“You wouldn’t have been sent to the East Warrens if—” He stopped.
“Ifs don’t matter. I was sent. I met Candallar. Candallar is a fieflord, and Candallar appears to be involved. And probably not in a good way, given what happened with the rest of the Barrani Hawks. I won’t push into Teela’s political problems—those are above my pay grade. They’re probably above the Hawklord’s pay grade. But I will talk to the Consort about Candallar.”
“Why would you think she would have any information about Candallar?” As he asked, his gaze shifted to Nightshade.
To Kaylin’s surprise, Nightshade inclined his head. It appeared to surprise some of the Barrani present as well, but did not surprise Annarion. “You are all familiar with Private Neya, surely. She will not pester—” he used the Elantran word “—the rest of the Barrani Hawks. I can give her very little relevant information about the current political substructures in the High Court, or she would pester me.
“She could ask the Lord of the West March, and may be forced to do just that if the situation with your friends deteriorates; he is familiar with Hallionne Orbaranne, and the Hallionne appears to be attached to him. But if his political strength is significant, his reach is compromised by his position; he does not dwell in the High Halls. Any threat of retribution made is made and taken with that understanding: time and distance are issues.
“She could, of course, ask An’Teela, but An’Teela will not answer. She might ask Lord Andellen, but he is almost a political outsider; his tenure as Lord of the High Court expires when Kaylin expires. He cannot build positions of true influence when he serves an outcaste.
“I believe that Kaylin is safe with the Consort; the Consort is safe with Kaylin, and not solely because she is mortal and relatively harmless. We speak that lie frequently, but the Consort does not believe it. Regardless, she will ask. Let her ask there. If she is with the Consort, no one will attack her; if she is with the Consort, none but the most subtle will attempt to engage her at all.”
“Such subtlety does exist at Court,” Teela said.
“Yes.”
“I will go with her.”
*
Kaylin used Helen’s begrudged mirror room to make what amounted to an appointment to speak with the Consort; the Consort was not Kaylin, and no one except perhaps possibly the High Lord, just “dropped in” for a visit. Because Barrani didn’t need to sleep, the High Halls were never closed for business. Someone in official, or at least elegant, clothing responded to the mirror, activated it, and—with a narrowing of blue eyes, bid her wait.
He returned, his expression completely neutral, informed her that the Consort was willing to entertain her very “unusual” request, and told her when to arrive.
And then, hearing Annarion’s raised voice in the background, Kaylin cringed and snuck back to her room and her interrupted sleep.
8
“Look, you don’t have to come. I’m not a four-year-old foundling caught sneaking cookies before meal time, and you are not my mother.”
Teela wore Court dress, not Hawk tabard. Kaylin, technically a Lord of the High Court, was in work gear and did not intend to change. It was hard, however, to stand beside Teela in all of her elegant finery and not feel dirty, undereducated and powerless. The Hawk helped, but not much. On the other hand, her relationship with the quartermaster had never recovered from the only time she had dressed in Court-appropriate gear, and frankly, the quartermaster could make her daily life a lot more miserable than the High Court could.
Severn, likewise in tabard, accompanied her. The Hawklord had not only agreed to the meeting, but had insisted that Kaylin be paid for it—which meant it was official duty. This had drawbacks, of course. If it was official, everything was to be reported, and those reports—at least the ones Marcus didn’t shred in frustration before signing—were headed for Records in one form or another.
Because Teela was not on duty for this particular meeting, Tain wasn’t with them. Bellusdeo, who had Imperial permission to tag along on Kaylin’s duties, excused herself. Technically, Bellusdeo could demand to be allowed to follow, but the cost of that would probably be drastically reduced Imperial permission in future.
Also, she didn’t like the Barrani much. Thumbing her figurative nose at a gathering of their most powerful—and most ancient—did not strike her as wise. It was a small mercy.
If Kaylin was not part of Mandoran and Annarion’s cohort, she was not absent knowledge of other True Names. Of those that she knew, only one had been taken, rather than given, and the owner of that name was generally not subtle about his dislike.
So of course, it was Ynpharion who interrupted a quiet carriage ride, Teela not being allowed to actually drive. Tell Lord Teela that it is recommended that she avoid the great hall.
Why?
Tell her. If I have to explain why, you will be in the great hall before I am finished—if I am finished by then.
“Ynpharion says that you are advised not to enter via the great hall.”
“Does he?” Teela’s response was cool. “Did you, by chance, ask for this advice?”
“I don’t know why you insist on asking questions when you already know the answers.”
“That is the very nature of tests. I know the answers, you don’t.”
“Fine. No I didn’t.”
“Sadly, that is the wrong answer.” Ynpharion seemed to find this amusing.
“If we aren’t entering through the great hall, how are we supposed to get to the Consort?”
“Through a less well-traveled entrance.” Teela smiled. It was not a very encouraging expression. “You’re probably not going to like it much, unless your constitution in this regard has improved.”
*
Kaylin didn’t like it at all.
Teela exited the carriage at the incredibly impressive entrance, mounted the stairs and took a sharp turn at the leftmost giant statue. That statue had seen some recent damage; there were cracks in the stone base, and those cracks extended, like webbing, up the statue’s height. Magic held the pieces in place for the moment, or at least Kaylin assumed it was magic, given the way her arms turned to goose bumps beneath her shirt.
She had taken off her bracer and left it on her desk; although it looked valuable, it couldn’t be stolen. No matter where she dumped it—and sometimes, in a fit of frustration, she pitched it into the waters of the Ablayne—it returned to its keeper, who was standing beside her looking sympathetic.
The sensation of magic grew stronger as she followed Teela’s brisk march—a march that suited the Hawk Kaylin wore, not the dress Teela had chosen. Barrani Court clothing had full skirts that allowed for running, kicking and weapon wielding. They probably only worked for Barrani.