- 7 hours ago
Blood Oath The Bastard's Reckoning
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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 we
02:06were murdered and someone found proof, it would become a weapon against them at the height of
02:10my father's career, a risk they could not afford. Our suicide was the cleanest outcome they
02:15could hope for. And even if someone discovered the handmaids had driven us to it through torment,
02:19my father and Mara could simply claim they had been too far away to supervise the servants
02:24properly, and wash their hands of it entirely. I told my mother everything I had heard, but she did not
02:29make a scene. She simply began teaching me in secret, reading, writing, and certain rules of
02:34conduct I did not yet understand. I was not willing to accept it and wanted to confront my father,
02:39but my mother stopped me sharply. Defiant, I refused to submit. And finally, when the estate sent
02:45a cart out to the farm, I hid inside and wrote it all the way back to the estate.
02:50That was the first time I saw the Archon's estate. Carved columns, painted archways,
02:55magnificent beyond anything I had known. And I, in my ragged clothes, was thrown out as a beggar.
03:01At the gates, I saw my father returning in a litter, with a girl beside him who looked like she
03:06had been
03:06carved from pale marble. And I ran forward and called out to him, but his guards kicked me to the
03:11ground. My father looked at me with undisguised contempt, ordered me sent back to the farm,
03:16and his voice was cold, his eyes seeing me as nothing but a mark of shame. I heard the girl
03:20ask my father who I was, and he answered her gently. Just a beggar. Filthy creature, Kalia.
03:27Don't look. You'll dirty your eyes. Later, I learned that girl was Mara's daughter, Kalia,
03:32only seven years old, and already celebrated for her talents throughout the city. The pride of my
03:36father's heart. At eight years old, I still believed naively that if I studied hard enough,
03:43I could be loved by my father the way Kalia was. So I threw myself into learning everything my mother
03:48taught me. As I grew year by year and became more striking in appearance, my mother's brow grew more
03:53and more furrowed, and she forbade me from adorning myself, to keep the two handmaids from noticing my
03:58face. She even made me deliberately look plain. On the day I came of age, my mother said something to
04:04the handmaids that I never heard, and they actually took her back to the estate. But she was gone only
04:08half a day before she returned, and when she came back, she was deeply sorrowful. I did not know what
04:13had happened to her at the estate, and she told me nothing, only drove herself to teach me music,
04:18drawing, dance, and all the rest. A few months later, my mother took her own life. Without any warning,
04:24she was simply gone. She left behind a written confession, full of self-reproach, saying she had
04:31been defiled and had no right to go on living. I did not believe a word of that confession, and
04:36I did
04:36not believe she had died by her own hand. I flew at the two handmaids in a rage, certain they
04:41had
04:42driven her to it, and they beat me unconscious. When I came to, I ran out of the farm in
04:46a frenzy,
04:47and found the city coroner demanding an examination of her body, and the verdict came back that my mother
04:52had indeed died by her own hand. Stop making trouble. Your worthless mother killed herself
04:57willingly. She made a deal with the High Archcon and Mara. She died to preserve the honor of the
05:04estate, and in exchange, you would be found a decent match. Mara, in her generosity, has already chosen
05:11someone for you. A lame widower who slaughters pigs for a living. A girl of your standing should
05:18count herself lucky to 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. By the time I reached the city, dawn had broken,
05:48and I carried my mother on my back all the way to the Archon's estate. I wanted only to demand
05:52justice from Creon for what he had done to her. When I arrived at the gates of the estate,
05:57I found a long procession, already moving out. A true display of splendor, lavish beyond measure.
06:02From the whispers of the crowd around me, I learned that my beloved sister, Kalia,
06:06was being summoned to the palace that very day as royal consort to the new king. I saw Creon standing
06:12at the gates to see her off, his face bright with pride, while officials surrounded him with flattery
06:17and praise. His expression was one of pure triumph, and it was plain that my mother's death had not
06:22touched him in the slightest, that this was only joy added to joy for him. I stood in the crowd
06:27with
06:27my mother's body on my back and simply watched in silence, and the coins and sweets that the servants
06:32tossed toward the crowd struck my body, but I felt no pain. I clenched my hands until my nails drove
06:37into my palms, and I swore to myself then, I will avenge my mother. I will make Creon and everyone
06:43in that estate pay with their lives to accompany her. The Agora Vault was the greatest auction house
06:48in the realm. 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? I am not here to purchase anything. I am here to sell.
