Page 11 of Ironhold: Trial Five

The emperor smiles. “I know youwill. Oh, and one more thing…”

“Yes, my emperor?”

“It’s obvious now that you havemore of a connection to the groups acting against me than I believed.”

“I don't understand,” I say.

“Do not lie to me,” the emperorsnaps. “It's clearly not a coincidence that your latest sponsor was slain bycreatures. Only a beast whisperer could do that, and you are hardly one ofthose anymore.”

He still believes that my dampenerprevents me from using any of my powers. I look at him, not saying anything.

“As it happens, I don't believethat Lady Emin is that great a loss. She was a plotter in her own way, the sameas her daughter. When I allowed her to be your sponsor, I assumed that eithershe would be grateful for the chance to crush you, or something like this wouldhappen. I've benefited either way. In this case because your beast whispererfriends have shown their hand.”

“I don't have any beast whispererfriends,” I lie. I cannot let him find out about Lady Elara and her plans.

The emperor gives me a stern look.“I told you not to lie to me. And I hope that for your sake itisa lie.You have a connection to them. I suppose I could have you tortured to find outeverything, but it is easier to just use you, now that I have AlaricBlackthorn. You have a connection. You willusethat connection. Youwill help me to crush them. If you do that… then I might be inclined to freeboth you and Alaric.”

I kneel there, shocked by what he'ssuggesting. He wants me to betray Lady Elara, the spectral covenant, andeveryone working with them.

“But you don't have to reply tothat one at once,” the emperor says. “Take the time to think it over. Realizethe reality of your position. If I get bored with you taking too long, then Ican always have you tortured after all. Now go, and remember that even if I'mnot your patron anymore, I own you.”

Chapter Six

I don't know what to do as I makemy way back to Ironhold. I had thought that the emperor was done with me, butit's clear that he willneverbe done with me. He will never let me go,will never let me simply be free.

The more I think about it, the moreI realize that I'm trapped by my own power and fame. If I were any othergladiator, if I had any other power, the emperor would not be interfering in mylife like this, would not be using the people I love against me. He would notcare.

But then, if I were not a beastwhisperer, perhaps I would not have survived this long. I have seen skilled,strong fighters killed in the colosseum. People with powers that seem deadlierat first glance than my own. They have not made it to their five seasons, buthave died instead on the sand for the entertainment of the people of the city.

An old, familiar hatred rises upinside me with that thought, and I had never thought that I would hate anythinguntil the imperial soldiers took me to be a slave gladiator here in Aetheria.It is hatred for the entire way the empire is run. For the emperor, certainly,but also for the system of the games, for the fact that so many die for solittle reason.

And now I have promised the emperorthat I will help it all continue. With my performances I will pacify the crowdand help to keep the city under control. It is the exact opposite of everythingLady Elara wants from me. But if I do not do it, then what? Alaric will die. Heis a hostage now against my good behavior.

The guards take me back to thefortress, removing my manacles and leaving me there in the practice yard.Almost as soon as they do so, Rowan hurries up to me.

“Lyra, are you all right? I heardthat the guards had taken you. Lord Darius announced it to the rest of us tomake it clear that we weren't to try to get to Alaric.” He sounds terrifiedthat something horrible must have happened to me.

“I'm fine,” I say automatically,but then pause. “No, I don't think Iamfine. They took me to theemperor.”

“What did he do?” Rowan asks,looking afraid for me. Looking at me, too, as if searching for fresh injuries.The emperor has hurt me before to prove that he can.

“He made me beg for Alaric’s life,”I say.

Rowan frowns. “That doesn't soundso bad. Although I'm sure he found ways to make it worse.”

I sigh, leading Rowan off into asecluded part of the practice grounds. I take up a wooden weapon from a rack ofthem, striking a post half-heartedly so that it doesn't look like we're doinganything other than simply working out together.

“He made me promise that I wouldstay in the games after my five seasons,” I say. “That I will continue to be agladiator, and fight to entertain the crowds.”

Rowan looks horrified by thatprospect. “But hecan’tdo that.”

“He's the emperor,” I point out.

Rowan shakes his head as if it istoo much for even the emperor to demand.

“Even the emperor can't force youto keep fighting,” Rowan says. “The colosseum is the heart of Aetheria. Itstraditions are so ancient and embedded that even the emperor can't really goagainst them. To do that… it would cause uproar, maybe even unrest.”

Which is presumably why Lady Elarathinks that I can make a difference from within it. It's also why the emperorneeds my agreement, however unwilling, for this part.

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