Chapter 14
Fourteen
RODIAN
Their time in his office was short-lived, the political crisis on their hands unwilling to wait. Rodian had helped Arkadi dress again after a hasty cleanup, and both were more or less presentable when Sakka pounded on his office door.
“Brother, I demand you open up this instant,” Sakka shouted in an uncourtly way but which would not have been out of place in their old home.
Sighing, Rodian stole one last kiss from Arkadi in the midst of the younger man doing up the knot of his hair again. “She will break down that door if I don’t let her in.”
“She must be worried,” Arkadi murmured.
Rodian didn’t doubt that. When he strode across the office to open the door, Sakka wasted little time in throwing her arms around him for a hug. “They told me Ministers tried to poison you.”
“I do hope rumors aren’t spreading about my demise,” Rodian said.
Sakka pulled back and slapped a hand against his chest. “Clearly false rumors, if they are. You are well?”
“Not a scratch on me. Arkadi saw their play before I did.”
Sakka peered past him at Arkadi, arching an eyebrow in a knowing way that told Rodian their attempts at cleanup hadn’t passed her muster. “My thanks for your vigilance.”
“No thanks needed,” Arkadi said quietly.
“Still, you have it.” Sakka turned her attention back to Rodian. “Lidiya requests your presence. She wants to know what story we need to tell for the reporters. I want to know the truth before the lie.”
The last thing Rodian wanted to do was hash out a story about an attempt on his life, but he knew it needed to be announced. They needed to get ahead of any rumors that might be rolling through the palace, even as they spoke. But he could spare a few minutes to soothe his sister’s worry.
Arkadi moved to leave the office, but Rodian reached out to snag his sleeve, tugging him back. “Stay.”
Arkadi hesitated before inclining his head and closing the office door so that no one else could be privy to what Rodian was about to discuss.
“The truth doesn’t leave this room,” Rodian said in a low voice, meeting Sakka’s gaze and not looking away.
She nodded without argument, gaze flicking over to Arkadi. “Of course not.”
“Arkadi is a Blade. He set up the meeting to entrap the Ministers and defended me. He killed Vissarion and dealt with the others. The guards who arrived in the aftermath overheard Sigurd accuse Arkadi of being a Blade. The lieutenant has stated they heard no such thing.”
“And you expect me to act differently because of this truth?” Sakka scoffed. “So he is a Blade. That simply means I do not have to worry about your life with Arkadi by your side. I do not see how this is a terrible thing.”
“A Blade is an assassin, and assassins are not trusted by the ivoryanin,” Arkadi said quietly.
“It is a good thing I see no assassin in this room, but a friend,” Sakka said lightly. She turned to lay her hand on his shoulder, the kindness on her face not forced at all. “You saved my brother’s life. There is no shame for the road you walk if it enables you to keep Rodian and Urova safe.”
Arkadi blinked at her before ultimately cracking a small, relieved smile. “Thank you.”
Sakka smiled at him and let her hand drop away. “We should go find Lidiya.”
“Very well,” Rodian said. “Let us meet with her.”
He turned and held out his hand to Arkadi, who stared at him for a moment before crossing over to take his hand almost hesitantly.
Rodian took advantage of his closeness to raise Arkadi’s hand to his lips, kissing the jut of his knuckles.
A delicious blush came to Arkadi’s cheeks, and Rodian took great pride in flustering the younger man.
“I see you are no longer dancing for the public but for yourselves,” Sakka said dryly.
“I intend to court Arkadi as my future husband and Isarov,” Rodian told her.
“Considering the leviathans in the court, you couldn’t have made a better choice, though your timing leaves something to be desired. One political shock at a time for the masses. We’ll announce the courtship later.”
Rodian was happy for her support, though Arkadi looked a bit shocked she had given it so easily. He would learn that Sakka preferred directness over all else.
“Then let us now deal with the report for the press and the traitors after that.” He tucked Arkadi’s hand into the crook of his elbow and drew them out of the office, Sakka walking on his other side. “We should summon the court and then the Council.”
“It will be a long night,” Sakka warned.
“I would have it be no other way.”
“Then you must look the part. I’ll send a servant to fetch your robes and crown.”
Between Sakka and Lidiya, the two women with the most control over his life, Rodian found himself wrapped up in the weight of his office, crowned and robed to stand before the ivoryanin to hand out judgment over one of their own.
Sakka was seated to his right, with Heike asleep in the royal wing and guarded by soldiers.
She was icily dressed for the occasion, having also changed her gown for a court one.
