“Because he’s hungry and Virion’s milk will be spoiled for a day or so.” Nilla corralled the boy off to the side.
“Can Ahran drink lady milk? His papa is an omega.” Sima frowned and stared up at Nilla, who he had obvious respect for.
“Milk is milk as long as they’re fae. He can drink flaxsheep milk with some sugar in it if he’s desperate.” Nilla rummaged around to get Sima a treat while he sat nearby and stared at Virion.
“Is the Silver Prince going to be okay? You said he would be in your message.” Sima squirmed about nervously.
“I’m sure. Rest is all that’s needed. You should be resting, too. Go see if Irmine can make space on his cot. If not, make yourself a padding on the floor.” She shooed him away.
Sima checked on Virion one last time and slinked off to the end of the car and into the next one.
Less than a moment later, the crunch of footsteps over gravel alerted them to approaching people. Nilla peeked through a curtain and opened the door, staring out at Nemiah.
“Seidrik, come here for a moment.” Nemiah’s hard expression softened as he glanced in and sighed.
Seidrik stood and slipped out, closing the door behind him. “Virion’s stable. I apologize so dearly for this. I would have never let him switch drinks with me if I’d had any thought of it.”
“I know. And Virion would have rather been the sick one than you.” Nemiah glanced toward Seidrik’s belly. “Stamel cannot leave the castle. He’s handling things at the moment and they need you to sign some things.” Nemiah stroked a hand over one of his hornsnervously. “I’m uncertain how to break this news to you. I’ll break it to Virion and I suppose Saria in a moment.”
Seidrik’s stomach knotted up. “Was Tyran hurt?”
“No! No.” Nemiah took a deep breath. “Alluin ordered Virion’s former handmaid to put the honey in your drink.”
Seidrik didn’t bat an eye at the information. Pilkie’s involvement surprised him, but she always had sucked up to Alluin endlessly. “I suppose Stamel and I must leave the kingdom. I won’t continue to serve Alluin if he hates me this badly.”
“It won’t be necessary. The goddesses intervened. King Alluin died by their hand. The priests will all be told come morning that it was by the sun’s word. It’s Mother Moon’s domain at the moment, so she will do nothing until then. It was a quiet death.” Nemiah tensed as he stared Seidrik down, and overwhelming emotion boiled up in his stomach before he pushed forward and embraced Nemiah with a tight squeeze.
Nemiah stiffened for a moment before reaching around to pat awkwardly at Seidrik’s back. “Thank you.”
“I did nothing. Thank the goddesses. What do you intend to do with Liaberos?” Nemiah did not flinch away or snarl in anger. There was no greed in his voice or reticence. He pulled away, though, throat clearing.
“The goddesses said that the kingdom will be split, Liara and Beros once more. Liara, the land of vitalis will cede to your children with Virion. Beros shall go to my line. The split will take many years, we will hold the throne until then and seek to fix the kingdom, undo what all things my father has broken, so when we hand over the goddess’s promise, it is prosperous and ready for its true heir.” Seidrik bore his horns and lowered his head in deference to Nemiah. “So Stamel and I will rule in his stead until time comes. Theresources of Liaberos are at your disposal and I pray we flourish.”
“That is good.”
“The goddesses have us at their mercy. As it is rightfully so.” Seidrik cleared his throat. “And I suppose we can cede the first deflowering of Father’s study to you, as it is your rightful—”
Nemiah snorted and patted Seidrik’s head before leaning down with a conspiratorial grin. “We already have and he never knew. My bare ass planted right in his shiny chair.”
“Thank you for sharing that. Truly,” Seidrik said with much distaste. Trying to rip that image from his mind would take an act of thalmic miracles. “Alright. I suppose we ready for a funeral and pretend to be sad for a few days.”
“Then after, we celebrate with a parade.” Nemiah grinned.
“For Father’s death or the coronation?” Seidrik snorted.
“Eh. The details matter little. When people are poor, they find any reason to celebrate.” Nemiah gestured for Seidrik to leave and entered the car, ready to tell Saria and then Virion.
Seidrik paused and called over his shoulder, “Do tell Saria thanks for feeding Ahran for me, and to stay for a few days to catch up. Father’s deceit ran deep, I’m afraid.”
Nemiah nodded once and Seidrik took a deep breath, ready to face a new kind of monster.
Politics.
Chapter Twenty
Stamel
Pilkie was given two Vati, the ten-gram golden coins, both stamped with Alluin’s head. At one point, the denominations had the sun goddess’s head on them, but Alluin had been rather conceited. So, with two portraits of her father heavy in her pocket and thirty minutes to pack, she was taken to an inn on the skirts of the kingdom and was to be branded and removed come morning, never to reenter.
