“They presented me with the facts,” he paused mid-stride to catch Kaori’s steady gaze. “An Empire brought up under human rule would not transition well. Acceptance would have been difficult to achieve and there was risk of a rebellion. Humans were already suspicious of our people. They don’t understand our history and they fear the things we are capable of that they are not. Tensions were high and it was felt that my rise to power would destroy the entire country.”
“That is nonsensical…”
“Is it?” Therek challenged, his eyes narrowing. Daring her to argue. “The animosity between humans and Vor’shai did not originate with Sulel. His jealousy and hatred for me merely drove him to add fuel to the already rising fire between our races. If I ignored the pleas of the council, he would have rallied an army against me much the same as we do now against him. The Imperial soldiers under my control were primarily human and avid supporters of Sulel. They would have abandoned their charge and left me to assassination at Sulel’s hands.”
Truth rang in everything he said. Kaori hadn’t been in society long enough to witness the animosity prior to the death of her parents but she had heard of it before. Lady Ingyll spoke of it while Kaori was in Eykanua. Humans believing the Vor’shai were evil. Possessed by demons from their strange gods. Salene said enough to validate most of what Therek explained now. Kaori had no grounds to argue. “So you just… gave it up? Signed away your right to the crown?”
Therek’s arms fell limp at his sides, shaking his head slowly. “I may be a fool, but I wasn’t ignorant enough to sign anything.” A faint smile curled at the corner of his mouth, the distance visible in his eyes as he thought back over the memories. “When the council approached me, I reminded them of the reasons Sulel was denied the throne. He wasn’t fit to rule and they knew it. Our agreement was to let him have the glory which came with the title while I requested a position as his advisor. No decisions were to be made without my knowledge and counsel. They agreed without hesitation and we proceeded with the announcement of Sulel’s coronation arrangements. Legal documents were presented for us to sign. An official agreement that I denounced the throne and left all power to Sulel and his concession to place me as his lead advisor in all matters. We both knew the repercussions of signing such a thing. I had no desire to relinquish what was rightfully mine and he hated the idea of signing me into his business in any large capacity. So we ripped it up and tossed it in the fire, hoping we could conduct the cover up with some manner of civility.”
“How did you come into possession of the will?” Kaori stared down at the paper in her hand, dumbfounded. It was incredible to think this had all transpired without the public ever becoming aware of the truth. “Surely the council understood the dangers of an outsider discovering the truth. It seems imprudent that they would have no qualms in letting you walk out of the palace with this in your possession.”
“The council believed it was destroyed,” Therek shrugged. “I recognized the danger in what I was agreeing to and saw the benefit in holding onto the proof of the Emperor’s final requests, so I created a rather convincing forgery. Until the agreement was finalized, I had full rights to traverse anywhere in the palace I desired, so no one thought it suspicious when I entered the council chambers to retrieve the original document and replace it with a duplicate. After several years I realized it was no longer advantageous for me to keep the will as the people of Carpaen were too comfortable in their lives. For me to bring it forward would throw the Empire into an uproar and most likely cost me my head, so I have left it to collect dust as the worthless relic that it is. I just couldn’t bring myself to let it go.”
“You are still his advisor. Can you not counsel him against this ridiculous war he wages against our people?”
“I am his advisor, not his superior.” Therek resumed his steady pace, clasping his hands behind his back, the dull thud of his boots resounding through the room with every step. “I attempted to counsel him against the execution of your parents and although he seemed favorable to my opinion in our discussion, he went behind my back and gave the order against my recommendation. Ever since then, I have attempted to be in his ear on all matters regarding the relationship between the Empire and the Vor’shai but he has gone back on our agreement and refuses to allow me admission to his meetings with Deliao.”
“But you are his superior! Has he forgotten that the only reason he is anything to these people is because you allowed it to be so?” Kaori stared at Therek in awe. There had to be something he could do! Time did not erase the truth. Carpaen was Therek’s to rule and Sulel held no real power. Whatever control he possessed was based on lies and deceit. It didn’t seem like that was enough to overcome the final order left by Sulel’s father.
