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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 rites,
00:09where 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 gratitude,
00:40and that would damage his career. So he had her sent to a remote outpost farm, beyond the city walls,
00:46telling everyone it was so she could rest quietly during her confinement, away from gossip. But that
00:51outpost farm had fallen into ruin long ago. It was no place for a woman with child. Over the following
00:56six months, as people forgot my mother, my father took a new wife in a full legitimate ceremony,
01:01the daughter of his mentor. And on the very day 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 once.
01:13Only two royal handmaids were assigned to care for us, though in truth they were our keepers,
01:18forbidding us from leaving or receiving any visitors. The outpost was desolate, and guarding
01:24us was drudge work. So the two handmaids resented it and took their frustrations out on my mother and
01:28me. They called my mother a harlot who had lost her honor and should have died, and called me a
01:33bastard, a child my mother had conceived by some unknown man. My mother argued back fiercely to
01:39protect me, but every time she was beaten until she bled. Once, while the handmaids were beating my
01:44mother again, I crept under their bed that night to frighten them, and overheard them whispering
01:49that all the abuse and humiliation directed at my mother and me had been ordered by Mara,
01:54the second wife back at the estate. The purpose was to break us until we could no longer endure
01:58and took our own lives. Not that Mara was too timid to kill us outright, but that she and my
02:03father
02:04feared their reputations. And if we were murdered and someone found proof, it would become a weapon
02:09against them at the height of my father's career, a risk they could not afford. Our suicide was
02:14the cleanest outcome they could hope for, and even if someone discovered the handmaids had driven us
02:18to it through 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 I had heard,
02:28but she did not make a scene. She simply began teaching me in secret, reading, writing, and certain
02:34rules of conduct I did not yet understand. I was not willing to accept it and wanted to confront my
02:39father. But my mother stopped me sharply, defiant, I refused to submit. And finally,
02:44when the estate sent a card out to the farm, I hid inside and wrote it all the way back
02:48to 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
03:11the ground. 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
03:21my father who I was, and he answered her gently. Just a beggar, filthy creature, Kalia. Don't look,
03:28you'll dirty your eyes. Later I learned that girl was Mara's daughter, Kalia, only seven years old,
03:33and already celebrated for her talents throughout the city. The pride of my father's heart.
03:39At eight years old, I still believed naively that if I studied hard enough, I could be loved by my
03:44father the way Kalia was. So I threw myself into learning everything my mother taught me.
03:48As I grew year by year and became more striking in appearance, my mother's brow grew more and more
03:53furrowed, and she forbade me from adorning myself, to keep the two handmaids from noticing my face.
03:58She even made me deliberately look plain. On the day I came of age, my mother said something to the
04:04handmaids 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,
04:36and I did not believe she had died by her own hand. I flew at the two handmaids in a
04:40rage,
04:41certain they had driven her to it, and they beat me unconscious. When I came to, I ran out of
04:46the farm
04:46in a frenzy, and found the city coroner demanding an examination of her body. And the verdict came back
04:51that my mother had indeed died by her own hand. Stop making trouble. Your worthless mother killed
04:57herself willingly. She made a deal with the High Archcon and Mara. She died to preserve the honor
05:04of the estate. And in exchange, you would be found a decent match. Mara in her generosity has already
05:11chosen someone 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?
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 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.
07:25Please, please, speak. I am selling myself.
07:32Miss, please do not jest. I am the legitimate firstborn daughter of the current High Archon,
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?
08:03I used the simplest form of provocation. Master Solon studied me for a long moment, then said,
08:08Please wait a moment, miss.
08:09He 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 days.
08:20Before the auction, I need the Era 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 rites as widely
08:32as possible. And the fact that I am the High Archon'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.
