Chapter Seventy-One
Torin
Three days I’d been stuck in the palace I once called home.
Three days without so much as a whisper from Hosmunt.
But now, after three days of silence, the Chief Vizier suddenly summoned me for dinner not thirty minutes ago.
It was all a power move—the exhaustive waiting followed by the quick summons—but I’d learned to play these games long ago.
Dressing quickly, I hesitated in the wardrobe for a moment before hastily grabbing the northern tunic and pants. I’d already made my point with the traditional garb of my people; stout leather boots and earth-toned clothing in the Northern style suited me just fine.
I was no longer the Prince of Iluul, or hopefully wouldn’t be after the dinner tonight. If all went well, Hosmunt would take my deal, and I would depart Iluul with ships but leave behind my title and heritage.
Sooner than expected, a light knock sounded.
I opened the door, exposing both the servant as well as two janissary escorts.
Without so much as a greeting, the janissaries flanked my sides as we traipsed silently through the hallways.
The palace was surprisingly empty at this time of night; the servants and other viziers retired for the night.
I was led on a brisk walk through the winding hallways and wide-open spaces until we reached the complex of kitchens and open-air dining rooms.
“The Chief Vizier will be here shortly,” the manservant said as he gestured for me to take a seat at the sofra. It was a beautiful dark mahogany, the wood shiny under the heavy polish and low lighting of the space, and I gracefully folded my legs before sitting.
The janissaries left to stand guard just outside the entrance of the private kitchen. I sighed, tapping my hand relentlessly against the wooden table as I waited for Hosmunt to finally grace me with his presence.
I wasn’t unaccustomed to power plays by little, weak men, but this waiting felt childish.
It was as if he thought a rumble of hunger in my belly and impatience caused by the purposeful slight would cause me to unleash my rage.
Certainly, he expected that outcome tonight, if the janissary guards were any indication.
“I apologize for the wait. One of my eunuchs brought a new odalisque to the palace today,” Hosmunt said jubilantly as he sat heavily, folding his legs beneath the table just as I’d done nearly an hour previous.
I simply raised an eyebrow in his direction as I propped my head against my fist. My father never kept a harem.
It was an honor that was reserved for a sultan and not a pasha, he’d explained.
Though I always had the sneaking suspicion that my mother’s northern ways influenced his refusal to take a harem more than anything else.
It seemed that Hosmunt had started that practice again.
“Pretty thing from a village a few days’ ride west of here.
Young but with wide hips. The likelihood that she’ll carry and carry well is high.
I plan to test that theory tonight, if you grasp my meaning.
” Hosmunt winked as he rubbed his hands together in excitement, and I couldn’t help the slight curl of my lip.
I understood the significance and importance of harems throughout our history, but the way he spoke about the girl was predatory at best.
I hastily changed the subject as platters of meats and cheeses, flatbreads and olives, vegetables and rice pilaf were placed in the middle of the sofra.
Two eunuchs set bowls of steaming lentil soup in front of Hosmunt and I.
Immediately, the Chief Vizier grabbed his spoon, ladling a healthy serving into his mouth with a loud slurp.
Clearly, a title couldn’t grant class.
I spooned a smaller serving into my own mouth, nearly groaning as the earthy taste of lentils exploded across my tongue.
The flavor reminded me of my childhood, when I shared bowls of this exact dish with my mother and father, and I quickly devoured the entire serving, relishing in the taste of onions and carrots, potatoes, and the hint of mint that made this soup so special.
“They don’t make food like this anywhere else, do they?” Hosmunt laughed heartily as he reached for the rice and meat, serving himself before his guest and the sitting Prince of Iluul.
It rankled me.
Not that I felt I deserved to be served first or was entitled to anything that came with my honorific. No, it felt more like Hosmunt wanted to pick and choose which of our customs he followed, depending on which served him best.
He wanted to be Sultan and have a harem, but didn’t feel the need to abide by the small details. It was those, however, that I found to have the most impact on a ruler’s legacy.
I smiled slightly at the remembrance of my father’s advice regarding the Chief Vizier.
It seemed I really needed to play into his desire for legacy in Iluul; thankfully, I was still holding the key to his hopes and dreams.
