Fear's Union

Chapter Twelve

-Anejo-

She had wanted this, and now she didn't. Anejo sat in her grandfather's solar, fidgeting. The prickly eyes of her brother were all over her and her grandfather's staring wasn't helping her nerves. But that wasn't all. There was a legend in the room and she gulped. Damn Keles and damn his horny meandering. It should be him in this seat, not her. She was inclined to blow the whole affair wide open.

Except that would devastate Xen, and that was not what she wanted.

"And that is the end of your story? That is everything you would like to report?"

She nodded, but the heat was rising up her neck. Creeping onto her face. This was supposed to be enjoyable, a rung on the ladder of respect. It was nothing of the sort.

"Could you explain why Keles is not relaying events himself? He has never shunned his duties before."

She shivered. This shouldn't be so hard - it was her grandfather after all - but it was hard. It was like every one of her words was scrutinised, and she had no idea of her standard. She couldn't think fast enough.

Felip was watching her. He was so unhappy about this, and that's why she'd wanted to be here. To wind her brother up. But even as a magistra, this was harder than she'd imagined. Her grandfather, the Consul, looked most displeased. She had only one way to go. She had pre-designed Keles's excuse, and it now seemed woefully inadequate.

"He had a pressing engagement to fulfil." The lie burned her cheeks. She looked at her lap, hoping no-one would see the flush, but her grandfather's eyes were trained on her. He'd seen it. He never missed a thing. She only hoped he could not interpret it.

"Well, you have done well. Your commander would be proud of the detail you offered."

Oh the joy! That was a statement that genuinely sent her whole body into prickly hair tugging warmth. It was a moment to prize, and a blow to her brother. It would energise her for days, and it was the reason she had come here. It was incredible. She exhaled noisily. But Felip was unlikely to agree with her grandfather's credit, and right on cue, he leaned forward.

"I disagree in part, Consul. It was the arrival of my infantry which stirred the enemy to flight. Without our timely intervention, the siege would surely have prevailed."

No. He wouldn't steal the credit. "I will not disagree that Felip's arrival triggered the departure of the Delfinians, but it is the intervention and work of the Mandahoi that provided the necessary intelligence and resistance. Without the nudge and scrape of the Grey, Altunia would be lost."

It was a bit of a lie, but it would do. The Mandahoi had done little more than support the man beside her, but that statement would really raise the temperature. Some feuds ran too deep.

"I don't think it's fair that you distil our―"

Her grandfather raised his hand and Felip was silenced. That was satisfying. "Please, no more. I will not waste time discussing the cut of acclaim when such crisis has been narrowly averted. I would rather hear views on how it came about in the first place." He stared about the room and she recognised a man apart from her grandfather. He was the High-Consul, head of Jinal's clan and ruler of all Ahan. He was a great man. "They should never have got this close! How in the name of Rhanna did they get to our gates?"

He spoke as a leader of men and a leader of a nation. That is exactly what he was.

She should push her position; that's what Keles would do. But what was there to say? "They arrived by boats."