Ethian sat with Verena in the garden, discussing his lessons on Covus. He told her about what it had been like studying with Reynard. “What was it like studying with the empress?” Verena asked.
“I loved it. Any excuse to spend time with her. Mother would sit me down with her pad and we would have my scholarly lessons. I would be given something to read before bed, and we would discuss it the next night.” Ethian smiled. “I did not care what we studied, so long as I was with her. I was not sure why we studied Imperial politics and the way things worked on the Throne World, but she was giving me the basic skills I would need to survive when we came back here.”
“Is that all you studied?” Verena asked.
“Oh no.” Ethian laughed. “History, political science, philosophy, technology, literature, mathematics, you name it, we covered it. I was not fond of mathematics or philosophy, but she made me learn them anyway.”
Verena giggled. “I am terrible at mathematics. It is the one subject I did well enough to pass but that is it. My father just shook his head and said I should focus more on them. I understand why. As his daughter I need to know how finances work. Give it to me as a financial statement and it makes sense. Add letters to numbers and tell me to solve for a letter? That makes no sense at all.”
Ethian snorted. “I had the same issue. Give it to me in something that makes sense, and I can work with it, like a financial statement. Ask me to solve for some random letter and that is when it ceases making sense.”
“You are both ridiculous.” Fallon was obviously amused by them. “It is the same thing.”
“No, it is not.” Verena and Ethian spoke at the same time. All three of them burst into laughter.
“I needed a laugh this morning.” Verena sighed. “We just sent my youngest nephew to our Uncle Royden. He lives on Nichilia, two worlds away from Henebore, and is going to help him get into a shipwright academy when he turns twelve. It is the last time we are going to see Harun for a long time, and it is a very bittersweet day. We will miss him, but this is a good thing for him because the kid is a genius when it comes to building things. He is going to thrive at the academy.”
“Did your father take him to the port?” Ethian asked.
“Nik and Astera did. Father and I stayed at the palace to give them privacy.” Verena looked thoughtful. “Astera is very unhappy about this, even though she knows it is what Harun wants. She has this blind spot about courtiers becoming something so common as a shipwright. Nik and father do not see it that way. Then again, they were born tradesmen and have a different view of the trades than Astera does.”
“What do you think?” Ethian asked.
“I was the one who broached the subject to father and Nik for Harun,” Verena told him. “Harun told Astera, and she just laughed at him. I gathered all three of them together and laid it out for them. Father said he would talk to Uncle Royden and evidently it went beyond just asking for him to talk to his friend at the academy. It became a full-blown apprenticeship situation.”
“You were born and raised a courtier, Verena.” Ethian was curious about her thought process on this. He rubbed her back where she was stiff and sore. She’d started training with a guard trainer at his suggestion and was feeling it today. “Do you not find it odd that he wants to be something as common as a shipwright?”
“I am my father’s daughter, Ethian.” Verena twisted so she could look at him. “I might have been born at court, but I was raised with his beliefs. I see the value in the trades where an ordinary courtier does not. I do not see anything wrong with Harun becoming a shipwright.”
“You are a very unique woman, Verena.” Ethian sat down next to her. “We should probably tackle some of this paperwork before it decides to replicate itself.”
“Yes, we should.” She smiled at him. He saw that smile a lot more now than he had in the early days of their relationship, and he was glad of it. She was happier now, livelier, and a much different person than the shy, guarded woman he’d known in the spring.
They did the paperwork and only separated when Fallon called them in for lunch. Ethian ate and went to the audiences. His father kept them moving and soon Ethian found himself back in his chambers with his paperwork. He finished it sooner than he’d expected, mostly because he and Verena had gotten so much of it done in the garden and stared at his pad.
Now what was he going to do? He could read, but he wasn’t in the mood. He was restless and needed something active to do. He flashed Fallon a message. The reply was immediate. “Meet me in the training room.” Ethian grinned. Fallon must be as restless as he was.
The two sparred until it was time to get ready for court. “You are out of practice, Ethian,” Fallon chided him as they wiped the sweat from their faces. “I should not have beat you so easily that second time.”
“I know.” Ethian groaned. “That stars-cursed paperwork means I do not get down here near as often as I would like. I am going to have to make more time for this.”
“I highly recommend it.” Fallon looked at him. “I get down here with one of the guard trainers at least twice a week because you are usually too busy.”
“I will flash you next time I have a free afternoon.” Ethian looked around the room. “And I will try to have a free afternoon more often.”
