The Emperor’s Daughter – Chapter 22, Karis

It was a week before Karis got a full report from Demetrios on everything they’d learned about Yunus and Menander’s activities. Karis read through the report. “He was behind most of the attacks on us?” Karis looked up at Demetrios once he’d finished reading. Sayana, who’d also been flashed a copy of the report, was still going through the extensive document.

“He was, Your Imperial Majesty.” Demetrios nodded. “Some were his own idea, some were Menander’s. Menander has been trying to undermine you with the general populace but found he couldn’t make it stick. You are genuinely quite popular with your people, those who care enough to pay attention to who’s sitting on the throne, that is. Most people don’t care so long as Imperial stores are kept up and public works keep functioning.”

“I can understand that one.” Sayana tapped her fingers against her lips as she thought. “I don’t think my father really cared one way or another about who ruled the empire, so long as he kept his comforts and wasn’t bothered by anyone about how he lived his life. As children, we were only vaguely aware there even was an emperor.”

“When Menander made contact with Lord Yunus, their mutual hatred of you fueled their partnership.” Demetrios continued his report. “They began working in tandem. They started filling the heads of the courtiers with discontent over your marriage, your policies, anything they could to fuel the fire of rebellion.”

“It worked. They were able to get several lords to front assassins to try to take Sayana out.” Karis looked at the report again.

Demetrios nodded. “They even went after the princes, saying they were all illegitimate because they weren’t born to an empress. A couple lords bought into that, which is where we got the poison gas. I was able to find out who was behind that and picked up the lord who set that one up as well.”

“That is good to know.” Karis had wondered about that one for months.

“We were able to track down three other lords plotting against you with full details of their plans in hand and pull them in. When they saw we knew what they were planning, they didn’t even need to be scanned or other means of extraction. They proudly admitted to their plots and said it was only right that they remove the empress and her unborn child.” Demetrios shook his head. “We told them that was treason, and they got added to the list of those being executed. You only gave me rights to execute Menander and Yunus, so I’ll need you to sign off on the other four.” He pulled out his pad and tapped something. Karis’ pad beeped. He looked at what Demetrios sent him and saw the names. He quickly created writs of execution for the other four and flashed them to Demetrios.

“Make this available to the court and execute them all.” Karis closed the report. “No one is to be left alive.”

“As you wish, Your Imperial Majesty.” Demetrios turned and left the room.

Sayana finished reading the long report. “How in the name of all the stars could someone hate us so much?”

“Easily, my heart. I did something they did not like, and you represented Vasco’s greatest failure.” Karis met her gaze solemnly. “In both of their minds this became an all-consuming obsession with revenge because they both valued Vasco so highly. Yunus loved and admired his older brother, never believing him guilty of half the crimes he did because he simply did not think his brother was an evil man. Menander valued Vasco because he let him get away with murder and he was as twisted as Vasco. In the end, it cost them their lives because they could not let go.”

Sayana shook her head. “I will never understand such an obsession.”

Karis grimaced. “To be honest, neither will I.”

“Karis, come here,” Sayana said suddenly. Karis got up and walked over. She grabbed his hand and put it on her stomach. “There. You said you wanted to feel her moving around.” He felt something against the palm of his hand.

“Is that really her?” he asked. “I have never felt this before.”

“It’s her. She doesn’t have a lot of space in there, so every movement is obvious.” Sayana smiled. “She doesn’t move as often as she did a month ago when she was just settling into place. The last med scan shows she’s in proper position, thank the stars. The last thing we need is a breech baby.”

“Breech?” Karis asked.

“Feet pointing down. According to Jean, that’s the last thing we want. A baby needs to be born headfirst, and Kaelea is facing the proper direction with her head down. He says she shifted into the proper position about a month ago. Up until then he was a little worried, though it only really matters if I hit forty weeks and she’s still feet first. Then it’s either they have to turn her manually or surgical intervention because breech births are dangerous.” Sayana looked a little frightened at the thought.

“I am glad she is cooperating as nicely as she has all through the pregnancy.” Karis was just relieved that things were going so well, assassination attempts notwithstanding, and that Sayana was having a healthy pregnancy.

“So am I.” Sayana smiled ruefully. “No one explained any of this to me with Ethian. Then again, I didn’t ask nearly as many questions with Ethian as I’m asking with Kaelea. I’m learning a lot more.”

