Figurehead

twelve

The hearth is full, the flames burning and crackling in the silence. The fire provides warmth in the room, but the air is cold between us.

"You leave in three days."

He nods, eyes tracing the crown on the table before him. "Yes."

"With who? For how long?" He looks up to meet my gaze. "Do your people know? Who will you leave in your place?" What if you don't come back alive? I don't put this to words, I don't say it out loud. I don't want to consider it.

He shrugs. "The people will know. I have no doubt the other trusted messengers are sending word out now. And with them, messengers. The people will know," he repeats.

"They'll panic." My voice is flat.

He doesn't deny this. "I don't know how long I'll stay there," he says instead. He lowers his gaze to the crown. "But Lus will take over while I'm gone." He shrugs again. "He's already next in line, after all. He should continue to be until I have children. Our older kin are occupied, too old or have denied their Escatin blood."

I let out a heavy sigh. "Dein, you're risking your life," I whisper. His eyes flick to mine. "You're certain this is His will?" I search the oceans of his gaze. He nods once.

There is a quiet knock on the door. "It's us." He picks the crown up, fingering it as I get up from the table and cross the tiny space, opening the door silently to let them in before securing it behind them. They sit in silence at the table and I return to my place.

"The people are certain to panic," Sher sighs, slumping back in the chair, arms crossed.

He sets the crown on his head. "Not as much, because I'm leaving him in charge." He nods at his kin.

Lus leans forward on the table from where he sits opposite the king. "For how long? Until you die in Kalsemir?" He narrows his eyes. "You don't need to go, you don't need to send anyone-"

"Yes. I do." His voice is quiet. "If there's anything I can do while I am king, this is it. I can support the people who are fighting on behalf of myself and my kingdom."

"And if you die?" Sher asks bluntly.

He meets her gaze steadily. "Then I die."

I glance at Nirs sitting opposite me, who has remained silent throughout the exchange, but she does not look at me. "Who goes with you?" she asks, turned to him instead.

He shrugs. "Some will offer to come. Some I won't trust to travel alongside. Some I will ask myself. Some I won't need to ask."

"That tells us nothing," Sher points out.

"And what will you do when you arrive?" Lus asks, raising his eyebrows. "How are you supposed to 'raise morale and encourage more to fight'?"

I can see him bristling, his eyes narrowing. They stare each other down as the silence grows thick. "I don't know," he says finally.

"Then don't go," Lus snaps. "You may only be a figurehead but the people need you. They look to you."

"And they will see I support their fight for us," he reasons.

"People die on the battlefield every day," Lus hisses, voice low. "You don't need to go there and die with them to show you 'support th-'"

"I'm. Going." He wears no mask now, but the intensity of his gaze is enough for Lus to look away, seething, fists curled.

Silence crumples onto the table.

"I'll go," Sher mutters, the silence scattering. "I'm a High healer, after all. I can help them." He nods once.

Lus stands. "You'd better come back alive and safe, Dein," he says darkly. His eyes are hard. The king dips his head. Lus leaves, the door closing with a thud behind him.

Sher sighs heavily and rises to her feet. "You leave in three days?" He nods. "I'll meet you there, then. I need to gather supplies from Aranakiu." He dips his head and she leaves too, the door closing silently behind her.

Nirs looks down at the table, still not meeting my gaze.

"Nirs." She looks up at him. He raises an eyebrow. "You've been uncharacteristically quiet."

She doesn't smile. "I don't know," she sighs heavily.

He glances at me, and I shrug. He frowns, then slowly rises to his feet, tugging the hood of his cloak over his head. "Let me know, then." He pauses as if to say something, but leaves without another word.

Finally, she lifts her chin to face me, expression unreadable. "You knew," she says simply. Her tone is not accusatory, but the look in her eyes is.

I nod once. "Yes."

She releases a heavy sigh. "You're going?" I nod. I didn't say so, and neither did he, but he said himself that some he wouldn't need to ask. I assume I'm one of them.

"You're thinking of Yud, aren't you?" I ask quietly.

She shrugs. "Somewhat. I'm more concerned of the consequences of the king's decision." I make a noncommittal noise in response. "This doesn't make much sense. How does his going there help?"

I shrug, sighing, "I don't know."

"Does he know you went to Kalsemir alone?" I shake my head. "So he doesn't know I was in Aranakiu this whole time?"

"I think he knows you've been in Aranakiu a while, because you only returned today. But he doesn't know I went to Kalsemir alone, and that you were in Aranakiu while I went." I laugh quietly. "Maybe don't tell him, either."

She raises an eyebrow. "Interesting." What exactly does she mean by that? Her expression is unreadable. Not.

"Sure." I eye her. "You coming?"

She shrugs. "I only came back today," she reasons, "Give me time."

I give her a blank look. "Everyone else only found out today too. We don't have much time. We leave in three days."

She groans quietly. "I know." She rubs one of her eyes, blinking. "I'm tired," she murmurs. I smile faintly.

"How is Aranakiu? And how is Yud?" I ask.

She smiles. "Aranakiu is doing well. All the fields have been planted with Dre crops. And Yud was so sweet and a little bit goofy, and so considerate."

I grin. "You miss him already?"

She shakes her head and laughs. "Not yet. We still don't know what's going to happen, either." She covers her face in her hands. "We haven't even kissed once yet," she says, voice muffled.

I laugh. "One day."

She nods once. "I hope." She sighs, dropping her hands from her face. "But has Dein told you how long he intends to stay in Kalsemir?"

"No." My lips press into a thin line.

She shakes her head. "I don't know if I'll come." She shrugs. "Maybe I'll visit or something every now and then."

"You can help Sher gather supplies in Aranakiu," I suggest.

She shakes her head. "I don't know," she groans quietly. "I'm being selfish, wanting to return to Aranakiu to see Yud again." She lowers her voice. "What if you or any of the others dies?"

"He's convinced this is the Lord's will," I murmur.

She raises an eyebrow. "And you...?"

I shrug. "I don't know," I sigh.

"But you're going anyway?"

I shrug again. "Yeah," I say simply. I don't know why- but I do.

She sighs. "I don't know. I don't know." She stands slowly. "I'll have an answer in three days," she murmurs.

"You going to tell him that?" She shrugs. "You want me to tell him instead?"

"Why not? You seem pretty close." She smiles faintly, a hint of a glint in her wearied eyes.

I roll my eyes. "Alright, I'll tell him." She shuffles to the door. "Sleep well."

"You too."