08:43The 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 Archon, 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
09:07always be those who wished to see him humiliated, and I intended to make Creon the laughing stock of
09:12the entire city on the day of the auction. But I wanted more than his humiliation. I wanted justice
09:17for my mother. As expected, the news of my auctioning myself to fund my mother's burial rites had spread
09:24through the city and caused a sensation in less than half a day. Because alongside that news came the
09:29story 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
09:39died because of it, while Creon, who had benefited most, lived on without consequence. That was too
09:45unjust to bear, so I had paid people to spread the story again. Some said Creon had mistreated my mother
09:50and me so badly that there was no money even for burial rites after her death, which was why I
09:55had
09:55been forced to auction myself. Some said Creon was a man without gratitude, that he had betrayed the
10:00woman who had saved his life. And some said the place of royal consort should have been mine 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 reckoning
10:14nothing more than a daughter of a concubine. In less than an hour, a furious Creon arrived at the
10:19Agora Vault with several fierce-looking servants carrying clubs, intending to take me away, though his
10:24manner made it plain, he meant to beat me to death on the spot. Fortunately, I had already hidden myself
10:29somewhere safe, and Creon searched the Agora Vault without finding any trace of me, and was forced to
10:34leave in frustration. Master Solon told me that Creon had left eyes watching the area around the Agora
10:40Vault, that 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 the 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 of
11:06Creon had only just begun. The three days passed quickly, and on the third day the auction hall of the
11:12Agora 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 bitters surrounding me on all sides, examined like a piece of
11:24merchandise, and I remained composed and indifferent. I swept my gaze around the room and saw Creon
11:29seated at the very center, his face dark with fury, his eyes burning with a consuming rage.
11:35Had this been anywhere other than the Agora Vault, he would likely have had me struck down already.
11:40My eyes passed over him without pausing for even half a breath, and finally came to rest for a
11:46moment on a private booth on the upper floor. Master Solon had told me it was occupied by someone from
11:51the palace, though he did not know who. Master Solon stepped forward, and without lengthy introduction,
11:56my identity was known to everyone, he simply laid out the rules of the auction. Today's bidding would
12:02not be conducted aloud. The floor price was 20,000 drachmas, and each person would write their offer
12:08on a piece of parchment, all of which would be handed to me to examine, with the highest bid taking
12:12the
12:13prize. I watched Creon's eyes flash with the certainty of a man who considers the outcome already decided,
12:18and 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 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,
12:54and I opened them one by one, keeping a record as I read. The Council Secretary Lycos, 1,000 drachmas.
13:01The Chief Justice Heron, 8,000 drachmas. The Head of the Academy Sorin, 10,000 drachmas.
13:06Every one of them had shown deference to Creon the High Archon by keeping their bids low,
13:10yet not so low as to be insulting to a legitimate daughter of the Archon. Truly, they had managed to
13:16offend no one on either side. I opened the final piece of parchment, and written on it were the
13:21words, Creon, 20,000 drachmas, the highest bid in the room. Master Solon glanced at the figure and
13:27leaned close to murmur in my ear. The Agora Vault only recognizes the bid. You will have to rely on
13:36your
13:36own fortune from here. I 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, and would not involve
13:48itself in anything beyond that. Which was their principle, and not something they would break even
13:53for my sake. I smiled faintly, picked up Creon's parchment, and looked toward him where he sat wearing
14:01the expression of a man who has already won. The highest bidder today is the High Archon Creon.
