Chapter 13

Neither spellcasters nor Serenthuar ambassadors can be fluent in every language. We learn common grammatical forms and rhythms of speech patterns, the systemic foundation of how languages relate along with how they relate to each other, to help us pick up any language quickly. Then we cram specific vocabulary as needed.

For Serenthuar ambassadors, Tellianghu is an exception: we are all fluent. Tellianghu's diplomatic power is without peer, their machinations both too subtle and simultaneously expected to get by, even stationed in another realm with a less than perfect grasp.

No matter what we tell our elders, none of us minds, either, because coming from Serenthuar, the glamor of dealing with Tellianghu—let alone attending the annual ball, or being selected as the ambassador stationed there—is impossibly tempting.

After all, Serenthuar does choose us for our ambition. No one lacking that quality would make it through.

Mine just doesn't manifest in an acceptable way.

When it was time for the ball, Liris, Vhannor, and Shry packed their finery and set off on the most efficient route to the relevant Gate.

"We don't have to go in the front," Shry pointed out as she ran beside their skimmers.

"It will be suspicious if we subvert protocol."

"Of course that's why."

Vhannor rolled his eyes and explained wryly to Liris, "Tellianghu spends lavishly on every aspect of the ball's presentation, and the entrance is no exception. We're also going through the front because I think you'll enjoy it."

Liris smiled. "That sounds efficient to me."

Shry snorted.

In fact Liris wished it were more efficient, because it was hard to have a conversation while flying, so Liris just had time to fret about what was come.

Whether her training from Serenthuar would serve her at one of the most notorious diplomatic events in the Sundered Realms.

Whether she'd be overwhelmed.

Whether she'd be able to add anything after all.

This was an especially fruitless exercise because she couldn't prepare for how people would react to her.

Finally they reached the Gate to cross into Tellianghu from Akit, circled by an intricately carved wooden trellis grown all around with blooming summer flowers.

It wasn't summer in Akit or Tellianghu, nor were these flowers native to either. The massive expense involved in magically growing them set Liris' teeth on edge with the demonstrably wasteful luxury.

Directly in front of the Gate was an inn without any sleeping quarters, specifically constructed to give guests a chance to wash, dress, and otherwise prepare for the ball.

"Stupid, to have a business so close to a Gate," Shry muttered as they shared a changing room, dressing as swiftly as possible. She was now on edge because the staff had separated them. They only allowed two to a room to manage the complicated plumbing capacity of their inn's spells, so Vhannor had gone off on his own and left Shry to guard Liris.

Shry's observation at least helped Liris feel a little less like a dependent.

"Tellianghu owns the inn," Liris explained. "Actually, they own a big chunk of land right around here. Akit allows it because the revenue from travelers making the journey to the ball every year brings them so much income."

Shry made a disgusted sound. "That's more stupid."

Rattling off details like this settled Liris' nerves. She knew what she was doing. Absolutely.

"Well, consider that the inn also generously stores ball-goers' belongings while they're away. Vhannor put elaborate spell defenses on ours, but—"

"Anyone who doesn't has their private belongings rifled through by foreign spies for political gain. Tellianghu shares that with Akit?"

"The arrangement is that Akit has to approve any spells Tellianghu uses within this realm, so Akit then sets up their own to spy on the spies," Liris answered, repacking their clothes to resist all such efforts. "In theory, they'll know if Tellianghu lies to them—it's the main source of political negotiation between the two."

Shry scowled as she fastened boots that fit her like a second skin. "I'm not convinced that makes it less stupid, but it definitely doesn't make me think any better of either of them. Is that agreement common knowledge?"

"In diplomatic circles, yes. Realms that don't know the specifics can make some reasonable inferences. There's a locking spell tournament at the University of Embhullor every year a few months before the ball, did you know?"

Shry looked at her sharply. "So there is. Sad you missed it?"

Liris smiled. "A little, but Vhannor showed me the entries. I could get through most of them without any trouble."

"And the rest with only a little trouble?" Shry grinned. "It probably wouldn't be fair for you to enter every year, but do it at least once so I can enjoy the confusion of everyone who's never met you."

