Death and the Emperor

Book 2 Chapter VIII: Lines of Succession

Let us cleanse this farce with fire
Strike the fool who leads the liar
Let it all come crumbling down
Like the firebird from the ashes
We will rise to lead the masses
The strongest will emerge to wear the crown
-- Heather Dale, Crashing Down

Kilan and Qihadal fell into a strange, almost comfortable routine over the next week. Qihadal had selected a portion of the gardens for herself, and she spent most of her time working in it. Kilan spent most of his time in his office. They rarely saw each other, except at meals or when expected to attend official events together.

The blackmail letter had been safely sent and delivered to the Iqui. Now they had to await his reply. And like a sword over their heads hung the certainty that soon they must announce Qihadal's pregnancy... And who could see what would happen then?

Kilan's parents were staying in the capital until after the announcement. A week after the wedding Arásy called a family meeting to decide what must be done.

"We must claim I'm the father," Kilan said hesitantly. "Otherwise the line of succession will be thrown into chaos."

Arásy shook her head. "No one will believe that we can be sure of a pregnancy so soon after the wedding, and it will very quickly become clear that the Empress is too far along to have conceived in the last week."

"Yes, but..." Kilan paused to collect his thoughts. He looked over at Qihadal, hoping to see what she thought about all this. His wife sat on the window-seat, listening to everything that was said but saying nothing. Kilan turned back to his parents. "We could say that... that Qihadal and I have been meeting in secret. We could claim that's why the Iqui chose her to marry me."

Arásy frowned thoughtfully. "But when would you ever have had the opportunity to meet?"

Qihadal spoke for the first time. "I could spin some nonsense story about falling in love with Tinuviel last year, when he visited Malish, and writing to him without my father's knowledge."

"And elaborating the story from there," Særnor said, "we could claim that you visited Carann in secret and met Kilan."

"But all of this involves the idea that Kilan fathered a child out of wedlock!" Nadriet protested.

Arásy nodded with a weary sigh. "Alas, the situation is such that we cannot avoid that idea." She turned to Kilan. "The best we can do is portray you as being ashamed of what you'd done and insisting on doing the honourable thing and marrying her."

Kilan suddenly had an unpleasant thought. "There's just one problem with that idea. The High Council were the ones who made the proposal to the Iqui. They know how against it I was, and none of them are likely to agree with our version of events."

If only I could tell everyone about Death, he thought. No one would dare disagree with a word I said if they knew I was married to her.

"Damn the High Council!" Arásy grumbled. "They're nothing but headaches, all of them."

Kilan had never agreed more whole-heartedly with his mother in his life.

Særnor got up and began to pace around the room. "We'll have to claim Kilan and Qihadal met in secret, without the High Council's knowledge, after the engagement. Say, they were both curious to know what their future spouse was like."

"It's not a perfect idea," Arásy said, mulling it over, "but it's the best we're likely to find."

"I don't like it," Kilan said, surprising even himself. Everyone gave him enquiring looks. "There are too many holes in it. The High Council are sure to investigate, and they'll discover it's all lies."