For Rix_scaedu‘s Prompt.
Reiassan has a landing page here.
After “Under Scrutiny”.
Girey followed Rin out into the hallways of the labyrinthine mess her people called an Imperial Palace. “Do you ever loose people in here?”
“All the time. Usually strangers; children learn young to navigate by the mosaics on the floor.” She pointed at the thin green border and thicker red line on the patterns under their feet. “See? This is how I know I’m in the right wing.”
“You follow the floors.” He shook his head, but noted the floors nonetheless.
“We follow the floors.” Despite – or maybe because of – their earlier argument, she was cheerful, smiling at him, dragging her fingers along the stone walls. “And the walls, and if all else fails, the ceilings.”
“The ceilings. You…” He fell silent as, coming on an X-shaped intersection, they could hear another conversation.
“One of my agents swears he saw the Bitrani prince in the market in Ossulund, with a Callenian woman. Are you certain?”
“We executed the Bitrani King in the main square in Arinoss. We jailed every courtier her had and executed those who showed skill with the sira. We’ve taken their support base.”
“But left them their prince.”
Girey hadn’t realized he was grinding his teeth until Rin set her hand on his wrist, just over the bracelet she’d put there. It was one thing to know it, another to hear the elimination of his people discussed like dealing with an infestation.
“If their prince is a captive of a Callenian woman, he’s hardly a threat anymore, is he?” the first voice laughed, as they rounded the corner. “Not in… Lady.” The speaker bowed low, his layered qitari brushing the ground. “Princess Arinyanca.”
“Uncle Esnees.” Rin’s voice was icy. “And I’m sure you haven’t yet met my companion, Girey.”
Next: Sun-on-the-Water (LJ)
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Oooooh! *happy squealing if there was any doubt* Is Uncle Esnees the Callenian villain or just very practical? Two typos: “Do you ever loose people in here?” – I think ‘loose’ should be ‘lose’ “Did you loose your bracelet?” “It was rolling loose on the floor.” “We jailed every courtier her had ” -I think this should be “he had”.
Oooh, palace politics! <rubs hands with evil glee> This is … after their first night in the palace? Maybe? (And what Rix said about typos.)
After the first night in the palace, yes. There’s a piece un-finished between the bath and this.
There’s a piece un-finished between the bath and this. Squeee!
Oh my! The contrast between Rin and others in her country is pretty clear…