Enfri pushed her chair away from the table and tried to make herself useful.
"I can't apologize for the intrusion enough, Goodwife Smith." Enfri tried to grab the teapot before her hostess, but the woman made off with the tray before Enfri was able to rise from her seat.
"Winds, don't you dare," Goodwife Smith said with a kindly smile. Kiffa's mother disappeared into the kitchen carrying away the remnants of morning tea. Her voice continued to rattle off at a steady pace from the next room. "Months from home, gone more leagues than the gods themselves could count, so you can just take a load off and let me see to you."
"Even so, It was kind of you to put us all up for the night."
"Not at all," came the reply. "This old house has felt far too empty. Teela is still behaving like a newlywed and hardly ever tears herself away from that pretty husband of hers, Vandyn was never one to just drop in, and now even Kiffa spends more time on your homestead than with her family."
"She's taken to being the village sky woman rather well."
"It does my heart good to hear that from you. The poor girl is harder on herself than she ought to be."
"And how's Haythe? I haven't seen him."
"Oh, he'll be by any minute now. He took Vylas and the children to stay the night with his in-laws; it was Goodman Cooper's birthday yesterday."
Enfri winced. "Might come as a surprise for him to find an army invading his house, dragons and all."
Goodwife Smith chuckled. "Oh, we had a few months of getting used to Deebee. I think Haythe can survive the shock." Something in her tone changed. Not quite sad— closer to weary. "I'm sure everyone will be relieved to see armsmen."
Enfri's brow drew together. "Is something..."
"That tea was awfully bitter, wasn't it?" Goodwife Smith interrupted. "I'll bring out some fruit to cleanse the palate."
Enfri sighed and let her hands rest in her lap. She looked around the Smith house and marveled at how she'd once thought it was the largest home she could imagine. It was the biggest residence in Sandharbor, two stories with enough bedrooms for their children and their families. After seeing a bit more of the world, Enfri now realized the Smiths' house would rate as a small country lodge for even a minor noble. Her own estate in Ecclesia could fit five of this house inside a single wing.
Even so, Enfri preferred this. She found that she felt more at home here than she ever had in her estate.
She no longer wore her flight armor but a linen dress that once belonged to her mother. Kiffa had brought out the trunks of Enfri's old belongings for her, and Tormaka the Wanderer had carried them up the road to the Smith homestead after Enfri was offered a place to stay for the night. It'd been something of a surprise to discover that Mierwyn's clothes fit her, but Enfri supposed she'd grown quite a bit since she was last in Sandharbor. Not as skinny and even a little taller. While Enfri doubted she'd ever reach anything approaching her father's or Elise's height, she'd ended up standing higher than the average Althandi woman.
You're still young, Inwé said. You might even have another inch or two to go.
I got used to being short, Enfri thought back. I always thought the spinal kyphosis would leave me looking up at everyone.
To the ones you wish to, he said with a note of good humor. If I don't miss my guess, you like being smaller than your bride-to-be.
Enfri looked down at her hands and smiled. Kiffa's mother continued to rattle around in her kitchen, leaving Enfri on her own for the moment. With no one there to see, Enfri let her smile fade.
Grandfather...
Inwé made a soothing sound. I don't want you to feel ashamed, my empress.
I'm sorry, she thought anyway. I never... I never pushed you or Father away like that, like I used to with Shoen and the rest.
You were in pain. You did nothing wrong.
But, I did, Enfri insisted. I killed a dragon.
Inwé was silent for a time before he spoke again. As did I.
You?
Mmm. Remember, my empress, my time was a very different era from your own. The proteurim had not yet faded from the world, the scars left on the land by the old masters' reign still remained, and mortals and mighty had yet to have anything resembling cordial relations. I daresay, I knew more families who lost loved ones to the predations of dragons than to demons. My Shan Alee was often forced to battle dragons who saw the bonds as an abomination to be eradicated. It was a savage age, and unkind. Before my days came to an end, many dragons fell by my actions.
