Chapter 7
“I’m going to miss the hell out of you,” I told Fenris, squeezing him tight. We stood outside the side entrance to the Palace, waiting for the carriage that would take him to the airport.
“I’m going to miss you too.” Fenris hugged me back, then stepped away as the carriage came around. “Don’t worry about me when you’re gone. I will be fine, and I will take good care of our friend here.” He slapped Rylan on the shoulder.
Rylan huffed a little, but he smiled. Since Rylan couldn’t come with me to Garai, we were leaving him in Fenris’s care.
Fenris would be able to restore his illusion if it failed for any reason—though Rylan didn’t know that—and the protection would be mutual, though I would not have offended Fenris by suggesting so.
Rylan would be more useful with him, rather than twiddling his thumbs at the Palace while I was gone.
“We’ll make sure to check in on Elania regularly, and on the children, as you requested, once we return,” Rylan promised. “I know how important these children are to you.”
“Thanks.” I smiled, relieved to know someone would be here to make sure things didn’t go to hell while I was absent.
I wasn’t worried about the children who thought they’d been personally “wiped” by the Chief Mage.
Upon reaching their majority, they would learn that they still had to make a decision regarding their magic.
Iannis had successfully managed to bind it in such a way that wiping would still be safely possible, though it had taken him a bit of time to figure it out.
I hoped this would become the new standard for dealing with gifted children across the whole nation someday, and not just in Solantha.
“Around six hundred years ago.” The look in Iannis’s eyes grew distant. “My career started in Manuc, the country of my birth, but it didn’t take me very long to realize that I was not of much use there. I traveled extensively before I eventually ended up as the Chief Mage here.”
“Really?” I frowned. “I can’t imagine that a mage of your talent and power would be useless anywhere.”
Iannis smiled. “Perhaps, but things are very different in Manuc. There is a much higher concentration of strong mages on the island, largely because of the Tua blood mixed into our heritage. Many of the oldest living mages in the world reside in Manuc, and they are vastly more powerful than I. I’m afraid that amongst my own people, I am not very special, Sunaya. ”
A knock on the carriage door interrupted us before I could ask more questions. “Sir, the Minister is approaching,” a guard called.
I glanced out the window, and my mouth fell open in amazement. Three large airships were indeed approaching, and the one in the middle was twice the size of the two that flanked it. I’d never seen such a large airship in my life.
“How many people did you say he was bringing?” I asked faintly as I watched the ships descend, the airport staff scurrying about as they prepared for the landing. “He looks like he’s coming with a small army.”
“I understand that half the government decided to see him off at the pier,” Iannis explained as we disembarked from the carriage.
“There will be only thirteen of us on the boat, counting the five servants. We are not just attending a funeral, but a coronation, and the Federation is expected to bring gifts for the new Mage-Emperor.”
“That’s a hell of a lot of gifts,” I muttered as we all formed a semi-circle near the landing strip—close enough that the Minister wouldn’t have to walk far to get to the carriages we’d brought for him, but far enough away that we would be safe. “I have a feeling we’re gonna need more carriages.”
“We won’t be unloading everything now,” Director Chen said, sounding slightly amused.
“That would be far too much work. But we will have strong protection spells set up around the ship, and mages guarding it day and night.” She gestured toward several of the mage guards who had been brought along—large, imposing men who were powerful both magically and physically.
I figured they would be supplemented by regular human and shifter guards as well.
It took some time for the ships to make a proper landing—it was a slow, delicate process to make sure they touched down without causing damage.
The Minister disembarked from one of the smaller ships, dressed in burgundy robes, his long blond hair tied back from his stern face into a braid.
He was accompanied by at least twenty other mages—guards, aides, and high officials—and trying to keep up with all the introductions was impossible.
Luckily most of them would not be coming on to Garai with us, but, in the meantime, they were our guests and had to be looked after.
Once we were all back at the Palace and settled, Iannis and I had lunch in the Winter Garden with Minister Graning, Director Chen, and a mage named Garrett Toring, who was introduced to us as the Director of Federal Security.