07:13And what are you selling? An item worth 50,000 Drakkans. Can you authorize that amount yourself?
07:19Though I am only the Master of the Vault, 50,000 Drakklans is well within my authority to authorize.
07:25Miss, please, speak. I am selling myself.
07:32Miss, please do not jest. I am the legitimate firstborn daughter of the current High Archen,
07:37and the elder sister of the Royal Consort. I am worth 50,000 Drakkans. I am auctioning myself
07:43to fund my mother's burial rites. This story alone will make the Agora Vault the talk of every street
07:49in the city, and 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. He withdrew, clearly to consult the Vault's unseen owner,
08:13and after roughly the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he returned.
08:16The Agora Vault accepts your business. The auction will begin in three days.
08:20Before the auction, I need the Agora Vault to do two things, I said.
08:25Please speak, Miss. The first is to spread the news of my auctioning myself to fund my
08:30mother's burial rites as widely as possible, and the fact that I am the High Archen's legitimate
08:35daughter and the Royal Consort's elder sister must reach every street and alley in the city,
08:40and even the palace must hear of it. The second is to protect me for three days,
08:45No matter who applies pressure to the Agora Vault during those three days,
08:48I need the auction to proceed without cancellation, and I must not be handed over to anyone.
08:53Master Solon nodded.
08:54Miss, it seems you have declared a blood oath between yourself and the High Archant,
08:58but the Agora Vault agrees.
09:00I smiled. Of course it was a blood oath, though Creon was already the head of the civic factions
09:05with countless supporters. There would always be those who wished to see him humiliated,
09:09and I intended to make Creon the laughing stock of the entire city on the day of the auction.
09:14But I wanted more than his humiliation. I wanted justice for my mother.
09:20As expected, the news of my auctioning myself to fund my mother's burial rites had spread through
09:24the city and caused a sensation in less than half a day. Because alongside that news came the story of
09:29what had happened 17 years ago, how my mother had been violated by Aegean pirates while saving Creon.
09:3517 years had passed and few still remembered. But I remembered, and my mother had died because of it,
09:40while Creon, who had benefited most, lived on without consequence. That was too unjust to bear,
09:45so I had paid people to spread the story again. Some said Creon had mistreated my mother and me
09:50so badly that there was no money even for burial rites after her death, which was why I had been
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,
10:09and I was the legitimate daughter, while Kalia was born of Mara, which made her by all proper
10:13reckoning, nothing more than a daughter of a concubine. In less than an hour, a furious Creon
10:18arrived at the Agora vault with several fierce-looking servants carrying clubs, intending to take me away.
10:24Though his manner made it plain, he meant to beat me to death on the spot. Fortunately,
10:28I had already hidden myself somewhere safe, and Creon searched the Agora vault without finding
10:32any trace of me, and was forced to leave in frustration. Master Solon told me that Creon
10:37had left eyes watching the area around the Agora vault, that the palace had also sent people to keep
10:42watch, and that a number of Creon's political enemies had stationed men there as well. None of
10:48this surprised me, for I had anticipated all of it, and so I settled in to wait out the three
10:53days.
10:54Master Solon also told me that on Kalia's first day in the palace,
10:57the king had not visited her chambers once, not even once, because of my affair. I allowed myself
11:02a faint smile at that. This was only the beginning, and the reckoning of the House of Creon had only
11:07just begun. The three days passed quickly, and on the third day the auction hall of the Agora vault
11:12was 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
11:37other 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. Master Solon stepped forward, and without lengthy introduction, my identity was known to
11:58everyone. He simply laid out the rules of the auction. Today's bidding would not be conducted
12:03aloud. The floor price was 20,000 drachmas, and each person would write their offer on a piece of
12:09parchment, all 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,
12:19and he rose to his feet. I am this wretch's father, that she has done something this disgraceful today
12:24as my failure as a parent. I offer 20,000 draxons, and I ask everyone here to do me the
12:31courtesy of
12:31stepping aside. Creon 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
12:43dare to outbid him today, though the sealed nature of the bidding meant there might still
12:48be someone willing to go higher than Creon. Half an hour later, Master Solon brought me all
12:53the written bids, and I opened them one by one, keeping a record as I read. The Council Secretary
12:58Lycos, 1,000 drachmas. The Chief Justice Heron, 8,000 drachmas. The Head of the Academy Sorin,
13:0510,000 drachmas. Every one of them had shown deference to Creon the High Archon by keeping
13:10their bids low, yet not so low as to be insulting to a legitimate daughter of the Archon. Truly,
13:15they had managed to offend no one on either side. I opened the final piece of parchment,
13:20and written on it were the words, Creon, 20,000 drachmas, the highest bid in the room.
