The Archer at Dawn

by Swati Teerdhala

  “I was intrigued to hear from our mutual contact that an emissary from the Crescent Blades wanted to meet. He didn’t say much else.”

  “We just found out about Dharmdev’s—your—group,” Esha said, deciding to lay her cards on the table. “While news of Dharmdev has been filtering in through our networks, it wasn’t until recently that we came to know more of you.” Esha paused, waiting to see if Zhyani would give any indication that she knew about Laksh or Kunal. The woman made no movement. “After his recent speech in Jubilee Square, of course.”

  “It was a rousing speech,” Zhyani agreed. “But get to the point, Blade.” She leaned forward, the long white scar on her jaw flickering against her brown skin in the dim light of the room.

  “Our two groups want the same thing, to take down Vardaan.” Esha paused for emphasis. “We should work together. The Crescent Blades and Dharmdev’s Scales. We’ll be the scourge of the Pretender King.”

  Zhyani tilted her head, tapping one finger against her lips.

  “I think not.” She leaned back among her pillows, put a pipe into her mouth, and blew out a perfect ring. “A tempting offer, but we’ll pass.”

  “Don’t you want to—”

  “Check with Dharmdev? You don’t think I have the power to make my own decisions?”

  Esha sidestepped the question. “Why not work together? We both want Vardaan off the throne.”

  “And then what? We step back and allow you to put a Dharkan puppet of yours on the throne?”

  “A puppet? Why would we do that?” Esha asked, her surprise genuine. Of all the objections, this one hadn’t crossed her mind.

  “You forget that Vardaan is a Dharkan. We have had enough of Dharkans on the throne.”

  Esha tried not to let her shock show in her eyes. So many years of hatred had blurred the fact that Vardaan was Dharkan. He had become a traitor the minute he had laid a sword to Queen Shilpa. That others felt differently was something she hadn’t considered.

  “He’s no Dharkan. He’s a traitor.”

  “Pretty words,” Zhyani said. “But perhaps he just isn’t doing what your king wants. What if he complies? Becomes an ally? The peace treaty signed? Will all be good with Vardaan then, Blade?”

  “No,” Esha said. “The janma bond—”

  She stopped, unsure of what to say. Esha had come here only to get their support to take the palace back. She couldn’t mention Reha, not if Dharmdev believed her to be a myth, though now Esha couldn’t be sure they’d accept her even if they knew. There was a certain zeal in Zhyani’s eyes that she’d seen before—in those rebels who tended to burn bright and die fast.

  “The janma bond has been a noose around our necks,” the woman said. “Our people would be better off without it controlling our access to the land. Free to make their own future without interference from the royals or gods. Bonds are meant to be broken, are they not? Or that’s what our dear king would say.”

  Broken? Esha wasn’t sure whether this woman was being literal. The bond could be broken only by the gods. And the scholars said that could mean disaster for her own people, an unending drought that would destroy both their lands, decimate the population. But the woman didn’t seem concerned, which was either malice or knowledge.

  What did she know that Esha didn’t?

  “We don’t want a repeat of Vardaan,” Zhyani continued. “And we have no proof that you will be any different. Your government is so keen on peace, how can I trust you Blades? I’ve heard rumors that you’ve become aligned. Though with peace on the horizon, I can’t blame you. Much.” She stared at Esha then, her onyx eyes hard. “We need someone on the throne who understands our struggles. And that isn’t another Dharkan like you.”

  “Then you’re aligned with another Jansan house,” Esha countered, trying to understand. “A new group like yours couldn’t have raised the funds alone. Who wants the throne for themselves? House Ayul? I heard the second son has spent most of his inheritance, though. House Rusala? Oh no, Pramukh. The young heir-to-be is quite desperate, isn’t he?”

  Zhyani raised a single eyebrow above her mask, the movement almost as cutting as a sharp word.

  “I’m surprised, Viper.”

  Esha blinked, keeping still. It was a mark for Zhyani, that she had guessed and guessed correctly.

  “At what?”