14:07His offer is 50,000 drachmas. Creon's face went rigid, and he rose at once, already preparing to
14:14protest. I did not give him the chance to speak. The second highest bid was 49,000 drachmas,
14:21just 1,000 short. Creon 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,
14:39which could mean endless trouble for him in the future. So his only choice now was to swallow this
14:43humiliation in silence. Creon's face turned the color of iron as he reached into his robe,
14:49and produced a draft for 50,000 drachmas, and handed it to the Vault's representative. Then moved to take
14:55hold of me and dragged me away. I shook his hand off sharply, then accepted from Master Solon my
15:00share of 40,000 drachmas. The Agora Vault retained two-tenths of the auction price,
15:05leaving 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. Before he
15:23could react, I turned toward the private booth on the upper floor and spoke clearly. I, Lyra, offer
15:2940,000 drachmas in silver to the soldiers on the frontier, and present a temple ledger of
15:35immeasurable worth that resolved the king's most urgent difficulty. I ask only to be summoned to the
15:41palace as royal concord. At those words, Creon's face changed completely. He shot me a furious glare
15:49and turned quickly toward the upper booth. This wretch is speaking in jest. The new king had only
15:55recently taken the throne, and the frontier was unstable. Skirmishes had already broken out several
16:00times, and the king wished to fight one decisive campaign to intimidate the border tribes and
16:05establish his own authority. Creon, as the leader of the civic faction, had consistently opposed it out
16:11of reluctance to see the military commanders grow powerful, and with the treasury depleted, the matter
16:16had been left unresolved and dragging on. Now I was willing to donate 40,000 drachmas as provisions to
16:23support the king's campaign, and I was certain the man in that booth would be moved. And indeed,
16:28from the booth came a warm and measured voice. What temple ledger? The moment the words fell,
16:33a palace steward hurried down from the upper floor and came to stand beside me. I drew something from
16:39my sleeve and handed it to the steward, and he carried it quickly back up to the booth. After a
16:44short pause, the steward came back out holding a royal edict. By royal decree, Lyra is hereby named
16:51Royal Consort Lyra to enter the palace this very day. I accepted the edict, and a deep steadiness settled
17:00in my chest. I had finally taken this step. Creon's expression turned ugly in an instant, and he fixed
17:05his eyes on me. You vile creature. You and that vile mother of yours are equally repulting.
17:12I paid him no attention at all, and instead looked at Creon and said,
17:16Hi Archeon. Today is my wedding day. As your legitimate firstborn daughter, my dowry should
17:22be no less than my conkind-born sisters, and my mother's dowry that was taken from her must also
17:27be returned to me. I have the full inventory of both. With so many people of standing present today,
17:33I trust the High Archman would not embarrass himself by being known as a man who seized a woman's dowry.
17:39Creon's face was the color of ash. You deserve to die. You should have gone the same way as that
17:46vile mother of yours. You should have died long ago. I should have strangled you at birth.
17:52Do you truly believe that entering the palace means I cannot still destroy you?
17:57I 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.
18:24The treasury was depleted, yet these same officials had been pleading poverty before the king.
18:28And here they were spending so freely to acquire a woman. If they could spend so much on that,
18:34they could certainly be made to contribute as much to the treasury to support the frontier
18:38campaign. With that ledger in hand, the king could compel those officials to donate to the war effort.
18:44And though it was only a list of names, it was genuinely a temple ledger worth its weight in gold
18:50for resolving his most pressing difficulty. Upon moving into the wing of good fortune,
18:55the first thing I did after entering the palace was donate every piece of dowry Creon had given me
19:00in full to the treasury. Everything from Creon I found too filthy to keep. Only my mother's dowry,
19:05I stored away carefully and kept close. This gesture delighted the king greatly,
19:10and he immediately praised me for my civic virtue and bestowed on me a considerable number of treasures.
19:17Half a day after entering the palace, the head steward of the household office arrived at my
19:22courtyard 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
19:40the head steward. Choose a few yourself. I have only one requirement. The ones you choose may be the
19:45eyes of the king and the queen, but they must not be the eyes of royal consort Calia or of
19:50Creon. If 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
20:32had already gathered. The queen sat at the center of the room, and I stepped forward to offer my
20:38greeting. My 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.
20:57Yet my bearing was composed and remarkable. The queen smiled. Rise Lyra. Bring her a seat.
21:04I rose and walked to a seat nearby, and my gaze settled on a woman sitting across from me.
21:08I knew her to be Kalia, the current royal consort, Creon's daughter, and the pride of his house.
21:14The 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. Kalia looked at me, her eyes filled with undisguised hatred.
