It made me wonder about those who dared gossip about me, who would throw the words whore queen around without a second thought. Would they be surprised if they knew? Perhaps they’d find it too hard to believe—I played the part of indifferent wife too well the past few years. They have no reason to suspect that I spend almost half my time dissasembling social norms, that the very idea of romance filled me with panic and dread.
So I thought about that kiss more than I probably should have. It didn’t help that it was the second one Agos had unabashedly offered me since our reunion. A more experienced woman would’ve been able to make a decision right then and there about what it meant and what to do about it. I could only fall on one thing: after years of not knowing where I stood in my husband’s life, of waiting for his approval and trying to understand the meaning behind his terse words, it felt strange to know I was wanted.
The sensation was dizzying, made more complicated by the awareness that Agos was not really the man I wanted that sort of attention from. I recalled that brief moment in the Ruby Grove with Khine, how close I had been to giving in. “Why not?” he had asked. I didn’t know if it was another one of his faint attempts to drown out the awkwardness with humour. I should’ve asked him to clarify. But considering everything that had happened, to long for such a thing now felt…wrong.
My thoughts were drowned by the arrival of more footsteps. There was no litter this time, but there were at least a dozen servants surrounding a straight figure dressed in silken robes. I didn’t recognize the man, but assumed by the official’s hat perched on his head and the servants’ uniforms that he was Governor Hizao. True enough, he was greeted at the gate by that name.
“Governor Qun just arrived moments ago,” the guard officer stammered.
“Has he, now?” Hizao said.
I caught a note of distaste in his tone. I saw the officer bow in response before Hizao walked past him. I elbowed Agos again. “I need to know what they’re going to talk about.”
Agos sniffed. “How do you propose we do that?”
I took a quick glance around before darting down the narrow alley behind the wall.
“Tali…” Agos called behind me.
“Queen Talyien,” I reminded him.
“I thought we were in character.”
“Not in the shadows, we’re not.”
“My queen, what the hell are you planning to do?”
I pointed. There was scaffolding along the side of the alley that went all the way up to the rooftop, where workmen had been repairing the tiles earlier. It was the middle of the day now, just in time for lunch, and none were in sight.
I grabbed the scaffolding rail while Agos looked at me. “They’re going to catch you and I’m just going to stand and watch and snigger,” he warned me.
“They won’t catch me,” I said, swinging up to the first platform. “They’re out eating, most likely.”
“And they could be back any minute.”
“Which means you really should shut your mouth and follow me.”
“But…”
I reached the top platform and glanced down at him. “Or you can wait down there and make yourself useful. Whistle if someone comes.” I started to make my way across the rooftop. After a few moments, I heard grumbling and saw the scaffolding creaking under Agos’ heft.
“You know this is a military facility, right?” he whispered sharply as soon as he caught up to me. “The chances of arrest—”
I held up my hand. There was a vent between the eaves of the second rooftop above us. I pressed my ear against it, and sure enough, heard the hollow sound of conversation. I couldn’t make out any words from the vibration of their voices.
Agos crouched beside me and pried away one of the tiles the workmen have been installing. That removed the muffled voice. I could now see them both down there, with Hizao stooped over the smaller, thinner Qun. He didn’t look very happy.
“You’ll have to speak up,” Hizao was saying. “My ears tingle in the presence of usurpers.”
Qun gave a thin smile. “An unfair accusation, my dear governor. I was voted in…”
“After you killed Zheshan. Yes. I know that much.”
“I think you’re sorely mistaken. There were rumours of Zheshan’s death, spread by a certain businessman by the name of Han Lo Bahn, but we’ve scoured his property and found no traces of Zheshan’s body. Han Lo Bahn himself disappeared almost immediately after.”
