Page 94 of A Reign of Embers

My words stumble away from me, and the last thing I’m aware of is my body teetering over as my bones turn to jelly.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Bastien

My father eyes the books we’ve just set on the royal archivist’s desk as if he thinks they might leap up and assault us. “A few returned tomes are hardly cause to start celebrating our liberation.”

With just one sentence, he can set my teeth on edge.

Through immense will, I force my jaw to relax. “That’s only a fraction of what she’s offered.”

“It’s the only concrete manifestation of her commitment.” He turns on his heel and stalks back toward his office where we were talking earlier.

I follow at a brisk pace, checking the hall to make sure no servants are around to notice my presence. I made it into Cotea safely enough, albeit with a couple of diversions to avoid soldiers on patrol near the border, but the capital is crawling with nearly as many figures in imperial uniforms as when the coronation tour stopped here.

Tribune Valerisse is clearly wary of the country closest to her current base of operations. I don’t want to stay here any longer than I need to, and not just because every day apart from Aurelia jabs at me like a thorn in my chest.

I don’t want to leave without knowing the Cotean king is at least seriously considering Aurelia’s proposal, though.

I keep quiet until the office door has shut behind us and then fold my arms over my chest. “Aren’t you always badgering me about taking risks and seeing what’s possible beyond what’s right in front of us? I’m giving you the greatest opportunity any ruler of Cotea has gotten since Dariu swept in centuries ago. Don’t tell me you’re all about sticking to the straight and narrow now.”

A muscle in Father’s jaw ticks. Apparently I’m getting on his nerves too. Even the last time I visited, I wasn’t bold enough to challenge him quite so openly.

That was before I watched Aurelia speak up to him on my behalf. Before I helped bring down Marclinus and saw my own child brought into the world.

Everything I’ve wanted to fight for sinceIwas a child is within my reach. I’m not letting the chance slip me by.

Father’s eyes narrow as he considers me. “I don’t believe in reckless action either.”

“What’s reckless about this? It’s a clear trade. She’s proven her generosity before. She’s given you a way of striking back if she reneges on the promise.”

“Or lies that could make us look like imbeciles if we bring them up.”

I restrain a huff of frustration. “Have you been paying any attention at all? She’s exactly the sort of authority you should want to support. She’s doing somethingnew, going against the main god of the empire, daring to set out on a new path. And conveniently, it’s a new path that would grant freedom to our country.”

“It’s easy to dream,” Father retorts. “It’s not so easy to follow through when it means going against what everyone around you expects.”

“She already is going against them.” I wave my hand vaguely in the air. “Do you see any innovation coming from the tribune and her brutish forces?”

Father’s mouth twists. “We don’t know where that path will lead yet.”

All at once, I’m exhausted. So tired of clashing with my father every step of the way, of being a disappointment no matter what I say or do.

We’ve been having variations on this argument for two days straight, and we keep going in circles, ending up back where we started.

I have one more card to play, don’t I? One that’ll prove I know more about the inner workings of the empire than the man in front of me could ever hope to.

I don’t think the sentimentality will sway him, but maybe the shock will.

“If you can’t give me any better reason than that,” he’s starting.

I fix him with my steeliest gaze. “I can give you one more reason that should matter to you. If you let the empress and her reign be crushed, you’re consigning your granddaughter to execution too.”

Father gapes at me for a few seconds before his eyes widen. “You can’t mean…”

I smile grimly. “I can. The ‘imperial’ line continues thanks to me. So you can be sure that I, at least, am going to do what I can to secure the futures of all the people I care about.”

Before the king can formulate a response, footsteps rap against the floor in the hall outside. A frantic knocking sounds on the door.

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