13:25Master 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. I smiled faintly, picked up Creon's parchment,
13:59and looked toward him where he sat wearing the expression of a man who has already won.
14:03The highest bidder today is the High Archon Crayon. His offer is 50,000 drachmas.
14:10Creon's face went rigid and he rose at once, already preparing to protest. I did not give him the chance
14:16to
14:16speak. The second highest bid was 49,000 drachmas, just 1,000 short. Creon opened his mouth and said
14:25nothing. I knew he likely suspected I was lying, but he could not afford to gamble on it, because he
14:30had
14:30to have me. If I were bought by someone else today, Creon the High Archon would lose all face before
14:36the
14:36city. And I would slip beyond his control, which could mean endless trouble for him in the future.
14:41So his only choice now was to swallow this humiliation and silence. Creon's face turned
14:46the color of iron as he reached into his robe and produced a draft for 50,000 drachmas, and handed
14:52it to the vault's representative, then moved to take hold of me and drag me away. I shook his hand
14:57off sharply, then accepted from Master Solon my share of 40,000 drachmas. The Agora Vault retained
15:03two-tenths of the 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
15:16with 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.
15:28I, Lyra, offer 40,000 drachmas in silver to the soldiers on the frontier,
15:33and present a temple ledger of immeasurable worth that resolved the king's most urgent difficulty.
15:39I ask only to be summoned to the palace as royal concord.
15:44At those words, Creon's face changed completely. He shot me a furious glare and turned quickly toward
15:50the upper booth. This wretch is speaking in jest. The new king had only recently taken the throne,
15:56and the frontier was unstable. Skirmishes had already broken out several times. And the king wished to
16:02fight one decisive campaign to intimidate the border tribes and establish his own authority. Creon,
16:07as the leader of the civic faction, had consistently opposed it out of reluctance to see the military
16:13commanders grow powerful. And with the treasury depleted, the matter had been left unresolved
16:18and dragging on. Now I was willing to donate 40,000 drachmas as provisions to support the king's
16:23campaign. And I was certain the man in that booth would be moved. And indeed from the booth came a
16:29warm and 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 taken
17:02this step. Creon's expression turned ugly in an instant and he fixed his eyes on me. You vile creature.
17:08You and that vile mother of yours are equally repulting. I paid him no attention at all and instead
17:14looked at Creon and said, Hi Archeon. Today is my wedding day. As your legitimate firstborn daughter,
17:21my dowry should be no less than my conkind-born sisters, and my mother's dowry that was taken
17:26from her must also be returned to me. I have the full inventory of both. With so many people of
17:32standing
17:32present today, I trust the High Archment would not embarrass himself by being known as a man who
17:37seized a woman's dowry. Creon's face was the color of ash. You deserve to die. You should have gone the
17:45same way as that vile mother of yours. You should have died long ago. I should have strangled you at
17:50birth. Do you truly believe that entering the palace means I cannot still destroy you? I felt nothing at
17:58Creon's curses. Only a faint sense of absurdity. Riding the litter into the palace, I felt something
18:06close to joy. Today's confrontation had been my victory, though a fortunate one, achieved because
18:11Creon had been caught unprepared and I had slipped through the gap. That so-called temple ledger was
18:16nothing more than the names of every official who had placed a bid in the auction hall today,
18:21with the amount each had offered written beside it. The treasury was depleted, yet these same officials had
18:26been pleading poverty before the king. And here they were spending so freely to acquire a woman.
