by Rachel White
"Yes."
"That's why your family is hosting this meal?"
"Yes." Rallis waited, but no further explanation was forthcoming. "Why do you ask?" he finally ventured.
Lieutenant Harn shook his head. He was eating very slowly, taking small, cautious bites. "Nothing. It doesn't matter. He didn't tell me that your name was Yy. That's all."
It meant nothing to Rallis. To his left, Lieutenant Dell was talking with Paruus about the weather. It was hotter, apparently, than he was accustomed to in Jev, and the air felt different. Paruus nodded along with polite disinterest. Directly across from Rallis, two of his older cousins were asking Lieutenant Havvery questions about the legionnaires' fliers while their mother looked on cautiously. Iayan and Mikka lingered at the edge of the room in case anyone needed them. Everything seemed quite placid, all things considered, but he couldn't shake the fear that gripped his heart like a vice.
The heavy sound of the front door alerted Rallis to Naravi's return. He excused himself from the table and went to intercept Naravi before he saw the Jevites. It was inevitable that he would react poorly, but hopefully some warning would prevent him from being too obvious about his distaste.
In the front hall, Naravi was hanging up his coat, looking tired and calm and almost happy. His time with Faida had obviously soothed him. Dressed in garish festival colors, paint smeared around his eyes and a long string of feathers and beads draped around his neck, he was probably too informal for a diplomatic supper, but there was no help for it.
"Lieutenant Taarq is here with his associates," Rallis told him, making him start and then scowl.
"Why?"
"I told you before that they were going to be eating supper with us. There are five of them. Behave."
Naravi rolled his eyes but didn't protest further. "Are you already eating?" he asked, walking with Rallis toward the meal room. They reached the doorway and passed through. "You didn't wait for me—you."
He stopped short, staring at Lieutenant Harn, who leapt to his feet as though shot.
"You're—" Lieutenant Harn began.
"You killed Hesse!" Naravi screamed, and then he was lunging at Lieutenant Harn, faster than Rallis believed possible, snatching a knife from the table as he went. It glittered in the lamplight as he drew his arm back to strike.
The next few moments were chaos. Rallis was conscious of shrieks, the other Jevites rising, going for their weapons, Miana calling out to Naravi, Lieutenant Taarq crying, "Don't shoot! No one shoot!" pointlessly to no one. He ignored it all, instinct taking hold of his body. While his rational mind was busy gaping at Naravi's speed, his legs were striding forward. Before Naravi could plunge the knife into Lieutenant Harn, Rallis was between them, grabbing Naravi by the shoulders and throwing him bodily away.
Naravi landed hard on the tile floor and lay stunned. The knife flew from his limp hand as he fell and clattered somewhere beneath the banquet table. Children were crying and the hum of charging Jevite weapons filled the air.
In the echoing silence that followed, Lieutenant Taarq said, very slowly and calmly, "No one shoot. Citizen Yy, please have your cousin rise. Slowly."
"Stand up," Rallis snapped at Naravi, who rose stiffly to his feet, his gaze still locked on Lieutenant Harn's face. He was only momentarily calm. At any second, he would try again.
Rallis seized him by the shoulder and shoved him toward the salon. "Walk." Naravi staggered toward the door, half-tripping on his own feet. Once, he turned a murderous look toward Lieutenant Harn over his shoulder, but Rallis shook him fiercely and he faced forward again.
He pushed Naravi into the salon and paused in the door. "I'll talk to him," he said to Lieutenant Taarq or Miana or both. The other Jevites were still holding their weapons. It was Nur's blessing alone that they hadn't shot Naravi when he attacked Lieutenant Harn, that they weren't already insisting on dragging him to the Red Square or executing him on site, but perhaps they were too shocked to react. He would use that for as long as he could. Before anyone could question or protest, Rallis shut the door and rounded on Naravi.
"What were you thinking?" he snarled, hardly able to speak through his closed throat. His blood pounded in his ears. It took every bit of willpower to keep himself from physically tearing Naravi apart. The stupid fucking child. His hatred of Jevites was bad enough when it was a distant thing, expressed in contemptuous words and ugly looks, but he had tried to attack Lieutenant Harn in front of twenty witnesses. He had tried to kill a Jevite officer. He may as well have signed his own death sentence. "Are you insane? What in Nur's name were you doing?"
