Page 12 of Beyond the Shadowed Earth
EDA ARRIVED EARLY TO THE COUNCIL CHAMBER, wearing a light green skirt sewn with hundreds of tiny, flashing mirrors, and a sleeveless top embroidered with gold thread. Her crown sat once more upon her black hair, and she wore a gold cuff on her ear as a complement to Ileem. She hadn’t slept for even an hour, but she wasn’t tired in the least, refreshed by a cool bath and a bracing pot of cardamom tea.
Her Barons were clearly unhappy to see her, but not surprised. Eda had expected Domin to tell them about their meeting, so she hadn’t been counting on her presence being a shock.
The lower-ranked courtiers were absent, including Niren. This would be a private session, only the governors of provinces having a say in negotiations.
Eda took her rightful seat at the head of the table, and beckoned to one of the attendants hovering outside the door. “Tea, at once,” Eda instructed. “And wine and cakes. And breakfast, while you’re at it.”
The attendant bowed and went to carry out her commands.
The Denlahns arrived, Ambassador Oadem leading the way with Prince Ileem and Princess Liahstorion just behind. Two of their guards entered and stood at attention by the door.
Eda gave them her most brilliant smile and waved the prince and princess into the chairs on her right and left hand, displacing Rescarin and Lohnin. Ambassador Oadem insisted on sitting next to Prince Ileem, which forced Rescarin to move farther down still. Eda could barely contain her delight.
Opposite Rescarin and Lohnin were the Barons Tuell and Dyar of the provinces Duena and Irsa, respectively. Tuell was as ancient as the mountains and had been with the late Emperor from the beginning of his reign. He was already beginning to doze, his weathered chin tipping forward onto his chest. Dyar had been Baron only for a year; Eda had awarded him the province of her former rival Talia Dahl-Saida in exchange for his immense support leading up to and during her coronation.
With the arrival of breakfast, Ambassador Oadem opened negotiations, speaking Enduenan out of respect for his hosts. “Many thanks for receiving us, Your Imperial Majesty, Your Graces.” He nodded to Eda and then to each of her Barons, in turn. “We’ve come here to discuss how Denlahn can serve Enduena and Enduena, Denlahn.” He drew a packet of papers from beneath his robes and handed it to Rescarin.
Eda struggled to suppress her impatience. If she’d wanted to spend the morningreadingshe could have wandered into the palace’s labyrinthine library and lost herself among centuries of paper and dust. She didn’t suppose the Denlahns’ treaty would be any less dull.
Rescarin glanced through the papers briefly and frowned. “There is no mention of a marriage treaty.”
Eda had to remind herself yet again why she couldn’t execute him. “You forget yourself, Your Grace. If a marriage treaty is ever to be discussed,Iwill be the one to draw it up. Until that day comes,ifit does, it is neither your business nor your concern. This morning we will discuss the possibility of a peace treaty, and that is all we will discuss.” She held out her hand for the papers and Rescarin, after a moment, handed them over.
She took her time with them, making the others wait, making it clear exactly who was in charge. When she was finished, she passed them down to Domin, who nervously met her eyes and gave the papers a cursory glance before handing them on to Lohnin, whom he clearly thought was further up in the hierarchy of control than himself. Baron Tuell started audibly snoring, and Baron Dyar jiggled his knee, obviously annoyed the papers hadn’t gone to him next.
“You want reparations,” said Eda to the ambassador before anyone else could finish reading, “for a war fought forty years ago?”
Princess Liahstorion glared at her, tension all throughout her frame. “You brought battle and death to our shores, then sailed away as merrily as you please without suffering any consequences. You maimed our king, my father. You set our country backdecades.”
“No consequences!” said Eda. “The soldiers who actually made it back to the ships barely escaped with their lives. The rest you slaughtered like swine and left to rot on your cursed beaches. Don’t you dare demand reparations forthat.”
Liahstorion jerked up from her chair, her dark eyes flashing. “You deserve to die for what your father did to mine! We should be demanding your crown, not just gold. You’re not fit to be Empress, and if the rumors are to be believed, you’re not even of royal blood.”
Eda stared her down, not letting it show how close Liahstorion’s words cut to her deepest insecurities. “I had understood, Your Highness, that these negotiations were to be civil. If they’re to be otherwise, I suggest we end them immediately before I get very angry and decide taking you as my hostage would be a better way to proceed.”
Ileem stood and reached across the table, taking his sister’s hand, gently drawing her down into her seat again. He was wearing a deep green robe this morning, with an elaborate collar that looked like it was made of silver-plated brambles. He met Eda’s eye. “Forgive us, Your Majesty. Wearehere in peace, no matter how hot my sister’s temper runs.”
“Indeed, Your Imperial Majesty, there is no need for such steps,” said Ambassador Oadem all in a rush. “Her Highness spoke out of turn. Perhaps we can discuss reparations a little later on in our proceedings.”
Three hours later, Eda called an end to the session, her head swimming with fatigue and irritation. She’d decided to add the ambassador and Princess Liahstorion to her Baron stew. She hadn’t yet made her mind up about Ileem, vow or no vow—he was quiet, severe, only speaking up occasionally, but always spouting extreme good sense. She didn’t trust him at all.
Her guard attached himself to her heels as she swept from the council chamber, and a few moments later, footsteps echoed behind them. She didn’t pause or slow down, forcing whoever it was to nearly run to catch up.
“Your Imperial Majesty.”
She glanced back—Ileem. She scowled, thoroughly tired of political conversation. “Negotiations are finished for the day, Your Highness. I’ve nothing more to say to you.”
He grabbed her sleeve and she wheeled on him almost as quickly as her guard, who already had a saber at Ileem’s throat. “Youdaretouch the Empress?” the guard demanded.
Ileem scrambled backwards, hands raised in the air, a spot of blood showing bright against his dark skin. “I mean Her Imperial Majesty no harm.”
“Withdraw your saber,” Eda ordered the guard. And to Ileem: “What do you want?”
“To have a word with you, Your Imperial Majesty. In private. It won’t take long.”
Eda massaged her temples. “Fine.” She commanded her guards to follow at a distance and beckoned the prince through an archway that spilled out into an enclosed courtyard.
The sun burned white-hot overhead. Eda led Ileem to the only shade: a stone bench by the back wall underneath a trellis of honeysuckle. It was a little cooler there, the air dripping with the sweet scent of the bright orange blossoms. Eda sat, but Ileem did not. The warm wind rifled through his robes.
