AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It was nonsense, of course! She was probably just out doing her pathetic little envoy role. And Calix was obviously gay—otherwise he would have found himself a wife years ago. It couldn’t be the reason!
And yet...
Simply magical.
A few days later, while walking the same dockyard paths he’d strutted in triumph just a week earlier, he decided enough was enough. This wasn’t who he was. He didn’t stand back and worry. He made others worry. He didn’t get outplayed. He outplayed others!
Calix was wrong to suggest that Aurelius might be jealous of her. The only reason he cared was that Teigra was messing up his carefully laid plans. Swooping in and damaging his long journey of redemption.
And he wouldn’t stand for that.
When he arrived back at the embassy, closer to dawn than dusk, he marched straight past his building and towards the front door of the main residence, just as Calix had done when he’d invited Teigra to the palace.
He completely ignored the dark-skinned centaur that rode past him in the opposite direction, grabbing a pomegranate from the tree without stopping. The messenger from Mestibes came every week. It wasn’t a special event, although this was very early in the day for a delivery.
He was going to set Teigra straight. Winning over the prince? Getting the military contract? Regaining his rightful position as heir to the archon? It was too important to be messed up by some selfish amateur.
He would tell her that. Family or not, she did not want to make an enemy out of him. She knew just what he did to his enem—
He’d expected a quiet building. But the others were all awake, standing in the entrance lobby—Teigra and Securia and Jaspar and even the grumpy centaur who tended the grounds and occasionally served him what passed as a meal.
The gathering had the air of a funeral, the attendants dressed in sleeping tunics and holding flickering oil lamps.
Ms. Securia’s expression was even graver than usual. Teigra’s face was drained of color.
“What is it?” he asked, glancing at the scroll in the high envoy’s grip, the yellow ribbon and owl seal of the senate cracked open at the top.
Ms. Securia gave him a somber look, paused, then handed him the parchment. “Xiber Feron has crossed the Synoro River, Your Excellency. She makes for Vaticily.”
59
TEIGRA
War...
Dawn crept into Ms. Securia’s office. The high envoy’s hands were tented across her face. Jaspar paced the small room, nearly tripping over his toga, rereading the message from Lucius Scipio, Censor of the Senate.
Teigra pressed her back against the shelves of codices, running her hands against the smooth, comforting goat skin.
It wasn’t possible. Blood and death and fire and destruction? It just couldn’t be possible!
“Five days ago,” muttered Jaspar. “This warlord crossed the border five days ago.”
“So it would seem,” said Ms. Securia. “The senate is going on whispers. The key information appears to have gone directly to the archon.”
“And the belief is that she will seek Vatic’s favor to launch an invasion of Mestibes? To visit the oracles and everything?”
“Yes.”
“Then we must act!”
Teigra nodded furiously. The bronze moon was a week away, and everyone knew that was when Vatic received requests for favor. Soon, Xiber would climb the mountain and commune with the god of fate! Soon she would receive his answer! Then she would be heading back to Rinath to commence her invasion.
It could happen any day. There’s no time left!
“Calm yourselves,” said Ms. Securia. “Obviously neither of you have made the holy pilgrimage.”
They shook their heads. Teigra had never even met anyone who had.
