CHAPTER FOUR

THE COMMONER’S HAND

We ran into Agos on the street. His eyes lit up at the sight of us before his face twisted into a snarl. Without a word of warning, he roared and grabbed Rai by the neck. I jabbed him in the gut with the hilt of my sword.

“Stop it,” I said. “We’re not fighting right now.”

Rai attempted to dislodge him.

“I’m supposed to just take this?” Agos asked. “This man has been a thorn in your side for the longest time. Let me get rid of him for you.”

“I order you to let him go. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Agos obeyed, though not eagerly. Rai stood still, hands at his sides. “If I may continue walking without being accosted…” he began. If I didn’t know better, I would think he was being polite. I knew now, of course, that this was far from the truth.

Agos spat to the side. “Don’t act all high and mighty in front of me. You aren’t Dragonlord.”

“At the moment, neither is she.”

“No thanks to you, you bloated piece of shit.” He turned to me. “Really, Tali, you don’t think—”

“Not now.” I strode forward, my head aching. I had owned more reasonable dogs. We reached the theatre, and I turned my thoughts away from them to stare up at the rooftop from the street, waiting for a sound, or a glimpse of shadow, anything that told me there were still people up there.

“What are you looking for?” Agos asked.

“Assassins,” I said.

It took a moment for him to reply. “Shit. They got Lamang?”

“We led them there to lose them, but he got trapped there with them. But I think he got out. Someone said they saw him take a boat to Oren-yaro.”

Agos huffed. “Lamang wouldn’t have engaged them. He’s too smart for that. I’ll take a look around. Stay here—” His eyes fell on Rayyel. “And guard yourself. If he tries to do anything, stab him first and ask questions later.”

I gave a small, resigned nod.

“You let him give you orders now?” Rai asked as soon as he was out of earshot.

I sniffed. “Not really your concern after everything that has happened, is it?”

“I told you…”

“Yes, I know,” I said. “I understand why you did what you did. I do pay attention, despite what you’ve said in the past.” I bit back the anger. “But it doesn’t…couldn’t you have tried to send word to me? To warn me?”

“I didn’t know where you were,” Rai replied.

“You’ve as good as put a bounty on my head. I’ve become a prized deer in the other warlords’ eyes. Getting here was hard enough without all of that to deal with. What would you do if I had been dragged to Oren-yaro in chains, as you asked?”

He shrugged. “Putting a stop to the Zarojo was my concern. Besides, I was counting on your resourcefulness, and you’ve proven me correct so far.”

“If you think flattering me is going to make me forget that I had to face down a dragon in Kyo-orashi…”

Rai nodded. “I heard of that, and that you declined Warlord San’s hospitality to make your own way to Oren-yaro.”

“Is that what they’re saying?”

“I had hoped to come across you along the way. I would have warned you, Talyien, if I had known how to reach you. But you know we have enemies everywhere now.”

His logic was difficult to deny. It was ever my dilemma with him. To him, emotions held little meaning. I shrugged. “And Qun? Have you heard news?”

“They arrived in Oren-yaro a few days ago.”

“A few days too many,” I repeated. “The bastard. If he hadn’t killed our horses, we’d be right behind him, at least.”

“An official Zarojo delegate, according to reports, come to see Queen Talyien. Sent by the Esteemed Prince Yuebek, Fifth Son of the Esteemed Emperor Yunan.”

“Right,” I said. “So he’s not even trying to hide anymore. Years of scheming in secret, and then he goes and blows it out in the open.”

“I would assume…” He paused, because I had thrown him an angry glance. He looked oddly uncomfortable.

“Go on,” I said.

“He is aware that recent events have pulled you further and further away from power. This is his last, desperate move to salvage what he can. If he had waited a little longer, his claim might have no meaning.” His face tightened. “I did what I had to.”