“Do you want more children after Kaelea?” Karis was amused. “You seem like you are preparing for another pregnancy.”

Sayana blushed. “Maybe one more?”

Karis laughed. “We will see, my heart. Let us get Kaelea out of infancy and then we will talk. We need to make sure Arken is fine with dealing with two children instead of just one.”

“Fair point,” Sayana conceded

Karis left his hand on his wife’s stomach until Kaelea subsided and then he returned to his seat. He picked up his pad and looked over the paperwork they had for the day. Demetrios had come in after the council meeting and Karis wanted to know what else he had on his agenda for the day.

It was a surprisingly light day. He flashed half the paperwork to Sayana and got to work on his own share. He saw Sayana looking at him suspiciously. “It is a light day, my heart. We really do not have a lot to do. I have sent you half of what was in my inbox.” He held up his pad to show her what he had to do.

“All right. As long as you’re not trying to short me on work.” She settled in with her pad.

“You would never let me hear the end of it if I did.” Karis smiled fondly at her.

“No, I wouldn’t.” There was no heat in her words as she smiled back at him.

They worked through the morning and decided to take a break at lunch instead of working through the meal as they usually did. They ate and got ready for the audiences. That day there were several petitions from lower court lords needing aid for their worlds as many of them were having geological instabilities and needed immediate help. Karis approved the aid and sent them all to Geraint and Metis for further assistance.

After the audiences they went to the enclave to check on the princes. Once again, they found them all being treated by doctors. “What happened this time?” Karis asked.

The princes looked embarrassed. “We were practicing, and it got out of hand.” Ethian was the first to speak. The warmasters looked amused.

“Tell them how, Ethian,” Reynard instructed.

Ethian sighed. “Meinard hit Fallon in the back and dropped him, and I took offense to that, so I attacked Meinard. I took Meinard down pretty easily all things considered, but Jair and Hanzo got upset that I attacked Meinard, so they jumped on me. Fallon had recovered by that point and stepped in to help me. We took on Jair and Hanzo and beat them, but we got pretty bashed up in the process.”

Sayana stifled giggles behind her hand as Karis just shook his head. “Was Meinard supposed to be fighting Fallon?” Karis asked.

“Yes.” Ethian seemed reluctant to admit that.

“Was it perfectly natural for him to attack Fallon in the way he did?” Karis asked.

Ethian hung his head in shame. “Yes.”

“You took offense to it because he attacked him from behind.” Karis wanted to be sure he understood his son correctly.

“Yes.” Ethian nodded.

“Ethian, that could easily happen to any of you at any time.” Karis felt the need to point that out to his sons.

“We know that.” Meinard was perfectly cheerful he was sitting with regenerators on his arm and ribs. “That is why I went after Fallon the way I did. However, the warmasters always tell us we should look out for each other as well, Ethian was not sparring with anyone at the time, and he decided he was going to look after Fallon. Pretty simple logic, really. And to be fair, Fallon’s and my match had not officially started yet, so I did sort of cheat a little.”

“What is it you are always saying, Meinard?” Fallon spoke from where he sat with a regenerator on his wrist and ankle. “You did not cheat. You utilized your resources.” The princes all laughed and even the warmasters chuckled at that.

“It’s truly not that big of a deal, Your Imperial Majesties. We’ve been encouraging the princes to stand up for each other and not act as solo units for a few months now, because they’re going to have to learn to rely on each other and their guards once we’re out of the picture.” Reynard chuckled. “Ethian has taken that lesson to heart and decided to take on Meinard for blindsiding Fallon.”

“It seems Jair and Hanzo have taken the same lesson to heart.” Sayana laughed.

“Ethian is a better fighter than all of us.” Jair looked at his younger brother with some exasperation. “We did not think it was fair that he took on Meinard for simply doing as he was told. We objected in the best way we could.”

“And you almost won.” Ethian looked at him with a great deal of respect. “If Fallon had not joined the fight, you probably would have beaten me.”

“At least you are learning to work together.” Karis sighed. He shook his head. “You five are menaces. You realize that.”

Five pairs of eyes fixed on his face and equal looks of mischief and innocence depending on the personality of the prince met his gaze. “Whatever do you mean, Father?” Meinard asked.

“We are perfectly normal adolescent boys.” Jair couldn’t help but add to Meinard’s attempt at innocence.

