Death and the Emperor

Book 1 Chapter XXII: Action and Reaction

Sometimes the curiosity can kill the soul but leave the pain
And every ounce of innocence is left inside her brain
-- Shinedown, Her Name is Alice

"That went well," Death observed sarcastically.

"Do you have anything helpful to say?" Kilan asked. "If not, please go away. Or on second thoughts, take me to your realm. I need some advice. Who was Princess Ixerthi's predecessor?"

Death thought for a moment. "I believe it was her father, Prince Jibarai."

"Then take me to see him. He should be able to tell me if the things she said are true."

Death raised an eyebrow. "Do you not believe her?"

"I don't know what to believe!"

~~~~

Prince Jibarai did not live -- er, reside -- anywhere near Kilan's other relatives. In fact, he lived in a part of the Land of the Dead that was nowhere near any former residents of the Carann Empire. Kilan tried not to read too much into that.

They found the Prince working in his garden. His reaction to seeing Kilan was not encouraging. He stopped in the middle of trying to pull up a weed and stared at Kilan as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Are my eyes playing tricks on me," he began in a tone of astonishment, "or is that a living soul?"

How can he tell? Kilan wondered. I didn't think I look any different to the dead souls.

"Indeed it is," Death said. "Prince Jibarai, meet Emperor Tinuviel."

The Prince looked at Kilan dubiously. "This is the new Emperor? He looks like a teenager!"

Kilan wasn't sure if he should be insulted or not by that statement. "I'm twenty."

"That's still much too young to rule an Empire." Prince Jibarai would obviously not be swayed on this point. "But why are you here, Emperor Tinuviel?"

Kilan took a deep breath. "I met your daughter--"

"Ixerthi?" Jibarai's face brightened. "Xuliye! Come here, quick!"

"What have you done now?" a woman's voice shouted from inside the house. "If you've pulled up the tomatoes instead of the weeds again, you can replant them yourself!"

"No, it has nothing to do with tomatoes!"

A woman who bore a remarkable resemblance to Ixerthi appeared around the corner of the house. In one hand she held a tin of pale blue paint, and in the other she held a paint brush. "Then why-- Oh!" She broke off when she caught sight of Death. She made a sort of curtsy, made awkward by the tin of paint. "Your Majesty! How nice of you to visit." She took no notice whatsoever of Kilan. To the Prince, she added in an undertone, "Why didn't you warn me?"

Jibarai seemed utterly unconcerned by his wife's consternation. "Xuliye, this young man has news of Ixerthi!"

Xuliye finally noticed Kilan for the first time. "Really? How is she? Is she happy? Is her husband treating her well? What about our grandchildren? Are any of them married?"

This storm of questions left Kilan breathless. "I don't know," he said when Xuliye stopped for breath. "I think she's well, but she never mentioned her husband or any of her children. I'm here because I need your advice."

"Since when do the living ask the dead for advice?" Xuliye wondered aloud.

Death laughed. "Since Emperor Tinuviel decided to hug me, that's when."