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00:00I was bastard born. My father was the high archon of the realm.
00:0416 years ago, when my mother carried me in her womb, she traveled with him to his ancestral
00:09rites, where they were ambushed by Aegean pirates, and she drew them away alone to save him.
00:14My father was saved. My mother was eventually rescued too, but the pirates were without mercy,
00:20and they violated her while she still carried me in her womb. Everyone said my mother had
00:24lost her honor and should hang herself, but she refused. She endured and lived on.
00:30For my sake, my father could not divorce her outright for the sake of his own political
00:34standing, because she had saved his life. To cast her out would mark him as a man without
00:39gratitude, and that would damage his career. So he had her sent to a remote outpost farm
00:44beyond the city walls, telling everyone it was so she could rest quietly during her confinement,
00:49away from gossip. But that outpost farm had fallen into ruin long ago. It was no place
00:54for a woman with child. Over the following six months, as people forgot my mother, my father
00:58took a new wife in a full legitimate ceremony, the daughter of his mentor. And on the very
01:03day of his wedding, my mother gave birth to me.
01:07My mother and I lived at that remote outpost farm for eight years. My father never came
01:13once. Only two royal handmaids were assigned to care for us, though in truth they were our
01:18keepers, forbidding us from leaving or receiving any visitors. The outpost was desolate, and guarding
01:23us was drudge work. So the two handmaids resented it, and took their frustrations out on my mother
01:28and me. They called my mother a harlot who had lost her honor and should have died, and
01:33called me a bastard, a child my mother had conceived by some unknown man. My mother argued
01:38back fiercely to protect me, but every time she was beaten until she bled. Once, while the
01:43handmaids were beating my mother again, I crept under their bed that night to frighten them,
01:47and overheard them whispering that all the abuse and humiliation directed at my mother
01:52and me had been ordered by Mara, the second wife back at the estate. The purpose was to
01:56break us until we could no longer endure and took our own lives. Not that Mara was too
02:01timid to kill us outright, but that she and my father feared their reputations. And if
02:06we were murdered and someone found proof, it would become a weapon against them at the
02:10height of my father's career, a risk they could not afford. Our suicide was the cleanest
02:14outcome they could hope for, and even if someone discovered the handmaids had driven us to it
02:19through torment, my father and Mara could simply claim they had been too far away to supervise
02:23the servants properly, and wash their hands of it entirely. I told my mother everything
02:28I had heard, but she did not make a scene. She simply began teaching me in secret, reading,
02:33writing, and certain rules of conduct I did not yet understand. I was not willing to accept
02:37it and wanted to confront my father, but my mother stopped me sharply. Defiant, I refused
02:42to submit. And finally, when the estate sent a card out to the farm, I hid inside and wrote
02:47it all the way back to the estate. That was the first time I saw the Archon's estate,
02:53carved columns, painted archways, magnificent beyond anything I had known. And I, in my ragged
02:59clothes, was thrown out as a beggar. At the gates, I saw my father returning in a litter,
03:04with a girl beside him who looked like she had been carved from pale marble. And I ran forward
03:08and called out to him, but his guards kicked me to the ground. My father looked at me with
03:13undisguised contempt, ordered me sent back to the farm, and his voice was cold, his eyes seeing
03:18me as nothing but a mark of shame. I heard the girl ask my father who I was, and he
03:23answered
03:23her gently. Just a beggar, filthy creature, Kalia. Don't look, you'll dirty your eyes. Later I learned
03:29that girl was Mara's daughter, Kalia, only seven years old, and already celebrated for her talents
03:35throughout the city. The pride of my father's heart. At eight years old, I still believed naively
03:41that if I studied hard enough, I could be loved by my father the way Kalia was. So I threw
03:46myself
03:46into learning everything my mother taught me. As I grew year by year and became more striking in
03:51appearance, my mother's brow grew more and more furrowed, and she forbade me from adorning myself,
03:56to keep the two handmaids from noticing my face. She even made me deliberately look plain.
04:01On the day I came of age, my mother said something to the handmaids that I never heard,
04:05and they actually took her back to the estate. But she was gone only half a day before she returned.
04:10And when she came back, she was deeply sorrowful. I did not know what had happened to her at the
04:14estate, and she told me nothing. Only drove herself to teach me music, drawing, dance, and all the rest.
04:20A few months later, my mother took her own life. Without any warning, she was simply gone.
