Born of Defiance

Nodding, Qorach handed it back to her and gestured more.

“What Qory said. Nyk is even the same height and build as the emperor. At least if these stats for the emperor are correct. As you said, Commander, what are the odds?”

Talyn let out a nervous laugh. “Cairie was right, then. Her son is still alive… somehow.” He met Morra’s gaze. “Where is your Nykyrian?”

“I don’t know. I answer to him, not the other way around. But he’s a close friend of Jayne’s. She’d have to know how to reach him. They’ve been close friends for years.”

Galene gaped. “You’re kidding me?”

Talyn ignored the question, since it was a typical Jayne thing to do. No doubt Jayne had been protecting her friend. “You think she knows he’s the missing heir?”

“Heir?” Morra choked.

Galene nodded. “Nykyrian was firstborn. He is the legal heir to both the Andarion and Triosan empires.”

“Bullshit! For real?”

“If he really is Nykyrian eton Anatole. Yes.”

Morra continued to gape.

Galene approached Saren. “We have to get to him. If we restore him to the —”

“Wait!” Saren said sternly. “We know nothing about his character. What if he’s worse than the tadara and Jullien combined?”

Morra bristled at his question. “Please! Nykyrian Quiakides is one of the fairest men I’ve ever known. Loyal. Decent.”

Qorach signed to her.

“Yeah, okay, he is a lethal SOB. And was a trained League assassin. But he went rogue when they ordered him to murder a mother and child. I don’t know of anyone else who’d throw away the sterling career he had for his morals. He doesn’t have many friends, but the few he has, he’s known for years and they’d all lay their lives down for him. What does that tell you?”

Galene nodded in agreement. “If it’s the same one, I knew him as a boy, and he had a good, fair heart. Not to mention, Jayne wouldn’t be his friend if he was anything like Jullien. She’s very selective with the individuals she lets near her children and husband.”

Saren took a deep breath. “I don’t know about this. On the one hand, it’d be easier to put another Anatole on the throne. Especially if it was the firstborn son. But I’m not sure I want to risk it.” He looked at Morra. “What was his League rank?”

“Command Assassin, First Order.”

Talyn let out a low whistle. Very few assassins lived long enough to make any Command Assassin rank. First Order… less than one percent of one percent made that rank, and given the fact Nykyrian would have to be younger than Lorens… “Impressive.”

“Yes, he is. I’ve seen him plow through enemies like the Iron Hammer in the Ring with his Warsword.” She winked at Talyn.

Lorens folded his arms over his chest. “A true, full-blooded Anatole heir would keep the others from rising up. But Cairistiona would have to be sober to identify him. And Tylie would have to concur. As well as a DNA test to confirm it.”

“There wouldn’t be a problem with that.” Galene locked gazes with Saren. “If he really is the tahrs, we have Eriadne by the throat. If we can prove she sent him off to die as a child… she’d be exposed as a liar who turned on her own grandson. A child who isn’t just our heir, but the Triosans’ also. The political backlash on her would be horrendous.”

“She’d be forced to abdicate.” Saren glanced to Lorens.

Galene nodded. “I’ll call Jayne and find out where this Nykyrian is and what she knows about him while I rendezvous with Tylie and Cairie.”

Talyn moved to block her from leaving. “It’s too dangerous.”

Morra stood up. “I’ll go with her, and once she’s safe with them, I’ll return.”

“You sure?”

She gestured toward Qorach. “Felicia can communicate with Qory without me, and you’ll need him to protect her. I won’t be gone long. Be back in two shakes of a frog’s tail.”

Talyn laughed. “Thank you, Morra.”

As Galene started to leave, Talyn stopped her again. He couldn’t speak past the fear that was knotted in his throat.

Her gaze softened as she reached up to cup his cheek. “I’ll be careful. Tough times never last. But tough Andarions do. It’ll take more than an Anatole to bring down a Batur. You know that. We weren’t given our caste standing. We earned it.”

“Don’t make me have to slaughter the entire royal family, Matarra. You know if anything happens to you, I will.”

“Ever my dutiful soldier.” She pressed her cheek to his. “I love you, Talyn. I wish your father were here to see what a magnificent son he gave me.”

Instead of soothing him, those words only agitated him more. He hated whenever she complimented his father. “May the gods go with you.”

“And with you.”

Talyn swallowed as he watched his mother and Morra leave.