  Zhyani traced a finger over the top of her steel cup, flicking a droplet of condensation off.

  “How small your mind is,” she said with a mocking smile. “Provincial, really. I expected more from the great Viper, breaker of blockades and killer of generals.”

  Esha narrowed her eyes, her hand going to her knife at her waist. Zhyani wagged a finger at her.

  “Naughty. Sly. Prideful. This is more in line with the legendary rebel. You are the Viper,” she breathed. “I figured you’d send someone as the Viper, but I didn’t know if it’d really be them. You.”

  Esha swallowed a curse. Novice mistake to get baited.

  “I do admire you. You came here in good faith, I believe that. Especially since you knew we set you up for the murder of the general. And yet you were still willing to ask us for help. But one of our men is missing because of you, and your prince is here trying to make peace with a demon.”

  Zhyani pulled out her own knife and flicked the sharp point of it.

  “We refuse your offer.” She pointed behind Esha. “The door is that way.”

  The training courtyard of the Pink Palace was nothing like the one back at the Fort. This one was outfitted as was befitting the capital of a militaristic nation like Jansa. Kunal had arrived only a half hour before. He’d barely had a chance to register his own excitement at finally being in the mythical city of Gwali, walking the halls of the fabled Pink Palace, before he had been whisked away by servants. He had been able to swipe the note from Esha he knew to be waiting for him in the courtyard.

  I’ve been dreaming of you, soldier. . . .

  Kunal repeated the words in his mind as he walked through the double courtyards, weaving his way past soldiers shooting at targets, heaving and hurling weighted balls, and going through drills with their spears and swords. No one spared him a second glance. It was the perfect sort of welcome for Kunal.

  Kunal had already sent a hawk off to Esha about the citadel and his discovery that the caravan had been sent there. They’d need to confirm that Reha was indeed there, but it was a good start. All Esha had sent back was that he’d get new info soon, with when and where to meet the group.

  Kunal was glad his role was mostly done. He’d been in Esha’s shoes for a bit, sneaking around, and he wasn’t too fond of it. But more important, he would see Esha again. Even if it was with the rest of the team. He’d steal whatever moments he could.

  “And this is your new training area. Different from the one at the Fort, I’m sure, but we like it well enough,” the captain said, throwing a proud grin toward Kunal. “We run exercises in the morning and at night. Full meals in the dining hall.”

  Kunal nodded along, trailing behind the captain.

  “We might be in Gwali, but we’re not that different. Still a soldier’s life, eh?” the captain said.

  Kunal couldn’t help but smile a little at the captain’s enthusiasm. He wasn’t what Kunal had expected for a newly made Senap captain. A bit more like Bhandu than Rakesh.

  “Though I heard you’ve just been on a mission and returned to the Fort.”

  “I was,” Kunal answered slowly. “Unsuccessful, unfortunately.”

  “Can’t have been that bad, otherwise you wouldn’t have been sent here with a letter from the general.”

  Kunal said nothing, clasping his hands behind his back.

  “We’re happy to have you here. Senaps will be on a different schedule, but all soldiers train together in the morning. We’ll run our drills at night, near the citadel. Until the Mela starts, at least.”

  “What’s happening then?”

  “You’ve never been to a Sun Mela?�
��

  Kunal shook his head. “I’ve always been on campaigns or training.”

  Captain Gajra frowned. “Senaps get assigned new duties when it’s Mela time. We normally increase the infantry presence around the city and assign the Senaps to guard the palace. This time around, with the foreign delegations—”

  “Foreign delegations?”

  The captain’s eyebrows shot up. “Sun Maiden’s spear, I forgot it was supposed to be a surprise. Don’t tell anyone, all right?”

  “Of course,” Kunal said, tucking away the information to send to Esha. “Where are they staying, though?”

  “The palace, of course.”

  “But don’t the Mela champions usually reside there?” Kunal asked.

  “Well, there will be changes. It’ll be a lot easier to house everyone now that the royal and martial sectors have been united. But that’s talk for later.”

