Death and the Emperor

Book 3 Chapter III: Death and Reincarnation

I hope you weren't looking to me to be the voice of reason. I keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret. -- Leigh Bardugo, Ruin and Rising

Death stared. And stared. And stared some more. Finally she found her voice. "What."

Kilan didn't look discouraged by her flat tone and incredulous expression. "Father said years ago that the only reason he allowed some people onto the xiuhon[1] was because he didn't want to find out what they might do if he couldn't keep an eye on them. Well, the same principal applies here. One of the High Council is retiring and I'll have to appoint a replacement. So I'll appoint Gialma, and he won't be able to do anything without me knowing!"

Death felt the beginnings of a headache. At this very minute Gialma was on his way to plot Kilan's overthrow, and here Kilan wanted to put him on the High Council. What next? She shook her head and set about trying to sort out this muddle. "Kilan. It's usually the Chief Counsellor who chooses potential candidates for the replacement. The ruler has only to make the final selection. And there is no way in Hell that Dilves will ever consider Gialma!"

A frown appeared on Kilan's face at the mention of Dilves. "But I can still tell her who I want on the Council, and she'll have to obey my orders." He almost smiled triumphantly. "The look on her face alone will be worth the headaches my cousin will cause."

Well, at least he knew that putting Gialma on the High Council would be nothing but trouble. She considered telling him what Gialma was currently doing. Was it worth inciting Fate's wrath over this?

Yes. Yes, it was.

"You might be interested to know where your cousin is now," she said with an air of nonchalance. "He's on his way to Istogu."

Kilan raised an eyebrow. "He'll have an uncomfortable time if he manages to offend Princess Ixerthi, but I don't see what that has to do with me."

Death sent a quick prayer to anything that might be listening. Don't let Fate hear this! "He's going there to meet a Malishese princess."

She expected shock, or anger, or even disbelief. She didn't expect Kilan to go so absolutely still that one might have thought him an unusually life-like statue.

"What Malishese princess?" he asked quietly.

Most people were at their most frightening when angrily yelling and aggressively gesticulating. Kilan was most frightening when he looked perfectly calm to a casual observer, and spoke in a level, unemotional tone. If asked to explain why he became so unnerving then, Death would have been unsure of how to reply. But she suspected that it was because in those moments he reminded her far too much of herself. It was too much like seeing her own temper reflected in him.

And he was still waiting for an answer, she realised with chagrin.

"Her name is Khayasi Fìdmawa. Since her marriage she has been known as Jalakanavu kiqra'med Nalginton[2]. She's the wife of Prince Nalginton."

Kilan nodded slowly. His face still showed no emotion. Death, in spite of how well she knew him, found that she couldn't tell what he was thinking. "And is he plotting another murder with her?"

"No. I don't know what exactly they're plotting, but it will be some way to overthrow you and have Gialma made Emperor."

Kilan was always fairly pale, especially since becoming Emperor. Now all the colour had drained from his face until he looked like one of the priestesses of Tenyidha[3]. But it wasn't the sort of pallour that came from being frightened. It was the paleness of barely-restrained fury.