Page 80 of A Reign of Embers

Marc gives a quiet cough. “I believe a technique was investigated, before the canals?—”

The high commander cuts off the supposed guard with a sharp glance. “You’ve never been stationed outside the palace. I hardly think you should be weighing in.”

He returns his attention to me. “By the end of the day,I’ll put together a plan for seeing your intentions through. Unless Counsel Etta has additional objections.”

She shakes her head. “I can see our priorities must be maintaining the territory we still have—and the peace and order we’ve built here. I only—old habits die hard.”

“They do. Now, in case appealing to the godsdoesn’tdissuade Valerisse, I’d better go over the latest reports from our spies within her ranks and how we might make use of the information.”

Etta’s face tightens. I don’t think she has much stomach for war.

I aim a wry smile at her. “Thank you for your input on the situation in Cotea. You can take your leave now if you’d like, unless you have thoughts on the military strategy after all.”

She laughs with obvious relief. “No, I can certainly leave that subject to the high commander.”

Marc opens the door for her to duck out of the room. His eyes meet mine briefly, dark and intense—but I can’t say any more so than usual.

I suppose I’ll find out how he feels about my plan when we’re alone.

Axius pays the supposed guard no mind. He tugs at the illusion on the table to focus the map on Lavira. “I think the reports we got yesterday and today are promising. The influx of new supporters has slowed.”

My smile twists. “That could mean Valerisse will decide it’s time to move on us soon.”

“Yes—but those who haven’t gone over to her are on your side. We need regular men and women as well as the gods.” He tilts his head. “The spies have observed that not all the conversation they’ve heard has been completely supportive of Valerisse. I’ve been thinking about the tactics we’ve seen used against you here—attempts to stir up ill-feeling about yourrule. The attacks with the insults spoken against you, the imposing divine omens…”

“You want me to ask Elox to project threatening signs over Valerisse’s army?”

Axius chuckles. “That isn’t really his typical approach, is it? No, I wondered if there’s a way we might spread more doubt and dissent within her own ranks. Other than the contingent who served directly under her, the loyalty of those soldiers will be shaky. Theyaregoing against their imperial oaths.”

I mull the idea over. “How would we accomplish that? Surely anyone who spoke out against her openly would be cut down. I’m not sending our people up there to die just to shout a few accusations.”

“True. But if we could come up with a subtle means… It’s something I thought we should discuss.”

Marc stirs at his post. “I’d imagine, if there were soldiers with ideal?—”

Axius scowls at him, clearly annoyed by the second interruption. “Know your place, man. You’ve done a lot of good for Her Imperial Highness, but that doesn’t give you the station to impose on her conversations. I’ve been running this army for decades longer than you’ve even been in it.”

Marc’s jaw clenches, but this time he doesn’t back down. “I simply wanted to suggest—I thought I heard it mentioned that there might?—”

“Enough,” Axius snaps. “We’re going to discuss the possibilities based on facts, not second- or third-hand information you overheard.”

My hackles have risen on Marc’s behalf. Can’t Axius just let him speak?

Maybe I wouldn’t feel this way if it were any other soldier. I suppose it is overstepping rather a lot for a new guard to be inserting himself into a discussion between theempress and her highest military advisor. But I know that this particular “guard” has far more experience and understanding than Axius realizes.

I grope for a diplomatic approach. “Your authority is undeniable, high commander. But I’d like to hear what my guard has to say, in case it sparks some new idea. Outside perspectives are often useful that way.”

Axius’s expression stays grim, but he isn’t going to deny the request from me. He waves brusquely at Marc. “Go on, then.”

Marc starts again in an unusually cautious tone. “I thought perhaps there might have been soldiers with gifts that would be useful for subtle methods of undermining… It might be something considered in the past, even if not implemented yet.”

Axius’s scowl deepens. “I don’t see any inspiration in that, only a lot of vague imaginings. Of course we’ll consider the gifts of the soldiers. If that’s all you have to say, we’ll get back to our discussion.”

Marc looks as if he’s bit his tongue. His gaze darts to me for just a second, and abruptly I understand.

He isn’t just speculating. Heknowssomething that either Axius doesn’t or has forgotten—but it’s something no ordinary guard could possibly be aware of. He can’t say more without raising an awful lot of questions he knows I wouldn’t want asked.

It mustn’t be something he feels he could simply tell me and let me appear to discover it on my own, or he wouldn’t have spoken up in front of Axius at all.

---