04:27She left behind a written confession, full of self-reproach, saying she had been defiled and
04:32had no right to go on living. I did not believe a word of that confession, and I did not
04:37believe
04:37she had died by her own hand. I flew at the two handmaids in a rage, certain they had driven
04:42her
04:42to it, and they beat me unconscious. When I came to, I ran out of the farm in a frenzy,
04:47and found the
04:48city coroner demanding an examination of her body. And the verdict came back that my mother had indeed
04:52died by her own hand. Stop making trouble. Your worthless mother killed herself willingly.
04:59She made a deal with the High Archcon and Mara. She died to preserve the honor of the estate.
05:05And in exchange, you would be found a decent match.
05:09Mara, in her generosity, has already chosen someone for you.
05:13A lame widower who slaughters pigs for a living. A girl of your standing should count herself lucky
05:19to marry him. So prepare yourself. They'll come for you in a few days.
05:24The handmaid smiled with great satisfaction, as though she was celebrating the end of her
05:28thankless duty guarding us. This time, I did not argue or make a scene. The two handmaids assumed I
05:34had accepted my fate. But what they did not expect, was that in the dead of night, once they were
05:39asleep,
05:40I strapped my mother's body to my back, and fled.
05:45By the time I reached the city, dawn had broken, and I carried my mother on my back all the
05:50way to the
05:50Archon's estate. I wanted only to demand justice from Creon for what he had done to her.
05:55When I arrived at the gates of the estate, I found a long procession, already moving out.
05:59A true display of splendor, lavish beyond measure. From the whispers of the crowd around me,
06:04I learned that my beloved sister Kalia was being summoned to the palace that very day as royal
06:09consort to the new king. I saw Creon standing at the gates to see her off, his face bright with
06:14pride,
06:15while officials surrounded him with flattery and praise. His expression was one of pure triumph,
06:20and it was plain that my mother's death had not touched him in the slightest, that this was only joy
06:24added to joy for him. I stood in the crowd with my mother's body on my back, and simply watched
06:29in
06:30silence. And the coins and sweets that the servants tossed toward the crowd struck my
06:34body, but I felt no pain. I clenched my hands until my nails drove into my palms,
06:38and I swore to myself then, I will avenge my mother, I will make Creon and everyone in that
06:43estate pay with their lives to accompany her. The Agora Vault was the greatest auction house in the
06:48realm. Within its walls passed every rare and precious thing imaginable, nothing it could not
06:53procure, nothing in all the land it did not dare put up for sale. No one knew who stood behind
06:58the
06:58Agora Vault, but neither noble sons nor heirs of great houses dared cause trouble within it.
07:03Now I stood on its highest floor, facing Master Solon across the table.
07:07What are you here to purchase, Miss?
07:09I am not here to purchase anything. I am here to sell.
07:13And what are you selling?
07:14An item worth 50,000 Drakens. Can you authorize that amount yourself?
07:19Though I am only the Master of the Vault, 50,000 Drakens is well within my authority to authorize.
07:25Please, please, speak.
07:28I am selling myself.
07:32Miss, please do not jest.
07:34I am the legitimate firstborn daughter of the current High Archen, and the elder sister of
07:39the Royal Consort. I am worth 50,000 Drakens. I am auctioning myself to fund my mother's burial
07:44rights. This story alone will make the Agora Vault the talk of every street in the city.
07:49And your name will rise higher than it has ever been. You lose nothing in this bargain,
07:55and the Vault boasts there is nothing it does not dare sell. So I ask you, do you dare take
08:02this deal?
08:02I used the simplest form of provocation. Master Solon studied me for a long moment, then said,
08:08Please wait a moment, Miss.
08:10He withdrew, clearly to consult the Vault's unseen owner, and after roughly the time it takes to drink
08:15a cup of tea, he returned. The Agora Vault accepts your business. The auction will begin in three
08:20days. Before the auction, I need the Agora Vault to do two things, I said. Please speak, Miss.
08:26The first is to spread the news of my auctioning myself to fund my mother's burial rights as widely
08:31as possible. And the fact that I am the High Archen's legitimate daughter, and the Royal Consort's
08:37elder sister, must reach every street and alley in the city, and even the palace must hear of it.
