The Black Shriving (Chronicles of the Black Gate Book 2) (41 page)

Iskra met her anger full on, not flinching in the least. "Then you display your ignorance! My family mined that Gate Stone centuries ago, until the rise of Ascendancy, at which point their operations were ordered to stop. That Black Gate, remote and small, was forgotten. I swear it by my hope for Ascendancy and the White Gate that it exists, and even as we speak, my forces are scouting its location and determining how best to resume those mining operations."

"Lies!" The woman turned to the emperor. "Father, enough. This Kyferin is no better than her husband, seeking to spin tales fit for children so as to ruin us. A second Black Gate? She may as well claim there are two Ascendants, two White Gates, that -"

"Daughter," whispered the emperor, and the woman's jaw snapped shut. "Since we do not believe in Ascendancy, why is it impossible for there to be two Black Gates? If they are merely conduits of magical energy, then there can be one, two, or ten."

The tension in the air grew so rigid that Iskra could almost hear it crackling.

His daughter took a deep breath and bowed her head. "Of course, Father."

She believes in Ascendancy
, realized Iskra with a shock.
And everybody here knows it. Even the emperor.

"Patrician Athash speaks wisely, however," said the emperor, turning back to Iskra. "Your claims have the ring of truth, but without evidence they are hollow. Can you prove anything of which you speak?"

"No, Your Imperial Majesty. I currently have no proof. Think of this as an overture, if you will. I have come to open negotiations. When my forces secure the Gate Stone, we shall gladly trade it with you in whatever quantities you could desire."

The chamberlain shifted his weight, his broad, placid face betraying nothing of his emotions. "You speak of trade. What would you desire in exchange?"

The chamberlain has political power
, thought Iskra. "Protection. The forces that cast me and mine into exile wish to see us dead, and though we have defeated the first army they sent against us, we shall not be able to hold out against a second. When the time comes, I would ask that you send men and Sin Casters through my Lunar Portal to help us defeat this enemy."

An intensely textured silence followed this statement. For those with an understanding of court, it must have spoken volumes.

A gaunt lady dressed in purple and yellow silks took a step forward. Her skin was ashen, her hair gray, though she couldn't have been more than forty or more. Was she suffering from some illness? "Lady Kyferin, how long do you believe it will take you to begin your mining operations?"

"It is hard to say. The area around the Black Gate is infested with demons. We will need to clear them out and find a means of controlling the Gate before we can safely begin to extract the stone." Curse this woman. She had struck at the center of Iskra's greatest difficulty.

A black-bearded man in brown robes who had clearly been a warrior in his youth shook his head. "We don't have months. Our fleet needs to set sail immediately with reinforcements."

The emperor raised his hand. "That will suffice for now. Lady Kyferin, your proposition merits greater scrutiny. You are welcome as a guest at the palace. We shall speak more on this shortly."

Iskra bowed low. "Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty."

The chamberlain stepped forth and led the way down the center of the hall, back to the large double doors, which were opened by servants as they reached them. The chamberlain led them through the crowd that waited just outside, and Iskra ignored the stares and measured looks. On they walked through the palace, which proved to be an extensive and rambling edifice, till finally they were led to a suite of rooms with a broad balcony that overlooked the harbor.

A dozen servants brought in food and placed it on a central table, while maids rushed in and out bearing large pitchers of steaming water with which they filled a copper tub that stood in the center of the bedroom itself.

The chamberlain stood still amidst all this activity, his eyes alight with intelligence, his expression bemused and calm. "These are to be your rooms while you remain at the palace, my lady. For your safety, I shall post guards at the door and below the balcony. There are those in Agerastos who will not welcome your presence here, and may seek to violate all etiquette by making that expressly known to you."

"Thank you, Chamberlain." A wave of exhaustion passed through her. She fought to hide it. "These rooms will suffice."

"Very well." He gave a shallow bow, gestured to the servants to follow, and withdrew.

