Mir'kadi, Eighteenth of Sund'im, 445 A'A'diel
The Strommarch of Thyra sat at the edge of his bed watching the Marchess pace. Eva glided through the pools of moonlight that spilled through the blue and yellow honeycomb panes of their bedchamber with ephemeral grace. Her skirts trailed over the flagstones silent as a shadow. Dyed black with ice beetle wings, the woolen dress that she wore hugged her curves as elegantly as the finest silk.
His people believed that the bosom could ache for an eternity beneath diamonds, yet rejoice at the touch of wool. The rich and the poor in Thromm mourned equally—a custom that Rhiess admired. Yet despite his woolen attire, his heart remained heavy.
Rhiess mourned his father from a sense of duty rather than loss. Tan'os had shown him little favor, preferring instead to dote on his half-sister. He had always lived in his father's shadow, working tirelessly for the interests of a city who only recognized one name: Tan'os Ensther.
Rhiess was not bitter. Whatever shortcomings Tan'os possessed as a parent, he had compensated with a talent for leading men and his passion for commerce. His father had used his position as Vise of Reyza to negotiate favorable trade agreements and treaties that had enabled Thyra to thrive.
As a result of Tan'os' acumen, the Port of Thyra had grown from a forgotten harbor to a burgeoning cultural center. The resultant renaissance had inspired artists, sages, and mathematicians to migrate north and settle in Rhiess' court. If relations with Reyza remained stable, Thyra might one day rise to join the ranks of Terranakis and A'diel as an important hub of world commerce.
Rhiess lifted his eyes to gaze upon his wife. The arranged marriage to Eva Iarris had been one of his father's political machinations. Surprisingly, the petite Vendraedi woman whom he had been saddled with had been his father's greatest gift. His love for his wife was a beacon that shone even in the darkest nights.
Rhiess buttoned his cassock slowly. "Tonight, we dine as paupers, poorer for the loss of my father."
Eva stopped pacing. "The only gratitude I owe Tan'os is that he brought us together. Tonight, I mourn only for your loss."
Rhiess smiled a mirthless smile. "By all means, speak your mind, wife."
Eva crossed her arms. "Have I ever done anything other?"
"Never," replied Rhiess. "Your honesty is one of your most endearing qualities. What did you and Gøran speak about today?"
Eva fixed her gaze on her husband. "Don't tell me Gøran still bothers you after all these years?"
Rhiess stood, smoothing the dark sleeves of his vestment. "He would bother me, dear wife, if I thought you still had feelings for him."
Eva motioned to the circular mirror that faced their bed. "Gaze upon yourself in the looking glass and be reassured, husband."
Rhiess stood and faced the mirror. "If it is my good looks and my youth that keep you loyal, I fear I must worry, for both those qualities will fade."
Eva walked behind her husband and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Look at us," she said, peeking around his arm to gaze into the age-spotted glass, "we are not of this world. It has no bearing on us because we are happy. It's true," she said, pressing her cheek against his back, "you were not the first between my legs, but you and my children are the joy of my life."
Rhiess stared into the mirror. His hair was long, nearly as long as his wife's and his eyes were of a gray color that changed with the seasons. He and Eva made a handsome pair. He stroked his wife's arm, content in the knowledge that whatever happened between Reyza and Thromm would not diminish the affection between them. "You are right, as usual."
Eva stroked Rhiess' shoulders. "I know that your half-sister is somewhat of a stranger, but I fear for her. Women's lives are fragile in the hands of men. Death can sometimes be a blessing."
"Aye," agreed Rhiess, "she is but a child, not much older than you were when you came here. Regardless of whom my father favored, I do not wish harm upon my sister. Although, after our last encounter, I am certain that Avaren will judge me less favorably."
"You were angry with your father and lost your temper. She must know by now that you did not mean to strike her. Either way, we cannot alter the past. All we can do is steer the future."
"You are serious about going to Reyza?" asked Rhiess.
Eva released her husband and walked to the fire. "I must." She took up an iron and poked the flames. "In my heart, I know that Rigo is behind all this. My brother is an arrogant fool who is not beyond trading the welfare of his people to satisfy his foolish pride. If Reyza breaks the treaty with Thromm, I fear for the whole of Ibea."
Rhiess crossed his arms. "We both know you do not care about the fate of an entire continent, Eva. What are you not saying? Where is that honesty I so treasure?"
Embers swirled into the smokestack with each of Eva's thrusts. The flames licked higher, casting their orange light upon the friezes that lined the room. Eternally caught in the throes of a raging, marble ocean, the carved ships flickered in the meager light.
