Death and the Emperor

Book 2 Chapter IX: Scandal

The Morrigan fills an empty throne
The Morrigan builds with flesh and bone
-- Heather Dale, The Morrigan

Rumours fly more quickly than the truth. The sun had barely risen before gossips were chattering all over the Empire. Few people like anything better than to talk over someone else's misdeeds, and Carann's many gossips had not had so much entertainment since the scandal about Emperor Marin.

Indeed, it was already being whispered that this sounded like a milder version of Marin's crimes. After all, hadn't his first crime been fathering a child out of wedlock and attempting to escape the consequences?

"At least Emperor Tinuviel did the honourable thing and married the girl," a noblewoman told her husband over their breakfast.

"There's something wrong in that branch of the family," a newspaper boy said to one of his friends as he set off on his rounds. "That's two scandals in under five years! We didn't have a single scandal in ten years while Vretiel was Emperor."

Death, passing by on her way to collect a soul at a hospital, overheard this and almost burst out laughing. If only that stupid boy knew... Perhaps she should visit Kilan as soon as she collected this soul. Or perhaps later. She had rather a lot to do today.

~~~~

Chief Counsellor Dilves could count on one hand the number of times she had been so utterly dumbfounded. What made her shock worse was the certainty that none of this was true.

She threw down the newspaper and stormed out of the dining room. "Caiglar! Fetch my coat!"

Her maid hurried to do as she was ordered. Dilves snatched the coat out of her hands and stalked through the front door.

Emperor Tinuviel would just have to explain himself to her.

~~~~

The atmosphere at breakfast in the royal palace was decidedly tense and awkward. Kilan moodily pushed his olrit around his plate with his spoon. Qihadal munched her way stolidly through a slice of bread, with as much enjoyment as if it had been cardboard. Nadriet poured herself another cup of tea, completely forgetting that she hadn't finished her first cup yet. Arásy and Særnor made no attempt to eat at all, and were instead scanning through a collection of the morning newspapers. Their grim expressions told Kilan all he needed to know about what was being said of him.

Outside, the bells of the city chimed nine o'clock.

Hurried footsteps sounded in the hall outside. Kilan suppressed a groan. What now?

The door opened and a servant slipped in. He bowed to the assembled royals, looking scared out of his wits. "Your Majesty... Chief Counsellor Dilves wishes to speak with you on a matter of urgency."

This time Kilan couldn't suppress his groan. Neither could his parents. Nadriet, who had encountered Dilves enough times to know what this was likely to mean, angrily poured herself more tea with an air that suggested she wanted to throw the teapot at the Chief Counsellor. Only Qihadal remained unaffected by this news, but she had no idea as yet that she should dread the High Council, and she had only a vague idea who Dilves was.

"Show her in," Kilan said morosely, as if signing his own death warrant.

The servant bowed and left the room. Minutes later the Chief Counsellor burst into the room. Her coat was only half-buttoned up, her greying hair was a flyaway mess, and her face was an extraordinary shade of purple.

Kilan took one look at her and felt a strong urge to jump out the window.

"Your Majesty!" Dilves exploded almost before she finished bowing. "What nonsense is this?! The entire High Council knows perfectly well that you saw your wife exactly twice before the wedding, and you were chaperoned both times!"