It was... nice, to know someone recognized her skill, though the feeling of being appreciated was still so novel to Liris that she wasn't sure what to do with it.

She sniffed. "If they can't beat me every year, they don't deserve to win. Maybe if I'm the champion enough times the tournament will become known for me."

Maybe someday Serenthuar would recognize her and regret her loss.

Liris shook her head at her own thoughts before reaching behind her neck to do the top buttons. Now that was a useless line of thought.

"How did you get into that without needing help?" Shry demanded.

Liris wore a sleek white dress with silk from Serenthuar and the high buttoned collar of Isendhor. Rather than embroidering a traditional Serenthuar pattern, as there hadn't been time, an overlay of pressed gold beading was stitched to the dress, snaking around her torso and arms.

The white dress glowed against her dark brown skin. Most people would be flaunting the brightest colors of their realms: she would stand out, perfectly untouched.

She had to be perfect.

Glancing in the mirror, she twisted her hair into an artful bun. A bit of tactical gold glitter on her face and arms, and that would do.

"Training." Liris shrugged. "Candidates are expected to be able to present themselves without needing to rely on anyone who might be untrustworthy. Admittedly, there are certain styles of dress that are impossible to handle alone, but this isn't one. Yours—"

"Half-demon children are also expected to make do without assistance, but we accomplish that by not acquiring clothes you can't put on by yourself," Shry muttered. "And by ‘we' I mean me."

Liris laughed and helped Shry arrange the final pieces with a touch of makeup—lightly, because she was used to adding color to darker skin. Shry's dress clothes were stunning: fitted black pants that switched to lace just under her breasts, strategically covering her top and gathering at her neck to mimic Isendhor's high collar and mark her as one of their party, with a sheer cape attached at her shoulders to flutter around her.

Against Shry's flowing white hair, her outfit was proof that under the right circumstances, black formalwear was neither safe nor boring. But she would be able to more easily blend into shadows, and this way Liris and Vhannor, both in white, would form a visible, undeniable unit.

"This isn't what formalwear is like where you're from?" Liris asked.

Shry's expression darkened. "No." She didn't elaborate.

Ah yes, Liris' vaunted diplomatic skills back in evidence.

"Well, I'm glad you found it," Liris said briskly. "It suits you. Shall we go see what trouble Vhannor's gotten himself into?"

To her surprise, rather than sending her rushing for the door, her statement made Shry pause. She looked Liris over, smiled slyly. "Maybe put your cloak on, for maximal dramatic effect."

"We still have to go through the Gate—"

"For Vhannor."

Oh.Liris flushed even as a grin spread across her face, and she swirled the shimmering silver cloak around her.

She arched her eyebrows at Shry.

"Now we're ready," Shry said.

Liris' fretting had been so focused on the ball, it hadn't really occurred to her that even though she and Vhannor both knew what they would be wearing—they'd coordinated to match, after all—the actual unveiling would be different.

It was very different.

Vhannor stood in front of the floral Gate, clad head-to-toe in pearly white. He wore a long-sleeved button-up tunic extending to mid-thigh with the same high collar as her dress. A shimmer of gold sparkled in his black hair and over his cheekbones.

He did look perfect. Untouchable, like not even dirt could trouble him—and in fact he probably had a spell for that.

And the moment he saw her, Vhannor went still. His eyes widened.

Shry's throaty laughter behind her propelled Liris forward.

They might be about to cross into winter, but she felt like she was on fire as she strode toward him. Even more so when she got close enough to see the burning orange in his gaze had grown.

Without breaking eye contact, he reached for one of her hands, lifting it to his lips to place a kiss on it.

Maybe Liris would spontaneously combust before they ever reached the ball.

"You're stunning," Vhannor said simply.

Not even ‘you look,' but ‘you are.'

You're perfect, she wanted to say, but it turned out she did have enough training to not blurt that out.

And that seemed to trigger all her training, so she managed to speak without sounding like her brain had melted and move like she still had bones and muscles with some grace and wasn't just made of liquid fire.