  The captain introduced him to the other Senap squads, running so quickly through the names that all Kunal could do was nod and smile. Kunal committed a few faces to memory, and though it left a bad taste in his mouth, he paid particular attention to those who had roles that would be important for his mission.

  Captain Gajra finished his round by introducing Kunal to his new squad. Most of them were the same age as him or slightly older. One soldier walked over to Kunal and they clasped forearms in greeting. He had a welcoming face, brown skin crinkled at the corners of his eyes from laughter.

  “We’re glad to have you, Kunal. I’m Chand. You’ve come at the best time, right before the Mela,” he said.

  “I’ve never been. I was just telling the captain.”

  “Speaking of the captain,” Chand said, turning to face the man. “We’ll show him the rest of the yard.”

  Captain Gajra sighed. “Have him back in a quarter hour. We need to get him outfitted for his regalia before the Welcome Ball.”

  “As you wish, Captain,” Chand said, giving a quick salute. He beckoned to Kunal, the other men not far behind. A tour followed, one that made Kunal itch to take a sword in his own hand. It’d been awhile since he’d been able to train, especially with top-of-the-line weapons. They were all joking with one another, the way he, Alok, and Laksh had once done.

  These men were . . . normal. Friendly, even.

  If he hadn’t been a snake in their nest, he might have let himself relax, but one slip and he’d jeopardize the whole mission.

  Chand tossed a sword at Kunal and his reflexes reacted, catching it easily.

  At least not everything had changed.

  Chapter 10

  Esha grabbed one of the gold goblets being passed around and lifted it to her lips, scanning the room as the man across from her prattled on.

  The meeting with Zhyani the night before had set her on edge despite revealing a happy piece of news. Laksh hadn’t returned. One of their men was missing—Laksh was the most likely, which meant one fewer thing to worry about. But without the Scales, they’d need to garner more support within the nobility to put Reha on the throne. She’d been hoping to avoid that.

  At least Kunal had discovered where the caravan had arrived. The citadel. Only the most heavily guarded and fortified building in the military sector.

  A plan was forming in her mind, though, one in which Kunal would play a large role. She smiled to herself, thinking of different ways a Senap on their team would be useful—especially one with superhuman abilities.

  Harun was in a corner talking to a noble or councilor. Since his meeting with Vardaan, there had been a noticeable weight on his shoulders. One that was painfully obvious to her.

  She knew how she’d normally get him out of his moods if they were alone, and Moon Lord, if he didn’t look handsome tonight. The thick circlet around his brow, studded with diamonds and garnets, glimmered. The downturn of his mouth made him look more serious, highlighting the angles of his cheekbones, and compared to many of the other noblemen, it was clear he was young and in his prime, his body lean and honed from daily training.

  There was a whole flock of ladies hovering, darting glances at him and whispering—Jansan and Dharkan alike. It looked like the two countries had already found one way to bridge the divide. Otherwise, the Jansan and Dharkan nobility were separated within the cavernous ballroom, each keeping to their side with only a few narrow-eyed glances tossed the other way.

  So much for peace.

  She supposed there was a decade’s worth of war, rhetoric, and suspicion between the two nations and friendship. This was one step. There were a few brave souls who had breached the divide and were now making small talk and laughing.

  Esha was one of them. She nodded at her companion, a young nobleman from Jansa who didn’t need much help in their conversation, waving his anguli, his sigil ring, around as he carried on. Exactly why she had picked him.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a Senap guard, half hidden against one of the pillars, and Esha wondered if Kunal had arrived yet. His last note said he would be on patrol within the banquet tonight, now officially a Senap. One of the palace guards.

  It had been a little more than a week since they had parted at the camp, and Esha was eager to see Kunal again. Esha felt around for the small note she had tucked into her pocket. She would deliver this one in person, instead of asking Aditi to drop it off in the loose stone outside the banyan tree in the palace gardens. Aditi thought she was leaving love notes for the prince, which was fine by her. It’d been the only way Esha had been able to communicate with Kunal since arriving at the palace, especially with his new schedule as a Senap.

