THe Grave at Storm's End

by Devin Madson

  I gave him a short smile. ‘Indeed, we must be strong there, as bearing children is all a woman is good for.’

  Wisely, Master Yara said no more. I took my place at the table, watching as one by one the councillors gathered, bowing first to Emperor Kin and then to me. A few generals, the local governor, the garrison commander and a handful of advisors, most past their physical prime, the act of bowing causing their paunches to jiggle.

  When General Ryoji arrived he put them all to shame. One day he might run to fat as General Rini had done, but until then he was a glorious image – exactly what a soldier should be. He knelt halfway along the table as befit his rank, but although every other general outranked him, he was the only one whose job was to live at Kin’s side.

  Once all were gathered, Master Yara cleared his throat and unrolled a length of parchment. ‘The latest correspondence from General Jikuko is unchanged,’ he said, by way of beginning. ‘He reports no movement in The Valley despite increasing his scouting range as per his last orders.’

  ‘Like the ruddy storm,’ grumbled General Rini, Kin’s second in command. Kin had refused to appoint a new Minister of the Left. ‘A skirmish here, a rumble there, always waiting for us to move before they hit us.’

  One of the battalion boys backed into the tent carrying a tray of bowls and bowed with as much grace as a serving girl, if considerably less cleavage. The councillors went on talking while the boy dispensed food, shuffling across the floor on his knees with his eyes downcast.

  ‘Anything from General Yi?’ Kin asked.

  ‘There have been no riders from the east this morning, Your Majesty,’ Master Yara said, not glancing down as a bowl of shimmering soup was placed in front of him.

  ‘And the search for Lady Kimiko?’

  ‘Again, nothing, Your Majesty. Kisia has been quiet today.’

  General Rini cleared his throat: ‘Never a good sign.’

  Having placed the last bowl in front of me, the boy went out to serve the rest of the food. A plate of fish fresh from the Nuord River; a dish of pickled carrots and ginger; and shredded eggs; congee and sugared beans. It was Kin’s standard fare, the simple food of an emperor who had never stopped being a soldier.

  When the boy came back with a spit-roasted duck, Kin scowled. ‘What is that?’ he demanded.

  The boy bowed low and kept his eyes down. ‘It is a duck, Your Majesty,’ he said. ‘Captain Warrete caught it to celebrate your bridal prayers, Your Majesty.’

  ‘Damn right, we ought to have a toast,’ General Rini said as the boy lowered the duck onto the table. ‘War or not. Bring wine, boy. Long live Emperor Kin.’

  ‘Long live Emperor Kin,’ the council chorused, looking as hungrily at the duck as they might have at the absent serving girl.

  The boy went out again and for a time conversation was suspended by consumption, the clink of spoon on bowl drowning the sounds of the camp. My stomach growled, but suddenly nauseous I just sipped slowly and watched the others. In seven days I would be Kin’s empress, but it would have been naïve to imagine anything would change. Already Kin’s councillors indulged my input rather than listened, some spending more time assessing my figure than my words.

  Just watch, Malice had always said. Watch and you will see truth. Men wear themselves outside their clothes, no matter how much they think they hide.

  The serving boy came back with wine and a stack of bowls. Kin did not often allow wine at his table, but he said nothing as the bowl was placed in front of him and filled. Being a woman I was not allowed to drink with them, but the councillors drank a toast to their emperor and empress nonetheless.

  ‘The messengers all left in the night,’ Master Yara said, continuing with the meeting after the merest sip of his wine and a glance at his food. ‘To Lord Rastas, Lord Pirin and the Duke of Suway, as well as another two spreading the news in the north.’

  ‘It is to be hoped they remember how well they flourished under Ts’ai rule,’ someone muttered.

  ‘Indeed,’ General Rini agreed. ‘But now we can offer them Lady Hana. Ts’ai and Otako in unity. The call of peace is likely to prove the biggest attraction. We all know this war cannot be allowed to drag on or Chiltae will take advantage of our weakness and wipe us all out regardless of allegiance.’

  ‘They will not move on us until after the rains.’

  ‘Then we have a season to put the dog to rest.’

  Glances flicked my way as some of them recalled the ‘dog’ they spoke of was my cousin.

