Chapter 15
Fifteen
“Koque,” Tallu said, and from the chill in his voice, whatever warm feeling for her he’d cherished for years was gone.
“Empress Koque,” Vostop said, “Emperor Tallu of the Southern Imperium is here as a guest of the Shadow King. He is under the promise of hospitality.”
“Then I bear you welcome, Tallu.” Koque turned away, glancing out a window. This room, set at the very edge of the palace, touched the wall of the mountain, and the large, circular window set with glass revealed a grand vista.
Vostop seemed to take her chilliness in stride, laughing slightly before gesturing to the table. It was spread with a mix of Krustavian dishes I didn’t recognize and Imperial dishes that looked slightly off—the color of the sauce too bright or the meat too dark.
“Come, come. In the normal flow of things, my cousin, King Inor, first would have brought you to break bread. Likely in the Grand Hall. You have yet to see Krustau until you have seen the Grand Hall.” With his patter, Vostop managed to guide all of us to the table, seating me and Tallu and ignoring the Dogs.
Lifting an earthenware carafe filled with steaming liquid, he poured both of us a drink that smelled of spiced chocolate.
The Krustavian cups almost resembled bowls, and he had to use both hands to put our drinks in front of us.
Then he served us from the dishes on the table, filling our plates until they were nearly overflowing with food.
When the busywork of hosting was done, he took a cushion next to Koque. Using both of his hands, he raised his own cup, lifting it toward Tallu.
“May the next vein you find be gold,” he said.
Tallu raised his own cup, nodding his head and letting Vostop clink them together. I raised mine, the liquid heating the stone of the cup enough to warm my palms, and Vostop did the same, giving me the same blessing as Tallu.
“Eat, eat,” Vostop said, bringing his drink to his lips. “Empress Koque has informed me that very little of it would be made in the Imperium, but it is tasty enough for her refined palate.”
His teasing made Koque smile thinly, finally looking away from the window. Her eyes were half-lidded, and her fingers splayed open on the table briefly before clenching shut.
“How kind Vostop was to find you,” she said. “Without a meal, the rules of hospitality were not formally engaged. You should be very glad that King Inor chose to trust you came in good faith.”
“It seems he trusted more than me,” Tallu said. “When King Inor sent his first letter, we were very relieved you survived the poisoning that killed my father. How did you survive?”
“King Inor has been very eager to make sure that everyone who cared for me was not mourning in vain. I appreciate his kindness for those who love me.” Koque neatly sidestepped Tallu’s question.
She took her own cup in both hands, taking a slow sip and holding it in front of her face as though it were a fan.
She had grown up in court and likely was used to using her fan to both hide her emotions and make subtle points.
“The news was well received in the capital,” Tallu said. “I found myself quite touched. I was glad to hear that you and my brother live. I am eager to return you to your rightful place at the Mountainside Palace.”
“How generous Your Imperial Majesty is.” Koque gently put her cup back in its saucer.
She took hold of a fork, stabbing at one of the root vegetables that had been made up to appear as though it was an imperial dish.
“However, we are quite comfortable accepting King Inor’s hospitality.
The Shadow King and his kingdom have much to recommend them. ”
Her eyes cut to me, and she smiled, all friendliness. “And I could not, in good conscience, remove your new consort from the empress’s quarters. They are his home now, and I yield them with only slight sadness.”
Whatever game she and Tallu were playing was so subtle, even a few months at court hadn’t made me fluent in the gestures. There was too much in their movements, too much in their words.
“Do not think of it for even a moment,” I said. “I am no empress, so they are your quarters still. His Imperial Majesty has generously gifted me Turtle House as my own residence. The empress’s quarters remain as you left them.”
Koque’s eyes narrowed just slightly, so subtly I wasn’t sure I was reading the gesture correctly. She glanced from me to Tallu. “How kind His Imperial Majesty is. Yet, I still could not think to offend the Shadow King by leaving so soon. And traveling while I am in mourning… well…”
She nodded, opening her palm and drawing it across, expressing that the thought was so difficult she couldn’t even finish it.
“Are you in mourning?” Tallu asked. He looked from the top of her head down to her clothing, the slight curve in his eyebrows the only indication that if Empress Koque was in mourning, she was not behaving as such.