“That is the problem.” Karis laughed. Everyone laughed with him.

“Is something going on? You usually come earlier in the day.” Fallon it seemed had been paying attention to the time.

“We had an eventful morning.” Karis looked at Ethian. “We caught the two responsible for most of the assassination attempts on Sayana and the five of you.”

“You did?” Ethian asked. “Is she going to be safe now?”

“Not entirely.” Karis held up his hand. “There will still be other attempts because not everything was due to the people we are executing. But yes, Ethian, your mother and sister will be a lot safer now.”

“Who were they, Father?” Fallon asked.

“Lord Yunus Maestri and a psychic who once worked as Lord Vasco Maestri’s personal secretary named Menander Amadori.” Karis told them. “Along with a handful of other lords and ladies who have made several attempts on our lives and one on Imre’s life.” Karis wondered how Imre was doing. It had been more than a week since Imre had gone to the med lab, and he still wasn’t back. It shouldn’t have taken that long for him to recover, should it?

“I am glad they have been caught.” Meinard looked relieved.

“So am I.” Karis let his sons see how relieved he was. “I have been after Menander for years. I always wondered why he evaded my searchers. It was Sayana’s idea that he might be psychic, and she was proven right.”

They talked to the princes for a few more minutes and then returned to their rooms. When they arrived, Imre was in his usual place. “Your Imperial Majesty.” Imre bowed. “My apologies for my long absence. I was under strict orders not to return even after they released me for a few days as I still needed rest. I have only been cleared to return today.”

“I am just glad to see you back and feeling well enough to take up your usual post, Imre. I was getting worried.” Karis felt everything was finally getting back to normal now that Imre was back where he belonged.

Imre smiled. “I’m honored that you think so highly of me, Your Imperial Majesty. I hope Adem has been doing an adequate job.”

“He does his best, but he is not you.” Karis smiled at his valet.

“He is an adequate replacement, but you are correct, Your Imperial Majesty. He isn’t me and can’t do everything I can.” Imre nodded in agreement.

“Are you two going to court tonight?” Ardatha asked.

“We have to. Word of the executions is going to have spread by then and I am most likely going to need to field questions.” Karis sighed.

“Executions, Your Imperial Majesty? It seems I have been sorely out of the loop on things.” Imre looked at him curiously.

Karis gave him a rundown on everything that had been going on, including who was being executed and why. “There is going to be fallout. I will hear about it at court or during the audiences. Either way, I have to be there to deal with it.”

“I am not looking forward to this.” Sayana made a face.

“I know you are not, my heart. If they bother you, let me do the talking.” Karis turned to his wife.

“I’ll do my part the same as you do yours. I’m not afraid of them like I was in the beginning. I’ve learned that lesson well. I just find this all so annoying.” Sayana had a disgruntled look on her face.

“As do I.” Karis agreed with her.

They finished their work and sat and chatted until it was time to get ready for court. Imre led Adem and Lucan in getting Karis dressed. When they were finished, he went out into the main room to wait for Sayana. She joined him a few minutes later. They headed for the antechamber.

Ethian and Fallon were missing. “Where are they?” Sayana looked concerned.

“They are coming,” Meinard assured her. “They were talking and said they would follow us. I gather Ethian is concerned about something and Fallon was talking him through it.”

The two missing princes came running up. “Sorry we are late,” Ethian apologized.

“Is everything all right, Ethian?” Karis remembered what had happened during the winter festival.

“It is fine, Father,” Ethian reassured him. “I just had a few concerns, but Fallon talked me through them.”

“All right.” Karis took him at his word.

The doors were opened, and the Imperial family made their way to the high table. The dishes were scanned and everyone sat down. Karis noticed Sayana do something and Ethian smile slightly at his mother, before everyone assumed the usual neutral faces they wore around the court.

The meal was served, and Karis chatted with a few high lords as he ate. None of them said much about the executions, though he could hear from some of the conversations he picked up at the lower tables that was the main topic being discussed. After the meal ended and the dishes were cleared away, the princes left, and people began to circulate.

“Your Imperial Majesties.” A lord came up to the table that Karis did not recognize at all. Two high lords had moved to mingle, and Arken had come to sit down beside Karis.

“Lord Marwin Cinege, mid-tier,” Arken whispered into his ear, picking up immediately on Karis’ hesitation.