08:42The second is to protect me for three days. No matter who applies pressure to the Agora Vault
08:47during those three days, I need the auction to proceed without cancellation. And I must not be
08:51handed over to anyone. Master Solon nodded. Miss, it seems you have declared a blood oath between
08:56yourself and the High Archant. But the Agora Vault agrees. I smiled. Of course it was a blood oath,
09:03though Creon was already the head of the civic factions with countless supporters. There would always be
09:07those who wished to see him humiliated, and I intended to make Creon the laughingstock of the entire
09:12city on the day of the auction. But I wanted more than his humiliation. I wanted justice for my
09:17mother. As expected, the news of my auctioning myself to fund my mother's burial rights had
09:24spread through the city and caused a sensation in less than half a day. Because alongside that news
09:29came the story of what had happened 17 years ago. How my mother had been violated by Aegean pirates while
09:34saving Creon. 17 years had passed and few still remembered. But I remembered. And my mother had died
09:39because of it. While Creon, who had benefited most, lived on without consequence. That was too unjust
09:45to bear. So I had paid people to spread the story again. Some said Creon had mistreated my mother and
09:50me so badly that there was no money even for burial rights after her death. Which was why I had
09:55been
09:55forced to auction myself. Some said Creon was a man without gratitude. That he had betrayed the woman
10:00who had saved his life. And some said the place of royal consort should have been mined by right.
10:05Since the king had originally sought to wed the high archon's legitimate daughter. And I was the
10:09legitimate daughter. While Kalia was born of Mara. Which made her by all proper reckoning. Nothing
10:14more than a daughter of a concubine. In less than an hour, a furious Creon arrived at the Agora vault
10:19with several fierce looking servants carrying clubs. Intending to take me away. Though his manner made it
10:25plain, he meant to beat me to death on the spot. Fortunately, I had already hidden myself somewhere
10:29safe. And Creon searched the Agora vault without finding any trace of me. And was forced to leave
10:35in frustration. Master Solon told me that Creon had left eyes watching the area around the Agora vault.
10:40That the palace had also sent people to keep watch. And that a number of Creon's political enemies
10:46had stationed men there as well. None of this surprised me. For I had anticipated all of it.
10:51And so I settled in to wait out the three days. Master Solon also told me that on Kalia's first
10:56day in
10:56the palace, the king had not visited her chambers once. Not even once. Because of my affair.
11:01I allowed myself a faint smile at that. This was only the beginning. And the reckoning of the house
11:06of Creon had only just begun. The three days passed quickly. And on the third day, the auction hall of
11:12the Agora vault was filled without a single empty seat. And it was then that I made my entrance.
11:18I sat on the high platform with bidders surrounding me on all sides. Examined like a piece of merchandise.
11:24And I remained composed and indifferent. I swept my gaze around the room and saw Creon seated at the
11:30very center. His face dark with fury. His eyes burning with a consuming rage. Had this been anywhere
11:36other than the Agora vault? He would likely have had me struck down already. My eyes passed over him
11:42without pausing for even half a breath. And finally came to rest for a moment on a private booth on
11:47the
11:47upper floor. Master Solon had told me it was occupied by someone from the palace. Though he did not know
11:52who.
11:52Master Solon stepped forward. And without lengthy introduction, my identity was known to everyone.
11:58He simply laid out the rules of the auction. Today's bidding would not be conducted aloud.
12:03The floor price was 20,000 drachmas. And each person would write their offer on a piece of parchment.
12:09All of which would be handed to me to examine, with the highest bid taking the prize.
12:13I watched Creon's eyes flash with the certainty of a man who considers the outcome already decided.
12:18And he rose to his feet.
12:20I am this wretch's father. That she has done something this disgraceful today is my failure as a parent.
12:27I offer 20,000 drachsons. And I ask everyone here to do me the courtesy of stepping aside.
12:33Creon looked around the room as he finished. As though memorizing every face present.
12:37I allowed myself a small smile. Those words were a threat. And it seemed few people would dare to
12:44outbid him today. Though the sealed nature of the bidding meant there might still be someone willing
12:49to go higher than Creon. Half an hour later, Master Solon brought me all the written bids. And I opened
12:54them one by one, keeping a record as I read. The council secretary Lykos, 1,000 drachmas. The chief
13:01Justice Heron, 8,000 drachmas. The head of the academy Sorin, 10,000 drachmas. Every one of them
13:07had shown deference to Creon the High Archon by keeping their bids low, yet not so low as to be
13:12insulting to a legitimate daughter of the Archon. Truly, they had managed to offend no one on either
13:17side. I opened the final piece of parchment, and written on it were the words, Creon, 20,000 drachmas,
13:24the highest bid in the room. Master Solon glanced at the figure and leaned close to murmur in my ear.
13:29The Agora Vault only recognizes the bid. You will have to rely on your own fortune from here.
13:38I understood what he meant. He believed that if Creon bought me back,
13:42my fate would most likely be a grim one. But the Agora Vault only honored bids,
13:47and would not involve itself in anything beyond that. Which was their principle,
13:51and not something they would break even for my sake.
