Afet, Julina, and Jaku are with me and Puneah as I get ready to talk to the first conscious prisoner. Before we go in the room, I say, “There wasn't any news from the previous prisoner trying to escape?”
“No. I’m afraid there isn’t,” Jaku responds.
“Tsk. It would have been a good plan, had she ever tried to escape. Let’s get the interviews going. I have more important things I need to be doing.” Like practicing, to take down the First Queen.
No one mentions that I don’t have to be here. It’s true, but it's easier to get the information I need by being present.
We enter the room. The prisoner is slumped back against the only chair, hands and feet bound.
“What do you know?” I ask.
“Brown cloak.” He groans.
“I thought he was awake,” I say.
“Sort of,” Jaku concedes.
At least he’s answering my questions. “Do you mean the person who asked you to do this was wearing a brown cloak?”
“Yes.”
“What else do you know about them?”
“Man. Nothing else. Please spare me.”
I huff. He’s not giving us any useful information, but he is cooperating.
“Why did you do as this man said?” Julina asks.
The prisoner rolls his head on his neck and then sits upright, like the question wakened him more than anything else has so far. “He threatened my family.”
Ah. Now we’re getting somewhere. “Be more specific?”
“If I didn’t help, he’d track them down and kill them.”
“Do you know if he used the same threat with the others?” Jaku asks.
“I can't talk more until I know you'll keep my family safe.”
“I'll send someone for them right away.” Jaku gets details from him before going out of the room. Moments later, he returns, asking if the man in the cloak used the same threat with the others again.
“Those I spoke with said the same thing. Ask them yourselves.”
We will.
We spend the next several hours of the morning interrogating attackers to no avail. We learn nothing new, other than that they’re a mix of having things or people they care about threatened or have a deep belief that the Kurah are being wronged. The last thought grates on me, making the back of my neck and shoulders ache.
It’s been difficult on them, but I’ve been trying so hard to make things better. I want to lower their taxes, and will be in a position to do so soon, but if they are going to bully me, they’ve got another thing coming.
Inkga’s wheeling me back to my room when Shillian appears in the corridor. I don’t know whether or not to acknowledge her when she curtsies, mumbles a thank you, and hurries on her way.
I’m still contemplating the interaction while I say to Inkga, “Take me to Jem, instead of the sitting room. I need to speak with her.”
“All right.” She turns left when we come to the next hall, following the guard ahead. Eldim’s behind us. It’s a sure thing that I will be attacked again, sooner or later, so I may as well keep guards on me at all times.
It doesn’t take us long to come to the quarters of the ladies-in-waiting. When I moved my rooms, they moved theirs to be closer to me, but they didn’t get inside rooms, like I did. We stop at the first one, and Inkga knocks. A servant answers the door, and her eyes widen.
“Jem, Her Majesty is here to see you.”
Jem rushes out and ushers me in, the servant getting out of her way. Inkga wheels me in. The room is not at all what I expected. It’s flat and unadorned. Not very Jem-like at all.
“Ryn, it’s good to see you.” Her eyes are puffy. “How are you?”
“Well as can be expected after interviewing offenders. How are you?” It’s clear she’s upset, but I don’t know if she wants to talk about it.
She gives a forced smile, tight around the edges. “I’m all right. What can I do for you?”
I debate pushing her, seeing if I can get her to come around and tell me what’s wrong—if there is more than losing Wilric, which is bad enough on its own—but we have four other people here that are all witness to it. While I trust my three people, I don’t know about her servant. Besides, if it’s about Wilric—like I think it is—I don’t want to make her go through that pain in front of so many others. “I assume you know the situation with the Kurah.”
“The attack was terrifying. I was able to hold off a man with some tricks you taught me until help arrived. It saved my life.”
Maybe that’s what spurred the tears—thinking about me and Wilric teaching her how to fight. “I didn’t see you in action. I wish I had.”
She waves away the thought. “You were safe, where you needed to be.”
“You should have joined us.”
“Honestly, it was a thrill to fight for my life. I can see why you like it.” Her smile loosens, becoming more real.
Mine feels forced, but I push on. “There are a lot of reasons why I liked it. I’m glad your skills are improving, but that’s not what I came to talk to you about.”
“The other ladies-in-waiting are getting better too. Even Inyi isn’t so squeamish,” she says. “What did you wish to discuss?”
“I wanted your opinion, as my Head Advisor, about what I should do with the Kurah. You’ve given me sound advice in the past, even if I didn’t always listen to it. I’d like to know what you’re thinking on this matter.”
She quickly hides her surprise. “Of course. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it, not just with the recent attack, but also since this started coming into play. I think you need to meet with them again and outline exactly what you’ve done for them and how you want to lower their taxes. What’s more, you need to tell them what will happen if they don’t change their ways. How much worse things are going to be.”
“It’s a good plan, but do you think I should lower the taxes?”
“Not unless these attacks stop. We can’t let them rule the country through fear and intimidation.”
“That’s what I was thinking. And we need to discover who is behind everything. Serious punishments are warranted because this behavior is unacceptable. We need Kada to set up a meeting.”
“What happened to Kada and Mina at the council meeting, anyway? It’s not like them to be late, though I’m certain they’re grateful they were.”
Maybe or maybe not, given the circumstances. “They were found tied up in their rooms. They were unhurt, but both claim the attackers came in through their windows, to get through to the council rooms.”
Jem taps a finger to her lip. “Interesting. I’m surprised the attackers didn’t hurt them.”
“I am as well, though grateful.” And slightly suspicious. What is it about those councilors that kept them from harm? “They’ve requested to have their rooms moved and are in the process of making that happen right now. Jaku’s looking into how the attackers got to their rooms in the first place.”
“Their rooms are right next to each other, I believe.”
I didn’t know that. I’m surprised she does, but then, she keeps on top of things. “They were. We’re moving all the council members into different rooms, away from each other.”
“Wise move.” She turns to her servant. “Would you please get Kada for us?”
“Yes, Mistress.” The servant scurries off.
“How is everything else?” Jem asks.
I wonder if she means the search for ending the First Queen. “It’s a slow process. I’m grateful for all the extra help I’ve received lately. It’s been significant, but I don’t know if it’s enough.” Will it ever be?
“I understand. I will continue doing what I can.”
I change the subject, not wanting to focus on Androlla when there’s nothing I can do to fight her at the moment. “How’s your family?”
We spend the next half hour talking before her servant finally returns, out of breath. “Forgive me for taking so long. Kada was downstairs, looking for a new room. Everyone else is looking up here, and I expected her to be with the rest. She will be here shortly.”
“Don’t worry over it,” Jem says. “Go get a drink and rest.”
Jem would have made a much better queen than I… if she kept Ranen and Fraya from controlling her.
I'm antsy by the time Kada walks in and gives a curtsy. “How can I help you, Your Majesty?”
“I would like a meeting with some of the Kurah tomorrow afternoon. I don’t want to delay this any longer.”
“Certainly. I’ll get something set up, but I must tell you not everyone will be able to come on such short notice.”
“That’s fine. Just get the word out to those you can.”
“If you’ll forgive me, Your Highness, I must be going. There’s much to do.”
“You’re excused.”
I leave as well. Kada’s right; there’s much to do, and I have little time left to do it.