18:32If they could spend so much on that, they could certainly be made to contribute as much to the
18:37treasury to support the frontier campaign. With that ledger in hand, the king could compel those
18:42officials to donate to the war effort. And though it was only a list of names, it was genuinely a
18:48temple ledger worth its weight in gold for resolving his most pressing difficulty. Upon moving into the
18:54wing of good fortune, the first thing I did after entering the palace was donate every
18:58piece of dowry Creon had given me in full to the treasury. Everything from Creon I found too filthy
19:03to keep. Only my mother's dowry I stored away carefully and kept close. This gesture delighted the
19:09king greatly, and he immediately praised me for my civic virtue and bestowed on me a considerable number
19:15of treasures. Half a day after entering the palace, the head steward of the household office arrived at
19:22my courtyard with several palace maids and stewards in tow. My lady Lyra, these servants have all been
19:28trained by the household office. Please see if any suit your taste. The head steward smiled with great
19:34deference. I swept a glance over the row of stewards and maids standing before me, then looked back at the
19:40head steward. Choose a few yourself. I have only one requirement. The ones you choose may be the eyes
19:45of the king and the queen, but they must not be the eyes of royal consort Calia or of Creon.
19:50If I
19:51discover otherwise, I will stake my life to see you finished. So consider carefully whether the silver
19:56Creon pays you is worth more than your life. Do not dismiss my words lightly. I swear on a blood
20:01oath,
20:02without end. My words made the head steward's expression shift, and then he smiled and said,
20:07My lady Jace, how would this servant dare? I drank my tea and ignored him, and after a long moment
20:14of
20:14visible deliberation, the head steward selected a few stewards and maids from the group, then led the
20:20rest away with a deep bow. Upon entering the palace, I was required to pay my respects to the queen,
20:27and when I arrived at her hall in the wing of unending spring, a considerable number of people had
20:33already gathered. The queen sat at the center of the room, and I stepped forward to offer my greeting.
20:38My movements were precise and faultless, as though I had practiced them ten thousand times.
20:43The consorts who had been waiting to see me stumble looked at one another in surprise,
20:47because they all knew I had been raised on a ruined outpost farm with no proper instruction,
20:53and had assumed I would be coarse and unable to conduct myself in polished company. Yet my bearing was
20:58composed and remarkable. The queen smiled. Rise Lyra, bring her a seat. I rose and walked to a seat
21:05nearby, and my gaze settled on a woman sitting across from me. I knew her to be Kalia, the current
21:11royal
21:11consort, Creon's daughter and the pride of his house. The queen looked at me and said,
21:16Today is Lyra's first day in the palace. From now on you are all sisters, and you must live in
21:23harmony.
21:24Kalia looked at me, her eyes filled with undisguised hatred. Sister certainly has talent. Your mother
21:30has been dead only three days, yet you could not wait to enter the palace, auctioning yourself to
21:34fund her burial rates and playing the object of pity to win sympathy. What a fine performance. And I
21:39wonder whether your mother knowing your conduct could rest in peace. I glanced toward the queen.
21:44She had just finished 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 the same
22:16question. Donate her dowry or not. And either choice cost her something. That too was the outcome I had
22:23wanted. I intended for everyone in Creon's household to know no peace. The other consorts watched me one
22:30by one. Their expressions bright with schadenfreude. I smiled faintly, I was no soft target. And looked
22:36coldly at Kalia. So you do know my mother died only three days ago. My mother passed, and you, a
22:43daughter
22:43of a concubine, were permitted to take a husband. So why should I, the legitimate daughter, not be
22:48permitted the same. Whether my mother can rest in peace I cannot say. But the concubine who bored you
22:54must be sleeping very uneasily. The whole world now knows that so-called second wife of your fathers
22:59is nothing but a kept woman deceiving herself with a title she was never given. And you, sister,
23:03will be a daughter of a concubine for the rest of your life. That is truly pitiful.
23:07My words drained the color from Kalia's face, because the rumors had already spread that a
23:13concubine-born daughter had taken the place of the legitimate daughter as royal consort. That the king
23:18had not visited her chambers once in three days. And that she had become a laughingstock. She was just
23:24drawing breath to fire back when the queen cut across her sharply. Enough, both of you. Lyra, remain
23:32behind. The rest of you may withdraw.