13:56I smiled faintly, picked up Creon's parchment, and looked toward him where he sat wearing the
14:01expression of a man who has already won. The highest bidder today is the High Archon
14:06Creon. His offer is 50,000 drachmas. Creon's face went rigid and he rose at once,
14:12already preparing to protest. I did not give him the chance to speak.
14:17The second highest bid was 49,000 drachmas, just 1,000 short.
14:23Creon opened his mouth and said nothing. I knew he likely suspected I was lying,
14:27but he could not afford to gamble on it, because he had to have me. If I were bought by
14:32someone else
14:33today, Creon the High Archon would lose all face before the city. And I would slip beyond his control,
14:38which could mean endless trouble for him in the future. So his only choice now was to
14:43swallow this humiliation and silence. Creon's face turned the color of iron as he reached into his
14:48robe and produced a draft for 50,000 drachmas, and handed it to the vault's representative,
14:54then moved to take hold of me and drag me away. I shook his hand off sharply,
14:58then accepted from Master Solon my share of 40,000 drachmas. The Agora Vault retained two-tenths of
15:04the auction price, leaving me with 40,000. Creon fixed his eyes on me.
15:09Come back to the estate with me, I'll deal with you there. And those 40,000 drachmas won't leave
15:15with you either. I looked at Creon. I'm afraid you will be disappointed, High Archon.
15:22Before he could react, I turned toward the private booth on the upper floor and spoke clearly.
15:27I, Lyra, offer 40,000 drachmas in silver to the soldiers on the frontier, and present a temple
15:34ledger of immeasurable worth that resolved the king's most urgent difficulty. I ask only to be
15:40summoned to the palace as royal concord." At those words, Creon's face changed completely. He shot me
15:49a furious glare and turned quickly toward the upper booth. This wretch is speaking in jest.
15:54The new king had only recently taken the throne, and the frontier was unstable. Skirmishes had
15:59already broken out several times, and the king wished to fight one decisive campaign to intimidate
16:04the border tribes and establish his own authority. Creon, as the leader of the civic faction,
16:09had consistently opposed it out of reluctance to see the military commanders grow powerful,
16:14and with the treasury depleted, the matter had been left unresolved and dragging on.
16:19Now I was willing to donate 40,000 drachmas as provisions to support the king's campaign,
16:24and I was certain the man in that booth would be moved. And indeed from the booth came a warm
16:29and measured voice. What temple ledger? The moment the words fell, a palace steward hurried
16:35down from the upper floor and came to stand beside me. I drew something from my sleeve and handed it
16:40to
16:40the steward, and he carried it quickly back up to the booth. After a short pause, the steward came back
16:46out holding a royal edict. By royal decree, Lyra is hereby named Royal Consort Lyra to enter the palace
16:54this very day. I accepted the edict, and a deep steadiness settled in my chest. I had finally
17:01taken this step. Creon's expression turned ugly in an instant, and he fixed his eyes on me. You vile
17:07creature. You and that vile mother of yours are equally repulting. I paid him no attention at all,
17:13and instead looked at Creon and said, Hi Archeon. Today is my wedding day. As your legitimate firstborn
17:21daughter, my dowry should be no less than my conkind-born sisters, and my mother's dowry
17:26that was taken from her must also be returned to me. I have the full inventory of both. With so
17:31many
17:32people of standing present today, I trust the High Archman would not embarrass himself by being known
17:37as a man who seized a woman's dowry. Creon's face was the color of ash. You deserve to die.
17:44You should have gone the same way as that vile mother of yours. You should have died long ago.
17:49I should have strangled you at birth. Do you truly believe that entering the palace means I cannot
17:55still destroy you? I felt nothing at Creon's curses, only a faint sense of absurdity.
