Page 43 of A Monsoon Rising

Sevraim stopped chewing, staring at him with wide eyes while Jie’s lowered to the floor. Not in deference, but petulance.

“I am informing His Majesty now,” she muttered.

No one in Kesath would havedared. Alaric had to take several deep breaths so that he could respond calmly. “Lady Jie, this castle was ceded to me as the Lachis’ka’s dowry, was it not?” This earned him a sullen nod. “It is thereforemyhousehold, despite being on Nenavarene soil, and it is only appropriate that I be informed of the comings and goings, especially when they pertain tomyconsort. Surely this is not too difficult a request.”

To his utter disbelief, the impertinent teenager took a deep breath of her own, as thoughshewas the one who found him exasperating and was struggling to controlhertemper.

“I understand, Emperor Alaric,” she sang out, with a smile as chipper as it was false. “I shall endeavor to keep you up to date from now on.”

Then she flounced out of the room, her pert nose in the air.

Alaric picked up his fork and stabbed an omelet with it. “I long for the Continent.”

“Idon’t,” said Sevraim. “That was wildly entertaining.”

Alaric would have normally admonished Sevraim—or shot him a cutting glare, at the very least—but today his heart wasn’t in it. He ate slowly, all the while aware that Sevraim was watching him.

“If it’s hard that she left without telling you,” the legionnaire said at last, hesitantly, “if it reminds you of—”

“It’s not that.” The words settled like a lie on Alaric’s tongue even though the circumstancesweredifferent, far more so than anyone else could have ever imagined. No one—not Gaheris, not even Sevraim—knew that Alaric had spoken to his mother the night she fled Kesath. No one knew that Sancia Ossinast had begged him to come with her and he’d refused.

He’d refused and she’d left anyway. And although it wasn’t the same, Talasyn’s abrupt departure after he’d done something wrong in her eyes made him feel like that boy again, running after someone who would never look back, who would never return.

At dusk a skua flew in through the window of Alaric’s study with a message from his stormship at the Nenavarene harbor: Lisu’s frigate had made port and he was on his way to Iantas.

Alaric received the commodore in his study, taking a twisted satisfaction in how badly the tropical heat had affected the other man during the shallop journey from Port Samout and the short walk from Iantas’s docks to the castle. There were beads of sweat in Lisu’s spiked hair and damp patches all over his travel attire, and not even his perpetually urbane expression could disguise his discomfort as he saluted.

“At ease, Commodore,” Alaric drawled. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I’m here to escort a Nenavarene trade shipment to Kesath, Your Majesty. In case of pirates, you know. The Regent bidme drop by your lovely home away from home and send his regards.”

So you’re here to snoop on my father’s behalf,Alaric thought with disgust. “Remind me—do we have so little faith in Nenavar’s ability to defend her own cargo freighters?”

“It’s more that we wish to leave nothing up to chance when it comes to fresh aether hearts for the Night Empire,” said Lisu. “And mangoes, of course. Our people simply can’t get enough ofthose.”

Urduja had sent Alaric her numbers a few days ago. She’d been far more generous with the mangoes than the aether crystals, and he wasn’t sure how that made him feel. On the one hand, Kesath needed more crystals to protect itself. On the other, alackof crystals would delay his father’s plans for Nenavar.

“I have also come by knowledge,” Lisu continued, “of your interest in a certain Sardovian helmsman, Emperor Alaric. A friend of your wife’s, no doubt.”

Alaric’s jaw clenched. Lisu had many informants and it had only been a matter of time. “It was one of the things I promised in exchange for her cooperation—to learn if this rebel was in our prisons. But my men couldn’t find anything in our records.”

“Because this Khaede escaped before she could be processed,” said Lisu. “She and a handful of other Allfold soldiers broke out of their internment camp in the hours following the battle of Lasthaven. They were able to commandeer some coracles, but she was separated from them during the chase, and that was the last her companions saw of her.

“The other escapees eventually made their way to the mountains and found what at the time was the fledgling resistance. Someone who was aware of the story participated in the attack on the Citadel and was captured.” Lisu flashed a thinsmile. “You see, Your Majesty, when you set sail for Nenavar a fortnight ago, I thought I’d try my hand at interrogation. I already knew that you were looking for someone, and I earnestly wished to help. How fortunate that I managed to acquire this information.”

“Thank you for your assistance,” Alaric said through gritted teeth. “Is it too much to assume that you will rest content in having provided an invaluable service to the throne?”

“It is my honor, of course,” Lisu replied without missing a beat, “but I believe that I would be of even more invaluable service to His Majesty should I be given command of a void ironclad once we have more of those in production.”

In other words, once the Night Empire had seized control of the Void Sever. Once Talasyn had been stripped of her powers and the Shadow had fallen on the Nenavar Dominion.

Alaric fought to not let a sudden burst of nausea get the best of him. “Very well,” he told Lisu. “The next void ironclad to be manufactured is yours.”

The commodore had the nerve to look grateful rather than triumphant. “A wise decision, Your Majesty, I assure you.”

“We can hope.” Alaric glanced out the window, beyond which the moons had risen and the stars glimmered over the dark Eversea. “Shall I have the servants prepare a room for you?”

Lisu shook his head. “I’ll retire to port, Emperor Alaric. I don’t wish to trouble your household any further.”

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