I closed my eyes for a moment. When I finally opened them again, the expression on his face looked even more exhausted than mine. And it occurred to me that in another time and place, we would have been the perfect Dragonlords, a match made in heaven. We both bore the weight of the nation, and even with every reason to resent what was thrust into our arms, we would have given our lives for our people without asking for anything in return. We were shaped to rule from the very beginning—the nation couldn’t have found better candidates for the throne. Had we not been human…

But we were. The concerns of our lives took precedence. Even when I had loved him and he had loved me, we couldn’t erase the wrongs our families had done to each other or the wrongs we had done to ourselves. And time carried these things forward with a resounding echo; I was sitting beside Rayyel now with another in my thoughts, and I realized what it was that I had felt for this man all these years. He was just like me. Maybe not exactly, but no one else in the world knew my burdens the way he did. Once upon a time, this should’ve been enough. It wasn’t anymore.

Agos returned with a grim look on his face. “I don’t think there’s anyone in there.”

I swore under my breath.

“Those assassins,” Agos continued, “will be looking for you. Maybe it’s best we don’t lead you straight back to their clutches. If Lamang truly has escaped, we can find him later.”

“No,” I said. “I have to be sure.”

“Princess, he’s either one step ahead of everyone or he’s dead. There’s nothing you can do.” He tried to reach for my shoulder.

I tore away from him and raced down the street. The building took up an entire block. I heard someone behind me and was surprised to see that it was Rai following closely. “Would he be hiding?” Rai asked. “It seems likely that if Lamang would not engage in a fight—”

His voice faltered. An assassin broke through the window, landing right in front of us. In the space it took for me to get over my panic, he went straight for Rai.

A flash of a dagger, followed by the glint of its edge. Rai dropped to the ground, bleeding. A blink of an eye.

I attacked, my own movements slow and cumbersome against the assassin’s gracefulness. He abandoned Rai to lunge at me. There was nothing orchestrated about this. He drew his sword. I pulled my own blade up to block it. Metal against metal; I wasn’t in a good spot to sidestep, so I tried to overpower him, pushing my sword up to strike him between the eyes. His blade slipped down, grazing my belly as I jumped back. His dagger lashed out and caught me on the arm once, and then twice, before slipping down to catch me a third time on the leg.

Blood poured down from my cuts, down to my fingers. I knew that if his blade was poisoned I would be dead soon. It was the sort of useless thinking you engaged in when you felt you were in a losing battle, when the only other alternative was to meet every strike with your own, parry, step back…

The assassin tumbled forward as Rai cut him from behind. He turned out of reflex, a moment’s mistake. He died before he could rectify it.

“Should’ve asked him about Khine,” I mumbled. I heard Agos running up to meet us and realized the attack must’ve lasted no more than a few seconds. I reached down to wipe my sword on the assassin’s shirt before pushing him over with my foot. Rai watched as I rifled through his pockets.

“The one from earlier dropped a locket,” Rai suddenly said, as if he just remembered. He reached into his purse and pulled it out.

I stepped over the dead body to take a closer look. It was heart-shaped, with a golden chain wound through. “It’s Kag, isn’t it?”

“Possibly,” Rai said. “Not that it means anything.”

“Would a Zarojo assassin carry items from the Kag?” I asked. “They look down on them.”

Rai put the chain away, his face in deep thought.

I turned to Agos. “No sign of the other one?”

Agos shook his head.

I stepped towards Rai. “Let me see your wound,” I said.

“A scratch,” Rai replied, tucking his hand away from sight. “You’ve got more.”

I noticed I had three cuts—one along my right arm, another on my shoulder where the dragon bites were still healing, and a nick on my leg. I wondered, not for the first time, how I looked to him—a scarred, aging warrior instead of the woman he wanted to love. Perhaps. I had been so sure of the world once, convinced that I knew my way around the cracks and that the answers to my questions would appear somewhere along the line.

I gazed up at the sun, shielding my eyes from the bright light for an instant. And then, without another word, I slowly climbed the side of the wall where the assassin had come from. It was not a steep drop—only a floor up—and I made my way to the window easily enough. I kicked the shutters in, stepped through the wreckage, and found myself inside a hall.

I went down the staircase and found a door that opened to the alley. “We shouldn’t be here,” Agos said. “Let’s leave now, Princess. Lamang clearly isn’t here. If you think he’s on a boat to Oren-yaro, then he is. He knows that’s where we’re headed.”