18:03Riding the litter into the palace, I felt something close to joy. Today's confrontation had been my
18:08victory, though a fortunate one, achieved because Creon had been caught unprepared and I had slipped
18:13through the gap. That so-called temple ledger was nothing more than the names of every official who
18:19had placed a bid in the auction hall today, with the amount each had offered written beside it. The
18:24treasury was depleted, yet these same officials had been pleading poverty before the king. And here they
18:29were spending so freely to acquire a woman. If they could spend so much on that, they could certainly
18:35be made to contribute as much to the treasury to support the frontier campaign. With that ledger in
18:40hand, the king could compel those officials to donate to the war effort. And though it was only a
18:45list of names, it was genuinely a temple ledger worth its weight in gold for resolving his most pressing
18:51difficulty. Upon moving into the wing of good fortune, the first thing I did after entering the
18:57palace was donate every piece of dowry Creon had given me in full to the treasury. Everything from
19:02Creon I found too filthy to keep. Only my mother's dowry I stored away carefully and kept close. This
19:08gesture delighted the king greatly, and he immediately praised me for my civic virtue and bestowed on me a
19:14considerable number of treasures. Half a day after entering the palace, the head steward of the household
19:21office arrived at my courtyard with several palace maids and stewards in tow. My lady Lyra, these
19:28servants have all been trained by the household office. Please see if any suit your taste. The head
19:33steward smiled with great deference. I swept a glance over the row of stewards and maids standing before
19:38me, then looked back at the head steward. Choose a few yourself. I have only one requirement. The ones you
19:44choose may be the eyes of the king and the queen, but they must not be the eyes of royal
19:48consort
19:49Calia or of Creon. If I discover otherwise, I will stake my life to see you finished. So consider
19:54carefully whether the silver Creon pays you is worth more than your life. Do not dismiss my words lightly.
20:00I swear on a blood oath without end. My words made the head steward's expression shift, and then he
20:06smiled and said, My lady Jace, how would this servant dare? I drank my tea and ignored him, and after
20:13a long
20:14moment of visible deliberation, the head steward selected a few stewards and maids from the group,
20:19then led the rest away with a deep bow. Upon entering the palace, I was required to pay my
20:26respects to the queen, and when I arrived at her hall in the wing of unending spring, a considerable
20:32number of people had already gathered. The queen sat at the center of the room, and I stepped forward to
20:37offer my greeting. My movements were precise and faultless, as though I had practiced them ten thousand
20:42times. The consorts who had been waiting to see me stumble looked at one another in surprise, because
20:48they all knew I had been raised on a ruined outpost farm with no proper instruction, and had assumed I
20:54would be coarse and unable to conduct myself in polished company. Yet my bearing was composed and
20:59remarkable. The queen smiled, Rise Lyra, bring her a seat. I rose and walked to a seat nearby, and my
21:06gaze
21:07settled on a woman sitting across from me. I knew her to be Kalia, the current royal consort, Creon's
21:12daughter and the pride of his house. The queen looked at me and said, Today is Lyra's first day in
21:18the palace. From now on, you are all sisters, and you must live in harmony. Kalia looked at me,
21:25her eyes filled with undisguised hatred. Sister certainly has talent. Your mother has been dead
21:30only three days, yet you could not wait to enter the palace. Auctioning yourself to fund her burial rates
21:35and playing the object of pity to win sympathy. What a fine performance. And I wonder whether
21:40your mother knowing your conduct could rest in peace. I glanced toward the queen. She had just
21:44finished speaking of harmony, and Kalia had immediately begun to mock me, showing no regard
21:49for the queen's face whatsoever, and clearly meaning to establish her authority over me from the very
21:54first moment. That Kalia moved so quickly to mock me meant my earlier actions had already caused her
21:59considerable distress. Because I had first donated 40,000 drachmas to the treasury, and then sent in
22:05nearly 10,000 drachmas worth of the dowry Creon had given me. And everyone was praising my loyalty and
22:11virtue. This had placed Kalia in an impossible position. For as Creon's other daughter, she faced
22:16the same question. Donate her dowry or not. And either choice cost her something. That too was the outcome
22:23I had wanted. I intended for everyone in Creon's household to know no peace. The other consorts
22:29watched me one by one. Their expressions bright with schadenfreude. I smiled faintly. I was no soft
22:35target. And looked coldly at Kalia. So you do know my mother died only three days ago. My mother passed,
22:42and you, a daughter of a concubine, were permitted to take a husband, so why should I, the legitimate
22:48daughter not be permitted the same? Whether my mother can rest in peace I cannot say. But the
22:53concubine who bored you must be sleeping very uneasily. The whole world now knows that so-called
22:57second wife of your fathers is nothing but a kept woman deceiving herself with a title she was never
23:01given. And you, sister, will be a daughter of a concubine for the rest of your life. That is truly
23:06pitiful. My words drained the color from Kalia's face, because the rumors had already spread that a
23:12concubine-born daughter had taken the place of the legitimate daughter as royal consort,
23:17that the king had not visited her chambers once in three days, and that she had become a laughing
23:22stock. She was just drawing breath to fire back when the queen cut across her sharply.
23:27Enough, both of you. Lyra, remain behind. The rest of you may withdraw.