“Everyone who crosses you disappears, Qun. It’s amazing why you think the rest of the empire is blind to such tactics. You wonder why I had your men detained? Is it not plain enough? I’d sooner lick a dead whore’s ass than trust you, Qun, and if the Emperor could just see sense he’ll have you stripped off your position before you could say another word.” His expression was stern. I immediately pegged him as the sort of man who upheld laws even when they were inconvenient—the type that formed the backbone of governments, people like Rayyel. I’ve always appreciated the hard work of such men, even if they were difficult to deal with.
As I wondered how much of my analysis was correct, I turned my attention back to Qun. He looked unfazed. “Without proof, your accusation holds no grounds, and well you know it, Governor Hizao,” Qun said. “But I would like my men back. For what reason are you keeping them from carrying out their duties?”
“For the reason that they failed to carry documentation on exactly what these duties are,” Hizao said. “We are not friends, Qun. We don’t gamble together. I don’t remember inviting you to my mother’s funeral or my daughter’s wedding. I don’t see why you’d think the arrival of your men in such large numbers wouldn’t go amiss.”
“But as one governor to another…”
“As one governor to another,” Hizao said, “I have taken the courtesy of not announcing that your men have breached An Mozhi regulations. Give me proper paperwork, and I will release them with no one the wiser. The men will continue to believe that this was all just a friendly visit and that you came by only to see how they were doing. Barring that…” He tucked his hands under his sleeves. “I will have to file a complaint with the council. This is not Anzhao City, Qun, for you to just walk in and do whatever you want with. Not that Anzhao City was rightfully yours to begin with.”
Qun smiled. “I’ll forgive your tone, since you’re allowing your temper to get carried away because of gossip. The entire issue with Zheshan is more complicated than we’ve allowed to show—in part because we needed to keep order in the city. I came all the way out here to speak to you about this in person.”
Hizao’s face never once flickered. “Indulge my curiosity.”
“Gon Zheshan was conspiring with Jin-Sayeng for political power. He used a pact, signed ages ago, to lure the wayward king of Jin-Sayeng to his abode. Our belief was that he meant to marry his daughter to Rayyel, who has been years separated from his wife—a good enough reason to have their marriage absolved by their priests. Zheshan comes from a lower-ranking family—such a move, had it worked, would’ve elevated his position quite considerably. And Zheshan’s daughter is quite lovely, as I can attest with my own eyes. I can’t see why Lord Rayyel would’ve refused. The light of her father’s life—he was quite fond of her when he was alive.”
“A fine story,” Hizao said. “One that any old fool can come up with.”
“I knew you’d say that,” Qun said. “We’ve got documentation, gathered from both Gon Zheshan’s office, as well as his conspirator’s, Han Lo Bahn, who—if you must know—held Queen Talyien of Jin-Sayeng against her will when she arrived in Anzhao and right before she disappeared.”
“Another important figure you’ve so conveniently misplaced,” Hizao snorted. “My grandfather had better luck keeping track of his chickens. Do you see now why I want nothing to do with Anzhao City’s politics?”
“Ah, but you see…” Qun lowered his voice. “If you want to know the reason, the true reason I sent my men, you’ll have to understand all of this. We ha
ve reason to believe that Queen Talyien is hiding out here. She distrusts us—and rightfully she should, after what my predecessor had done! But we only want to clear things up with her, to assure her we had nothing to do with Gon Zheshan’s ambitions. Her time in Anzhao City has been most…unfortunate, and we are only trying to make it right. The last thing we want is the Jinsein warlords deciding to declare war against us. They’ve already sent such threatening words.”
“Empty threats,” Hizao said. “As if such a paltry nation can withstand the might of the empire. Jin-Sayeng is nothing but a shadow to the great Ziri-nar-Orxiaro, and a poor one at that! You people have severely mismanaged your affairs if what you say is true. I’m surprised the Esteemed Emperor hasn’t intervened.”
“The Esteemed Emperor has bigger concerns. But I’ve brought all the proof with me, Governor Hizao. You are free to peruse through them as you wish.”
