The High Lord inclined his head, and the Consort walked past the thrones until she reached a path that led away from the gathered Court. No one followed except Teela and Severn, not even Teela’s guards. The Consort, however, had no bodyguards of her own. Kaylin frowned. The Consort almost never had personal guards except during actual war.
We areallher guards. Without her, we have no future.Whenever Ynpharion spoke of the Consort, he spoke with pride and reverence. Given that the Consort was the most approachable, the least stiffly hierarchical of the Barrani, Kaylin sometimes found the reverence hard to understand.
9
When they were well away from the eyes of the gathered Court, the Consort turned to Teela. She didn’t hug the Barrani Hawk, but her eyes shaded blue in an expression that spoke of worry-as-concern, and not anger or danger.
“You misunderstand,” Teela said, before the Consort could speak. “Kaylin wished to speak with you, and I am here askyuthe. She is not accustomed—and will probably never be accustomed—to the High Court and its undercurrents.” She bowed. “I will not entangle you in the minor difficulties I face. They are not the worst that I have historically faced, and doubtless, they will not be the last. If I cannot stand, I will fall, and someone who can will take my place. That has always been our way.
“Kaylin is mortal; she doesn’t understand this viscerally.”
The Consort looked as if she would speak, but demurred. She then turned to Kaylin. “If you are not here for An’Teela’s sake, why have you come?”
Kaylin indicated her tabard. “It’s Hawk-related. I would say it’s Hawk business, but I haven’t found out why, yet.”
The Consort chuckled. “Meaning you require a crime and have not yet found evidence of one?”
“Something like that.”
“And you feel that she does not understand the Barrani.” The Consort’s smile was fond as she turned it on Teela.
“She is not attempting to invent a crime; she is genuinely certain one exists. Were she to be convinced that one did not exist, she would move on. It is not political on her part.”
“Ah. Well. What crime am I to help you uncover then? I admit that I have been feeling somewhat—how do you say it? At loose ends? Yes. At loose ends, lately.”
Teela said, to Kaylin, “She is bored. And you are never boring, in the end. Frustrating and sentimental and frequently oblivious, but never boring.”
Kaylin tried not to resent this, and mostly succeeded. But she frowned. Which of course, everyone noticed, even Severn. “You’re not feeling bored.”
“Boredwas not the word I used, and if you dislike it, you must take up the word choice with yourkyuthe.”
“Youareworried.” This almost entirely derailed Kaylin’s attempt to put together a politic sentence that involved Candallar.
“I am always worried about something, Lord Kaylin. It comes with the responsibility of my position. It is also not considered terribly wise to make such a statement so baldly.”
“Sorry.”
“Distract me.”
“I wanted to ask you about Candallar.”
“Candallar? You speak of the outcaste fieflord of that name?”
“He’s the only one I know of.”
“Why do you ask about him?”
“Because I met him in person in the city I patrol.”
The Consort’s eyes darkened into the familiar shade of Barrani blue. “When?”
“Two days ago.”
“Where?”
“It doesn’t matter. I was on patrol, and he was there. He was, I believe, invisible—which is questionably legal—and he meant to meet the Barrani who otherwise patrol that area.”
“Meeting with Barrani is not illegal by Imperial standards, surely?” The emphasis onImperialwas not flattering.