Liris smiled and squeezed his hand. "As are you. Shall we see if Tellianghu can manage to impress us now?"

The corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement.

Turning toward the Gate, Liris released his hand: she was his partner, and didn't need to lean on his support in this kind of situation.

This time, she'd prove she could stand on her own and support him.

The three of them crossed through the Gate—from this side it looked like braided mother-of-pearl, shimmering with the snow, and Liris couldn't help wondering if they switched it out for a different Gate structure in summer months.

She was surprised there were hardly any guards. Tellianghu was so confident in their wealth to afford any defensive measures it oddly made her nervous for them rather than of them.

That seemed like the kind of arrogance a person as smart as Jadrhun could exploit.

Liris' second thought was for the picture Tellianghu's winter palace made.

They'd crossed directly into the snowy mountains, onto a platform thick enough to disguise the enormous amount of spellcraft that had to be operating underneath. Vhannor shrugged minutely at Liris' annoyance; they wouldn't be able to inspect the spells without some difficulty, but if the platform became relevant, well, they were already planning to come back this way.

Efficient staff escorted them into a spell-powered—heated—cable car, floating in an elegant white line down the mountains with a perfect view of the palace, with so many lit windows it appeared to glow in the darkness.

Liris absentmindedly explained to Shry that this Gate was one of Tellianghu's few portals that wasn't in an obviously trade-optimal location. Once upon a time these mountains and Tellianghu's original cable car spell had been a prime source of ice trade, before spells became common enough to render that obsolete. So now they brought in trade here by making this Gate a travel destination, centered every year on the ball at the palace.

Traders and vendors who did business at other hubs in Tellianghu competed with favors to be invited to serve at the ball each year with free giveaways, because a selection of the wealthiest, most important people in the Sundered Realms would attend the ball every year.

And because that set would attend every year, Tellianghu could charge them enormous fees for admittance to not miss out on the interplay of their competitors, and they would always pay for access to the exclusive event.

The Gate dealt with no unrelated traffic in order to keep it a surprise to guests each year. No one outside Tellianghu would know what went on here year-round.

Liris' heels never brushed the snow as they entered: the car had delivered them into some kind of bubble. She exchanged glances with Vhannor as staff led them to the ballroom.

The hallway was bright, a window every step to give the impression of one continuous view of the snowy mountain peaks. A lantern in an alcove above each made the corridor well-lit, accentuating the gleamingly polished walls, empty but for tendrils of the same summer flowers.

Because its very untouchability and lavish expense of spellcraft was precisely what Tellianghu had to offer. Nothing of character, nothing unique but its wealth, which gave them access to the best of what any realm had to offer.

It was the polar opposite of the experience of walking through the familiar halls of Serenthuar, and arguably matched the pristine tack she'd taken in her own presentation, so Liris was surprised how much she completely and utterly hated it.

This time, she walked with a partner at her side and a friend at her back, and she would not let them down.

At a pair of solid gold doors bearing Tellianghu's crest, two caster-guards triggered the spell to fling the doors open for them.

The summer flowers wove in designs around the walls and through the air, threaded with glass globes of magical light that cast the ballroom into relief. One side of the room was lined with food stations, delicacies from all around the Sundered Realms, the opposite with small demonstrations of technologies or crafts. On the far side was a musical band and behind them an enormous ice sculpture of a bouquet of summer flowers, with every contour and drop of dew frozen. In the very center of the dance floor was a square that looked like a mosaic of shining ice, and people mingled around it and on a balcony level that circled the room above.

When the gold doors swung open, only a few of those closest turned. A herald blinked at their titles but was too well-trained to pause before transmitting the announcement throughout the ballroom.

"Vhannor, Lord of Embhullor. Shryandimez, Lady of Embhullor. Liris, Envoy from Serenthuar."

Thenheads turned.

Serenthuar ambassadors were rare, their accomplishments widely publicized. While Liris had not claimed that title—a decision that twisted like a knife, because she did deserve it and knew that but nevertheless had not been granted it—citizens of Serenthuar with different titles did not make their way out of Serenthuar.