“Do your paperwork after court once in a while, if you know it will not take you too long to finish it, and come spar with me,” Fallon suggested.
“I think I will do that.” Ethian grinned. “Thanks Fallon.”
“My pleasure.” Fallon clapped him on the shoulder. Ethian went, showered, and was ready for dinner with the court at the expected time. Nothing happened and he returned to his suite and went to bed.
Ethian made it through council the next day and went to the garden. Fallon joined him. He walked in and realized something was very wrong. Verena was collapsed on the ground, a pool of blood under her. She was pale and barely breathing. “Fallon, get a doctor. Now,” he ordered. He rushed to Verena’s side. Her chest and stomach were covered in stab wounds. He looked up to the Imperial guards who were holding four women at gunpoint. They all had blood covered hands, and the guards were holding vibroblades in their free hands.
The women looked frightened. “They chased her here, Your Imperial Highness,” one of the guards said to his unanswered question. “She was already bleeding profusely when she stumbled through the entrance. We were waiting for you to arrive. She only arrived a few minutes ago.”
Verena must have been running late that morning. “Take them to the inquisitors. I want to know what happened.” The women whimpered as the guards forced them down the path. He knew those had to be her sisters. What in the name of all the stars had led them to attack her with vibroblades?
It took too long for the doctors to arrive for Ethian’s peace of mind. They had a stretcher with them. “We’ll take her from here, Your Imperial Highness,” one of the doctors told him. They slapped a stasis field on Verena and loaded her onto the stretcher. They carried her back out of the garden.
“I sent Silvan to father. He is waiting to hear what happened.” Fallon put a hand on his shoulder.
“I sent her sisters, I think it was her sisters, to the inquisitors.” Ethian stared at the blood on the ground. “I want answers, and Verena cannot give them to us.”
“Then let us go wait for Demetrios’ report with father.” Fallon gently prodded him into motion. Ethian nodded and the two went back inside.
“Ethian, what happened?” Karis asked. “All Fallon’s servant said was you found Verena unconscious and bleeding in the garden.”
“We do not know much more than that right now, Father.” Ethian clenched his fists. “I think her sisters stabbed her, but I do not know how or why. I have sent them to the inquisitors to get answers.”
“Then we wait for Demetrios.” Karis nodded, and Ethian knew he’d done the right thing. “They should not be hard to get answers from so we should have something shortly.”
An hour later Demetrios arrived in Karis’ chambers. “I think we broke them. They’re nothing but mindless wrecks now.”
“What did you find out?” Karis asked.
“These are Lady Verena’s sisters. Apparently, their father was supposed to have locked them in their rooms today, but Lady Nefari bribed one of the servants to sabotage the locks so they wouldn’t work.” Demetrios looked grim. “Lady Ismat snuck out of her room to listen in on their father’s business, and she heard Lady Verena, Lord Mislav, and Lord Niklas talking about their ascension and her relationship with Prince Ethian.”
“It makes sense that Verena would be talking to them about those things.” Ethian nodded. “Especially if she thought she was safe and that her sisters would not be able to hear about them.”
“Lady Ismat got her sisters together and told them what she’d heard. This infuriated her sisters, because they all thought of themselves as superior to Lady Verena because of her status as a courtesan’s daughter.” Demetrios continued with what he’d learned. “They decided that they had to do something more permanent about her. They got a servant to find and bring them four vibroblades and went out to the gardens while she was still in talking with Lord Mislav and Lord Niklas to wait for her.”
“They would never have suspected anything because the four of them were supposed to be locked in their rooms.” Sayana was horrified.
Demetrios nodded. “Verena came out later, having spent some time talking to Lord Mislav and Lord Niklas. It was obvious she was making her way to the Imperial garden when her sisters attacked her. They stabbed her several times. She got away from them and staggered into the garden. Her sisters followed, determined to finish her off before Prince Ethian came out. The guards stopped them, and Prince Ethian arrived a few minutes later.”
“That poor woman.” Karis looked at his investigation minister.
“Demetrios, you say the sisters’ minds are broken?”
“My psychics were not gentle. These women were weak-minded to begin with, and the rough search of their minds shattered them beyond repair.” Demetrios didn’t look too sorry about the state the sisters found themselves in.
“See to it that they are kept clean and fed but keep them locked away and out of sight. I do not want anyone to know Lord Mislav’s older daughters ever existed.” Karis was kinder than Ethian wanted to be at the moment. “I will figure out what to do with them later.”