  ‘And Risian, Master Yara,’ Kin prompted.

  ‘Yes, Your Majesty. Orders have gone to pull half the standing battalions from Shimai. The lords of Risian have made good on their promise to field men under your banner. They want to retake the Willow Road. It would seem that our tales of banditry have taken well. Otako’s men are becoming figures of fear in the Tzitzi Valley.’

  ‘Good,’ Kin said. ‘We must move before they get wind of it. This has to be quick and silent.’

  ‘Yes, Your Majesty.’

  The councillors nodded at plans only possible now they had Otako legitimacy, a joke only the gods could appreciate.

  ‘Have we heard anything of Otako these last few weeks?’ Commander Rusaka asked abruptly. As camp commander he played the role of self-important host.

  Councillor Gadokoi didn’t swallow before retorting: ‘Katashi Otako has not stopped giving us grief since he took the throne at Koi. Which war are you fighting?’

  ‘I hear the reports same as you, Councillor, but what I hear are stories of Pikes and traitors setting villages on fire and ambushing our scouts, nothing of Otako himself.’

  Kin took a sip of his second bowl of wine. ‘Katashi is in the Fen,’ he said. ‘Waiting for me to come to him.’

  Katashi. His name dominated every council meeting, as he too often dominated my thoughts. Once we had stood together beneath the Kissing Tree in Mei’lian and the world had stopped while his lips hovered close to mine. He had told me to stay at the safe house and I had not listened. How different things might have been.

  Again the nausea swelled and I put my spoon down.

  ‘What if he’s dead?’ Commander Rusaka said.

  The councillors froze, General Rini with a slice of duck hovering precariously.

  ‘Isn’t it possible that Lord Laroth is behind it all?’ the commander went on. ‘Every day we hear about his men, but not about Otako himself. If he is dead or injured we could attack while they are vulnerable—’

  ‘Vulnerable?’ General Ryoji turned on the man, his thick eyebrows lifted high. ‘Are you suggesting we march toward Koi? Otako holds the north. In sixteen years they have never given up their loyalty to the Otako name and they aren’t about to do so now, even if Katashi Otako has met an unlikely end. What is to say he has no children? Or that Lady Kimiko may not yet make a bid for his power? We cannot make brash assumptions when the empire is at stake.’

  ‘No, but Jikuko is wasted in The Valley,’ General Rini replied more mildly. ‘A smaller contingent could hold The Neck.’

  Kin ate in silence, watching his advisors with the same frown he always wore. Once again it was General Ryoji who answered. ‘But, General Rini, can we afford to risk next year’s harvest? If we lose The Valley, the people will starve. We do not have enough rice in our stores, and this war is already draining the treasury dry. Chiltae will not feed us without extorting a higher price than we can pay.’

  ‘And if we leave Jikuko in The Valley we could lose Shimai. Or Mei’lian. Then there will be no empire left to fight for.’

  ‘Let him march on the Sister Cities and see how far he gets,’ Commander Rusaka growled. ‘I will not bow to an Otako dog from the north.’

  The words stung, but this time only Master Yara glanced at me. Commander Rusaka continued to speak. ‘Shimai can—’

  ‘Will you bow to me, Command
er?’ I asked quietly. ‘Or am I, too, an Otako dog from the north?’

  The man’s head snapped around, anger hardening his eyes. ‘My lady?’

  ‘I am Emperor Lan’s daughter,’ I said, keeping my voice low so they were forced to listen. ‘I would advise you to remember there are only two men who outrank me: your emperor, who is to be my husband, and your enemy, who is my cousin. Think on that before you insult me again.’

  My pulse thundered so hard I felt sick. I wanted him to speak, to argue, to fight, but he robbed me of all satisfaction with a simple bow of his head and a mumbled, meaningless apology.

  My fists clenched into balls. ‘Be careful, Commander,’ I said. ‘You cannot wish an Otako away. I am here to stay and so is my cousin. I can tell you now that Katashi Otako is not dead. And he isn’t fleeing north.’

  Commander Rusaka snorted, his fleeting glance at Kin eliciting no response. He was not coming to my rescue. ‘And how do you know that, my lady?’