  There was something about the idea of seeing Kunal in his full Senap regalia that made her uneasy. She still saw Kunal, the man she had begun to know, the soft mouth and pale, kind eyes, but the armor unnerved her more than she liked to admit.

  Esha had never been able to forget that a Senap had killed her parents, but now, since she had discovered the Falcon Squad was somewhere in this palace, the thought was like a fierce vise around her heart. Her eyes trailed over the group of soldiers, keeping an eye out for any falcon emblems. The guests of honor were surprisingly absent from tonight’s festivities.

  She shook her head a little, trying to disperse the nightmares that threatened to become vicious daydreams.

  Her companion stopped his monologue and looked at her. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes, I’m fine,” she said, throwing a quick smile on her face.

  “I heard a delegation from the Yavar is coming,” he said excitedly. “Apparently, this Sun Mela is to be one of the most open in years.” Esha had been about to leave, and, instead, she paused.

  “Really? Who will be in this delegation?”

  “A few of the leaders of the top clans, a few of the nobles,” he said, proud he knew something others didn’t.

  “Will Seshirekh be attending himself?”

  Seshirekh had been the one to unite the Yavar after the War in the North. These individual rulers often didn’t last very long, but his rule had been an exception so far. He’d reigned long enough that he was in the process of choosing his successor now. As per the Yavar traditions, anyone in his clan could put forth an heir, despite Seshirekh having a daughter.

  And it would be a perfect time for that daughter to be brought to Gwali, to the gathering of all the nobility of the Southern Lands, as a test. Curiosity itched at her and she wanted to pepper the nobleman across from her with questions.

  “It’s unlikely that he’s coming.” He thought for a moment. “I believe he’s sent his potential successor, though.”

  He began to prattle on, explaining the way the Yavar succession happened. If he had bothered to ask her any questions, he’d have known she was well aware of the details of the Yavar succession process, probably more familiar than him. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and interrupted.

  “Who exactly is going to be here? Do you know?” she asked. At the look on his face, Esha pulled back. “You know, no one else knew this. Can you
believe it? I just assumed you might know more. . . .”

  “Ah, yes. You’re right to ask me, though I’m sorry I don’t know everyone. I do remember that Lady Yamini will be in attendance.”

  Lady Yamini, the daughter of Seshirekh, the heir presumptive. She wondered what it would be like seeing the Yavar, Jansan, and Dharkan alike mingling, the ghost of the War in the North thirty years ago hanging over them. The Yavar had accepted the Aiforas as the natural border after the war and agreed to stop pushing forward. But now they’d be able to come and watch the Jansans and Dharkans snipe at each other. How much had changed in thirty years.

  Esha nodded before making an excuse to escape and walk over toward Arpiya. She pulled Arpiya aside, and her friend kept her smile on until they turned away. Then she let it drop.

  “I don’t know how you do it, Esha. Being charming, the flirting,” Arpiya said.

  “You seemed to be doing a fine job. That man keeps looking over.”

  “I wasted my efforts on the wrong man, who knew absolutely nothing of importance. Certainly nothing about the newly arrived ‘shipment’ from the coast.”

  “Same,” Esha said. She stepped to the side and around, making it look as if they were taking in the beauty of the tapestries on the walls. “Though I have learned that the Yavar are arriving for the Mela. Something our dear Jansan friends forgot to tell us. It might be good to find out more.”

  Arpiya nodded. “On it.” She winced. “These shoes were not a good choice.”

  “I told you to pick the other ones.”

  “Yes, yes, mother hen.” Arpiya was clearly resisting the urge to stick out her tongue at Esha.

  “Isn’t that your job?” Esha asked.

  “I’m on break for tonight. Tonight, I’m Arpiya, lady of mystery.” Arpiya fluttered her lashes at her.

  Esha couldn’t help but snort. “You’re in a fine mood tonight. Okay, lady of mystery. Have at it. Get me some information.”

  “As you wish,” Arpiya said, before sweeping away.