Enfri bit her lip as she wrung her hands. You changed that.
Not overnight, and my Majestic had just as much to do with it as I did. More, if I'm being honest. My point is, Enfri, dragons are great and wondrous beings, but so are we. Their lives are not inherently worth more than our own. The mighty are wise, but they are not infallible. Or sacred. You were not in the wrong when you struck her down.
Enfri cringed.
No one in Shan Alee would rather the Invader had killed you, and that was the only other possibility. Take it from a man who once stood where you stand now, you acted rightly. And I know how terribly it hurts. That you suffer for the blood you must spill proves to me you are the right woman to bear this burden.
I wish I could believe that, Enfri thought.
You are an empress, and you are also a healer. I believe that to be a worthy combination. You recognize the truth of life and the finality of death, so you will not dole out either lightly. Because you know more than most how precious both are to mortals.
Enfri furrowed her brow. Death was precious? She intended to ask Inwé what he meant by that, but they were interrupted by Goodwife Smith returning from the kitchen. She carried a small dish piled with sliced melon and strawberries and set it on the table beside a jug of ice water.
Goodwife Smith hardly showed her years. She didn't appear old enough to be a grandmother yet, though she was soon to meet her fifth grandchild. There were a few lines at the corners of her eyes and mouth, and she had a smattering of freckles from working in the sun. Her long, black hair was showing hints of turning silver and was worn down and out of her shawl. Goodwife Smith's dark brown eyes stayed on Enfri the entire time they spoke.
"So, Kiffa tells me you're betrothed now," she said while she poured water for them both.
"I am."
"Well, don't leave me in suspense. Tell me all about him."
"Err..."
Goodwife Smith was about to sit down in the chair beside Enfri when there was a knock at the front door. "Bother. Don't think you escaped telling me the details."
Yora took the opportunity to chime in. Well, she hasn't changed. The worst sort of gossipmonger. Pretty legs, though, and wasn't afraid to swing her skirt up to show them off while dancing at festival.
Enfri stifled a scandalized gasp.
Oh, aye. Not ashamed to say she would've been my second choice if your mother snubbed me.
I should tell Goodman Smith what you said.
Yora scoffed. As if I never caught Brandyn ogling your mother.
Enfri pursed her lips into a pout. I don't want to think about Goodman Smith ogling Mother, thank you very much. This is blustering odd enough without adding your teenaged drama to the mix.
Yora sighed. Fair enough. As you say.
Besides, Enfri thought reluctantly, there's something I want to talk to you about. Regarding Mother.
He went quiet, and when he spoke again, it wasn't on the subject Enfri wanted to discuss. It'll have to wait, Sunny. Looks like the door was for you.
Goodwife Smith returned, and her manner had changed drastically from a moment earlier. She bustled back into the dining room and began setting more chairs in order. Her hands fretted at the shawl around her shoulders as if debating whether to put her hair back up.
"Winds and storms," she admonished herself, "chatting the day away when I should've been cleaning for guests."
Someone followed her into the room. Three someones.
"Please, don't trouble yourself, Goodwife," Ban said. "We apologize for barging in unannounced."
"Is big home," Moon observed. For some odd reason, she was wearing a gray knight's uniform to match Ban's. "Wood home. Warm for winter. And clean."
"Leave one of your knives against the doorframe," Kimpo advised Moon. "A bit of Althandi custom."
"This means what?"
"Your willingness to defend the home of your host should it be required. It's the local way of accepting guest-rights. It's why Ban left his axe there."
Moon nodded gravely. "Aye. Is sacred thing. I will do this."
Enfri noted how Goodwife Smith's eyes kept darting towards Moon's antlers, then at her hooves as she bent to lay one of her many knives beside Ban's axe. It was easy enough to recognize how Goodwife Smith must've been feeling. It wasn't everyday one met a fairy tale, but the goodfolk of Sandharbor had slightly more experience with that sort of thing than most.
Rising to meet them, Enfri took Goodwife Smith by the hand to still her fretting. "I didn't expect to see you so soon, Ban. How's Ascania?"