Naravi drew himself to his full height and met Rallis's gaze defiantly. "He killed Hesse," he hissed. "He killed him. I saw it. That filthy Jevve was the one who murdered Hesse, and you let him into the motherhouse."
"I told you before, you can't blame them all—"
"That's not what I mean! It was him! That one was the one who killed Hesse. He was the one who stopped Hesse at the garrison. It was him."
And finally Rallis understood. The knowledge damped his anger like ashes on a fire. "He was the one? You're sure?"
"Of course I'm sure!" Naravi cried. "I was there! I saw it! He was the one who stopped Hesse that day. He confronted him. He—"
He cut himself off and scrubbed at his eyes. "He murdered Hesse." His voice was practically a croak. "I'm going to kill him. I swear to Nur. I'll kill him for what he did."
"Be silent. That's treasonous talk."
"Then let them punish me! I don't fucking care!"
"Be quiet," said Rallis frantically. The walls of the motherhouse were thin, and the Jevites were no doubt listening intently. "Think of what you're saying. Even if Lieutenant Harn was responsible for Hesse's death, you can't kill him. They'll execute you."
"I don't care." Naravi's eyes were bright with unshed tears. He had a familiar set to his chin, the proud, cold manner he wrapped around himself when confronted with anyone or anything that wronged him. No rational arguments would pierce that armor. "He needs to pay for what he did."
"And what did he do?" Rallis asked tiredly. "Hesse was—"
"Don't talk about him. I know what you're going to say, but you're wrong. Hesse was fighting for freedom. For Adesa," Naravi continued, sneering at Rallis. "A half-breed coward like you would never understand."
"Hesse was trying to bomb a garrison. There were Adesi civilians working there." Adesi-ren civilians, specifically. Privately, Rallis believed that distinction was why Hesse had deemed the collateral damage a sacrifice worth making.
Naravi blinked. After a moment, he shook his head, giving an ugly laugh. "I knew it. You are a coward and a traitor."
"A traitor to what?"
"To Adesa!"
"The Adesa you're fighting for is gone," Rallis told him. "Don't you understand? You're doing exactly as Hesse did, fighting for something that no longer exists. Look what it got him, Naravi. We're no freer now than we were before he tried to blow up the garrison. Even if you do kill Lieutenant Harn, we won't be free. What are you trying to accomplish? "
"It's not about that. He needs to pay for what he did."
For killing Hesse. For saving the lives of everyone in the garrison Hesse had tried to destroy. For wounding Naravi absolutely, mortally.
"This won't change anything," said Rallis. "You know that."
"Hesse would have—"
"Hesse is dead, Naravi!" Rallis snarled. "He's dead, do you understand? He made a choice and he fought and he lost and he died for it. If you want to follow in his footsteps, if you want Miana to mourn two brothers, keep doing what you're doing. But none of it will bring Hesse back. We lost the war. He's gone. It's over."
He stopped as abruptly as he started, ashamed and angry that he was ashamed. The look in Naravi's eyes was unbearable. Nothing Rallis had said was false—Nur's heart, Naravi knew it already—but knowing it deep down was different than having it thrown in his face. Barely eighteen, still deeply in mourning, shattered by the
sudden appearance of his brother's killer, Naravi wasn't capable of enduring seven months' worth of Rallis's pent rage and bitterness. And yet, there they were.
"Naravi—" he began.
"It doesn't matter." Naravi's voice was toneless and cold. "You would never understand. He wasn't your brother."
He rose and crossed to the far side of the room on silent feet and disappeared into the hall, shutting the door firmly behind him. Alone, Rallis sighed deeply.
Another mistake. Naravi was moving further and further away, and nothing Rallis did would draw him back. Soon he would leave the motherhouse entirely, poisoned by hatred, with Faida Tlirr's proclamations of righteous martyrdom ringing in his ears. It would be Nur's blessing if he survived the year.
Back in the front of the house, most of the guests had already left. Genas and Paruus and their families had probably fled as soon as Naravi started shouting, if only to keep the children from being caught in the inevitable crossfire, but that didn't explain where the Jevites had gone. Only Lieutenant Taarq and Miana remained, sitting together at the head of the main table. They were talking in low voices, but pleasantly; after a moment Lieutenant Taarq said something that made Miana laugh.