“They led us here,” I said, ignoring him. “On purpose.” I turned to Rai. “Do you know who owned this building?”

“I would assume one of the businessmen who fled for the Zarojo Empire after the attacks,” Rai replied. “This type of theatre is not the traditional Jinsein. You can see the Zarojo architecture from—”

“Yes, yes, I figured that much. Who would’ve bought it?”

“I assume no one. If someone had spent the money, then they would’ve made improvements to it already. Yet it appears as if this has been abandoned for years.”

I turned to Agos. “Drag that body where the guards can’t see it. I’m going to find the other one.”

“Princess, I don’t think you should be with him alone,” Agos huffed.

“Agos. Not now.” I found it difficult to remain patient with him after everything I had heard.

He gave a resigned look and drew away slowly.

I gestured to Rai, who shuffled after me without a single comment or change of expression. Knowing Rai, he was probably already deep in thought. I turned to ripping my sleeve off in order to wrap it around the cut on my arm, which bothered me the most. The others had stopped bleeding and likely wouldn’t need stitches.

The hall where I had killed the first assassin was empty. Someone had taken the body. It wouldn’t have been Khine—he would’ve been too busy trying to escape, or at least keep himself alive. I felt the panic begin to bubble again.

“A theatre like this would have an office,” Rai said. “Perhaps we can find out more about this place and what we’re up against.” For the first time, his monotone voice felt like a balm. I nodded, allowing him to lead the way. He followed the signs and found it on the first try—a large room with a single marked door.

A large desk at the far end engulfed the room. I pointed down the hall. “You keep watch.”

Rai suddenly looked uncomfortable. “Perhaps it’s best if you do it.”

“By all the gods, Rai, you’ve had sword training. Stop shaming your ancestors and have a little confidence.”

I heard him give a small grumble before he drew his sword and stood halfway across the doorway, like he wasn’t entirely sure he agreed with me. I tugged the drawers open, coughing at the spray of dust.

“A light would help,” he said.

“Eyes on the hallway, Rai,” I snapped. Frowning, I wiped my nose and turned around to push the shutters open. Sunlight flooded the room. I pulled out papers from the desk, blowing more dust from them as I read. Most were pamphlets—a list of actors and musicians. It was dated decades ago, from before I was born.

I found the deed of sale for the building at the very bottom of the drawers. “Here’s something,” I said, and Rai immediately came up to me, his post forgotten. I sighed and pushed the papers towards him. “This place was sold a few years ago to a certain Tar’elian. That name mean anything to you?”

Rai’s brows were furrowed. “It doesn’t sound Kag.”

“Are you sure?”

“Kag names have—”

“Forget I asked. What is it, then?”

“My guess is Gorenten.”

I blinked. “That’s—are they even allowed to own property in Jin-Sayeng? I thought we only let Kags do that?”

Rai pursed his lips together. “Shouldn’t you know a bit more about your own laws?”

“I really don’t.”

He sighed. “Dragonlord Reshiro opened the doors to all, even the Zarojo after the initial trade embargo with them—though of course they in particular got heavy restrictions. The economic repercussions resulted in many businessmen abandoning Jin-Sayeng for better waters, but we couldn’t have let the Zarojo go unpunished for what they did to our cities. The Kags are a mixed people, and although most of what we refer to as Kags come from Baidh and Hafod, it doesn’t mean that…”

“Oh,” I said, remembering something. “Kaggawa…the Kaggawas were involved with the Gorenten. One of my father’s old soldiers mentioned a Gorenten accompanying Sume Kaggawa once in Oren-yaro. My father met him.”

“I’ve not heard of this.”

“Something I know that you don’t? That’s new.”

He ignored my taunting and pulled the document closer to him. “It’s a strange bit of coincidence, either way. Why would the Kaggawas be involved?”

“About that…” I began. “I met Dai Kaggawa in the Sougen. It’s a long story, but I believe you were down there once yourself.”

“I was,” Rai conceded. “Kaggawa was treading upon dangerous thoughts, things I had no wish to discuss with the likes of him. I chose to remove myself from there as quickly as I could.”