And anyone who did know of her would have instructions to capture her.

Liris waited a breathless, frozen moment, in full view of the assembled elite of the Sundered Realms, to be struck down.

When it didn't come, she closed her eyes; took a breath. Opened them, and moved, gliding forward through the array of colors and costumes from nearly every pocket of the Sundered Realms like she was in a spell trance, like part of Liris was out of her body and it was just performing as she directed.

And Vhannor, gods bless that man, kept pace with her, stood right by her side as Liris strode into the fray and it closed around them both.

She hardly noticed when Shry vanished into the shadows; she was too busy making the rounds of all the people who wanted to meet her—but of course not the real her, but the trained puppet of her.

Well, let them see the mask.

Liris was focused behind it.

She smiled and deflected questions more deftly than Vhannor without hesitation. She asked after the individual business and personal interests of people she'd never met, dropped hints, and catalogued a dizzying array of responses—those words were a lie, that was a look hiding better secrets—and Vhannor picked up on her signals as if they'd been working together for years, not weeks. As if they had a secret language between them, not just heightened awareness of each other's movements and actions from careful attention.

They broke away from their latest interaction, and Liris cunningly drew them aside to a food station serving the fanciest imaginable dough filled with stuff she'd encountered. Although he didn't otherwise react, Vhannor's eyes glinted in amusement, and they held position outside another gathering for a long enough moment to send another signal.

Princess Nysia reached them, radiant in a full gown of gold. Without speaking, they subtly rearranged themselves so onlookers could notice that Liris matched the Lord of Embhullor and complemented the driving force behind the Coalition of Tethered Realms.

Liris inclined her head to Nysia's calculated look of professional acknowledgement.

"You certainly have their attention," the princess murmured. "Well done. Can you hold it?"

They'd find out.

Liris' palms dampened as she nodded matter-of-factly and turned to Vhannor. "Yes. I think it's time we split up, see if people will say more to me alone." To discover what their partnership was "really" all about when Liris could be "honest" out of his earshot.

"Incoming," Princess Nysia said against the crystal rim of her cider glass.

Vhannor murmured in Liris' ear, his breath making her shiver, "Looks like your strategy of not approaching Belighia until she felt left out of the gossip at her own party hooked her perfectly."

A welcome confidence boost as they were poised to shift into the next stage of the plan.

Minister Belighia of Tellianghu was the Speaker for Tellianghu's Ministry as the ranking member of her party, the probable force behind whatever was going on with Tellianghu's avoidance and stalling of the Coalition deal, and thus their primary target.

She was the kind of woman who'd gone gray young and leaned into it: now in her early forties, her white hair gave her the impression of elder wisdom, while her sharp jaw and sharper blue eyes conveyed vitality. Her charisma combined with a mercenary mindset had revitalized her party and made her its undisputed leader.

Interestingly, the minister arrived at their circle without an aide: alone.

"Nysia, Vhannor, no greetings for your host this evening?" Belighia asked loudly, a mocking smile on her lips.

Impugning their etiquette.

The princess cocked her head. "Oh? I wasn't aware you wished to have anything to do with me, Belighia."

Liris almost frowned. That was a misstep from Nysia: too direct, leaving her looking wounded or needing to be soothed, with no graceful exit for the minister.

Serenthuar's briefs on the princess had focused on her drive and persistence, not her ability to play court games. Everything for her was serious: she couldn't pretend to keep things light.

Fine. Liris could account for that.

She shifted slightly, the beading on her dress catching the light just so as she smiled at Belighia and shaded her accent to excessive crispness like a society elite. "I'm sure we're all honored by your notice, Minister Belighia, but I don't believe I've yet had the pleasure of your acquaintance."

That got her attention. She smirked at Liris. "Indeed, you're quite the topic of speculation this evening, my dear. Liris, I believe?"

Liris inclined her head, noting that she'd dropped any honorifics.

"My partner," Vhannor murmured in a way that suggested more than spellcasting.