  ‘Because I know my cousin better than you do, Commander. I was his captain once.’

  They may as well have spoken their thoughts aloud for how clearly they rang through the tent. And they were right. I had been more than his captain once.

  ‘Believe me,’ I said to cover the sound of their collective judgment. ‘Katashi Otako is neither dead nor retreating, whatever power Lord Laroth may hold over him.’

  ‘What proof?’ Rusaka asked. ‘Intuition does not hold weight in military decisions, my lady.’

  ‘Neither does wishful thinking, Commander.’

  ‘Enough.’ Kin spoke quietly from the other end of the table. There was no smile on his fatigue-lined features. ‘General Rini.’

  ‘Yes, Your Majesty?’

  ‘Have our scouts keep an eye out for Otako.’

  Commander Rusaka nodded in satisfaction.

  ‘I am not yet prepared to abandon The Valley,’ Kin went on. ‘Otako has shown a penchant for fighting over lost territory, and with Lord Laroth pulling strings it is worth remembering that his family estate is at Esvar. General Jikuko will stay where he is until we hear more.’

  There was a murmured round of ‘Yes, Your Majesty.’

  ‘There is little else to go on until we hear more,’ he added. ‘Make sure the men are ready to march. We will have to move quickly or Risian will be just another loss.’

  ‘Yes, Your Majesty.’

  Kin rose to leave. Every member of his council got to their feet as quickly as they could though it took some of them no little effort. I remained kneeling as custom dictated, but Kin stopped beside me on his way out. ‘Lady Hana.’

  I met his gaze, a challenge in my own. He had barely looked at me at the shrine, barely spoken. Every day he shut me out a little more. ‘Yes, Your Majesty?’

  ‘Dine with me tonight,’ he said, and something like his old smile appeared on his thin lips. ‘We have had a success today worth celebrating. Don’t you think, my lady?’

  ‘Indeed, Your Majesty.’

  He strode out, the skirt of his long crimson robe sweeping muddied reeds. General Ryoji followed leaving his meal untouched.

  Back out in the weak sunlight, the camp stank of mud and horse dung. A gaggle of army boys ran past carrying assorted sacks and crates, one with a thin trickle of millet trailing behind him. Sounds swirled around me: the murmur of conversation, distant laughter, the clatter of weapons and the rustle of canvas. But I was the rock in the stream. Every limb was a dead weight and my thoughts were sluggish. I needed sleep. I needed to clean the stink of blood and smoke and sweat from my body.

  ‘My lady.’

  A priest stood alone in the thoroughfare, bowing such that his gold embroidered hem caressed the grass. Gold thread decorated his sleeves, too, and as he rose he showed a face threaded with wrinkles. A familiar face, one that might have been handsome but for an absent chin.

  ‘Father Kokoro,’ I said, memory coming to my aid. The man had offered me succour back in Mei’lian when I had been Kin’s prisoner.

  So much had changed that I could not contain a smile.

  ‘I wish to congratulate you upon your bridal prayers, my lady,’ he said, taking my smile as an invitation to further speech. ‘It is a joyous time for Kisia and all her people.’

  ‘Thank you, Father.’

  He invited me to walk with him, and having no reason to refuse, I fell in with his slow, decorous pace. Side-by-side we walked along the row of tents.

  ‘At any other time it would have been I that performed your bridal prayers in the palace shrine,’ he said, nodding to a soldier who lifted his hands in prayer. ‘I must try not to begrudge Father Hoto the honour.’

  ‘I am sure you have presided over many such ceremonies, Father Kokoro. You have been the court priest for quite some time, have you not?’

  ‘Long enough that it was I who brought you before the gods when you were born, my lady.’

  I stopped. ‘You were my father’s priest?’

  ‘I was, my lady, yes.’

  ‘And Kin kept you on?’

  ‘Priests are rarely feared enough. And if we are not feared then we are not replaced. Good priests are invisible.’

  ‘Deliberately?’ I said as we started walking again.

  Father Kokoro smiled, wrinkles forming at the corners of his eyes. ‘One does not usually set out to be executed. Is it a crime to be careful of my life?’