"There is a reason I don't discuss my childhood," Eva said, setting the iron back in its stand.
"Perhaps the time has arrived for such a conversation," said Rhiess.
"We will be late for dinner."
"Gøran can wait."
Eva relented. "Pour me some ale. With your permission, I will divulge my grievances against your father; Ven save his soul."
Rhiess walked to a console and took up a pitcher of ale. He poured two goblets and handed one to Eva. His wife's truths tended to rip flesh from bone.
Eva took a seat on one of the two chairs that faced the fire. Rhiess joined her.
The firelight danced upon her features as she spoke. "For years my nightmares have caused you concern. And for years I have evaded your inquiries into my past. I have withheld the horrors of my childhood to protect what little love remains in your heart for your father."
"Whatever wrongs my father has done me, I have forgiven." Rhiess drank deeply. "He didn't deserve to be murdered."
Eva turned to her husband. "The Fates, like the winds, do not care about what we deserve."
"Speak plainly, wife."
"Yes, of course. Rhiess Ensther despises long-winded intercourse unless he is in bed." Eva set the goblet down. "My mother, Laila Osueldo was of Calantian stock, the daughter of Iago Osueldo, a man renowned for his temper. At the age of fourteen, she married my father, Jarle Draos Iarris, a man she had never met. She married him because it was her duty, but eventually grew to love him, or so she once told me. My early childhood was peaceful; happy even. Children often do not know the truths of their world." Eva sighed. "For many years my parents kept my sister and I ignorant of their complications. They sheltered us from the war with Five Isles; the gossip at the court; my father's string of mistresses, and the arguments that raged behind closed doors. But as I grew up, the cracks in the veneer of my familial portrait, became harder and harder to conceal."
Rhiess nursed his drink as he listened to his wife. He knew better than to press her on what was clearly a painful topic.
Eva crossed her legs and relaxed into the chair. "I remember the first time I met your father. Neesa and I were spinning tops in the banquet hall when we were startled by one of the hunting hounds. We screamed and ran. We bolted into the corridor, straight into your father's boots."
Rhiess smiled. "When I was a child my father seemed larger than life."
Eva nodded. "We were awestruck. My sister and I had never seen a Bissatiel man before. We fell back wondering if we had just met one of the legendary Sigrün. Your father bent down and held his hand out. 'Godagg lasses,' he said. It was one of the only times I saw Tan'os Ensther smile."
"Tan'os Ensther was never one for humor," agreed Rhiess.
"I didn't see him much after that. Whatever dealings Tan'os had with my father went on in the war room or the jarle's private study; places my sister and I were not allowed to enter. Rarely did Tan'os join our family for dinner or private affairs. Tan'os always remained an outsider, my parents never trusted him."
"I never assumed that my father was well liked. Reyza needed his ships to win a war. Everyone knows that it was convenience, not love, that forged the bond between our nations," Rhiess said.
Eva took up the goblet and sipped the Zherrian ale. She stared into the flames, allowing the silence to deepen before continuing. "On the eve of my tenth birthday, I snuck out of my room. As was my habit on cold nights, I crept to Mama's bedchamber. As I approached, I realized that my mother was not alone. Father was in her chambers; yelling. The argument concerned Lady Reanne Badradeis, one of my mother's handmaidens. Reanne was my mother's third cousin. She had come from a small holding near Stellae to live at Court. Five years my senior, she was buxom and beautiful; gifted with a bright disposition. Reanne had caught my father's fancy, and my mother was enraged. I think Mama would have tolerated the whole affair if it had proved fugacious like the others, but it was not so. Reanne was different."
Rhiess shifted in his chair. "The jarle favored his mistress over his wife. I am sorry to say, but this is not all that uncommon, Eva."
"There is more to it than mere infidelity," Eva snapped. "My mother was young, and after two daughters, all of Reyza expected news of a son. The birth of my sister Neesa left my mother barren, a condition that was kept secret from both Court and Council to spare her from humiliation. Mother's inability to bear children vexed my father; fueled his indiscretions. It was as if he wanted to punish her for it."
Rhiess raised his eyebrows. As far as anyone knew Rigo Iarris was the legitimate son of the late Jarleina. Suspecting the worst, he asked, "What did you overhear that night?"
Eva drained her cup in one swallow. "Reanne had conceived a child—a boy, according to the midwives. My father was overjoyed that, at long last, Reyza had a male heir. Instead of banishing his mistress as my mother had begged him, he pressured my mother to accept Reanne's child as her own."