“But not before availing yourself of the Shadows’ services.”

He looked at me blankly.

“Don’t bother to deny it, Rai. You used the Shadows to take care of that innkeeper’s family.”

“Kaggawa made me understand that we had little choice in the matter. He…” He swallowed. “He also suggested we send someone to keep an eye out on you. To make sure you remained safe from harm—”

“And true to my duties. Akaterru be damned, they supplied Kora to you!” It explained why Kaggawa and his people knew so much, right down to my interactions with Huan Anyu. Kora had been my handmaiden during most of those nights. Somewhere out in the Sougen were people with pages of information about me. I struggled not to lash out at Rai. “Do you know he believes that the best way to solve all our problems is if I betroth Thanh to his daughter?”

“His commoner daughter,” Rai said. “This is news to me.”

“I was just as surprised.”

“Isn’t she too old for him?”

“What? Oh, no—he presented me the younger one.”

“I see.” He flexed his jaw. “A daring proposal, but one that is ultimately flawed. I hope you didn’t agree to it. Not that you have the authority for such an arrangement right now, of course, but it would be very awkward for all parties involved.”

“Right, awkward. The least of our concerns at this moment.” I smiled at him. “I may have left on bad terms.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Let’s just say Kaggawa’s rebels and Yu-yan are now at war. I had no desire to offer myself as hostage, even to someone as seemingly honourable as Kaggawa.” I stared at the document. “Though perhaps he isn’t entirely as honourable as I’ve expected. I think he sent the assassins. He must have. They’re well-trained, better than anything Yuebek ever sent after us. The Shadows…and this here, this connection, is good enough to convince me.” I jabbed at the owner’s name.

“What would our deaths accomplish? It would simply put Thanh further from his reach.”

“Too many fingers in the rice pot, Rai.”

“I don’t—”

“Thanh. All he wants is Thanh. Why does it matter what his rationale is? We need to get to our son.”

“Our son…?”

I pushed the paper away and looked at him. “Let’s not start this again. We have to work together from here on out, Rai. Do you understand? We can’t afford to fight anymore.”

He licked his lips. He was thinking it through. As much sense as I thought I was making, he still had to think things through. I realized he probably wouldn’t have believed me without this proof of Kaggawa’s connection to the assassins.

Agos chose that moment to appear. He was wiping his hands on his trousers, a revolted look on his face. “In this heat, that body’s going to start stinking by late afternoon,” he said. “Wouldn’t be surprised if it attracts the attention of every cat, guard, and washerwoman out on the streets. What’s the matter with you both?”

“Dai sent the assassins,” I told him.

He rubbed the back of his head. “So?”

“So we know he’s getting desperate. We know he wants Thanh—he must’ve already sent men after him, too. We need to get to Oren-yaro as quickly as we can.”

“It is inadvisable to head for Oren-yaro,” Rai broke in.

“Nobody asked you,” Agos snarled.

Rai turned to me with the expression of someone who knew he wasn’t going to win the argument even if he tried. “Do you think the Zarojo wouldn’t have spies throughout the city? You’d be discovered the moment you walked through the gates. We need to wait for Namra and Inzali, to hear back from the Ikessars. If we make it clear the Zarojo are a threat, they’ll get rid of them for us along the way.”

“Do you really think we have the time to wait? Thanh’s life is at stake here.”

“What forces do we have against our enemies, should they decide to strike? You cannot trust the Oren-yaro, and even my own standing with the Ikessars is…shoddy, at best.”

“Shoddy,” I repeated. I didn’t think I’d ever encounter Rayyel with as much self-awareness as I did at that moment. “I’m surprised you’d admit it now.”

His eyes darted from me, as if he didn’t want to face me while he talked. “It has always been shoddy. I’m a bastard, as has been so eloquently brought up not that long ago. If I am careful, my words at least have weight with the council. If I am not…the Ikessar clan can remove what little power I have as quickly as the weather might turn.”

“Your mother wouldn’t do that. She is still head of your clan, isn’t she? Why would she disinherit her own son?”

“You don’t know my mother.”

