Image by Tú Nguyễn from Pixabay

Michi held her daughter to her breast. The infant suckled greedily, clinging to her mother. “Lady Nakano, you have a meeting in half an hour,” Kavindra said, bowing deeply.

“I am aware of the time, Kavindra. Is my public office ready for the councilor?” Michi asked irritably. She did everything with some form of irritation these days. It was simply the way her life had turned ever since Lakshmi was killed and Kuen had chosen to marry that Colonial woman. The daughter of Leonidas Vasiliou, she seethed. Why her?

“Refreshments have been laid out as per your instructions, Lady Nakano,” Kavindra said. “The councilor’s favorite music is playing softly in the background. We also made certain the chair she would be sitting in was more comfortable than the normal one you usually keep since she was injured in that accident two weeks ago.”

“Excellent,” Michi said. “Have you heard anything from your sisters about who is willing to venture into the Colonies once my law is passed?”

“It is very hard to find any of them who can leave their current professions for any length of time. They do not care to risk their positions to aid you because they are happy in their lives,” Kavindra said.

Michi gritted her teeth. Lakshmi never had any trouble convincing her sisters to abandon their personal pursuits to work for her. Kavindra was lacking in so many ways compared to the woman who’d spent her life serving Michi, but after having her neck broken by Kuen when he saved Leonidas Vasiliou’s daughter, Michi had been forced to choose another one of the Devas to serve her. Kavindra was the one Dr. Asura had recommended but she was nowhere near as efficient or useful as her sister.

“Tell them if they lose their positions I will provide for them,” Michi said. “As I always have.”

Kavindra bowed. “I will so inform them, Lady Nakano.”

Kagome finished nursing. Michi switched her to her shoulder and patted the tiny infant’s back. It didn’t take Kagome long to burp and settle into a sleepy daze against her mother’s neck. Getting pregnant again so late in life had been a risk, doubly so because of how many people were out to kill Michi and her heirs. With Kavindra’s help she’d been able to protect Kagome and the beautiful infant was now her best hope for cheating Kuen out of his inheritance.

Of course, Kagome had to survive until she was at least sixteen, when Michi could formally disinherit her son and name her daughter as her heir, and there was a lot that could go wrong between now and then. Michi hoped to entice one of the Devas in to serve as Kagome’s bodyguard and companion, much as Lakshmi had been to her, in order to better protect her daughter. However, if she couldn’t get them to run a simple errand for her, how could she expect them to serve Kagome faithfully?

Michi sighed and laid Kagome in her cradle. “Make sure nothing happens to my daughter, Kavindra.”

“Of course, Lady Nakano,” Kavindra said.

Michi headed to her rooms where she could change and get ready for her meeting. She needed this new law to pass. There could be no attempts from her son and his wife to stop her from her other plans. She needed them to stay precisely where they were. She smiled coldly. Kuen was going to learn what true anguish meant, so long as the Assembly did as she instructed.