Arkadi had not changed clothes, though his long-vest hid the evidence of his and Rodian’s coupling well enough.
He stood on the dais a step down from the Rodian’s throne, facing the court, staring stone-faced at their brethren.
The royal court had, to its credit, obeyed his summons in a timely manner. Barely an hour had passed before everyone of worth was gathered in the throne room, the gaslamp crystal chandeliers burning bright overhead.
The ceremonial bear sash weighed heavily on Rodian’s shoulder, but it brought him a modicum of comfort as he stood, gaining everyone’s attention. He tracked his gaze over the ivoryanin ranged before him in their hastily donned finery for the late-hour call.
“Some of you may already know why I have summoned you. For the rest, I will put your curiosity at ease. Today, four of our own attempted to murder me,” Rodian said, his voice booming through the court.
“Ivoryan Sigurd, Ivoryan Kaja, Ivoryan Vissarion, and Ivoryan Demid took offense to my demands that all Urovans pay the tithes the wardens set. In their anger, they sought to murder me. Yet here I stand, and they sit in jail to be tried for treason and hanged for their guilt. If there are any of you who find fault with my decision as your Isar to rule Urova how I see fit in order to move us past the terrors of the Infernal War, then speak up.”
The silence in the throne room was deafening.
Rodian expected nothing less.
He stood for a minute longer before finally retaking his throne, staring down the ivoryanin. He was certain that Arkadi was taking note of anyone who might have felt the same as the four traitors. His Blade would tell him in private of anyone they would need to watch out for.
“I do not begrudge you your pain,” Rodian continued.
“Giving up a child as a tithe is never easy, but it is the only thing that keeps us safe. The Poison Accords created the wardens for a reason, and we live behind these walls, safe from revenants, because of them. For too long, the only people paying the price of our freedom were the lower classes. It is high time we all pay what is owed.”
No one moved. No one spoke.
Then a young ivoryan stepped forth from the crowd, her head held high, the tiara she wore glittering in the gas lamp light. She stared at him with something like pride on her face as she fisted her hand over her heart and dropped into a deep curtsy.
“All hail Isar Rodian, righteous may he rule,” she said, her voice strong and full of fervor. It wasn’t quite echoed by the rest of the ivoryanin, but they all bowed or curtsied in her wake, a sea of people offering him obedience.
Rodian could only nod gravely at their show of manners, knowing that for some, it was merely that—a show. Though not for the young lady who had spoken up. He learned her name was Tavi after he dismissed the court and she stayed behind briefly to speak with Arkadi.
“Might I introduce you to my good friend Tavi, Isar,” Arkadi said when he approached. “I have known her for many years, and we take tea together weekly.”
Tavi bowed her head demurely at his arrival. “I am appalled by the actions of our brethren, but I am pleased you are well, Isar.”
“I thank you for your support, Ivoryan Tavi,” Rodian said gravely.
She nodded before turning to Arkadi again. “I know you will be busy helping the Isar with this mess, but do not forget we have tea at the end of the week.”
“Of course,” Arkadi said lightly. “I would never want to miss our gossip session.”
“Cheeky,” Tavi said with a laugh. “Good night, Isar.”
She left, the last of the ivoryanin to exit the throne room. Many of them would be heading for the building that housed the Council of Ministers, where Isar would address them and the Ministers not of the ivoryanin with more detail of what had occurred.
Sakka would not need to be present for that, but Arkadi would.
Unlike there in the throne room, Rodian wouldn’t get to have Arkadi close at hand, for the younger man would have to take his seat as a Minister of the Council.
Rodian loathed the idea of distance just then, but they all had a job to do.
“Is there anyone you think might become a problem?” Sakka asked as she came down the dais steps to join them.
“A few, perhaps. But I don’t think they will attempt anything anytime soon or at all. If we can manipulate the press how Rodian intends to, the lower classes will make it distinctly uncomfortable for them to make any moves,” Arkadi said.
“How very cutthroat of you,” Sakka said, approvingly. “I like you more and more.”
“I want Rodian to succeed as Isar.”
The plainness of his statement had Sakka softening her smile to something almost motherly. “That makes two of us.”
Rodian reached out to hug her. “I will most likely miss breakfast with you and Heike tomorrow.”
“I don’t envy you the headache that awaits you.”
The three of them began walking toward the exit, soldiers already peeling away to follow them. Rodian hardly noticed them, focused as he was on the task ahead, Arkadi by his side to help him weather the storm.