“Lord Marwin.” Karis greeted the man smoothly as if he’d known all along who the man was. “What can we do for you?”

“Can you explain why my cousin was executed today?” Marwin asked.

“Was your cousin one of the traitors named by the intelligence bureau in the report they published?” Karis asked.

“Well, yes.” Marwin nodded.

“Then that should explain everything.” Karis was already annoyed, and the night hadn’t even started yet.

“Your Imperial Majesty, Retha was many things, but a traitor is not one of them. She was not overly intelligent, but how can you say she did anything that constituted treason?” Marwin protested. “She attacked a servant. That is hardly something to be considered as treason. Punishable by imprisonment perhaps, but not treason.”

“Imre is a vital member of my household, Lord Marwin. I value him almost as much as I do my wife and sons.” Karis voice was cold as he spoke. “She and four others deliberately attacked and tried to kill him in an attempt to harm me. That in turn meant it was a direct attack against me. That is treason and I do not tolerate such acts.”

“I see.” Marwin bowed and walked away.

“Really, any attack on the Imperial household has always been seen as treason regardless of who it was,” Arken mused conversationally. “Servant or family member. It is in the historical archives, if you bother to look.”

“Is it? I did not know that.” Karis was surprised by this bit of information.

“Tremere checked so he could have backup if he needed it.” Arken glanced down where Tremere was talking to someone. “He told me what he found. He was fairly certain there was precedent for this.”

“He is extremely useful.” Karis was very grateful for the four men who served in the courtesan wing.

“That is why I use him to circulate and chat while I sit at the high table.” Arken concealed a smile behind his glass. “He has a knack for this that I do not. Which is why I became custodian of the courtesan wing. Speaking of which, we have been busily converting it into the nursery wing in preparation for Kaelea’s arrival. I know you will want to keep her with you for the first year, but we are still making several alterations to get it ready for her when it is time for her to make the transition from your suite to the wing.”

“Speaking of the wing, would you be amenable to more than one child in there? Sayana is hinting she might want another child after Kaelea.” Karis didn’t think he’d mind one more child either, if raising Kaelea went well.

“We would be more than happy to have as many children as you and Her Imperial Majesty see fit to produce in the wing.” Arken told him with a hint of happiness in his voice. “I have the space, and I do not mind at all having more than one active, rambunctious child to chase after. It is quite entertaining.”

“I will let her know.” Karis grew thoughtful. “I think she is only planning on one more though. She is getting old enough that it will not be safe for her to have any more after that.”

“True,” Arken acknowledged. “Then we will welcome both children happily into the nursery wing. With your permission, we will convert part of the garden into a play area for them as well.”

“I think that is a great idea, Arken.” Karis was pleased by the thought of his children spending time in the garden he’d so loved as a child.

Another lord approached the table, and their conversation ended. “Your Imperial Majesty, what is this nonsense about Lord Yunus conspiring with a wanted criminal?” he asked.

“Lord Yorick, I trust you read the report the intelligence bureau put out.” Karis kept his expression neutral and tried to keep his tone equally as even. “The man was found hiding in Lord Yunus’ house. They admitted to working together. It is not nonsense.”

“Lord Yunus was a fine upstanding man, Your Imperial Majesty,” Yorick protested.

“His son is married to Lord Yunus’ daughter,” Arken murmured.

“I understand your son is married to his daughter, Lord Yorick.” Karis let his voice turn cold again. “And this compels you, for honor’s sake, to defend the man. But choose your words carefully if you do not wish to fall under scrutiny yourself.”

Yorick blanched and hurried away from the table. Karis shook his head. He noticed Sayana had just sent someone scuttling off as well. She looked at Karis. “They asked if I was responsible for the executions because everyone knows a woman who’s pregnant is too emotional to think logically.” She was irritated. “I told them I wasn’t involved in it. You and Demetrios were the judges in these cases, and I told them to keep their illogical statements about pregnant women to themselves.”

Karis snorted. “Some people need to learn to keep their mouths shut.”

They fielded several more questions before Karis decided he was through. He rose and held out his hand. Sayana stood up and took it and he led her out of the great hall and back to their rooms. She made a beeline for the bathroom, so the timing was perfect. Ardatha just smiled. Her sisters arrived a few minutes later and the three of them descended on Sayana. Adem and Lucan arrived moments later and they along with Imre followed Karis back to help him change.