“Gon Zheshan conspiring with the Jinseins…I have never imagined one of our own could stoop so low. A mere governor, and someone not from the upper nobility as Zheshan was, having such ambitions? It is treason. To put one’s self over the entire realm…the Esteemed Emperor will deem it punishable by death.”
“I am aware of the implications,” Qun said. “Which is why you can understand my desire for secrecy. I am telling you these because you are an honourable man, and I trust that you care about the good of all involved, not just An Mozhi.” He pressed a scroll into Hizao’s hands.
Hizao unrolled it and carefully read the contents. I held my breath—I would’ve given anything to see what was written inside it. But I could tell from the look on his face that whatever proof Qun offered about Zheshan’s activities was convincing enough.
Inwardly, my mind raced back to the events from a few months ago. Qun, of course, was a lying dirtbag, but suddenly Zheshan’s suicide didn’t seem so out of place. If he was doing something that the empire would see as treason, then a sword through the belly was the Zarojo way of telling people you regretted whatever it was you did, that your family had nothing to do with it. I couldn’t really know for sure. Zheshan’s motivations had been the most elusive to me, including his misplaced loyalty towards Rayyel. If his own daughter was involved, it made sense to try to protect her once his plans—that strange proposal to have Jin-Sayeng split into half—failed. A protection that involved his own death…my own father wouldn’t have been half so daring. I itched to ask Rai if he knew anything about it. It wouldn’t have been surprising if he didn’t.
“This was how Yuebek blackmailed Zheshan,” I murmured.
Agos wiped sweat from his brow. “Who else does he have by the balls?”
“At this point, I’m willing to guess everyone. The man is easy to dismiss, but we’re the fools if we don’t take him seriously.” I glanced up at the sound of wood scraping on tile, and realized too late that at least one workman was making his way up the scaffolding. I had been too engrossed in the conversation to have noticed him arrive.
“You!” the workman called, pulling a towel from around his neck and waving it at us. “What are you doing up there?”
I opened my mouth. Agos grabbed my elbow and dragged me back to the scaffolding.
“My…wife saw the governor come in.”
“I wanted to see what the fuss was all about,” I quickly followed. “Didn’t think we were doing any harm.”
“You’re not supposed to be here. You’re lucky the guards didn’t see you,” the workman said, lined face scowling. He looked like a dog who wanted to start barking but wasn’t sure if he was allowed to. “Get back down.”
I didn’t wait to argue and clambered past him without a word. Agos landed smoothly beside me.
“Where’s the nearest food stalls?” Agos asked when the workman turned to peer back at us.
“Turn a left two streets down. Don’t let me catch you around here again.”
Chapter Three
Lo Bahn’s Conquest
We didn’t think the workman alerted the guards to what we were doing, but we hid amidst the crowd near the stalls just to be safe. Agos found a corner eatery where we could make a speedy exit from two corners, and while he got up to scout the perimeter, I decided to take the opportunity to order something. A girl arrived from the curtained-off kitchen carrying bowls of rice porridge with dried oysters, ginger, and green onion, covered by a dusting of fried pork rinds. When Agos returned, I slid his bowl over to him.
“If Arro knew your defiance of him would go beyond the grave…” he said, shaking his head.
I absently stirred the food with a spoon. Arro had disapproved of us eating in the poorer, dirtier neighbourhoods in Oren-yaro, which was partly why we used to escape from Oka Shto as often as we did. Palace food could be delicious, but less exciting.
“Remember the crispy chicken in that place near Old Oren-yaro? Deep-fried whole and covered in garlic?” Agos asked. “They sold them wrapped in banana leaves, with little bowls of soy sauce and vinegar.”
The memory made me smile. “I’d come home smelling like oil and Arro would go into hysterics,” I said.
Agos laughed. “I remember what he used to say. ‘I will not have the Jewel of Jin-Sayeng die of dysentery on my watch.’ Bless the poor man—you didn’t, at least.”
I gave a soft smile. “I miss home.”
Agos set his spoon down. “It won’t be the same when you go back, you know.”
