Death and the Emperor

Book 1 Chapter XI: Be Sure Your Sins...

Consider what a great girl you are. Consider what a long way you've come to-day. Consider what o'clock it is. Consider anything, only don't cry! -- Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There

"It began... oh, the day after the coronation, I think," Balaeron said, wiping a tear away with her sleeve.

It suddenly struck Kilan that they were standing at the door, in their night-clothes, in the middle of a cold night. Feeling a prize fool, he said, "Why don't you come in?"

She stepped in and sat down in one of the armchairs. Kilan rifled through his drawer for a clean handkerchief, and handed it to her when he found one. She took it without seeming to notice what she was doing.

"Where was I?" she asked, staring straight ahead at nothing in particular. "Oh, yes. The day after the coronation, a maid came to me and said she thought my husband was trying to seduce her."

Oh gods.

From the day he was old enough to visit the temples, Kilan had been made to recite the Law of the Ancients until he knew it as well as he knew his own name. Those words sprang to mind now, and seemed to sear themselves into his consciousness. The gods will grant forgiveness of all sins, save these three only. For those who commit rape or adultery, or who out of the malice of their hearts kill one who did their kin no harm, there is no forgiveness. Though they repent upon their hands and knees and cry out to the gods for mercy, they will be granted none. Their souls will be cast down to the lowest parts of the universe, where the abominations birthed by Yerachaol[1] will gnaw on them for all eternity.

Balaeron was still speaking. Kilan tore himself free of his thoughts to listen to her.

"I was sure it was just a misunderstanding. But tonight..." She stopped and took a deep breath. "He never came to see Fenye. His own son, and he didn't care enough to come and see him. I tried to convince myself he was just busy with his duties."

Kilan suppressed a snort. Marin? Busy? He wouldn't know the meaning of the word!

"The doctors said I was to stay in bed for a week. But I wanted to see Marin, and ask him why he hadn't visited." Balaeron spoke slowly and quietly, as if each word physically pained her. "He wasn't in his office. I went to our bedroom--"

She broke off. Her eyes filled with tears and she clenched her fists, as if longing to punch someone.

It seemed she wasn't going to continue, so though the words left a sour taste in his mouth Kilan said quietly, "He wasn't alone?"

She shook her head. In a voice so low he had to strain to hear her, she said, "Duchess Jathelrim."

Kilan vaguely remembered the Duchess in question. She had congratulated his mother on Marin becoming Emperor, he thought. Then he remembered something else. Hadn't Marin attended several parties at her mansion, the first time they came to Esergot? Or was he getting her mixed up with some other Duchess?

Never mind; that wasn't important now. He had to find some way to break this news to his parents -- and Balaeron's, confront Marin over it, and help Balaeron get a divorce.

How in the name of Hadrael[2] was he to do all this without revealing the scandal to the world?

~~~~

After Balaeron had left, Kilan paced around his room for what might have been hours or mere minutes. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't force his mind to accept what he'd just heard. His own brother, an adulterer? How could it be possible?