The Garden of Stones

chapter THIRTY-TWO





“When I let go of those things which held me down, my pride, arrogance, vanity, sadness…only after falling so far was it I learned I could fly.”—Embarenten, swordmaster of High Arden, 369th Year of the Shrīanese Federation


Day 325 of the 495th Year of the Shrīanese Federation


Mari sprinted past tall pillars of marble and crystal on her way up the wide steps that wound around and through the great rock outcrop upon which the Tyr-Jahavān stood. She reached the top, made her way to the inner sanctum, where it appeared Nazarafine addressed the Teshri.

Those Feyassin assigned to protect the Teshri members, as well as a combination of Ekko’s Lion Guard and Kembe’s Tau-se warriors, stood alert on the perimeter. A score or so of Rosha’s Whitehorse were marshaled around the amphitheater. The rest had been used to secure the smaller stair Femensetri had revealed, which ran through the center of the Tyr-Jahavān and out under the city.

The Quorum Stones flared with frosted radiance where the faces of the sayfs of the Hundred Families hung in monochrome. Their images stuttered in the striated quartz. Femensetri’s Sēq had worked fast to get the message out to sympathetic ears. Even so, there were many faces Mari recognized as among her father’s allies.

Nazarafine stood in the center of the amphitheater, beside Femensetri. Rosha was perched on the edge of a bench beside a wide-eyed Vahineh, who chewed upon already bloodied fingertips. From what Mari could tell, Vahineh still struggled with her Awakening. It seemed, from the rapid changes in her expression and posture, as if all her Ancestors vied for a moment in her mind. Many rahns, particularly those who had been Awakened without the proper training, died from the experience. Or went insane. No wonder the enormity of it had caused her to act so rashly in murdering Yashamin. Mari doubted Vahineh had even known what she was doing at the time, possessed by the rage of her father’s spirit.

Narseh sat spear-straight in her gray-green armor of crablike plates, her austere face devoid of expression. Ziaire stood near her, as did a number of those sayfs of the Hundred Families who had come to Amnon to depose Far-ad-din. Even without those who had been invited to the Parje-Sin revel, many of those who attended this small session of the Teshri had either been bought by her father or were voters of opportunity.

“We’ve answered your summons, Speaker,” the brittle echo of Hadi said in its crystal lens, one of the sayfs of Erebus Prefecture. “What’s so urgent you needed to speak with us on such short notice?”

“Thank you for your indulgence.” The Speaker bowed to her peers. “I’ve called this emergency session of the Teshri to vote on two separate writs of deposition, both against Asrahn-Elect Erebus fa Corajidin—”

“Preposterous!” Hadi snapped. “What nonsense is this?”

“Let her speak, Hadi,” came the glassy echo of Iraj from Selassin Prefecture, a supporter of the late Vashne. “Nazarafine is the Speaker for the People, as well as a rahn. Show some respect.”

“Why do you suggest we depose the Asrahn-Elect, Speaker?” Bijan of Näsarat Prefecture asked over the cracking-ice din of the other members of parliament. “This is a serious action you propose. I hope you can satisfy the burden of proof.”

Ziaire stepped forward, hands open. “We have eyewitness accounts from Vashne’s heir—”

“Such testimony is inadmissible in any Arbiter’s Tribunal,” Hadi gloated. “The passage of memory from rahn to rahn through Awakening is not always perfect, especially when the event has been traumatic.”

“There’s also the eyewitness testimony of Knight-Colonel Ekko of the Näsarat Lion Guard,” Rosha snapped. “Now, Hadi, if you and anybody else who’s been bought by Corajidin would be silent, the Speaker can finish what she has to say.”

Mari grimaced as Hadi and quite a few others protested. Their images juddered in crystal pillars. Rosha would not win any friends with her attitude. Like Vahineh, she must be struggling with the turmoil of her own Awakening.

“I’m satisfied as to the legitimacy of the evidence,” Nazarafine said firmly. “Enough to risk calling you all together. There are a number of charges we’ll lodge, though the most serious are treason, conspiracy to commit treason, and regicide. Copies of these records have been sent to Arbiter Marshal Kiraj of the Family Masadhe, for his action.”

Kiraj’s regal, spectral image nodded politely.

“Ludicrous!” Hadi snapped. Kiraj’s expression remained fixed.

“There’s nothing ludicrous about it.” Femensetri faced the ghostly image of Hadi where it floated in scratched glass clouds, streaked through with frosted light like a winter’s sun. “The Asrahn-Elect hasn’t acted in the best interests of Shrīan.”

“Through his direct actions,” Nazarafine said, her voice flat with suppressed anger, “without the sanction of the Justice Marshal, Corajidin caused the death of our head of state, Vashne’s wife, and second son. He also abducted Rahn-Ariskander and Pah-Daniush—”

“Then let the witnesses to these crimes speak!” Hadi demanded.

Mari gestured to Rosha from where she hovered at the edge of the chamber floor. Rosha came over as quietly as she could in her armor. “What is it?” she whispered.

“There are troop movements in the city. So far as we can tell, the Erebus army remains encamped outside the city. Four companies of Iphyri, as well as the Anlūki and some nahdi are headed here, no doubt under the command of my brother. How long until we have a decision here?”

“This may take longer than expected.” Rosha looked back over her shoulder to where Nazarafine paced the Tyr-Jahavān floor, reciting her allegations against Corajidin. “Honestly, I doubt we’ve either the time or the numbers to carry the day.”

“I can testify as to what my father—”

“Nazarafine won’t have it.” Rosha grimaced, clearly uneasy. “She doesn’t want you involved, Ancestors only know why.”

“Then if I can’t help you with the numbers, I can do something about giving you the time you need,” Mari muttered. “Don’t let the Speaker stop until this is decided in our favor, understand? This will all be for naught otherwise, and I fear the future my father will bring if we fail.”

“Femensetri has decided to remain here, just in case. As Scholar Marshal she can’t involve herself unless it’s to defend the Teshri.”

“I’m hoping that’s an unnecessary precaution.”

“As do we all. Yet your father’s forces still gather.”