23:37Kalia was furious, but had no choice, and she left with the other consorts. When everyone had gone,
23:43the queen looked at me and said, Lyra, the king and I are both aware of the grievances between you
23:48and the High Archant. You helped the king today, and I will remember that debt. And though I too must
23:54be cautious of the High Archant within this palace, it is within my power to protect you. In the half
23:59day
23:59since I had entered the palace, the king had already taken my ledger to the homes of the relevant
24:03officials and pressed them for contributions, with clear justification. And those men had found it
24:09difficult to plead poverty any further. I looked at the queen and considered her words carefully.
24:15After a long pause, I spoke.
24:16I am grateful for your kindness, my queen. But between myself and Creon's household,
24:23there is a blood oath without end. The queen sighed.
24:27Why bring this upon yourself? You have no power, no allies. How do you expect to fight?
24:34In the end, the queen had no choice but to let me withdraw. On my first day in the palace,
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.
25:10Lyra, the high archer came to find me today and asked me to cost you into the forgotten wing.
25:15The king looked at me and said, I walked to his side and poured him a cup of wine.
25:21And what did the king say?
25:23I have only recently taken the throne and the court is unsettled.
25:27If the high archer supports me, the council will be stable.
25:31The king finished speaking and let a troubled expression show, then picked up the cup and drank.
25:36I smiled at his side. The king very much wished to agree, but I had just helped the king,
25:41and moreover had donated 50,000 drakerums and silver as provisions for the frontier soldiers
25:45who will all remember that gift. If the king were to punish me now, not only would the frontier
25:49soldiers feel the cold of it, but all those who do things on the king's behalf would feel it too.
25:53The king looked at me, a flash of surprise passing through his eyes.
25:56Lyra, you are very shrewd. You have been calculating every step since the auction. Since you are this
26:01shrewd, tell me, did I agree?
26:02I shook my head with complete certainty.
26:04The king would not agree. The king was curious.
26:08Why not? Those reasons you gave are not sufficient to make me refuse the high archer's goodwill,
26:13because I could simply wait six months until everything has settled and then find some
26:17pretext 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.
27:02I will help you bring down Creon. And when Creoc falls, I ask the king to let me leave the
27:09palace,
27:10and take my vows at the shrine of Hestia. I finished speaking and looked at the king.
27:14I accept. But do you understand how deeply Creod is rooted in this court, to speak such bold words?
27:21I nodded. Creon was the High Archon, and six of the seven councils fell under his influence.
27:27It was an iron fortress that even the king could not yet pry open.
27:31Then I will watch and wait. The king did not waste further words.
27:36After 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 attended him that night.
27:45After entering the palace, the king came to sit in my chambers every evening for three days running.
27:51And most of the time, we played strategy games across a board. But in the eyes of others,
27:56I was considered deeply favored, attended every night. I heard that the wing of green bamboo had
28:01already gone through several sets of ceramic vessels, smashed in succession. The wing of green
28:06bamboo was Kalia's quarters. I could see that the king was doing this deliberately, to provoke both
28:12Kalia and the man behind her, Creon. And indeed on the fourth day, word came from the Archon's estate
28:18that Creon had formally annulled his marriage to my mother, on the grounds that she had been
28:22dishonored. And that from that point forward, my mother and I had no relation to the house of Creon.
28:27And my mother was to be barred from burial in the Archon's ancestral ground. I gave a cold laugh,
28:33who wanted anything to do with the Archon's ancestral ground. My mother would find it filthy
28:37even to be buried there. But Creon had made his move, and I had to answer it.
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 Kalia had clearly inherited her looks.
29:33Hi, Archrin. Such great official dignity. To not offer a greeting when standing before the
29:41king'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 on
29:59the 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 body
30:24and smuggled into the palace. And Creon and Mara had just bowed, which was the same as bowing to my
30:30mother, and that was why they were so furious. I simply enjoy speaking to my mother's tablet in
30:35my leisure. 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? Someone come! Royal
30:55Consort Mara has shown disrespect to me. Thirty strokes across the face! Who dares? The stewards and maids in
31:02the room indeed did not dare step forward, and Mara looked at me with triumphant contempt. I rose from my
31:08seat and walked forward. I dare! And struck Mara hard across the face myself. And he raised his hand
31:16to strike me. How dare you! Hi, Archon. Think carefully. If that hand comes down, it is the same
31:23as striking the face of the royal house, and your honor will be destroyed in a single moment. I fixed
31:29him with an icy stare. Creon had spent his entire life guarding his honor. He would never break that code
31:37for the sake 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
31:49lived a pampered life. Two strikes from me sent her crumpling to the floor, stunned and unable to speak.