21:27Sister certainly has talent. Your mother has been dead only three days, yet you could not wait to enter
21:32the palace. Auctioning yourself to fund her burial rates and playing the object of pity to win
21:37sympathy. What a fine performance. And I wonder whether your mother knowing your conduct could
21:42rest in peace. I glanced toward the queen. She had just finished speaking of harmony,
21:46and Kalia had immediately begun to mock me, showing no regard for the queen's face whatsoever,
21:51and clearly meaning to establish her authority over me from the very first moment.
21:55That Kalia moved so quickly to mock me meant my earlier actions had already caused her considerable
22:00distress. Because I had first donated 40,000 drachmas to the treasury, and then sent in nearly 10,000
22:06drachmas worth of the dowry Creon had given me. And everyone was praising my loyalty and virtue.
22:11This 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
22:23I had wanted. I intended for everyone in Creon's household to know no peace. The other consorts watched
22:29me 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 father's 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
23:13concubine-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
23:23stock. 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,
23:45Lyra, the king and I are both aware of the grievances between you and the High Archant.
23:49You helped the king today, and I will remember that debt. And though I too must be cautious of
23:54the High Archant within this palace, it is within my power to protect you.
23:58In the half-day since I had entered the palace, the king had already taken my ledger to the homes
24:03of
24:03the relevant officials and pressed them for contributions, with clear justification. And those
24:09men had found it difficult to plead poverty any further. I looked at the queen and considered
24:13her words carefully. After a long pause, I spoke.
24:17I 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? I have only recently taken the throne and the court is unsettled.
25:27If the high archer supports me, the council will be stable. The king finished speaking and let a
25:33troubled expression show, then picked up the cup and drank. I smiled at his side.
25:38The king very much wished to agree, but I had just helped the king, and moreover had donated
25:4250,000 drake rooms and silver as provisions for the frontier soldiers who will all remember that
25:46gift. If the king were to punish me now, not only would the frontier soldiers feel the cold of it,
25:50but 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.
25:57Lyra, 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. The king would not agree. The king was curious.
26:07Why not? Those reasons you gave are not sufficient to make me refuse the High Arpett'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. Because the king is the king, the son of heaven.
26:24The king does not submit to another's will. Kriam's help resolves one crisis, but what of the second?
26:30And the third? So the king would not agree. I finished speaking and looked at the king.
26:35The king said nothing, and his eyes fixed on me, cold and still. And after a long moment,
26:41he suddenly broke into laughter.
26:43Lyra, 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 Hestia.
27:12I 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, having clearly stayed
27:40long 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
28:06green 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 on the
28:21grounds that she had been dishonored, and that from that point forward, my mother and I had no relation
28:26to the house of Creon. And my mother was to be barred from burial in the archon's ancestral ground.
28:31I gave a cold laugh, who wanted anything to do with the archon's ancestral ground. My mother would
28:36find it filthy even 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
29:27woman beside him. Mara, she was genuinely beautiful, and Kalia had clearly inherited her looks.
29:34Hi, Archrin. Such great official dignity. To not offer a greeting when standing before the king's
29:41concord, 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
30:24body and smuggled into the palace, and Creon and Mara had just bowed, which was the same as bowing to
30:30my mother, and that was why they were so furious.
30:32I simply enjoy speaking to my mother's tablet in my leisure. How is that insolent? The High
30:38Archman is welcome to explain himself. Creon was too enraged to form words, and Mara spoke up in his
30:44place. You made my lord bow to that creature, does she deserve it? What business does a kept woman have
30:50questioning anything concerning my mother? Someone come! Royal Consort Mara has shown disrespect to me,
30:58thirty strokes across the face! Who dares? The stewards and maids in the room indeed did not
31:03dare step forward, and Mara looked at me with triumphant contempt. I rose from my seat and walked
31:09forward. I dare! And struck Mara hard across the face myself, and he raised his hand to strike me.
31:17How dare you! High Archon, think carefully. If that hand comes down, it is the same as striking the
31:24face of the royal house, and your honor will be destroyed in a single moment. I fixed him with an
31:29icy stare. Creon 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, and I
31:43turned and
31:44struck Mara across the face a second time. My hand was strong, and Mara had lived a pampered life.
