Page 7 of Between Fear and Favor

“I’m so sorry, Dia. It should have been reported immediately. Do you think it can be mended or will you need a new one? Do you have a schematic?”

“A new wheel will do, but I don’t think any of the wainwrights will have the time.” A soft huff of laughter escaped her lips before she set her jaw. “Besides, it isn’t as if we’re going anywhere.”

“You’re too close to the city walls. I don’t think we can protect you here. The Crown will house?—”

Ihon stepped into the room, placing most of his weight on a cane I was worried would snap at any moment. He was taller than I’d imagined, and I wondered about his glory days. Had Ihon wooed Dia with his impressive height? Was she the only one who could break through his grumpy façade?

“All the Crown brought us before was apathy. And now, the new king only brings us war. And you. Did one bring upon the other, I wonder?”

“Ihon,” Dia warned.

“Don’t ‘Ihon’ me. I’m just about sick of our royal visitor,” he sneered. “We’ll die in our beds,Your Majesty.”

I wished Ihon and Dia were the first people I’d fought with to leave the Wend. I wished each story wasn’t nearly the same as all the rest. Be it age, mobility issues, or sheer stubbornness, I wasn’t sure I’d get any of them to leave their homes. Not in a way that left me feeling positive about the experience, anyway.

“I could order you to leave,” I said, not sure if I should or not. Though I was the queen, there were laws. There were expectations. Rainier and I had wanted to be kind and just rulers. We hoped to gain the trust of our people without using unnecessary force. I’d spent so much time in the Wend, doing my best to help make things better. I didn’t want to undo any sort of trust I’d managed to foster in this impoverished area of the city. But if they all died, did it matter? We had plans and dreams to fulfill within Astana—if there was an Astana left after the Supreme was finished with us.

“We are too old to start over, Your Majesty.” Dia’s voice was soft. “Our son is on the other side of those walls, fighting to keep our home safe. If he can withstand the danger, so can we.”

“Emma,” I said, voice breaking. “You may call me Emma.” I couldn’t bear the thought of another couple being uncertain about their child’s safety. I knew the pain well, and my daughter was far better protected than their son. “Please, let me give him someone to come back to. He may survive even if they breach our walls. You certainly will not.”

Dia looked at the ground—which was notably spotless. Most homes in the Wend were not so meticulously cared for. Everything in this room was clean, though I noticed anything above chair height was slightly dustier, and an orb weaver had taken up residence in the far corner. Glancing into the hall, I realized that was the case throughout. Save for the puddle of water in front of the hearth from the recent storm, there was nothing out of place. Dia cared for her home with a reverent touch. Ihon only gazed at his wife, a grim determination creasing his features. It was clear her opinion was the only one which mattered as he waited for her to speak.

As I went to move around the bed, ready to beg Dia to listen to me, Ihon’s cane moved to block my passing.

“Leave her be,” he said, rapping my shins harder than he likely intended. His eyes widened as he saw me wince, but he didn’t back down. “She don’t need you guilting her.”

“I agree,” I said, realizing my solution. The very idea coated my tongue in slimy regret, and my stomach folded into itself. The words slithered out, anyway. “But she does need you.”

Ihon’s eyes narrowed as he attempted to understand me. “Yes.”

“And you just assaulted your Queen.” I closed my eyes, unable to bear the hatred burning into me from both Ihon and Dia. I could have left them, like I’d done with the last man who’d refused to leave his home. But the thought of this couple’s child coming home after a long battle, only to find their home razed to the ground from an errant flaming arrow vexed me. If all that was left was his parent’s charred remains, what would he have fought for?

“You can’t,” Dia breathed.

“I can,” I asserted, turning to look at the woman. Dia’s mouth had fallen open and her sandy skin had gone pale. “But I won’t. Imprison him, that is.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Cal step into the room, placing himself between me and Ihon.

“You bitch,” Ihon murmured.

“I won’t put you in the dungeons if you let me move you both farther into the city. There is a place?—”

“Fine,” Dia snapped, eyes darting over to her husband. Softer, she whispered, “Don’t take him from me.”

“Gather what you can into that trunk,” I said, pointing toward the foot of their bed. “A wagon will be here to escort you before sunset,” I said. Throat tight, I moved past Ihon, careful not to bump into him. The last thing I wanted to do was set him off balance. Closing my eyes, I prepared myself for the evening sunlight to burn into me, making my already pounding head worse.

“Justify yourself all you want, Your Majesty,” Dia called as my hand slipped to the doorknob. “At least Shivani didn’t try to hide her manipulation behind her morals.”

“A queen doesn’t regret using whatever cunning she has to keep her people alive,” I responded, though I wasn’t sure that was true. Was going against their desires selfish? Swallowing, I opened the door and stepped back into the Wend.

If what I did was wrong, did it matter? My decision would have been the same.

Breathing in air that was far from fresh, I still didn’t want to return to my chambers, but I wasn’t sure I could fight with another person. In fact, being around people was the very last thing I wanted.

Chapter 6

LAVENIA

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