23:37Kalia was furious, but had no choice, and she left with the other consorts.
23:41When everyone had gone, the queen looked at me and said, Lyra, the king and I are both aware of
23:47the grievances between you and the High Archant. You helped the king today, and I will remember that
23:52debt. And though I too must be cautious of the High Archant within this palace, it is within my
23:57power to protect you. In the half-day since I had entered the palace, the king had already taken
24:02my ledger to the homes of the relevant officials and pressed them for contributions, with clear
24:07justification. And those men had found it difficult to plead poverty any further. I looked at the
24:12queen and considered her words carefully. After a long pause, I spoke. I am grateful for your kindness,
24:18my queen. But between myself and Creon's household there is a blood oath without end.
24:26The queen sighed. Why bring this upon yourself? You have no power, no allies. How do you expect to
24:33fight? In the end, the queen had no choice but to let me withdraw. On my first day in the
24:38palace,
24:39it was understood without question that I would attend the king that evening. That was the unspoken
24:44custom of the palace. At the hour of the setting sun, the king came to my wing of good fortune,
24:50and I stepped forward to greet him. Long life to the king.
24:57The king walked to the table and sat down. I recognized the voice. It was the same warm,
25:02measured voice from the booth that day. The king's palace steward then withdrew with everyone else,
25:07and I knew the king had something to say. Lyra, the high archer came to find me today and asked
25:13me to
25:13cost you into the forgotten wing. The king looked at me and said. I walked to his side and poured
25:19him
25:19a cup of wine. And what did the king say? I have only recently taken the throne and the court
25:26is
25:26unsettled. If the high archer supports me, the council will be stable. The king finished speaking
25:32and let a troubled expression show, then picked up the cup and drank. I smiled at his side. The king
25:38very much wished to agree, but I had just helped the king, and moreover had donated 50,000 drake rooms
25:43and silver as provisions for the frontier soldiers who will all remember that gift. If the king were
25:47to punish me now, not only would the frontier soldiers feel the cold of it, but all those
25:50who do things on the king's behalf would feel it too. The king looked at me, a flash of surprise
25:55passing through his eyes. Lyra, you are very shrewd. You have been calculating every step since the
26:00auction. Since you are this shrewd, tell me, did I agree? I shook my head with complete certainty.
26:04The king would not agree. The king was curious. Why not? Those reasons you gave are not
26:10sufficient to make me refuse the high archer's goodwill, because I could simply wait six months
26:15until everything has settled and then find some pretext to cast you into the forgotten wing.
26:20Because the king is the king, the son of heaven. The king does not submit to another's will.
26:27Kriam's help resolves one crisis, but what of the second and the third? So the king would not agree.
26:33I finished speaking and looked at the king. The king said nothing, and his eyes fixed on me,
26:38cold and still. And after a long moment, he suddenly broke into laughter.
26:44Lyra, if you had been born a man, I would have made you my chief minister.
26:48I could see it clearly. In that one instant, the king had felt the urge to have me killed,
26:52for a ruler does not tolerate a shrewd mind dwelling in the inner palace.
26:58Your majesty, shall we make a bargain? Speak. I will help you bring down Creon.
27:05And when Creoc falls, I ask the king to let me leave the palace and take my vows at the
27:11shrine of
27:11Hestia. I finished speaking and looked at the king. I accept. But do you understand how deeply
27:17Creod is rooted in this court, to speak such bold words? I nodded. Creon was the high archon,
27:23and six of the seven councils fell under his influence. It was an iron fortress that even
27:29the king could not yet pry open. Then I will watch and wait. The king did not waste further words.
27:35After sitting in my chambers for more than an hour, the king departed,
27:39having clearly stayed long enough to preserve my honor, so that everyone would believe I had
27:44attended him that night. After entering the palace, the king came to sit in my chambers every evening
27:50for three days running. And most of the time, we played strategy games across a board. But in the
27:55eyes of others, I was considered deeply favored, attended every night. I heard that the wing of
28:01green bamboo had already gone through several sets of ceramic vessels, smashed in succession. The wing
28:06of green bamboo was Kalia's quarters. I could see that the king was doing this deliberately,
28:11to provoke both Kalia and the man behind her, Creon. And indeed on the fourth day,
28:16word came from the archon's estate that Creon had formally annulled his marriage to my mother
28:21on the grounds that she had been dishonored, and that from that point forward, my mother and I had
28:26no relation to the house of Creon. And my mother was to be barred from burial in the archon's ancestral
28:31ground. I gave a cold laugh, who wanted anything to do with the archon's ancestral ground. My mother
28:36would find it filthy even to be buried there. But Creon had made his move, and I had to answer
28:41it.