"I do hope, Minister Belighia," Liris said, lifting her eyebrows slightly, "we might speak privately about... opportunities that could be mutually beneficial."

Belighia's smile widened, and Liris caught the light of avarice in her eyes before she said smoothly, "Perhaps another time."

Interestingindeed.

The minister thought she could get a better deal than she would from the Coalition, or from Liris' hint-laden mystery.

"Charming as I can already see you are, Liris," Belighia said, "I was actually hoping to steal a private moment of the Lord of Embhullor's time, if you can spare him."

"Oh, certainly." Liris gestured easily with a smile, as if this was no matter to her and she had no concerns. There was no way for Vhannor to decline and insist she stay with him, not when Belighia's motivations were the ones they most needed to dig into, and both Vhannor and Liris needed to appear as forces in their own right.

Vhannor slanted a look of caution at her, as if she didn't realize this was a trap. She'd keep an eye on him while working the room, and hopefully Shry was nearby.

A few weighted pleasantries later, and Vhannor and Belighia were alone together as Princess Nysia and Liris drifted away to make their separate rounds.

Liris managed a few circles around the ballroom, surveying relevant parties: other Tellianghu ministers who might give something away, representatives of other realms either close enough to Tellianghu to have their own intelligence or with their own signs of not ratifying the Coalition.

Despite the wide variety of expressions and customs on display, the picture that emerged was strangely consistent, in a way that made Liris feel like with every conversation, she was more and more exposed. As an unknown quantity, she could smile and imply she too had reason to be mysteriously smug.

But everyone in the know was either unwilling to speak explicitly or would make only slick comments that confirmed the impression she'd had from Belighia.

It wasn't like they were all political geniuses here: if the stupider among the wealthy and powerful had known specifically what was coming, they'd have told her.

Princess Nysia might not be adept at this side of politicking, but her instincts had been right: Liris was absolutely certain there was a conspiracy against the Coalition, but she still couldn't glean why. What did all these horrible people think they were going to gain?

It was time to regroup, but they couldn't yet, because Vhannor was still trapped with Belighia. Since he showed no signs of distress, she couldn't risk interrupting him gathering some more concrete intel.

As she began the process of extricating from her current conversation, she turned right into a man she recognized instantly, though they'd never met.

Liris knew all the ambassadors who'd gotten to leave Serenthuar, of course, but Ambassador Rhuil was special.

She'd never met him, because unlike other ambassadors who reported to Serenthuar in person, his placement in wealthy Tellianghu was so critical to Serenthuar, and Rhuil's position there dependent on his accessibility, that Serenthuar would never risk recalling him home.

The pattern on the edges of his formalwear a mimic of her own. The long robe in burnished orange was cut short, modernizing the style to match the pants and shoes more the fashion in Tellianghu. A perfect representative of Serenthuar: adapting to move easily in the realm he was designated to, causing no discomfort with their guests, but still a blatant reminder of Serenthuar and its many skills.

And here he was, tall, dark, and handsome, with one of those faces that never seemed to age. She'd wondered if up close she might see the lie of it, but no—he really did look that perfect.

Perfect in a way that was evident to everyone, without evidence of having to try.

"It appears these fine folks are expecting a show from us," Ambassador Rhuil murmured, causing laughter around them. "Shall we show them the grace of Serenthuar?"

Ambassador Rhuil swept into an invitation to an old, traditional Serenthuar dance. A highly stylized performance piece that would be perfectly received by this crowd: it would make her and Rhuil appear both exotic and somehow above it all.

Liris could only accept. Of all the Serenthuar ambassadors she could have encountered here, she was least prepared for this one. It wasn't that she was surprised the ambassador to Tellianghu was at a public function in Tellianghu, but to either dignify her presence by speaking with her, or to make a scene after what she'd done? Unthinkable. Too bold, too risky for Serenthuar.

Nevertheless, here they were, striding toward the silvery dance floor clearing for them.

The icy surface glinted silver, and Rhuil struck the opening pose at an unusual angle.

The dance called for her to mimic his movement, and Liris did, following his lead.