Dinner passed in relative silence, and I took the time to gorge myself more than usual on the southern delicacies. Only Fate knew the next time I would have the opportunity to eat food from my homeland again.
Periodically, Hosmunt filled the silence with tales of his exploits and adventures, each story more outlandish than the next in an effort to make himself seem powerful. I simply smiled and nodded through his stories, laughing internally at his desire to outshine me.
To read the biographies and books that will come from his reign.
I huffed a laugh at the thought of scholars thousands of years from now trying to separate fact from fiction.
Once the meal was finished and our dessert of fruits and nuts was served, Hosmunt stretched with a groan before fixing me with an assessing look.
“You forwent the traditional kaftan tonight, I see,” he remarked lightly, popping a nut into his mouth and chewing loudly.
Was there anything worse than someone who chewed with their mouth open?
I thought not.
“Anyone who is worth anything already knows who I am,” I said simply, cutting a piece of fruit before chewing. I glanced up from my plate in time to see the muscle in Hosmunt’s jaw flex and jump as he ground his molars together.
“Are you threatening me in my own home, Prince?” He spat the title like it was something dirty, like it wasn’t what he lusted after.
Nonplussed, I shook my head. “No. You would know if I was threatening you,” I said simply, cutting yet another piece of fruit.
My indifference and nonchalance seemed to enrage him further.
I would gleefully eat more fruit than I ever had in my lifetime if it meant seeing the Chief Vizier spiral in such a way.
“Good,” he ground out, tossing the remaining nuts to the sofra. “Because I needn’t remind you that my janissaries—men loyal to me and not the fallen prince—are standing guard just there.” He flung his arm toward the doorway, the sleeve of his kaftan swinging with the motion.
I let my eyes follow, unsurprised to see the janissaries flexing their fingers while reaching for the pommels of their swords.
“I have no doubt those are your men. It’s important to have loyalty in those we keep close, wouldn’t you agree?
” I asked, stuffing a third piece of fruit in my mouth.
It was smaller this time, because if I continued eating this way, I was certain to burst. The belt on my trousers pushed painfully against my abdomen as it was.
Damn northern pants.
Hosmunt’s arm dropped as he furrowed his thick brow. “Obviously.”
“And how loyal do you think Solace will be to you, hmm? How much are you willing to sacrifice on that gamble?”
He froze, eyes darkening with something akin to hatred before he bit out, “She would die if she crossed me.”
I dabbed my mouth daintily with a napkin before pushing my plate away, fruit be damned.
“Funny thing about that is, only a god can kill a god. And, if you refuse my request for ships, there will be no gods left to stand against Solace and ‘control’ her for you.”
Hosmunt’s beard twitched with his mouth in obvious agitation, but I forged ahead.
“Are you really so naive to believe that she will simply . . . let you be Sultan over the lower portion of Elyria”—I swept my hands wide—“because I can tell you that every interaction with her has proven otherwise. She’ll squash you like an annoying gnat the minute you are no longer useful to her.”
My arms hit my sides as Hosmunt scoffed loudly. “And, what? You’re offering me help? The protection of godlings?”
I shook my head. “No, quite the contrary, actually.”
“Then what is the purpose of this meeting?” he seethed, a vein in his temple throbbing.
“I’m offering to let you live out your days in peace.
” The words felt like ash on my tongue, bile and my dinner rising in my throat, but they were necessary to achieve what I wanted.
“You rule the Southern Territories as Sultan without our input or involvement. We stay in the north, you stay here in the south.”
My words hung heavy in the air. The silence was almost deafening, and I was certain he would reject my proposal outright.
I went to persuade him further—perhaps invoke the thought that his harem could be the biggest in history—when I was hit with a force so powerful it nearly knocked me to the ground.
My blood boiled in my veins as my chest burned with each heaving breath.
I cried out in pain, but it sounded mute to my own ears.
My hand clutched my heart over my shirt as if that alone would keep the unruly organ in my chest. The burning subsided only to reveal a second wave of agony, like a lead anvil laid on my chest.
My chest stuttered as I tried to breathe through a straw.
Collapsing on the floor, I pulled my knees to my chest and rolled in agony.
Just as I thought I would surely die from the pain, the pressure abated as if something was sucking the power from me, sharing it almost. Enough to lend me a brief reprieve.