"Thank you, she's well." He picked at the cuffs of his uniform, a sort of nervous twitch Enfri had never observed in him before. "I thought it best to look in on you, and I think the legion benefits from being out from under my watch for a few hours. Gets them used to the idea of taking orders from Reyn."
"Oh," Enfri said softly. "Is it really for the best after what happened? Leaving her in charge of the legion?"
Ban's confident smile returned. "I left the Ulthred in charge of the legion. And he's letting everyone who'll listen know that Reyn's in charge of him. We're addressing Reyn as 'Lady Regent' for the time being. At least until everyone else shows up."
Well intentioned, Inwé whispered, but I fear how wise it may be to publicly raise your shifter friend up like this. From personal experience, there is nothing a man with racial privilege and a penny hates more than someone without that privilege and a mark.
Enfri felt a stab of worry. I'm sure my armsmen are better than that. They follow me, don't they? I'm hardly someone with racial privilege.
I hope you are right, Inwé replied.
"My manners," Enfri said with a shake of her head. "Goodwife Smith, this is Knight-Marshal Bannlyth the Karst, the Lord of Rubies and First Knight of Shan Alee. His bonded partner, Kimpo the Huntress. She's Deebee's mate. And Ban's betrothed, Rippling Moon of the Lost Company Tribe."
Ban inclined his head to Goodwife Smith. Moon and Kimpo voiced their own polite greetings.
"And this is Goodwife Smith," Enfri said. "She and her family more or less adopted me after my grandmother passed."
"You're too kind, dear," Goodwife Smith said. "Would that the memory ward hadn't been preventing us from doing more." She looked at Ban once again and dipped into a curtsy. "Forgive me, my lord. I mistook you for Enfri's betrothed when you arrived."
Ban's eyes widened with amusement. Moon stifled a giggle.
"No offense taken, Goodwife," Ban said diplomatically. "Happens more often than you'd think."
"Does it really?" Enfri asked.
Ban gave her a curious look down the bridge of his nose. "Weird that you haven't noticed."
Enfri returned him a shrug. Truth be told, she had a difficult time noticing anything when she was in the same room as Jin.
"You must be exhausted after coming so far so quickly," Goodwife Smith said. "Can I offer you all some tea?"
"Yes, thank you," Kimpo said. "Any variety will do."
"Please, sit down and make yourself comfortable. Won't be but a moment."
Enfri went back to her seat. She felt awful about causing such a fuss. "I'm sorry for putting you out so much, Goodwife Smith."
"Dear, please," Goodwife Smith laughed. "You're practically family. You can call me by my given name."
"Oh, I really couldn't," Enfri murmured self-consciously as Goodwife Smith went back to the kitchen to make more tea.
Ban settled into a chair beside her. He watched her sidelong, and there was a touch of mockery in his smile. "You really couldn't, could you?"
Enfri felt her entire face heat up to the point of bursting into flame. She turned her head towards Ban, eyes wide open with mortification. "I've no idea what you mean."
He had to bite his tongue to hold back his laughter.
"Now, see here," Enfri whispered harshly. "I hardly saw them before I came of age, and after that, everyone assumed I already knew it."
Ban's voice was tight from the effort of controlling himself. "And at that point, it's too awkward to ask."
"It is!" Enfri took a deep breath to calm herself. "Setting that aside. Moon, what are you wearing?"
"Am Knight-Lieutenant now," Moon grumbled. "Must be officer to be on Ascania's crew. Ban is ashen."
"Enforcing regulation," Ban argued. "I can't just go around making exceptions, willy nilly. You don't want everyone thinking I'm playing favorites, do you?"
"Ashen," Moon reiterated. Her expression brightened. "Is not all. Am learning to be magic-blessed."
"An arcanist?" Enfri gasped. "What kind?"
Moon pulled back the sleeve of her coat to reveal a steel bracer around her forearm. A number of lines and runes were etched into its smooth finish. "Scrivener. Ban taught me these. Simple but am not yet able to light them."
