Ethian was bored. He’d been taking lessons from the Imperial scholar for two years and while he’d learned quite a bit about how the political situation worked in the empire, the man was as dull as watching paint dry. He made no effort to engage his student. He simply droned on and expected Ethian to pay attention.
“You’re losing focus again, Prince Ethian,” the man snapped as Ethian found his thoughts wandering.
“Sorry.” Ethian turned his attention back to his tutor.
“That’s the third time this morning I’ve had to pull you back to the lecture,” the scholar groused irritably. “I don’t like interrupting my lesson because you have decided to daydream.”
“If you were more interesting, I would pay more attention,” Ethian shot back.
“Politics aren’t meant to be interesting,” the scholar began.
“I find more enjoyment out of the audiences and talking to the lords with my father in the afternoons than I do with your lessons,” Ethian snapped. “I learn just as much about how the politics of the empire work from that as I do from your lectures, and my father is far from boring.”
“Perhaps if you find me so dull, then I will leave you to your own devices,” the man sneered haughtily. “We’ll see how well you get on without me.” He turned and stalked off.
Ethian got up and walked out of the tiny classroom that had once been his safe haven with his aunt. “Your Imperial Highness, are your lessons over so early?” one of the Imperial guards asked.
“Yes, and I think I have made a mess of things.” Ethian rubbed his forehead. “I need to find out if my parents have time to see me. I seem to have made my teacher angry with me.”
“They will likely not be pleased, Your Imperial Highness,” one of the guards told him.
Ethian rang for his servant. “Timur, would you please ask Imre if my parents can see me this morning?”
“Of course, Your Imperial Highness.” Timur sent the message. The reply came back seconds later. “Imre says your parents are free now, so please come as soon as you have a moment.”
“Time to get this over with.” Ethian left the princes’ enclave with his usual entourage of guards and made his way to his parents’ suite.
Karis and Sayana looked at him with amused expressions. “Would you care to explain why your Imperial scholar came in here and told us he was resigning as your tutor?” Karis looked at his son, waiting for an explanation.
“I may have called the man boring and told him I get more out of our afternoon sessions than I do out of his lessons.” Ethian bowed his head. “He had to call me back to focus three times this morning. He was droning on about something, I am not even certain what because I could not pay attention he was so dull today, and I just sort of spoke my mind.”
Sayana giggled. “Didn’t Reynard and I tell you not to do that?”
“Yes Mother, you did.” Ethian sighed.
“Well, it happened a little sooner than I wanted but I suppose now is as good a time as any.” Karis smiled at his son. “I want your opinion on something, Ethian. Have a seat.”
Ethian sat down. Karis poured him a glass of juice, knowing Ethian hated wine as much as his mother did. “How can I help?”
“Your brothers, I need something to do with them. You have observed them as much as I have. What do you think I should do with them?” Karis waited for him to answer.
Ethian blinked. This was not a question he was prepared for. “Meinard is good with people, so anything where he could talk to people would be good. Jair is good with people too, but he excels at problem solving. So anything where he can do that would be good. Hanzo, something to do with the military would work. No matter how much politics you make him study, he is still focused on that. And Fallon –.” He stopped.
“What about Fallon?” Karis prompted.
“I know what I want, and it probably is not what you want to hear.” Ethian looked at his father guiltily.
“Tell me anyway.” Karis motioned for him to continue.
“I do not want you to assign Fallon anything specific.” Ethian folded his hands in his lap. “I want Fallon to be my advisor. He is my best – my only – friend. I go to him when I need advice. He is the only person, other than you two, that I trust completely. I know you need to assign him something. It is just that I have never had a friend in my life until I met Fallon and not having him around is painful to think about.”
Karis nodded. “I was wondering if the two of you were still close.”
“That has never changed,” Ethian said.
“I agree with your assessments of your other brothers.” Karis steepled his fingers and tapped them against his lips. “Hanzo will thrive under Durden, who has been looking for someone like him for some time. Meinard, I am thinking of making him a special liaison between Runa and the specialty academies. Jair, I was thinking of sending him out to the colonies.”
“And Fallon?” Ethian tried not to look too depressed.
“I was actually thinking of eventually putting him as a special advisor to the council, which means he would be able to stay here.” Karis’ decision startled Ethian.
“What will you do with him in the meantime?” Ethian asked.
