Reis were taken to the mainland, and troops would start to leave Darshian as soon as the Darshianese arrived. Lord Peika and some of the Darshianese troops would remain in Utuk to form a diplomatic mission until a permanent ambassador could be appointed, and Lord Meki would establish temporary command in the south until the local leaders could form their own Council of Rulers—negotiations on that point had already begun, Arman had told Kei.

The northern troops would take control until the southerners had rebuilt their own army, and the Prijian infrastructure was handed over to the Darshianese. The north and south ends of Darshian had always had their own governments, with a close affiliation between them. This would be restored. The most important thing was to reopen the communication between the two ends of the country, but they would also need to reunite to keep the Prij under control. No one expected them to accept peace this easily. Arman had told Kei there were Gifted in the south, apparently, but they had long been in hiding, and as yet, their cooperation had not been secured. The northern Gifted would be important in gaining that, and it was possible some would remain in the south for a month or two for that purpose.

It was all over. Kei could hardly believe it. The Prijian senators weren’t thrilled, but there was less hostility than Kei had expected. Some bright spots of hate—Mekus was a notable source of that, and the Lord Commander simmered with anger, directed most pointedly at Arman. At the end of the meal, the sovereign bade the Darshianese a polite, if not especially warm, farewell. “Blikus, you will escort our guests back to the docks.” The man looked visibly revolted at the idea, but his sovereign ignored his response entirely. Arman became very tense. “Goodnight, gentlemen. The signing will take place in the square tomorrow at noon. You shall attend us then.”

The Rulers bowed, and everyone stood as the sovereign swept out, much to Kei’s relief. The Lord Commander walked over to them, his expression showing his distaste. “This way,” he said curtly, and then grimaced as Jera lifted the Darshianese off their feet, and floated them along. Kei sent Jera a grateful smile for that kindness to Arman.