31:54Laia, 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. High Archman,
32:11the 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. Walk with me to the
32:30Shrine of Hestria and bring your mother's mourning tablet. The Shrine of Hestia was a small sanctuary
32:36within the palace, tucked in one of its more secluded corners, set aside for consorts who
32:41wished to observe rites of prayer and offering. I carried my mother's mourning tablet and followed
32:46the queen to the Shrine of Hestia, where she offered incense first, and then turned to speak to me.
32:51Leave your mother's mourning tab here in the Shrine of Hestia. Palace law forbids the keeping of private
32:56mourning shrines. I nodded. Laya, 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 day of
33:14mourning, and I had done what I did for her sake. The queen saw my composure and sighed. Fortunately,
33:19your earlier acts of virtue counted in your favor, and I have also spoken to the king on your behalf.
33:25So this time the punishment will be light. A 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 you
33:36was. Your mother's spirit would not wish you to take such risks. I looked at the queen. My queen need
33:42not trouble herself to dissuade me. A blood oath has been sworn without end. Look at those young palace
33:50maids. The queen sighed again, and she pointed toward the garden outside. I followed the direction
33:55of her gesture and looked out. A group of young palace maids were tending the garden flowers at
34:00the edge of the shrine, pulling weeds from the beds. And perhaps because the Shrine of Hestia was so deep
34:06within the palace and consorts rarely came, the maids had grown bold, working and playing at the same
34:12time, their laughter carrying across to where we stood. This palace is full of darkness,
34:17full of that which devours people whole, but there is also hope and quiet ease. If you can wait one
34:23year until everyone has forgotten you, I can ask the king to release you from the palace and you can
34:28find some place to live in peace. I looked at the queen and asked the question that had been in
34:33my mind.
34:33Why 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, you
35:16vile creature! Kalia lunged toward me the moment she saw me, though her maids held her back. My lady,
35:22you are too precious to lower yourself to a direct confrontation with her. My lady, calm yourself. The High
35:27Archul has already rallied the council members to submit formal accusations against her. The voices
35:32of those around her gradually brought Kalia back to her senses. I looked at Kalia. Would you like to
35:36know what a strike across the face feels like as well? You think you can rely on the king's favor?
35:41I am telling you now, I will take every last drop of that favor from you. Just you wait. Kalia
35:46finished
35:46speaking and swept away with her maids and stewards in a great show of fury. Word spread afterward that
35:51Kalia had gone on her own initiative to the king's war chamber with a bowl of warm broth. In the
35:57past,
35:57this would have been unthinkable. Kalia had always held herself above the other consorts
36:01because of her standing as the High Archon's daughter and had looked down on them for sending
36:06the king nourishing gifts and broths, calling it fawning. Yet now here she was, doing the very
36:12same thing she had once despised, only she had not anticipated that the king still came to my
36:17courtyard that evening. The king tossed a pile of formal accusations before the council onto the table.
36:23I will give you a chance to explain yourself. I picked up one of the documents, scanned the contents,
36:30and then smiled. Today the king has at least seen clearly how much reach Crayon has in the council.
36:36These officials submitted accusations against the king's own consort for the sake of Crayon's kept
36:42woman, the king said. I do not need you to tell me that. I smiled. Before the assembly convenes tomorrow,
36:49I asked the king to issue one more royal edict, summoning Crayon and Mara to my wing of good fortune,
36:56with the message that I wish to offer them a formal apology. You are retreating this quickly?
37:01The 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 the
37:18edict and he does not come, that is defiance of a royal command. But to avoid the charge of defiance,
37:25his only recourse is to claim he is bedridden with sudden illness and unable to enter the palace.
37:30And then? A man confined to his bed with sudden illness is naturally in no condition to attend the
37:36assembly. 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 defy 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.
38:23But then we will only make an upright man.
38:25I think our king will be the same in us.
38:25And so, I'm going to try to do the same thing.
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