In a sharp motion Therek spun around, his long legs moving him toward Kaori in a swift, determined stride. She took a step backward, unsure exactly why she was afraid of him. Something in the furthest reaches of her mind told her to be wary. There was still too much about him she didn’t know – and even more that she didn’t believe. “Do you think Sulel cares?” he asked, his voice low. Maddened by her inability to accept what he was saying. “He holds the crown, Kaori. He sits upon the throne. The Imperial Army is at his beck and call while the humans bow to him as their Emperor. I was the one stupid enough to believe he would keep his word. There is nothing which binds him to the promise he made.”
“There is nothing which binds you to your promise as well. Reclaim what is yours, Therek. If you are not willing to stand up for yourself then I was mistaken in thinking you worthy of my affection.”
“Affection?” Therek’s brow rose, quizzical. Confused.
Mortified, Kaori shook her head, diverting her gaze to avoid Therek’s piercing stare. She hadn’t meant to say the words out loud. Accuse him of weakness, yes, but nothing more. “Friendship,” she lied, the word sharp and deliberate. Please let it be enough to deter his questions…
Therek chuckled to himself, the lines on his face softening somewhat. Kaori wasn’t sure what he found so humorous at a time like this, but he appeared rather amused by something she wasn’t privy to. “Friendly affection,” he nodded, a hint of sarcasm notable in his tone. “If defying the Emperor is what it takes to be your friend, dare I inquire as to what you would request of a man who wished to call himself your husband?”
This time it was Kaori who found herself puzzled by the strange question. So much could be read into an inquiry of that nature. His tone was acerbic. In no way indicative of genuine interest. At the same time she couldn’t be sure. Their relationship was unusual. It was common for them to speak caustically to one another and still expect a truthful response in return. “You seek to patronize me.”
“No,” Therek’s smile faded, waving his hand dismissively. “I have too much respect for you to do such a thing. And while I wish I could do what you ask of me, it is not a task which can be completed with any amount of ease. His current power isn’t because of me; it is because of the people who look up to him. After three decades, it is difficult to make an entire country accept that they have been lied to for so long. If he commands my execution, the soldiers will do as he orders, and no piece of parchment is going to stop it.”
“Then fight with us, Therek. You don’t owe him anything.”
“I do not owe Sulel, but I owe your brother to at least try and argue his release. Sulel has commanded my return to Eykanua which guarantees an audience with him. I cling to the hope that I may yet be able to make him see reason. To convince him to show compassion after everything he has done. At the very least, he could lessen Sivar’s sentence so it does not appear he is being too lenient. Anything which may spare his life and protect yours in the process.”
Defeated, Kaori gazed down at the document in her hand. She wanted to fight but she knew it was futile. Part of her agreed with Therek’s decision to return to Eykanua. Understanding his relationship with Sulel, she could see the benefit in letting him speak in Sivar’s
defense. Her concern was in the fact that Sulel already showed a blatant disregard to the agreement between them. Therek was a thorn in his side. A constant reminder of the truth that he wasn’t really Emperor. He was a fraud. A nobody who was placed on the throne for no other reason than fear of change. But change was coming. The humans just didn’t know it yet.
Breaking the silence, Therek let his fingers weave through his already tousled hair, suddenly uneasy. “I have to leave,” he said quietly, drawing Kaori out of her thoughts. She looked up at him, torn at the idea of letting him go. There were so many things that could go wrong! Therek thought himself immune to the current dangers yet she could see so many reasons why his life could be in greater peril than her own. But he was the only Vor’shai with the power to argue Sivar’s release. She was desperate for something – anything which might assure her brother’s safety.