Eva's knuckles whitened around her cup, but her voice remained cool. "You might think this was a reasonable request, but you didn't know my mother. The argument boiled over. Things were thrown and smashed. I couldn't see what was happening, but I heard every word. That night Jarle Draos Iarris beat his wife and threatened to kill her if she didn't do his bidding. He warned that if she so much as touched a hair on Reanne's head, he would have her branded with irons. Through her sobs, my mother pleaded for our futures. My father was unmoved. Rhiess, up until the moment he cursed my sister and I for our gender, I had believed that he loved us."
Rhiess' heart ached for the sadness and anger that burned in his wife's bosom. He wanted to pull Eva into his arms and embrace her, but he refrained. "Did you tell anyone about what you overheard?"
Eva shook her head. "No. I was too young to understand what I had witnessed. All I knew was that my mother had changed. She withdrew from everyone including me." Eva closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, they were glossed over with despair. "My mother's beautiful hair grew brittle and came out in clumps when I combed it. She lost weight. Dark circles appeared under her eyes."
Rhiess placed a hand on Eva's knee. "I am sorry, Eva."
Eva offered Rhiess a small smile. "It didn't take long for my mother to disobey Father's wishes. Reanne grew bold with the brat that grew in her belly. She didn't miss an opportunity to salt Mother's wounds. One evening while we were embroidering it occurred to Reanne to mock my mother's inability to bear children. Mother remained silent and upheld her dignity, didn't even miss a stitch. When Reanne finished deriding her, Mother asked her to fetch wine. With feigned clumsiness, Reanne spilled it on my mother's lacework. Without a word, Mother snatched the silver ewer from her hands and proceeded to beat Reanne within a breath of her life. If it weren't for the guards, Reanne would have died that night. I had never seen so much red. Blood and wine covered every surface."
"I assume the child survived?" Rhiess asked.
Eva nodded. "Reanne lost an eye and part of her jaw, but as the gods would have it, she lived. The following day, without my mother's permission, Father announced to the Court that the Jarleina was with child. He proclaimed that his wife was in a fragile state of health, beseeched blessings for his unborn son, and dispatched Mother to the Retreat of Silos." Eva looked into the flames. "My world was crushed. I drowned in the cheers that rose in all corners of the palace that day."
The hair at the back of Rhiess' neck bristled with the confession. "What part did my father play in all of this?"
Disgust tinged Eva's voice. "A small contingent of mercenaries under Tan'os Ensther's command were assigned the task of escorting my mother to the cloister. To this day, I can still hear Mother kicking and screaming; begging for justice from inside that windowless carriage. I never saw her alive again. She returned, six months later, in a casket."
Rhiess rubbed his forehead. "You believe that my father had something to do with your mother's death?"
Eva hurled her goblet into the fire. "Tan'os was desperate for a foothold in Reyzan politics! He would have done anything to gain Jarle Draos' favor!" Trembling with anger and grief, Eva rose from her chair and knelt by her husband's side. She set his cup aside and grasped his hands in hers. "I have no proof that my mother was murdered, but I will never forget the coldness in Tan'os Ensther's eyes when I began asking questions. It wasn't long before Tan'os convinced my father to arrange a marriage between us. Our wedding both solidified trade across the Crossroads and distanced me from Reyza."
Rhiess wiped the tears from Eva's eyes, barely able to comprehend the secret that she had harbored for so long. "What happened to Reanne?"
"She jumped to her death from one of the palace windows shortly after Rigo's birth."
A quiet rage began to burn inside Rhiess' chest. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"Because I didn't want you to hate your father as I hated mine. Besides, what good would it have done?"
Rhiess lifted Eva's chin. "Who else knows that Rigo is a bastard?"
"Shortly after Rigo's birth, accidents befell those who were loyal to the jarleina. Her handmaidens did not return from Silos. With Tan'os' demise, I suspect that all knowledge of Rigo's illegitimacy is lost."
At long last Rhiess understood his wife's desire to return to her homeland. Gently, he brushed back a strand of her hair. Eva was braver than most men and possessed a keen mind. At that moment, he knew that if he stood in the way of her ambitions, he'd be no different than all the men who had already robbed her of choice. Rhiess spoke softly, afraid of the words he uttered next, "What is your desire, dear wife?"
Eva gazed into her husband's eyes. "Give me command of your ships! Let me go to Reyza and claim the throne that is rightfully mine."
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