  ‘Not at all.’ I bit my tongue rather than point out that to change his allegiance had been treason. Instead I asked: ‘Was there a particular reason you wished to speak to me, Father?’

  Another smile. ‘There was indeed, my lady,’ he said as we turned into a narrower avenue, the tents here smaller and closer together. More soldiers bowed, clasping their hands as we passed. ‘I think you may have some information of use to me.’

  Again I stopped, spinning one sandal in the mud to stare at him. ‘Information?’

  ‘Do keep walking. You draw much attention when you ought to be calm.’

  ‘One of your tactics?’

  ‘Why yes, my lady. Never show excitement.’

  We kept walking. ‘Then in my most monotone voice, I must ask what information it is you think I possess but have not shared with His Majesty, and why it is you who must ask for it.’

  ‘You wonder if I operate without His Majesty’s knowledge. I do not, my lady. His Majesty has long been aware of my activities regarding the Vices. You look shocked.’

  ‘I am shocked. What do you know of the Vices?’

  ‘I know they are men of unnatural talents. I know they are mercenaries for hire. And I have long suspected a connection between them and Lord Darius Laroth, but could never prove it.’

  I kept walking though curiosity and fury fought for possession. Curiosity won. ‘Are you telling me that Emperor Kin employed a man he suspected of unnatural deeds as his chief minister?’

  ‘You might have realised by now, my lady, that Emperor Kin is nothing if not a pragmatist. Suspicions are not proof. And Minister Laroth was extremely good at his job. Emperors have spared men for less.’

  ‘But now he is no longer in Emperor Kin’s service you want to know if your suspicion is true.’

  ‘That was proven last night. Conceit, I believe, was the name of the Vice who attacked you at the shrine, undoubtedly on Lord Laroth’s orders.’

  ‘Conceit does not take his orders from Lord Laroth, Father,’ I said, pleased to be able to slip a little condescension into my tone. ‘The Vices are not, and never have been, Darius’s toys. Malice is their leader.’

  Father Kokoro did not appear surprised. ‘Yes, but who leads him, my lady, who leads him?’

  ‘Why are you asking me this now? I have been with the army for many weeks, Father?’

  ‘Call me a wary soul, my lady. Had I known earlier that the Vices were involved I might have t
aken a greater risk, but until the appearance of Conceit there had been little sign of them for many months.’

  I let the first part go, unable to blame him for his caution however much it might sting. ‘For a priest you are well versed in their movements.’

  ‘The Vices are of particular interest to me. I knew Lord Nyraek Laroth well, and more than once we discussed the intricacies of his... condition. So when these Vices appeared some years ago my curiosity was piqued and His Majesty generously gave me leave to track their movements. Malice, the Eye of Vice, a man with a ribbon of bone in his hair – a dramatic affectation for a man I’ve always thought more puppet than player.’

  ‘He would certainly not care to hear you say so, Father,’ I said.

  ‘You know him?’

  ‘Know him? He was my guardian after Darius left for Mei’lian.’

  ‘Your guardian?’

  I couldn’t but be pleased with the effect of my words. ‘Now I have shocked you, but who else ought Darius leave me with than his own brother?’

  There was a pause and Father Kokoro frowned. ‘Brother? Surely Lord Darius Laroth is an only child.’

  ‘Only legitimate child,’ I corrected. ‘Lord Nyraek, it would appear, had an older son with a whore.’ I heard the sneer in my own voice and wished it away. Who was I to judge a man I had never met, in a time I could not understand. He had loved my mother too, every whisper about Takehiko calling him the man’s son.

  A smile twitched Father Kokoro’s dry lips. ‘The final piece of the puzzle. And how obvious the answer is now it has been presented to me. Thank you, my lady.’ He bowed, suggesting dismissal. ‘You must be tired. I will keep you no longer, but I beg you will tell me anything about the Vices that may be of use.’

  ‘I am not sure I can be of much help, Father,’ I said. ‘Malice kept me away from that part of his life. His Majesty knows this.’

  ‘Do not think I doubt your loyalty, my lady.’

  ‘At least not anymore.’

  He acknowledged the hit with a smile.

  ‘I think any doubt of where I stood with them was put to rest last night,’ I said.