31:50Two 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.
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 Hestria 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. I carried my
32:44mother's mourning tablet, and followed the queen to the shrine of Hestria, where she offered incense
32:48first, and then turned to speak to me. Leave your mother's mourning tab here in the shrine of Hestria.
32:54Palace 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, and I have also spoken to the king
33:24on your behalf. So this time the punishment will be light, a rep remained, and the copying of sacred
33:29texts. Lyra, 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. I looked at the queen.
33:41My queen need not trouble herself to dissuade me. A 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
33:59the garden flowers at the edge of the shrine, pulling weeds from the beds. And perhaps because
34:05the shrine of 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
34:26to release you from the palace and you can find some place to live in peace. I looked at the
34:31queen
34:31and asked 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
34:53I always 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
35:04more than that. I turned her words over in my mind all the way back. And when I reached the
35:09wing of
35:09good fortune, I found Kalia waiting at the entrance to my courtyard with her attendants.
35:14Lyra, you vile creature! Kalia lunged toward me the moment she saw me,
35:20though her maids held her back. My lady, you are too precious to lower yourself to a direct
35:24confrontation with her. My lady, calm yourself. The High Archal has already rallied the council members to
35:29submit formal accusations against her. The voices of those around her gradually brought Kalia back
35:34to her senses. I looked at Kalia. Would you like to know what a strike across the face feels like
35:38as
35:38well? You think you can rely on the king's favor? I am telling you now, I will take every last
35:43drop of
35:43that favor from you. Just you wait. Kalia finished speaking and swept away with her maids and stewards
35:48in a great show of fury. Word spread afterward that Kalia had gone on her own initiative to the king's
35:54war chamber with a bowl of warm broth. In the past this would have been unthinkable. Kalia had
35:59always held herself above the other consorts because of her standing as the High Archon's daughter
36:05and had looked down on them for sending the king nourishing gifts and broths, calling it fawning.
36:10Yet now here she was, doing the very same thing she had once despised, only she had not anticipated
36:15that the king still came to my courtyard that evening. The king tossed a pile of formal accusations
36:22before the council onto the table. I will give you a chance to explain yourself. I picked up one of
36:28the documents, scanned the contents, and then smiled. Today the king has at least seen clearly how much
36:34reach Crayon has in the council. These officials submitted accusations against the king's own consort
36:40for the sake of Crayon's kept woman, the king said. I do not need you to tell me that. I
36:46smiled.
36:47Before the assembly convenes tomorrow, I ask the king to issue one more royal edict,
36:52summoning Crayon and Mara to my wing of good fortune, with the message that I wish to offer
36:58them a formal apology. You are retreating this quickly? The king jaced. Does the king think
37:03Crayon will come? Most likely not. Crayon is the head of the civic faction. After suffering such a
37:10humiliation he could never let it rest and he will certainly refuse. If you already know he will refuse,
37:15why ask me to issue the edict? Because if the king issues the edict and he does not come,
37:20that is defiance of a royal command. But to avoid the charge of defiance, his only recourse is to
37:26claim he is bedridden with sudden illness and unable to enter the palace. And then? A man confined to his
37:33bed with sudden illness is naturally in no condition to attend the assembly, so tomorrow in the council
37:38hall those civic officials will be without their leader, and the king as sovereign will have room to
37:44act. The king shook his head. That will not work. Those officials are not fools. With Crayon absent
37:51they will simply play ignorant, and I cannot have them executed. The king cannot execute them, but the
37:57king can refuse to adjourn the assembly, and tomorrow the king can simply defly to dismiss the session
38:03until the goal was achieved. I do not believe they can hold out indefinitely. The king paused,
38:09then let out a short laugh. That is genuinely underhanded. It has never occurred to me to try
38:15something like this. Because the king is an upright man by nature, but sometimes a little shamelessness goes
38:22quite a long way.
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