The body was draped in heavy black cloth when I returned, and the blood had been cleaned; I knew enough not to ask questions. Princess Yansheo came with me, white and trembling. I had told her all I remembered, but she took the discovery better than I had. “Shifang was always arrogant and selfish,” she said, “but he was never wicked. Your story explained many things he had done these last few months. I was fortunate enough not to be harmed, but others were not so lucky.”

I did not have the heart to tell her that Usij kept her unharmed because he intended to harvest her urvan once more should the forger fail to help him. To tell her, I decided, was unnecessary cruelty.

The bone witch never looked down at the corpse and continued to watch from her window. “Tell the soldiers to draw back the gates,” she said quietly. She still held the Faceless’s heartsglass; though Usij was dead, his heart lived on. It was no longer the sooty black it had been in life but a sparkling silver.

“Ironic,” the bone witch said with a smile, “that we would recreate Blade that Soars’s lightsglass from the most repulsive man I ever had the displeasure of meeting.” She looked down at her own heartsglass and sighed. “And that I would recreate Hollow Knife’s in mine. Open the gates.”

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“We are leaving Daanoris. We have what we came for.” She turned to Princess Yansheo. “Whatever your people might think of this in the coming years,” she told her, “know that I leave your kingdom without a madman on the throne.”

“But who will lead us? Usij killed my true emperor.”

“The Heartforgers proved that you are descended from Great Heroes, more fit to rule Daanoris than Shifang ever was. You called for change, Yansheo. I see no more qualified person to lead this kingdom.”

The princess took a deep breath. “I have my own councilors, people I trust. I—I owe that much to my Shaoyun. I will make him proud of me. I will work hard to be a good ruler. I will be one, a true one, the next time we meet.”

There was a faint hesitation on the bone witch’s part before she nodded.

“I will go with you,” the Heartforger said.

“It’s too dangerous, Khalad. Stay in Santiang for the meantime.”

“Danger has never stopped me before. I go with you.”

The bone witch paused. “I cannot promise your safety. You are still needed by the people. You can do well here.”

“That will not stop me from doing what I believe is right, and the quicker we can prevent war, the fewer lives will be lost.” He trembled. “I’ve already lost too much. You know that.”

“What do you intend to do?” I asked.

Lady Tea placed the silver heartsglass around her neck, next to her black one. “We are going to face the army, Bard, and see how badly they want me dead.”

“And this is not even the craziest thing we have done today,” the Heartforger sighed from behind us.