When Rallis approached them, Miana said, "Is Naravi still here?"
"He went to the sleeping chamber. Where is everyone?"
"Genas and Paruus took the children home."
"What about…"
"They left." Lieutenant Taarq cleared his throat before continuing. "I spoke with Nasir—Lieutenant Harn. He won't…he won't pursue anything. Against your cousin. He understood the situation."
"And the others?"
"If Nasir won't pursue it, they won't either," said Lieutenant Taarq steadily. "You don't need to worry."
"If you say so." Rallis took the seat across from Lieutenant Taarq, suddenly weary. The food laid out over the table was turning cold and congealed. All that work, the time and money and effort spent preparing for something that was ruined as soon as it began. "I'm sorry about all of this. I didn't…"
Lieutenant Taarq shook his head. "I should be the one apologizing. I had no idea Nasir had history with your family."
"Neither did I." Rallis sighed. "Naravi never speaks about Hesse's death. I didn't know he had witnessed it."
Miana frowned. "I'm going to check on him," she murmured, rising. "Good evening, Lieutenant Taarq. It was a pleasure to meet you, despite everything."
Lieutenant Taarq rose as well and bowed to her gracefully. "And you, Head Yy."
She laughed. "I already told you to call me Miana," she said and departed.
Alone, Rallis caught Lieutenant Taarq's eye. "Do you want to play khas?" he asked. "I can get my board."
"I do," said Lieutenant Taarq, "but I think I should go back to the garrison and keep an eye on things. As I said, Nasir won't cause trouble for your cousin, but I think it would be best for me to be around while everything gets sorted. Perhaps sometime tomorrow?"
"That's fine." While everything gets sorted. In Rallis's experience, it wasn't easy for this kind of thing to just disappear. For all of Lieutenant Taarq's confidence in his fellow officers, Naravi might still be in deep trouble. Rallis would just have to hope Lieutenant Taarq knew what he was talking about. "Tomorrow would work."
Lieutenant Taarq bowed to him as well. "Tomorrow, then," he said, and Rallis saw him out.
Chapter Seven
Despite Rallis's fears, nothing further came of Naravi's attack, at least on the Jev side. According to Lieutenant Taarq, Lieutenant Harn was uninjured and entirely uninterested in pursuing the incident. A fortnight passed without trouble; by the end of it, Rallis thought it safe to relax.
He was meeting Lieutenant Taarq nearly every day. In the evening, Rallis would make the twenty-minute walk to the north garrison and spend the next few hours huddled over the khas board with Lieutenant Taarq, who was improving more with each game.
It seemed only natural to start meeting outside of khas. After nearly three months, they were more than just friendly opponents—they were, Rallis thought, friends. Lieutenant Taarq no longer bowed when he saw Rallis but held his hand out in the Jevite greeting he had previously demonstrated. They talked about the game, but about their families, the situation between Jev and Adesa, the day-to-day events of their lives as well. It was the deepest friendship Rallis had ever had with another person, besides perhaps Miana.
And so when Lieutenant Taarq asked Rallis to join him for supper, Rallis agreed immediately. That was what one did with friends. It was only later, when he thought about it, that he realized how strange it would have seemed to him at the beginning.
They arranged to meet at a bayar near the Yy motherhouse. Lieutenant Taarq was waiting outside when Rallis arrived, dressed in simple Adesi clothes of fine quality. It took Rallis a moment to recognize him. He looked even more handsome than usual, for the jewel-toned material brought out the hues in his skin much better than the stark white and green of Jevite dress.
"I didn't know you owned anything besides your uniform," said Rallis as he reached him.
Lieutenant Taarq startled and turned quickly to face him, but relaxed when he saw who it was. "I thought it might be better to wear something less formal."
"It looks nice." Nur, where had that come from?
Something flickered across Lieutenant Taarq's face. All he said, though, was, "Thank you. Shall we?"
They went into the bayar together. It was small and half-empty, most of the customers Adesi, though there was also a trio of legionnaires in one corner who saluted Lieutenant Taarq respectfully as he passed by them. Since he wasn't in uniform, Rallis assumed they recognized his face. Their own uniforms had the same green edgings.