“I will have him serve as your right hand.” Karis looked thoughtfully at his son. “You need someone to go places you cannot, do things you cannot or are too busy to do yourself. The two of you will be a matched set at court events. He will go where you cannot because you are too busy. He will take on a portion of your work, so you are free to hold meetings as needed. I want to get people used to the idea of seeing the two of you together because Fallon will eventually be speaking with your voice when you become the emperor.”
“Is that not a little unusual?” Ethian asked.
“Very unusual but so is having five living sons.” Karis smiled. “I have to do something with all of you, and out of all of you, Fallon was the one I was having the hardest time finding a place for. I could not imagine placing him outside the court but where would I put him inside the court that would not be stepping on your toes? You made that very simple by giving me an opening to put him where I wanted him.”
“When are you going to tell the others what you are assigning them to?” Ethian asked.
“This afternoon.” Karis glanced at the chronometer. “I will dismiss the Imperial scholars, and we will work on getting Meinard married before sending him off. I will let him decide if he and Bryn want to stay at court or settle down on another world to make their job easier.” Ethian nodded.
“This means you will have more responsibilities now.” Sayana looked at her son. “Sitting in council with us, doing some of the paperwork, acting as your father’s agent.”
“Anything will be better than listening to that man drone on about politics and Imperial history.” Ethian groaned.
“You say that now.” Karis grinned. “You may change your mind after you have seen the paperwork.”
“Never.” Ethian was sure anything had to be better than listening to his Imperial scholar. Karis and Sayana laughed, and the conversation turned to what Ethian could expect from his new duties.
Ethian left his parents’ rooms feeling much better than when he’d arrived. Neither Karis nor Sayana had been particularly angry at him for driving off his tutor. They’d asked his opinion on what to do with his brothers. They weren’t going to separate him and Fallon. He knew he probably sounded pathetic when it came to his feelings about Fallon, but when you were an Imperial prince – especially if you were the crown prince – friends were few and far between.
Ethian returned to the enclave just as his brothers were being released from their studies. It was almost lunchtime. “Where have you been?” Meinard asked as he came out of his room.
“Talking to mother and father.” Ethian dropped into one of the many chairs in the room.
“Did your tutor not have something to say about that?” Hanzo asked.
Ethian sighed. “I drove him off this morning.”
“How did you do that?” Fallon looked amused.
“He got on my case for losing focus three times during his lecture and I told him I would have paid more attention if he were not so boring.” Ethian shrugged. “We traded a few insults, and he left in a huff. I went to explain myself to mother and father and he had already declared his intention to quit. We had a long conversation about a few different topics, and then I came back here.”
“What did you discuss?” Fallon asked. “Is it anything we need to know about?”
“You will find out this afternoon.” Ethian glanced at the chronometer. “Probably after the audiences.”
“I hope we get to say goodbye to our tutors soon too.” Jair grimaced. “Mine is probably as boring as Ethian’s was.”
“They all are.” Fallon sighed. “I do not think they ever learned how to present their subject matter in an interesting way.”
“None of us ever got up the courage to talk back to our scholar teachers like Ethian did.” Hanzo looked at Ethian with some amusement.
“It was not courage, Hanzo. It was irritation.” Ethian winced. “I spoke without thinking, which I still do sometimes.”
“I am curious what father and Sayana have to talk to us about.” Meinard gave Ethian a hopeful look. “I do not suppose we can get a preview, Ethian.”
“I think they want to discuss what you are going to do with yourselves. Two years with the Imperial scholars seems to be enough in their eyes.” Ethian wasn’t going to tell them everything, but he’d at least give them that hint.
“Finally.” Meinard was excited. “I want to do something interesting. I am tired of lessons.”
“Do you know what they are going to do with us?” Jair asked.
“You will find out this afternoon, Jair.” Ethian grinned at his brother.
“We can be patient a little while longer.” Fallon gave Ethian a look. Ethian wondered how Fallon would take the fact he wasn’t going to be sent off, that he was going to be kept on to serve under Ethian. Would he resent that assignment? Ethian hoped not.
Lunch was a boisterous affair, the young men trading jokes and stories as they ate. Then they changed into formal clothing and joined Karis and Sayana for audiences. After the audiences, they changed clothes and were told by their servants they were to report to the Imperial suite. The princes trooped out of their wing and made their way to Karis and Sayana’s rooms.
“Come in.” Karis smiled at his sons. “I am certain Ethian already told you we have made some decisions regarding your future assignments.”
“Yes, but he would not tell us what they were.” Meinard poked Ethian, who jabbed him back.
