“Our apologies,” the leader of the riders said, as formal as Grandmother. “In our haste to catch traitors, we may have forgotten some traditions.”
Bree pulled in a breath.
“Traitors,” Zelli scoffed. “Traitors to whom? Tye doesn’t have the crown yet, and even so, guards have the freedom to choose.”
“Traitors?” Grandmother asked as she’d been meant to. “That’s a serious matter indeed. I’ve received no news about this from the capital, and the outguards in this valley failed to mention anything so critical.” She added something else. Zelli didn’t hear all of it. Probably inquiring politely about who they were chasing and what they might have done.
Zelli leaned in closer to catch whatever the Villucatto leader, Kear, if Zelli had heard Grandmother correctly, would say in answer.
“They haven’t fulfilled their oaths, and there is concern that they may provide details of the Lyralinah holdings to others in exchange for security. As friends of the Lyralinah family, we offered to help in their search.” Kear directed a question to one of those with him, who had a cloak of blue-green. A Lyralinah guard, Zelli guessed, and turned to glance at Bree, but her face told him little. Consultation over, Kear went on, “Their families also would like to see them and discuss the foolishness of their actions.”
Zelli had been foolish and yet his grandmother had not chased him down the entire length of the valley or over mountains.
“A serious matter, to upset a family such as the Lyralinah.” Grandmother could have been smiling coolly. “But a messenger might have been arranged. After all, it is our duty to help travelers through our valley, and I’d hate to think we aided troublemakers,” she did not say traitors, “simply because we didn’t know to look for them. Do these guards carry weapons? I would have liked to have warned my people, if they were in danger. Shall I send word to the capital for you and request outguards to deal with these oath-breakers, so that you and the Lyralinah might rest?”
Grandmother was not one to be provoked into heated words despite the presence of so many armed people in the valley and now at her gates. She gave Kear of the Villucatto nothing to argue with.
To the man’s credit, he didn’t try. He said, smiling, “… Wouldn’t want to trouble you out here. Why, even the capital is not a safe place for many families. Wouldn’t you rather stay in your peaceful valley and let such troubles pass you by?”
Zelli didn’t hear anything strange in the words at first, but reconsidered them when Gurn muttered under his breath and Ivey said, “Fucking prick.”
Zelli wasn’t sure if Kear meant to insult their valley for being peaceful and no longer able to defend themselves, but he suspected the rest was meant as a slippery threat. The buried message was that troubles would come to the valley if Grandmother pressed the issue, and she would not easily find aid in the capital.
“I don’t believe these troubles will pass anyone by, before long,” Grandmother observed. Ona’s falcon let out a cry.
Kear didn’t seem to notice the bird. “They might. They could. I cannot speak for the Lyralinah,” which Zelli doubted, if Tye was using their guards as her own, “but the Villucatto have no desire to disturb you and yours.” He turned his head to glance over Rou and Ona and whoever else was with them. “Tye has the utmost respect for the oldest families. Those who know how things have been done but can appreciate how that might need to change.”
A chill went down Zelli’s back. More subtle threats. Now, or in the future if Tye did take the crown, she would reward those who had helped her or stayed out of her way, and punish those who had not. Not because the guards mattered to her personally, but because guards resisting her damaged the image she wanted to present.
The Villucatto were an ancient family, but they had never worn a crown, not even one of the original Earls’ crowns. Tye didn’t have history to help her claim, and she apparently relied more on people like her brother for cunning. Tye herself used force. Which did not mean she could not rule, not by any traditions or laws Zelli knew. But it did not make her a ruler he would want to have.
But, according to Tye’s brother, Zelli and all the Tialttyrin would not be around to live through her reign. Not for very long. Not if they didn’t hand over the former guards of the Lyralinah.
“I did this,” Zelli murmured to himself, fists clenched. He had done what was right, but as Tahlen had warned him, that wouldn’t make Grandmother and the others less dead.
Grandmother said something quiet. “…Peaceful because of how we choose to act. The Tialttyrin give aid, that has always been our way.”
Kear smiled again. “That is really all we’re asking—for aid. It’s a tradition worth rewarding, and the Villucatto believe in friendliness between the houses. A Lyralinah is to be allied with a cousin of mine. Tye has many such cousins and nieces and nephews, and I recall, there are younger Tialttyrin around the capital, aren’t there?”
For the first time, Grandmother hesitated to answer. “Yes. The young do often prefer the capital.”
“A shame,” Kear went on smoothly. “Having now seen your valley, I find it lovely. Of the many lands I’ve visited in these past few years, this seems like an ideal place for a true beat-of-four to be happy.”
“And Tye has many cousins and nieces and nephews,” Grandmother echoed blandly.
Gurn was close to grunting again. “Why does that matter?”
“Because Tye, once crowned, will offer them up as alliances in the lands of her supporters, and set them up in the lands of her enemies, and thus gain even more control over the remaining families.” Zelli was grateful he hadn’t eaten; his stomach was a cold knot.
It could work if those allying with the Villucatto were weak or fearful. The Villucatto would take over the domains of various families, ruling them in all but name, and surround everyone else. The remaining families should know that threat now. But they wouldn’t believe Zelli if he tried to convince them. They didn’t even know who Zelli was.
Uncle Rou said something, Zelli couldn’t make it out, but it didn’t sound pleased.
Grandmother’s tone was suddenly dry. “This land is a little different than most. The Tialttyrin are of the fae,” she reminded Kear. “These nieces and nephews and cousins—and brothers—would have to know what sort of alliance they’d be getting into in this peaceful valley.”
Kear did not seem deterred. “That is a matter of manners. We’ve done nothing to offend the fae.”
Zelli raised his eyebrows.