“Gods, I know that. It’s not like it has since…since that night.” I looked down at the bowl, at the globs of porridge.
“You mean when Lord Rayyel left?”
“Rai. You.” I met his eyes. “It’s different being Queen of Jin-Sayeng instead of just Lady of Oren-yaro. You said I changed, but the truth was everything changed around me, too. It was hard enough growing up the way I did, as my father’s daughter, but suddenly the entire nation’s eyes were on me. The Ikessars…recorded everything I did. What I ate. Who I spoke to. How many times I hugged my son. They lectured me about staying in Oka Shto instead of moving to the Dragon Palace in Shirrokaru at least once a week, if not more often.”
“It would’ve been worse if you had stayed in Shirrokaru,” Agos agreed.
“But of course that meant that Oka Shto ceased to be the Oka Shto of our youth. At least half of the servants were switched around on a regular basis, and I stopped keeping track of who was who. That’s how Kora slipped by, I think. You remember Rai’s spy?”
“How can I forget?” Agos said grimly.
“Rhetorical question.” I took another bite of porridge and washed it down with hot tea. “Nothing,” I continued, “will be the same, because the world that we knew was a lie. My betrothal to Rayyel was a fabrication.”
“Warlord Yeshin’s reach goes beyond the grave.”
“You want to know something? When I was little, I used to wonder about that, about all the things people said about him. I knew he was firm, that his anger could tear through the walls of Oka Shto if he willed it, but I still couldn’t see him as anything but a frail old man who instigated a revolution. I couldn’t see him as Yeshin the murderer, as the man who would willingly order his soldiers to slay innocent people—let alone sink a sword into a child himself. And I couldn’t see him as this cold tactician, as the man who could ruthlessly make decisions that changed people’s lives. He was just…my father.”
Agos took a drink and didn’t say anything.
“You saw him differently, I suppose.”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I know what you mean about him just seeming like nothing more than an old man. The rest—people said it about him, so I believed them. I didn’t see a reason not to.”
“All these things Yuebek says Yeshin planned…if they’re true…” I swallowed. “What am I supposed to do, Agos? Do I continue to deny these allegations, even as the evidence mounts? I know now what my father was capable of—I’ve known for years. Or am I supposed to be a loyal daughter who will stop at nothing to carry out her father’s will, and de
ny my husband and my own son in the process?”
“I’m not the sort of person who should be advising you.”
“Arro would know. Oh, Arro…I’m sure the old man is pleased at how much I wish he was with us right now.” I placed my hands over my head and was silent.
I heard Agos clear his throat. “Is this why you brought Lamang along?”
I glanced up to give him a look.
“It just seems like you two get along, is all. He seems like an intelligent enough man—though you have to be careful about taking counsel from a Zarojo. I just don’t understand why you’d take him on now. He’s not really of any use to you the way he is, is he? Unless…”
“What are you saying, Agos?”
He crossed his arms and mumbled something under his breath.
“You know I’ve killed men for implying similar things?”
“You haven’t. And anyway…” Agos coughed again. “When you went off with him back at the Ruby Grove, I thought for sure there was something else. And then you saw Lord Rayyel and near-killed yourself going after him again, and Lamang didn’t seem to care at all about any of that…”
“I didn’t realize you’ve been thinking these things or that it’s your business to think about them at all.”
He dropped his head. “My apologies.”
“You’re not sorry. You wanted to see my reaction.”
“My queen is free to think whatever she wants.”
“Now it’s my queen. Fine. I’ll humour you, Agos, just because I want to make things clear. Lamang isn’t my lover.” It was true enough, in any case. I saw Agos’ gaze flick back towards his food, as if he didn’t quite believe me. “Do you really think I have time to entertain such notions? Especially while chasing after my husband?”
“The husband who abandoned you…”
“I thought you knew me better than that.”
Agos’ eyes flickered. “I’ve seen you in love,” he said, after a moment’s hesitation.
“And?”
The Ikessar Falcon Page 22