“As you wish, Your Imperial Majesty.” Demetrios bowed and left the room.
“Imre, send for Lord Mislav. Tell him I need to see him immediately.” Karis turned his attention to his valet.
“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.” Imre sent the message.
Mislav arrived a short while later. “Your Imperial Majesty, how may I be of service?” He bowed.
“Your older daughters are no longer going to be an issue. I suggest you ascend now,” Karis instructed.
Mislav noticed Ethian’s grim expression. “What has happened, Your Imperial Majesty?”
“Your daughters escaped their rooms and nearly killed Verena, Lord Mislav.” Ethian didn’t bother to hide his emotions from the man. “She is lying in the care of the Imperial doctors, almost dead, and your older daughters are now mindless because of the effects of being scanned by the psychics.”
Mislav paled. “I locked them in their rooms. They should not have been able to get out.”
“Apparently they bribed a servant to sabotage the locks.” Karis’ expression was as grim as Ethian’s.
Mislav’s face cycled through several emotions. Then it settled on resolute. “I will begin the process of ascension immediately, Your Imperial Majesty. As far as I am concerned, the only daughter I have ever had is Verena.” He paused. “Will she be all right?”
“We do not know.” Fallon looked at him, his concern for Verena warring with his anger over the older sisters on his face. “I have not gone to check on her yet. We cannot send Ethian to check on her until after the ascension, so I will be doing most of the legwork until then.”
“Please send me word on her condition as soon as you can. I will get the process started immediately.” Mislav’s hands were clenched into fists, and it was obvious he was trying to conceal his emotions.
“Thank you, Mislav.” Karis nodded. “We will let you know how Verena is doing as soon as we learn anything. Either Imre or Silvan, Fallon’s servant, will send word.” Mislav bowed and headed out.
“Well, he wanted to be rid of the four older daughters.” Ethian almost growled. “We took care of that for him.”
“Yes, we did.” Karis sighed. “He should have been rid of them years ago. It would have spared Verena from what happened to her today. Fallon, go check with the doctors. Get an update on her condition.”
“Yes, Father.” Fallon left and Ethian began pacing. Karis and Sayana said nothing. They let him pace. Fallon returned half an hour later. “She will live, but it was close. The blades pierced her lungs and her stomach. She lost a lot of blood. She is in surgery now. From what they were saying, it will be at least a week before she is conscious though, and another few days after that before they are willing to release her.”
“That gives Mislav time to ascend and us time to set up a suite for her in the Imperial wing.” Karis leaned back and steepled his fingers. “Imre, tell the seneschal that as soon as he gets Lord Mislav’s request, I want it rushed through. No delays, no debates. He is to be given full rights at the rank he is ascending to. I do not care if it is higher than some lords may think he should ascend to. I want him in place immediately.”
“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.” Imre regarded the princes. “I shall also go in person to inform Lord Mislav of his daughter’s current status.”
“Thank you, Imre.” Karis was startled that Imre would do it in person, but Ethian thought it was a nice touch. Imre sent the message to the seneschal and left the room.
Ethian collapsed into a chair. “I want to see her so badly, but I know I cannot until Mislav’s ascension is official.”
“I want to know what rank he is putting himself into.” Karis frowned. “I should have had Demetrios look into his financials one last time.”
“We can ask him to check,” Sayana pointed out. “Mislav has to make his financials known to the seneschal when he ascends.”
Karis looked at Ardatha. “Ardatha, will you call Demetrios back for us?”
“Of course, Your Imperial Majesty.” Ardatha pulled out her pad and sent the message.
A short while later, Demetrios reappeared. “Do you have something more for me, Your Imperial Majesty?”
“Demetrios, we are forcing the issue with Lord Mislav and making him ascend so we can facilitate the relationship between Verena and Ethian.” Karis regarded his investigation minister with some curiosity. “We want to know where he is going to ascend to.”
“Let me pull up his financial records very quickly, Your Imperial Majesty.” Demetrios pulled out his pad. “Starflare, if the man ascends where his financials say he can, he could be a high lord, Your Imperial Majesty.”
“What?” Karis asked.
Demetrios flipped his pad around and highlighted the number. “Lord Mislav has in excess of two hundred million credits in his account. It only takes one hundred fifty million to be a high lord.”
“This is all from legitimate business ventures, correct?” Karis asked.