I opened my eyes with a gasping inhale, desperately trying to make sense of what just happened.
Slowly, that power that was siphoned trickled back into my veins, where it settled in my soul. I tenuously prodded the two glowing orbs of light that were suddenly much larger and more luminous than their counterparts.
Fire. Earth.
The reality hit me like a bolt of lightning.
“Kaos is dead,” I breathed, knowing the truth of it in my bones. I pushed my sweating and shaking body into a seated position, briefly noting the look of frightened concern on Hosmunt’s face. Both of his janissaries were also clutching their chests as if they felt the shift in power.
“What?” the Chief Vizier barked, stumbling away from the sofra as I pushed to a stand.
“Kaos is dead,” I repeated. “I am the God of Fire, the God of Earth.”
I turned my palms over, observing every inch of skin as I let loose both powers at once. There was no hesitation, no sluggish answer. My power jumped into my hands, wrapping itself around my body in a sensuous embrace before spilling forth in twin pillars from my outstretched palms.
Hosmunt covered his eyes against the sudden brightness and scuttled across the floor until his back was against the wall, cowering against the mighty display of magic.
I called the power back to me, and it instantly obeyed.
The air felt hotter suddenly, like I could taste the magic. A quick glance showed a ceiling scorched beyond recognition and two janissaries prostrating themselves at my feet.
My momentary elation was immediately interrupted by cold dread when I thought about Ellowyn. Ellowyn, alone without a tether, suffering through this onslaught of magic and increase of power, with no one to temper the side effects.
I swore colorfully, carving my hands through sweaty hair.
“Wh—what happened?” Hosmunt whispered, still pressing his back against the wall. It seemed both in visual and in smell that he had pissed himself during my show of power.
What a powerful sultan he’ll make.
“Do you agree to my terms, yes or no?” I barked, whirling to face him. I took a menacing step in his direction but paused when he flung his hands in front of his face, cowering from my presence again.
His silence enraged me further, stoking the flames higher until my Fire Magic coiled around my arms once more.
“The time for a decision is now, Chief Vizier. You suddenly have two new deities to contend with, and the Goddess of Destruction and Pain is not nearly as forgiving or patient as I am,” I growled, clenching my fists to keep from grabbing the front of his kaftan and shaking him into submission.
His dark brown eyes flashed with something indecipherable before they widened in fear. “Y-yes! Yes! I agree. The ships are yours. I already had them prepared,” he whimpered, fumbling over his words in haste to get them out.
I blew out a breath, though it did nothing to ease the boiling of my blood.
The sudden rush of power was . . . incredible.
Using that much magic should have at least left me winded and conserving whatever I had left in my well.
But it was almost the opposite; like expending that much power simply stoked the flames higher, begging me to draw more.
It was euphoric.
With a growl, I turned away from Hosmunt and the bowing janissaries and started to leave the room.
“Aren’t you forgetting something, Prince?” Hosmunt sneered from behind me, where he cowered against the wall. I froze, turning slightly over my shoulder. The Chief Vizier’s attempts to mask his fear of me were almost comical.
My Fire Magic wove around my arms and intertwined with strands of Earth Magic, as if encasing me in a protective film. I grunted once, noticing the janissaries still postulating against the floor as if in prayer.
“Rise,” I said, my voice a rumbling rasp. The janissaries scurried to obey my command, protecting their ward all but forgotten.
That’s what happens when you fill positions based on nepotism and not merit, I thought scornfully. I’d give Hosmunt the title of “Lord,” but his downfall was imminent.
“In the presence of these witnesses, I relinquish my claim as Pasha of Iluul. The title and everything therein passes to Chief Vizier Hosmunt,” I paused, fixing the newest pasha with a look that I was certain would frighten any rational man. “Long may he watch over and protect Iluul.”
A slow, serpentine smile spread across Hosmunt’s face, and I had a distinct feeling I may have missed something vital in our previous exchanges.
“My thanks, God of Fire and Earth,” Hosmunt said with a slight incline of his head, his voice all silky smooth with none of the deference my position demanded. “You will find your ships awaiting your orders at the docks.”
I stood frozen for a moment longer, my gaze and furrowed brow fixed on the slimy vizier before I turned my back on him and my homeland.