Deathless (Editing)

Chapter 27: Kings in Exile

After washing and dressing in fresh clothes, I met Tolly in the upstairs dining room. He was fingering through a stack of missives when I took my seat at the table. "News?" I asked.

He nodded. "Nothing interesting."

"What about the letter from the Lord High Commander?"

Tolly's gaze broke from the paper he was reading, but he remained wordless.

"He arranged for our lodging here?" There would be no other reason why the old man had been expecting us had the letter he received not told him to be on the lookout.

Tolly watched me, not indicating either way.

"What of the Morning Priest?"

At this, a faint smile thinned Tolly's lips, but again I was met with silence.

"Will you tell me anything?"

He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. "Not now, no."

"Why?"

"Because it doesn't matter now."

"How arrogant!"

Tolly smirked at me. "Not at all."

"What if I steal the letter from you?"

"Good luck with that."

"I could hold you down with vines and weeds and take it," I cautioned him.

His smirk lengthened. "You could, but you won't. You're lousy with decency."

I glared at him, eyes narrowing into slits.

"Why do you want to know, Riverly? How would knowing that the Lord High Commander rallied the men stationed in the Silts to lay siege on the Temple help you? How would learning that the Morning Priest was made to stand trial for his defiling of the Kindly Ones ease your mind? How does knowing that the Morning Priest was sent to serve at the Imperial palace as a eunuch or that the Imperial Guard is now searching for you, help us with Ammit in Draken Domain?"

I stared at Tolly with mouth open and breath hitched in my chest. "A eunuch?"

Tolly's jaw clenched at this. "Yes."

"Why is the Imperial Guard searching for me when I'm with you?"

"A better question," Tolly said, a sly look on his face, "They don't know we are together. They believe you ran away."

"Where do they think you are, then?"

"Guarding supply wagons, heartbroken over the loss of my betrothed."

"Heartbroken over my loss or shamed because I was a Sullied?"

"It can be both," Tolly teased. "No more questions," he said, before I could ask another.

"But," I began, heart fluttering in my chest. "One more."

"No more."

"Why is the Imperial guard searching for me? A Sullied fleeing the Harvest doesn't merit a manhunt."

Ignoring my question, Tolly took the empty plate in front of me. In no particular order, he shoveled roasted duck, rolls, pickled onions, and leeks onto the plate before setting it back down. "Eat."

I frowned at the food, and, picking up the knife beside the plate, I cut a few small mouthfuls of the duck and ate. No matter how thoughtfully I chewed, however, I could not shake the question away. The answer was likely simple: They knew what I was.

"See, what did I tell you?" Tolly chastised me between bites of leeks. "Your attention is diverted to pointless aims."

I shrugged. "My attention is always diverted to pointless aims."