"It takes time," Ban said in encouragement. "She's a fast learner. She was already able to read most first-tier runes. Showing her how to string them into a sigil wasn't hard at all."
"I sight what Ban does. Am not rocker."
"And listen to this!" Ban's voice hit a higher register as if he couldn't believe his own words. "She can already carve a perfect circle."
"Is this thing everyone not able to do?"
Ban threw his hands in the air.
Enfri covered her mouth to hide her smile. She wondered how it might work out having a lover as a tutor. Or a student, for that matter. Well, if there was anyone who could find a way to make it work, it was Ban and Moon.
She found herself overcome with affection for them. It came along with a resurgence of guilt for what she put them through the day before. "I'm so sorry for causing all this trouble."
"Not like you let Garret out of his cage." Ban leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "If it was going to happen, I'm glad it happened while you were up in the air and ready to defend yourself. I don't want to think about what might've come of it if he let out the renegades while you were riding with the columns."
Enfri chewed her lip. She didn't much want to think about it either. "What've you learned?"
"Garret's been tight-lipped about the details of his escape," Ban growled. "When he says something coherent at all, that is. Calm and putting on airs one moment, raving lunacy the next. From what we put together, once he dominated his guards, he snuck over to the renegades' wagons and sabotaged their restraints. Seems like they broke free immediately afterwards and made a beeline for you."
"That's when he tried to hijack the pilgrims' wagons?" Enfri asked.
Ban shrugged. "Can't say how that madman's mind works, but I think he must've been betting on taking a bunch of Aleesh back to Elise to win her favor. He might've even pulled it off if it hadn't been for Reyn, and no one expected the pilgrims had shifters among them."
Enfri blew out her cheeks. "I still can't believe it."
"We were fortunate," Kimpo said. "But there is more. And worse."
"What do you mean?"
Ban let out a weary sigh. "Starra's Dekaam spike was as secure as it was possible to be. Reyn, Krayson, Rav, and Lord Thaan all concurred it would hold. Every way we look at it, Garret couldn't have gotten free on his own."
Enfri swallowed. "Meaning, someone else pulled it out."
"We have an infiltrator." Ban clenched his fist as if wishing to beat it against something. "It might've been the shifter from Ecclesia, maybe one of our dragons is loyal to Elise, it could be some agent from Althandor, or it just might be we've given someone more trust than we should have."
"A traitor?" Enfri gasped.
"In the worst case, yes." Kimpo said. "However it was he came to be freed, I believe this makes it plain what must be done with Master Deveaux. He needs to be removed as a threat."
Enfri felt a pit in her stomach. She knew as well as anyone how Garret couldn't be allowed another chance to cause trouble, but that didn't mean she had to like it. "As soon as the legion arrives, Brother Joshuan will perform the rite to remove Garret's bloodsong."
"And you still mean to give it to Princess Nkeoma?" Kimpo asked.
Enfri nodded. "I do. It's not much of an olive branch, but I hope it'll be a start to mending the bridges between Shan Alee and Melcia."
"What then is done to Name Thief?" Moon asked. "His hands are ashen. Must be cleansed."
"She's got a point, Enfri," Ban said. "If a limb's festering, you don't use a salve. You use a bone saw. Men like that... Sometimes you save lives by taking them."
Enfri felt her throat tighten. "He's a madman," she said softly. "A raper. A self-proclaimed murderer. Garret's a monster. When you tell me the world will be better off without him, I can't say you're wrong." In her mind, she felt the Dragon Emperors paying even more attention to her than usual. "You're right. Garret deserves to die."
Ban gave a grim nod. "I'll do it. I'll make it painless, at least."
"Better than he deserves," Kimpo snarled.
Enfri shook her head. "No. He deserves to die, but we can't be the ones who do it."
Kimpo sat up straight. "What? Are you suggesting we allow that..."
"Easy, love," Ban said gently. "It's personal for you. I get it. It's personal for all of us, but let's hear the empress out."