Once she'd dreamed of a placement with someone like Rhuil, who could move as confidently through the world as he desired. Her heart would have been pounding from the exhilaration of knowing she'd been chosen to operate at his level.

And he had just picked her out, deliberately, and that was an old pattern of emotions it was hard to suppress. But—

"So," Rhuil murmured, "Serenthuar's greatest traitor makes her move."

It was like he'd stabbed her right in the gut.

Fortunately, Serenthuar had trained her too well to show it, to stop her from moving.

"You are aware Serenthuar has sold our people out to demons," Liris drawled.

"I see why they never let you out," Rhuil said, shifting through another move with toes pointed a shade too narrowly, "if your loyalty could be tested so easily."

"You're confident they want to be working with a man inviting demons in throughout the realms, then?" Liris asked. "They knew all this would happen, and found it acceptable?"

"I'm confident they might have had other options, if their own people, who they give everything to protect, weren't keeping secrets that could save them," Rhuil said. "I'm confident Serenthuar always takes the long view and plans for centuries, not moments."

The ambassador shifted his feet and the icy surface flickered silver again, and finally Liris realized the purpose behind his strange movements:

This was a spell.

Not one she knew, but whatever it was was in his shoes as he danced her into certain patterns to move her into position. In fact she recognized the beginning of the pattern her feet had been making, her mind filling in the points she hadn't yet hit on the star.

This time Liris didn't simply mimic his movement but danced at a different angle, testing his response.

He matched her fluidly, and she danced out of range, adding a challenge stanza for him.

Minister Belighia hadn't been isolating Vhannor.

This was a trap for Liris.

But that meant they—Tellianghu and Serenthuar—believed she was worth trapping.

And wasn't that interesting?

"The problem with believing your own reputation for longsightedness," Liris said, "is that when someone takes advantage of you, you still believe you're in control."

"You think you're saving Serenthuar from itself?" Rhuil chuckled indulgently. "Oh, you absolute child. If you want to help our people, why don't you go back?"

"Says a man who has been very careful to never return once he got out," Liris said. "Whose vaunted ‘accessibility' is his value as an entertainer, a dancing monkey for his jailers."

"And are you different?" He smiled knowingly. "Performing for your keepers, doing whatever you think you have to. But you know they'll drop you the instant you cease to be useful, don't you? No one supports Serenthuar but our own, Liris."

Liris spun, her cloak twirling around them and between them, a barrier at a moment in the dance she was supposed to let him get in close.

"Do I know that?" she asked. "Do you?"

Ambassador Rhuil's eyes widened as he realized she'd been interfering with him on purpose. His smile managed to be both bitter and admiring at once. "Oh, child, Serenthuar needs you," he murmured.

"Yes, they do," Liris said. But she was not going to let them use her again.

Sound rushed in, and only then did Liris realize all around them had been muffled—an obfuscation, probably, so no one could hear what the ambassador was saying to her.

And then on cue, the man responsible for breaking the spell was there. Vhannor strode between them and, rather than starting a fight, he spoke as if nothing of consequence had occurred, keeping up the pretense that naught was amiss and following the lead Liris had set while nevertheless making himself available to her. "If I may cut in?"

Rhuil bowed grandly, a mocking smile on his lips. "Are you sure he's not the one using you?"

Vhannor stiffened, but Liris confidently took his arm.

There was, in fact, someone she could trust who wasn't from Serenthuar, not just because over and over again, he'd had her back.

Because even after she'd made mistakes, he trusted her.

Serenthuar never had.

"I am sure," Liris said coldly, "because he gives me a choice."

"That's all we want," Ambassador Rhuil said. "A choice."

Serenthuar wasn't just a pawn in Jadrhun's plan, then—they were an active participant, and so was Tellianghu, all of them tied up together desperate to prevent the Coalition's existence if it might mean the slightest imposition on their autonomy. As if that in and of itself wasn't choosing for others.

"You don't get more choice by taking others' choices away," Liris said, turning her back on him in a blatant snub that had those nearest them gasping.

As Liris danced away with Vhannor, Rhuil's voice followed her: "Yes, you do."