28:43That same afternoon, I asked the king to summon Creon and Mara to the palace. The king was reluctant
28:48at first, but when I told him this move would help him crack open the civic faction's united front,
28:54he agreed with some reluctance. I waited in the wing of good fortune for an hour,
28:59and then a palace steward arrived leading Creon and Mara inside. In the council hall,
29:04Creon stood second only to the king himself, and all the stewards and maids bowed and scraped before
29:10him. Creon clearly enjoyed this, and his expression was one of triumph throughout the walk. When Creon
29:16saw me his eyes still carried fury, but then he smiled. You called the old man to the palace to
29:22ask
29:22for your mother's burial in our ancestral ground? I swept a glance over Creon, then looked at the woman
29:28beside him. Mara, she was genuinely beautiful, and Calia had clearly inherited her looks.
29:34Hi, Archerin. Such great official dignity. To not offer a greeting when standing before
29:41the king's concord, is that contempt for the royal house? I gave a cold smile.
29:47Creon's face stiffened, and then he gritted his teeth and bent into a bow, while Mara's expression
29:53turned equally ugly as she followed with a reluctant curtsy. I drew something from my sleeve and set it
29:59on the table beside me, facing directly toward Creon and Mara as they bowed. When Creon straightened and
30:05saw the object on the table, his face turned the color of iron, and Mara, upon seeing it,
30:13went equally pale with barely concealed rage. But I only smiled and ran my fingers gently along the
30:19object beside me. It was my mother's mourning tablet, small enough to be carried close to my
30:24body and smuggled into the palace. And Creon and Mara had just bowed, which was the same as bowing to
30:29my mother, and that was why they were so furious. I simply enjoy speaking to my mother's tablet in my
30:35leisure. How is that insolent? The High Archman is welcome to explain himself. Creon was too enraged to
30:42form words, and Mara spoke up in his place. You made my lord bow to that creature, does she deserve
30:47it?
30:47What business does a kept woman have questioning anything concerning my mother?
30:53Someone come! Royal consort Mara has shown disrespect to me. Thirty strokes across the face!
30:59Who dares? The stewards and maids in the room indeed did not dare step forward,
31:04and Mara looked at me with triumphant contempt. I rose from my seat and walked forward.
31:10I dare! And struck Mara hard across the face myself, and he raised his hand to strike me.
31:17How dare you!
31:19High Archon, think carefully. If that hand comes down, it is the same as striking the face of the
31:24royal house, and your honor will be destroyed in a single moment. I fixed him with an icy stare.
31:33Creon had spent his entire life guarding his honor. He would never break that code for the
31:37sake of a kept woman. Creon trembled with fury from head to foot, but the hand never fell,
31:43and I turned and struck Mara across the face a second time. My hand was strong, and Mara had lived
31:49a pampered life. Two strikes from me sent her crumpling to the floor, stunned and unable to speak.
31:54Laya, I have more than enough methods to make you beg for death and be refused it. In the past,
32:00I held back out of what little regard I still had for the tie of blood between us. But today,
32:05you have humiliated me like this, and I will not let it pass.
32:09High Archon, the moment you drove my mother to her death, a blood oath was sworn between us, without end.
32:20Less than half an hour after Creon left with Mara, a pile of formal accusations before the council had
32:25been sent to the king's war chamber. That evening, the queen came to my courtyard.
32:29Walk with me to the shrine of Hestria, and bring your mother's mourning tablet.
32:34The shrine of Hestia was a small sanctuary within the palace, tucked in one of its more secluded
32:39corners, set aside for consorts who wished to observe rites of prayer and offering.
32:43I carried my mother's mourning tablet, and followed the queen to the shrine of Hestia,
32:47where she offered incense first, and then turned to speak to me.
32:51Leave your mother's mourning tab here in the shrine of Hestia.
32:54Laya, palace law forbids the keeping of private mourning shrines.
32:58I nodded.
32:59Laya, this time you have gone too far. The king must discipline you.
33:05The queen spoke plainly.
33:09I nodded again. I had already prepared myself for this, and today was my mother's seventh
33:14day of mourning, and I had done what I did for her sake. The queen saw my composure and sighed.
33:19Fortunately, your earlier acts of virtue counted in your favor,
33:21and I have also spoken to the king on your behalf. So this time the punishment will be light.
33:27A rep remained and the copying of sacred texts.