"You're blazing right it's personal," Kimpo said. "I was subjected to that vile, little man far longer than anyone."
Moon held onto Kimpo's arm. "Kimpo speaks unclouded, but her eyes sight black. She is fire when she must be water."
"Is that your way of telling me to calm down?" Kimpo demanded. She looked down into Moon's eyes, and that seemed to help her master her temper. "Yes, I must stay level-headed. Thank you, Moon. Forgive me, my empress. I was out of line."
"I'll never fault you for it." Enfri let out a long breath. "Whether we like it or not, Garret is the Merovech. Even if he's a traitor to the Five Kingdoms, he's the head of a great house of Althandor. There are laws we have to follow. We don't have the right to execute him. We're toeing a dangerous line just by taking his bloodsong, but I think giving it to Nkeoma will work in our favor there."
"So we do what?" Kimpo asked. "Place him on the next Nadian airship bringing supplies? Dump him onto a train bound for the Spired City and wash our hands of him?"
"I have an idea as to that," Enfri said, and she felt her tone grow dark. "I have no intention of returning him to Althandor. Prince Vintus will probably have him out of his chains as soon as he arrives and cover up all the terrible things he's done. I won't return a weapon to the old masters."
Ban sat up. "Now you got me curious."
"We send him west."
"Waves," Ban breathed. "You mean to give him over to the executor."
Enfri nodded. "It seems I have something of a security issue with Mistress Hana," she said in a wry tone. "She's admitted to being an Espallan... Well, 'spy' may be too strong a term, but she's been informing on us to Hagen of the Amak'talan. Seems they're related of a sort. Obviously, there's a conflict of interests in keeping her as my steward, so I sat her down last night and hammered out a plan."
"About the Jade Empire's offer for you to marry their emperor?" Kimpo asked.
"I can mark that down as a definite no," Enfri said firmly, "but we have to do something to answer their overture. Hana and Hagen agreed to hold Garret for the time being in exchange for my answer to the Jade Empire. If what Deebee and Jin tells me is accurate, the far west hasn't had contact with the Five Kingdoms in more than a century. This is too big of an opportunity to ignore."
Ban hummed thoughtfully. "And rekindling relations might go a long way to earning Shan Alee favor among the houses." His brow furrowed as he thought it over further. "Waves, but if we could set ourselves up as a line of contact between the east and west, we'd be indispensable. Cathis wouldn't dare move against Shan Alee or House Yora if it meant severing those ties again. The last Highest King who alienated the Jade Empire was practically pulled off the throne by his own advisors."
"So we send an envoy," Kimpo concluded. "One that will graciously decline the marriage offer from the Glorious Emperor while attempting to form a new alliance."
"A tall order," Ban said. "No one really knows much of anything about the People of Jade anymore, let alone their emperor. Who would we send?"
Enfri sighed. "Deebee wasn't all that helpful. Before she left to look in on her lair, she just said a dragon would be useless that far west. Do you know what she meant by that, Kimpo?"
"Not the specific mechanisms behind it," Kimpo said. "All I know for certain is that it has something to do with ley lines."
Ban nodded as if he knew what she was talking about. Enfri was left in the dark. Ban must've noticed her confusion.
"Ley lines," he said. "Places where the Ethereum leaks into the mortal world. They're like cracks in the glass separating the two realms. Nashal's tower sits on an intersection of about a half-dozen ley lines. A few more intersections are spread throughout the Altieri forests, loads of them scattered around Althandor, and I think there's a really big one just north of Melcia."
"Yes," Kimpo said. "Ley lines are where ether bleeds from the Ethereum into our world. The City of Althandor sits on the largest intersection on the Continent. The western coast of the Continent doesn't have any."
Enfri thought she was starting to understand. "And the mighty are creatures of magic."
"It would be like starvation," Kimpo said. "It's why we need not eat as much as our size suggests. We subsist as much on ether as from what we hunt. The mighty can't survive for long that far west of the Five Kingdoms."