Iskra allowed herself a deep sigh of relief and sat down on the edge of an ornate and distinctly uncomfortable chair.

Tiron quickly explored the suite of rooms and then posted Hannus on the balcony and Ord by the front door. Orishin bowed low, unsure if he should leave, but Iskra stopped him with a gesture. "Now, my friend. Please, tell me your interpretation of what just transpired."

Orishin tugged at his beard and hesitantly pulled a stool out from the corner. He perched much like a bird, ready to take flight at a moment's notice. "You have entered the eye of the storm, Lady Iskra." He paused, then grimaced. "Lady Kyferin. You did well to hide your name until the last moment. Had your identity been discovered in the street, well... "

Tiron rocked back on his heels. "Your Ennoian has greatly improved since we first met you."

"Yes." Orishin smiled apologetically. "It is always worthwhile to pretend to know less than you actually do, so as to learn more than you normally might. Now that I see the direction in which the wind is blowing, I have decided to raise my sails." He paused. "You are a fiercely intelligent woman, my lady, so I shall be direct and honest to save us both time. My presence in your retinue was overlooked, for which we can both be thankful. I had not expected to accompany you directly into the emperor's presence. Had I known, I don't know what I would have done. I like to think I would have done the same, but I am not the man I once was."

"Your point?"

"My presence will prove a liability. I told you as we walked here that I fell from the court's favor due to a disgraceful act of curiosity, which I framed in innocuous tones." His smile became nervous. "That wasn't the entire truth."

Tiron practically loomed over the man. "What, then, was the nature of your transgression?"

"There is a ready market for a certain kind of literature, shall we say." Orishin squeezed his hands together. "Especially when it involves the highest ladies of the court. I made a tidy sum to boost my scant income as a scribe by penning and releasing these pamphlets. I was good! Too good. I knew when I saw my pamphlets being read at court that I had to stop, but by then it was too late. I was caught, whipped, and cast out into the street."

Tiron turned to Iskra, one eyebrow raised. Orishin glanced at her as well from under his brows, his expression at once hopeful and afraid.

Finally, she smiled. "Very well. Once, perhaps, I would have judged you harshly, but that time has passed. We shall be discrete about your assistance. Now, to my original question. Your thoughts?"

Orishin hopped off his stool and dropped to one knee. "Thank you, great lady! Ah, to be back in the heady swirl of court life. How I have missed it. Now..." He stood and began to pace. "Much has developed that I could only guess at from my stall under the plane tree. Of course, many of my clients remain faithful and come by for my latest work in exchange for gossip – oh, yes, I still have to earn a living - but it was fascinating to see the truth with my own eyes. You were most bold, my lady, with your assertions! And entirely accurate." Orishin stopped to give her a respectful bow. "You said in a few sentences more than most courtiers will dance around for months. Marvelous! And dangerous."

A refreshing breeze blew in through the open doors that led to the balcony, the air smelling of brine.

"How strong is the emperor's opposition?" Iskra asked.

"Ah, that is hard to discern. It takes a brave man - or woman - to oppose the will of the great Thansos. I was but a child when he overthrew the empire, destroyed the Solar Portal and rode a wave of acclaim into the palace. He was loved! That statue in the great square truly depicts the man he once was. Even I can remember the hope, the energy, and the enthusiasm that filled our land. Men embraced as brothers, oppression was cast down, and so forth and so on." Orishin sat once more. "Then your husband's ships arrived, and everything changed."

Iskra nodded. "Twenty years ago, that would have been."

"Yes. Terrible times. The ocean waves that lapped our shores left behind crimson foam. Much that we had built since throwing off the yoke of the empire was destroyed. The emperor himself went into hiding when Agerastos was conquered, and the empire's officials were installed once more in the palace. In time, your husband left, and the emperor led a rebellion from the streets. Within two years Agerastos was freed again, but the tenor of the times had changed. Thansos himself, I dare say, had changed."