“We need to warn Liurn that Deliao is coming for him.” It was the only thing she could think to say which wouldn’t reveal the depth of her concern for Therek’s life. She had made too many slips of the tongue and had no desire to risk letting something be known that she couldn’t lie her way out of.
A grimace passed briefly over Therek’s face at the mention of Liurn. He looked pained, though Kaori couldn’t think of anything which would spark such a reaction in him. “I have already secured his safety. When Deliao reaches Tialore, he will not find Lord Torust there. Do not worry.”
“Not there?” she peered at him, wanting so badly to believe it was true. “Did you know Deliao would come for him? Is he aware that his life may be in danger?”
“I did not know with any certainty when he and I spoke, but I instructed him to avoid his home in Tialore. Before he departed Siundel, he agreed to seek refuge at a cottage in Dervi where my father once lived as a child. It has no connection to the Losuva name. Deliao will not think to look there.”
“If he is seen on the road, they will apprehend him.”
“He is days ahead of the soldiers. There is no reason to fear.”
She gave a slight nod, finding nothing in Therek’s eyes which would make her doubt the truth of what he said. What she didn’t understand was why Therek would go out of his way to help Liurn. Their friendship was strained. Tested at a near constant by the accusations Liurn insisted on laying against Therek. Were she in Therek’s position, she couldn’t say that she would be able to look past the insult.
Therek watched her, his steady gaze unnoticed by Kaori until he spoke, distracting her from her thoughts. “You appear hesitant. Do you still not trust me?”
“I…” she blinked, stopping herself from stating exactly what was on her mind. Tact. It was something she had never worried about before, but she felt compelled to utilize it with Therek. The subject of his friendship with Liurn was sensitive. Worthy of approaching with more care. “I have sensed hostility between the two of you since the incident in Whitelyn. Forgive me if I am surprised by the thought of you bestowing such kindness upon him.”
“Despite the offensive claims he makes against me, Lord Torust is a good man… and he clearly means a great deal to you. That is reason enough to offer my assistance although I also recognize the benefit of his survival to the cause. He is more useful alive than he is dead.”
“He may never forgive you if he learns that you lied to him about my whereabouts and your knowledge of what occurred in Rothdara.”
“My existence does not depend upon his forgiveness,” Therek took a step closer, calmer than before. Less intimidating. Certain that he wouldn’t lash out at her, Kaori remained still, making no move to distance herself further. His stride was slow. Cautious. Seeming to test Kaori, unsure if she would let him near. “Lord Torust possesses rather strong feelings for you, as I have indicated in the past.”
Strong feelings? Yes, that was one way of putting it. When Kaori crept through the halls to eavesdrop on Therek’s conversation with Liurn, the last thing she expected was to receive confirmation of Liurn’s supposed affection. “The man is confused,” she rolled her eyes, dismissive of the claim. Discussion on the matter wasn’t something she was interested in. She didn’t want to entertain the idea that Liurn was in love with her. It complicated things beyond that which she was comfortable. “Liurn has mistaken our friendship to be more than it is. The circumstances which require us to spend so much time in each other’s company are stressful and cloud his judgment.”
“I think it is you who are mistaken,” Therek argued, eyeing her curiously in attempts to read what was going through her mind, but to no avail. “Lord Torust has expressed an attachment to you since your introduction at the ball here in Siundel. The tension between him and myself has risen steadily since that night. He mistook my interest in your company at that time to indicate that I sought to have you for myself and I have been unable to make him believe otherwise.”
A soft laugh came from Kaori’s lips before she even realized the urge to do so had come over her. “So all his visits after the death of my parents were in hopes of winning my heart? Liurn is my friend and while he is an attractive man, I can tell you with the utmost certainty that I have never considered him anything more.”
Instantly her confidence in her assurances disappeared, thinking back over the past several months. Memories floated through her head, reminded of the first few times Liurn had come to call on her. There had been something at one time. A distinct increase in her pulse at his company. The unusual yet almost pleasurable twist in her stomach. But over time it ceased to occur around Liurn. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly when the change happened, all she knew was that the thought of him no longer thrilled her the way it once did. A passing fancy. One that now filled her with guilt to think that she may have unwittingly said or done anything in her ignorance which could have led him to believe his feelings were reciprocated.