She drew her chin back, her spine straightening even further. “Unfortunately, the Shadow King offers none of the formal outfits a woman in my position should wear. I have made do as best I can.”
“I’m sure you have. You were always quite resourceful.” Tallu glanced at Vostop, just the barest flick of his eyes before returning his gaze to Empress Koque.
“Would you say that?” Koque widened her eyes, looking over to Vostop.
“When my husband died, quite suddenly, poisoned in his own palace, I was not sure who I could trust. I was so grateful to the King of the Shadow Throne for opening his kingdom to me, for offering me sanctuary when I wasn’t sure from which direction danger came. ”
“When your husband died,” Tallu repeated, his tone flat.
“Quite suddenly, in great pain,” Koque said, her eyes fixed on Tallu. “He screamed for some time before he was silent.”
Tallu said nothing, and I had never seen anyone stand up to his unblinking attention. Even General Saxu, who had faced my father on the battlefield, flinched when Tallu turned his full attention to him.
Yet Koque regarded him with apparent guilelessness.
“Surely you could trust His Imperial Majesty,” I said, trying to get her to show even a crack of true emotion. “The man you raised as your own son.”
“We were very far away from the Mountainside Palace. What if whoever had killed my husband also murdered Tallu? No, I could not risk traversing the entire Imperium only to find out I was walking to my own death, let alone Hallu’s.
” Koque considered her plate, taking another delicate bite and swallowing it before she raised her chin.
“I’m sure Your Imperial Majesty sees that it was the only reasonable course of action. ”
“People died. Servants were killed. Dogs followed the emperor by way of their own swords.” I tried not to let myself feel anything as I spoke, but my tone rose sharply. “Two bodies were sent to the capital and are now interred next to Emperor Millu.”
“I know nothing about that.” Empress Koque brought the cup to her mouth, taking a slow sip.
“You know nothing about it?” Tallu said slowly. “Nothing? Are you absolutely sure, Empress?”
“Is there something I should know, Tallu?” Koque lowered her cup, letting her fingers linger on it. It was made from delicate stone, laced with veins of gold. It was so translucent that when she lifted it, I could see the liquid inside.
Tallu continued watching her, and Vostop began to shift, frowning between the two of them. Koque raised her chin, remaining silent.
I frowned and was about to say something when Vostop spoke.
“Of course, Krustau was happy to lend aid to our closest ally. The Imperium has long been a good neighbor to us.” His words were delicate, but that sparked a flash of a smirk on Tallu’s face.
“Your ally? The Imperium’s monarch dead, and his mistress consort on the run.
We are so grateful that the Shadow King saw it as a plea for help rather than an admission of guilt.
” Tallu spoke carefully, setting each word down as though it was a game piece.
For all of his time in the imperial court, Vostop had not learned the delicate way that they spoke around each other, accusations implied.
“Accuse me, if you dare.” Anger flashed on Koque’s face. “You do not have the stomach for it.”
“I do not have the stomach for it?” Tallu fixed his eyes on hers, and even when Vostop tried to speak again, he didn’t look away. Vostop fell into silence. Tallu’s lips rose in a smirk. “You killed my father, the Emperor of the Southern Imperium.”
“There he is. Do you know what they called you in the court? It was not truth-sayer. They called you a viper.”
“They called me much worse than that. If you think I do not know every name the court ascribes to me, you are more of a fool than any of the counselors I exposed. Now they call me murderer.” Tallu dipped his chin just low enough to make it clear he was nodding in her direction, his smirk giving her the credit; by her actions, she was the one who had given him that name.
“And that is the one falsehood they have ever uttered about me. I am no kingslayer. For that, I yield to you, Empress.”
Koque had gone pale, but she did not acknowledge his words in any way.
“I am not here for you,” Tallu said. One of his hands dropped under the table, and I leaned toward him just far enough to press mine on top of his.
He was fisting his palm so tightly that I was sure he would draw blood.
“You are nothing more than the path I took to the throne. Enjoy your life here, yielding whatever pride you have to a mad king in a cave. I am only here for my brother, and I will not leave without him. Call me whatever else you want, but he is mine, and I will have him.”