Tiron rubbed his jaw. "Is that when he started using that mask?"

"No, that came a little later. But the magic had already started to warp him, to rob his frame of its strength and vitality. Why, yes, he is a wielder of magic, the most powerful we have ever seen. It was he who discovered the use of Gate Stone, who discovered how to destroy the Solar Portal, and banished the spirit that emerged from the ruined stones. But after he regained control, he was changed. He had lost much, and was no longer loved. The suffering had been great. That was when he returned the worship of the medusas to Agerastos. I was young then, and remember well the bitterness of that time. There was much talk of returning to the empire, much fear of your husband's return. The emperor's closest friends turned against him, and he had them killed. Fear stalked the streets. He would not tolerate dissension. Within a few years of regaining control, he was ruling alone with an iron fist."

Iskra leaned forward. "If he is so powerful, how does he now have opponents?"

Orishin sighed. "Do you know what it takes for an impoverished and weak nation like our own to mount an invasion like we have done? The taxes, the confiscation of ships, the marshalling of every resource across the island, the imperial decrees – a total war effort that has resulted in a great victory, but at terrible cost. We cannot sustain this war. We cannot send enough reinforcements to Ennoia. We cannot continue beggaring our people in an attempt to do what? Destroy the Ascendant Empire?" Orishin laughed darkly. "Hence the opposition. The emperor can kill a political opponent, but not his entire people. Dissatisfaction runs high. There have been numerous riots prompted by hunger. The military is firmly with him, but the charivari are increasingly opposed. And worse. There are other factions that even our emperor does not dare oppose."

"His daughter," said Iskra.

"Yes, the striking, beloved Ylisa. His darling daughter. Are you prepared to be shocked, my lady? She leads a growing faction of Ascensionists! Here in Agerastos. A growing faction that wishes to surrender and return to the empire, to a false golden age that never existed."

Tiron fumbled at his belt, clearly looking for his missing sword, then crossed his arms. "And he can't crush this movement because it's led by his blood?"

Orishin nodded and said to Iskra, "When your husband executed the emperor's wife so horrifically - ah. You did not know? It was a public spectacle that was meant to draw him out of hiding. It didn't work, and her death took a week. When she died, it is said the emperor swore both his eternal revenge and to love and cherish his daughter forevermore. Some say he cannot turn against her because of that very vow. But she plots against him, ever more openly, and in doing so encourages others to do the same."

Iskra nodded slowly, tapping her lips in thought. "Ylisa must not be pleased with my arrival."

"I would guess not," said Orishin. "Many who thought this invasion doomed may now reconsider if you truly deliver your Gate Stone. That is a reversal that she will not welcome."

Tiron eyed Hannus, alone on the balcony. Iskra could almost read his thoughts. "Thank you, Orishin. We shall send for you when we have need. Know that your assistance will not be forgotten."

Orishin rose smoothly to his feet and then bowed low. "My thanks, Lady Kyferin." With that he walked briskly from the room.

"We are in danger," said Tiron.

"Yes. But there are opportunities here that I had not hoped for." Iskra walked to a side table where a decanter and elegant wooden cups were set.

"Best not," said Tiron, stepping up and placing his hand over the decanter.

Iskra hesitated then nodded. "Very well. But as I was saying. Ylisa wants to end her father's war effort. What if ally with her? We need not turn irrevocably against the empire. If we could convince the emperor to recall his forces, then we could return to Ennoia on a wave of good will and petition the Ascendant's Grace to redress the wrongs done to us."

Tiron's eyes widened in surprise. He clearly hadn't anticipated that line of thought. "But he sent a Virtue against us. Why would he forgive Makaria's death?"

"Because we could save the lives of countless others," said Iskra, a small thrill running through her. "Imagine: we could end the war if we but ally with Ylisa. We need not imperil our souls. We need not court damnation. There is a path home that leads from the emperor's chambers to my son."