At her sudden silence Therek moved forward again, his head tilted to one side, ducking slightly to try and catch Kaori’s downcast gaze. Frustrated, she twisted her body to the side, desperate to avoid his scrutinizing stare. “You say he means nothing yet there is something in your eyes which makes me question your conviction.”
“I question nothing.” It wasn’t a lie. She knew her own heart. There was no doubt of her lacking affection for Liurn. Her hesitation was in how he had come to feel so strongly for her, though in the end it mattered little. What was done – was done. “Emotions cannot be allowed to interfere with what we are doing,” she stated, her confidence slowly starting to return. “Love is ultimately pointless so long as our freedom is jeopardized. If Liurn allows his actions to be driven by anything other than his head, it could be detrimental to the cause. Whatever he thinks he feels… he needs to stop.”
Therek looked thoughtful. Pondering Kaori’s point of view. “Very well spoken,” he nodded in approval, a faint smile once again appearing to twitch at the corner of his mouth. “Most women would not think with the same logic. I am humbled, as usual, by your ability to not allow your heart to dictate the decisions you make. It is why our people trust you to lead them in this war.”
“My heart is what drives me to fight,” she corrected him, unsettled by the thought that Therek considered her blinded to the desires of her heart. Not everything she did was based in logic. Such an existence would be more cold and lonely than that which they already faced under Sulel’s rule. “The difference between myself and Liurn is that my love is for our people. To single out one specific life closes our mind from seeing the big picture. Everything then becomes about the one instead of the many.”
“How very noble.” Therek straightened his posture, giving up on trying to look Kaori in the eye. His tone was flat. Impossible to determine if he was hiding something more in his meaning. “My fear was that you might think to chase after him once I depart for Eykanua,” he added, seeming pleased with the opportunity to change the subject. “Deliao will have men stationed on every road between here and Rothdara, especially if he is convinced that you will come here.”
Reminded of her predicament Kaori allowed her eyes to lift from the floor, staring ahead into the distance, not wanting to give Therek the satisfaction of meeting her gaze. There was no reason for her to be so childish. It was foolish, but she was stubborn, and couldn’t bring herself to let him have any victory over her. “If Deliao is convinced I will come here, it seems equally unsafe for me to remain.”
“Deliao has already been inside my home. His focus will be on the road. Leaving here now poses a greater threat than staying.”
“I am not comfortable being in your home without you here.”
“My absence removes the impropriety of your extended visit. I thought it would ease your mind more if I was gone.”
She nibbled her lower lip, considering her options carefully. Unfortunately, she could think of no better ideas. It was too dangerous to leave by herself, and to request Therek accompany her elsewhere increased the risk of them both being caught, ruining the chances of Therek reaching Sulel to argue Sivar’s freedom. Deliao had her trapped and didn’t even know it. “How will I know if you are successful in securing my brother’s safety?” It was the only answer she really needed. Reassurance that her conceding to remain in Siundel wouldn’t detach her from the events which transpired outside the walls of this house.
“If you do not receive a letter from me by the end of the month, you are free to assume that I am no longer among the living.” Casually, Therek reached out, the tips of his fingers pinching the top of the parchment in Kaori’s hands to pull it from her grasp with a soft tug. Startled by the movement Kaori blinked, gazing at Therek in confusion. “What are you doing with that?”
A slight smirk crossed Therek’s handsome features, clearly amused by her question. With a flourish he turned it around so she could see the writing for emphasis, lifting his chin in a show of his usual confidence. “It may be useful as leverage. I will need all the help I can get if I hope to succeed and guarantee that you consider me worthy of your… friendly affection.”
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Four: In the Beginning Page 53