“I did not want him to.” Karis laughed at their boisterous attitude. “Meinard, you will be the liaison between the specialty academies and Runa. We will get you and Bryn married, but I want you to start thinking if you want to be headquartered here on the Throne World or elsewhere.”
“At least I will be busy.” Meinard grinned.
“Jair, you are going out to the colonies. You will be my representative. You will be on hand to deal with every situation that arises. You will have some authority, but you will still need to send requests if it is something that needs Imperial approval.” Karis looked at Jair as he spoke.
“Yes Father.” Jair nodded, more restrained than Meinard but from the glint in his eye no less excited for his task than his brother.
“Hanzo, I am assigning you to work directly with Durden. You have shown a great aptitude for military history and tactics, and I think you would be a great asset to my Warmaster General.” Karis looked next to his more military minded son.
“I will do my best, Father.” As usual, Hanzo kept his emotions restrained but judging by the slight tensing of his muscles, he was also pleased.
“Fallon, you will remain here at court.” Karis looked next to his oldest living son. “You will begin by serving as Ethian’s right hand, with an eye to taking a place on his council when he becomes emperor.”
“I am Ethian’s aide until you die, and then I am one of his ministers.” Fallon looked at Karis. “Is that correct, Father?”
“Yes. Specifically, you will be his chief advisor when he forms his own council. I know it is not the kind of position I have given your brothers, but I think it is the best one for you.” Karis and Ethian were both watching Fallon’s expression to see how he’d react.
“Thank you, Father.” There was real relief on Fallon’s face. “I would have served wherever you sent me, but I did not want to leave Ethian on his own. He needs a sounding board, and I am best suited for that task.”
“I am glad you agree with us.” Karis smiled. “You will be given your fair share of the paperwork he is getting as crown prince so you can help with the workload he is going to have, and you will need to find other ways you can assist him as time goes on. Jair, Meinard, send your reports to both Fallon and Ethian. That way they both know what is going on and can discuss what needs to be done. If it is something that needs to be presented to the council, they can do it. Fallon, you will sit on the council with Ethian even now. Let us get them used to seeing the two of you working as a team.”
“Yes, Father.” Fallon nodded.
“Now, the first thing we need to do is get Lidia involved in some event planning.” Karis looked at Meinard. “Meinard, you will have to sit in on that one.”
“Event planning, Father?” Meinard was confused.
“Your wedding, Meinard.” Karis grinned. “It is almost winter. Do you want it close to the winter festival? Or can you wait until spring?”
“Uh, I will wait until the spring.” Meinard thought for a moment. “That will give me time to talk to Bryn about what she wants to do about our living arrangements.”
“Good idea.” Karis raised an eyebrow. “Now, do you not have a meeting with her this evening?”
Meinard grinned. “I do, and if I am going to change in time for it, I need to go now.”
“Then shoo, go get changed.” Karis smiled and made a shooing motion with his hands. Meinard laughed as he headed out. “Bryn will be pleased. She has been after him to set a date for the past six months.”
“Well, they have been together for three years now.” Sayana watched him go with a smile. “She’s beginning to get a little anxious that he’s just stringing her along.”
“Do you think the rest of us should try to find wives, Father?” Jair asked.
“That is up to you, Jair.” Karis shrugged. “Meinard settled on Bryn when all of you were seventeen. He was the first of you to find a woman he liked. Ethian does not plan on getting married until he is closer to thirty. Unless that has changed, Ethian?” He looked over at Ethian.
Ethian shook his head. “Nothing has changed in that regard, Father. I still plan on waiting until I am closer to thirty before I marry.”
Fallon nodded. “I do not plan on marrying, but if I do, I will wait until after Ethian is married. We have too much to focus on to worry about that kind of emotional turmoil right now.”
“I do not know if I will ever marry.” Hanzo looked thoughtful. “If I am to serve under Lord Durden, my focus should be on my duties, not on a wife and children.”
“I have not found a woman who interests me, but if I am serving out in the colonies, how will I meet a woman of appropriate rank that can be my wife?” Jair was concerned with something Ethian privately thought really didn’t matter, but Jair was the most rank conscious out of them all.
“There are nobles in the colonies, Jair. Also, who says your wife has to be a noble?” Karis gestured to Sayana. “Please remember Sayana was a courtesan and I married her. Your wife can be of any rank, as long as the two of you have a mutual affection for each other.”