33:30Lyra, I can see from the way you carry your mother's mourning tablet how deep the bond between
33:35you was. Your mother's spirit would not wish you to take such risks.
33:40I looked at the queen. My queen need not trouble herself to dissuade me.
33:44A blood oath has been sworn without end.
33:48Look at those young palace maids. The queen sighed again, and she pointed toward the garden outside.
33:54I followed the direction of her gesture and looked out. A group of young palace maids were tending the
33:59garden flowers at the edge of the shrine, pulling weeds from the beds. And perhaps because the shrine
34:05of Hestia was so deep within the palace and consorts rarely came, the maids had grown bold,
34:10working and playing at the same time, their laughter carrying across to where we stood.
34:15This palace is full of darkness, full of that which devours people whole. But there is also hope
34:20and quiet ease. If you can wait one year until everyone has forgotten you, I can ask the king to
34:27release you from the palace and you can find some place to live in peace. I looked at the queen
34:31and
34:31asked the question that had been in my mind. Why are you doing this for me?
34:37From my very first day in the palace, I had sensed that the queen regarded me differently.
34:42And now she was even speaking of sending me away from the palace. That was not something a queen
34:47should say. The queen smiled. You may not believe me when I hear it, but I see in you the
34:53defiance I
34:53always wanted for myself, that ferocity willing to fight against everything. I spent my whole life
34:59serving my family and the king and could only ever be the queen, but you are different. You can have
35:04far more than that. I turned her words over in my mind all the way back. And when I reached
35:09the wing
35:09of good fortune, I found Kalia waiting at the entrance to my courtyard with her attendants. Lyra,
35:15you vile creature! Kalia lunged toward me the moment she saw me, though her maids held her back.
35:21My lady, you are too precious to lower yourself to a direct confrontation with her. My lady,
35:26calm yourself. The High Archul has already rallied the council members to submit formal
35:30accusations against her. The voices of those around her gradually brought Kalia back to her
35:34senses. I looked at Kalia. Would you like to know what a strike across the face feels like as well?
35:39You think you can rely on the king's favor? I am telling you now, I will take every last drop
35:43of
35:43that favor from you. Just you wait. Kalia finished speaking and swept away with her maids and stewards in
35:49a great show of fury. Word spread afterward that Kalia had gone on her own initiative to the king's war
35:54chamber with a bowl of warm broth. In the past, this would have been unthinkable. Kalia had always
35:59held herself above the other consorts because of her standing as the High Archon's daughter and had
36:05looked down on them for sending the king nourishing gifts and broths, calling it fawning. Yet now here
36:10she was, doing the very same thing she had once despised, only she had not anticipated that the king
36:16still came to my courtyard that evening. The king tossed a pile of formal accusations before the council
36:23on the table. I will give you a chance to explain yourself. I picked up one of the documents, scanned
36:29the contents, and then smiled. Today the king has at least seen clearly how much reach Crayon has in
36:35the council. These officials submitted accusations against the king's own consort for the sake of
36:41Crayon's kept woman, the king said. I do not need you to tell me that. I smiled. Before the assembly
36:48convenes tomorrow, I ask the king to issue one more royal edict, summoning Crayon and Mara to my wing
36:54of good fortune, with the message that I wish to offer them a formal apology. You are retreating this
37:00quickly? The king jaced. Does the king think Crayon will come? Most likely not. Crayon is the head of the
37:08civic faction. After suffering such a humiliation, he could never let it rest and he will certainly refuse.
37:13If you already know he will refuse, why ask me to issue the edict? Because if the king issues
37:18the edict and he does not come, that is defiance of a royal command. But to avoid the charge of
37:24defiance, his only recourse is to claim he is bedridden with sudden illness and unable to enter
37:29the palace. And then? A man confined to his bed with sudden illness is naturally in no condition to
37:35attend the assembly, so tomorrow in the council hall those civic officials will be without their leader,
37:41and the king as sovereign will have room to act. The king shook his head. That will not work.
37:48Those officials are not fools. With Crayon absent they will simply play ignorant and I cannot have
37:53them executed. The king cannot execute them, but the king can refuse to adjourn the assembly,
37:59and tomorrow the king can simply defly to dismiss the session until the goal was achieved.
38:04I do not believe they can hold out indefinitely. The king paused, then let out a short laugh.
38:10That is genuinely underhanded. It has never occurred to me to try something like this.
38:16Because the king is an upright man by nature. But sometimes, a little shamelessness goes quite a long way.
38:24The king is an upright man by nature.
38:25Chloe Mc När譜ó
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