He was tall and handsome, with gilded hair and a charming smile, but there was a cold, calculating edge to his hazel eyes that made me instantly dislike him.
I could tell from Iannis’s scent that he didn’t like Toring, either, though he hid his emotions well with his impeccable manners.
“I thought I would make things expedient by briefing you over lunch,” the Minister said after he’d taken a sip from his glass of water.
Well, that explains why the other guests are eating separately, I thought as I piled my plate high with appetizers.
The servers had brought out trays of coconut-encrusted shrimp, tiny tarts filled with spinach and goat cheese, and bowls of lobster bisque.
I was starving, so it took great effort for me to restrain myself from inhaling the whole table’s worth and nibble delicately on my shrimp like a lady.
“That sounds like an excellent idea,” Iannis said. “You provided scant details over the phone, so I can only assume you are about to divulge highly sensitive information.”
“Director Toring,” the Minister said, inclining his head to the Director, who sat at his elbow. “Why don’t you take the lead?”
“Of course, sir,” Toring said smoothly. To Iannis, Chen, and me, he said, “We will be traveling by steamboat to the port of Maral, which is well north of Leniang Port, in order to attend the funeral. The Garaian government will be sending a troop from the Imperial Guard to meet and escort us, as well as the various other heads of state arriving, to Bilai, the capital.” He glanced at me, and the tips of my ears reddened as I realized the geographical explanations were specifically for me.
Chen would know where these locations were, as a native Garaian, and Iannis probably did, too, since he was so well traveled.
Director Toring obviously assumed I was completely ignorant, when in fact I’d known the capital of Garai since I was eight years old!
And despite my schedule being dominated by the school investigations, I’d managed to find time to refresh my knowledge of the country.
Not that I was an expert, but still—I wasn’t a total idiot.
Silently, I fumed, curling my hands into fists beneath the table.
“How many days will we be required to remain at the capital?” Iannis asked. “I am not quite familiar with the Garaian custom for state funerals. There have only been two in my lifetime, the last one three hundred years ago, and I was not invited either time.”
“Depending on the outcome of the imperial heir’s testing, it should be two to three weeks, minimum,” Director Chen said before Toring could answer.
“I expect we’ll be housed in a pavilion specifically set up for our delegation, so we should be relatively safe from snooping, and from any nations who might wish us harm.
Even so, I assume you will be employing strict security measures of your own. ” She inclined her head to Toring.
“Of course,” Toring said smoothly, but I caught a hint of annoyance in his steely gaze.
I had a feeling he didn’t like that Director Chen had answered for him, even though she would be the expert on her native country’s customs. “After the funeral, there will be eight days of mourning and seclusion, and after that, we will attend the ceremonial testing for the successor, the deceased Mage-Emperor’s eldest son.
Following that, providing he passes the tests, comes the Coronation, which is marked by an eight-day celebration. ”
“By Magorah,” I complained, drawing all eyes to me. “That’s a long time. I’m assuming there’s a reason why they like eight days, instead of seven, or say, one?” A hint of sarcasm entered my voice at the end—I mean really, how long did it take to stick a crown on a guy’s head?
Toring shrugged. “I am told eight is the most auspicious number in Garai—considered to ensure good fortune. Luckily for us, the long period of mourning means that we should just have enough time to complete our mission before we are due back for the testing ceremony and coronation.”
The servers came back in with the next course—grilled salmon, seared scallops, thin noodles in a cream sauce, and green beans—and we ceased talking. The silence went on for a bit longer as we dug into our meals, for which I was grateful. The food was delicious, and I wanted to enjoy it.
Eventually, though, the Director resumed his briefing.
“In that enormous airship, amongst other things, we have brought a very special experimental flying machine. It is small, light, and quite unobtrusive. We will be using it to slip away to Leniang Port during the week of mourning. The five “servants” we are bringing are trained mages and operatives, and one of them is a pilot.”