"What about human arcanists?" Enfri asked.
"My Storyteller would be able to answer that better," Kimpo said. "I assume your ether will replenish much more slowly than in the Five Kingdoms. From what Deebee told me of your time in the desert, she felt the effects of being so far from ley lines even just a few leagues into the Espalla Dunes."
Moon frowned. "Was land of fire-scented. Fire-scented had much magic. How they work magic when ley lines are far away?"
"Yeah," Ban mused. "The ancient Aleesh would've needed ley lines if they were half as good at spellcraft as the secret history says they were." He hissed quietly. "You don't think Shoen's death curse killed the ley lines around there, do you?"
"It's possible," Kimpo said. "Perhaps probable."
Enfri felt her head spinning. Outside of alchemy, she was useless at arcane theory. If only Deebee hadn't insisted on taking the first steps in preparing for nesting. She was better at this sort of thing. Krayson, Reyn, or Starra would've been able to add something useful to the discussion, also.
"I was starting to think Shan Alee was growing too big for me to handle," she said mostly to herself, "but we're already spreading ourselves thin. We should send an arcane expert as part of the envoy. One without a dragon bond."
Ban shook his head once they were brought back on topic. "Right. Also, someone who can negotiate with imperial authority. Then someone with the muscle to keep Garret under control. And if one of them can speak Espalleese, it'll make everything easier."
"Saveen's the only one who can speak the Tongue of Jade," Kimpo said, "but she can't go that far west. I know of few other linguists we can send."
"Lady Starra could work," Ban suggested, "and Enfri's already given her the same powers as a Diamond Knight."
Enfri winced. "No, I need her here, or at least close enough that she can teleport back to us at a moment's notice. If House Nolaas arrives and Starra isn't here, I'm not sure her father will agree to swear fealty."
"Wait, what?" Ban exclaimed. "More vampires are coming?"
Enfri winced again. "Sorry. Starra asked me not to make that public just yet. Forgot to mention it to you."
Ban rubbed at his temples. "Waves. Choosing who goes is going to take some work, isn't it?"
Enfri gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. She had a few more suggestions to make, but it was put on hold when she heard something of a commotion coming from outside.
Goodwife Smith reappeared from the kitchen and set down the tea tray. "I think I hear that son of mine. That squealing must be little Bran getting his first look at that Grimdar fellow."
"Kids do like dragons," Ban chuckled. He took Goodwife Smith's hand after she placed a teacup in front of him. "And forgive me, Goodwife, but I didn't catch your given name."
Goodwife Smith's cheeks reddened slightly, and she touched at her hair as she gave a self-conscious laugh. "Blaine, my lord. Blaine Smith."
Enfri was disgusted by how easy that was for him. A little at herself when she realized she had known Goodwife Smith's name and had only forgotten.
"House Karst is at your service, Blaine," Ban said while rising to his feet. He released her hand and bent to plant an affectionate kiss on the top of Moon's head. "Stay and have tea, lisichka. Enfri and I will greet our hosts."
She didn't need much convincing. Moon was thoroughly occupied with sampling strawberries. It was around that moment Goodwife Smith noticed Moon's pregnancy, so there was no chance of pulling her away. Ban and Kimpo exchanged nods, and Kimpo settled in to sip tea as she remained with Moon.
"I'm getting nervous," Enfri said quietly as Ban escorted her to the door. "I feel like I haven't seen Haythe in years, but it's just been a couple months. And I'm coming back to ask his family to give me back the land I gave them like a heel."
"Remind me," Ban said. "This is the same apprentice blacksmith Jin's always teasing you about?"
"I was young," Enfri protested. "And Haythe's awfully pretty."
"If he caught your eye, he must be an alright sort."
"He's a good man. A good father. You could take notes."
"Never hurts to observe a positive example." He reached the front door and put his hand on it. "Have you talked about the land with Goodman Smith yet?"
Enfri shook her head dejectedly. "You know me. Always eager to dive into awkward conversations."
"You do know his name, right?"
She swatted him.