“As far as I’ve been able to determine from my research on the man, yes, Your Imperial Majesty.” Demetrios nodded. “Investments and trade deals that have been hugely profitable for him.” He tapped a few things into his pad. “His son contributed quite a bit, but like his father, everything I’ve seen is completely legitimate. They are honest tradesmen with exceptional luck and business savvy that puts some men to shame. They are on par with some of our current high lords for that.”
“Then they deserve to be among our high lords.” Karis seemed very appreciative of the man’s financial savvy. “I hope Mislav takes the rank he has earned.”
“So do I.” Sayana was also impressed. “The man is a genius, if not very bright where his daughters were concerned.” Demetrios bowed and left.
The seneschal appeared a short while later. He seemed almost incensed. “Your Imperial Majesty, you are insisting that I permit this Lord Mislav Kelcrag to ascend without the usual duration of vetting and deliberation, correct?” he asked.
“That is correct, Seneschal.” Karis seemed annoyed by his seneschal’s interruption. Ethian was sitting in his father’s rooms doing his paperwork because he didn’t want to be alone at the moment and Karis and Sayana hadn’t sent him away.
“He wishes to ascend to the position of high lord,” the seneschal protested.
“Does he have the financial situation to back it up?” Karis asked.
“Well, yes.” The seneschal grudgingly admitted to that fact.
“And did you at least check with Demetrios to make sure it was all legally obtained?” Karis asked.
“I did and he said it was clean,” the seneschal conceded.
“Then permit the ascension.” Karis fixed the man with a cold look.
“No lower court lord has ascended to that high a position in the history of the empire,” the seneschal began.
“You are wrong, seneschal.” Ethian did some quick searching. “Eleven high lords were elevated directly from the lower court. Two during the second century, one in the fifth century, five in the seventh century, one in the eighth century, and two in the eleventh century. It just has not been done in a while.”
“I see.” The seneschal looked rather cross. “If it is your will that he be elevated to the position of high lord, Your Imperial Majesty, I will complete the ascension. I will have him and his family moved into new rooms in the palace.”
“Seneschal, his daughter Verena is to be moved into the Imperial wing.” Karis added that instruction before the man left.
“The Imperial wing, Your Imperial Majesty?” the seneschal asked.
“Yes, Seneschal.” Karis glanced at Ethian. “She is in the care of the Imperial doctors right now. But she will be moving into the Imperial wing with the rest of my family when she is released in ten days.”
“As you wish, Your Imperial Majesty.” The seneschal frowned. “I will so inform him.” Karis nodded and the man left the room.
“Eleven high lords have come from the lower court?” Karis asked.
“On further searching, there have actually been seventeen.” Ethian was still looking at the documentation. “I just found eleven on an initial quick search.”
“There is precedent for it then.” Sayana seemed surprised by the fact.
“Plenty.” Ethian looked up from his pad. “The upper court just does not like to admit to it.”
“Are any of those families still in place as high lords?” Karis asked.
“Let me cross reference really quickly.” Ethian tapped some things into his pad. “According to the Imperial genealogical database, of the seventeen that were elevated, nine still hold their titles as high lords. How interesting. Arken’s family is one of them.”
“Really?” Sayana asked. “Arken’s family were once lower court nobility?”
Ethian looked at his mother and nodded. “They were one of the ones that came in during the seventh century.”
“Arken’s family is an old one that goes back generations as high lords, but I did not know they started as lower court nobility.” Karis looked thoughtful. “Fascinating.”
Ethian sent the list of former lower court families to Karis’ pad. “Just in case you need to hold this over someone’s head.”
“Thanks.” Karis glanced at the file. “This may prove useful if people give me problems over Lord Mislav’s elevation.”
“I could probably dig even deeper and find out just how many of our upper court nobility comes from the lower court if I tried.” Ethian didn’t want to spend that much time searching the database, however. He had more important work to do.
“That could take hours of searching.” Karis shook his head. “And I am positive over two thirds of the upper court came from the lower court initially.”
“That sounds like a reasonable number to me.” Ethian sighed.
“I know you want to check on her but be patient.” Karis gave his son a reassuring smile.
“Yes, Father.” Ethian privately thought being patient was one of the hardest things in the galaxy right now. He resumed his paperwork and tried not to think about the broken body he’d seen in the garden that morning.
(A/N: Just consider any gap in posting me having an issue with my health, because that’s what it usually is. I’m trying to post ahead of time enough it doesn’t cause a gap, but sometimes it gets away from me. Sorry about that!)
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