They found a table near the back, away from eavesdroppers. Lieutenant Taarq ordered a coffee and Rallis got tea. The Adesi-ren servant who brought their drinks looked curiously between them but said nothing, departing as silently as he had come. Alone, Lieutenant Taarq sighed.
"I hope this isn't strange," he said abruptly. "Inviting you here… I just thought it might be a nice change from khas."
"It's not strange."
"Not that I don't enjoy khas, obviously."
Rallis eyed him. "Obviously."
Lieutenant Taarq laughed. "Honestly, I just wanted to get away from the garrison for a while," he confessed, stirring his coffee and then taking a sip. He hadn't opted to add any milk or sugar. Rallis, who disliked even sweetened coffee, was half-impressed and half-appalled. "It's been a bit tense."
Rallis dropped his voice. "The rebellion?"
"Yes." Lieutenant Taarq's gaze was cautious. "There's a lot of effort right now to catch the rebels. The Suulsen is thinking—" He cut himself off.
"The Suulsen is thinking…?" Rallis prompted.
"I really don't think I should tell you." Lieutenant Taarq drummed his fingers on the tabletop. He was naturally a high-energy sort, Rallis had come to realize, and needed to work to contain himself as expected of a Jevite officer. Anxiety made him more restless. "Please don't repeat this to anyone. Even your cousin. I could be imprisoned if it got out that I told an Adesi about this."
"I won't say anything," Rallis assured him. "You can trust me."
There was no one nearby to overhear. After another quick inspection of the bayar, Lieutenant Taarq leaned in. "The Suulsen is thinking of imposing a quartering act on Adesa," he said, hardly audible. "It would require all Houses in Adesa to host legionnaires. The Houses would be responsible for their food and lodgings, of course, but…they would also be responsible for the legionnaires' safety. If a legionnaire of a House were hurt…the House would be punished."
Rallis went cold. "That's unjust. No one would accept that."
"They wouldn't have a choice."
It was a sensible plan too. To most Adesi, revolutionary passions were all well and good when the only repercussion was some legionnaires dying, but if the deaths of those legionnaires meant the inevitable deaths of Adesi citizens as well�
� And not just deaths, but publicly executed…
"What else?"
"The rebellion is fracturing. From what I've heard, the rebels will be caught soon."
Sick anxiety churned in Rallis's stomach. News that the Suulsen intended further restrictions was bad enough, but the collapse of the rebellion terrified him. It was nearly a sure thing that Naravi had become a rebel. Since the incident at the Festival of the Thousand Suns, his troublesome behavior had increased tenfold: he had been sneaking off more and more lately, getting back at all hours, slipping away in the mornings and creeping back in just before curfew. Miana was having no luck getting him to talk about what he was doing. Rallis hadn't bothered to try.
He stared into his tea. "I hate this," he said softly.
Lieutenant Taarq sighed. "As do I."
"Do you think the act will pass?"
"The Empress is very against it, but it has strong support in the Suulsen. Suul Thrun is one of the leading advocates for it, and he's the Suulsen-dama. He wants to…to destroy Adesa," Lieutenant Taarq finished, almost hesitant. "I don't just mean…as we've done. Invading and seizing control. He wants to destroy it. He wants to scourge the country of Adesi language and culture and transform it into another Jev. And if that means scourging the country of the Adesi… I'm afraid he'll do it."
"Does he have the power to do that?"
Lieutenant Taarq shook his head. "Not while the Empress stands against him. But his influence is growing. Many in Jev find the continued Adesi resistance very frustrating. The more bombs are planted and legionnaires are attacked, the more who join his side."
"What are we supposed to do?" Rallis snarled, slamming his cup down on the saucer. Tea sloshed over the edges and burned his fingers, but he ignored it, as he ignored the way others in the bayar stared at him.
Across the table, Lieutenant Taarq looked sympathetic. The gentle expression took the wind out of Rallis's sails. He wasn't Rallis's enemy. "I understand your position," he said.
Rallis dried his hands on a napkin. "I know. I'm sorry. I'm not angry with you. I'm just scared."
