“Did something happen?” I ventured, curious about what could trouble someone of his standing.
Jalend hesitated, running a hand through his wet hair. “I met with an old friend last night — a legionary officer stationed at our northern border. The reports he shared were... troubling.”
“The Talfen?” I guessed, immediately regretting how quickly I’d jumped to that conclusion.
He nodded, studying me with renewed interest. “You’re well-informed for someone who’s spent little time in military circles.”
I shrugged, trying to appear casual. “It’s hardly a secret that the Empire’s greatest military concern lies in the north.”
“True enough.” He leaned back against the pool edge. “My friend believes the situation is worsening. The Talfen raids are becoming more organized, pushing deeper into our territory.”
“The academy teachings suggest they’re little more than savages,” I said carefully. “Hardly capable of coordinated military strategy.”
Jalend’s expression grew thoughtful. “And what do you think of those teachings, Lady Cantius? Do you believe everything the Imperial curriculum tells you about our northern neighbours?”
The question felt less abrupt now, a natural extension of our conversation, but no less dangerous. I studied his face, searching for any sign of a trap.
“I think,” I said slowly, “that it’s convenient for the Empire to paint all Talfen as mindless savages. It makes it easier to justify the war.”
Instead of the outrage I half-expected, Jalend nodded thoughtfully. “I’ve read extensive accounts from the border provinces,” he said. “Interviews with traders who deal regularly with Talfen settlements. Historical texts that date back before the current conflicts. They paint a very different picture than what’s taught at the academy.”
I raised an eyebrow. “A dangerous perspective for a nobleman to hold.”
“Which is precisely why I don’t typically share it,” he admitted. “But there’s something about you that suggests you might be open to questioning the official narrative.”
If only he knew how far beyond “questioning” I’d gone. I thought of Tarshi waiting in my quarters, of our bodies entwined in secret, of the resistance meetings we’d begun attending in the lower city.
“I believe,” I said carefully, “that any people who are systematically dehumanized deserve the benefit of deeper consideration. The Talfen may be different from us, but difference doesn’t equate to inferiority.”
His eyes widened slightly at my boldness. “That’s... not the response I expected from someone of your background.”
I immediately realized I’d spoken too freely. “My family own several Talfen slaves,” I improvised. “We’ve had more direct contact than most. It provides a different perspective.”
“Indeed it does.” He moved through the water with easy grace, circling me like a predator might circle prey — though oddly, I didn’t feel threatened. “There are groups in the capital,” he continued, his voice lower now, “who believe the Talfen should have equal standing under Imperial law. That the northern campaigns are unjust and should be ended.”
My heart raced at how close this conversation was veering to the resistance activities Tarshi had drawn me into. “I’ve heard rumours of such groups,” I said neutrally. “They’re considered treasonous by the Imperial Guard, are they not?”
“Officially, yes.” His amber eyes fixed on mine. “Unofficially, I find their arguments increasingly compelling.”
I studied him cautiously. “That’s a dangerous admission.”
“Perhaps.” He shrugged, water rippling around his shoulders. “But I’ve always believed that ideas should be evaluated on their merits, not on how well they conform to existing doctrine.”
“Even when those ideas challenge the very foundations of the Empire?” I asked, genuinely curious about how far his unorthodox thinking went.
“Especially then.” His voice grew passionate. “The Empire has existed for centuries by adapting to changing circumstances. Calcification leads to collapse — that’s the lesson of history.”
I pushed off from the wall, swimming a small circle around him, enjoying the momentary sense of having the upper hand. “How scholarly of you. I didn’t realize the academy produced philosophers as well as warriors.”
He laughed, the sound echoing off the water. “My interests extend beyond military tactics. Much to the disappointment of some of my instructors.”
“So you believe the Talfen are more than the monsters we’re taught to fear?” I pressed, eager to understand the extent of his heretical views.
“I believe they’re people,” he said simply. “With their own culture, values, and civilization. Different from ours, certainly, but no less sophisticated in their own way.”
I thought of Tarshi — his intelligence, his complexity, the gentle way he touched me when we were alone. “And if they were truly people, worthy of the same considerations as Imperial citizens... what then? What would that mean for the war?”
Jalend was quiet for a moment, as if weighing how much to reveal. “It would mean,” he said carefully, “that much of what the Empire has done in the north is not conquest, but something far darker.”
