Revolutions

162 - Haesan

The map mocks me.

Every ridge, every carved river twisting across its polished surface, every tiny mountain range jutting out like accusations—each detail screams that I'm too small for this, that I'm not prepared for leading the people of Pachil.

My father must have seen this as his empire. He would have stood where I stand now, staring down at these slabs of wood like they were all meant to be conquered, claimed. He'd trace his fingers over the borders, as his mind tirelessly worked out how to push them further.

I press my palm against the edge of the map, feeling the cool and polished wood beneath my hand. The sacred lumuli wood gleams faintly in the brazier's light. For a moment, I imagine the map moving. The rivers flow. The mountains grow taller. The cities stretch and sprawl. Each slab fits perfectly together, but instead of giving me clarity, it twists my thoughts into knots, its interlocking edges binding me to something I don't know how to hold.

The map is too perfect, and I am not.

Inuxeq slams her hand down on the nearest slab, which cracks through the room like a thunderclap. "We're wasting time," she snaps. "Every second we sit here talking, he's gaining ground."

"He's posturing," Xelhua counters, keeping calm as an undisturbed lake in the morning. He doesn't flinch at her outburst. With his arms are crossed, he gazes at the part of the map where Taqsame's forces have reportedly begun to gather. "Taqsame's making noise because he knows we're still recovering, that we haven't begun imprinting the land with our rule yet. He's hoping we'll act without thinking, so he can claim we're volatile and reactive."

Inuxeq rounds on him, her frustration visible in every line of her body. "And what? We just sit here and let him turn our people against us? Allow him this campaign of lies? Let him chip away at everything we've only just begun to build?"

"Build?" Xelhua's voice hardens slightly. "You've just said it yourself, that we've barely begun building, Inuxeq. If you think we can survive another full-scale conflict right now, you're either naïve or reckless."

"Enough," I shout. The room goes silent, the tension crackling like fire catching dry grass. Perhaps it was louder than I intended, but my frustration with the continuous bickering has finally boiled over. Control needs to be regained in this room.

The palace servants freeze in place, not daring to move. Seated to my left, Maqochi clears his throat softly, while Inuxeq and Xelhua watch me closely. I glance over at Yachaman, who stoically stares at the carvings of the map.

I grip the edge of the map's wooden frame. My fingers brush over its smooth, polished surface, and I take in the sight of its curvatures that look ominous in the dim torchlight. Generations of rulers have touched this same wood, their hands shaping its history as much as their choices shaped the land. This revelation is enough to make me dizzy.

"We are not here to fight each other," I say, forcing my voice to steady, then give a nod to the servants to carry on with their duties. "We're here to figure out how to handle Taqsame. Together."

Inuxeq's jaw twitches, but to her credit, she doesn't speak. However, her frustration radiates like heat. Xelhua stands as still as a carved figure himself, waiting for me to continue.

After a long exhale, I say finally, "We need both. Caution and action. Xelhua, focus on strengthening our defenses. We need to be ready if Taqsame forces our hand."

Xelhua inclines his head, in a gesture of quiet approval.

"Inuxeq," I continue, meeting her restrained glare. "Your instincts aren't wrong. If we wait too long, he'll only grow bolder. But we can't strike without preparation. Work with Yachaman to ensure we have the Aimue support, should Taqsame begin rallying support of his own. I fear–" I glance briefly at Maqochi before pressing on with my thoughts, my prediction, "–that the Qantua warriors within the capital's limits cannot be trusted. I need to ensure that Qapauma has the strength to defend itself should, Eleven willing, it must come to that once again."