“Not really something you can blame me for. She’s refused to see me all this time.”

“You know why that is,” Rai said.

I sighed. “Her hatred for my father…”

“Waiting won’t save Prince Thanh,” Agos spoke up. “I’m guessing your priestess can’t do a damn thing for him if worse comes to worst. Maybe you don’t care. I know you wanted him killed—”

“I never said such a thing,” Rai said.

“Don’t shit me, princeling. You wanted the boy dead from the beginning.”

“You distort my words,” Rai replied. “If he is found not to be of my blood, he will have to be killed. Do you think the warlords will accept two successions of bastards on the throne?”

Agos threw his hands up. “Are you hearing this, Princess? Can you believe this ass? Why the fuck do you want him alive again?”

Rai drew his sword and stepped towards him.

“Rai…” I warned.

Agos stretched his arms out and laughed. “About time you grew some balls. Come on, princeling! Strike me! I know you’ve been wanting to for years!”

Rai’s eyes flashed, but he didn’t move, allowing me time to reach him. I yanked his arm away, knocking the sword from his grasp. It clattered uselessly on the floor.

He continued to stare at Agos. “It is what it is,” he said in a low voice. “In any case, that is not the issue right now, and will not be until this investigation is resolved—a thing I have no intention of carrying out until we’ve gotten rid of the Zarojo. How are we supposed to save him with no men, no army, behind us? They will not just let you take him away because you asked.”

“You forget I was Captain of the Oren-yaro Guard,” Agos said.

Rai fixed him with a glare. “I haven’t.”

Agos laughed. “Don’t give me attitude, princeling. I can snap your spine in half if I wanted to.”

“What are you thinking, Agos?” I said.

“We can bypass the gates and get into Oren-yaro through the sewers. They’re not protected, and I know a way to open them from the outside. Ozo taught me how.”

Rai cleared his throat. “Ozo trusted a cook’s son with knowledge of how to infiltrate Oren-yaro single-handedly?”

“He trusted me to protect her,” Agos snapped.

“Protect,” Rai repeated. Even for Rai, the word was swathed in seething tones.

“Yes,” Agos said. “You know, that thing you haven’t done for her at all. Not that she’d need it, mind. Not from you.”

“This is ridiculous,” I broke in. “If we’re going to make it all the way to Oren-yaro in one piece, we need to stop arguing amongst ourselves.”

“You really intend on bringing him along?” Agos countered. “What for?”

“He’s an Ikessar. I imagine he’ll be of some use. Khine’s plan is to ask the Kibouri priests for help.”

Agos snorted. “And what makes you think he’s even willing to do that much for you? Remember, it was his actions that got you here in the first place.”

I turned to Rai.

“He is right, as much as I hate to admit it,” he replied. “I cannot condone this. I told you—the sect will not take a political stance.”

“My son isn’t a political stance. He’s just a boy.”

“Believe it or not, Tali, you’re the only one who sees him that way.” He pulled away from me and walked towards where his sword lay. He bent over to pick it up.

Agos grinned triumphantly. “Looks like it’s just going to be you and me again, Princess.”

“A hasty decision,” Rai said. “Not that I have ever been able to prevent you from making them. I am aware that you do not care for my opinions, but I shall give them to you anyway in the hopes you will someday learn: you let your heart sway you too easily.”

I took a deep breath. “It is still better than doing nothing, my lord. Better than letting myself be defeated in silence. Do you think the world stops because you want it to, Rayyel? That it slinks back to wait just because you’re not ready? This isn’t a situation you can just meditate away. No,” I continued, because he had started for the doorway. “Do that. Leave, just like you always do. We can’t even decide on a single thing without barking our heads off. No wonder the whole damn nation is falling apart.”

Rai paused long enough to make me wonder if he had at last come to his senses. I felt him scrabbling for an answer. Here we were, two pieces of a puzzle that no longer fit together—not that they ever did in the first place. The winds were changing in a way that had nothing to do with the monsoon. Eventually, he turned away. The promise of peace our marriage was to bring Jin-Sayeng was not just over—I knew now that it had never really existed at all.