Jair looked thoughtful and he subsided. Ethian wondered what he was thinking. Karis spent the rest of the afternoon outlining what he planned for everyone to do. Ethian and Fallon paid attention to what the other three were going to be doing and listened to what Karis planned for them as well.
Karis dismissed them to get ready for court. Ethian was preparing for another night of men trying to pawn off their sisters and daughters off on him. The whole court knew by now he wasn’t interested in marrying anyone and yet they still tried. He wished they’d respect his decision but knowing what he did now about Imperial politics, he knew he was in for this until he did choose a wife.
Timur got him dressed and ready. He joined his brothers in the common room. The guards escorted them to the great hall. Karis and Sayana were waiting for them. “After tonight, you will be moved into private suites in the Imperial wing.” Karis looked at them all. “Your servants will pack your things in the morning while you eat breakfast and then you will follow them to your new rooms. Someone be sure to tell Meinard when he gets back to the enclave tonight.”
“Yes, Father.” Fallon would probably tell him if no one else did.
The family went into the great hall and settled into their usual places. The utensils were scanned, and Karis’ dishes were taken away. It took a few minutes, but they were replaced, and the court was let into the room. Food was served and Ethian managed to get through the entire meal with only a few vague comments about his marital status.
After the food and dishes were cleared away, Karis and Sayana watched the court. Ethian tried to pay attention, but he found his mind wandering. “Bored already?” Fallon asked quietly.
“Tired. I had horrid nightmares last night.” Ethian stifled a yawn.
“I hope father and Sayana retire early tonight. I am wanting some peace and quiet before bed.” Fallon kept his eyes on the court but still managed to tilt his head so Ethian could hear him clearly.
“After an assassination attempt on father? They are going to want to stay and listen to see if they can learn anything.” Ethian knew that from experience.
“Which means we are stuck.” Fallon sighed.
“Your Imperial Highness.” A lord came up to the high table with a hopeful looking young woman in tow. “May I present to you my daughter Imelda? She is a woman of culture, and she would be a jewel that would be fit to grace the Imperial family.”
“Lord Serif, let me stop you there.” Ethian held up his hand. “I am not marrying anyone until I am much closer to my thirtieth birthday. I would not dream of asking Imelda to wait so long. Please commend her to some of the other young men of the court. I am certain they will be far more appreciative of her charms than I am right now.”
Lord Serif bowed and took his crestfallen daughter away from the table. Another lord drifted up to the table. “Your Imperial Highness, have you decided what you will be looking for in a courtesan? I am certain Lord Tremere will serve you as well as he served your father.”
“I am not looking for courtesans. That would mean ejecting my sisters from the nursery wing and I do not intend on doing that.” Ethian allowed his neutral expression to shift into a frown briefly. “Besides, I do not have time to pursue carnal pleasures right now. My duties take up all my time, and what little free time I do have I prefer to spend in other activities.”
“All young men are interested in carnal pleasures, as you put it, Your Imperial Highness,” the lord sneered
“Ethian is not. I am not. We have duties and responsibilities that make the pursuit of romance or sexual liaisons unpalatable at this time.” Fallon added his comment to Ethian’s.
“Prince Meinard seems to have found a young woman to his liking,” the lord pointed out.
“Meinard went looking for romance. We have not. We are not all the same, Lord Alexius. We will not all act the same, nor do we all think the same.” Fallon grew a little firmer in his rejection of the lord’s claims.
“Alexius, my sons are quite set in their desire to focus on their duties for the time being.” Karis spoke up, having caught the entire conversation. “I did not choose courtesans while I was still the crown prince. I do not see why you are pushing for Ethian to choose them now. Unless you mean harm to my daughters and want them in a more accessible area so you can have them dispatched.”
“Of course not, Your Imperial Majesty,” Alexius stammered. “It just seems odd to me that a healthy young man would not want companionship of some kind.”
“Ethian will choose his companions in his own time, when he is ready.” Karis fixed the man with a cold stare. “I would drop the matter if you do not wish to draw unwanted attention from my investigation bureau.”
“Of course, Your Imperial Majesty.” Alexius bowed and hurried off.
“I think I just found someone for Demetrios to check on,” Karis murmured.
Ethian fielded a few more questions before he saw Karis and Sayana rise out of the corner of his eyes. The princes rose as well, and the Imperial family left the great hall. “We are going to check on your sisters and then we are retiring for the night. You four can do what you want. Remember what we said about Meinard.” Karis looked at his sons.
“Yes Father.” Fallon nodded. The princes separated from the emperor and empress and went back to the enclave.
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