Council
The cold water running down Hatan’s throat was like a breath of life. He followed it up with a bite-sized ice flora heart cake, savoring the sweet, fluffy texture. It was his third one so far, but it tasted just as good as the first.
“Oh, Shanon,” he said, eyes half lidded. “Do you know how long it’s been since I had a good pastry?”
Shanon leaned against the shop’s stone wall beside him, arms folded as she carefully scanned the busy street. She’d given him her cloak and veil, but she was clearly concerned about the high visibility. “Too long, I presume.”
“Far too long,” he said, taking one more swig before handing back her canteen. He pushed off the wall and they walked together, the sun at their back as they headed towards Shanon’s residence. The street they traveled was unfrequented except by the local residents, many of whom worked at the processors. “I heard you broke Vitori’s nose.”
She smiled. “I would have killed him too if you hadn’t been a prisoner. What took you so long to get out?”
Hatan barked a laugh but kept his voice low. “You should have tried to kill him sooner. It’s his broken nose that prompted the soldiers to enter my cell. They were planning to punish me for what you did to Vitori. Instead, I killed them. With a little help.”
Shanon gasped. “Who? We sent no one.”
“Let’s talk more when we get there.” Hatan looked around them though nobody walked nearby. He already should have been more cautious, but he was too eager to speak. He hadn’t seen any of his friends or allies for… how long had it been? Two weeks? Three?
The empty street they walked on should have brought him reassurance of their safety, but it instead had the opposite effect. He looked over his shoulder even more frequently. Though he still had the knife if he needed it, nothing would make him happier than to rest for a few marks, equip himself with a full suit of armor and several weapons, and wreak havoc on the Kesten family and their allies.
And if he got jumped now, he wasn’t alone, but that almost worried him more. He didn’t know what he’d do if Shanon got injured or killed trying to defend him as well. He clenched his fist. Let them come. I’ll be ready for them. He could only imagine the fear that Vitori might have felt once he learned that Hatan was no longer in the dungeon.
He needed to be smarter this time. Nothing rash. He was too accustomed to being the protector rather than being the asset. If he risked himself, he was also putting those who protected him in jeopardy. That was what he’d failed to recognize. In battle, there were always losses, and sometimes mistakes could be made. As a leader, he knew he was supposed to learn to accept that. But the knowledge could only do so much.
They reached Shanon’s seemingly decrepit dwelling, and Hatan had to duck inside the low door. A single, grimy window let in the only light, but it at least illuminated a blue cloth on the table with the head of a varman on the front and House Padarro trimmed along the bottom.
“Shanon.” Hatan picked up the small banner. “What’s this about?”
Shannon smirked. “We’ve already set things in motion. It’s a little too late to simply kill the Kestens. We have to beat them at their own game.”
“I tried that already, and they killed a man at the palace in the middle of a ball. Right in front of us. I’m done with the political approach, Shanon.”
“But we’re not!”
Hatan was taken aback by the fierceness in her voice.
“Just because we had some failures, it doesn’t mean it’s not worth making adjustments and trying again.” Shanon snatched the banner away from Hatan. “Stop dismissing the opinions of your advisors before we have a chance to discuss.”
Hatan swallowed and nodded. “You’re right,” he said softly. “I’ve been bullheaded. If I’d been better at listening, we probably could have addressed everything better.”
“It’s alright. What’s done is done, but we learn from our mistakes and do better. You’ve faced betrayals and difficult decisions lately. I know I haven’t been experiencing all of this the same way as you, but you need to hear this out.”
“Yes. I recognize I’ve been away from everything for several cycles now. I can’t assume that you haven’t all been working on something this whole time.” He sat on the table. “But first of all, who is left? What happened to everyone after I was captured?”
Shanon folded her arms and leaned back against the wall. “Everyone who went to raid the Kesten home got away just fine, but the guard at the palace and maybe some of the other staff there were likely executed privately.”
Hatan clenched his fists. “And what do the other houses think of the Kestens seizing the palace and imprisoning me?”
Shanon tossed up her hands. “Nobody even reacted from what I can tell. But we do have somebody in the inner circle who seems to think there are enough houses that are upset by their military takeover.”
“And who’s that?”
“Sinteya.” Shanon smiled.
“You’ve kept in touch, then?” Hatan looked down at his fingernails, trying not to seem too interested.
“She’s been very deliberate. But you never told me who helped you out of the palace yet, either.”
“Penym.” Hatan tried to pop his neck to no avail.
Shanon’s mouth opened slowly. “I’m actually a little surprised. I know she was apologetic regarding her traitorous behavior, but I didn’t think she’d be willing to take such a risk.”
“Me neither, but it seems her fear of reprisal is gone. She went all in. She made up her own reason to come see me and even stabbed one of the guards herself. When the soldiers came to beat me for your actions against Vitori, she came with them and handed me a knife right under their noses.”
Shanon shook her head. “Where is she now?”
“Still in the palace. She had enough confidence that her action wouldn’t be discovered.”
“If she’s not dead already, I’d be surprised. What about the rest of the staff? Did you see anybody else?”
Hatan shook his head. That was the only useful information he had to supply. “How long was I in there?”
“Seventeen cycles,” Shanon said without hesitation.
“Sleet.” Hatan scratched his scraggly beard. It was well past due for his preferred trim, and he didn’t dare consider what he smelled like. “You must have come up with a good plan if you had that long to think about it then. Let’s hear it.”
Shanon sighed. “Well, my plan was to assassinate everyone, but that didn’t work. It’s actually Sinteya’s plan. They’re trying to get Avidazj in as the new king, but she proposes that we convince everyone that you are the most viable option.”
“No.” Hatan shook his head. “Me as king?”
